Tortilla West, Norfolk, Virginia (oldie but goodie)

Tortilla West is well known as one of Ghent's treasures. Located in the back of West Ghent, T-West, as many fondly call it, is a southwestern spot with great food and a plethora of tequila. We are huge fans of T-West and dine there once every other week, at least. The cheese dip is our go-to appetizer and T-West's seasoned chips are my favorite chips around town. Tortilla West does not have a cocktail menu per se but they do have a ton of liquor choices. For the second time, the nice bartender made me a fruity concoction of mango vodka and pomegranate liquor combined with pineapple, orange and lime juices. This is a pretty delicious drink on a hot day. This particular night, along with the mandatory chips, I started with the gazpacho soup special. A smoky flavor and topped with avocado, T-West's version of this Spanish cold soup was well done. I would eagerly order this again.

Gazpacho

For my entree, I typically choose the Spinach and Goat Cheese Quesadilla or the Vegetable Quesadilla but I wanted something out of the norm. Let's be honest, how many vegetarian quesadillas can one eat? In my quest, I spied the Grilled 3 Cheese under the sandwich heading and decided to give it a whirl. Feta, mixed cheese (cheddar and Monterey Jack) and Manchego with bacon and tomato on ciabatta. The sandwich had me at Manchego (I love this cheese) and I substituted avocado for the bacon. Sandwiches come with a side and I opted for the zucchini and squash. The result? This sandwich is my new staple at T-West and the Manchego hoisted it into the exceptional category. The zucchini and squash side is always dependable and gave me a vegetable to balance out the cheese dip and my cheese sandwich. Cheese anyone?

Grilled 3 Cheese with zucchini and squash

My boyfriend loves T-West's soft tacos and this day, tuna was the fish of choice. Cooked to his liking, the tacos combined with the mac n' cheese hit the spot. Typically, the mac n' cheese comes with jalapenos but we nix those.

Tuna Soft Tacos with beans and rice

Mac n' Cheese sans jalapenos

Last but certainly not least, dessert made it's way into my mind. T-West makes their desserts from scratch and I have always liked what I have ordered. Peanut butter pie and carrot cake were our picks for the night. The pie filling was perfectly gooey and almost had a custard consistency, making me want more. We wanted to take a second slice to go, but I nabbed the last one. Lucky me! The carrot cake was of the standard variety but good nonetheless.

Tortilla West is open Monday-Saturday 4pm-1:30am and Sundays 11am-1:30am when they also serve brunch. Laine and I still hope for the day T-West will reopen during lunch. We understand lunch everyday might not make sense for this restaurant, but how about one day per week, Fridays? We truly miss lunch there.

~Alex

Tortilla West
508 Orapax St, Norfolk, VA 23507
(757)440-3777

Costa Azul - Hanbury Commons, Chesapeake, VA

Last Saturday the family had a hankering for Mexican, so we piled in the car and headed to our usual, El Parian. It was gone, as in, no longer there, completely empty. Wow, had it been that long since we had Mexican. We loved that place. Were did our buddies go? Not one to mope for long, we redirected our efforts to nearby Hanbury to try out a restaurant I spotted near Skinny Dip, The Costa Azul.

The place was virtually empty at 12:30 on a Saturday. It was incredibly beautiful outside, so perhaps everyone was at the beach or similarly enjoying the day? The interior was pretty typical Mexican Restaurant, but not overdone and the music was on a low level. Thank you.

No surprises on the menu. I ordered Chicken Fajitas, my husband got the Burrito lunch, and my daughter got the Burrito and Cheese Quesadilla kids meal ( a radical change from her former #4 Kids meal... Cheese Quesadilla). We noshed on the warm chips with salsa and ordered a side of guacamole. The guac was good. I like a chunky mix and this had some nice sized pieces of avocado in the dip. Lightly seasoned and easy on the heat, I liked it. The table salsa had a kick to it, which placed it off limits to my daughter and me. As happens in every restaurant as soon as the food is delivered, we had to visit the ladies room. It was plain white paint and clean. Another positive. 



Kids Meal - Burrito and Cheese Quesadilla





Burrito and Taco Lunch

The food was good. Not crazy outstanding, best I ever had, but good. Portions were reasonable, and Items were not drowned in cheese or sauces. Flavoring was mostly mild. I would have liked a little more seasoning on the fajitas. The service was brisk ( there was only one other table), but not overly friendly. I can live with that. Keep my drink full, bring my food fast, clear away the dirty dishes appropriately, don’t keep me waiting on the check and I am pretty happy. I don’t need to make new friends everywhere I go. 
(Located directly off the 158 bypass at the Hanbury Road exit, this would be a safe place to stop in for a quick bite if you are a weary traveler headed to or from the Outer Banks.)

Chicken Fajitas

Costa Azul
237 Hanbury Rd E # 8
Chesapeake, VA 23322-6621
(757) 482-2104

37th & Zen - Norfolk

Zen opened a little while ago and I had heard good things about it, but until recently, had not been. Laine and I had a ride, from Chas*, which helps us a great deal when we travel out of Downtown Norfolk proper on our lunch hour, hour being the operative word (so, if anyone wants to cart Laine and I to Ghent and help us review, let us know). Zen is located at the intersection of 37th Street and Hampton Boulevard right before the 38th Street intersection, an event-less intersection but widely known to the longtime Norfolkians. Located near the ever-growing Old Dominion University campus, Zen created a student-inspired menu, but should not deter you if you are not still a student (I try to pretend at times). Instead of soups and sides Zen calls them 'Practicing Student', instead of appetizers, Zen has 'Advanced Student', instead of sandwiches and wraps, there is the 'Senior Student' portion, 'Dharma Holder' is the salad section and lastly, entrees are 'Zen Teacher'. A lot of things looked good and at lunch, there is a daily $5 lunch special. This day it was chicken kabobs with rice and another side and the soup de jour was creamy potato. After a few minutes of fretting over what to have because everything on the menu looked so tempting, I opted for the Mother Earth Burger, a homemade lentil and white bean vegetarian burger served on a kaiser roll with fries. The menu does not state this, but the sandwiches and wraps come with their house fries, a mixture of white potato and sweet potato fries. My burger was huge and tasty and came with lettuce, tomato and onion and I think the only thing I would have added would be a little spice to the patty or a sauce of some sort to give it some get up and go. I still enjoyed it and the fries were killer. They were seasoned and seemed to be REAL french fries, not some frozen version from Ole Rida. Chas ordered the Reuben, which came with fries, and said his was equally good. Other menu items include Rooted Pork BBQ, a Tibetan Chicken Wrap, Chi Kung Fried Rice and Bronzed Ahi Tuna. Quite a variety.

Without beverages, our bill came to $18.50 pre-tip. Not bad at all. Not surprisingly, Zen offers an Asian-inspired atmosphere, has live music and some other nightly treats (including karaoke, not one of my favorites). They have a nice sitting area, which I assume is an extension of the bar and is filled with splendidly colored leather couches, orange, red, yellow. A very pretty and inviting arrangement.

Laine and I are spreading the word about our pleasing experience at Zen and we encourage everyone to visit. A friend told me Zen used to have a drag queen brunch on the weekends when the restaurant first opened, but sadly, that does not seem to be going on anymore.

~Alex

The restaurant was pretty empty when we had lunch there on Thursday. I think their current reputation may be as more of a club/bar than a restaurant, but if the food stays as good as it was when we were there, that should change. 37th and North Hampton Blvd is a bit of a hike from downtown only because there isn't a good or fast way to get there. You all know what I mean. Lots of traffic, stop lights, stop signs, construction...your everyday experience in downtown. Once there we were told to sit anywhere we liked and were quickly served.

I ordered fish tacos; Whitefish, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, cheese, and a cucumber dill relish for $7.50. Although not on the menu, it came with a heavily peppered bean salad. I am not big on jalapenos, but it was a tasty side. I picked most of the peppers out and enjoyed the flavor they left on the remaining beans. The (2) taco portions were hearty and they were very good. Another plus in my book, sodas were $1.67 AND the server refilled my drink at least 3 times. Caffeine is my friend.

Zen appears to be very vegetarian and vegan friendly. The menu highlights these meals, and notes that "most vegetarian items can be made vegan... just ask your server.We have chickette and gardien burger in-house, available for substitution." Maybe it is because of these reviews, but lately when I go to a restaurant I read the menu cover to cover. Most of them have little stories or some other such nonsense about how they started, who they are, what they stand for, blah blah blah. Does anyone read this other than me? My favorite comment on Zen's menu? "Abandoned bar tabs will be charged with a 20% gratuity. " I assume these are abandoned with a credit card? I thought an abandoned tab was one that didn't have ANY payment attached.

Regardless, if you are looking for a menu with good variety, reasonable prices and a restaurant that seems to know how to prepare a tasty dish, give 37th and Zen a try. I think you will be pleased. On a final note, I happen to like Ore-Ida fries, especially the waffle fries, but I agree with Alex, stay away from any food named "Ole".

_Laine

A coupon offering 20% off lunch is going on until April 30th. This does not apply to the $5 special, obviously, but a great offer. Click Here for the coupon.

OPEN FOR LUNCH
11 AM Tuesday-Friday

Zen Hours
Tuesday-Friday 11 AM to 2 AM
Saturday 5 PM to 2 AM
Sunday 5 PM-Till
Happy Hour
Tuesday-Friday 4 to 8 PM

www.37nzen.com
1083 W. 37th Street
Norfolk, 23508
(757) 533-5151

Tortilla West: Back on the Good Foot

After my anti-salt throw down during my last visit, I put Tortilla West on double secret probation for a while. This past weekend, my mother and grandmother, Chas* and I decided to give it another whirl. A neighbor told me that his wife had been recently and that T Dub has a few new items and everything was really good. I also knew cigarette smoke was no more, as well, and T Dub had been one of the smokier places that my lungs could not handle too often.
With good attitudes and appetites, we arrived around 11:45 for Sunday brunch. I was pleased right away that the air was clear and indeed, there were a few new entries on the menu. Of course, we ordered chips and guac, as T Dub has some of the best guac around. I was a little disappointed because the chips were not seasoned as they usually are. I have had this happen once or twice before and I think the almighty T Dub seasoner misses a section or two of the chips. The gauc was better than ever though, so I kept my gripe to myself, at the table. Historically, I have always ordered the Vegetable Frittata, but this time the new Toasted Ciabatta Benedict caught my eye. Two poached eggs, goat cheese, spinach and hollandaise over ciabatta bread. For my side, I chose grits. I was extremely satisfied with my choice. The eggs were poached to perfection, the hollandiase was just right and the ciabatta was a nice alternative to the usual Benedict foundation, the English muffin. My grandmother had the other version of the Benedict. This had ham and did not have goat cheese, but was very similar to my meal otherwise. She had the potatoes as her side and was very pleased with the meal.
Chas had an omelet and said his was fine, but nothing to write home about. He is not a huge fan of T Dub, so it might be hard for him to make an unbiased statement about anything there. Nikki ordered the shrimp and grits, against her better judgment and was greeted with what had initially deterred her...the portion size. This is the smallest dish at T Dub and its sister restaurant, A.W. Shucks and most of it is composed of grits, which are CHEAP. She was disappointed and said her own version of the dish is better and I do not doubt her. The meal looked pretty paltry. T Dub is back on my good list, but I advise you not to order the shrimp and grits. Anything else seems reliable. Like James Brown says 'get on the good foot'. I think T Dub is back on their good foot. Now, get some seasoning on those chips!

~Alex

Tortilla West-Norfolk, VA - Salt....less is more

Recently, I visited Tortilla West in Norfolk for brunch. Last year, they did away with lunch and now open daily at 4pm except Sunday when they serve what I once considered one of the better casual brunches in town. I noticed a few things. First, they have always had pretty large portions, but that has changed. A frittata that once consumed a large square plate (your side was in a side dish since no room could be made on the main serving piece) is now served on a smaller triangular plate with your side...on the side of that main plate. Second and this was during a different dinner visit, the chips were not seasoned as they usually are. Let me be honest, I go to T-Dub, as the Dub G Crew (West Ghentiles) coined Tortilla, for the chips. I like their food, but I love their chips! The tri-color chips usually come seasoned so you have an added punch with your chips and guac or salsa. Thankfully, I did not encounter the chips sans season at the soon to be understood 'blood pressure brunch'. The last and most significant item of interest is the overabundance of salt. For brunch, I ordered my usual, the Garden Frittata, which is usually spectacular. While the smaller portion perplexed me slightly, the amount of salt in the eggs almost made me fall out of my seat. I thought 'maybe its the cheese, maybe its something else, am I losing it', but no, there had to be a salt shaker worth of salt in my eggs. I ate my cheesy grits, which were not that cheesy and picked at my eggs and almost developed high cholesterol before leaving completely annoyed and parched. Chas' breakfast burrito was fine but he said that the last few bits extremely salty.

T-Dub, what is with the salt? I did mention to the waitress to tell Chef Salty Pants to lay off the salt if he wanted to avoid patrons keeling over at their tables. T-Dub needs a new symbol for their menu...there is a 'hot' icon and now, they need a 'SALT ALERT' symbol. I was really hoping that I would venture to T-Dub more when the smoking ban is passed, but only if Chef Salt is gone. I'll surely have to wait now unless I want second-hand cancer and high blood pressure.

~Alex

Tortilla West is not a place you are going to stumble upon while driving down the road. Located next to the entrance of Lambert's Point Docks and close to the Midtown Tunnel, it is definitely a destination restaurant. With no available lot, parking is on the street and is very limited in front of the building. I have eaten there several times for dinner and a few at lunch (when they were open for lunch.) I have always liked the food, so hearing about the salt makes me a bit sad. As Alex says, the chips are spectacular and a must with some guacamole. They have a pork burrito that I was in love with for a while. The atmosphere turns "Bar" as you head into the evening hours, and with that comes a bar crowd with noise, smoke, etc. The service has never wowed me. Once at dinner with my husband the server came to our table 5 times.
1. To greet us
2. To take our order
3. To deliver our Drinks
4. To deliver our meal
5. To give us the check.
No refills, no "How is your food?", that was it. How can you eat spicy Mexican food with nothing to drink? I was dying for una mas cerveza! There are plenty of great places to dine in Norfolk. Tortilla West is a crap shot, at best.
_Laine