Toast Bar - Norfolk, VA

Toast, how we love thee...

Tuna Melt

Today was our first experience at Toast.  We liked Field Guide, have heard great things about Handsome Biscuit and figured this had to be another endeavor in food excellence.  Located in a spacious, new-old (read: hip, renovated) building at the corner of Colonial Avenue & 24th Street.  We were greeted by a very pleasant guy I recognized from Field Guide.  We grabbed a booth by the window to get ready for what would be one of the best lunches we have had.  The server was extremely helpful with the menu and any questions we had (we ask a lot if you remember). 

 

I debated between three savory toasts, the Tuna Melt, the Eggy Weg and the Egg Salad.  After the three starving parties at our table agreed to split the Tuna Melt as an 'extra', I settled on the Egg Salad with lime chili oil and kimchi, based on that being the more unique of the two egg toasts, according to the server.  Our third musketeer ordered the Texas Pig with peppers, micro greens, pickled onions and sour cream, which she thoroughly enjoyed.  She was slightly nervous about the Tuna Melt (she does not like tomatoes) but we convinced her to give it a whirl and she could not believe how much it tasted like bolognese.  We thought the same - this is a winner.  The egg salad was creamy, not too heavy and with the lime chili oil and kimchi had some texture.  I find egg salad needs something extra to balance the softness of the eggs and mayo.  

Egg Salad

Texas Pig

 All of that led us to dessert, the main attraction.  In reality, we had looked at dessert first and Laine and I could have lived in just that BUT to give a fair review, we wanted to eat a 'real' lunch first.  The server recommended the churro which sounds really good but we had our hearts set on the Tres Leches and the PNUT.  The Tres Leches is 'lighter' if a dessert of bread, condensed milk and butter can be called light.  We went 'all the way' with the PNUT by adding the recommended malted chocolate ice cream.    This dynamic combo consists of peanut butter, homemade jam, ice cream and chocolate chips on top of the waffleloafle bread, a Toast specialty for their sweet toasts.  This was out of sight and put us over the edge.  We had all had one and a half regular toasts and split the two desserts so I would say we can give a well-rounded review...Toast is wicked good and we will be back, soon.  As Laine mentioned, this would be a good spot for post-ODU football game dining.

_Alex

The premise is that each dish is served on top of a piece of Toast, hence the name. The thought of this brought haunting images of chipped beef on toast to mind, but after checking out their Facebook page, I decided to give it a try. Toast is just across the railroad tracks on Colonial Ave, close to Handsome Biscuit. It’s nice to see businesses exploring options and succeeding in Park Place. They have their own parking lot (bonus) and a cute outside dining area. The outside dining is right next to the street and the parking lot, making it a little less appealing. Since our lunch coincided with a torrential downpour, we opted to dine in.  There is counter seating overlooking the outdoor eating area, about 15-20 seats around the bar and several booths. It has a solid urban vibe with exposed brick and minimalistic décor. I like the look of the open kitchen with the large brick archway.

The menu is very interesting, with a lot of variety and very reasonable pricing. They have eggs, chicken, tuna, pork, beef, bacon and vegetarian selections. There is a bar, so mixed drinks and brews are available. Since we had to return to our jobs working for the man, I tried their in house Ginger Beer. It was awesome; very crisp tasting and sweet like a Sprite, but with the added zing of ginger.

The portions are hearty. As a first timer, you might think that the entrées will be “less than” a sandwich, but you would be wrong. They are “greater than” the average sandwich! The delicious bread is at least one inch thick, with a hearty crust. It is, of course, toasted. Next, your choices are piled high on top. It can only be eaten with a fork and knife. I liked that they provide an oversized serrated knife. This lets you cut all the way through the toast without destroying your dish. 

PNut

All of our choices were stellar. The Tuna Melt is very unique. The server warned us that it tastes more like Lasagna than a Tuna Melt. Say what?! He was right and I am still not sure how that can happen! When it was all said and done, my heart belonged to the PNut. It sets the new standard for dessert decadence. We will be back.

_Laine

Toast Norfolk

2406 Colonial Ave

Norfolk, VA 23517  

Food-5

Service-5

Beverage -5

Restrooms-NA

Ambiance-3

The Public House - Norfolk, VA

The talented owners of Bardo and Still opened the much anticipated Public House earlier this year.  After months of serious renovation, Public House opened to welcomed arms of the Ghent community. My initial visit was a few weeks into their opening and I had a shot of cherry vodka and the Apple Cranberry Crumb Strudel which comes with goat cheese ice cream. The ice cream made this dessert unique. If you like goat cheese, go for it. Service was good this night, but I had heard a few people mention it was a little spotty during the first week or so. I had wanted the Moon Pie dessert as that had gotten good reviews, but PH was out of that a few other things that late in the evening so close to their grand opening

My next outing involved dinner. The meal began with the Antipasti which was good and I chose the Butternut Squash & Quinoa for my meal. I thought this was a great lighter option at PH and very different, definitely one of my favorite entrees there. My dining companion enjoyed the opposite, the Waffle-Battered Chicken Breast, which comes with a blueberry maple syrup. He said it was good, but was not as enthralled as the server expected. At the beginning of our meal, I asked the server to save a Moon Pie for us. I was on a mission to have this dessert. Presented on a rectangular plate, two chilled moon pies are drizzled with white and dark chocolate sauce as well as a cut strawberry. I was pretty amazed by this, but it is does not come out soft and gooey. Because it is chilled, the marshamellow center is more firm than some would expect. Similar to the entrees, I was overly pleased and my companion was not wowed. He did enjoy a few O’Connor’s brews, which are always offered at PH. Service was fine this time, but it seemed to take too much time for things like water refills. We sat in the dining room in the back on this occasion and I wonder if that had something to do with it (see my patio dining experience below).

My third experience at PH was on a Friday night. My friend, Chrisselle*, and I sat at the bar because there were two seats available and the wait for a table was 30 minutes. She ordered the Butternut Squash & Quinoa after I raved about it, while I opted for the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich. We split the Blue Collar Mac & Cheese and an order of the regular fries. The mac & cheese is very rich, superb and has a sharp, delicious bite to it. After relaxing for a while, I caved and ordered the Cheesecake of the Moment, this moment being an orange one. I loved this - orange is my new chocolate. The bar is full and there are quite a few people standing around drinking and socializing. I like it - feels like a bigger city restaurant/bar, which is typically my preferred atmosphere if I am out to see friends and hobnob.





Charlotte* and I ventured into PH on a Thursday a few weeks ago. She had not yet dined there and of course, I was ready to go back since this was my new favorite place. I had eyed the Chick Pea Burger on the menu and decided that was the calling of the night. Served with Granny Smith Apples, as all of the sandwiches are, this ‘burger’ is a great vegetarian dish and preferred by quite a few PH employees from what I gathered. The Charmoula, a traditional Moroccan sauce, that topped it was nothing less than spectacular. I added a slice of provolone for good measure and was ecstatic about my meal. Charlotte ordered the Roasted Pork Tenderloin which was wrapped in Applewood bacon and served with mashed potatoes and Parmesan encrusted corn on the cob. I tried the corn, it was top notch and something to definitely try on the grill at home. Charlotte was overly pleased and even had leftovers for lunch the next day. We decided to share the Cheesecake of the Moment, which was a Strawberry Nut variety, topped with a bacon caramel sauce. Since I do not eat bacon, they gave Charlotte the full sauce and gave me caramel sauce. That worked really well and I appreciated the accommodation.  The cheesecake was decadent as it had been the previous time I ordered it. I like this ‘of the moment’ business - something new all the time.







Chrisselle and I decided to head back up to PH on a Wednesday evening, this time we chose to sit outside. We were seated immediately, but apparently, there was a communication breakdown between the hostess and the wait staff, so we did not see our waiter for about 10 minutes. We were not in a hurry, but it was a tad irksome. When our waiter did come over, he apologized profusely and our service was stellar after that, so we did not hold a grudge. We started with the Asparagus Fries which are of the tempura style - deep fried goodness. I really liked the lemon aioli but like cowbell, the dish needed more sauce. PH has a few salads and I decided to give the Shrimp & Spinach salad a try, substituting the Gardein Chicken for the shrimp. I like that they have Gardein on the menu to use on a lot of dishes if you are not a carnivore. The avocado cucumber dressing makes this salad. If you are starving, do not order a salad, but if you are looking for something lighter, this one is a good choice. Chrisselle ordered the Slow Braised Short Ribs, which came with asparagus and mashers.  Like Charlotte’s pork tenderloin, this dish is large, in charge and not for the faint-hearted. We were full and skipped dessert for once, but still left happy and satisfied.







Next up was lunch with Laine.  It was Friday and we were ready to get out even in the rain. Sticking with my goal to try everything vegetarian on the menu, I sought out the Gardein Chicken Sandwich. Clint, the manager we chatted with, said the curry carrot relish made this sandwich worth trying. He was right and PH does not disappoint with the variety of sauces in their dishes. It had a little heat but the sweetness of the carrot balanced it perfectly. I decided to have the Gardein fried (you can also choose regular chicken and then grill or fry either). Gardein fried pretty well, I must say. I had raved about the Moon Pie to Laine, so that was on order with Clint. It was even better than the first time I had it. Laine and I talked about it non-stop for about a week to everyone that would listen. Much Moon Pie Love here and we will have another very, very soon. The plate was beyond clean when we finished. Service was good and we enjoyed our talk with Clint, a super nice guy.



I have lost count of my visits and I made it to brunch finally a few Sundays ago. Nikki* and another good friend were my company. I had been out late the night prior, but my crankiness subsided slightly when we entered PH. I was excited about brunch and knew I had to have the Pancakes of the Moment (remember, I love the ‘of the moment’ theme). Blueberry was the flavor and the honey butter and jam made the deal sweet. I tried the Fried Grit Cakes as well and those are good, but not greasy, as some traditional grit cakes can be. These come with crab meat for an additional $5, which is how our friend had them. She enjoyed that version as well. Nikki ordered the Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich and said she was not that thrilled. I know Laine thought the BBQ Salad was great the week before, so maybe it was an off day for BBQ.
~Alex

The Public House
1112 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517
(757) 227-9064
Open every day 11AM - 2AM
To view their website click HERE

Path - Norfolk VA

One of my favorite sayings is ‘[insert action here] seemed like a good idea at the time’. This applies to life so frequently, as it did for our experience at Path. Laine and I were pretty excited to try this newer place, a 100% vegan restaurant in Norfolk. Initially, they only offered delivery, which I thought was a tad odd, but by the time we ventured to the Ghent location, they had dine-in service. Having no worries in the world about this adventure, we convinced our friend, Emma*, to tag along, though she was timid about the faux meat business and I do not fault her here, as some of the faux stuff out there can be pretty bad.

It was a nice Friday, as we hopped in the car to head to Path. At the time, it was situated in a tiny structure on Boissevain Avenue. I know this building was a hair salon at one time, as my mom has visited pretty much every salon in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, and I believe it may have also been an art gallery at some point. Street parking was a limited but we found one spot, thankfully. We did not need that hurdle with what we were about to endure. We walked in and were greeted by the lone employee, who was pleasant but not overly friendly. I immediately spied the empty dessert case and was perturbed as Path is always posting photos to their Facebook page to showcase their temping desserts. Where were they? Nervousness could not explain my state of mind at this time.

We had perused the menu beforehand, but took another look and went for it. I was torn between the ‘Chicken’ Salad and the Raspberry ‘Chicken’ and finally settled on the former. We had a choice of Cole slaw or potato salad, of which I chose the slaw. Apparently, the vegetable chips and fries were only offered at the Path location situated inside The Edge, near ODU. They have the fryer there, along with desserts and other things that were well out of our reach this day. Then the menu advertised bread, but all they had was wraps. The gal said the bread was white and did not have much nutritional value, and these vegan wraps were better - please update your menu. I prefer bread over a wrap, but what was I going to do, the choices were dwindling by the minute. I was bugged and Laine was right there with me. Emma went with the Club which has tempeh bacon along with the faux chicken and the potato salad - two faux meats for the timid one!

While I appreciate the effort to eat all natural, I need my diet soda, the all chemical drink alternative. No go at Path - the choices were Dr. Pepper (no diet!), bottled water, a drink with the word grass in the title and the now infamous Kombucha tea. Because I have an aversion to regular soda or drinks made from carrots, grass and such and I’m not a fan of paying for water when we have decent tap H20, I gave in to the Kombucha, but only after Laine and Emma chose the same. It came in cute dark glass recycled bottles, which had hand-drawn designs. Emma and I opted for the last two bottles of the hibiscus haze flavor, which was okay, but I like regular iced tea better...especially after we were hit, or rather smacked, with the price - it’ll put you in a haze. To round off the meal, we ordered a lemon pound cake topped with coconut shavings.

We encounter the coupon debacle pretty often. You think you are getting a deal, but what you get is hosed. Not every time, but Laine and I have definitely had this experience more frequently that we would like, and Path is another example. I had a coupon worth $20. I figured we might pay another $10 for the three meals. As she rang up our food...and tea (this is important), I almost choked. $45 for three sandwiches (each about $8), one lemon cake ($5) and then the darn tea. That means that the three bottles of Kombucha ran us somewhere between $13-$14. For that price, a drink needs alcohol in the ingredients and as I stated, we did not think this was a revolutionary drink. We all stared at each other, forked out too much money and went outside to sit and wait for our food. For a place that does not cook anything, only heats up, the prep time for our food was lengthy. Our food arrived and while my sandwich was quite good, as was Emma’s, we both were disappointed in how little ingredients were in our sandwiches. The contents were about half of what you would expect inside a wrap. The sides of vegan slaw and vegan potato salad were tasty, especially the slaw, which was very fresh, but unfortunately, our overall experience was less than stellar at Path.

We cut the lemon cake back at the office and that was actually wonderful and for $5, it is a deal and easily feeds 2-3 people. I just wish we had been able to try some of their other desserts as well, such as the many different flavors of donuts they promote on Facebook. The vegan donuts were what really caught my eye.

I have another coupon, so Laine and I will try Path again, but we will have to travel to either their location at The Edge or a newer location on 35th Street, which seems to have replaced the Boissevain address. The gal who took our orders this day told us to to to The Edge before 10pm, the time it becomes shady. Interesting marketing to warn your patrons about the times to NOT visit your other location. We were surprised that Path would put itself in a college bar, but maybe they get enough business from Edge supporters that want a vegan alternative. We will not be lured into buying any Kombucha ever again, though, and if prices had been posted (they were not anywhere in the restaurant or online), we would never have purchased it - we should have asked but who knew it would cost that much for tea! For almost $5 a pop, I can think of a lot of other things I would rather drink, preferably something with alcohol. Hopefully, the veggie chips, fries and donuts can help Path make a comeback for us. To be continued...

~Alex

If I were to construct a top five list of worst restaurant experiences, this would be on it. In their defense, they did close this location about a week later, which is probably why they were out of so many things. However, food supply was only the tip of the iceberg.

I am not going to rehash what Alex so perfectly describes, but the whole “no bread, no dessert, no soda, no fries” thing was a pretty big let down. Right then I should have redirected the group to a nearby favorite, but we chose to persevere. Stupid. Seating inside was two, 2 top tables and it was rather warm, so we chose to dine outside. They had one table out front, again with only two seats. Shortly after being seated we realized it was located in a driveway, which doubled as access for the rather busy business next door. Excellent. I can eat my healthy, vegan food whilst I inhale exhaust fumes. I'm not sure this is "a kinder way" to dine.

 We were the only group dining in that day, but the food did not arrive quickly. We were pondering our teas and getting a bit antsy when the food started to arrive. I had ordered a cheese melt with fresh fruit as a side, and the watermelon looked perfect. The wrap looked like a brown paper bag that was burnt on the corner. I have long ago learned that you cannot necessarily judge food by the appearance, so I dug in with gusto. If I were to construct a list of top five worst sandwiches, this just might make #1. There was almost no cheese on my cheese melt, and what was there was not melted. The generous portion of mustard on the other hand, was strong, spicy and overpowering. All this was rounded out by a lonely little slice of apple and a chunk of tempeh. It was inedible. The lone cook/server/cashier did not say a word when she removed my full basket of picked apart wrap. Thank goodness for the lemon poppy seed cake. My one third of that cake, which was excellent, got me through until cocktail hour when I tried to drink away the memory of lunch. (It didn’t work.)

Alex may have to knock me unconscious and drag me by the hair in order to get me to try Path again.

P.S. I was not a fan of the tea either.

_Laine

Path

617 W. 35th Street

Norfolk, Virginia 23508

Path @ODU

4814 Hampton Blvd

Norfolk, Virginia 23508

http://www.pathnorfolk.com

Crackers, Norfolk, VA

I try to remember great restaurants that are off my beaten path, but I, like many others, overlook great, hidden places far too often.  Crackers is one of those and I was lucky enough to head there recently - it has definitely been too long since I dined at the ‘new’ location on Granby Street.  Larger than its previous space, but still small in restaurant scale and intimate, Crackers has a very soothing atmosphere.  You almost feel like you are dining alone, even with other patrons nearby.  


We arrived and were told to sit wherever we wanted, so we chose a table in the corner - those are the best spots.  We perused the specials and decided to start with the Wakame and Cucumbers ($5) and the special Red Potato Fries with a dijon aioli ($5).  Aioli is still this year’s pink, which is fine with me, I love the stuff.  The Wakame was great, but we decided the fries won this round because of originality.  The aioli made the dish, of course.  Next up were the Falafel Fritters with a honey romesco ($5) and the asparagus ($5).  The latter is one of my favorites but again with this round, we decided the falafel was the champion due to its uniqueness.  This falafel was mild in comparison to some of the more garlic-induced versions Laine and I have had (oh Kebab Shack, how we miss you), but I enjoyed it regardless.  One more small item for us, the Black Bean Cake with lime cream and salsa, and we completed the savory course.  I really enjoyed this and it would make a great entree.  Crackers will make most any item a full meal for $10, which includes bread and a house salad.  I have yet to try this because I cannot prevent myself from ordering the variety that tapas offers.  Maybe one day.  


On to the sweet course, we decided we had to have the S’mores.  Crackers’ s’mores are tasty but more importantly, they are fun.  A mini grill on a wooden platter, containing graham crackers, a Hershey chocolate bar and large marshmallows, arrived and we were immediately ten years old again about to build our treats.  The best part was, we were seated in a nice restaurant and not outside in the elements (read: no camping, ever).  I have never actually roasted s’mores outside and am not going to start now.  Crackers’ version is just fine with me.


Tapas is great because you can share and if you are not looking for a huge meal, you can enjoy a lot of different tastes without paying the health price.  Something to note, all locations have Monday night wine specials and Wednesday night canned beer specials.  


Our server was attentive but not intrusive and I really, really enjoyed dinner.  I have yet to try Virginia Beach’s Pacifica, which is a sister restaurant of Crackers, as are Empire In downtown Norfolk and Six in Hampton.  I have always had great meals at Empire.  I only wish they were open during lunch so Laine and I could get over there. 


~Alex


Crackers
4226 Granby Street
Norfolk, Virginia 23504 
http://www.littlebarbistro.com/crackers-about.php

Pasha Mezze Revisited, Norfolk VA

I have had a few decent lunches at Pasha and a great brunch, but Laine and I were not thrilled the last time we dined there in the evening. We both felt slighted by the our choices (try a few small pieces of calamari for $10).  

Charlotte* and I were both swayed by the Pasha Groupon and noticed that the expiration date was fast approaching. We decided to use mine after a Thursday evening at Cool It! at The Chrysler Museum. We arrived around 8:30pm, a little under the 9pm cut off for weekday dinner service. We immediately settled on the Pan Fried Zucchini Cheese Puffs ($6.49). This dish includes three puffs over mint-yogurt dip and are a great appetizer to share or combine with another smaller dish to make a meal. I saw the Grilled Maiden Cake ($6.99), made with red lentils and served with lettuce, a slice of grilled tomato and Pasha’s organic vegan sauce and decided that was my dish. I threw in a side of Sauteed Julienne Vegetables ($5) for good measure. I was thrilled with my meal. The maiden cake was phenonemal and I’m not positive, but I think the secret sauce was vegannaise, or something very similar, which I like. It is not much different that regular mayo in fat and calories, but I actually prefer it to mayo now. I was never a huge mayo fan unless it was an ingredient in a dish, so having vegannaise as an option for sandwiches and such is a nice alternative. The vegetables were light and would be a great accompaniment to any dish.  

Charlotte ordered the Grilled Stuffed Calamari ($10) and had I remembered it was what Laine and I ordered that time at dinner, I would have warned her that the portion is extremely small for the price and for any appetite. She said the the quality was fine, but in my view, the portion is just ridiculous for what you pay. Charlotte ended up ordering the hummus ($6), which comes with bread and pita to round out her ‘meal’. The hummus is a decent portion and great in taste. I noticed Pasha’s hummus for sale in Taste Unlimited last weekend. I was unaware they sold it on ‘the outside’. Good, that’s competition for Azar’s, which is also sold in some stores.  


We finished our meal with the Creme Brulee Cheesecake ($6.49). Previously, I have had the Bread Pudding (no surprise there) and the Chocolate Bon Bons. I have to admit that this bread pudding is not one of my favorites and while I did enjoy the bon bons, the cheesecake quickly took the lead as top dessert at Pasha. With a graham cracker crust, it is very smooth with a rich vanilla bean flavor. This dessert is a must have.

The second Groupon loomed over Charlotte’s and my heads so after our next Thursday Chrysler outing, we headed to Pasha once again. So patterned, we would be adored by a serial killer. I talked Charlotte into the Hummus with Muhammarah ($8.99), of which she was not a fan, but I can be persuasive. While I did not dislike it, I prefer the hummus straight up, as well. I should have listened, but I like to give things a whirl at least once. Live and learn. I really liked my meal my last visit, so I had to order the Grilled Maiden Cake again and we split the zucchini puffs. Charlotte broke the dining repetitiveness by ordering the Pasha Lamb Sandwich ($10.99) which looked spectacular. Lamb meatballs, melted cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions and sun-dried red pepper sauce sat atop Pasha’s quality artisan bread. Charlotte said the dish had great flavor, was a good size, and the sauce complimented it well. Who doesn't love the lamb stacked on top of a giant piece of Pasha’s amazing artisan bread, she exclaimed.  

Once again, we finished the meal with the Creme Brulee Cheesecake. We felt no need to trade in this dessert choice yet. Service was excellent. The first time, we sat inside in the back room which has fun leather chairs and is very lounge-like. The most recent time, we sat outside next to the roaring of the train, but the weather was so nice, we could not resist. Adam was our server on both occasions. He has a great sense of humor and our food came quickly both visits. He also told us Pasha had extended the Groupon by a week, but I’m not sure how people would know that. I wondered if Groupon sent an alert to those who had not yet used the deal. In any event, that was a nice gesture by Pasha. Hopefully, it saved a few who had let the expiration date pass.  

Pasha is back on my good list and I look forward to a brunch there in the fall.  

~Alex

Pasha Mezze
340 West 22nd Street 

Norfolk, VA 23517 

http://www.pashamezze.com/

Laine and Alex Top 5 - Reasons to Dine at Fellini's

1. Consistently delivery entrées with outstanding flavor and quality ingredients over course of two decades +
2. Consistently deliver good service
3. Generous portions for reasonable prices
4. Warm, relaxing atmosphere
5. Mass appeal to all ….even Laine and Alex’s moms!


Open Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 4pm-9:30pm
Fellini's
3910 Colley Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23508-2627
(757) 625-3000

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

Enrico's Ristorante, Norfolk, VA

After an evening of entertaining my grandmother, Nikki and I decided on Enrico's Ristorante. We have been in the past, but it was a good while ago. Enrico's has the traditional Italian and Greek selections and while I am slightly fearful of ordering something for $25 in a place I do not know that well, I am very comfortable ordering a traditional pasta dish. We started with the Spanakopita and the Keftedes (Greek meatballs made with lamb) served with a feta-dill-cucumber dip. The Spanakopita was a little dry but the Keftedes were phenomenal.


For my entree, I opted for the spinach and cheese ravioli in a roasted tomato sauce and Nikki ordered the lasagna. Both were very good and we were happy. Enrico's did have crab cakes, scallops and some other items on special, but I think Enrico's is a good place to order pasta. As for atmosphere, it is not as casual as say, A.W. Shucks, but it is not fancy either. In the middle (with cloth napkins - always a plus!) and while it was not packed on a Friday night at 9:15, there was a few tables of lively people. Prices are reasonable and our server was very pleasant and things moved along at the right speed. Enrico's is also in the Entertainment Book, so if you are unsure, you can go for the buy one, get one free for your first visit.

Enrico's serves lunch and dinner Monday through Friday and dinner on Saturdays and is located at 4012 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23508.

~Alex

www.enricosristorante.com