City Line Cafe, 205 E. City Hall Ave.

If Laine and I are looking for something quick, or looking for a short walk if the weather is bad, we often head over to City Line Cafe. City Line offers soups, salads and sandwiches. My favorite trait of City Line is the BYO - Build Your Own. They allow you to build your own salad or sandwich. There are various types of lettuce (including spinach - in case you dine with Popeye!) and pretty much any topping you can imagine. While I am NOT a DIY (do it yourself) person at all, being able to customize my food is pretty important. I am one of the world's pickiest eaters. My mother likes to tell my friends that I am a 'weird eater'. Whatever, it is my food and I want it like I want it. Back to City Line, our food is always ready quickly and has been 'solid' in the past.
I must add our last experience to the review in fairness. In sum, City Line was 'off its game' last Friday. Laine and I both 'built our own' salads, as usual, and ordered water (I'm trying to stay off the sauce...iced tea because of the huge amounts of Sweet n' Low I use - apparently it is bad for the kidneys. Who'da thunk?). Well, the cashier gave us a cup (a small one - I've seen larger shot glasses) and we headed to the drink fountain...NO water...and NO ice to boot. Laine and I went back to the counter and stood there for a good 5 minutes and made faces at each other before we just became fed up and asked her where the water was. She looked a little lost and then gave us water...from the TAP! Come on people; get some water in your drink fountain. Don't they all have that these days? Oh, and ice, of course. Our food was still fast and was still good, but the water thing sent me on a short trip to the moon. Luckily, I came back...this time.

~Alex

I always try to support the ‘little man” with my dollar. I feel like I am supporting the American Dream when I do that. Not that I am “anti” chain restaurants or businesses, but you simply don’t get the same warm, fuzzy feeling as you do upon walking into a place where you know the folks that work there and they know you. Keeping that in mind, I must admit that I tend to give City Line some leeway in situations where I would stomp on a larger competitor.

On the upside, the food is consistently fresh, and well prepared with generous portions. When you order grilled chicken for your salad, they freshly cook an entire boneless chicken breast for you. It is still warm when it hits the salad. It is not a precooked and previously frozen slab of chicken. They have homemade potato chips with a variety of spices that I have been told are delicious. I have sampled a couple and completely concur. On the downside, City Line seems to be struggling with some new business growing pains. Staffing is a problem. You just can’t operate a lunch joint in downtown with only two people during the peak hours. And I really like these two people too. They are busting it out with one on the register and the other cooking, but it is like swimming upstream against the current. Sometimes it can take 20 minutes to get your order. That is pushing the limits of the average consumer’s patience. The water incident was funny at first, but when the end result was a Dixie sized cup of warm tap water, the humor faded. A lot of people want water with their meals, why punish them?

So, in the spirit of entrepreneurialship and a killer build your own salad (I am getting addicted to the artichoke hearts and avocado), I’ll keep going to City Line. For the future success of the business I hope they work on hiring some midday support for my kitchen buddies and invest in upgrading their soda machine with a water dispenser.

_Laine

Visit City Line online, or in person Monday-Friday 11AM-3PM

Crackers - Norfolk, VA

Looking for a great tapas menu? Head to Crackers. Formerly on 21st Street in Ghent, Crackers is now located at 4226 Granby Street near the Granby Street bridge. The 21st Street location had 5 or so tables and the bar. This new location is much larger but still has the same fun, funky feel of the original scene. My mom, Nickie, and I saw David Byrne last night at the Ferguson Arts Center in Hampton and on the way back needed a little something before going to bed. It was nearing 10pm and most restaurants stop serving their main dining menu around 9pm on weekdays. Nickie had not yet been to the new Crackers and it was conveniently on our way back into town. Funny thing...other Talking Heads/David Byrne junkies from the show were there too! The bartenders were upset they had not been at the concert and pulled out the Stop Making Sense CD and we were all moving to the music as we ate. Fun! Nickie and I ordered the tuna sashimi, the sesame seaweed salad, the fried grouper with creamed spinach and bacon (that was a special) and the tomato, basil and mozzarella stack with a balsamic vinaigrette. Sound like a lot? It is tapas, so we usually order a bunch of things and share. There are so many good items to choose from, it is always hard – not a bad thing! There is always a fondue special, a butter special for the bread and butter place, a few entrée specials and a dessert special. We did not have dessert but the hazelnut panna cotta sure sounded appealing. The menu is filled with interesting choices, walnut encrusted brie served with a specialty jam, calamari and spinach with pine nuts and raisins, just to name a few. Don’t forget their signature dessert, s’mores which you get to make yourself! They bring you a little grill with a Hershey bar, marshmallows, graham crackers and skewers with which to grill. What more can you ask for…and you are not out in the woods fretting over a potential bear attack.

Tapas entrees are priced from $4-10 and you do have the option to turn a tapas item into a full meal should you desire. The bartenders are fun, play great music and most importantly, make superb drinks. Crackers is open 5pm-2am daily. Head over there for a fun and memorial dining experience.

www.littlebarbistro.com

~Alex

Granby Bistro & Deli

What a great find! Laine and I have strolled past Granby Bistro a zillion times. We had heard that the sandwiches were good but the salads just "okay" so we had steered clear. In our weekly pull of restaurants to review, Granby Bistro was the chosen one. How lucky were we that we chose it because the person who gave us the "okay" review on the place had to be mistaken. We were joined by our friend Mandy, with whom we always have a lot of laughs and a great time. The bistro reminds me of little restaurants I have visited in New York City, quaint, the owner always there and everything is homemade. The cuisine is labeled Mediterranean, but the menu has a good variety. There are salads, sandwiches, burgers and full entrees of salmon, chicken and a few cuts of meat. I ordered the Chef Salad with Turkey. They have ham as an option as well. I thought it was nice not to have to ask for turkey instead of ham - customization was an option for once ('When Harry Met Sally' again here). The house dressing is a traditional Greek and was fantastic, some of the best I have had in a while. My water without ice request was even met on the refills. Service was good, the food was good and the atmosphere was just right. Prices are very reasonable. With tip, my meal was right around $10. You can't beat that with a hat! Laine and I are super excited that we have a new, close place to visit. I am certain we will venture there again very soon. There is also a mean looking dessert case, where everything looks homemade and delicious. We might have to check that out one day too.

~Alex


If you want a restaurant that specializes in modern interior design, where the tablecloths and napkins coordinate with the walls, ceiling and bathroom sink, this may not be the place for you. However, if you want a place that specializes in standard deli fare made with quality, fresh ingredients this place is a goldmine. Walking in the front door is like stepping through a time warp that leads you back to the 1960’s. I don’t mean that in a negative way at all either. There is a certain charm to the interior that comes from the well maintained fixtures, furniture and appliances. There is one plant in the front window that has grown to the proportions of something straight out of “The Little Shop of Horrors”, but other than that it is cozy.

I am always on the lookout for a great Greek salad. I lean towards the traditional style, not the haute cuisine that includes everything under the sun. I liked theirs. The vegetables were very fresh. As Alex mentions, they have a dynamite house dressing, and put just the right amount of anchovies on top. Mandy ordered the generously sized chicken salad sandwich. Nice big chunks of fresh chicken, not swimming in mayonnaise, and again, traditional in preparation. She said it was good. No processed meats in this joint, which is refreshing.

There was a steady flow of people in and out. The server was busy but very attentive. The food came out quickly after ordering; keeping in mind that practically everyone in there is on a lunch ‘hour’. Granby Bistro and Deli is a no brainer for a quick and satisfying lunch downtown.

_Laine

Granby Bistro is located at 225 Granby Street in downtown Norfolk. Open 7:30AM-3:30PM Mon-Thurs, and 7:30AM-10PM Friday, serving breakfast until 11AM and lunch daily.