Freemason Abbey - Norfolk, VA

I have been to Freemason Abbey a few times in the past. Once, when I was nineteen (cannot remember, does not count) and the other instance was with a work 'group lunch' and it was terrible. For obvious reasons, I was a little leery about going again, but Laine and I wanted to review something new and so we did a weather toss between two places. Sunny skies sent us walking to Freemason. Online, I noticed they had a vegetarian menu, which had eight or so choices and this lifted my apprehension slightly. We were seated quickly, but the menu did not show these vegetarian selections. My anxiousness grew to some extent but was calmed when I asked about the missing items and the waitress, with her 'girl training' in tow, said the vegetarian items are on a separate menu and brought it speedily. The veggie sandwich description looked like a lot of lettuce with some sun-dried tomatoes and onions and did not sound like it had a lot of heart to it. There was a vegetarian flatbread pizza, but pizza twice last week has cured me of that craving for a while. Another selection, the Gouda fettuccine, caught by eye, but that is a little heavy for having to go back to work and sit at a desk, so my top choices were the vegetable stir-fry with rice or the vegetable fettuccine. The vegetable fettuccine came with either Alfredo or marinara. I chose marinara so I could avoid falling asleep after lunch. No one likes a face plant on their desk. The waitresses asked if we wanted rolls. It was nice for them to ask to avoid bringing bread for a table that does not want it. Why waste unnecessarily. The rolls reminded me of Pepperidge Farm rolls, which are not bad for store bought. I expect a little more out of a restaurant but of course a lot buy in bulk. The rolls were warm, but I highly doubt homemade.

Our food came out in a reasonable time and my vegetable fettuccine looked better than I had presumed. I like to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I am let down less frequently and this meal proves my theory of choice. The marinara had a good flavor and was of the right consistency, not too viscous or too watery. Sautéed mushrooms, peppers, broccoli and onions were plentiful in the dish, as well, with a little Parmesan. My only suggestion is to add carrots, squash and zucchini to the vegetables. A few more vegetables would give this dish some character.

Service was excellent. The two gals who waited on us were attentive and very pleasant (always helps when someone has a trainee because the trainer puts the best foot forward). Prices were reasonable, with my dish coming in at $8.95. Overall, this is still not a favorite of mine, but I would not have an anxiety attack if someone suggested going again, I would just not be the instigator of the idea. It could be the building that makes me feel out of place. I typically only enter churches for weddings, funerals or for architectural appreciation in other cities.

~Alex

I'm with Alex on Freemason Abbey. I have been there several times in the past, but it never really bowls me over. I know some people really like the ambiance, but eating anything in a church other than a thin wafer, approximately one inch in diameter, seems odd to me. However, lunch was good Tuesday, and service was excellent. We were in and out of there in under an hour, and Alex's meal was not from their express lunch menu. I was surprised to see that they were fairly busy, and we were seated upstairs in the last booth by the servers' station. I had preselected a salad after checking out their menu online, only to discover that their current in house menu was different, lacking that salad of course. Hrumph! Oh well, instead I selected Abbey Flounder; Boneless flounder filet broiled and topped with our house crab cake. Served with rice and green beans almondine for 8.95. This is from their "Lunch in a Flash" menu. It was quite good. Fortunately someone in the kitchen knows how to cook fish, and it was done to perfection.

I don't think it moved to the top of my list, but my opinion has definitely improved and I would not hesitate to return to Freemason Abbey in the future.

_Laine

Freemason Abbey Restaurant
209 W Freemason St
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 622-3966

Meet the kitchenistas — New Yorkers who store their clothes in ovens and fridges - NYPOST.com

Meet the kitchenistas — New Yorkers who store their clothes in ovens and fridges - NYPOST.com

As someone who hates and refuses to cook, and eats out whenever humanly possible, I knew I wasn't crazy when I began storing my clothing in my kitchen cabinets. I see I am far from alone. This articles gives me more splendid ideas.

~Alex

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