Broken Egg Bistro - Chesapeake, VA

I am by nature a planner, so when my friend randomly suggested yesterday evening that we go out to dinner at Broken Egg Bistro, I surprised us both by answering "Yes". The truth is, I have wanted to check this place out for a while now. Thursday nights is their pasta special, AND one kid eats free for every adult ordering an entrée. Nice!

We beat the dinner rush, arriving right around 6PM with our 3 girls in tow. Usually we like to sit at adjoining tables so we can allow the kids a little freedom while we dish the dirt, but they were already getting full at 6. We were seated at a 6 top in the corner next to the swinging kitchen door. Not the best seat in the house, but one where I assume a lot of our demographic may get seated. The vibe of BEB is modern diner. There is a combination of booths, tables and a bar. Overhead the open ceiling exposes industrial joints, wiring and such, which is camouflaged with black paint. The walls are warm terracotta in color. The noise level is medium to high with all the hard surfaces exposed.



Our server was very nice and on top of things, getting drink orders quickly while we scanned the menus. They have a fantastic kids menu serving kids up to age 12. There are 11 different entrée selections and 12 sides you can mix and match. Something for every picky eater in the bunch! My girl chose a grilled cheese with green beans.

I wasn’t really interested in the Pasta Special. Wanting something a little more on the light side, I checked out the menu. The “grown up” menu is segregated by category: Appetizers, Salads, Sandwiches, From the Ranch (beef), From the Coop, From the Sea, Pastas and lastly, Desserts. I love Tuna and never fix it for myself. Their Tuna bite appetizer sounded interesting. “Our blackened tuna served with Pico de Gallo, homemade guacamole and flour tortilla chips.” ($9) There is an option to have it grilled versus blackened, which is what I selected. I paired it with a standard Caesar Salad ($7) and a glass of Italian Pinot Gris ($7).

The wait was not long. The kids were served first (I like this), then the adults. The Tuna was excellent. Unfortunately, the Pico de Gallo was a bit too spicy for my wimpy taste buds. I took two or three bites before throwing in the towel. The guacamole was really good, which completely surprised me. The Tuna was slightly overcooked (I ordered Medium Rare), but not to the point where I would send it back. There was still pink to it. It was covered with a sweet teriyaki flavored glazed which paired up nicely with the Mexican flavors of the guacamole and pico de gallo. The Caesar was nothing crazy, but it was good. I liked the croutons, which were small, well seasoned and proportionate to the salad.

My girl’s green beans looked delicious, so I stole a few during the kids’ third field trip to the restrooms. Served al dente, lightly buttered and seasoned with garlic, they were fantastic. My daughter came back to her seat and polished them off. She loved them. The grilled cheese was also history. Success!

Food-4
Beverage-4
Restrooms-I did not use...
Value-3

Broken Egg Bistro
757.410.8515
501 Kempsville Rd, Chesapeake, VA 23320

Passion the Restaurant - Chesapeake, VA

Passion is the in corner of a small sized shopping center that has experienced quite a bit of turnover throughout the years. Several restaurants have come and gone, but Passion has persevered. I have been trying to talk my husband into going here for years. Yes, YEARS. Finally, the planets were perfectly in line (and he heard a good review from a friend whom he respects). When I suggested Passion on Saturday, I received a positive response. Game on!

Passion has a modern but cozy feel to it. There is a nice, rather large, open bar at the entrance. We were immediately met with a friendly greeting and seated. Half of the tables are lined up along the wall with one booth seat, and one facing chair. I like to see what’s going on, and grabbed the both seat. The kitchen is open to view, and although it is busy, there is no overwhelming noise or distraction for diners.

The menu has a nice variety of fish, poultry and meat. There is even a Vegan option, so our vegetarian friends don’t have to doctor up an existing entrée by removing the meat and adding something else. We felt obligated to try out their She Crab soup. It is a recent First Place winner in Critics Choice category of the East Coast She Crab Soup Classic. My husband ordered a cup and I promised to limit my intake to a spoonful. Always a sucker for specials, I ordered the "Maytag" Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon for my entrée and my husband ordered the Grilled Porterhouse of Veal. Usually a white wine drinker, I opted for Pennywise Petite Sirah 2009, California to pair up with our meat. I liked it, but believe $11 a glass to be a bit steep. I did a little online "recon" a few days later and discovered 2008, 2009 and 2010 Pennywise Petite Sirah online for about $10 a bottle. I know restaurants mark up wine, but it is silly when the price of a glass equals the price of the entire bottle.

While waiting for our food to arrive, we were served bread with seasoned, dipping olive oil. The bread was slightly sweet in flavor and paired well with the salty, herbed oil. The She Crab soup arrived with the claw tip exposed, as is their signature flair. It really was good! The cream base was rich and a perfect consistency. There was plenty of crab meat. The flavor was excellent. There were nice subtleties to the seasonings. Nothing overpowered the flavor of the cream and crab.

The Veal entrée has a dramatic presentation. It is impressive, served on its side next to a beehive shaped mound of garlic mashed potatoes. It is also accompanied with mushroom Demi Glace, and Sautéed Spinach. He gave his best try, but there was no way my husband could finish it. My Filet was delicious. The meat was very tender and the proportion of Blue Cheese was right on. Blue Cheese can be overpowering. A little bit goes it long way. It was served on top of slices of Cheddar potato Gratin cake with sauteed spinach. I don’t know what was in the sauce that covered the plate, but it was delicious as well.

We finished off the meal with dessert. Alex has really gotten me hooked on bread pudding. They had a white chocolate bread pudding with Frangelica sauce that immediately caught my eye. My husband ordered Key Lime Pie. Again, my husband could not quite finish off his dessert, but the bread pudding was a goner on my side of the table.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the service. Our server was very good. He was very professional in appearance and demeanor. He kept drinks full, the table clear and courses moving along at a leisurely, but not slow, pace. When we were walking out, we received warm thanks from the friendly kitchen staff. Passion was a big hit with me. I will definitely be a repeat customer.

_Laine

Food-5
Service-5
Beverage-5
Restrooms-did not use...
Value-4
Ambiance-4

Passion the Restaurant
1036 Volvo Pkwy #3, Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 410-3975
www.passiontherestaurant.com 

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

The Amber Lantern - Chesapeake, VA

Last Saturday evening I enjoyed a relaxing dinner which included excellent service, great food and a sunset over the inter-coastal. Jackpot! I had been hearing good things about the Amber Lantern and have wanted to try it out for a while now. It was such a beautiful day Saturday that my husband and I really didn't want to waste any of it by being inside. Good restaurants with scenic outdoor seating are few and far between around here. Amazing, considering that we are surrounded by so much water.

Some stroke of genius made me remember the Amber Lantern, and with the backup of my trusty iPhone, I tracked down the address and plugged it in the GPS. I love technology:) The restaurant is at the Top Rack Marina. When you arrive you see a big warehouse (the marina), next to a big, square, ugly building (the restaurant). Unperturbed, we followed the signs that lead you around the corner and up the stairs to the second story level where the restaurant is situated. It was relatively early when we arrived, and we opted to eat inside because the sun shining on the western exposure deck made it rather hot for al fresco dining. We started out with our usual cocktail; Jack Daniels Manhattan straight up. Note to bartender: Your bar is now on a very short list of restaurants I have found that really know how to make a fantastic Manhattan. Most bars completely butcher this simple concoction.

For our meal, we shared the Blue Mussels appetizer, which was prepared perfectly. I followed up with the grilled salmon special and my husband had the crab cakes. The presentation was lovely and the food was delicious. I am not a big cooked vegetables person, but they had an interesting mixed vegetable medley with peppers, squash and edamame. I loved it. My accompaniment was couscous with cheese and peas. It was perfect. My husband ordered crab cakes with garlic mashed potatoes and the same vegetable mix. The crab cakes were very good.

We were too full for desert, but the table next to me ordered a monstrous piece of coconut cake. Maybe next time! Since it had cooled down, we decided to move out to the deck for an after dinner drink. I watched the sunset while sipping a chocolate martini. Life is good. I love being on the water, and was pleased to find a place with good food and ambiance. The view is a bit industrial in places, but overall it is very relaxing to watch the boats come in and see the sunset over the trees. Service was great all evening, and they had become quite busy by the time we left. I will definitely be back. For all you boaters, there is free docking for restaurant patrons.

The Amber Lantern
5532 Bainbridge Blvd.
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 227-3057
Serving Dinner Tuesday - Sunday 4:30PM to 10:00PM, Closed Mondays

_Laine
*note* Image from http://www.virginia.org

Yu-Mi Sushi Bar and Grill - Chesapeake

You could easily drive by Yu-Mi without seeing it. Apparently I have been doing just that for a couple of years. Located in the corner of a fairly new and small shopping strip behind the 7-Eleven is not really a prime location, but this place is a little gem. The interior is modern and calming, combining dark woods with natural elements like river rocks and slate. The lighting is golden and low. There is a small bar that sits about 6, a sushi bar, about 6 booths and several tables. The restaurant is not large, and filled up quickly when we were there Friday evening.

I have to start out by saying that the service was excellent. Our server was Fiona, and the other waiter working also serviced our table. I wish more places had this philosophy where everyone services any table if needed. It really kicks the customer experience up a notch or two by just keeping water glasses full and dirty plates off the table.


My daughter is a big fan of dumplings, so we started out with Shumai, Shrimp dumplings. They were excellent. Slightly crispy on one side, soft on the other. They were very light, not overly filling as some dumplings can be. My husband and I ordered the Sushi and Sashimi Special, which is served with a spicy tuna appetizer. I enjoy a sushi restaurant that serves a meal in stages like this, rather than bringing it all out at once. I am usually not a spicy tuna eater, but theirs was rather mild, and I found it to be delicious!

As for the main course? It was excellent! The special comes with salads and Miso soup. The salads were a good size and used a creamy ginger dressing. The Miso soup was nothing special, but it was good. I liked all the serving dishes. They stuck with all white plates in modern shapes. They also had upgraded wooden chopsticks, not the cheap ones that can break unevenly and splinter. Their attention to little details like this impressed me, and improved the overall dining experience. The fish all tasted fresh. The clam, which can sometimes be a rubbery chew-fest, was very tender. There was a good rice to fish proportion on the sushi, and the Sashimi servings were generous. Although every booth was full, the food came out quickly. There is a kids menu containing, Chicken Teriyaki, Yaki Soba and Vegetable Tempura all served with house salad,shrimp dumpling and rice. My girl is a Sushi eater though, so we ordered a la carte pieces for her.

Our final surprise was a complementary piece of fried cheesecake. I'm not really sure why we were lucky enough to get this. I had gotten a little chatty with the server and so had my daughter. Sushi restaurants always love to see little kids eating up the food (future customers!)and my girl does not disappoint. I was skeptical of the dessert, but it was rather pretty. Upon tasting it I realized it was not greasy in the least, and the heat of cooking it melts the cheesecake a little, making it a creamy sweet delight.
Overall, Yu-Mi hit every mark. Nice ambiance, great service, good food, convenient (for me) location. Prices are in line with most other Sushi restaurants. Oh yeah, I'll definitely be back!

_Laine
Yu-Mi Sushi Bar and Grill
1320 Kempsville Rd. suite107
Chesapeake, VA 23320
ph: 548-0668

Haiku Sushi - Chesapeake VA

I have a hunger

Gave my money for some fish

My hunger lives on

Okay, so I'm no poet. But there is truth in my Haiku of woe. Several years ago I used to eat a Haiku all of the time with my family. It was a very good place for kids. We ate here Friday and I was very disappointed! It took FOREVER to get our food. The orders were either not placed right or something, but people seated long after us were served before us.

When the Sushi/Sashimi arrived, the portions were minuscule. I ordered Sashimi. A single piece of fish was about one inch long and 1/2 inch wide. Really? Is there some sort of raw fish shortage going on that I wasn't aware of? I have a better idea. Next time I have a sushi craving , I'll drive in front of your restaurant and throw my money out of the car window. I will feel exactly the same way I did Friday. Still hungry and a little poorer.

Service was very poor. After waiting forever to get our food, we had to walk up to the counter and ask our server (who was busy chatting away with another server) for our check. It kills me when a good restaurant goes bad. Why did you have to let me down!!! Boo-Hoo.

_Laine

Haiku Sushi
801 Volvo Pkwy
Chesapeake, VA 23320

Geisha - Chesapeake VA

Perhaps it was not their best night? There was some high school dance in Chesapeake this weekend and the place was jam packed. At 6:30 on Saturday night there was a 1 hour and 45 minute wait. We had reservations but were told upon arriving that they were running behind. We ordered drinks at the bar while waiting to be seated. It is a decent sized bar, nicely serviced.

We were hibachi bound and dinner was just okay. For a hibachi it is a bit on the pricey side,with most entrees starting in the mid twenties. Service was not horrible, it was non existent. I don't know if they were overwhelmed or just bad. I had to request my steamed rice from the hibachi chef as it was never brought to the table. The waitress took initial orders at the table, and we never saw her again. My husband had to go to the bar to get our second round of drinks. Really? We are spending over $100 for 4 people to eat and have to get our own drinks?! Very sad indeed. The food was good, but with service like that, I'll go to one of the other 999 restaurants in the area.

_Laine

741 Eden Way N
Chesapeake, VA 23320
www.gogeisha.com

Famous Uncle Al's - Chesapeake VA

Not all Al's are created equal! This particular one is a family favorite. It was standing room only at this location on Monday. As luck would have it, we snagged three seats at the counter right as we walked in. This is a great location. They are always busy. The food is consistently good. The same people have been working there for years and years. Service is always friendly from the servers to the cooks. Consistency pays off!

I had a hot dog with chili and onions and... onion rings. Al's has great onion rings. My daughter got a dog and fries, by husband a cheeseburger and fries. Everyone was pleased. My only negative is the restroom. It is not dirty, but looks 'old'. At the very least, it could use a fresh coat of paint on the door. (Oh yeah, and paper towels or SOMETHING to dry your hands.)

_Laine


Famous Uncle Al's
Crossways Shopping Center
1412 Greenbrier Pkwy
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 424-5705

Perfectly Frank-Chesapeake VA

I ran in for a quick lunch last Tuesday with my 6 year old. We were on our way to the Target near Edinburgh and I remembered seeing this restaurant in the adjoining shopping center. (There are actually a few restaurants here I would like to try.)I like this place. It is VERY clean. Service was quick and the hot dogs were good. Prices very reasonable. They have a menu board of daily specials and a nice kids menu. There is a lot of menu variety, but I went there because I wanted a hot dog! I commented on the Famous Uncle Al's T-Shirts that the two girls working there were wearing. Both are former Al's girls who opened up this franchise together. Nice story. Service was pretty brisk for a late Tuesday lunch. Everyone was getting dogs!

_Laine

236 Carmichael Way Ste 300
Chesapeake, VA 23322
(757) 432-0212
www.perfectly-frank.com

The Courthouse Cafe-(Great Bridge) Chesapeake, VA

One of my favorite Chesapeake restaurants got their surprise visit from the Health inspector last Wednesday, the day after I had eaten there with my sister-in-law and daughter.
Score:
0 Critical Violations
Comments:
Good food quality and food storage practices. A clean and well-organized kitchen. PERMIT RENEWAL ISSUED

Thank goodness, because I really love this place. (Had my usual stuffed flounder on this visit.It never fails to please.)

Original Post 12/24/08
Phoenix Rising, The Courthouse Cafe
"Back in the day" there was not a lot of places to eat in Chesapeake. It was with great fear and trepidation that I agreed to move from the land of plenty (Virginia Beach) to the boonies (Chesapeake). The growth I have seen in these four years is really amazing. Dining options have really expanded. Funny thing? None of them have struck a cord with me like the older favorites. One of these is, of course, Courthouse Café.

Like a lot of my friends, I was really upset to hear about the café fire, but relieved to hear that the owners would rebuild. My husband and I were there opening weekend to check it out. Overall, the place looks fantastic. I mean, part of me misses the law books, and the coziness of the former décor, but I honestly prefer the newer, cleaner look. Biggest improvement? The ladies restroom. The old one made you feel like you were in a hobbit house, with its mini sink and extremely narrow stalls. Now it is a nicely tiled, room for one.

We arrived early after a whirlwind shopping afternoon and made a beeline for the bar, telling the hostess that we weren’t really in a rush for a table. About 30 minutes and a couple of martini’s later, we were ready. Local favorites at Courthouse have always been the Prime rib, Stuffed flounder, and She Crab soup. Breaking away from my usual flounder, I ordered the Seafood Combo, getting crab cakes and fried oysters. I also got a cup of soup and a salad. The crab cake was very good, and the fried oysters were good, but not the best I’d ever had. I like them fairly ‘rare’, so sometimes I am hard to please when it comes to oysters. The She Crab soup was a huge let down. I was seriously disappointed. It was tasteless, and lumpy, but not lumpy from crab meat. The broth was way, way, way to thick, there was barely any crab in it, and it was just plain bland. Boo-Hoo! Perhaps their secret soup recipe burned in the fire? I suggest they get a new one and quick! My husband ordered a steak and shrimp which were both excellent. The service was very good.

We will definitely be back at Courthouse. One bad cup of soup can’t keep me away! I love the atmosphere, which is a mixed bag of families, and couples, both young and old. The entrées are always good, and prices are reasonable. If you go, be prepared to wait a bit on weekend nights, because it is popular. Just make yourself at home up by the bar and watch some TV on one of the three sets they have. Oh yeah, and leave your cigarettes at home. The new Courthouse Café is smoke free.

_Laine

350 Battlefield Blvd S
Chesapeake, VA 23322
(757) 482-7077

Passion The Restaurant-Volvo Pkwy, Chesapeake

Every time I drive past Passion it reminds me that I really want to try it out. I have heard some good things about it, and recently read a good review on another local restaurant review blog. I am friends with a couple whom I consider a reliable restaurant resource because they eat out pretty frequently and have great taste. (They are friends with me after all!) I hit them up to see if they had tried out Passion and find out if liked it. Wow...not only did they NOT like it, they had a plethora of complaints about everything from slow service, iffy side dishes and no wine refills to owners who were on the planet clueless. One of these buddies, who goes by the alter-ego "Pdan",was so blown away by the experience they felt compelled to write a review about it on UrbanSpoon.com. Here it is...

July 31, 2009 - Doesn't like it - We had heard good things about Passion, thrilled to have a fine dining establishment in our neighborhood. We came away very disappointed...The owners while present in the room, made no attempt to engage with their customers...our waitress received no help in busing our table...we sat forever with dirty app. dishes on the table. Missed opportunity to sell more wine....no one offered another drink. Our meal was inconsistent..."She Crab Soup" very good,....the Shrimp in the Shrimp and Grits had a not so fresh taste and smell...The Rack of Lamb good, the rest of the plate not so much. I enjoyed the Fillet. All in all the restaurant is lacking amazingly what it's name suggests PASSION especially from the host....so sad...won't be back. We will travel to other favorites where we feel appreciated...Terrapin, Manninos and Town Pointe Club.

My goodness. This is a bad one isn't it! Now more that ever I feel the need to try this place out. It's kind of like a really bad movie. Everyone keeps telling you how horrendously horrible it is, which only makes you all the more curious to see it for yourself! Additionally, in all fairness to the restaurant staff and owners, I need to experience it myself before I pass judgement. Has anyone else out there tried Passion? Let us know!

_Laine

Passion The Restaurant is located in the Shoppes at Greenbrier
1036 Volvo Parkway
Chesapeake, VA 23320
www.passiontherestaurant.com

Shiki Sushi & Hibachi - Chesapeake VA

Ah, sushi. You either love it or you hate it or you can’t bring yourself to touch it in order to discover which one you are! My brother-in-law always says, “I don’t eat bait”. Well, I guess I do because I place myself in the “love it” category, eating it about twice a week. I tend to be a fairly structured person and rely on my daily/weekly routines to help me get it all done through the course of a week and one of my favorite routines is definitely “Sushi Friday”. When I moved from Va. Beach to Chesapeake years ago it became a challenge to find a sushi spot close to home because nothing was close to our home! It was with great anticipation that I awaited the opening of a shopping strip close by that touted a restaurant with “sushi” in the name. I was not disappointed!

Shiki Sushi & Hibachi is a smallish place. There are about a dozen tables/booths; a small sushi bar and a Hibachi grill that seats about 8. I have eaten in the restaurant only two or three times. The service has been excellent. As is typical in Chesapeake, there is always a mixed bag of families and couples. My five year old, a fellow sushi eater, loves to eat there and they are especially good with children. (Some restaurants just tolerate kids, even the well mannered ones, but Shiki actually seems to enjoy them). The hibachi grill uses very fresh ingredients. Don’t expect a show a Shiki. Unlike some Japanese steakhouses, no one is going to do a dance or flip a shrimp in the air and have it land in their hat. What they will do is serve up a pleasing combination of shrimp, steak or chicken and vegetables. I don’t know what they do to the chicken, but it is some of the most tender I have tasted.

I have ordered carry out from Shiki close to hundred times, honestly. Every time I call it is ready in “fifteen minute”. And it really is. I rarely have to wait. My standard order is the Sushi – Sashimi combo for two and a Yummy Role. The combo comes with the house “Shiki” roll which is phenomenal. Layered tempura shrimp, rolled in rice, covered with avocado and then covered in a sauce with just the right amount of spice. The Yummy roll is also shrimp based, but topped with eel, avocado and sauce. I have tried many other rolls, all good, but keep coming back to the Yummy. It’s that good.


Their fish is always fresh. You will not find yourself chewing too much, or unable to bite a piece of sushi in half. The salmon is a standout. Always like butta! One of my sushi peeves is when the pieces are prepared over-sized with a gigantic slab of rice. Come on! How are you supposed to fit that in your mouth? Shiki sushi has a perfect balance of fish to rice. There’s enough fish that you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, and just the right amount of rice to complement it all in a mouthful. Wow…is it Friday yet?!

Shiki Sushi is located in the Mount Pleasant Marketplace:
1464 Mount Pleasant Rd
Chesapeake, VA 23322
(757) 546-9338

Let's Talk Wine

"In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary." - Ernest Hemingway, "A Moveable Feast"

Agreed! I love wine too. I think that most people who truly love to eat, are also lovers of the grape. It is such a natural pairing, isn't it? A great glass of wine can complement your meal by accentuating foods' flavors and seasonings like nothing else. Am I a connoisseur? If quantity was a determining factor, I might be, but unfortunately it is not. For all my exposure to wine, countless explanations about how it is made, matured, how is should be tasted, etc. I simply have no retention of the facts. I liken it to Alex's feelings about cooking. It is not a matter of ability, but of desire. I guess I'm just not that interested. I don't want to talk about it, just pass the bottle man, I want to drink it! Despite all my efforts to the contrary, my mom did a pretty darn good job instilling manners in me and I can feign absorbed fascination convincingly well. While the experts are going on and on about the color and clarity, aromas, and flavors, all I really hear is "blah blah blah blah blah". Sad isn't it? Once I taste a wine, I know if I like it or not, and I am fairly good at remembering the label of a favorite wine. (Not the name, but the picture on the label...again, sad, I know.) It is with this background that I found myself entering the "Let's Talk Wine" store a couple of Saturdays' ago.

First, I have to say that I am not a fan of the store's name. No surprise there, since I already revealed that I don't really like to talk about wine! Further, it doesn't seem catchy to me. Just my opinion. When I entered there was one other customer who was just completing a purchase, so I browsed around the bins. The store is fairly small, so it is impossible to be unobserved. Once his customer left the person behind the counter, who I found out later is the owner, Ian, approached me and offered his assistance and a tasting of Riesling. As I said before, I know what wine I don't like, and I am not a fan of Rieslings. They just aren't my thing. On the other hand, I am not going to decline an offering of wine at 4:30pm on an errand laden Saturday. We chatted a bit about what wines I like and don't like, what I was interested in getting, spending, etc. Buying wine can sometimes feel like buying an appliance, or car, or furniture. There's a screening process involved. If I only put as much thought into every $20 dollar purchase! After a brief chat, Ian started his recommendations.

Of course, I got every one he suggested. I really am a soft sell in a wine store. He gave me detailed descriptions of each wine, its origins and flavors. I have to admit I liked Ian. He describes wine as "rock star" good, which made me smile. We have progressed from rock stars of the 70's stumbling around with bottles of liquor, to rock stars of the millennium sipping Ian's favorites! Here's what he suggested:













Atalaya Mourvedre 2007-Spain
Santa Martina Rosso 2005 - Italy
Maipe Bonarda 2008-Argentina
Marco Polo-Pinot Grigio - 2007
Domaine Sainte Eugenie Recolte 2004-France


The only bottle remaining untasted is the Santa Martina, which I am sure will be popped this weekend. We enjoyed all of them. Of course, I am not going to give you professional reviews, but I will tell you that the Argentinian wine was so heavy that it turned our teeth purple! HA! I loved it. I thought The Domaine Sainte Eugenie Recolte was 'just okay'. I would definitely buy the Spanish wine again, it was very interesting. One suggestion Ian made that I actually remembered, was to save my receipt. It prints out the names of all the wines you purchase. If you bring it back on your next visit, it will help him make new suggestions, based on what you liked/did not like from the previous batch. Of course, I want him to keep all that information in his computer database. I mean, I bet Google knows what wine I buy, they know everything else about me. But, since he seems like such a nice guy, I actually still have my receipt.

So, the next time you are in Great Bridge, or on your way to the Outer Banks for the weekend, please stop in and see Ian. Whether you want to talk about wine or just drink it, I'm pretty sure he can hook you up on both accounts. Or, as a rock star once said, "Never understood a single word he said but I helped him drink his wine…and he always had some mighty fine wine." -- 3 Dog Night

_Laine

Let's Talk Wine
Located right off the 168 Bypass
Take exit 8A, Hillcrest Pkwy
Hours are 10:30am-7:00pm
Friday and Saturday
usually till 9:00pm
Closed on Sunday

Angies Family Restaurant

If she was driving in the pouring rain for 20 hours straight, with no food or water, and her car broke down on a completely deserted highway from which the only sign of life as far as the eyes could see was Angie’ Family Restaurant, Alex might decide to walk to the next nearest place. Angie’s is located in an older shopping strip, next to a nail place that’s next to an auto repair shop and behind the BP gas station. Sounds pretty glamorous, doesn’t it? It’s just not Alex’s style. Having lived in Chesapeake now for over 4 years now, I have driven past Angie’s a minimum of 1500 times with the same sort of mindset. It struck me as passé, outdated… kind of “icky”. My husband mentioned earlier in the day that it might be interesting to try Angie’s out. He reminded me that our neighbors go there and in fact, Mr. V* raves about the steak dinner. I’m pretty sure I gave him some vague answer about trying it sometime, and quickly changed the subject. It is amazing how a week of rain, a day of errands, a hungry husband and starving 5 year old can change your frame of reference. Suddenly, early this Saturday evening to be precise, I found myself firmly planted in the mother-hood and Angie’s appeared to be an oasis in the storm.

We arrived early and were promptly greeted, seated, given menus and drinks. The service is friendly and brisk. The down home atmosphere doesn’t mean this is the kind of place where the server sits down at the table with you (that drives me crazy!) These ladies are busy, so they keep it courteous and move on. The menu offerings are as expected of a place labeling itself as a family restaurant: steak, chops, fried seafood, broiled seafood, spaghetti, etc. My daughter loves the classic popcorn shrimp, while my husband and I opted for Delmonico steaks, medium rare. Entrées are accompanied by salad/vegetable/potato. Bread is also brought to the table, along with a pitcher of water for us H20 lovers. While we waited for our food to arrive, the restaurant quickly started to fill up. The demographic was grandparents and older couples, the typical 5:30pm diner. There was a cute group of high school teens decked out in formal wear that came in too. Ours must have been one of the first orders in because the meals came out in about 10 minutes flat with all the condiments you could possibly want.

You know what? It was good. Seriously! You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?! The steak was really good and I didn’t need to use my stimulus check, which apparently has been lost in the mail anyway, and half my paycheck to buy it. I didn’t even smother it with any of the assorted steak sauces provided. The baked potato was really baked too, not microwaved. My baby doll devoured her shrimp, a testimonial of goodness from a girl who can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 5 hours to eat a meal. I nibbled a few and tested out the fries too. Not too shabby. Don’t get me wrong, these are not 16/20 count, peeled, lightly battered and fried. They are definitely pre frozen, but they are tasty and you can see that there is a real shrimp in there, not some miniscule, weird krab / seafood conglomeration.

I would definitely go back to Angie’s again, and it would not have to be at the end of an exhausting, rainy day. My Philly friend Brianna* told me that she goes there after church on Sunday’s for breakfast and says it is great. Let me clarify that Angie’s has not jumped to the top of my ‘favorites’, nor would it be an acceptable dinner “date” destination. It is definitely a place I would have to be in the mood for. Further, if I had gone to a prom, and the date had started by taking me to Angie’s, it would have been a rather short evening out for us. Sometimes a girl just wants to be wined and dined. When she’s in formal wear, that should be a given. Ah, youth!

_Laine

Angie’s Family Restaurant
335 Centerville Tpke S
Chesapeake, VA 23322
(757) 482-9614


…of course they don’t have a website…