Steinhilber's Restaurant - Virginia Beach, VA

This weekend was time to revisit an old favorite, Steinhilber’s. Boy, did we time it right! Saturday’s weather was unseasonably mild, with low humidity, low temperatures and a nice breeze. That’s the perfect combination for dining al fresco on the water in Virginia Beach! Whenever you dine at Steinhilber’s, make sure you request a table with a water view, available both inside and outside. If the weather is nice, I recommend dining on the patio. I noticed that they have added several gas fueled fire-pit tables to their outside assortment. These would be great on cooler evenings.

After taking drink orders, our delightful server was quick to mention that they had a bounty of fresh vegetables, especially tomatoes, originating from the garden next door. How’s that for local? Two of the salad specials for the evening took full advantage of this bounty. They offered their twist on the classic Caprese and Tomato with Lump Crab. She had me at “Lump Crab”. My husband ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna Appetizer.

For his entrée he ordered the Baked Seafood Combination, which is a 3 oz. lobster tail, 3 scallops, shrimp and lump crab. My husband happens to be a soft shell crab fanatic. If a restaurant has them available, he is going to order one. They had them so he added one on to his order. I selected one of the specials; a bone in pork chop cooked with a peach barbeque glaze, served over a succotash of black eyed peas and corn. We ordered cocktails which we enjoyed while munching on cornbread and enjoying the view.


 All plates arrived in a reasonable time frame. We never felt rushed, and we never felt like we were waiting. The tomato did NOT disappoint, and the lump crab was very generous. The Ahi Tuna was also delicious. A tender cut, with a nice avocado sauce drizzle. The chop and succotash was special. Pork can be a tough meat to time right. It needs to be cooked through, but not over cooked. This chop was perfection. It was tender and juicy. I loved the peach glaze and it paired very well with the succotash. The seafood, including the soft shell crab, was another home run. 

Although I forgot to photograph it, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention dessert. I ordered the pecan pie with vanilla ice cream, noted to be a family recipe. Wow. This is a serious piece of pie people! The crust was very unusual. It reminded me of peanut brittle. It was crunchy with a distinct nut flavor, not at all your standard flour crust. The pie filling was heavenly. An extra spoon was brought out for the Mr., but I’m pretty sure he didn’t get more than a bite. I wasn’t into sharing my pie…which he is used to by now.

_Laine

Food-5

Service-5

Beverage-3

Restrooms-NA

Ambiance-5 - outside on this day!

 

Zeke's Beans & Bowls, Norfolk, Virginia

I had eyed Zeke's Beans & Bowls more than a few times as I drove down Granby Street.  Finally, yesterday I had not one, but two opportunities to give it a whirl.  My husband and I decided to try Zeke's smoothies for lunch.  I went for something lighter, blueberry, strawberry, mango and honey.  Zeke's only adds a tad of soy milk, or almond milk upon request and ice so the smoothie is mostly fruit and nothing artificial.  My husband had the peanut butter, banana and honey smoothie and while I despise bananas or anything with that flavor, I did taste his for the good of the blog.  The banana was not the overpowering flavor as in some of the chain smoothies.  My mind immediately started working on a peanut butter smoothie variation sans banana...
The smoothies are what I would classify as a medium in size and run $8 before tax.  My husband was a tad shocked as our two smoothies plus tax were $19 and change.  I reiterated these are not mass-produced and this is not a chain (thankfully).  And hey, we didn't have to make it, no fancy mixer required!  Think the SNL skit with Sarah Silverman about the $600 mixer.
I had perused Zeke's menu and on my way home, decided I would try one of the bowls...and another smoothie.  Back and forth I went in trying to decide what food item to try first.  Finally, I settled on the Keali's Special Poke but with a great suggestion by Christine, who works there.  I had half tuna and half tofu versus all tuna.  I asked about the sizes, the small looks like a small soup container at a Chinese restaurant and the large looks like the small container at a Thai restaurant.  Being in the clean plate club, I went with the large.  Christine said I would have plenty (does she know how much I eat, I thought).  I also ordered a peanut butter, mango and honey smoothie.  She suggested mango as the best substitute for banana - it was a winner and just might be my favorite smoothie right now.  I have an answer to all of my anti-banana problems when ordering a smoothie. Before I just said 'throw yogurt in there instead of banana'.  Due to a similar consistency, mango works better overall.
I sat at the counter and talked with Christine about the Arts District and Zeke's.  She had a lot of good news to share about both.  Zeke's at the oceanfront has been around for about three years and I think it is a good fit for the Norfolk Arts District.  The decor is funky (vintage typewriter present!) with art, books on art, books on movies and things of that nature (right up my alley).  It is a small-medium sized space and very comfortable.  They have cucumber water 'on tap' at no charge - a real treat.  When my bowl and smoothie came out, I realized I had a ton of food.  The bowl looks deceivingly small but was pretty heavy.  When I sat down to eat, I realized just how much tuna and tofu I had.  That warrants the $16 price tag for the large.  Keali's Special has Sriracha and it is fairly spicy which I prefer but if you are afraid of spice, just ask them to go light on that - they seem very accommodating.  I probably did not need the smoothie but I am not sorry I had it and I was stuffed after the bowl...but not uncomfortable stuffed, more satisfied stuffed.  I did not ask for rice with my bowl but you can include that for $1 and it would be pretty hearty.  I am eager to try another Poke or the Kale Salad I saw come out to another customer.  It looked great with a bunch of avocado sitting on the top.
Zeke's will be seeing me again very soon.

Food - 5

Service - 5

Beverage - 4

Restrooms - N/A

Ambiance - 4

Zeke's Beans & Bowls
800 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 963-5220
www.facebook.com/zekesnfk 

 

Mother's Day Brunch - Todd Jurich's Bistro

Mother's Day should probably be renamed "Mothers Refuse to Cook Day". Based upon the masses of families heading out to eat on Mother's Day each year, I think it is pretty safe to say that everyone else in the family refuses to cook on Mother's Day too. Back in the dark ages when I waited tables, I dreaded Mother's Day. It was the busiest day of the year AND the day you made the lowest percentage of tips. Nothing like taking mom out to eat and stiffing the server!

Now that I am a mom, I like to go out to eat too and Mother's Day for me means brunch. Even restaurants that aren't normally in the brunch game dip their toes in the water for Mother's Day. I have been going to the same places loyally now for about 8 years, and was ready for a change. It's no secret that Todd Jurich's Bistro is one of my favorite restaurants. The brunch menu looked good to me, so I booked a reservation through Open Table. I have started to use Open Table more and more. It is easy to use and has a Dining Rewards program through which you earn points which can eventually be redeemed for Open Table Dining checks. Not bad, considering it is a free service.


We arrived on time and were promptly seated in a booth located in front of the door. A great spot for people watching, and in close proximity to the salad / soup bar. I was very curious about the salad bar. The Bistro converts their bar by covering it with linens. Viola! No rocket science required. There were three soups offered: She Crab Chowder, Spring Gazpacho, Spicy Coconut Milk Lobster Bisque. The salad bar consisted of four prepared salads: Tomato and May peas, Spring mix greens, Chick Pea salad, Fresh Cucumber and Sweet onion. There was also a meat and cheese platter. I tried the Lobster Bisque (delicious with a little kick) and the Tomato and Cucumber salads. The vegetables were all fresh and nicely seasoned.


The menu was slightly different than the one posted online. There were a few ommissions. I was sad to see the Southern Bourbon Pecan Pie with brown sugar-cinnamon Ice Cream was no longer an option. For the children we ordered the pasta dish of May peas, morels, shaved aged pecorino Romano, fettuccini and Local Cage Free Farm Eggs. They really liked this. I ordered Eggs Benedict Norfolk: Homemade Black Pepper Biscuits, Surryano Ham, Local Cage Free Farm Eggs, Lump Crabmeat, Lemon Hollandaise. This was exquisite! The biscuits were special, and I loved the ham. The Mister ordered exactly what I anticipated, Chesapeake Bay Soft Shell Crabs: Crab-Bacon Slaw and Sweet Pickle Tartar Sauce. You never know what you will see when you order a soft shell. This one looked great. Lightly battered, served on top of the slaw and sauce. It received two thumbs up! The original menu listed Old Bay Gaufrette Potatoes, but this was changed to sliced ‘chip’ potato or croustilles (not waffled). As you can see from the pictures, the presentation on everything was lovely. We ordered dessert early as suggested to make sure it was reserved for us. All three girls went chocolate with the Dark Chocolate Pot de Crème. I added a shot of espresso to round it out. This was a rich decadence which none of us could quite finish.



_Laine

Food-5
Service-5
Beverage-5
Restrooms-5
Value-4
Ambiance-4

Todd Jurich's Bistro
150 W Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23510
(757)622-3210

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

Bean There Cafe - City Hall Ave, Norfolk, VA

Laine and I went to Bean There a while back and I cannot remember what I had, but probably an iced tea. I remember thinking it was fine, but the $4 price tag did not have me rushing back. Laine and I are constantly scrutinizing drink costs, particularly sodas and iced tea, in restaurants, so you might imagine we are not gals who regularly pay $4 for a non-alcoholic beverage. But, you gotta splurge every now and then, and today, we decided to give Bean There another shot. Bring on overpriced drinks - not a hit at Bean There, just at the industry in general.

Let me back up for just a few sentences before I give today’s details. Some friends and I were at the Brewfest at Town Point park a few weeks ago and I decided I was in dire need of an iced Chai latte. This was an unusual feeling for me, but I had ordered a Chai latte a few days prior on a whim and of course, became temporarily hooked. At $4 a pop, for very short window of satisfaction, it would not behoove me to become addicted to these. Being anything but an expert at ordering things outside of a Diet Coke, unsweetened iced tea and vodka shots, I was not rolling with my A-game. I asked for an iced Chai latte with the sugar free vanilla syrup. After they finished mixing, I realized they did not ask me what kind of milk I wanted. Using my small number of Starbucks experiences as a reference, I thought coffee places always asked you what kind, skim, soy, whole? Well, Bean There did not ask and of course, gave me whole. Besides kids, who drinks whole milk anymore? I thought everyone had hopped on the skim trend wagon a long time ago. Even my 85 year old grandmother drinks skim and trust me, she is old school, no diet trends for her. I should have asked them to change it, but I had a temporary lapse of reason and instead chose a cookie to go. Bean There carries Lenora Bell sweets and the Oatmeal Raisin and White Chocolate Macademia cookies are divine. I grabbed a white chocolate and my whole milk latte and hit the door. Still today, I think they should have asked me what type of milk I wanted, grumble.

Fast forward to this morning, I was fully paying attention when I ordered my ‘large iced Chai latte, skim milk, LIGHT ice and the sugar free vanilla syrup’. The guy stared at me for a moment. No one ever stares at you at Starbucks when you rattle off some complicated order - double shot of this, light that. Note my light ice request. At $4, these drinks do not need a ton of ice. I want every penny of my Chai and skim milk. When the drink came out, it was missing at least a half inch of liquid at the top. This is not hot coffee, to which I would add milk. Fill er up! I nicely asked for some extra skim milk, which they did add, but it still was not filled to the top as it should have been. Bean There just did not want to work with me, apparently.

On a more positive note, the dessert case is phenomenal and the Creme Brulee Danish was mine for the choosing. Back at the office, I sampled it and this treasure was worth every $2.35 cent of the cost. You have to love spending over $7 before 10am for a drink you kill within minutes and a mini danish. Living high on the hog today, my friends.

~Alex

I am a member of the > .001% of American society who could not care less about coffee. I like it when it is good. I dump it when it tastes bad. I drink it most days with hazelnut flavored cream and Splenda. I will purchase a cup of coffee only a handful of times a year, usually at someone else’s suggestion....like today.



Bean There Cafe has all the usual coffee shop milieu. It is funky and there is plenty of cushy seating strategically arranged for singles or groups. Assorted people linger on their computers. I wonder if they are unemployed or if their homes are so unpleasant that they prefer to be out. I decide they just need some free wi-fi. I note that Bean There Cafe has added some new, non-bean items, like Beer, Wine and Quiche. These additions single-handedly increase the chance that I will return more frequently by approximately 50%.

Today I ordered a Latte. (Yawn, I know.) No drama involved in my order. Skim milk, 3 Splenda. It tasted just like coffee. I did not dump it out. Who knows, maybe in 6 months I will go totally berserk and return to order a café au lait.

The End

_Laine

 

Bean There Cafe

223 East City Hall Avenue

Norfolk, VA 23510

(757) 623-5282

Open Mon-Thu 7am-9pm;
 Fri 7am-10:30pm;
Sat 7am-10pm;
Sun 7am-5pm

Train Stop: MacArthur Square

Lenora Belle Cookies and Cakes

The Green Onion - Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA

Are you a part of the Groupon phenomenon? What a great idea! Getting people to buy services they weren’t even considering and don’t need, but now can’t resist because it is a good “deal”. A Groupon that was reaching its expiration date had us headed to the Green Onion on Colley Avenue a couple of Friday’s ago. It was hot outside, but Alex and I are office dwellers and decided we would rather suffer the heat and get some fresh air versus shivering inside in the A/C.

They were not busy. We were the only table outside, and there were only a few inside. My last visit, over a year ago, had left me with a rather ho-hum attitude about Green Onion, and I think I even grumbled a bit before going. Our server, Curtis, was the shot in the arm I needed. He was fun and funny, energetic and outgoing. Our orders were taken quickly and our ice teas served promptly as we sat back and relaxed, watching people stroll along Colley.

Turkey Reuben Sandwich with Mixed Greens Side Salad

The meals arrived super fast. The presentation was appealing on the nice, heavy, white square plates and bowls. My side salad of mixed greens was very fresh, and the accompanying dressing was light and crisp. I had ordered The Turkey Reuben. It was perfect. Their twist to the traditional sandwich adds jalapeno peppers and Gruyere cheese, leaving off the 1000 Island dressing. I skipped the peppers and didn’t miss them. Reubens often fall apart due to the wet ingredients, but this one held together well.
Our check arrived soon enough that we didn’t have to ask for it, but not so soon that we felt like we were being kicked out the door. All in all it was a great lunch, pleasant atmosphere and some good Alex and Laine banter. The next time someone suggests going to the Green Onion, I won’t be such a cranky pants about it.
_Laine

A bit ago, I had a salty experience at Green Onion on Colley Avenue and had temporarily shunned them, but a few weeks ago Charlotte* and I decided to give it another try because I had a birthday coupon from Green Onion and it was Wednesday, all-you-can eat mussels ($17), which Charlotte had been wanting to try. We arrive a little after 7pm and were seated inside quickly. Charlotte knew she was having the mussels and I quickly decided I would try a dish that had previously escaped me due to other specials and entrees taking precedence. The Pan Roasted Seasonal Vegetable Platter ($16) was beyond what I could have imagined. The bowl was at least two inches deep and about five inches across and was filled to the top with green beans, spinach, tomatoes, white beans, corn, mini Yukon gold potatoes, red onion, green peas, yellow squash, zucchini and red peppers. A balsamic reduction, of which I did request extra (no problem!), was drizzled on the edge of the bowl and this made the dish. Everything in this medley was cooked perfectly and I cannot wait to have it again soon. Chalotte was really pleased with the mussels, which arrived in another huge dish and were topped with Green Onion’s fabulous pommes frites and a French baguette side. We both stared at this amazing portion and then quickly started on our meals. Charlotte shared some of her frites with me - they are some of the best around. We said over and over how we would have to come back on another Wednesday for mussel night (more pan roasted vegetables for me!).


I presented my birthday coupon to the waitress, who ID-ed me to make sure I was legit, and while the coupon gave us a 20% discount, our sweet waitress also gave us the dessert we ordered for free in honor of my birthday! I love birthdays, particularly mine. I have had good experience with dessert in the past at Green Onion and this evening’s choice of cinnamon bread pudding was no disappointment. A crisp granola was sprinkled atop the dessert, which was a nice touch and while iIt could have used a hair more of the caramel drizzle, all in all, it was really good. Since Charlotte and I had larger meals, splitting it was a grand idea. Service was great and our food came out very quickly. Charlotte’s mussel refill was waiting for her when she was ready - more pommes frites and French bread are available too should you need them. Satisfied and elated with our meal, we trekked home since it was only a Wednesday...no late night this time.


Veggie Tabouli Wrap with Artisan Mac n' Cheese

I love Groupon and while I have heard 15-20% of these types of deals are never redeemed, I am not in that percentage. I keep a running sheet of the deal, expiration date, applicable times and value - yes, that is overly organized, but I am not losing a buck just by forgetting to use something for which I paid. Laine and I had talked about the deals we needed to use and Green Onion’s lunch deal was one that expired soon, so one recent Friday, we made the drive to Ghent. Laine was lukewarm because of our last lunch there, but that would all change. I had a more positive outlook because of the meal Charlotte and I had had a few weeks prior, but felt the same about the last lunch we had there. I knew I would not order a salad - we both felt that the salads we had previously were small for $12. Onto better times, we had a fantastically fun waiter, Curtis, and a nice seat outside. It was just cool enough to bear and we were able to gawk at those walking up and down Colley Avenue. I knew I wanted the Veggie-Tabouli Wrap ($9) and it was between the Artisan Mac n’ Cheese or the Creamed Spinach as my side. While I love the pommes frites, I was determined to try something new with my new entree and the slight up-charge to switch was of no concern. Without hesitation, Curtis said to go for the mac n’ cheese. That was that and Laine and I enjoyed some laughs, as usual, while Curtis kept our drink refills coming...ALWAYS a plus and Laine and I can put away some diet soda and iced tea. Our meals came out in no time and we were both overly joyed. My wrap with the lemon chive crème fraiche was phenomenal and I typically steer away from wraps (more of a sandwich fan). It was fresh and stocked with flavor. The mac n’ cheese was a great choice with a sharp cheese, which gave it a little unique kick. I will most certainly order this again if I do not get the Cheddar & Apple Grilled Cheese, which always catches my eye.

 Raspberry-White Chocolate Bread Pudding

It was Friday and Laine knows what that means...dessert time. The White Chocolate-Raspberry Bread Pudding was approved as the best choice by Curtis and packed to go, since we had met our time limit (boo). He even wrote the heating instructions on the container. We really, really enjoyed Curtis and he is a regular waiter and bartender most days, including Sunday brunch. Thinking about both of my recent dishes right now, I cannot wait to go back to the Green Onion and I hope to see Curtis when I go.
~Alex

The Green Onion
1603 Colley Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23517-1609
(757) 963-1200

Monday- Friday Lunch 11-230
Saturday Brunch 11-230
Sunday Brunch 10-230
Sunday and Monday Dinner- 5-845
Tuesday-Thursday Dinner- 5-945
Friday and Saturday Dinner- 5-1045

Press 626, Norfolk VA: Dreaming of Gnocchi

Four of enjoyed dinner at Press 626 this past Saturday. We had a nice day at the beach and were excited to have a post-sun treat. One of Press' best qualities if that they will take reservations for any size party. With the restaurant being small, this is crucial.

This past winter, Press had a Pumpkin Risotto that was phenomenal and I was excited to get there and discover what the summer vegetarian dish is. I saw Lemon Scented Gnocchi and knew I was going to have a great meal. I am not a fan of disappointment (who is!), but with food, this rises to another level. When I found out that Press was out of their Lemon Scented Gnocchi at 7:30 on a Saturday night, I was floored. What happened? The waitress said they make it right there, the actual pasta I believe she meant, and would not have more for a few hours. Saturday night. 7:30pm. Seems a little early to run out of something on the regular menu. I could almost have understood it if had been a special. Two at our table wanted that dish too - double bad.

After some serious grumbling by me, I settled on the Hippie Chick sandwich, subbing a portabella for the chicken, and my fellow gnocchi-wanting friend, Amandine*, went for the Petit Filet Mignon. My sandwich was a perfect mixture of sweet and salty flavors with avocado, pepperjack and jalapeno pepper jelly on sourdough. My hangup had been that I just was not in the mood for a sandwich, and Press typically only has one vegetarian entree. I need to move on. Press' fries are some of the best and we finally tried the Mac n' Cheese, which is topped with fried onions.

Claire* ordered the Swordfish special and Sally* the Panko Pork Tenderloin. The filet, and these two both came with Press' mashers and nicely prepared carrots. Everyone was pleased with their food and I had finally stopped growling. 

We did start with a few beverages and on that note, there is a new project in the works. Project~A4A (translation: Alcohol for Alex). My friends are convinced they can persuade me to try a new drink when we go out so that when I do want something I will refrain from ordering chilled shots of vodka. They do not give me a hangover, which is what I continue to try to explain to people. When someone does not drink often and when they do, they order vodka shots, it can seem slightly odd. Even I realize this. I agreed to Project~A4A and a Bellini was the first victim. I enjoyed it - bubbly, light and the first few sips went straight to my head. Fortunately, my sandwich prevented me from becoming too tipsy from one drink. I need to drink a Bellini when it is still very cold - once the temperature goes up, it is hard to get it down without gagging, but I am a work in progress, so it might just be me.

Other drinks at our table were a Mojito for Amandine and a Pomegranate Margherita for Claire. I sampled both before I ordered, but decided to order the Bellini so I could test drive three different drinks. In retrospect, I should have ordered the margherita - I enjoyed that the most, but I am glad we are onto something here with this experiment. More to come!

Two Champagne Cupcakes, a Chocolate Mousse and the Tres Leches Bread Pudding finished off the meal. All were fabulous but the bread pudding won the award, we all agreed. The piece was enormous and I took half of it home as did Sally with her cupcake. Maybe Press was trying to make up for the gnocchi incident, as this will forever be known, with the super-sized helping of bread pudding. It worked somewhat.

Our server was extremely nice and apologized at least three times for the MIA gnocchi. A couple seated next to us had the gnocchi and the guy leaned over and told me how good it was. Really? Why are you gloating when we were gnocchi-less? I wanted to verbally punish him, but I just tried to hide my glare and turn back to my friends. Who does that, anyway?

The gnocchi is on my mind, so I will be back at Press, hopefully soon, before the menu changes.

~Alex

Press 626

626 West Olney Road

Norfolk, VA 23507

http://www.press626.com

757.282.6234

*Make a reservation (for brunch, lunch and dinner)

Town Point Club - Norfolk, VA -Teetering on the brink of a break up

Have you ever loved something because of what it once was? Perhaps you see the potential of a glittering diamond underneath the rough exterior. My husband and I have a running joke about the three phases of relationships, based on both our unfortunate and fortunate cumulative experiences.

Phase One:
(I also call this one “The Honeymoon Phase.” )
Everything is perfect, wonderful, beyond compare. No faults exist and none are noted. Bliss.

Phase Two:
Some Issues, but minor ones. You will tolerate these inconveniences because:
a. You have a strong memory of Phase One
b. You know the other options out there
This phase includes things like leaving up the toilet seat, minor breeches in etiquette, annoying laughs, burps, farts, and etcetera.

Phase Three:
Nothing but Issues. You have no remaining memory of Phase One and are busy planning your exit.

Does this apply to Restaurants? Absolutely!!! As much as I hate to admit it, I believe that I am teetering on the edge Phase Three with the Town Point Club…and it is killing me. Why? Because of what once was and what I know could be if they would just get their act together! My husband and I have been going here for almost ten years. I still miss Lynnwood Craig’s smile and his tableside stories while prepping the best Caesar Salad ever. Town Point is a club. You pay to be a member and you gladly do this for the EXPERIENCE. It is one of the few dine dining experiences remaining in Hampton Roads, but if I am honest, I have to admit that it has been in Phase 2 for a while now. Let me relay my last visit….

I make 7pm reservations for dinner with two other couples for a celebratory dinner. We decided to arrive early and enjoy some cocktails in the bar before dinner. Not knowing I had made reservations, my husband called the restaurant at around 5pm to make sure we had a table. He was told that we had a reservation, which was a good thing as they were booked for the evening.

Highlights of poor service experiences for the evening:

1. When we arrive the hostess is eating potato chips out of a bag. Really?!

2. In the bar. (The bar is empty.)
a. We walk into the bar at about the same time as another couple in our group. We need to put two tables together in order to seat all 6 of us. No one helps. Ladies in dresses and heels, men in suits move tables.
b. The tables are dirty. I mention this loud enough for the bartender to hear since she was obviously visually impaired and did not notice that NONE of the tables were clean. No effort is made to wipe the crumbs and scum off the table. I do so with my cocktail napkin.

3. The meal. We are seated promptly at 7.
a. The place is empty. There are maybe 4 other tables all night and a wine tasting party on the deck. Yes, glad we had that reservation!
b. We all order varying assortments of appetizers, soup, salads, entrées. A bottle of red wine for the men and a white for the ladies is ordered.
c. Big time lapse until food arrives. Big. It is approximately 8:30 before entrées hit the table. Although wine glasses are filled, no one ever suggests another bottle be ordered when it is gone. Too bad. We would have jumped on it.
d. I love the old school way entrées arrive covered, placed on the table, and then the covers are removed in unison to sounds of ooohs and aaaahs. Too bad. Half the entrées arrive and are uncovered. Since our mamas’ raised us right, we all sit and wait for the other half…about 10 minutes. Jeez.
e. The meal is good. She crab soup was outstanding. Everything else is good. Not knock your socks off, mind bending, culinary wowza; just good. I ordered Rockfish, which I adore. This was not the best I ever had.
f. Our server is awkward. I don’t know how else to describe her. Maybe she was new? There is no polish, no finesse. She lacked a certain confidence and professionalism you would expect with a fine dining experience.

4. After dinner drinks and dessert.
a. I am the last person at the table approached to order after a resounding run of “coffee please”. Not me. Gimme some of that dessert! I order dessert AND a Bailey’s on the rocks. Okay, now everyone has a brain surge and changes their orders to drinks with a little more zing than coffee.
b. The wait. Holy cow. Forever. I am dying. It is late. Drinks have long ago been served and consumed. I want my pie dammit. Don’t come between a woman and her dessert . I approach Ms. Frito Lay at the reception area because the waitress in MIA and say, “I am begging you. Please have someone bring out my pie.”
c. I can’t even remember what the pie was now. Just that I was tortured waiting for it.

5. My favorite quote of the evening…
“For your convenience we automatically add a 20% gratuity……” Right, of course you do.

Definitely Phase three. Since it was such a great group of friends we all had a great time, but it was more in spite of the club,than because of it. Should I break up with Town Point Club? Can they change? Do they want to? I go there about once every month or two for their lunch buffet and it is outstanding. The service at lunch is very solicitous and accommodating and the food is always delicious. What in the world is going on when the sun goes down?

_Laine

SoHo Tea & Coffee, Washington, DC

After having a delicious crepe at Crepes-a-Go-Go, I had a craving for some hot specialty drink. I am not one for spending a lot on these types of drinks, but I discovered that I love a chai latte with some flavoring, of course. I have even gone so far to buy all of the ingredients and make chai lattes at home, not something for which I am known. Having this creamy drink in mind, Maryland and I noticed a tea and coffee shop right near Crepes-a-Go-Go on P Street. Putting more money in the meter would avoid ANOTHER parking ticket, which neither of us wanted. SoHo Tea and Coffee is a decent sized shop in Dupont Circle, a nice area of DC with lots to do. I had my sights set on the chai, but the specialty drink menu caught Maryland’s and my eyes immediately. I am not a coffee drinker, but some of the selections, such as the White Chocolate Mocha or Hello Gorgeous Macchiato looked divine, were about to make me one. Always having a keen eye for things that work out perfectly, Maryland saw Sami’s Choo Choo which was a hot chocolate with peanut butter and is described as ‘drinking a peanut butter cup’ on SoHo’s website. Hello, that was us. Of course, the hot chocolate was not enough, so we added a blueberry cheese danish to our order to share. While waiting, we chatted a bit with the staff, who were very friendly and getting a kick out of the building excitement Maryland and I had about the Sami’s Choo Choo (great name too, eh?). If a blueberry cheese danish is not your fancy (what is wrong with you!), other treats included cinnamon buns, oatmeal cookies, some health bars, sandwiches and breakfast items.

We found a table and our drink was ready in minutes. When I say this drink was hot, it was HOT. It was steaming until we reached Alexandria, our next destination, which was a good 25 minutes away! The blueberry cheese danish was homemade and very, very tasty. We love SoHo Tea & Coffee!

The atmosphere was relaxing and looks to be a great place to get some work done or hang out with friends. We were the only souls without computers (all Mac’s mind you) - no surprise there since Maryland and I are some of the last non-SmartPhone creatures on the planet. If our parking meter was not running out, we probably would have stayed, but we had to navigate (without a GPS, of course) ourselves to Alexandria to meet a friend for dinner. Thankfully, Maryland is good with a map.

SoHo Tea & Coffee’s website shows they have a happy hour Monday-Friday 4-7pm (hay!) and other activities like board game night. With good music and funky decor, it is a fun place with treats and drinks that will put anyone in a good mood.

~Alex

SoHo Tea & Coffee
2150 P. Street, Northwest
Washington D.C., DC 20037
http://sohoteaandcoffee.com/