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

Bella Monte, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Bella Monte, located on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach is a restaurant I certainly should have visited in the past and consider myself fortunate to have gone recently with a good friend. We snagged one of the last reservations on a Saturday evening, so I do suggest making one.

We walked in to an energetic restaurant filled to capacity and I was instantly excited. The restaurant's slightly busier decor makes you feel at home but not claustrophobic because it was designed with good taste. Tables are closer together and I do like this style. You can focus on your own party's conversation but appreciate the good chatter of your neighbors. Who does not enjoy some interesting information gathered unintentionally! In all seriousness, it is nice to see others laughing and having fun over a good meal.

It took more than a few minutes for the server to bring our drinks, but after that initial delay, she was very attentive. We started our meal with the focaccia appetizer. There is no better way to start a meal than with hearty bread dipped in a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. For my entree, I was torn between the gnocchi and the tortellini and the latter won due to its accompanying sun-dried tomato pesto cream sauce. If you like rich cream sauce, which I certainly do, this entree is for you.  Nice additions, the sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes made it much more than your average cream sauce. My partner in crime ordered the penne alla vodka, minus the pancetta. She and I are both vegetarians and the server has no qualms in meeting her request.

Cheese tortellini, artichokes, fresh basil, sundried tomato pesto cream sauce

Penne alla Vodka

Our entrees arrived just as we finished our focaccia and we were both thrilled with our choices. The quantity was adequate and we polished off every last bite. I look forward to trying to gnocchi next time but it will be really difficult not to order the tortellini again. The trials and tribulations of eating at a nice restaurant. Last but certainly not least, dessert menus arrived. Apparently, our server is also a bread pudding fanatic, as I am, and when I said we were torn between a few of the choices, she revealed her loyalty to my favorite dessert and her love for Bella Monte's take on this popular dessert. That was an easy decision and we threw in the white chocolate cherry cheesecake for good measure. The bread pudding is made with Panettone and a rum sauce. As our server said, it was delicious but piping hot so watch your first couple bites. The cheesecake was rich and creamy and the cherries that sat atop the dish were perfect with the white chocolate. We managed to also finish these before finally resigning ourselves to asking for the check, but neither of us really wanted to leave.

Panettone Bread Pudding w/Rum Sauce

White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

I also ordered a take-out while we dined for a hungry boyfriend at home and he was thrilled with the chicken Parmesan. The only small blemish of the night was the side of meatballs I had ordered for him to go with the entree. I asked for a side of the Italian sausage and a side of the large meatballs in the prepared food case I spied in the back of the restaurant. I was explicit in describing them, even quoting the price. When I got home, there were much, much smaller meatballs in the box, so there was some mix-up between my order and the take-out box. Immediately upon discovering this mishap, I phoned the restaurant and the staff said to come by the following week and pick up the 'real' meatballs. We do not live close and while one of us will try to make it by the restaurant to obtain the bigger and better meatballs, I had hoped for some easier remedy. Something is better than nothing though, and as we know there are restaurants out there that would have simply done that...nothing.

There is a cute market attached to the restaurant. They have wonderful provisions for the cook, food lover or anyone who appreciates a nice gift for their home. I will definitely use them in the future for host/hostess gifts and will be able to find something unique, a little change from the typical bottle of wine. Bella Monte is also open for lunch, another meal there in my future.
Food-
Service-4
Beverage-4
Restrooms-5
Value-4
Ambiance-5


Bella Monte Gourmet Market and Italian Marketplace
http://www.bellamontevb.com/
1201 Laskin Rd #100 Virginia Beach, VA 23451
(757) 425-6290

Todd Jurich's Bistro

Another Friday, another great lunch with Alex and guest. Continuing our quest for a great meal, we headed to one of my personal favorites, Todd Jurich's Bistro. They did not disappoint! We had three wonderful entrees (pictured below): Cobb Salad, Calamari with sweet walnuts, apples, Bleu Cheese dressing and a special for the day Deviled Egg Sandwich. Service was professional and watchful. Overall, a fantastic dining experience!

Vintage Kitchen - Downtown Norfolk

After a number of big disappointments in downtown dining, I was ready for something different. It has been 2-3 years since we last visited Vintage Kitchen. We were under-impressed on our last visit. It wasn't bad, it just didn't wow us. We booked a reservation through Open Table for lunch today, requesting a window seat. We were promptly greeted and led to a sunny window table with a sweeping view of the Elizabeth River. It was so nice to feel the warmth of the sun after all the cold, clouds and rain from recent weeks.

They have a great lunch menu.The one online is a bit outdated, as the current one has more choices. For starters we decided to share the Black And White Mac’ and Cheese With Truffle, Nutmeg, And Marshall Farms Cheddar $9. There was no need to take a vote on this one. Hands down best Mac and Cheese ever. Truffle can be a powerful flavor and is frequently overdone, ruining many a great dish. Not so here. This was rich and creamy decadence.  We would go there again and just get that. My main dish was Grilled Portobello and Gruyere with pesto on Focaccia $8.95. It came with a dill pickle slice and a bag of Route 11 chips. Delicious!

I (Alex here) ordered the soup du jour, a Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Gouda combination. It was the biggest bowl of soup I have ever seen but managed to polish it off. Creamy but not too heavy and the amount of Gouda was just right, not overpowering. For once in this day and age, bread was served at the table. Two heated rolls rolled in a dash of salt and oil, a really nice touch.

As if that wasn't enough food, we decided to top it all off with dessert. A bittersweet chocolate mousse topped with sea salt caramel and peanut brittle $7.95. It was served in the cutest cup with heart handles. This too was delicious. The bittersweet of the chocolate overpowered the caramel and peanut brittle a little but, but it was still amazing. We had a similar dessert recently at California Pizza Kitchen, that blended caramel, sea salt and chocolate. It's a good combination. Service throughout was top notch. The decor is a clean contemporary. A calm, quiet atmosphere that lends itself well to conversation. It is quiet, but not the kind of quiet where you feel like your neighbors are hearing your every word. It is the kind of quiet where you can relax a little and not have to shout over music or racket from the kitchen.

We rolled out of Vintage Kitchen well fed and happy.

_Laine & Alex

Food-5
Service-5
Beverage-3
Restrooms-4
Value-4
Ambiance-4

Vintage Kitchen (Inside Dominion Tower)
999 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510

Black And White Mac’ And Cheese

Town Point Club - Downtown Norfolk

Norfolk's Town Point Club has a Friday lunchtime Grand Buffet that is always a winner. Today's really hit a high note with us for two reasons:
a. Spinach Ravioli in cream pesto sauce with pine nuts.
b. Seafood Cioppino
The usual seafood bar was in top form today with delicious raw oysters, spicy steamed shrimp and smoked salmon and capers. And yes, we hit the dessert table too.

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 

Todd Jurich's Bistro, Norfolk, VA

Two words, Lunch HOUR, note the capitalization. Laine, myself and one of our favorite friends decided to try Todd Jurich’s Bistro for restaurant week. I had not been there in a few years and the last experience included Nikki’s* dish having to be sent back for salt overkill and then bagged potato chips...remember, Jurich’s falls under the fine dining category. I hoped this time would be better for Jurich’s sake and for ours, but only half of my wish was granted. I made a reservation to avoid waiting since we would be on our lunch hour. Proactive thinking does not always result in a positive outcome. We were seated quickly, but as you will read, our lunch too longer than many dinners. It was at least five minutes before our waitress appeared at our table to take our drink orders. Bad sign and we should have ordered our food right then. Our two iced teas and one water came back in another five and the missing straw took an additional five minutes and two requests, one to the manager. I could have made a straw in that time and I am not crafty!

Some restaurant week menus include three items, an appetizer, an entree and a dessert or side. I’m sure I did not read the fine print, so I was ready to order my three items for $12, when the waitress corrected me that it was only two. Bummer. I figured I would go ahead with the gazpacho and the Tillamook Cheddar Truffle Mac & Cheese and then just order the dessert ($7) separately, but then the wheels turned faster as I eyed the soup price ($4). How about ordering the entree and the dessert and then add the soup as an extra? Laine and I are made of money, but its always good to save a buck (note the sarcasm). Our waitress said adding soup was only $3 - bingo! Laine and our friend did the same. We just saved $12 between the three of us - that’s another restaurant week lunch. After interrogating the server to ensure we would each get some of the popover, Laine and I split the Bistro Bread Basket ($3) which also included cornbread that was cut in the shape of a potato wedge and a baguette. Well worth it and the popover was huge, so there were no issues of anyone being slighted. The cornbread was great but the popover was phenomenal. Nikki makes those from time to time and they are a real treat. The gazpacho arrived and we were all pleased with it, even if it took 10 minutes for a cold soup that is already prepared. Speedy.

Salmon Cakes-A late Restaurant Week Menu Addition

Finally, our entrees arrived after more gray hair appeared on my head. My truffle mac & cheese had cute presentation, a bowl of the mac with the Chevre Toast almost looking like a straw (that’s where the straw went!) and a small side salad. It was all darn good as were the Truffle Fries that I ordered as a side. The mac was a smaller portion but it was rich and after I had turned my focus to the fries, I realized I needed a to-go box for my mac.

There was such a delay between us finishing our entrees and dessert, I wanted to take a nap. Finally, my Brioche Bread Pudding with Whiskey Custard and Crème Anglaise arrived and while it took too long to show up, it was some of the best I have had and I never miss the opportunity to order bread pudding. As Laine said, I am trying to order bread pudding at every restaurant in Norfolk. It is very possible I will. Just call me the resident expert on the subject matter. About an hour and forty-five minutes later (yes, that’s what I wrote), we got our checks. We dropped our cards in the bill folder and when she returned them, she never ran mine, so I had to wait even longer and ask another waiter to run it. Give me a break! I needed the ‘took forever discount’. We finally left, I forgot my to-go and had to run back to get it. In sum, great food, LOUSY service. Let me finish with the two keys words for today’s lunch...Lunch HOUR.

~Alex

I have to concur with Alex. From the moment we were seated, there was a service vacancy. You might let that slide in another establishment, but when you go to Todd Jurich's your expectations for everything are a notch or two higher. Our server seemed to have brought a bad day to work with her. She never smiled and appeared completely distracted. Maybe she was in the weeds because they were quite busy, but hey, not my problem. It was hot, hot, hot outside on Friday, and we slammed our Iced Teas in minutes. The empty glasses sat on the table forever until someone else came along to fill them. Service never improved.

The food, however, was wonderful. I love Gazpacho, and their Iced Garden Gazpacho was some of the best I have had. It was not overly chunky, and mildly seasoned. The bread basket caught my eye on the regular menu, specifically the Popover it contained. I had to try it. After going back and forth about it, Alex and I decided to split one. It was large and easily shared. For an extra $3 (or $3.95) the bread basket is well worth it. I also enjoyed the cornbread. It was sweet with a hint of hot pepper. The bagette was ho-hum. As my main entree I ordered the Mediterranean Cold Plate, which featured Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad, Hummus, Pita, Seasonal Fruit and Pickle/Olive assortment. The salads were very good. The Hummus was mediocre. The cantaloupe was some of the most flavorful I have had this summer, and I have had some GREAT cantaloupe. I would have liked to see a more interesting variety of olive, versus the standard kalamata and green variety. Cornichons were a nice pickle choice and had a tangy zap to them.

Dessert led me to chocolate. For me, that is as predictable as Alex and her bread pudding. The Dark Chocolate Pot de Crème was $2 extra and worth every penny.  I was not disappointed. It was rich, and thick. I scraped that ramekin clean.

My restaurant week $12 lunch ended up being somewhere in the neighborhood of $23. This always happens to me. I want what I want and all those extras add up! Should you decide to venture to Todd Jurich's Bistro for lunch be sure to bring your appetite, your wallet and some patience.
_Laine

Todd Jurich’s Bistro
150 W. Main Street, #100
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 622-3210
http://www.toddjurichsbistro.com/
http://www.downtownnorfolk.org/documents/restaurantweek/ToddJurichsLunch.pdf

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

Bardo - Edibles and Elixirs - Revisited, Norfolk, VA

I want to continue to love Bardo, but my friends and I had a very off night there recently. We had a reservation and were late. Our fault and put us on the first come, first serve list. No problem, the hostess said it should be about fifteen minutes. We were talking and having drinks and not completely watching the time. I started to take note at the thirty minute mark and asked the hostess our status. She said ‘it should just be a few more minutes’. This cat and mouse game continued with me asking and her saying a few minutes until we were seated over an hour after we arrived. Now, if she had simply told us the wait would be forty-five minutes to an hour, we maybe have made the decision to go elsewhere. But she did not go this route and instead repeatedly mislead us into thinking we would be seated soon. She seemed like a shy girl so maybe she was new and was not a pro at judging how long a table would take. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I kept coming up empty and irritated.

After we were finally seated, our waitress was nice and our food was pretty good. I ordered a few of my favorites, the hot nuts, the tofu pad Thai, the eggplant fries and a newer dessert, the fried vanilla bean cheesecake dumplings. The taste was fine, but the cracker consistency of the dumpling made them difficult to eat. There were three of these and the cream cheese was spread between two of these fried ‘dumplings’. A raspberry coulis was drizzled across the plate. The dumplings were more like crackers. I would not order these again and wish the dumpling had had a softer consistency. The rest of the table was pleased with their food as well. A mussel special, the rockfish special with a succotash, tuna tataki, more eggplant fries, the creme brulee duet, some dim sum doughnuts and a heaven and hell rounded out our meal.

Everyone was pleased with their drinks choices; a few beers, an Amakuchi, a Pacific Rim and some others. One in our party ordered a Thai Almond, a drink she has previously enjoyed. It consists of vodka, Kahlua, amaretto and coconut milk. It arrived looking pretty with a flower, but upon tasting, she made a face, indicating something was ‘off’ in the drink. Asking for problems, I tasted it when she asked and thought it was horrible. She said in the past, the drink was always smooth and this had an odd consistency, almost like cottage cheese. Gross, right? When the waitress came back around, my friend described the problem with the drink. The waitress apologized and asked if my friend wanted anything else in replacement. Since we were almost finished with dessert, she said no and asked for it to be removed from the bill. It seemed like a reasonable request to me, until I saw the waitress reappear with the same drink. I knew this would not be good. The waitress explained that the bartender told her that people had been returning drinks all night and that everything in the drink was on point (i.e no expired coconut milk) and that they would not remove the drink from the bar bill.
I was appalled. First, if drinks had been returned all night, might it not be the bartender who is the cause? Second, if a customer is not happy, a restaurant, or any other business, for that matter should do whatever they can to rectify the situation. The small amount of currency they lose on one drink should not deter them from making a customer happy. It seemed like the bartender was cranky because he or she had to remake a few drinks and took it out on my friend. A third point, why did the bartender make the nice waitress deliver the bad news instead of doing it herself or himself. We were all pretty ticked between the waiting game and the drink and I will probably not rush into Bardo anytime soon. I still like their food, but I can think of quite a few other places where I can spend my money and avoid meal drama.

My experience has shown me that contacting the restaurant after an incident like that above will usually garner an apology and sometimes more. Monday morning, following this Friday night affair, I emailed Bardo and nicely explained what had happened and how surprised I was, especially about the drink. It has been five days and I have not received a reply. I waited this long to write update our blog to see if I would get some type of response, even a simple apology and that management would speak with the staff. The lack of communication has left me with an even more sour taste in my mouth than that drink.
~Alex

Here’s my two cents on Alex’s Bardo adventure. Next time, ask for the manager right when the incident happens. Don’t dink around with the worker bee’s. Especially the server. Those poor server’s are always the bearer of bad news from the kitchen, or the bar, or whomever else works behind the scenes and doesn’t have to “deal with” the public. Get the manager on duty to come to your table and lay it all out for them. This is the person the restaurant hired to handle these sorts of concerns. If he or she fails to address the situation properly, then you know without a doubt, that you can cross that restaurant permanently off your list.

_Laine

Il Porto Ristorante, Alexandria, VA

It was cold, we were hungry, Italian cuisine fit the bill. Maryland and I left Dupont Circle and headed to Alexandria to meet my college friend, Majorly. At her suggestion, we sought out Il Porto Ristorante on King Street. With Maryland’s good prep, we found King Street easily and after a few minutes discovered a parking garage that was only $3/hour on South Fairfax Street near the intersection of Wales Street (make a mental note). Most other garages were $5/hour or a $7 flat rate. Once parked, we strolled up to King Street and decided to pop in Pop’s Old Fashion Ice Cream Company since we had a few extra minutes. Homemade ice cream in a variety of unique flavors placed Pop’s at the top of our evening dessert list. See the review on Pop’s **

We arrived at Il Porta slightly before 7pm and were quickly seated by the fireplace upstairs. This was a plus since we had been walking in the cold and sampling ice cream (who does that!). Once Majorly arrived, we made our selections. She and Maryland both chose one of the specials, a cheese tortellini with chicken in a tomato cream sauce. The waiter told us that everything is prepared to order and customers are encourage to change the pasta type or sauces to make their desired dish. I was torn between the Fettuccine Alfredo, the special sans the chicken or Capellini Primavera. I consulted the waiter and he said if I was hungry, go with the Primavera and that I could change the sauce to a cream variety. I said that was splendid and I EVEN changed the pasta to whole wheat fettucine since I prefer fettuccine to other long pastas. Il Porto offers whole wheat spaghetti and fettuccine. Finalized, it was a Fettuccine Primavera with cream sauce. Customization is key, especially without griping from the kitchen!

Fresh, hot bread arrived and soon thereafter, our entrees. Maryland and Majorly were quite happy with the special, as I was with my own version of primavera. The portions were hearty, but none of us had a problem finishing our dishes. We sat and enjoyed ourselves for a while after dinner. The waiter allowed us to relax after our meal and chat without shoving the bill under our noses, as some other servers do.

We did view the dessert menu, but already had Pop’s Ice Cream in our heads. Some of Il Porto’s dolce offerings were a white chocolate mousse, a white raspberry truffle, Tiramisu, Cannoli and a few others. I am fairly certain these would all be fabulous, from what we experienced with our entrees.

We did not need a reservation, but I am sure it would not hurt to make one, especially if you have a larger party. Il Porto Ristorante is open 364 days each year (only closed Thanksgiving Day) and serves lunch and dinner daily.

Thumbs up!
~Alex

Il Porto Ristorante
121 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Phone: (703) 836-8833
http://www.ilportoristorante.com

1587 Restaurant, Manteo, NC

Situated within the Tranquil House in Manteo, 1587 Restaurant has a lot to offer. Nikki* and I had talked numerous times about heading over to Manteo to have dinner. We are in the Outer Banks quite often and for a while, we only ate at a few select restaurants because as I have said before, there is a lot of mediocre (fried) food in the area. Manteo is about a 20-25 minute drive from our house and with the summertime traffic, one can easily opt to stay closer to home. Finally, we decided it was time and made a reservation. We had to take a slightly earlier time because the 7-7:30 slot was filled. They obviously did not know who was coming....me.

The Tranquil House Inn is a quaint bed and breakfast that sits on the water in the downtown area of Manteo. Downtown translates into a few blocks, so you will not get lost trying to find the inn. Parking was easy, as a front spot awaited us. We were seated as soon as we arrived and the restaurant only had two other tables dining and a couple having drinks at the bar. The restaurant was pretty quiet until about 8-8:30, but it did fill up then, so that is potentially why they did not have a 7-7:30 time...overlapping risk.


I researched 1587 online prior to visiting and when the waitress handed us the menus, a lot of the vegetarian dishes were missing. I was distraught because quite a few things looked delicious and very different from your average vegetarian fare. After fretting, I finally thought I would ask if they would make a vegetarian version of the pasta du jour. Apparently, my anxiety was in vain, as there is a separate vegetarian menu upon request. A great weight lifted off my shoulders immediately, upon seeing all of the wonderfully described selections I had found online. Always good to ask if restaurants have a separate vegetarian menu and especially with 1587’s options, even those who are not vegetarians might find something they want to try. With all of these resurrected choices, I had a hard time deciding, but finally settled on the vegetarian version of the chef’s pasta selection. My rationale was that this was a dish they might not have the next time I journey over to 1587. A tomato cream sauce and a plethora of vegetables, broccoli, squash, peppers, onions and green beans, were served over penne pasta and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. The vegetables were fresh and cooked to perfection. This was certainly a dish that was made to order. Nikki had the same dish, simply carnivore style, with beef tenderloin cooked impeccably. We began out meal with the soup of the day, chilled yellow heirloom tomato, and the black and white truffle mac n’ cheese. The soup was average, not thrilling, but the mac n’ cheese definitely made up for the soup and then some. Very rich, but a manageable portion, a side that can be very boring in some restaurants was turned into an exquisite burst of flavor. Truffle oil makes a dish. Finally for dessert, I chose the seasonal fruit cobbler. Fresh blackberries, raspberries and blueberries were topped with a homemade granola and served over homemade vanilla ice cream. The waitress said there was no sugar added to the mixture and she was right on when she said that makes the dish so unique. You taste the full flavor of the berries, rather than added sugar.

Other interesting menu selections include roasted butternut squash and Parmesan stuffed homemade ravioli, local tuna steak over udon noodles and white bean ragout. Tranquil House also serves Filet Mignon, braised pork "Osso Bucco" and a boneless half of chicken on their chop menu. Desserts change with the season but there are usually five to six to choose from and you cannot go wrong with any of them.


Our table was by the window and with Tranquil House being on the water, we watched other diners and inn visitors mingle with the residents who keep their boats at the small neighboring marina. It was very pleasant, as is the town Manteo in general. Make a reservation and then arrive an hour beforehand or take some time after the meal, to stroll through Manteo.

~Alex

The Tranquil House Inn and 1587 Restaurant are located at 405 Queen Elizabeth Avenue
Roanoke Island, NC 27954. For reservations, call (252) 473-1587.
www.1587.com

Town Point Club - Norfolk VA

Town Point is not the kind of place I go very often....but I'd like to. It is one of my favorite places to dine, and has been for the past 9 years. I've seen some changes in that time. It's not quite as formal as it used to be, which has both positives and negatives, but all of which probably needed to occur for economic reasons. The important thing that has not changed is the food service.

We dined there on Saturday, to celebrate my birthday. Since it falls on Valentine's Day weekend, I inevitably get the Valentine's menu. Happens everywhere, all the time. Usually if you have a special event that you announce when making the reservation, you will be seated with a nice pre-printed menu that says "Happy Birthday/Anniversary ". I was told when making my reservation that I would not be getting this service. Okay, I get that too. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been too terribly difficult to put my name on one of the menu's, and this is the type of place you expect people to go above and beyond for service, but ... no biggie.

I love the lounge at Town Point. I prefer arriving early, starting out with an apéritif, then moving to the dining room for our meal. The lounge interior is cozy, with dark cherry woods and killer views of the water. There is outdoor seating for days that it isn't 20 degrees and windy. Their bartender's are fantastic. Our past two visits we have had the same person. His name slips my mind, but I recall he is originally from Connecticut. Nice guy, makes killer cocktails and nice conversation.

As soon as I saw the menu I knew what I wanted. I love Rockfish. L-O-V-E I-T! When it is in season that is practically all I order when dining out. For starters I ordered the Oysters Rockefeller and Two Hearts Salad. The oysters were a huge disappointment. The topping was just a dry, sandy lump on top of an overcooked oyster. Very sad. My husband ordered the Ravioli which was fabulous. I felt guilty (sort of) trading him one of my oysters for it. He concurred with my oyster description.

The salads were nice and light. I love hearts of palm and artichoke. For me this would have been hard to mess up. My entrée was delicious. Sometimes you order something like this with a sauce and it comes out smothered, completely ruined. This was perfectly proportioned. You were able to distinguish the flavors of the fish, crab and sauce in each bite. It was served on top of cheesy rice, which I found interesting. I had grilled Rockfish at Steinhilbers several weeks ago, and the fish was served on top of macaroni and cheese with crawfish (IT WAS KILLER). Interesting the two locale chefs pair the fish with a cheesed up carb. It is a nice match. I tasted my husband's filet. It was perfection.

The dessert was triple chocolate whammy. Very, very, very rich and yummy. After dinner we headed back to the bar for a digestif. Here's where they get some high marks. My husband ordered a Sambuca but they were out. Upon inquiring about ports and admitting to our naivete, were were presented with a "mini" port tasting to see which one was preferred. Very nice. An excellent way to wrap up another fantastic meal at Town Point.

Town Point Club serves lunch and dinner. On Friday's they serve a grand lunch buffet which truly is grand. They also have a ClubExpress menu with very reasonable pricing which is not exclusive to members only, but open to everyone.


_Laine

Town Point Club
101 West Main Street
Norfolk, VA 23510-1622
(757) 625-6606

The Tides Inn - Irvington, VA

You know that you are about to fall off the edge of the planet when your GPS, which has been faithfully steering you towards your destination, suddenly announces that “your guidance has ended” because the approaching roads are not in the system. Since I had wanted to get away from it all, it appeared that I was heading in the right direction. The Tides Inn has been around for a long time, but this was my first adventure to Irvington and the resort. I could not have hand picked a better weekend weather-wise. Low 70’s during the day, low 60’s at night were perfect for hanging out, playing golf and sleeping with windows open.

Our first meal on Friday night after check in was in the Chesapeake Club. This is the less formal dining room on location. Everywhere in the resort has a water view. Being seated in front of Rappahannock river views and docked boats was very relaxing after a typical Friday night of combat driving through Hampton Roads. I started out with a cocktail. It was after all, Friday night. This is where I first noticed a slip in the service. The waitress was very nice and accommodating, but she was slow. For the remainder of our meal drink refills were not timely. I love it when martinis’ are brought out to the table in the shaker and served. I had a Stoli’s (Stolichnaya ) Cosmopolitan and it hit the spot. A friend who truly cares about my happiness and well being once had me do a vodka “blind taste test”. I have not wavered from Stoli’s since that fateful day!

I ordered the Romaine Hearts salad and Teriyaki glazed Grilled Salmon for dinner. My husband ordered Oysters on the Half Shell and the Snapper special for the evening. The Romaine Salad was nothing terribly exciting, but I didn’t want it to be either. Consisting of Romaine leaves, roasted garlic vinaigrette, shaved Parmesan and Ciabatta Crustini it was the light, crispy intro that I wanted. My entrée arrived in a timely manner and as I dove in it came to my attention that it wasn’t cooked thoroughly. The only non-sushi fish I like rare is Tuna, so I had to send this back for a couple more minutes on the grill. When it returned I was completely satisfied. The salmon was served on top of a mixture of local tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet onions, delicately seasoned with light vinaigrette. The additional side was a new potato medley which surprising consisted of new potatoes of varying colors, making for an eye pleasing presentation. For desert I ordered the Vanilla and Chocolate Mouse. This came served topped with Blackberries, not my personal favorite, but coincidentally my husband’s favorite. Portions are not really sharing size, but being rather full a few bites each had us satisfied.

The Tides Inn offers quite an enterprising wine list, and is a 2009 recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. There are pages and pages of choices. Only wanting a glass (okay, maybe two) I selected Kings Estate Pinot Gris. I had tasted this for the first time last year on my anniversary and remembered enjoying it. Still good and very reasonably priced by the way. My husband prefers the red, and settled on Acacia Pinot Noir. This really hit us right and we ended up ordering a bottle for dinner the following night. I predict there will be a few bottles in our wine cooler in the very near future.

Following a fun round of morning golf at the resort’s Golden Eagle course, we had lunch Saturday afternoon on the outside brick patio. Honestly, this may have been the best meal we had there all because of two little words, “BLUE CRAB”. They have an appetizer called the Blue Crab Quesadilla. Sounds pretty pedestrian, doesn’t it? This darn thing was unbelievably delicious. The purest, chunks of blue crab I have ever seen in my life were layered upon a thin and crispy tortilla, and a very thin splash of Boursin Cheese, then drizzled with a light crème fraiche sauce. Guacamole was placed in the center with the triangular slices arranged around it in a circle. Rich and totally worth every calorie it contained. My husband ordered the Crab Salad sandwich, essentially more chunks of that same pure white crab meat lightly dressed on bread. Unbelievable! My grilled Portobello sandwich was another crowd pleaser, presented on whole wheat focaccia bread with Pesto mayonnaise and served with a fruit salad side.

Hard to believe, but 6 hours later we were ready to eat yet again! Dinner was in the more formal East dining room, one wall away from the Chesapeake room. I must say that our server Saturday evening, Jason, was the best. I overheard him tell another table he had been working there for 5-6 years, and it showed. After all that seafood we were ready to revitalize our inner carnivores. I opted for the Grilled Filet Mignon with Cabernet Reduction, Wild Mushroom Ragout, garlic mashed potatoes and Asparagus. What can I say, it was perfection. My husband ordered the special, which was Prime Rib, with similar sides. I tasted it and personally thought mine was better. For dessert I ordered the “Tides Inn Chocolate”, and was told that it was a “good choice”. As I said to the waiter, I wasn’t going to be able to get it anywhere else! From the menu description I was not clear on what I would be receiving; a cake, pie, truffle…? When I was served I still wasn’t sure and had to ask! It was a half circle of chocolate about two inches in width placed next to a dollop of vanilla ice cream about one inch in width. The waiter informed me it was a French, flourless cake, the name of which escapes me. It was tasty, but nothing to get crazy about. I would not order it again.

The Tides Inn is a beautiful, relaxing place to visit. Everyone working at the resort is extremely friendly and service in all areas is very solicitous. Its proximity to our area makes it the perfect weekend get away. It is also a popular wedding location.

_Laine

To view the Summer Menu click here

The Tides Inn is located at 480 King Carter Drive in Irvington, Virginia 22480