The Dirt on Local Restaurants

Did you ever wonder what it looks like in the kitchen of your favorite restaurant? It's kind of interesting how we all just blindly march into a dining establishment and consume whatever they set before us. Most articles on restaurant cleanliness will tell us that our kitchens at home would fail miserably if subjected to the rigorous inspections that restaurants must endure. Personally, I'm more comfortable with my own family's dirt and germs than I am with a stranger's.

Having been a waitress in my younger years, I found most restaurants were genuinely concerned with food preparation, safety and cleanliness. Everyone had their little card authorizing them to serve or prepare food for the Commonwealth, and we all had our side work which ensured the facility was maintained properly. But, if you don't work there, how do you get to see what's going on in the kitchen? Back in the day I dated a guy who actually walked into the kitchen of every restaurant. (One of those things that was "cute" at first, but quickly turned irritating and embarrassing. I am not a proponent of this.) There is a much better and less conspicuous way to get all the 'dirt'.

The VHD, or Virgina Department of Health, routinely inspects and post inspections of all food establishments. This includes day care facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and correctional facilities. All the information and violations are public record and posted on the VHD website. To locate your city and start snooping go the the VDH site , locate your city and then find your favorite restaurant. The PilotOnline also has a nice search for this which is a little prettier and user friendly. Be warned, you will see violations. Virtually every establishment gets one or two. It's up to you to decide how dangerous it would be to your health, and if it would prevent you from further visits. Hey, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger...right?

_Laine

A "Fishy" Review: A.W. Shucks Raw Bar & Grill

A.W. Shucks is a hidden spot in Norfolk's Ghent area. Shucks and its sister restaurant, Tortilla West, both service large portions at a reasonable price. Laine and I have been to Shucks previously, but it was in the pre-blog era. I have been a number of times for lunch, brunch and dinner. Typically, I am a big promoter of Shucks and I'm sure I will be again the next time I go, but today's meal was not my favorite. Let me state that I think I have made a profession out of being late. I try and try, but alas, I am 10-15 minutes late 99.9 percent of the time.

Today was like any other day, I was late, which meant I rushed in and ordered the first thing that popped in my head, the Nicoise Salad, one of my usual selections at Shucks. Their Nicoise has seared tuna, hard-boiled egg, Greek olives (pitted, thankfully), green beans, tomato and cucumber. I am a compartmentalized eater, so even in a salad, I tend to eat one thing at a time, moving from vegetable to vegetable and then to the protein. The 'salad' part was fine, but I swear the tuna was fishy. I asked Laine to try it and she said it was good, but I am still thinking of it and not in a positive light. They do season the tuna, but I have had this entree numerous times and have liked it. I should have gone with a burger and will the next time I go to Shucks.

The burgers and po' boys (oyster, shrimp, chicken, fresh fish or Texas Tofu – sounds like pretty much anything you would want in it) there are great and the fries and hushpuppies are phenomenal. Laine brought up their mac 'n cheese. We did not order it, but I have in the past and it is very creamy and definitely homemade. You can definitely make a meal out of the sides. Along with fries, hush puppies and the
mac 'n cheese, Shucks offers garlic green beans (some of the best I have had), broccoli and tomato and mozzarella). Shucks' menu also has a variety of sandwiches (the crab cake sandwich is a very popular item), salads (a Greek and Cobb are available, in addition to the Nicoise), steamed shrimp, chili, fresh seafood and a variety of appetizers. I must also mention the large selection of fresh oysters
Shucks offers and there are always delicious specials that include at least one pasta dish.

Brunch on Sunday is my favorite meal at Shucks. Their frittata is killer, but they also have crab/egg Benedict, an omelet, shrimp and grits and a few other items. Shucks serves brunch until 3 or 4pm (depends on the Sunday), which is later than most brunch places. While I will not judge Shucks by my meal today, I will steer away from the Nicoise. For a full selection of their menu go on Sunday since
they serve the regular menu along with the brunch menu. There is a full bar as well and you usually see someone you know if you are from the area.

~Alex

I have to admit that the line about the tuna tasting fishy made me giggle, but that’s what friends are for, right? It tasted fine to me, but I am a big sushi eater too (Alex is NOT) so I can see where she may tread a bit lightly where I would boldly go. My meal was great. I have completely fallen off the diet wagon and ordered an oyster po’ boy with fries. Hello fat! Hello cholesterol! It’s your old friend Laine! It was seriously, decadently, delicious. Essentially, it is oysters on bread topped with cole slaw, some lettuce and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. They pair it with an interesting white sauce on the side, which is their answer to the usual tartar sauce most restaurants offer. The darn thing was fairly large, and I had to eat it with a fork as I could not get it to function as a sandwich without making a complete mess. Their French fries really aren’t French either, but a more Americanized battered potato fry. Yummy.

The service was brisk and the place was full by the time we left at about 1pm. Having been in a few empty restaurants lately, I think their ability to maintain a steady flow of customers during these economically challenging times speaks to the quality of their food as well as our review. For those of us not overly familiar with all the ins and outs of Ghent, this restaurant is not very easy to find. It is back in the corner of a parking lot off Colonial and 21st streets. You cannot see it from any street. Activate your GPS when heading there if you have never been before or get good directions.

Recently A.W. Shucks won the Pilot’s taste award for best Mac and Cheese. I haven’t had it personally, but think the “award” is noteworthy. Click here to read that article.

_Laine

Shucks is open 11am-1:30am daily (they serve the same menu for lunch and menu and actually serve until 1:30am) and has Sunday brunch from 11am-until they decide it is no longer brunch. They do not have a website, but you can view the menu here or swing by the restaurant, located at 2200 Colonial Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517


If you are in the West Ghent area, visit Shucks’ sister restaurant, Tortilla West, which offers southwestern style entrees and many, many,many kinds of tequila. Again, no website, but you can view the menu here. T Dub, as locals know it, is open Monday-Saturday 4pm-2am and serves the full menu until 1:30am. Sundays, they open at 11am and have a great brunch, like Shucks. T Dub is located at 508 Orapax Street, Norfolk, VA 23507

Bardo Edibles & Elixirs, Ghent

This weather. This past weekend, Kelly (a male Kelly - remember, Laine and I keep our guests' anonymous by giving everyone an alias) and I ran around all day, partly in Virginia Beach, so when it came time for dinner, we opted to stay in good ole Norfolk instead of driving back to the beach in the pouring rain. Kelly is from out of town and we have been to most of the good local Norfolk spots. We debated between Luna Maya (we have been there a few times) or Bardo, where we have only been once. I think I was leaning towards Luna, but I am VERY glad we opted for Bardo, an Asian-inspired Tapas restaurant.

Bardo has a large menu, composed of four tapas levels. Level one contains appetizers, levels two and three are more entree-esque selections, yet still of the small-plate tradition and level four is dessert. In the past, I have had the hot nuts (yes the dish is truly called that), the vegetable spring roll, the soba noodles and then a few desserts, the dim sum doughnuts, heaven and hell and the dessert fondue. The hot nuts were a disappointment both times I had them. The concept is good (stir-fried nuts, yum), but I swear they use the Planters mixed nut can, the one that is mostly peanuts. Boring. If Bardo used gourmet nuts, the dish would be exponentially better...where are the big, gourmet cashews! The doughnuts are served with three sauces, chocolate, caramel and raspberry and are one of Bardo's most popular preparations. The Heaven and Hell is grilled angel food cake with strawberries, caramel sauce and whipped cream. Absolutely fantastic!

My most recent visit to Bardo was my best meal there to date. It seemed we ordered everything with all of the plates near us. We probably ordered a fifth of what they offer, if that says anything about the scope of their menu. First, the edamame and tofu infused guacamole which comes with crispy wontons for dipping, the vegetable spring rolls, seaweed salad, the sushi roll of the day, the fried crab-stuffed avocado, soba noodles, pad Thai, the crab rangoons and finally, the waffle cake served with homemade ice cream, which is a new item. The guacamole was fresh as could be, the soba noodles and seaweed salad were up to par, the crab rangoons were something good and new, but the fried crab-stuffed avocado was phenomenal and by far, my favorite item of the evening. The Bardo chef halves an avocado, stuffs it with crab and then fries it into a ball. It is served with a balsamic garnish and is the perfect mixture of flavors. When it came out, it reminded me of those anti-submarine mine field explosives, round with pokers sticking out of it. Odd looking, but great tasting. The funnel cake was fun. We chose the brownie sundae ice cream (over the strawberry sundae) and it was so superb. I don't like 'fairs', but I do like funnel cake, so I was able to enjoy the dessert without having to go on rides that make me sick and are run by people that look like they should be behind bars.

As with tapas, before you know it, you are at $100 for two people, so while the individual item prices are low, you keep ordering because by the time each of you takes two bites, the dish is gone and you are still hungry. Bardo was very busy when we arrived around to 8pm on Saturday, so we opted for the food bar seats over a 45 minute wait. Sitting at the food bar is great because you can watch the chef team work their magic. Kelly noted that this was a superbly run kitchen and those guys were definitely hopping. Bardo is great if you want something small or if you want a great sampling of Asian-inspired tapas. The decor is Asian-inspired modern and the service is typically good. Our waitress on Saturday was exceptionally attentive.

On March 15, Bardo is having a 'bizarre food night' which will include tarantulas, rocky mountain oysters (yes the real thing, for those of you that know what they are) and five or six other unusual selections. The regular menu will also be served if one in your party is not keen on the bizarre offerings (that would be me). They are ordering the selections based on reservations, so call in advance if you would like to enjoy the bizarre food night. I believe it is a fixed price for the variety of selections, somewhere in the neighborhood of $70 per person. Bardo does not appear to have a website, but you can view their menu here (There are some new selections on the current menu in the restaurant).


Bardo is located at 430 W 21st St (@ Colonial Ave) Norfolk, VA 23517 and is open daily for dinner and late-night snacks.

~Alex