Loyal readers, Alex and I apologize for the recent lag in reviews. We have been temporarily sidetracked, but promise to get back out and about sampling Norfolk's culinary offerings in the very near future. In the interim, take a moment to read this entertaining article about a competitor of ours, 12 year-old David Fishman of NYC. Perhaps we could meet him for lunch one day and get a few pointers?
_Laine
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Ten Top - A Quiet Success
There are quite a few restaurant secrets in Norfolk and The Ten Top is one. Located on Shirley Avenue right off of Colley Avenue (Colleywood to those of you natives), The Ten Top is a dining gem. The Top serves lunch and dinner and soon will serve Sunday brunch, about which I am ecstatic. I love brunch. The Top appears to be mostly a take-out locale. Laine and I have been twice now without having a problem getting a seat, and this is not a big place. It is quaint with an artistic atmosphere - the walls have wonderful abstract lines while you still get a homey feel from the surroundings. Relaxing and laid back.
Sandwiches, soups, salads, gourmet pizzas and a few entrees make up the lunch menu. Five or so entrees make up the dinner menu. For my first visit, I ordered the warm goat cheese and caramelized walnut salad.
Very good. The portion is a good size and the flavors were tasty. This go-round, I selected the Baja salad with chicken. One word, super. Avocado, sour cream, black beans and vegetables appeared in the salad. The Top also gives you a decent amount of avocado. Laine and I have found that you are often slighted on avocado for some reason, and usually that is one of the main reasons you order a salad with avocado...the actual avocado. I added chicken, but you could easily order this without the chicken and be satisfied. It is definitely a heartier salad. The Top also has some gourmet items, such as sauces, dressings and a few food selections, for retail. Domestic and imported beers and a few wine selections are also offered. An ABC license is a must! These adult beverages are also available for take-out. Could it get better? Your meal and some beers or wine and you only have to stop once! That is what I call a one stop shop. The Top does deliver to those in the Ghent area. I do not know why it is called The Ten Top, but I give it a 10. This is a great place to grab something if you are jaunting down Colley Avenue or you do not feel like going out to dinner but do not want to cook. I, being the anti-kitchen person that I am, adore this option. You have to mix it up when you eat out every day as Laine and I do. I dare say dining out is a way of life for us that has also become a series of adventures.
Next time you are in Ghent, swing by The Ten Top for lunch or dinner. It is a good option before or after a movie at The Naro.
~Alex
I agree with Alex wholeheartedly. I was surprised to hear that this place had been around since 1997. It is such a well kept secret that I had never heard of it. My salad of choice has been the Tomato Caprese Salad.
Traditional Caprese Salad is simply sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil. The key to this salad is quality ingredients. Ten Top does not vary much from this classic recipe. They add lettuce, onions and croutons. In order to keep it "light" they also use low-fat mozzarella cheese and light olive oil. An Italian from Campania might take offense to these edits, but they are right up my alley. Ten Top will top any salad with grilled salmon for an additional $4, also right up my alley. The salmon pairs nicely with these flavors and makes the meal a bit more satisfying for me. The restaurant is small, but cozy and the staff is pleasant.
It is an order at the register kind of place, but they do carry your food out to the table when it is done. Locals flowed in and out quietly picking up orders. Today we were the only ones sitting down to eat our meal there, but previously there were a couple of other diners. On days I feel the need to get out of downtown and kick back, this is just the kind of place I like to go. As Alex said, we have no idea why it is named Ten Top. Their menu has Vegetarian friendly options for those of you who are interested._Laine
The Ten Top is open Monday-Saturday 11:00am-9:00pm and will open Sundays for brunch mid-November.
Click Here to see their online menus.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Azars-Ghent Location-While Alex is away, Laine will play
I would usually not review a Norfolk restaurant without my sidekick, Alex. However, she has forever banned Azars from her list of places to go. I know what you are thinking. Forever? As in, no chance of ever happening again? Take my word on this one. It ain't happening....So, her plane has barely left the ground as she goes off on holiday and I am on my way to Azars for lunch with Brianna*. (Forgive me, Alex!)
Azars specializes in Mediterranean foods and Natural foods, offering a good variety of vegetarian and vegan options for those interested. I started going to the Virginia Beach location of Azars back in the 90's and I still prefer the beach location. I like the ambiance of the smaller place, oddly located on a random side street off Bonney Road. The Ghent locale is bigger and fancier, but not necessarily better. We locals know it can be a pain to park in Ghent, and Azars is no exception. They have about 6 slots out front. Once those are full (they always are) you are on your own to find a spot combat style, up and down 20th Street or hoping you won't get towed from a nearby competitors lot. Once inside, you will see that this is a market and restaurant combined. The market is fairly small, stocking some Mediterranean cuisine staples and Azars own food line. Unlike the beach location where you are seated and waited upon, this is a order and get-it-yourself place. There is usually a line a couple people deep at the register. The lunch menu is fairly extensive covering appetizers, soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches, pizza, platters, etc. There is a kids menu available upon request. I was in the mod for a cup of soup, as the weather has been turning toward crisp fall days. They only offer soup by the bowl, no cups, so I passed. Brianna and I shared a Spanakopita appetizer, I ordered a Baba Ghanouj wrap and Brianna a Chicken Salad wrap. After you place your order they hand you a buzzer, your empty drink cup and send you out to wait.
SIDEBAR-There is a tip jar at the register. This is a pet peeve of mine. (You are learning that I have more than one pet peeve by now.) Why are they asking me to tip them? How many of you loyal readers have tip jars on your desk at work, or in the classroom where you teach, or the emergency room where you work? If someone waits on my table and serves me, or mixes my drink at a bar, I will leave a nice tip. Even if they do a bad job serving me, I will still leave a tip. I will NOT leave a tip for someone taking my order at a register. The person they work for should be paying them. These cashiers should either ask the boss for a raise, or find another job somewhere else making more money. Lose the jar asking me if I am "Feeling Tipsy". From the looks of the empty jar, no one is feeling it.
I've had the Spanakopita here before, and I think it has improved. This traditional Greek appetizer, is comprised of a layered pastry filled with spinach, feta cheese, onions, and olive oil. Previously I found theirs to be slightly undercooked, and a bit chewy. Today, the filo pastry was cooked enough to still flake, but not overdone and hard. These are individually cooked pieces, not cut from a large pan as the menu photo would lead you to believe. A very tasty way to start. The sandwich wraps are a rolled and toasted pita which ends up being rather crispy in the toasting process. I like this texture, but can see where the those unacquainted with it may be expecting the typical soft wrap. A whole wrap portion is rather large, comprising of two pieces about 5-6 inches long each. There are half wrap options for those with a smaller appetite, or wanting to pair it with soup. Baba Ghanouj is primarily grilled eggplant and tahini. It was great. Brianna also liked her Chicken Salad wrap, taking half of it home in the doggie bag with the Baklava she could not resist.
Azars has a patio for outdoor dining on warmer days, although sitting practically on the street of Colley Avenue is not very aesthetic to me. Gas fumes and hummus are not a natural pairing. Today's lunch came out fairly quickly, and the place was about 3/4 full. One negative about Azars is that they will charge you for special orders. No exception. You want to switch it up, add something, delete something, or perhaps substitute items? You will pay. Hmmm, could this be why Alex doesn't like Azars? The world may never know! As for me, overall I like Azars and will be back.
_Laine
Azars of Ghent is located at 2000 Colley Avenue. To view hours of operation and menus online click here.
Azars specializes in Mediterranean foods and Natural foods, offering a good variety of vegetarian and vegan options for those interested. I started going to the Virginia Beach location of Azars back in the 90's and I still prefer the beach location. I like the ambiance of the smaller place, oddly located on a random side street off Bonney Road. The Ghent locale is bigger and fancier, but not necessarily better. We locals know it can be a pain to park in Ghent, and Azars is no exception. They have about 6 slots out front. Once those are full (they always are) you are on your own to find a spot combat style, up and down 20th Street or hoping you won't get towed from a nearby competitors lot. Once inside, you will see that this is a market and restaurant combined. The market is fairly small, stocking some Mediterranean cuisine staples and Azars own food line. Unlike the beach location where you are seated and waited upon, this is a order and get-it-yourself place. There is usually a line a couple people deep at the register. The lunch menu is fairly extensive covering appetizers, soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches, pizza, platters, etc. There is a kids menu available upon request. I was in the mod for a cup of soup, as the weather has been turning toward crisp fall days. They only offer soup by the bowl, no cups, so I passed. Brianna and I shared a Spanakopita appetizer, I ordered a Baba Ghanouj wrap and Brianna a Chicken Salad wrap. After you place your order they hand you a buzzer, your empty drink cup and send you out to wait.
SIDEBAR-There is a tip jar at the register. This is a pet peeve of mine. (You are learning that I have more than one pet peeve by now.) Why are they asking me to tip them? How many of you loyal readers have tip jars on your desk at work, or in the classroom where you teach, or the emergency room where you work? If someone waits on my table and serves me, or mixes my drink at a bar, I will leave a nice tip. Even if they do a bad job serving me, I will still leave a tip. I will NOT leave a tip for someone taking my order at a register. The person they work for should be paying them. These cashiers should either ask the boss for a raise, or find another job somewhere else making more money. Lose the jar asking me if I am "Feeling Tipsy". From the looks of the empty jar, no one is feeling it.
I've had the Spanakopita here before, and I think it has improved. This traditional Greek appetizer, is comprised of a layered pastry filled with spinach, feta cheese, onions, and olive oil. Previously I found theirs to be slightly undercooked, and a bit chewy. Today, the filo pastry was cooked enough to still flake, but not overdone and hard. These are individually cooked pieces, not cut from a large pan as the menu photo would lead you to believe. A very tasty way to start. The sandwich wraps are a rolled and toasted pita which ends up being rather crispy in the toasting process. I like this texture, but can see where the those unacquainted with it may be expecting the typical soft wrap. A whole wrap portion is rather large, comprising of two pieces about 5-6 inches long each. There are half wrap options for those with a smaller appetite, or wanting to pair it with soup. Baba Ghanouj is primarily grilled eggplant and tahini. It was great. Brianna also liked her Chicken Salad wrap, taking half of it home in the doggie bag with the Baklava she could not resist.
Azars has a patio for outdoor dining on warmer days, although sitting practically on the street of Colley Avenue is not very aesthetic to me. Gas fumes and hummus are not a natural pairing. Today's lunch came out fairly quickly, and the place was about 3/4 full. One negative about Azars is that they will charge you for special orders. No exception. You want to switch it up, add something, delete something, or perhaps substitute items? You will pay. Hmmm, could this be why Alex doesn't like Azars? The world may never know! As for me, overall I like Azars and will be back.
_Laine
Azars of Ghent is located at 2000 Colley Avenue. To view hours of operation and menus online click here.
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