I’ve lived in Hampton Roads for over 20 years, and I still get surprised when I stumble upon a new great restaurant.  Thanks to my favorite mobile app (thanks Urbanspoon!), I can explore the area with a set of new eyes.

This particular adverture started with a “girlie” day with my good friend Brandi.  We kicked off that Sunday with mani-pedis (perhaps the 3rd or 4th time I’ve ever had that done).  It was fun except for two things: 1) I accidentally picked a color that seemed more pink in the bottle, but ended up looking like “auntie red” nails.  Exhibit A:

auntie nails! eeeeeeek!

 

Brandi initally wanted soft shell crab, but was informed that they didn’t have that in stock.  Maybe it’s just me, but I like seafood restaurants that may or may not have seafood in stock because it could mean that they don’t have any frozen product that they are willing to serve their customers.

She decided to order a crab entree that featured crab meat prepared three ways.  I can’t remember all the ways, but I definitely remembered one was crab au gratin.

We definiately had no complaints and both commented how we were definiately coming back!

Directions to Wicker’s Crab Pot Seafood

For months, my friend Jerald has been raving about lobster tacos at one of his usual watering holes – Baja Cantina.  For only $2.50 a taco on Wednesdays, it’s a deal I couldn’t resist for long.

The tacos consist of shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes and deep-fried lobster nuggets wrapped in a flour tortilla.  You also are served with a slice of lime and an assortment of hot sauces. I really enjoyed the tacos for the simplicity, crunchiness and freshness of ingredients.

The atmosphere is like most local bars – dark and inviting.  Definitely stop by Baja Cantina on Wednesday and grab a drink and some tacos!

Seafood dishes to try at home

• korean-style deep fried fish
• brittney’s blueberry bbq salmon
• asparagus and scallop scramble
• pancit palabok
• catfish nuggets
• shrimp etouffee

Directions to Baja Cantina

Melt Gelato and Crepe Cafe, located in the Town Center area of Virginia Beach, was the recent location of chat fest with my friend Brandi.  Neither of us have ever had crepes or gelato before so this was a completely new experience for the both of us.

We both ordered sweet crepes with a scoop of gelato.  At Melt, you can sample the gelato before making a decision — but we both decided to order the first thing we tasted! I ordered a Nutella crepe with a scoop of toasted coconut almond fudge gelato (as pictured on the left).  Brandi ordered a Strawberry Royale crepe with a scoop of strawberry cheesecake gelato (pictured on the right).

It was sooo delicious!  My crepe was soft and thin, and really, who doesn’t love Nutella?  The gelato was wonderfully creamy and dreamy.  The almonds added a nice texture, since everything was soft.  The coconut flavor was deep and satisfying and didn’t taste artificial at all.  Brandi gave her meal a thumbs up as well!

We each paid about $10-12 (we ordered coffee as well), which was well-worth it.  The staff was very friendly and the service was very quick.  Before we left, we were already planning what we were going to order next time! Perhaps one of the savory crepes!

Desserts to try at home

• leche flan
• turons

Directions to Melt (Town Center in Virginia Beach location)

I was invited to Buffalo Beach for a friend’s birthday.  I heard good reviews about their selection of wings, so I was game to try it out!

Buffalo Beach deep fries their wings, and I don’t believe they use any batter.  Above is the lemon pepper and peanut Thai flavors.  The lemon pepper wings weren’t seasoned evenly so some wings were salty than others.  The peanut Thai sauce was definitely peanut butter-y, but I think it would have been better better on noodles rather than chicken wings. If I was ordering wings, I would perhaps try different flavors.

Some others in our party ordered the Philly fries, which is basically like a Philly cheese steak dumped on top of fries.  The aroma of that alone has me curious to go back!

Directions to Buffalo Beach

I had my first taste of Colombian food at El Desorden at the suggestion of my brother’s girlfriend, who happens to be Colombian.  I’m always game to try out new food, especially when I have someone who can make suggestions.

Pictured below is a Pony Malta (a malt soda) and an empanada.  The Pony Malta was very refreshing and had a vague after-taste of Whoopers (the candy, not the burger).  The pork empanada was really good, but I skipped adding the salsa because it was too spicy for me.

For my entree, I ordered the “bandeja paisa” (the main picture above), which included rice, pinto beans, grilled top round steak, spicy sausage, grilled sweet plantain, a fried egg, a half of a hominy corn cake, deep-fried thick crispy bacon, and a slice avocado. Yes, ALL of that food.

The combination of textures and flavors was awesome.  I would perhaps try ordering the ground beef instead of the top round steak because the  steak was a little dry.

Colombian recipes to try at home

• Colombian empanadas

Directions to El Desorden

I love carbs — unfortunately to the dismay of my personal trainer.  It is my weakness, my kryptonite.  So when my  brother asked me where I wanted to eat, we decided to try out Carraba’s (a nationwide Italian restaurant chain).  I ordered the linguine with clams and my brother got ti piace pizza (a build your own style of pizza) with Italian sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms.

The linguine was buttery without being too rich, and the serving size was very generous.  I really enjoyed the pizza because of the thin crust and the fact that they didn’t use marina sauce which can give me heart burn.

The menu also featured other seasonal foods, which I would be interested in trying next time.  The ambiance was kind of dim, which suggested a romantic feel — something I thought was odd for a lunch with my brother.  However the staff was very attentive and helpful.

Italian recipes to try at home

• Chicken Spinach Manicotti
• Easy Pasta Sauce
• Homemade (kinda) pizza

Directions to Carraba’s

Hot Tuna is a local Virginia Beach bar and restaurant, which is known for it’s good food and fun night-life.  The entree price range of the food is around $10-20, which is pretty reasonable for seafood.  We ordered the calamari, Absolute Chesapeake pasta and fish tacos.

My friends and family are calamari junkies, and all who have tried Hot Tuna’s calamari always rave on how delicious it is!  The rings are thick cut and they also include the tentacles, which some enjoy while others get freaked out.  When you bite into one you can tell it’s fresh and not rubbery at all.  The dipping sauce is also enjoyable.  I definitely recommend this!

The pasta and fish tacos were also very good.  The noodles were cooked slightly al dente (the way I prefer it), and the seafood and sauce was good.  My brother said that the fish taco were “good”, which is high praise for someone who always has an opinion.

Seafood recipes to try at home

• catfish nuggets
• shrimp etouffee
• roasted garlic shrimp

Directions to Hot Tuna

I absolutely love the braised short ribs and mushroom risotto from Olive Garden.  The braised ribs are spoon-tender — I say spoon-tender because you could cut it apart with a spoon.

The ribs are slow cooked in a Chianti wine sauce, which I find to be a wonderful match for the ribs.  One day I’m going to try to replicate this! The only thing I didn’t eat was the tomatoes, because I don’t particularly like cooked whole tomatoes.

The portobello risotto was a decent accompaniment.  I think they put some of the Chianti sauce on it to tie it together, but personally I think it’s a little too much.  When I eat salty things, I like a little less intense sides to balance it out.  But it was still pretty good, nonetheless.

Definitely try this out next time you find yourself at Olive Garden!

Lucky Oyster is a local seafood restaurant, located in the Nimmo Parkway/Strawbridge area of Virginia Beach.  I’ve been to Lucky Oyster quite a few times, but one weekend my best friend Lindsey and I decided to try their brunch menu before a movie.

I ordered the Fresh Seafood Cobb Salad (about $12), which is a part of their standard menu.  This salad has the typical attributes of a Cobb salad (avocado, boiled eggs, and bacon) plus fresh seafood: scallops,  crab meat, and shrimp.  The salad was delicious; however when I added the Ranch dressing, the delicate flavors of the seafood.  I would suggest not mixing the salad all together if you want the different ingredients to stand out.

Bottom line:  I would order this salad again for a light meal.  If you would like something more substantial, try something else on the menu.  However if you like local seafood, check out Lucky Oyster!

Burton’s Grill is one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in a long time.   They believe in high-quality, fresh ingredients.  There is only one location in in the south (Virginia Beach – Hilltop location), with other locations in the north east (Massachusetts and Connecticut).

The waiter told us that they serve never frozen meat or seafood, which speaks highly about the caliber of protein.  Also all the sauces are prepared on site, so they can substitute ingredients or cater to allergies.

Above is the Flounder Imperial with seasonal veggies (butternut squash) and Mahi mahi with Avocado Crab Salsa.  Each plate ranged about $15-20, and it was sooo delicious! I also was on a low carb diet so I was able to substitute the risotto with broccoli.

The atmosphere is modern contemporary and is a great for a date or for a little fancier dinner, like business casual dining.  I want to go back for lunch or brunch one of these days.  Stay tuned!