456 Fish

We went to 456 Fish for a belated restaurant week (they extended due to the snowstorm that kept people home all weekend). I must say I was very impressed with everything. We all tried something from the restaurant week menu,so that we may experience all they had to offer. 

Nick: 

Delicious tomatoy goodness, with goat cheese!

My appetizer consisted of the tomato soup with goat cheese.  I wish I had written down the name of it (or found it on the menu at the website).  It was delicious.  If that had been my meal, I would have been happy.  I do think it needed some more of the goat cheese balls in it.  One was really just enough to make me want more. 

 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

My entree was the Roasted Pork Tenderloin.  Typically I love pork anyway, but it really came out with the look and texture of ham. (I  don’t often like ham.) It was also wrapped in bacon.  I’m not big into bacon, either. After getting into it, it had a very nice texture and flavor.  I enjoyed the experience of it, but I don’t think I would be ordering it again. I will say that the Fig Relish really added something to it. Don’t let me scare you off, the flavor was pleasant, the details were amazing (delicious food always accessorizes with good flavors), and I can appreciate fine food, it’s just not going on my list.  I’m eager to try some other stuff here! The lentels and the collard greens were a fairly new experience. I will have to try them again before saying one way or the other. 

Mmmm, cheesecake

For dessert, I ordered the cheesecake.  I will say it was exactly what I expected and it was a safe choice. I enjoyed it (although at this point, I think I had eaten too much food!) and it finished off my meal very nicely.


Now, for all my tastings…. I tried a little bit of everything. The calamari was perfect. It was light, tender and you could eat a LOT without being turned off. There are somethings, while tasty you just can’t eat a lot. 

Spring Rolls (egg rolls?) were pleasant, but the little taste was enough for me. 

All in all, I found everything very pleasant and tasty. Somethings I would definitely order again (the soup, the calamari) and I would be very eager to come back and try more food. 

Oh, let me apologize for the quality of the photos. Typically I just use my iPhone, but the restaurant is very….softly lit. It’s a pleasant atmosphere, the restaurant is gorgeous, I just needed more light to get decent pictures of the food. Let me assure you, everything was plated beautifully, it all looked appetizing and it really just was a feast for all your senses. 

Our waitress was wonderful. She helped the ladies pick a wine, answered all our questions and even talked to us about our blog (and other great restaurants to try) when she saw me taking pictures of the food for our blog. 

Revonna: 

Total date restaurant – cozy, soft lighting, waterfall wall, white linen table clothes, and great service -just lovely.  The experience was tantalizing to the palate, the nose, and the eyes.  Loved everyone’s  seafood dishes; all the seafood was  was fresh and well cooked.  The wine selection was vast and our waitress assisted me in choosing a wine that would compliment the meal. 

sesame seared tuna sashimi

  

I started with the sesame pan seared tuna sashimi, it was served with seaweed salad, ginger, and wasabi- it was light and refreshing and beautifully presented.   

 

For the main course I chose the 456 crab cakes  which came with a side of white truffle potato salad, cucumber salad and remoulade.   The crab cakes were  meaty, lightly fried, and encrusted with potato chips.  How could anyone go wrong?  The sides were as delectable as the crab cakes.  

  

Creme Brulee

On to dessert – creme brulee, the flavor was delightful, the only downside at this restaurant was I found the dish for the creme brulee to be too shallow,  the custard layer was way too thin, a smaller, deep dish ramekin would make for a creamier, lovelier treat. 

I did try bites and nibbles of everyone else’s food and I have to say love the calamari, it’s some of the best I have experienced.  Overall, a top-notch dining experience and I would love to go back. 

 

 

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Spaghetti Eddies, Portsmouth

Sarah and I have actually been coming to this place every now and then.  They are a really pleasant Italian/pizzeria.  The atmosphere is nice, they have free Wi-Fi, the staff has always been friendly and it’s a very ample amount of food.

We’ve tried the pizza before, and it was definitely worth getting again. I’ve had the chicken parmesan a few times and it’s pretty good.  Last time I asked for the sauce on the side and it was still really good.  You get a salad with your entree, as well as homemade breadstick.  All in all it is really good.

It’s a good place to drop by for a beer, as they have a pretty decent selection on draft and in bottles.

They also have a really good chocolate cake.

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La Bella, Norfolk

New Year’s Eve.

La Bella italian eatery located on 22nd Street, Norfolk, Va.  Casual restaurant experience.  In addition to restaurant dining, they have take-out meals as well as a small italian grocery and deli.

Tonight we were joined by some friends so there was a LOT of food on the table with everyone sampling a little.

Nick:  A few of us did the 4-course meals. I will say I enjoyed everything I tried, although I think Sarah’s meal, scallops served in a sambucca cream sauce alongside garlic mashed potatoes,would have been difficult for me to finish. The scallops were seared to perfection, the Sambuca cream sauce had a very strong licorice flavor.

The salad: Caesar salad. The salad dressing was made here, and it was a little mild. Very nice.

On to the zuppa! It was clams in a browned butter sauce, which would have been a wonderful meal in itself.

The main entrée was delicious. It was pear and gorgonzola in a little pasta wrap. It was DELICIOUS!! Erin also ordered the dish and she loved it. It was heavenly.

Revonna:  I really enjoyed the variety of entrée and wine selections available.  The house Chianti, I could drink a whole carafe myself.  If I return to La Bella, I would definitely get the clam appetizer Nick enjoyed. They were just succulent, tasty little morsels of goodness.  Other than that I was not impressed with the salads or the other appetizers. 

The main courses are fabulous! The gnocchi cooked to perfection. The linguine and clam sauce yumm-o!  The lobster risotto was to die for as was the pasta dish Nick and Erin ordered, cheese filled pasta purses in sage and browned butter sauce.

  Coffee and Limoncello all the way. Cheers.

the gang

calamari

bruschetta

caprese

 

delicious clams!

cheese filled pasta purses in sage browned butter sauce

 

gnocchi

seared scallope in sambuca cream sauce

 

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Pasha Mezza, Norfolk

Tonight, we went to Pasha Mezza, a Turkish restaurant in Norfolk, VA on 22nd street.

Nick:  The food was delicious. I ordered the Lamb Chunks on Jasmine rice with vegetables. Every thing was delicious and had a very unique flavor, which I was unable to define. It was difficult to pick out distinct flavors.

Revonna tried the chicken spinach, and it would have been a good choice as well. Sarah got a lental stew entree and it would have also been a good decision as well.

We got baklava for dessert and it was delicious. It was light with a sweet little punch.

The girls got some Turkish coffee, but they didn’t seem to really enjoy it. They said it was bitter. I think it’s probably an aquired taste.

Revonna: 

I really loved the ambiance, decor, and relaxation factor at Pasha Mezza.

The appetizer platter was flavorful, though all the dishes seemed to taste similarly and the spices were difficult to distinguish. I found the wine selection to be more than satisfactory with many choices. The beer selection was adequate and allowed for someone to order more than just a Bud Light. The main entree I had was chicken and spinach served with jasmine rice. It was very tasty and I would eat that dish anytime, I think butter was involved and that is always yummy.

The turkish coffee very well may be an acquired taste and Sarah and I agreed that it may could have been mistaken for turkish mud rather than coffee. Ugh.

My overall experience was satisfactory, however the food did not leave a distinct impression upon me and it wouldn’t be a place that I would seek out per se.

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Enrico’s, Norfolk

Enrico’s is always a pleasure. The atmosphere could definitely be considered “romantic” with soft lighting. Enrico’s is a very clean restaurant and it’s very relaxing. They are able to take large parties and I can’t say it has ever been overly crowded there. The staff is always friendly, helpful and very attentive.

I can’t say they have an extremely deep menu, but it’s easy to find something you will like. They have some Italian dishes such as pastas and pizza. I had rack of lamb.

The food was excellent. The presentaion was pleasant, my lamb and zucchini were arranged like a teepee over the mashed potatoe side. The lamb was warm, cooked to perfection (medium rare) and had a nice flavorful taste. It was all delicious and sized just about right. I finished everything and felt satisfied and did not need to snack later or have dessert.

Enrico’s is located on Colley Avenue in Norfolk at 40th street.

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Rom Thai, Norfolk

Sarah and I popped into Rom Thai after picking her up from Norfolk Airport, before driving out to Newport News. I had the Crispy Duck in Mango Sauce. It was delicious. It’s one of my favorites.

Tonight, the meat was moist, the crispy breading wasn’t overdone either.  It was light and, well, crispy!

The mango sauce wasn’t as spicy as usual, and that might have been thanks to Sarah and the waitress. Sarah had requested 1.5 spicy out of 4 for our Papaya Salad appetizer, “because of him.”  The mangos were surprisingly ripe, considering they really aren’t in season right now.  The rice was good.  I don’t like my rice overly wet nor overly dry.  It held together nicely. Good stuff.

Rom Thai is a quiet restaurant located at Ward’s Corner in Norfolk. It’s a little shopping center at the corner of Granby and Little Creek near Wherehouse Music.

Our servers are generally very nice, but not always the most attentive. This was surprising considering there was only one other patron in the restaurant.

Definitely give it a try if you like Thai food.

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Razzo, East Ocean View, Norfolk

Razzo is located on Ocean View ave in Norfolk. It’s on the east end in a fancy, softly lit corner lot.

It’s Italian with a pleasant waitstaff. The tables aren’t very decorated, but the food is excellent. The place filled up more as the evening went on and seemed to be a popular place for small groups to come hang out.

Nick: I had a vegetable lasagna and it was very filling. It was a decent sized portion, and I was quite satisfied. Would definitely order it again.

Revonna:  At Razzo’s I fully enjoyed the antipasto appetizer platter with the roasted garlic, olives, roasted peppers, artichokes, and goat cheese. I could have easily had that as the main dish. I found the restaurant cozy and it seemed like a possible locals type of hangout. I would love to get the platter hang out and drink wine in this place.

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