Todd Jurich's Bistro-Valentine's Day 2010

Date Visited: February 12, 2010

Reason Why we Visited:
Valentines Day 2010! Jon found this restaurant online and was eager to try it. The chef Todd Jurich is a James Beard Foundation member and both him and the restaurant have won numerous awards and accolades. For more info about these awards, please visit this link: http://www.toddjurichsbistro.com/todd.html .
This establishment is located on Main Street in downtown Norfolk right across the street from Nauticus.

The Wait:
For once in our culinary tasting career we made a reservation. We figured fancy restaurant plus Valentine's Day Weekend required planning ahead. We were seated immediately upon entering. Our car also was treated to valet service so parking was no problem. Valet was $5.

The Atmosphere:
Todd Jurich calls this little restaurant venture of his a "bistro". The decor and atmosphere reflects everything you would expect in a chic down-town eatery. The wood paneling and white tablecloths with polished silver was inviting and warm. However, Jon and Kate were a little put off by the accent color on some of the walls above the paneling. The artsy and decor-minded Kate felt that the pale yellow did not compliment the rest of the room's class and actually gave the area in front of the kitchen a "fast food" appearance. The waitstaff were dressed well and the general look of the place is appealing and comfortable.

The Service:
Our waiter was prompt and courteous. He was very knowledgeable of the menu and quickly informed us of his excellent recommendations. Please be advised readers, the menu was a special Valentine's Day selection and may differ on other nights. Take note of the website provided to view their regular dinner fare. In general, the service was quick and effortless. There seemed to be excellent communication between all members of the staff and kitchen. Our waiter answered all of our questions well and was very personable.

The Drinks:
Throughout the evening Jon sipped on a Tom Collins and a mojito, two of his all time fave drinks. He thoroughly enjoyed his mojito, noting the hand made quality that denoted this drink did not come from some bottled "mix". Kate had two glasses of an excellent Max Reichter Riesling. She had not sampled this particular kind of Riesling before but liked it so well she declared it one of the best she's had. Wine is sold by the glass and by the bottle with extensive choices available.

The Food:
Jon and Kate both ordered the Cesar salad, preferring a light "first" as the menu called it, over a heavier appetizer. We agreed to save our palette for the main event. The Cesar did not disappoint. Romaine lettuce, strawberries, and tasty dressing were complimented by a warm, delicious "popover" and a Parmesan frico. The frico crunched up over the salad provided the salty and crunchy aspect usually expected from croutons.

The entrees we chose were the flounder and jumbo lump crab flavored with Meyer lemon for Jon and the tuna steak with peppercorn crust on a bed of bok choy and mushrooms for Kate. Jon loved his dish and enjoyed the sweet/sour flavoring of the Meyer lemon. The flounder came lightly breaded and was cooked perfectly resulting in a flaky texture. The only negative he noted, was a small amount of grittiness in the lump crab. Kate and Jon enjoyed the tuna dish immensely. It was prepared medium rare and had a good sear with a nicely formed crust. The pepper was a little over powering but the delicious melt-in-your-mouth quality of tuna more than made up for it. The bok choy was wilted and still crunchy and the marinated mushrooms were a perfect complement.

The Dessert:
Jon and Kate chose the bread pudding. It came topped with hand whipped cream and crunchy toasted nuts on top. The bread and cream anglaise were perfectly married into a soft and chewy masterpiece. Each bite was better than the last and both of us were disappointed when it was gone. Excellent!! This is a must try.

Value:
The prices at this bistro reflect typical downtown complete with an award winning chef. However, Jon and Kate both felt the money more than paid for the excellent quality and service. Every dime was well spent and very much enjoyed.

Overall:
Jon and Kate would definitely recommend this eatery. Don't just save this one for special occasions. The bistro also offers a lunch selection and seasonal specials. Jon and Kate plan to return and try the calamari and the salmon! The descriptions listed on the menu were mouth-watering and tempting.

For further info check out:
http://www.toddjurichsbistro.com/index2.html

Happy Valentine's to our readers!!! And in recent news....Jon and Kate became engaged February 12, 2010.

Orapax in West Ghent, Norfolk

Date Visited: August 27 2009

Reason Why we Visited:
It was the beginning of our weekend and Jon's friend Holly was in town. We decided on a local favorite to show off Norfolk's culinary diversity. For those of you not from HR, Orapax is a long time favorite for many of the locals. It was transformed from an old inn.

The Wait:
Since Kate is a Hampton Roads lifer she has visited this establishment many times. She commented to us that she has never had to wait even at it's busiest. This proved to be par for the course as we were seated immediately upon arriving.

The Atmosphere:
Orapax has an authentic "old country" feel. It is very family friendly and although the tables are close together and the entire place not very big, it is relaxing and homey. The decor lends itself to its Greek and Mediterranean heritage. There a few different sections and we have been here previously where large parties were hosted comfortably. This visit, we were placed in a little nook where it was quiet and we could entertain our guest. Orapax also features an open kitchen and as you can tell from our previous comments on this (see Catch 31 review) Jon and Kate both find this style of restaurant interesting and transparent.

The Service:
Our waitress was excellent. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and explained many of the exclusively Greek dishes that Americans may not be familiar with. Even when a slight miscommunication landed Jon with the wrong dressing for his salad, the waitress was very gracious and patient.

The Drinks:
Jon and Holly both ordered a domestic beer while Kate and Isabelle stuck with soda and juice.

The Food:
All tables are started off with Orapax's home-made bread and clarified butter for dipping. This is very yummy and it is hard to stop snacking so there is room for the rest of the meal. We ordered one of our staples, the calamari, as the appetizer. Jon raved about it, saying it was probably the best he has ever had. Kate thought it was very good but said she could have done with a lighter batter. Obviously, this judgment will be up to personal taste. We enjoyed dipping the calamari in their house marinara and the tazikhi sauce (that we asked the waitress for specifically). It seems that one of our goals is to taste all the calamari in Hampton Roads. Jon and Holly both ordered the gyro platter which is an Orapax classic. Jon was a little put off by the fact that the ingredients came separately so that one had to assemble their own pita bread, meat and toppings together. He suggested this was probably because he is used to the gyro sandwich where all the components are put together beforehand and served as one dish. Holly thought the flavor was very good. Kate ordered a Ceaser salad (another one of her old stand-bys) because she ate so much calamari that all she wanted was something light. She also enjoys Orapax's Ceaser dressing that is a little bolder than the norm. Isabelle munched on everything. Kate mentioned to the group that she has also ordered the Vegetarian pita and found it to be delicious. Everything on the menu that we have tried so far has been very fresh tasting and authentic.

The Dessert:
We passed on this because we had other adventures lined up for the evening and were pressed for time.

Value:
The menu is reasonably priced and the portions are a good size for the cost. The service is typically good and we have rarely been dissapointed by anything on our visits.

Overall:Orapax is a great family friendly, good service, unique food kind of place. We have heard good things about their pizza as well, and glancing over the menu, it looks as if they have many different variations to try (definitely not your delivery from Dominos, Chanellos, Pizza Hut, etc).