So you hate Hampton Roads? What do you suggest to better it? (Norfolk: buy, theater)

[Poquoson7]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Yes, where did you eat? I hope to be moving to Hampton Rds this year to be close to family. But I, too, find the opportunities for eating out, very limited. That is, unless you want to pay an arm and a leg. We can get a baked haddock dinner for $9.99 (plus tax) here and the fish was caught the same day. It's not a huge serving but we don't want a huge serving. This is in a nice restaurant with tablecloths and great service, overlooking the ocean. We go on the night they have the special, other nights the same meal is $14.99.

Hubby is from England so he loves fish and chips--can get it here and have found one spectacular place in VA Beach called The Highlander. The Highlander is expensive though. We wait until we have a groupon to go there. Also, it's just a hole in the wall place in a strip mall. (Nice people though.)

We're not food snobs at all. We just want real food, not chain style food. Most of the time we cook at home so that we can get real food but there are times when it's convenient to eat out.

See post to TN Lily for where we ate.

We're not food snobs either but to be perfectly honest there are lots of good places to eat from Williamsburg to the Oceanfront and they are NOT chains. One or two from each locality.

Newport News- Circa 1918, Pearl, Fin Seafood, Schlesinger's Chop House
Hampton - Deadrise
Yorktown - RiverWalk, Water Street Grille
Williamsburg - Blue Talon, Trellis, Fat Canary, DOG Street Pub, Waypoint Seafood, Gabriel Archer Tavern, La Tienda, Le Yaca, Opus 9
Suffolk - Harpers Table, Vintage Tavern, Riverstone Chophouse
VA Beach - Tautags, Zoe's, Fire and Vine, Steinhilbers, Lynnhaven Fish House, Croc's, Coastal Grille, The Cellars, EAT, Eurasia, Cobalt Grille, Mizuno, Rudee's on the Inlet, Terrapin, Thirty 7 North
Norfolk - Tod Jurich's Bistro, 456 Fish, 328 Tequila, Bardo Edibles, Byrd & Baldwin, Captain Groovy's, Luna Maya
Portsmouth - Still Wordly, Stove
Chesapeake - Black Pelican, Off the Hook, Passion
Gloucester - York River Oyster Company

Sorry, some are in strip malls because thats how retail is done here. Others are so charming it's ridiculous.
The fact of the matter is that there is really good food in this area but it doesn't ring your doorbell to get your attention. You have to read local publications and listen to whats going on out there.

[Poquoson7]

Originally Posted by goofy328

The glass is half full. You're familiar with my posts you know its half full. Not even sure why you would have to ask.

I don't know whether it's half full or half empty, that's why I asked.
It's all good, I just think that sometimes your posts are kind of ?
You may very well feel the same about mine.

[TN Lily]

Poquoson7, your Newport News restaurants are on the pricier side. Schlesinger's at Port Warwick is usually very good and their lunch specials are very reasonably priced. Though most of my meals there have been decent to excellent, they too served up some bad food on one occasion.

Any Newport News restaurant recommendations that are more casual and less costly?

Thaijindesu Thai & Sushi Bar - very near Schlesinger's - is good and less costly than Schlesinger's.

Too often, I have had people rave about how good a restaurant is in NN. When I've gone there, it has been a horrible disappointment.

[Poquoson7]

Originally Posted by TN Lily

Poquoson7, your Newport News restaurants are on the pricier side. Schlesinger's at Port Warwick is usually very good and their lunch specials are very reasonably priced. Though most of my meals there have been decent to excellent, they too served up some bad food on one occasion.

Any Newport News restaurant recommendations that are more casual and less costly?

Thaijindesu Thai & Sushi Bar - very near Schlesinger's - is good and less costly than Schlesinger's.

Too often, I have had people rave about how good a restaurant is in NN. When I've gone there, it has been a horrible disappointment.

IMO restaurants in general anywhere are crap shoots and personal recommendations are to be taken with a grain of salt because people's taste are so all over the place.
I'm hopeful that the "bistro" planned for the former location of 99 Main is going to fit the bill of casual with less costly menu options.
Hiyashi in City Center satisfies my sushi cravings and won't really break the bank.
Thaijindesu is good, yes.
Yes, Schlesingers can be good or bad, I've had both experiences there.
Circa 1918 in Hilton is my fave and chef Chad Martin is really cutting edge in my book. The restaurant interior is shabby chic comforting, really like that vibe.

[in_newengland]

Poquoson, Thanks for the restaurant ideas.

I'll probably be living in Chesapeake, would live around Williamsburg though if I could afford it. Here's a place I'm looking forward to. It's a little bit pricier than the similar places would be around here but it's doable. If you get there really early in the morning , the prices are dirt cheap!

https://www.theeggbistrochesapeake.com/

[jillybean720]

We've been trying to try different restaurants recently in VB and Chesapeake. Most recently was Tupelo Honey Cafe at VB Town Center. My husband and I both loved it. It is actually a chain, but not a big one (I think the next closest location is in Arlington?).

Before that, we tried Bravo, also at Town Center (we've been going to the movies at Columbus Regal on Tuesday nights since tickets are only $6.15 on Tuesdays, so we've been dining in that area). It was the best Italian food I've personally had in the area (though Mannino's does have amazing crab soup), and all I got was the chicken parm, not anything crazy unique.

I adore Tada Thai, which as two locations in VB: one near the Kmart by Pembroke, and one in Red Mill.

The TexMex places in this area (at least Jose Tequilas and Plaza Azteca) serve a delicious dip along with their free chips and salsa. I'm not sure what it is, but I love that stuff! And free is my favorite price.

We very rarely get out to the oceanfront area or Hilltop since we live closer to Chesapeake, but I have heard rave reviews about a handful of restaurants out that way.

Who cares if it's in a strip mall? Aren't most things? Even where I grew up in CT/MA, most restaurants were in shopping centers, not stand-alone. At best, the stand-alone restaurants were essentially in the parking lots of a shopping center or outskirts of a mall.

[Spazkat9696]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Poquoson, Thanks for the restaurant ideas.

I'll probably be living in Chesapeake, would live around Williamsburg though if I could afford it. Here's a place I'm looking forward to. It's a little bit pricier than the similar places would be around here but it's doable. If you get there really early in the morning , the prices are dirt cheap!

https://www.theeggbistrochesapeake.com/

I LOVE The Broken Egg!!! That's the old name of The Egg Bistro. Be warned there's almost always a wait.

ETA you don't have to get there really early in the AM as long as you don't mind a wait. Trust me it's worth it. Their lunch and dinner are great too.

[Spazkat9696]

Originally Posted by jillybean720

We've been trying to try different restaurants recently in VB and Chesapeake. Most recently was Tupelo Honey Cafe at VB Town Center. My husband and I both loved it. It is actually a chain, but not a big one (I think the next closest location is in Arlington?).

Before that, we tried Bravo, also at Town Center (we've been going to the movies at Columbus Regal on Tuesday nights since tickets are only $6.15 on Tuesdays, so we've been dining in that area). It was the best Italian food I've personally had in the area (though Mannino's does have amazing crab soup), and all I got was the chicken parm, not anything crazy unique.

I adore Tada Thai, which as two locations in VB: one near the Kmart by Pembroke, and one in Red Mill.

The TexMex places in this area (at least Jose Tequilas and Plaza Azteca) serve a delicious dip along with their free chips and salsa. I'm not sure what it is, but I love that stuff! And free is my favorite price.

We very rarely get out to the oceanfront area or Hilltop since we live closer to Chesapeake, but I have heard rave reviews about a handful of restaurants out that way.

Who cares if it's in a strip mall? Aren't most things? Even where I grew up in CT/MA, most restaurants were in shopping centers, not stand-alone. At best, the stand-alone restaurants were essentially in the parking lots of a shopping center or outskirts of a mall.

You should try Whiskey Kitchen at Red Mill. It's a locally owned, and everything is locally sourced. Man is it ever good. The only thing I've had there I didn't like was a watermelon drink.

[Pyroninja42]

Originally Posted by Spazkat9696

You should try Whiskey Kitchen at Red Mill. It's a locally owned, and everything is locally sourced. Man is it ever good. The only thing I've had there I didn't like was a watermelon drink.

And practically catty corner to Whiskey Kitchen in Red Mill is Firebrew, which is excellent.

[lovnova]

Thought Whiskey Kitchen was over in Strawbridge?