THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409150068
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY RUTH FANTASIA, VIRGINIAN-PILOT/LEDGER-STAR STAFF
LENGTH: Long : 122 lines
THE RELAXED atmosphere of a hunting lodge was the inspiration for the Carvers Creek restaurant chain. Light fixtures are decorated with antlers and a six-point buck is mounted over the mantel in one of several dining rooms.
On a busy Saturday night in the Virginia Beach restaurant, we were immediately seated beside a romantic gas-log fire. Diners unwilling to sit in the smoking section, however, waited about 25 minutes to be seated, the hostess said.
Our drinks, generous sodas and an expertly made vodka tonic, came quickly and we were left to explore the menu, an array of beef, seafood and fowl.
We watched our waiter deftly tend to five tables at the far end of the room. After 30 minutes, I went searching for him.
He apologized emphatically and took our order - on his knees.
We started with Mountain High Strings and Things, a pile of thinly sliced fried onions over homemade potato chips and topped with dry Parmesan cheese ($3.95). This house specialty was tasty and light; we could have fed four people with one appetizer.
Our other choice was crab-stuffed mushrooms ($4.95). Six mushroom caps filled with crab stuffing and topped with Monterey cheese arrived in a sizzling cast-iron skillet. The mushrooms were fresh and the cheese was abundant, but we would have preferred more crab.
Our server, making amends for the initial delay, said our appetizers would be on the house.
Other appetizers on the menu were grilled chicken Caesar, a romaine salad with Caesar dressing and grilled chicken ($7.95); crab cakes ($4.95); shrimp cocktail ($4.95); and hot spinach dip ($3.95).
Each entree at Carvers Creek is served with a choice of salad, northern Wisconsin beer cheese soup or ``Onion French Onion Soup,'' so appetizers aren't necessary for a hearty meal.
The beer cheese soup was one of our favorites, a thick and creamy mixture with bits of Cheddar. It was served in a sourdough bread bowl and topped with chopped green onions, bacon bits and blue cheese. We could have made a meal out of it.
The ``Field of Greens'' salad was an ample mixture of lettuces, red cabbage, tomatoes, croutons and Cheddar cheese. It was fresh and crisp.
Our finicky 8-year-old ordered a medium-rare hamburger, sans everything, even the bun.
New Food and Drug Administration guidelines, our waiter explained, prohibit restaurants from serving ground meat cooked less than medium well. When we insisted, he went off to the place the order and talk to the manager.
They promised to grill the burger lightly then bake it between two pie plates until it reached the required internal temperature of 160 degrees. And, if our daughter wasn't pleased, they'd take it off the bill.
The burger came flat on the plate, as requested, with a pile of ``real good'' (our daughter's description) french fries and another pile of the fried onion strings. The burger remained slightly pink in the center; our child was pleased.
Prime rib, a Carvers Creek mainstay, is offered in three cuts; the 1/2-pound ``Cabin'' ($13.95), a 3/4-pound ``Lodge'' ($15.95) and a 1 1/2-pound ``Mountain Man'' ($19.95).
The 1 1/2-inch thick Mountain Man arrived, bone-in and cooked to a glorious medium-rare. It was flavorful and tender and was served in juice seasoned with Port wine.
The prime was accompanied by a hearty helping of lumpy mashed potatoes delicately seasoned with chives and crowned with a rich, dark gravy. Also on the platter were more onion strings.
We also tried the roasted Indiana marshland duck, not frequently seen on restaurant menus ($13.95). The roasted half duck was flavorful but not greasy, though the outer meat was slightly dry. It was helped by the crisp skin and a Michigan cherry sauce.
A lavish helping of sweet-potato apple crisp served with the duck was one of our least favorite items. The potato slices were chewy while the bread topping was overpowered by cinnamon. It was saved somewhat by the apple slices.
Customers may also choose from whiskey peppercorn top sirloin ($13.95), pan-fried Snake River trout ($12.95), Blue Ridge baby back ribs ($14.95), and grilled mountain meat loaf (11.95), among others.
For dessert, we tried cheesecake with strawberries ($3.50). While it tasted rich, it was lighter than others we've tried and soggy on the bottom. The strawberries were fresh and tantalizing, not the canned variety.
A ``Cream Puff Snowball'' ($3.50) was described as a cream puff filled with Bavarian cream, covered in white chocolate and served in a pool of hot-fudge sauce. The best part of this concoction was the fudge sauce, which was smooth and deep. The cream was made in the classic style but was not as flavorful as we would have liked because it competed with sweet white chocolate.
A hot-fudge sundae ($1.95), ordered without the whipped cream and cherry, was presented in a glass with a slanted edge. The smooth ice cream was topped by the same delightful hot fudge sauce as the Snowball, and garnished with a fresh mint sprig.
The wine list contains more than 20 selections; a variety of beers and microbrews also is offered. Alcohol-free specialty beverages are available, along with a variety of spirited drinks. Refills of soda are free.
Carvers Creek offers good food in generous portions, at a reasonable price. Beef lovers will depart especially satisfied.
Except for the delay, which we attributed to a poorly planned ``territory'' for our waiter, service was exceptional. The staff bent over backward to make amends and satisfy. MEMO: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of two or
three, unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star
pay for the reviewer's meal and those of the guests. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ROY A. BAHLS
The Carvers Creek restaurant on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach
features a hunting-lodge atmosphere with gas-log fireplace.
Graphic
CHAIN REACTION
Carvers Creek: 2013 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach. 425-2621. Also
at 1020 N. Eden Way, Chesapeake. 523-6188.
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. in Virginia Beach. In Chesapeake, from 11:30
a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 5 to 10 p.m. Mondays through
Saturdays, 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays.
Prices: Entrees range from $11.95 to $19.95. All meals are
accompanied by salad or soup. Appetizers range from $2.25 for
cheese-topped garlic bread to $8.95 for shrimp Louis. Desserts are
$3.50. A children's menu offers five entrees at $4.95 each.
Owners: Paragon Steak House Restaurants Inc., San Diego, Calif.
by CNB