THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410240233
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
CHEF STEVE WILES has worked wonders at Locks Pointe, since his arrival in 1989. His menu includes all the local favorites, broiled and fried, plus distinctive touches on the menu and in evening specials.
Culinary training at the local Johnson & Wales University and experience at Lynnhaven Fish House in Virginia Beach and Ships Cabin in Norfolk prepared Wiles for his own restaurant kitchen.
The atmosphere is equal to the food quality: tablecloths, cushioned chairs and several dining rooms to break up the 180-seat enterprise.
Our trio of diners had waited too late to reserve one of the premium tables with a water view, but our back dining room was pleasant enough. For livelier casual mood and food, an outdoor deck-lounge serves raw-bar items, sandwiches and light courses.
Our waiter was quietly conscientious throughout dinner, which began with Italian bread made more interesting by a salty poppy seed top crust. Such familiar fare as oysters Rockefeller and clams casino were beautifully prepared. The spinach in the former was creamy; peppers on the latter were still slightly crisp.
An appetizer special of a single soft-shell crab was crisply fried. Its apricot marmalade dipping sauce was uninteresting but easy to ignore. Most exciting among the starters was a lightly blackened crawfish cake, with a hint of the delta in the chunks of crawfish glamorized by a silky saffron butter sauce. Wiles introduced this dish after the menu was printed, he said, but it's available every night by popular demand.
Menu soups were she-crab and Manhattan clam. Instead, we sampled the evening special soup, a spinach base with a touch of cream and a smoky scent of salmon. This unlikely combination tasted very good indeed.
We refrained from fancy salads like crab and artichoke, Cajun beef and cilantro or seafood and cheese. The dinner salad, included with all main dishes, comprised suitably straightforward leaf lettuces with cucumbers and sprouts and a well-balanced red-wine vinaigrette or a light honey mustard.
Bouillabaisse was exquisite. And why not? Excellent seafood is easy to obtain locally, and Wiles certainly is up to this Marseillaise classic. Americanized with lobster chunks and served in a large shallow bowl, this saffron-scented fish stew was delightful.
Another fish dish was similarly enjoyable: Broiled snapper topped a layered dish that began with a pool of delicately creamed red pepper sauce followed by sauteed spinach, sliced tomatoes and a fork-tender fillet of fish.
Salmon, orange roughy, tuna, scallops and shrimp are menu staples; catch of the day can be poached, grilled, fried, blackened or baked with crab imperial. There's a combination platter for $16.95.
Would a steak stand up to this fine seafood? Indeed, the filet mignon with shallot-herb butter, boiled potatoes and fresh autumn vegetables was a match for the rest of the meal. Other non-seafood options were prime rib, stuffed veal and chicken breasts with prosciutto.
Of the three desserts we tried, hazelnut cream torte was best, amaretto cheesecake and Grand Marnier cake satisfactory. We would recommend skipping dessert and ordering double appetizers.
Several small dining rooms keep Locks Pointe cozy despite its size. The design of the 9-year-old structure allows about 100 diners to overlook the water. Servers wear neat white shirts, neckties and black trousers. A small wine list with descriptive suggestions emphasizes moderate prices, averaging $13. Ten wines are offered by the glass.
Whether you arrive by sea or by land, this weathered-looking structure offers fine food and service. MEMO: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of four,
unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star pay for
the reviewer's meal and those of the guests. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ROY BAHLS
You can reserve a table with a water view at Locks Pointe in
Chesapeake.
Graphic
BILL OF FARE
Locks Pointe at Great Bridge
136 N. Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake
547-9618 or 436-0845
Cuisine: Mostly seafood plus a few meat dishes and pasta
primavera; chef Steve Wiles's seasonings add special touches.
Atmosphere: Several pleasant upscale casual dining rooms, some
with water views, a bustling raw bar deck, and a boat dock.
Prices: Lunch from $4.95 to $7.50; dinner starters, soups and
salads from $1.95 to $7.95; main dishes from $10.50 to $22.50
(average $16); desserts from $1.50 to $3.50; children's portions on
request.
Hours: Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays;
dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; Sunday brunch
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday dinner from 3 to 9 p.m.; closed
Mondays.
Reservations: Recommended on weekends and for Sunday brunch.
Smoking: About 30 percent of dining area, and deck and lounge.
by CNB