THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 8, 1994 TAG: 9412070018
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F7 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: A La Carte
SOURCE: Donna Reiss
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
THE MOON IS always blue at 32nd Street and Holly Road in Virginia Beach, where a sphere suspended from the ceiling greets visitors to Blue Moon Cafe.
Here, the brick arches, brick floors and fireplaces of predecessors - such as Wesley's, Menus and Boswell's - remain. But the mood is more casual. Where tables once filled a long hall, a bar backed by mirrors makes the central space more inviting.
An all-American menu of chicken, beef, seafood, lots of sandwiches and pastas, and a dozen finger foods contribute to the drop-in-anytime mood. An unusual menu section lists three styles of pork tenderloin.
We stopped in on a recent autumn night, and were pleasantly surprised by the high quality of several dishes.
An evening special of rockfish with a hint of lime-tarragon butter was refreshingly simple; a blackened beef tenderloin was prepared perfectly. A ratatouille accompaniment was pleasingly dominated by fresh eggplant.
Salads, soups, and desserts were satisfactory, but main dishes were worth a return. Call 437-8230.
Casual fare at Teddy's
In the Green Run area of Virginia Beach, Teddy's Ristorante, 904 S. Lynnhaven Road, provides a casual mood with long trails of ivy and dividers to break up the large room.
Regulars are welcome to join the dining club, earning a free dinner after every 18th meal. An extensive menu includes the traditional Italian favorites at competitive prices. A nice take on the salad bar is an antipasto bar with various marinated vegetables.
A couple of off-menu specials tempted us on a recent visit. Oysters Regino, for example, were nicely baked with spinach, mild seasonings and lots of cheese. The evening's veal special was expensive, however, at $16.95. The decent cut of veal was too small, but came with plenty of red and green peppers sauteed in oil.
Less flavorful and fragrant than we had expected was angel hair with sauce puttanesca of capers, anchovies, olives, tomatoes and garlic but not enough of the spicier ingredients.
Dessert helped to compensate: kitchen-fresh zabaglione was appropriately rich with whipped egg yolks and decorated with strawberries. Call 468-5588.
Get your fill at Grill
At the Oceanfront, Phil's Grill continues to draw crowds, with inexpensive abundance in an unpretentious setting.
Wooden benches and white plastic chairs, posters, photos, paintings and a long bar characterize Phil Haushalter's place at 205 11th St.
Pasta dishes almost overflow their bowls, spicy meatloaf means four thick slices with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables for $6.25, and sandwiches come on fluffy rolls.
So what if the chicken wings aren't homemade? You get a dozen spicy pieces for $4.25.
And the bartender promises 60 brands of beer. Call 491-7674.
Trellis special
Preview the winter menu with a special five-course dinner at the Trellis, on Merchant's Square in Colonial Williamsburg, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Of the $65 price, $25 is a tax-deductible contribution to Child Development Resources, a nonprofit agency in Williamsburg that helps families of children with developmental disabilities. For $100 ($65 contribution), patrons are invited to the dinner and a 6 p.m. champagne reception at the home of Trellis co-owner John Curtis and his wife, Julia.
For reservations, call (804) 229-8610.
Quick bites
A new Applebee's has opened at Loehmann's Plaza in Virginia Beach, where Rock-ola Cafe used to be. Call 498-3014. . . . Pogo's, 40th Street and Atlantic Avenue at the Beach, is featuring $7.95 dinners to warm the winter evenings. . . . La Galleria in downtown Norfolk has added paella, osso buco and risotto to its extensive menu. . . . The Bistro at Le Chambord, 324 N. Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach, offers a Sunday-brunch buffet with omelets to order, roast beef and ham-carving stations, lush desserts and piano accompaniment. Price is $10.95. Call 486-3636.. . . Open for lunch is the Five-01 City Grill, on North Birdneck Road in Virginia Beach, features an extensive list of salads, sandwiches, pastas and inexpensive hot items like etouffee, salisbury steak, pork chop and fish and chips. Call 425-7195. MEMO: Write to a la carte, c/o Flavor, The Virginian-Pilot and The
Ledger-Star, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510, or send e-mail
to dreiss(AT)infi.net.
by CNB