THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 3, 1995 TAG: 9508010067
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: On the Town
SOURCE: Sam Martinette
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Todd Jurich is rightfully proud of his periodic wine dinners at the Bistro! in downtown Norfolk. Several nights a month the atmosphere of his award-winning restaurant becomes more like a private party among friends than a public eatery.
That's not to say the guest list is restricted or attendance is by invitation only. It's more that many of those who attend keep coming back again and again.
``Typically we feature four or five wines with a five-course dinner in the $55 to $65 range,'' Jurich said last week. The next dinner is set for Monday and will feature the wines of the Pride Mountain of Napa, Calif. Head Winemaker Bob Foley will represent Pride Mountain.
``It's a rather small winery with no more that 40 acres under wine, and I think the total production is only about 12,000 cases a year,'' explained Jim Stansberry of Country Vintners, who will accompany Foley. ``It's a rather high elevation, right up on the mountain.''
Foley, 40, is regarded as one of the best Merlot makers in California, Stansberry added. ``He has a sense of humor and will say a lot that's tongue-in-check, so there's not a lot of that Napa wine snobbery you sometimes run into.''
Foley will bring three of his wines along, a '93 Merlot, a '93 Chardonnay and a '93 Cabernet Sauvignon. And there's a pretty good chance that he'll bring along his guitar, Stansberry said.
``We did a wine dinner at the beach a couple of years ago and sang for our supper,'' Stansberry said. ``Bob is quite an accomplished musician. He plays drums, piano and guitar and his band in Napa.''
Look for some blues and some acoustic rock 'n' roll to complement the wines, I was told.
As for the food, chef/owner Jurich was musing over his menu when we last talked.
``I'm thinking of doing some foie gras and some muscovy duck,'' he said. ``I think seared foie gras on a mango ginger strudel with a lichee puree, followed by a mu shu duck spring roll - a French-Asian fusion dish. I think as a main course I'll do what I call a lobster and crabmeat filet mignon, lobster and crab done in a patty and grilled like a steak, then wrapped with pancetta bacon and served with pommes frites and a seafood steak sauce.''
Whew! Who'll have room for dessert? While Pride Mountain wines will be served with the dinner, the evening will open with Louis Roederer Estate Rose, a brut sparkling wine. With the dessert, a '91 Quady Late-bottled Vintage Port will be served, Stansberry said. Doesn't sound like any reason to sing the blues to me.
As for the Bistro! dinner, the seating is limited and the spots sell out rapidly, so call Chef Jurich at 622-3210 (210 W. York St.). By the time you read this, the menu and price will be set, and if you're too late for Monday's dinner you can get on the list for the next one. One of the world's great Pinot Noir makers, David Adelsheim of Oregon, will bring his wines to the Bistro! in the fall, Stansberry said.
I recently found a souvenir menu from the old Shore Drive Inn in Virginia Beach. Situated at the intersection of Shore Drive and Pleasure House Road, now the location of Matsuri, the Shore Drive Inn was a well-known steak house for many years.
The opening day menu for the restaurant, dated July 11, 1941, had some prices I would like to encounter today. How about a grilled filet mignon and fried potatoes and a salad of sliced tomatoes and lettuce for $2, or a breaded veal cutlet with the same sides for $1? Two grilled pork chops cost $1, while a minced barbecue plate with fries and salad went for 75 cents.
Seafood dinners included a jumbo soft shell crab dinner with fries and salad ($1.25), or a dozen large fried oysters for the same price. A buck would have bought you oyster stew and a dozen large oysters aboard. In the sandwich range you might have tried a BLT for 35 cents, a cheeseburger for a quarter, or a fried egg sandwich for 15 cents. Sorry, no beer or wine. You might have washed down your $1 chopped sirloin dinner with a pint of milk for 20 cents, and followed that with coffee for a dime.
When was the last time you saw anything that cost a dime on a menu? ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE
Todd Jurich, chef/owner of the Bistro!, has a good thing going with
his periodic wine dinners at his award-winning restaurant.
by CNB