THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 9, 1995 TAG: 9511080056
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F4 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: A La Carte
SOURCE: Donna Reiss
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
BIGGER and better than ever, Pasta e Pani opened last Thursday at 1069 Laskin Road in Virginia Beach, two doors down from its former location.
On the second night of business, the parking lot was packed. But inside, tables covered in the familiar checked pattern were well-spaced - a comfortable change from the old quarters.
Plants, posters, copper pans and ceramic serving bowls add colorful accents. Grape-arbor chandeliers and a stone cherub add whimsical and classical complements.
The chefs work in an open kitchen under the tutelage of owner Angelo Serpe.
The menu still offers the winning combination of fresh pastas and sauces, pizzas and breads from the wood-burning oven, and Italian specials that take advantage of seasonal foods.
At a recent lunch visit, the quality of soup, salad, black pepper pasta with mushrooms and ham, and tiramisu were excellent. Call 428-2299.
Suddenly Summer
Local restaurauteur Monroe Duncan is at the range again. For more than 20 years we've followed him from restaurant to restaurant, savoring his crawfish etouffee and shrimp Savoy Tommy Seay, a lush blend of butter, sherry and garlic with perfectly sauteed shrimp - one of the featured dishes on the menu of the new Suddenly Last Summer in Virginia Beach.
White tablecloths and frosted-glass oil lamps lighten the mood of the former California Cafe.
The menu is more selective than Piranha's, Duncan's previous restaurant, at Ocean View in Norfolk. Southern American specialties and a Continental influence appear in offerings like crawfish etouffee, cream of pumpkin soup, steaks of beef and tuna, chicken pie, and seafood lasagna ``drenched in brandied basil cream.'' Signature tableside Caesars are prepared by well-trained servers.
Open year-round a block from the Oceanfront, Suddenly Last Summer serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday; Duncan says he plans to open Sundays for ``big breakfast.''
The flamingo logo appears on the restaurant, at 313 Laskin Road. Call 422-5588.
Suddenly fall
Mahi-Mah's in Virginia Beach recently announced its autumn events and a revised menu. Mini beer tastings, football on TV, and inexpensive wings will help warm chilly Monday nights. From 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, prime rib or Maine lobster is $9.95. And Wednesday is wine night, with wines sold at cost, a variety of wine flights and samplings, and food-wine pairings by executive chef Chuck Sass.
The kitchen is fire-roasting chicken with fennel, stuffing pork chops with goat's cheese and roasted garlic, char-grilling Norwegian salmon, and slicing sushi. Mahi-Mah's is at 615 Atlantic Ave., in the Ramada Inn. Call 437-8030.
Art and silent auction
Animation, 972A Laskin Road in Virginia Beach, will be host to the fourth annual Celebrity Art and Silent Auction to benefit Easter Seals, from 6:30 to 11 p.m. next Thursday.
Guests will be able to bid on works contributed by Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf and other prominent locals. Chef Joe Flowers will prepare lamb skewers, brie with calamata olives, fruit and cheese trays, and other hors d'oeuvres. There also will be a cash bar. Tickets: $10 in advance, $12.50 at the door. For more information, call 491-3252.
Quick bites
As always, chefs are on the go. Eddie Whedbee, who started Animation in Virginia Beach, has moved to the Lucky Star. Joe Flowers, who worked with Whedbee, is in charge of Animation's kitchen. . . . Willie Moats, recently at Cafe Society in Virginia Beach, is at the nearby Timbuktu, 32nd Street and Atlantic Avenue (491-1800) with his own eclectic menu. . . . Kingsmill Resort, 1010 Kingsmill Road in Williamsburg, has a new chef for its three restaurants. Milwaukee native Joseph A. Durante III comes to the Colonial capital from the San Antonio Marriott. For dinner reservations, call (804) 832-3442. . . . Two award-winning local chefs have left their own restaurant kitchens to mentor a new generation of chefs. Fred Tiess, former executive chef of the Founders Inn in Virginia Beach, and Tim Brown, former executive chef of the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center, have joined the faculty of Johnson & Wales University in Norfolk. MEMO: Send restaurant news, along with your name and a daytime phone number,
to a la carte, c/o Flavor, The Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton Ave.,
Norfolk, Va. 23510, or send e-mail to dreiss(AT)infi.net. by CNB