THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 3, 1996 TAG: 9607020085
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F3 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: A La Carte
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: 72 lines
IT'S LIKE A cafeteria with its display case of macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy to be scooped up by staff behind the line. No, it's like a diner with its meatloaf and mashed potato specials. But it's like a bistro with its rotisserie cases of chickens. Yet it's like a fast food restaurant with its position in the parking lot of a strip shopping center and its almost-instant service.
So, what kind of place is Boston Market, which recently opened at 3981 Virginia Beach Blvd. in Virginia Beach?
``Home Style Meals,'' says their logo. And indeed, the rotisserie chicken is tender enough to fall off the bone, the meatloaf slightly squishy just like Grandma's. The pot pie is chock full of big pieces of chicken with a fresh-tasting crust.
I bought three dinners including side dishes and rolls for under $20. Add a couple of dollars for drinks, and it's still a pretty economical meal. They have ham and turkey dinners, too, and an assortment of side dishes that includes fresh fruit chunks, or zucchini slices with tomato and onion. If only they didn't predress the Caesar salad.
Boston Market has found a niche for busy families that want meat-and-potatoes in a hurry.
The recently opened stores are at 3981 Virginia Beach Blvd. (phone 498-7000, fax 498-5865) and 1010 Independence Blvd. (phone 363-7400, fax 363-9747), both in Virgina Beach. Pizza for breakfast
The menu heading reads, ``Why not a pizza with egg or pasta?'' Why not, indeed, I thought, as I ordered tomato, cheese, Italian bacon and egg on pizza, at Pasta e Pani's new Sunday brunch. Well, it was delicious. Why hadn't I thought of it myself? OK, I admit, leftover pizza has long been one of my favorite breakfasts, and here was a fresh morning pizza gone public. Yum.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Italian restaurant at 1069 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, serves light entrees, crepes and waffles, eggs poached and baked and fried, and an appetizer of a large grilled oyster luxuriating atop a bed of sambuca-laced sauteed spinach.
And here's more good news: the dessert listing is longer than any other category. Call 428-2299. Southern fare
Among Virginia's charming country inns, Willow Grove in Orange has become identified with fine Southern food. Restored for both dining and overnight stays, the inn features antique furniture and linens as well as gardens for special outdoor events. It is a registered Virginia Historic Landmark.
Owner Angela Mulloy has created a genteel setting reminiscent of the plantation house that this handsome building once was.
An hour's drive from Charlottesville and 30 minutes from such regional sites as the ruins and vineyard at Barboursville and the former homes of Madison and Monroe, Willow Grove lures us back for dinner whenever we're in the area. A recent supper we enjoyed featured pan-seared Virginia trout with wild watercress pesto sauce and saffron crayfish risotto cake.
Now we can prepare some of the house specialties at home using ``Seasonal Celebrations at Willow Grove Inn.'' Along with executive chef Doug Gibson's recipes for Saffron Couscous and Vidalia Onion Bisque With Virginia Ham are anecdotes about the house and Southern culinary traditions.
In the foreword, chef-author Edna Lewis wrote, ``Each of my visits there recalls fond memories of the good food and good times of my childhood. And this book succeeds in bringing back the legacy of the Old Virginia I remember.''
Phone Willow Grove at (540) 672-5982 or (800) 949-1778. ILLUSTRATION: Photo of book cover
Now you can cook a country inn's recipes at home. by CNB