THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 1996 TAG: 9609100055
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: A La Carte
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: 82 lines
WILL GHENT go bananas over the Wild Monkey? The site that was Mike's Colley Deli for some 50 years at 1603 Colley Ave. has been refurbished with an old-fashioned Main Street look.
The quirky name is promoted in custom gargoyles and a striking interior sign. Partners Gary McIntyre and Peter Pittman have created an eclectic cafe with a comfortably offbeat appeal.
Pittman, who will supervise the kitchen, has quietly graced the local culinary scene for years with stints at Crackers and Todd Jurich's Bistro.
In 1994 he opened his gourmet takeout shop, Peter's Tentop, at 806 Harrington Ave., around the corner from this new venture.
The chalkboard menu offers plenty of options for vegetarians, and in the future may offer some strict vegan dishes. Flatbreads and salads are available in meatless versions, to which various meats can be added. Specialty items include crab cheesecake, a fluffy savory appetizer, and ``$10 meatloaf'' dinner with hand-ground beef and veal. Phone 627-6462.
New chef, new dish
New chef Chris McNally brings to the Ships Cabin in Ocean View a splendid signature dish. His light seafood stew with cellophane noodles is brimming with shellfish and tuna in an herbal white wine broth. The stew just invites dunking chunks of the restaurant's home-baked French bread.
McNally's blackened swordfish with mango-pineapple salsa is a rich and refreshing blend of textures and flavors. McNally is no stranger to waterside eateries, having cooked at New York's Bridge Cafe under the Brooklyn Bridge.
He plans to expand the daily-changing menu to include more meats. And the decor at this venerable Norfolk restaurant is becoming more casual; owner Joe Hoggard encourages customers to come dressed to the nines or as if they were going to play nine holes. Phone 362-2526.
Painter's new canvas
Another new chef joins Hoggard as Susan Painter takes over the kitchen of his Cafe Rosso, 123 W. 21st St., Norfolk, 627-2078. Actually, she's returning to Hoggard's crew, having been chef at the Ships Cabin from late 1984 through 1987.
For four years she was in charge of the kitchen at Bella Monte in Virginia Beach. Now she is cooking in the open kitchen at this warm casual cafe, bringing her expert touch to the current menu and planning to expand the menu for cooler weather. Look for fine meats from Virginia's own Summerfield Farms and such dishes as lamb with Mediterranean spiced lentils and free-range chicken with wild mushroom gravy.
Bigger, better
East of Napa's new store is larger and more diversified. Along with wines and accessories like glasses, carafes and racks, the shop continues to carry specialty coffees and an expanded array of specialty sauces, emphasizing Virginia products. Behind the checkout counter, a trompe l'oeil mural suggests a stone cellar with casks of wine. Every Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m., customers can sample selected wines while they shop at 3101 Virginia Beach Blvd. in the Rose Hall Shoppes.
The shop regularly sponsors special events such as food-wine pairings, trips to wineries, and on Sept. 26, a dinner cruise with chef Alvin Williams of the Bistro and Rotisserie at Le Chambord in Virginia Beach running the galley. For details about this $70 all-inclusive evening for up to 40 guests, phone 463-0212.
Keep your card
Waiting for the waitstaff to come back with your credit card, you tap the pen on the table, wonder if your card company has declared you a bad risk. Or you just fidget in your seat, impatient to get on to the next phase of your evening.
At Brewer's East Inn in Virginia Beach, you don't have to give up your card at all. Using hand-held battery-operated devices, your server can enter your credit or debit card tableside, even turning the machine over to you for entering a tip option.
General manager Matthew Brown says Brewer's East is the first restaurant in the area to use this system, which most customers find convenient. After all, ``They're familiar with ATMs,'' he says. Charge dinner high tech at 2484 N. Landing Road, Virginia Beach. Call 427-5880. by CNB