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-George

Snow Day

Shelby was told they her office would be closed because of the weather and thought we could have one of our bottles of spiced wine we've been holding onto.

Marleigh (center) placed 1st in her class, Richmond games 2003

Well, more like forgot about the other year. That's beside the point.

We rediscovered a bottle of Jamestown Cellars Settler's Spiced Wine from the Williamsburg Winery. We love the Williamsburg Winery because when Marleigh (see About) was younger she was a Highland dancer for 10 years and she would have competitions on the grounds of the vineyard. It always seemed to rain whenever the competitions were going to run. We learned that having a large piece of plastic in the trunk and a blanket made life a lot easier they events.

The the name of the place brought back a lot of good memories.

We opened the bottle and you could smell the spice as soon as the cork popped out. It had a nice color when poured and it tasted great. Shelby thought some nuts would go well with the wine, we pulled out the can of mixed nuts in the cabinet. Good idea.

I liked the hazelnuts, Shelby liked the lone Brazil nut. The nuts and spiced wine reminded me of the Christmas markets in Germany. You could always count on Glühwein and roasted nuts at the Christkindl markts. I guess we could have tried warming up the wine but Shelby saw that it said to serve at room temperture.

The wine was sweet and the spice was very pronounced. It was easy to drink but I don't know if I could drink too much of it at one sitting. It's a great seasonal wine that was well put together. Checking out the snow and sipping on something different was a nice change of pace.

Thanks for the photo Shelby :)

Happy Birthday Shelby!

I had to give a shout out to my lovely wife, Shelby, today. It's her birthday! It's crazy to think that the two of us have been together since we were both 16; she is infinitely patient with me.

She gets her Cold Stone Creamery Chocolate Chipper ice cream cake every year. This year they decided to mix it up for us by using green icing for the lettering--even though I asked for white--but it tastes the same so no harm, no foul. (Not really, use white next time!)

I hope you had a great day baby, looking forward to celebrating many more with you!

Feeling a little sick, let's eat Mexican!

Busy week, so I was looking forward to the weekend. So was this sinus thing I have. Pow! Knocked me on my butt Saturday. I actually went out Saturday morning with Chayce for some biscuits and coffee but by the time I got home I was wore out. I cancelled anything I might have thought about doing for the day and sat on the couch to sweat it out. Shelby decided to run out for a while while I was being useless.

By the time Shelby got home later that evening we were both starving. She picked up some steaks but mentioned we could also go to El Taco Loco. I love El Taco Loco so of course it was a no-brainer. I bundled up and we drove across the boulevard to one of the local's favorite Tex-Mex spots.

No mas, no mas!

One thing we love is the endless supply of chips and dip you get at these places. I still can't figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If we come for dinner I usually get the Carnitas. Slow braised chunks of pork that end up a little crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. You also get great refried beans and rice. Shelby loves the street tacos. We had to get margaritas while were there too.

My starter with the carnitas is a avocado salad. An avocado is mashed into chunks and tossed with lettuce. A light vinegar based dressing sprinkled over it and the whole thing is delicious. I don't know how they cook the carnitas exactly, but it's so good. I know it's braised in oil for hours. It's platted with refried beans and a nice rice. I always finish the beans and rice and will usually have carnitas to take home.

Another thing I like about this dish is the roasted Spring onion and jalapeno pepper. I divvy these up with every bite I take, I like making sure I get a good balance of flavors when I'm eating this stuff. It's serious business!

Shelby had two tacos: carnitas and ribeye steak. They're topped with shredded cabbage and you have sauces you can use. Both fillers are seasoned and cooked perfectly. We finished our drinks and headed home full and I was feeling a little cozy.

Breakfast Casserole by Marleigh

Our daughter--Marleigh--is a Jr. Designer at Need Supply Co. in Richmond, VA. They recently had a brunch potluck and she made a breakfast casserole her mother likes to make for these things. Turned out to be a hit.

Read about it here!

http://blog.needsupply.com/2014/01/19/recipe-breakfast-casserole/

Metropolitan Oyster Exchange

Shelby noticed a friend of hers, Angelique, hit a new restaurant in Virginia Beach called Metropolitan Oyster Exchange and she asked if I knew anything about it. I had no idea it was opening up; not that I know everything but I do try to keep up with the ins-and-outs of local food scene. I did a quick search and didn't find a whole lot about them. I did see that Patrick Evans-Hylton wrote a good article them in December on HamptonRoads.com.

I decided I'd shoot them a message and see if I could visit and check them out, maybe take some photos. Jason Etheredge, the General Manager, responded with an invite for me and Shelby to come by and participate in their soft opening the next day. Of course we accepted.

Jason Etheredge

If you're familiar with Virginia Beach, VA you might have heard of the now closed Coyote Cafe & Cantina off Laskin Rd.—that's where Metropolitan is located. The same shopping center as Eurasia and Vinyl Daze Records, Linkhorn Shoppes. The last restaurant in the space was Prime 103.

We headed out after work, parked and appeared to be the first ones in for the night. 6:00 PM sharp, I'm serious about food. We were greeted inside by our hostess Loralen and then Jason came over to introduce himself. He had Loralen work us into their seating system even though we were the first to arrive. They were trying to work out kinks in the process. We were asked to visit the bar while a table was set for us. I could see everyone in the restaurant running around, prepping for the evening, Jerry Bryan also came over to say “Hi.”

Jerry is the owner of the Metro and Coastal Grill off Great Neck Rd. He was very excited about getting people in the place and told us to make ourselves at home. Nice guy. Looking about the place I spied a Lab puppy named Connor being cute, super soft and fluffy. Who doesn't love puppies? We met Lou Lou behind the bar, she is the mixologist who was training the other bartenders, Matt and Matt (same names, that's great), how to make the house's signature drinks.

Jerry Bryan, Owner

There was a raw bar and a guy named Mike was back there shucking oysters for the half-shell trays. The oysters for that night all came from the waters off the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Jerry told us earlier he'll be importing oysters from the West Coast too, sounds like they'll have a good variety available.

While we were looking around, more people started to show up. Since it was a soft opening, most of the these were friends and acquaintances. The day before it was family night. The food being served was going to be the chefs going through a special menu and putting it out for the wait staff to serve. So whatever they made in the kitchen is what we would be eating. Sounded exciting!

The interior design was very nice, great lighting and signage throughout. The atmosphere was very relaxed, as intended by Jerry, he wanted a place that people could walk into and grab a great bite to eat. No reservations and sharing is encouraged. Casual. The floor was open and it was nice seeing the staff and patrons interact.

About the drinks. Lou Lou started us off with a classic cocktail "The Last Word". Her ambition for the Metro—the area in fact—includes making Chartreuse a staple in local drinks. Her Prohibition era drinks and modern concoctions are impressive; she makes her own syrups and mixers. Check out what she put together for us:

The Last Word

Prohibition era cocktail. Citrus (grapefruit) and good.

Blood and Sand

Inspired by the old Valentino movie, this has bourbon and orange juice.

The Cat's Pajamas

Plan B

Gin & Tonic

As for the food, amazing. Jason said the menu was being tweaked but if what we had foreshadows the regular offerings, then there are going to be a lot of happy diners in our town. Here's what we had:

Niçoise

Peel 'n Eat Shrimp

Roasted Oyster Assortment

Grilled Steak Sandwich

Eastern Shore Oysters

Crab and Corn Chowder

During our dinner someone walked up to our table and asked if we were George and Shelby; turns out it was Tricia Bryan. Jerry and Tricia Bryan are neighbors with Angelique, who called the restaurant to tell Tricia we would be in that night (thanks Angelique!) We chatted a bit and I asked about the name of the Metro. Tricia told us that Jerry has been working with his executive chef Maureen “Mo” Cucchiaro for 24 years and when Metro was ramped up, Jerry wanted to tribute all of Mo's hard work over the years, so when he was figuring out a name he came up with M.O.E—Metropolitan Oyster Exchange. Of course it sounds swanky too.

We loved the food, feel, and service (Jefri took care of us) at Metro. A must try if you're ever in the area.

Take a look at some more of the food and drinks, and the Metro itself, by clicking here.

Metropolitan Oyster Exchange
972 Laskin Rd
757-222-2202

 

Feta Cheese Snack

We had a "what's in the fridge" dinner last night. I ate some leftover chicken skewers and couscous and Shelby came up with a neat Feta cheese spread/dip.

She took crumbled Feta cheese, olive oil and Herbes de Provence and broiled it in the toaster oven. Put on crackers, eat. Repeat. Very tasty.

Victory at Cogan's!

Recently, Cogan's Pizza in Norfolk, VA hosted a Victory Brewing Company “Steal the Pint” night. How this usually works, is that when you buy your first beer, you get to keep the glass. I've picked up a few myself from other breweries but to be honest with you, if kept every beer glass that touched my lips I wouldn't have room in the cabinets for anything else! This glass though, I wanted it.

Cogan's Pizza, Norfolk, VA

Not my glass :(

Before I headed down to Cogan's I stopped by Grape and Gourmet for beer tasting. Every Thursday night they highlight several beers in the shop. Gabe is usually in house pouring and describing what is sampled. He was there, of course, and I told him what my plans were. Since he was at the end of his shift, he said he'd come along too. Cool.

Gabe pulled up about the same time I did and we headed in together. At the bar was Jarod Goenner and Morgan Sieg—Jarod is guy behind HR Growler, Hampton Roads new craft beer magazine and Morgan is the local Victory rep. Gabe and I write for HR Growler, first issue hits the streets 16 Jan 2014. Look out for it!

I walked up and asked if they had any glasses left, sadly they were out. I thought it started at 7:00 PM, but the event kicked-off at 5:00 PM. I need to get my stuff straight, seriously.

Scanning the room I saw some familiar faces including Gerald Franklin of Hoffman Beverage. He was at a table with what turned out to be the region's Victory team headed by Cameron Rollo. Cameron was in town a couple of days to check out the area; I was introduced to him and we chatted a bit. I found out he was in the army and stationed in Germany right before I was. He also knew Hohenfels, where I was stationed, telling me he didn't like it. No one likes Hohenfels, Bavaria unless you're stationed there. I'll have to write about it sometime.

Me and Cam Rollo

I was looking forward to trying some of the beer they tapped and I checked out what was available. I've had a couple of Victory beers before but I think it might have been at tastings. I know I've never picked up any for the house, so I wasn't sure where to start. I asked everyone what they thought I should try and the consensus was the Prima. Victory Prima is a hoppy Pils that was very tasty. I'm not huge on hop overload (yeah, don't hit me or anything) but this was good. Easy to drink and floral. I first had a real Pils in Germany, as a matter of fact, my experience with great beer started in Germany. So this was a nice little throwback for me.

I tried out the Winter Cheers wheat ale, kind of like a light Hefeweizen, another beer I fell in love with in Germany. Since I was driving I couldn't grab a Golden Monkey Tripel and the Dirtwolf Double IPA kicked earlier. I got a couple of sips from the group though. Cameron actually had the bar put together something a bar made from Golden Monkey called a “Monkmosa”. It is about 80% Golden Monkey and 20% orange juice. It was good and I made a couple for Shelby and myself at home later that weekend.

I was impressed with the beers and looked forward to trying more of them. At the big, monthly tasting at Grape and Gourmet—Cheap & Cheery—I picked up a little variety pack so I could relax at home and give them a little more attention. Good stuff.

Check out the event album here.

King Neptune Beer Bread

Today I headed to the Buy Fresh Buy Local Hampton Roads' Annual Meeting. They cover the organization's budget, positions and general business. Afterwards, there is a potluck!

Board members and supporters bring in dishes made with local ingredients. When I found out I was going, I busted out a couple of local cookbooks we have in the house: Dishing Up Virginia by the local godfather of food Patrick Evans-Hylton and Tidewater Table by Lorraine Eaton.

While I was looking through the recipes, I made note of a few I could possible swing for the event. Then Shelby came up with a  great idea--why not make beer bread? This was perfect, I was already tight on time and local beer was readily available throughout the city. If you didn't know it, I'm also going to be writing for the Pilot's new local craft beer magazine HR Growler. Anything related to local beer is something I want to be involved in.

After I made the decision to make the bread I just had to pick a beer to use. The next day was Cheap and Cheery at Grape and Gourmet, a great local shop for beer and wine; I figured I grab something when we were there. I think the stars were aligned because when we went to the shop, John Newell of Two Fathers Beer Co. was there pouring his beer. It turns out he had one bottle of King Neptune IPA left in his cooler so I snagged it. The IPA would be perfect for the beer bread I was going to make. Great opportunity to give a little exposure to the area's newest craft brew outfit.

Now on to  the beer bread.

I've never made beer bread before, but we've had it. I went online to find a good recipe to make the bread and after reading through several put together my own. The one I found at Dine & Dish is what I based mine off of, only making a few modifications. I pretty much followed the instructions word-for-word, the only difference was I used unsalted butter and I added aged Gouda from Richmond's Belmont Butchery. I'm going to copy and paste the recipe here for your convenience, but I please visit the original by clicking the following link. Thanks for the inspiration Kristen.

Tip: Place a catch tray beneath your bread pan, there could possibly be a little overflow. Especially with the butter in a loaf pan that was just big enough to fit the ingredients.

King Neptune Beer Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour (I used Ellison, VA's Big Spring Mill All-Purpose Flour)
• 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 12 ounces of King Neptune IPA (any beer you like actually)
• 1 stick Unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp grated Gouda

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Sift all the dry ingredients together.
3. Add beer and stir with a wooden spoon until well incorporated.
4. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and pour beer bread batter into pan.
5. Pour melted butter over the top of the beer bread batter.
6. Bake for 1 hour.
7. Remove from oven and grate Gouda on top of bread as it rests
8. Kristen says let it rest in the pan for 15 minutes before you attempt to remove it. I did as instructed.

New Belgium Snapshot

Our local New Belgium rep, Geoff Rifkin, gave us a sneak preview of the new year-round beer they're offering--Snapshot.

It's a slightly sour wheat that reminds us of the beers we used to drink when we lived in Germany. Check it out when it hits the stores!

Thomas Meets Handsome Biscuit

I take a ton of photos. I try to go through them and figure out what I would like to post but many fall by the wayside. After going through my holiday posts I wanted put up a little bit about a biscuit run I did with my nephew.

Handsome Biscuit in Norfolk, VA makes sweet potato biscuits with just about anything you can think of between them. The favorites include the biscuits that have fried chicken, but they do one with peanut butter and jelly, potato frittata--like I said--everything. Their end of year special was allowing you to add caviar to any biscuit you bought.

Anyway, back to the story. Shelby's sister was in town with the family and when they're here our nephew usually stays with us. We'll play the latest Call of Duty hours on end--seriously, hours. This year,Chayce left before New Years and Thomas was stuck with me and Shelby. TJ (my brother-in-law) had a lunch to go to, so I decided to take Thomas out for brunch! This is where Handsome Biscuit comes in.

I've had every biscuit on the regular menu at Handsome Biscuit.

Honest.

They'll have specials here and there but I've made it a point to eat every one written up on the board in the shop. I think the Bleu Blazer is my favorite but the Stevie is a close second. Since it was Thomas' first time there I suggested he try the Hella Fitzgerald. It has fried chicken, sausage gravy, and bacon. You can't go wrong with it. You can probably guess what I ordered: Bleu Blazer.

Bleu Blazer

We ordered our biscuits to go and I figured we'd run down near Nauticus and the Pagoda to sit at U.S.S Wisconsin and eat. Look up the the old battleship sometime, neat stuff. There is a little memorial park at the pier with stories about different ships of historical significance and the sailors who manned them.

Oh before we went to the park, we stopped by Shady Grove Marketplace in the Freemason District of Norfolk. We needed something to drink, so we picked up a couple of sodas and chatted with Emily--part of the husband/wife team that owns the cool, cozy cornershop. The weather was great for late December, we were able to sit outside without jackets and eat. We finished our biscuits, checked out the Pagoda and headed home to meet the rest of the family.

I really enjoyed this.

January Already

I hope everyone had a good holiday, I know I did. I'm on it still as a matter of fact! I've spending a good amount of time goofing off, visiting with family, and eating.

Lots of good things happening here. I'm working on it :)