Food & Drink: Eastern Region Winners 2016

×

Expand

Best Asian Restaurant

First place: Bangkok Noi Thai Cuisine and Sushi on Main, Gloucester Courthouse, BangkokNoiThaiCuisine.com, 804-695-1177
Business at Bangkok Noi (named after co-owner Tusnee McDaniel’s old neighborhood in Bangkok) is a family affair—the family-owned business sources its recipes from the chef and co-owner’s Thai grandparents. Popular items include grilled lobster, steaks with Thai basil sauce, and shrimp and scallops.

Second place: Great Fortune Chinese Restaurant, Kilmarnock, GreatFortuneRestaurant.com,  804-435-6333

Third place: Thai Pot, Kilmarnock, 804-436-8424

Best Bakery

First place: Sugar Plum Bakery, Virginia Beach, SugarPlumBakery.org, 757-422-3913
Sugar Plum Bakery hits the sweet spot with the offerings on its creative seasonal menu. Try gingerbread men during the holiday season, strawberry or fudge-filled heart cookies on Valentine’s Day or coconut-coated vanilla butter cream frosting on bunny cakes for Easter. The bakery has been employing disabled individuals for nearly 30 years.

Second place: The Bakehouse at Chelsea, Norfolk, 757-644-6939

Third place: Carried Away Cuisine, Kilmarnock, CarriedAwayCuisine.com, 804-435-9191

Best Bar

First place: The White Dog Bistro, Wine Down Bar, Mathews, TheWhiteDogBistro.com, 804-725-7680
White Dog’s casual Wine Down Bar is one of two bars at the bistro—the other, inside the mansion, has a more formal feel. Enjoy your drinks indoors watching a game on one of the bar’s two TVs, or outside in the Key West and Cuban themed bar, which is surrounded on three sides by windows that open to the courtyard.

Second place: Nate’s Trick Dog Café, Irvington, TrickDogCafe.com,  804-438-6363

Third place: Willaby’s Cafe and Catering, White Stone, Willabys.com,  804-435-3669

Best Barbecue Restaurant

First place: Pierce’s PITT Bar-B-Que, Williamsburg, Pierces.com, 757-565-2955
This year marks the 45th anniversary of Pierce’s PITT Bar-B-Q. Among the restaurant’s best is chicken, beef and pork barbecue, an 18-hour brisket and sides like collard greens, mac and cheese, and plenty of desserts (pecan pie, carrot cake and brownies). Pierce’s recently added hot sauce to its range of condiments, which are carried in 300 grocery stores.

Second place: Smoke BBQ Restaurant & Bar, Newport News, SmokeNN.com,  757-595-4320

Third place: Savannah Joe’s BBQ, Kilmarnock, 804-435-6000

Best Breakfast Restaurant

First place: Citrus, Virginia Beach, CitrusVB.com, 757-227-3333
Not serving dinner means the restaurant has been able to perfect its breakfast, brunch and lunch menu, which includes a soft-shell crab Benedict and citrus pancake meal that earned the seal of approval from the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host Guy Fieri. Another popular breakfast item: pancakes, topped with pineapple and banana and orange glaze.

Second place: Car Wash Cafe and Catering, Kilmarnock, CarWashCafe.com, 804-435-0405

Third place: Bay Local Eatery, Virginia Beach, BayLocalVB.com, 757-227-4389

Best Burger Joint

First place: NN Burger, Kilmarnock, NNBurger.com, 804-577-4400
NN Burger opened a second location in Tappahannock last year and plans statewide expansion in 2016. The restaurant’s best-selling burgers, cooked on a wood-burning grill, include the Applewood-smoked bacon cheeseburger and the “Blue Burger,” which is topped with caramelized onion marmalade mixed greens, balsamic vinegar and, of course, blue cheese crumbles.

Second place: 80/20 Burger, Norfolk, 8020BurgerBar.com,  757-233-7900

Third place: Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Virginia Beach, FiveGuys.com,  757-417-8390

Best Caterer

First place: The White Dog Bistro,  Mathews, TheWhiteDogBistro.com, 804-725-7680
“We’re a custom caterer,” says White Dog Bistro owner Mac Casale. “You don’t pick from column A and column B.” The restaurant is known for its strolling dinner, served butler-style. One popular dish is the escargot, made with snails fed only basil packed into a pastry with mushrooms and onions.

Second place: Willaby’s Cafe and Catering, White Stone, Willabys.com,  804-435-3669

Third place: Carried Away Cuisine, Kilmarnock, CarriedAwayCuisine.com,  804-435-9191

Best Chocolatier

First place: The Royal Chocolate, Virginia Beach, TheRoyalChocolate.com, 757-557-6925
You don’t have to be a blue blood to get the Royal (Chocolate) treatment. The chocolatier is known for its Royal Collection, a sort of “greatest hits” gift basket of candies and goodies such as popcorn, apples and pretzels dipped in Belgian chocolate made in-store. Also in the offing are chocolate covered berries, truffles and fondue.

Second place: The Bonbonnier, Norfolk, TheBonbonnier.com,  757-390-4282

Third place: Chocollage, Norfolk, Facebook.com/ChocollageBakery,  757-533-5335

Best Dessert Menu

First place: The White Dog Bistro,  Mathews, TheWhiteDogBistro.com, 804-725-7680
A house favorite at the White Dog Bistro is the mousse pie—a dessert that can be dressed up for any occasion. For Valentine’s Day, find it drizzled with red raspberry sauce; for St. Patrick’s Day, it is covered in Baileys cream sauce. Other dessert menu faves include cheesecake and chocolate ports and wines.

Second place: Urban Cupcakes & More, Virginia Beach, Urban-Cupcakes.com,  757-222-0213

Third place: The Cheesecake Factory, Virginia Beach, TheCheesecakeFactory.com,  757-473-2900

Best Farmers’ Market

First place: Irvington Farmers’ Market, Irvington, IrvingtonVa.org, 804-480-0697
Scores of vendors participate in the Irvington Farmers’ Market, some from as far away as North Carolina and the Eastern Shore—an impressive feat for a town of fewer than 700. The monthly market, held during the growing season, features handmade crafts, breads, pastries, cheeses, meats and seasonal local produce.

Second place: Williamsburg Famers’ Market, WilliamsburgFarmersMarket.com,  757-259-3768

Third place: Mathews Farmers’ Market, 804-725-5747

Best Food Truck

First place: A Bite of Maine, Virginia Beach, ABiteOfMaine.com, 757-352-0268
Every Thursday, A Bite of Maine co-owner Melissa Textor travels Route 13 to pick up fresh seafood from her mother’s store in Maine: that’s how committed she is to providing a true New England eating experience in Virginia Beach. Dishes include the Maine “lobstah” roll and poutine fries (French fries drizzled in mozzarella and gravy, a popular dish in Canada and New England).

Second place: Hashi Food Truck, Virginia Beach, Instagram.com/HashiTruck,  757-961-5700

Third place: Karnage Asada Food Truck, Norfolk, KarnageAsada.com,  757-828-7559

Best Gourmet Grocery Store

First place: Fresh Market, Virginia Beach, TheFreshMarket.com, 757-491-0904
Before heading to the Fresh Market, make sure to check out the store’s website, where shoppers can find weekly seasonal specials, including Irish soda bread, corned beef brisket and green cabbage the week of St. Patrick’s Day. In addition to the Virginia Beach location, there are Fresh Markets in Norfolk and Williamsburg.

Second place: Whole Foods Market, Virginia Beach, WholeFoodsMarket.com/VirginiaBeach,  757-422-0444

Third place: Denson’s Grocery Store, Colonial Beach, DensonsGrocery.com,  804-224-4121

Best Italian Restaurant

First place: Aldo’s Ristorante, Virginia Beach, AldosVB.com, 757-491-1111
Good news, wine lovers—on the third Thursday of every month, Aldo’s Ristorante hosts wine tasting parties, including light hors d’oeuvres, in its new wine cellar. From the dinner menu, house favorites include Cape Henry Crabmeat Cappellini (seasoned crab meat, artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes over cappellini pasta), pescatore, and Francese with chicken or veal.

Second place: Tony & Milena’s Pizzeria Inc., Hayes, 804-684-0708

Third place: Mannino’s Italian Bistro, Virginia Beach, ManninosItalianBistro.com,  757-390-2580

Best Local Craft Brewery

First place: O’Connor Brewing Company, Norfolk, OConnorBrewing.com, 757-623-2337
In business since 2010, O’Connor has six main flagship beers: the best-selling El Guapo Agave IPA, Red Nun Red Ale, Norfolk Canyon Pale Ale, Great Dismal Black IPA, Green Can Golden Ale and O’Connor Dry Irish Stout (we recommend picking it up at the brewery’s annual St. Patty’s Day party). The brewery whips up around 40 different beers a year.

Second place: Smartmouth Brewery, Norfolk, SmartmouthBrewing.com,  757-624-3939

Third place: Alewerks Brewing Company, Williamsburg, Alewerks.com,  757-220-3670

Best Local Ice Cream Shop

First place: Stevie’s Ice Cream, Kilmarnock, Facebook.com/SteviesIceCream, 804-435-2252
Stevie’s soft serve ice cream—made fresh every hour—is delicious on its own, but why not try it in one of the stand’s most famous creations? The Bay Blast (ice cream combined with candy bars, cookies and other desserts) and 22 flavors of milkshakes are among fans’ top picks.

Second place: Brown Dog Ice Cream, Cape Charles, 757-695-3868

Third place: Chitterchats Ice Cream Parlor, Reedville, ChitterchatsIceCream.com,  804-435-3335

Best Local Sandwich Shop

First place: The Cheese Shop, Williamsburg, CheeseShopWilliamsburg.com, 757-220-0298
Ask any Cheese Shop regular what their favorite menu item is and time and time again they’ll tell you—chewy bread ends ready to dip into the shop’s famous house dressing. The deceptively simple, slightly tangy, mayonnaise-based sauce is such a hit, it can even be ordered online. Or, pick the dish up in person (along with a Virginia Ham or prosciutto on focaccia sandwich) and make a picnic of it in Colonial Williamsburg.

Second place: Taste Unlimited,  Virginia Beach, TasteUnlimited.com,  757-422-3399

Third place: The Local, Irvington, TheLocalBlend.com,  804-438-9356

Best Locally-Owned Coffee Shop

First place: The Local, Irvington, TheLocalBlend.com, 804-438-9356
The Local’s close proximity to many of Irvington’s popular resorts and attractions makes the shop a popular hangout for guests and locals alike. Along with baked-fresh-every-day muffins and locally sourced organic coffee from Mobjack Bay Coffee Roasters, customers love the house iced tea—a blend of black tea, thistle, flower petals and citrus peel.

Second place: Aromas World, Williamsburg, AromasWorld.com,  757-221-6676

Third place: Cafe Stella, Norfolk, CafeStellaRoasters.com,  757-625-0461

Best Mexican Restaurant

First place: Juan’s Mexican Cafe and Cantina, Hayes, JuansCafeAndCantina.com, 804-642-5401
Some of the most popular options at Juan’s include seafood, its oyster and fish tacos (caught fresh daily) among them. The Molcajete plate, another fan favorite, comprises grilled hanger steak, chorizo sausage, grilled chicken and jumbo shrimp in a salsa rojo, topped with cheese, onions, avocado and cilantro.

Second place: Los Portales Mexican Restaurant, Tappahannock, LosPortalesTapp.com,  804-443-0132

Third place: Jessy’s Tienda y Taqueria, Norfolk, Facebook.com/JessysOV,  757-531-0033

Best Outdoor Dining

First place: The White Dog Bistro, Mathews, TheWhiteDogBistro.com, 804-725-7680
The White Dog Bistro has three outdoor dining options: the front porch, with more formal furnishings; the back, with a semi-closed courtyard offering a chance to dine under the stars; and the outside patio in front of the Wine Down Bar, where guests can watch the traffic go by while eating. 

Second place: Merroir, Topping, RROysters.com,  804-758-2871

Third place: Willaby’s Cafe and Catering, White Stone, Willabys.com,  804-435-3669

Best Pizzeria

First place: Southwind Cafe Pizza, Mathews, SouthwindPizza.com, 804-725-2766
Pizza might be Italian in origin, but Southwind draws inspiration for its pies from across the Ionian Sea. Find Greek influences in dishes like the Grecian Scallop dinner (feta, garlic and oregano sautéed in olive oil, served over grilled spinach) and Oyster Greekafeller (oysters, feta, spinach, caramelized onions and dill).

Second place: Cogan’s Pizza, Norfolk, CogansPizza.com,  757-627-6428

Third place: Sal’s Italian Pizza, Kilmarnock, SalsPizzaKilmarnock.com,  804-435-6770

Best Place for Brunch

First place: Citrus, Virginia Beach, CitrusVB.com, 757-227-3333
Citrus’ high-protein, low-calorie options mean you can have both flavor and fitness. Even the names are gym-friendly: try the Crossfit (turkey, avocado, beets, spinach and hummus between marinated Portobello caps) and the Workout (scrambled egg whites, avocado, tomato, Swiss, cucumber and hummus on rye).

Second place: Willaby’s Cafe and Catering, White Stone, Willabys.com,  804-435-3669

Third place: Car Wash Cafe and Catering, Kilmarnock, CarWashCafe.com,  804-435-0405

Best Restaurant

First place: Denson’s Grocery Store R&B Oyster Bar, Colonial Beach, DensonsGrocery.com, 804-224-4121
Denson’s is expanding to include a fenced, outdoor patio with five tables and 20 additional seats that should open this summer. The new space will be the perfect place to enjoy some of the restaurant’s most popular sandwiches—the Cooper’s Store (their take on a classic Reuben) and the Flamingo (an Italian-style sub).

Second place: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Virginia Beach, SizzlingSteak.com,  757-213-0747

Third place: Sandpiper Restaurant, White Stone, Sandpiper-Restaurant.com,  804-435-6176

Best Seafood Restaurant

First place: The White Dog Bistro,  Mathews, TheWhiteDogBistro.com, 804-725-7680
When life gives the Chesapeake Bay a new invasive species—the blue Rappahannock catfish—the White Dog bistro makes a delicious new dish out of it. The Chesapeake Blue Cat adds a light panko potato crust to the catfish filet, with malt vinegar and cave-aged cheddar sauce, Virginia country ham, cider-braised seasonal greens and creamy whipped Yukon gold potatoes.

Second place: Merroir, Topping, RROysters.com,  804-758-2871

Third place: Sandpiper Restaurant, White Stone, Sandpiper-Restaurant.com,  804-435-6176

Best Steakhouse

First place: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Virginia Beach, SizzlingSteak.com, 757-213-0747
New York Strips in 12 and 19 ounces, ribeyes in 12-ounce and 16-ounce options and the 40-ounce, bone-in Tomahawk Ribeye: It’s impossible to leave Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse anything short of pleasantly stuffed. Though the dessert options are enticing—white chocolate bread pudding, anyone?—something tells us you’ll have to get yours to go.

Second place: Opus 9 Steakhouse, Williamsburg, Opus9Steakhouse.com,  757-645-4779

Third place: Byrd & Baldwin Bros. Steak House, Norfolk, ByrdBaldwin.com,  757-222-9191

Best Wine Shop

First place: Specials Wine Seller, Kilmarnock, Facebook.com/SpecialsWineSeller, 804-436-9463
Specials Wine Seller’s motto is a simple one: “Life’s too short to wait in line or drink bad wine.” See the folks at Specials practice what they preach every Friday when the 6-year-old shop hosts wine and cheese tastings. The 4,000-square-foot store also carries snacks like truffles and salami along with more than 1,000 wines, both domestic and international.

Second place: Total Wine & More, Virginia Beach, TotalWine.com,  757-428-6998

Third place: Total Wine & More, Norfolk, TotalWine.com,  757-623-6108

Best Winery

First place: Williamsburg Winery, Williamsburg, WilliamsburgWinery.com, 757-229-0999
The crown jewel in the Williamsburg Winery crown is its 2010 Adagio, a Bordeaux-style red blend that was a gold medalist in the Virginia Governor’s Cup in 2014. Try Adagio, and the winery’s other offerings, at its two restaurants: Gabriel Archer Tavern, a casual, farm-to-table lunch eatery, and the more refined Café Provençal.

Second place: Good Luck Cellars, Kilmarnock, GoodLuckCellars.com,  804-435-1416

Third place: Mermaid Winery, Norfolk, MermaidWinery.com,  757-233-4155

Most Creative Cocktail Menu

First place: The White Dog Bistro, Mathews, TheWhiteDogBistro.com, 804-725-7680
The cocktail menu at the White Dog Bistro doesn’t just change like the seasons—it changes with them. Four times per year, the restaurant creates 7-10 new drinks, which join the menu with a few permanent house favorites. Among those favorites is the Double Cross martini, which comes with olives stuffed with black truffle-infused bleu cheese.

Second place: Nate’s Trick Dog Café, Irvington, TrickDogCafe.com, 804-438-6363

Third place: Terrapin, Virginia Beach, TerrapinVB.com, 757-321-6688