Your guide to some of the hottest new eateries to try in Coastal Virginia for 2024
An upscale chophouse, Korean barbecue, gourmet mac-n-cheese joint, chicken and whiskey spot, winery and bistro, food truck turned brick-and-mortar, and plenty of Italian eateries
Cork & Bull
Chesapeake
There aren’t too many dining options for a big night out in Chesapeake, but add to that short list Cork & Bull, the newest jewel in the crown of restaurants from Suffolk-based M&M Hospitality (which also includes Vintage Tavern, River Stone Chophouse, Decoys and Amedeo’s). Located in Summit Pointe, this upscale chophouse offers a fine dining experience that will transport you to a five-star Yellowstone resort, with its rich and rustic ambience, lush leather furnishings, hunt room-style decor, and, of course, a focus on premium steaks and fine wines.
When they say they take their beef seriously at Cork & Bull, what they mean is they’ve gone so far as to establish their own supply, starting with 250 heads of Hereford and resulting in C&B Cattle Company, which distributes exclusively to M&M Hospitality restaurants. That direct connection allows restaurateur Brian Mullins and corporate chef Dallas Walton the ability to influence everything from the cows’ eating schedule to the areas where they graze. The Virginia and North Carolina-grown cattle are then butchered and processed in Northern Virginia, and finally each piece of meat is dry-aged at the restaurant for at least 28 days before being cooked and served. The end result is a steak that is so utterly flavorful and juicy, you could literally cry eating it.
Beyond beef, Cork & Bull also serves up elk chops, pork chops and lamb chops; roast chicken and duck; and some stellar seafood options, including the baller-status Seafood Plateau that includes literally everything from the raw bar. Go all out and start with the charcuterie and cheese board, which is packed with house-smoked meats and artisanal cheeses. To complete your dining experience, sommelier Charlie Rizzo has curated a formidable wine list with something fabulous to pair with every item on the menu. Whether it’s a romantic date, a life celebration, an important business meeting, or even a happy hour, Cork & Bull is a destination that is certain to impress your companions with a sophisticated dining experience. corkandbullchophouse.com
—Hannah Serrano
Arbuckle’s Bar & Grill
Virginia Beach
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was involved in a prurient Hollywood scandal. But the silent film legend was ultimately acquitted and exonerated. That put to bed, let’s focus on this casual yet handsome namesake restaurant in the Oceanfront Embassy Suites (part of the rejuvenated Cavalier Resort). It demands your full attention, if only for the cinematic view of the Historic Cavalier Hotel (Arbuckle was a frequent guest at the original grande dame on the hill) from the wall of windows behind the bar dispensing the usual suspects as well as Tarnished Truth canned cocktails produced across the way.
But a jaunty menu of shareables (jumbo chicken wings), soups, salads, craft burgers and handhelds (cod po’ boy, barbecue Cubano sandwich) and entrées (fried fantail shrimp, char-grilled petite filet of beef) also stars in this neutral-toned, well-designed space set with four-tops; high-backed, pillow-punctuated banquettes; lounge-y sofas and coffee tables. Juxtaposed with flat-screen color TVs are black and white photos of Arbuckle in action (agile despite his girth, he mentored Charlie Chaplin). But perhaps the best tribute of all to Arbuckle is excellent, convivial service, worthy of his overly generous tips inspired by having done odd jobs in hotels before hitting it big in vaudeville and, later, Hollywood. arbucklesvb.com
—Marisa Marsey
Basilico Pizzeria & Ristorante
Virginia Beach
If this bright, contemporary mom-and-pop plying pizza, pasta and more weren’t blessed with the eponymic Basilico (the Sicilian-born chef-proprietor’s surname is Italian for basil), abbondanza (abundance) would be a tailor-made name. Chopped antipasto salad is a mountain of food rivaling Etna. Two can share a calzone. Near Oceana, Basilico does a brisk take-out and delivery business, but its 30-seat, new-fashioned rustic interior invites you to dine in. Especially because you’ll get to know the owners. “He’s more traditional, I’m more modern,” says Kellii Norris, Giuseppe “Joe” Basilico’s wife. “That’s why our menu is all over the place.”
Along with lasagna, veal parmigiana and stromboli, apple salad with baked brie and elegant panini hold sway. Panelle e croquette recall the street food of Palermo, Joe’s hometown. “We call that la scarpetta, when you scrape the plate,” says Kellii as I swab fresh-baked bread in red sauce. She’s Vietnamese-American but, as the one who innovated the engineering hack of stuffing angel-hair pasta into the scrumptious eggplant rollatini to prevent over-oozing, maybe da Vinci’s in her DNA. She trained under Tony Palazzotto at Roma in Hampton and met Joe working at East Side Pizza. Theirs is the kind of big-hearted place that sends out a creamy, boozy tiramisu on the house if they overhear it’s your anniversary and warmly send you on your way weighed down with leftovers. And a “Ciao, prego!” orderbasilico.com
—MM
Craft on Colley
Norfolk
It’s not you; it can be confusing. Craft on Colley materializes when “craft” is already employed in any number of Coastal Virginia restaurant names and sounds like it could well be a microbrewery. Yet it’s a singular, semi-fine-dining cocktail bar/resto serving lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch created by prolific restaurateurs Dave Filipowski and Rich Katz. Though not pretentious, it’s a step up from their Cogans in Ghent and, just up the North Colley (NoCo) corridor, Hank’s Filling Station and Cogans North.
“Shoot, it’s a couple of levels up. No tap beers,” reasons Dave. For sure, it’s über-sleek and stylish, resembling an alluring stage set, especially when illuminated at night with garage doors open between the fire-pit-dotted patio and dining room (each seating 40), lighting being a key design element. Shimmering, sophisticated cocktails, good wines and bottled beers lubricate familiar yet “crafted” food, the domain of chef Darren “Mickey” Vernon, who utilizes high-end ingredients in international mergers like wonton tacos, over a dozen cross-cultural smash burgers (K-Pop, for example, boasts bulgogi BBQ-glazed patties, Asian slaw, pickled carrots, Swiss cheese and Sriracha aioli), sushi rolls, red curry bowls and still more top-notch tacos. “We’ve been messing with tacos since Speedy’s,” says Dave, referencing the early, erstwhile incarnation of his three-decades long collaboration with Rich. With Craft on Colley, these local boys have grown up. craftoncolley.com
—MM
District Apizza
Norfolk
All pizzas are not created equal. Like chili and barbecue with their geographic distinctions and rabid loyalists, styles abound—Neapolitan, New York, Chicago, Detroit. To that litany, add a new player: New Haven. The oddball-shaped pie marked by its thin, conspicuously charred crust is the impulse behind District Apizza, a hip, dystopian-chic, capacious warehouse of a space in Norfolk’s burgeoning Railroad District. Apizza equals pizza in Neapolitan dialect, pronounced ah-beetz. Coal fires the Connecticut ovens where this variety was founded, but at DA two wood-burners, imported from Italy and framed by splashy lagoon-colored tiles, get the job done. A 40-seat, solid concrete oblong bar and its TVs dominate the restaurant though the nerve center are those ovens’ Dante-esque undulating flames.
Tomato pie is full-flavored, simply sporting oregano, tomato sauce and grated pecorino romano (mozzarella is a backbencher in this arena). Venture from there to pizzas decked with broccoli rabe and sausage, eggplant parmesan or mashed potato and guanciale. Crusts wear their black blisters with pride, like chefs showing off their forearms’ burn marks. Beyond pizza, there’s house-made pasta, small plates and, often, live music. Brunch brings options like the Continental pizza with russet potatoes, guanciale and sunny-side-up eggs. As New Haven pizza spreads, a recent New Yorker article asks if its magic can be replicated elsewhere. District Apizza proves “yes.” districtapizza.com
—MM
Gogi Guys Korean BBQ
Norfolk
For newbies to AYCE Korean barbecue, like me, it helps to have a knowledgeable dinner date. Or two. On a recent visit to the new Gogi Guys Korean BBQ in Ghent, I was lucky enough to get a first-person primer from both the restaurant’s owner Cindy Lin and Yoonie Leake, Senior Community Manager for Yelp Coastal Virginia. The latter’s passion for Korean cuisine was on full display as she gave me a tour of the myriad banchan or side dishes and accompaniments—from kimchi to pickled cucumber, fish pancake to cheese corn—that seem to multiply on the table each time you blink. But I quickly learned these dishes are but the opening act to a meaty feast of flavors and an interactive dining experience complete with cook-it-yourself table grill and a K-Pop soundtrack.
All I can say is, bring friends, come hungry and be ready to have fun with your food. For $34.99 per person (minimum two guests), you’ll be treated to a seemingly never-ending smorgasbord of beef—including regular and chili pineapple marinated bulgogi, the star of the show—pork, chicken, shrimp and squid. Some cuts of meat are already marinated and cooked while others are delivered thinly sliced, rolled or otherwise prepped for cooking at your table. Mix and match them with your favorite accompaniments, and no two tender bites are the same. We also tried the kimbap (seaweed and rice rolls with cooked meats and veggies), kimchi fries (topped with tangy, fermented cabbage and sour cream) and steam egg (a bit like a savory egg custard) and still somehow found room for a delightful slice of tiramisu that took the whole meal over the top. This is a must try for first timers and those who have been hankering for an authentic Korean barbecue experience in the area. gogiguysbbq.com
—Leona Baker
Matt’s Smackin Macs
Newport News
If you are a lover of mac-and-cheese, Matt’s Smackin Macs is about to be your new obsession (if it’s not already). Located in the iconic 1968 A-frame building on Warwick Blvd. near Bland Blvd. in Newport News, this takeout restaurant offers an impressive selection of gourmet mac-and-cheese dishes that run the gamut from classic style to fully loaded flavor bombs. The restaurant’s namesake is 22-year-old chef-owner Matthew Moskal, who is usually onsite in the kitchen and could easily be mistaken for an after-school part-timer. Moskal’s real estate partners are almost as young at 25 and 26—childhood friends who saw the potential in the building and tapped Moskal, who’d already been working in the food industry for years. He pitched the concept of a gourmet version of the fast-casual chain Noodles & Company—and together they opened Matt’s Smackin Macs in early 2023.
Though the inside dining space is small and spare, and the bathrooms are essentially a pair of stalls accessible from the back parking area, the bowls and catering pans coming out of this little kitchen are downright swoon-worthy. Luxurious and inventive, the entrees are like super-comforting stoner food meets Barefoot Contessa-level catering. The Chicken Bacon Parm Mac, for instance, is a perfect marriage of flavors and texture contrasts (gooey, chewy and crunchy). And the BBQ Chicken Mac, another signature dish, is topped with rich, tangy smoked meat that’s wonderfully balanced by the creamy, cheesy mac hidden below. Be sure to check out the daily specials, like their Pesto Mac and Cheese that will haunt your dreams for days. matts-smackin-macs.square.site
—HS
Neat Bird
Chesapeake
Located in Chesapeake’s Summit Pointe, Neat Bird Chicken & Whiskey is the kind of place you can visit multiple times a month (or even week) for lunch, happy hour or dinner, and not tire of it. A contrast from chef-owner Eric Nelson’s other concept, crudo nudo, which is an intimate, fine dining spot in Ghent focusing on tapas and pastas, Neat Bird is a big, bustling space, serving up much more casual fare: You guessed it, fried chicken and whiskey. The food here is approachable but elevated—think organic chicken sandwiches piled high with toppings like house pickles and slaw; fried chicken baskets served with delectable scratch-made sauces like miso ginger and bourbon barbecue; and crave-worthy snacks like deviled eggs, perfectly seasoned “nugs,” and pork belly burnt ends. And for non-chicken options, the menu includes offerings like salads, roasted Brussels and carrots, and mac-and-cheese.
The other star of the show is, of course, the whiskey list, which includes a vast selection of bourbons, ryes, scotches, and Japanese whiskeys curated by bar director Josh Seaburg. Also an award-winning mixologist, Seaburg has created a killer cocktail menu and solid wine and beer lists, to boot. The restaurant itself is stylish and vibrant, filled with bright colors and contemporary artwork, including large-scale murals painted by local artists and designers. A gigantic image of a vividly plumed rooster stretches across the back focal wall of the restaurant, setting the tone for a fun dining experience, whether it’s a night out with the family, a date, or a big group of friends. neatbirdva.com
—HS
The Roads Bistro
Virginia Beach
Folks quibble about rebranding our region. Coastal Virginia? The 757? Seven Cities? But since many relate to Hampton Roads, Michael Baldwin embraces it via The Roads Bistro. “The name embeds it as a locals’ place,” says the co-owner/operator. Indeed, its easy, relaxed urbanity promotes hanging with friends or running into neighbors. It successfully merges the concepts of prize Beach establishments Abbey Road, where Baldwin cut his teeth, and Pacifica Little Bar Bistro, where he honed his skills. “Nothing brings people together like music, food and drink,” says Baldwin, mixing classic—not maniacally crafted—cocktails behind the bar. It occupies the center of this attractive, commodious venue in a shopping strip near TCC-Virginia Beach.
To the right is a laid-back lounge where live musicians (mostly jazz) set up several nights a week. On the left is the dining room with tables draped in black cloths and butcher paper. Chef Dion White, another Pacifica alum, perpetually switches up stellar seasonal American-style tapas both hot (cinnamon-dusted scallops with parsnip purée, pan-seared duck with apple cider sauce, game-changing green beans) and cold (deviled eggs, hummus du jour), plus a couple sandwiches and specials. As the admittedly chatty Baldwin introduces two solo diners to each other, a server teases: “Why are you always trying to match people?” Baldwin replies: “I love love. And food tastes better because of the experience.” theroadsbistro.com
—MM
Saté: A New American Experience
Newport News
Leave it to Chef Kyle Fowlkes to deliver an elevated yet crave-able twist on deviled eggs that’s equal parts Sunday Southern picnic and South-of-the-Border sizzle. At the recent soft opening event for his first ever brick-and-mortar restaurant, located in City Center at Oyster Point, mini portions of apps like those Elote Deviled Eggs, Mac & Cheese Egg Rolls, Tuna Poke Nachos and Smoked Brisket Wontons were quickly gobbled up by a full house of devotees to Chef Kyle’s signature brand of competition-smoking, next-level comfort food alchemy. Many of them know the chef and his team from their beloved “Roaming American Kitchen” red food truck, which will continue its rounds at breweries and other local hot spots.
Saté: A New American Experience, meanwhile, is the chef’s long awaited full-service sit-down, where regular guests of the roaming version will recognize plenty of favorites and be delighted by fresh takes as well. Serving brunch, lunch and dinner in a sleek, intimate lounge-like setting with a jazzy blue color palette, this “New American Experience” is an indulgent one with entrees like the Pan Seared Scallops with bacon marmalade, carrot ginger puree, charred corn, mélange, black garlic and shaved Brussels sharing menu space with Nana’s Chicken with rosemary peppercorn béchamel, haricot verts and Yukon Gold whipped potatoes. At the bar, luxuriate in cocktails like their Hot Honey Ol’ Fashioned, Permission Patch or Mexican Candy. And do your inner child a solid by finishing off a meal with the chef’s famous Strawberry Shortcake Egg Rolls.
—LB
Sorella’s An Italian Eatery
Virginia Beach
The squad behind Eurasia and The Atlantic on Pacific goes all-in Italian at a former Oceanfront Buffalo Wild Wings with a catchy upscale ristorante, bar and pizzeria. “The name Sorella’s pulls together the family ideology,” says Sicilian-born GM/partner Vincent Amato, emphasizing the Italian translation for Sister’s. “And it’s easy to pronounce.” Inspired by edgy, high-end restaurants in Naples and Rome, and stateside interpretations like Louie Bossi’s in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, this new little—er, big—sis seats 220 amidst cosmopolitan flourishes such as shiny Carrara marble and soaring ceilings. The multiregional menu proffers Neapolitan pizzas, charcuterie, crudo, risotto and large plates including veal parmigiana, tomahawk ribeyes, and whole fish.
Nab a seat at the pasta bar to witness the making of 13 varieties from bucatini and creste di gallo to mafaldine and ravioli. An impressive wine program matches the restaurant’s breadth (160 bottles from affordable to show-offy/40 by-the-glass) while cocktails get an Italian twist (Campari figures into the Siciliana margarita). Slushie machines churn out frozen Bellinis, and limoncello is produced in-house. At lunch, sandwiches on homemade bread include a delectable mortadella with pistachio pesto and whipped ricotta, something that executive chef/partner Dave Brue has been pining for since his days at Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago. Try one, then stick around for daily pasta and pizza happy hour. sorellasvb.com
—MM
Thyme on the River
Portsmouth
Over in Olde Towne Portsmouth, in the gorgeous restaurant space at 1 High Street overlooking the Elizabeth River Ferry stop (most recently home to Legend Brewing), is a new lunch and dinner restaurant called Thyme on the River. The menu features a flavorful fusion of Caribbean and Cajun cuisine, including a gumbo packed with chicken, sausage, crab and shrimp and a traditional jerk chicken dish served over peas and rice. Feeling adventurous? Try the oxtail, which comes out tender, luscious and beefy; or the signature Rasta Pasta, which is dressed in a unique and addicting secret sauce that is just out-of-this-world. On the weekends, they offer an eclectic brunch including a range of dishes from Bourbon French Toast to salmon bites and eggs Benedict with jerk chicken.
Another reason to visit Thyme on the River is the inventive (and surprisingly affordable) cocktails. The R&R, for instance, is a tequila, lemon and lavender concoction that comes out a beautiful steely blue and is all at once delicious, delicate and dangerous! The Nothing But Thyme, which includes pea flower gin, lemon, thyme and honey simple syrup, is another signature standout. But perhaps the most compelling reason to bring your date to Thyme on the River is the breathtaking views. With its prime location at the end of High Street, you can enjoy dinner while gazing at a stunning sunset over Waterside and the Elizabeth River. In the warmer months, their outdoor dining area offers a perfect spot to take a pause from the hustle and bustle of Olde Towne. On Facebook: Thyme on the River
—HS
Waters Edge Winery and Bistro
Norfolk
Jason Witt was a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot for decades but nowadays his flights consist of chardonnays, viogniers and cabernets. That’s because he and his wife Dyan opened Waters Edge, a micro-winery and full-service restaurant franchise. It’s akin to Cooper’s Hawk with a marketplace, tasting bar, dining room, private room, heated patio and wine club but on a smaller scale and more locally grounded as Jason, who bikes to work, makes almost all the wine on-site. WEW’s multitiered wine club is approaching 300 members; privileges include monthly parties and discounts. You need not belong, though, to sip and sup, or peer into the windowed-room where Jason controls production—from fermenting to labeling—with globally-sourced crushed grapes supplied by California-based HQ. Call it tank to table.
Don’t invite your snobbish friend with a grand cru collection, but pretty much everyone else will have a blast at WEW, as the challenge coins displayed by the tasting bar attest. Airy and nautical-themed, it’s a stunning setting for easygoing favorites like flatbreads, burgers, panini, chickpea curry, ribeye and peach-glazed grilled salmon. Sunday brunch, too. A skylight conveyed from prior tenants (TASTE and Bazemore’s have occupied this building). It’s a perfect pairing with first Saturdays’ Sky’s The Limit Yoga, one of many community events held here in Larchmont, fittingly near the Lafayette River’s edge. wewnorfolk.com
—MM
Photos by Leona Baker, Jacqui Renager/Performance Foodservice Virginia, David Uhrin, or courtesy of restaurants
