Baby Izakaya
Virginia Beach
What the pub is to Ireland and the tapas bar is to Spain, so the izakaya is to Japan. Kevin Ordonez (already a star in our culinary firmament with Ghent’s Alkaline) modifies his ukiyo-styled ViBe spot with Baby because it’s nano-sized, intimacy being much of its charm.
Callicoon Kitchen
Virginia Beach
What began as a humble food blog managed from a riverside farmhouse in upstate New York is now a rustic, full-service plant-based kitchen in Virginia Beach. The Hilltop market, dubbed Callicoon Kitchen, opened for business in August 2020 as a healthy brunch and lunch spot.
Clayton’s Counter Delicatessen
Virginia Beach
After years of envisioning a restaurant to call his own, Ralph Anderson finally made his dream a reality when he opened Clayton’s Counter Delicatessen in Virginia Beach. The cozy spot on Oceana Boulevard, perfect for grabbing a drink and a bite to eat or getting made-to-order carryout, officially opened Sept. 1, 2020 in a brand-new shopping center.
Coach House
Norfolk
You can’t be all things to all people. And yet, Coach House comes close, checking every box from “grabbing a sandwich” to “hanging with buds” to “indulging in romantic three-course dinners.” It’s as convivial as a tavern, but evocative cocktails and selectively savvy wines dispel any notion it’s merely a watering hole.
Fin & Tonic
Suffolk
It would be easy to return nightly to chef-owner Kenny Sloane’s Fin & Tonic, where small plates loom large in a more casual iteration of his original Fin Seafood in Newport News, happily sampling one’s way through his comforting yet imaginative menu of (mostly) surf and (some) turf.
Grandiflora Wine Garden
Norfolk
You know those dreamy magazine spreads of folks dining al fresco at bottle-laden rustic tables, perhaps in Tuscany or Sonoma? You’ll feel like you’re starring in one at Grandiflora, a butter-yellow wine bar and B&B in Chelsea that’s grounded in the concept of savoring life. And sustaining it.
Orion’s Roof
Virginia Beach
While there are many eateries in Coastal Virginia boasting beautiful waterfront views, even seagulls might envy the nearly 360-degree vista of the Atlantic Ocean and the restored Cavalier Hotel that greets diners at Orion’s Roof atop the new Marriott at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Pink Dinghy
Virginia Beach
Listening to the story of The Pink Dinghy’s opening is a lesson in perseverance. Construction delays, an elderly woman crashing her Nissan into the side of the building…and then COVID, of course. It sounds unbelievable, but despite all of these setbacks, the fast-casual, Latin-inspired restaurant and market opened for take-out in April.
Click here to read more.New Restaurants to Try in 2021: The Pink Dinghy
Roux Raw Bar and Grill
Hampton
In an intimate Hampton restaurant, a brightly colored wall mural and Bourbon Street-style second line soundtrack transports diners to Chef Charlton Minor’s idea of New Orleans. Complementing the sights are the Cajun flavors that Minor is serving up at Roux Raw Bar and Grill.
Syd’s FishPig Café
Norfolk
Fasten your serviettes, he’s back! Sydney Meers, Coastal Virginia’s ne plus ultra chef-artist extraordinaire, takes us on another wild, kaleidoscopic, epic epicurean ride at Selden Market where his decades of titillating senses (begun nearby at TheDumbwaiter in 1989, then Cowboy Syd’s, most recently Stove) culminate in this riotous fun house of fabulous food.
Taste of Texas
Virginia Beach
Texas native Tim Dodd satisfied a local legion of barbecue enthusiasts in September when he opened a brick-and-mortar version of his A Taste of Texas food truck and catering business. The new space is located in an eclectic and hidden strip mall down the road from Lynnhaven Mall.
Leona Baker
Leona Baker is the former Editor-in-Chief of Coastal Virginia Magazine. She is a writer, creative, communications professional, food freak, news junkie, nature and travel lover and mom. She holds a degree in English from James Madison University and a degree in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. She previously served as Senior Copywriter for Spark 451, Director of Marketing & Communications at Virginia Wesleyan University, and Senior Editor of Port Folio Weekly.
