Christopher Glover has made a big impact on the local dining scene by thinking small. By which I mean the artfully crafted, immanently shareable small plates featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients for which his restaurants in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Hampton and the Outer Banks have become known over the years. But also, I mean the fine art of making the most of a minimalist kitchen.
“He’s brilliant at making small spaces very functional,” says Christin Glover, Christopher’s wife and co-owner of Pacifica, which recently relocated from its longtime home at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront to a larger, but still intimate spot—at the Oceanfront but now on the Laskin Road “Artery” corridor just a block and half from the Neptune Statue.
The new space, which formerly housed the short-lived Elevenses, needed a serious back-of-the-house makeover, the couple says, and yet it was accomplished with impressive speed. The old Pacifica closed in late spring and the new one opened in mid-summer of 2023. How’d they do it? Practice.
“It was lessons learned from the original Crackers,” says Christopher of the “Little Bar Bistro” that started it all in Norfolk and forced him to become an expert in retrofitting micro kitchens for maximum efficiency. “It was smaller than most boats I’ve been on.”
That OG “ultra funky martini and tapas bar” and its counterparts like the erstwhile Empire and Six as well as Pacifica, the couple’s one remaining restaurant, made tapas-style dining—a Spanish tradition now widely riffed upon the world over—mainstream in Coastal Virginia.
The concept evolved with the times and from restaurant to restaurant, but at its core, it’s still about that communal dining experience. “We are a tapas restaurant but very much an Americanized tapas restaurant,” Christin explains of Pacifica. “We love that everyone can come in and make it their own and share with family and friends.”
Pacifica’s new location honors that vibe in a space that—at 3,000 square feet inside and a capacity of 150 guests when you include the outdoor patio—is double that of the previous location. Yet it still feels cozy.
With a calming mix of natural wood tones, a living plant wall in the bar area, garage style windows perfect for nice weather, festive paper lanterns and antique surfboards on display, it’s polished yet relaxed. And, if you’ve dined at one of the Glovers’ restaurants in the past, you can’t miss it when you spot their signature, whimsical line art paintings of happy patrons, created by local artist John Hickey, on the glass façade.
Pacifica devotees and first-timers alike will love to “eat, drink, repeat,” as their tagline says, from their hot and cold tapas menus, cheese and charcuterie boards and popular daily specials that always include a Pasta Du Dour, Flatbread Du Jour, fresh catch and rotating flavors of hummus and compound butter—from basil pesto to rum vanilla—served with mini baguettes so delightfully crispy and airy you might be ready to make them the star of an all-carb diet like I am.
“Our cuisine has a very wide range,” notes Christin, “anything from Italian dishes to Asian style cuisine.” And, indeed, on recent visits, I was transfixed and transported by their pork and veggie Potstickers with sweet chili, ponzu and sesame; their Grilled Peach Halloumi Salad with basil honey and blueberry pearls; and their Roasted Chimichurri Cauliflower — gorgeously caramelized and served over tahini yogurt and topped with that bright, herbaceous chimichurri sauce, crispy garlic and olive oil.
Other must-tries include their Rainbow Carrots with basil gremolata, curry cashew and kimchi flakes; Tuna Nicoise salad popping with color; Pacifica Crab Cakes with black lime aioli; and Tenderloin Au Poivre with cognac gastrique. Pacifica’s signature French Fries are also a fan fave, and hand-cutting them just right to achieve that perfectly crispy outside and soft center took a little bit of trial and error before they hit the sweet spot following the move, says Christin. Just be sure and dip them in the Fry Sauce Du Jour.
One big change at the new Pacifica location is that they have added lunch service, something they were never able to do in the past. In keeping with that midday mood, Christopher says, they plan to try offering more handhelds, like burgers and wraps, and Sunday brunch items such as quiche. As always, their menu changes with the seasons in order to source the best local ingredients.
But, whether at noon or 9 p.m., it’s that famously eclectic list of daily specials that makes each visit to Pacifica a flavorful adventure. Alongside each day’s selection of cheeses, meats, house-made jam, butter and hummus, you might find bronzed mahi, charred octopus, cavatappi shrimp scampi, lamb meatballs, elotes, or a tuna and shrimp sashimi stack.
With the added space and extended service hours at the new location, Christopher says he hopes to branch out even more with the menu, perhaps adding a whole fried fish such as a perch, spot or croaker when in season. And keep an eye out for playful versions of higher-end ingredients such as a tapas-style take on a caviar course.
Much more than martinis, Pacifica’s expertly curated craft cocktail menu, the purview of bar managers and mixologists Priscilla Gregoire, Paul Gonzalez, and Holly Lowe, is also an invitation to explore. Check out the Mai-Tai-Rita, a cross between a Mai Tai and a margarita with Suffolk peanut orgeat, a twist on a classic tiki ingredient, or the Pamplemousse with Gunpowder gin, grapefruit soda, lemon, basil and black pepper. A great selection of craft beers from local microbreweries along with a variety of imports are also on offer.
And of course, no tapas menu would be properly proffered without the vino. “Our wine program, I’m very proud of,” says Christin. “My philosophy is I want to only serve wine that is biodynamic, using grapes from sustainable farms that have organic practices. I also really like representing Virginia wines.” So be sure to pour over their boutique wine list and ask your server for suggestions.
Last but certainly not least, desserts are house-made at Pacifica, so check that Du Jour list for sweet rewards like Crème Brûlée, Pear Apple Tartine, Pineapple Upside-down Cake, Columbian Chocolate Mousse or Carrot Cake with Butter Cream. Or ask about their build-your-own s’mores platter. You’ll be glad you did.
Maybe I’ll see you there, and we can share a bite or a glass or two or three or four. That’s what it’s all about at the new Pacifica.
And finally, don’t miss their must-have merch like comfy t-shirts, candles, VB’s own Speedy’s Hot Sauce and 100% wildflower honey from Chesapeake Birds and Bees Apiary.
Learn more at PacificaVB.com.
Photos by Jacqui Renager, Performance Foodservice Virginia
