By Marisa Marsey
Atlantic Park, awash with entertainment options (notably a state-of-the-art surf park and The Dome, a reinvention of Virginia Beach’s bygone performance venue), recently welcomed two splashy new restaurants: Mexican-souled Mi Vida and The Grill, a next-gen steakhouse. Both belong to Knead Hospitality + Design, a James Beard-nominated firm known for cocooning customers in their concepts around Washington, D.C., exclusively. Until now.
“Virginia Beach is a great tourist hub that can bring folks from all over the country to our restaurants; it made sense to plant our flag here,” said Jason Berry, Knead cofounder and principal.
Vibrant Mi Vida, with 270 seats on two levels, prides itself on authentic, regional Mexican cuisine. “It’s not hard tacos and queso dip and a combo plate number one,” Berry said. “But that’s Tex-Mex. This is the real taste that you would find in Mexico.”
Helming the menus for all five Mi Vida locations is culinary lead Roberto Santibañez, a Mexico City native who made a name for himself as chef-owner of New York City’s Fonda restaurants. He presents his country’s gustatory breadth—from Puebla to the coast, Oaxaca to the Yucatán Peninsula—via conscientiously crafted botanas (snacks like kicky chicken taquitos), platillos (small plates such as queso fundido—broiled Chihuahua cheese and pork chorizo), enchiladas, tacos, fajitas and platos principales (mains including a formidable chamorro aka slow-cooked pork shank).
Agave threads, combed like ponytails, fringe the stunning tiled bar where a vast array of tequilas and margaritas (featuring 100 percent blue agave tequila) reign, but a wide selection of wines and beers–and an enchanting folk art sculpture of a dappled tree of life–also hold sway. Much of Mi Vida’s sophisticated artisanal décor hails from Mexico, setting a dramatic scene in each of several distinct dining rooms. A grand hacienda style with heavy wood chairs distinguishes one, lush, sensual, mystical murals of divine feminine power another.
The Grill, in contrast, stakes its claim as a modern steakhouse. Steakhouse because you can indulge Luger-esque if you desire (howdy, succulent ribeye and New York strip), contemporary because you can go lighter with, say, a Mediterranean chopped salad or veggie burger. Filet mignon gives you the option of 6 oz. or 12 oz.
For early birds, the “Sunset Menu” (4 to 6 p.m. weekdays) is an opportunity to enjoy the Freebird half chicken, Ora King salmon or shrimp linguine as part of a three-course $39 prix fixe.
The Grill sheds the hidebound trappings of your parents’ chophouse (ta-ta, white tablecloths) and fashions itself such that you can comfortably come off the beach in your flip-flops and order a burger and beer (an especially good deal during happy hour when deviled eggs delight, too) or, if it’s more your manner, spruce up and get a tomahawk with a $300 bottle of wine.
Dry martinis and Vespers flow, but that doesn’t mean you can’t confidently order the Lazy Grapefruit, a refreshingly mock-ish Paloma, one of several spirit-free libations. Most striking in this sleek, unstuffy setting, though, is the charged atmosphere generated by chefs preparing everything to-order in the open kitchen.
Berry and his partner Michael Reginbogen, whose Knead establishments include Succotash (Southern), Du Jour (French bistro) and Beresovsky’s (deli), 10 brands in all, dotting 20 locations in high-profile destinations such as Penn Quarter and National Harbor, had been itching to expand beyond D.C. and Maryland when they were invited to join the Atlantic Park project a few years ago “when it was just a pile of dirt,” explained Berry. “Virginia Beach was close enough but still outside our area, so it checked a lot of boxes.”
The fact that Beach native/musician/producer/designer Pharrell Williams envisioned and backed Atlantic Park didn’t hurt.
These buzzy new kids on the block (er, blocks—Atlantic Park, with a Pacific Avenue address, spans nearly 11 acres and encompasses boutique shops, offices, and residences between 18th and 20th Streets) aren’t clones of their established siblings—more fish and seafood here—but come pretty close. They complement the pair of Park restaurants that opened last summer: Southern-accented Milk & Honey and Nami Nori, upscale-casual Japanese. (Wiseguy Pizza is coming soon.)
Berry shared that his team is eager to embrace the local community. Fittingly, Mi Vida is a term of endearment—“my life”—something a grandmother might gushingly whisper to her grandchild with a tight squeeze. “And this being our first foray outside of the DMV, we’re really excited to see how our guests embrace us.”
Mi Vida (mividamexico.com, entrees $14-$33) and The Grill (thegrilldc.com, entrees $25-$73) are located at Atlantic Park, 405 19th Street, Virginia Beach. Open for lunch and happy hour (weekdays), dinner nightly, brunch (weekends).
Marisa Marsey
Marisa Marsey is a food, beverage and travel writer whose awards include 1st place Food Writing from the Virginia Press Association. A Johnson & Wales University representative, she has sipped Château d'Yquem '75 with Jean-Louis Palladin, sherpa-ed for Edna Lewis and savored interviews with Wolfgang Puck and Patrick O’Connell.
