The Food Issue: Flavors of the Philippines
With deep roots in the island nation and infinite variations on local family tables and in chefs’ kitchens, Filipino cuisine has found its place in Coastal Virginia. After a few years of being called, “The Next Great American Cuisine,” Filipino food is finally capturing the attention of foodies everywhere. If it’s any indication, #ube (the [...]
Riding to D.C. in Luxury on the ROX
Photos by Leona Baker and Lisa Davenport When a sudden road closure caused an epic traffic snarl that left hundreds of drivers stuck for hours on I-95 a few months ago, I confess the first thought that popped into my head was: “Too bad they weren’t on the ROX.” I mean, if you’re going to [...]
Gettin’ Coastal on NC’s Crystal Coast
Craving a quick, relaxing weekend getaway from our region? What better place than the Crystal Coast of North Carolina? This 85-mile stretch of coastline, also known as the Southern Outer Banks, is dotted with charming towns, beautiful beaches and attractions. I recently decided to cut away from Coastal Virginia for a few days and explore [...]
Star Power: Spring Arts Preview
For the last 25 years, spring for arts lovers in Coastal Virginia has meant the Virginia Arts Festival and local stages are set for an encore-worthy return to full form for the Festival in 2022. “The Festival is so thrilled to welcome some of the world’s greatest performers to Coastal Virginia for our 25th season celebration,” says [...]
Posh Pads
By Grace Silipigni Photos by Sami Roy, Floor plans provieded by The Pearl The post-pandemic real estate market proved to be one of the most expensive and competitive in the industry’s history. The market’s combination of hefty price tags and limited inventory created a wave of hesitation among buyers. During their moment’s pause, many buyers [...]
Follow These Foods
By Melissa M. Stewart I sometimes fantasize about what would I eat every day in a world where calories didn’t count and I would automatically live forever. (Hint: my impossible dreams involve lots of aged gouda.). Snap, back to reality… and the knowledge that nutritious-conscious choices are the way to go for body, mind and [...]
Staying One Step Ahead of Cancer
From maintaining a healthy weight to avoiding smoking and alcohol, risk-reducing choices and early detection offer the best outcomes By Gail Kent If you don’t want cancer, don’t get old. The National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and many other trustworthy organizations say aging is [...]
Chicken Adobo Recipe
About the Author Hannah Serrano is a food and beverage marketing professional, passionate home cook and writer. Born in the Philippines and raised in Virginia Beach, she is currently the Chief Experience Officer at TASTE, a Coastal Virginia-based specialty food business. She lives in Newport News with her husband, two sons and dog. Here, she is pictured [...]
Filipino Sweets
Purple Reign Ube—the vibrant purple yam used widely in Filipino sweets, pastries and desserts—is not to be confused with taro root or purple sweet potatoes. Unlike those tubers, ube has a mild sweetness balanced with earthy, nutty umami. In recent years, ube has blown up on Instagram and become a major foodie trend. Halo-Halo [...]
Coastal Virginia Filipino Food Directory
Turo-Turo Restaurants Meaning “point-point,” turo-turo refers to a cafeteria-style service in which you pick a combo of entrees from the freshly made dishes displayed on the steam table. Boracay Philippine Cuisine 3574 N Military Hwy., Norfolk A hole-in-the-wall joint with a modest selection, a few tables and Filipino dramas on the TV. FeLynn 1943 Lynnhaven [...]
“Sole” Man: Kyle Fowlkes
Chefs often have vanity plates on their vehicles that say things like COOK4U or FOODGOD. The tags on Kyle Fowlkes’s splashy blue BMW convertible: SNKRHD. “I love to cook, but I’m obsessed with sneakers,” explains the 42-year old sneakerhead. Following 12-hour days on his feet in the local food truck he launched in 2020— Saté, [...]
Pretty as a Pastry
Premade puff pastry dough is one of those small miracles for the modern home cook. It tastes delicious. It’s endlessly versatile for everything from elegant appetizers to dainty desserts. Best of all, you don’t have to spend hours and days delicately rolling, folding, chilling and re-chilling the dough to get great results. Here, local cooking [...]
Dressed to Last: Erika Hitchcock
A hellish year shook Erika Hitchcock to her core. Besides the pandemic, for Erika, 2019 was deeply etched by the loss to mental illness of Paul, her beloved brother and best friend; the death of her cherished dog; and a horrific airport accident at the conclusion of a summer trip to France and Portugal. Filled [...]
Market St. Makeover in Onancock
Kingston upon Hull, about an hour from York, England, is a long way from the town of Onancock on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. But that is where this stylish story begins. Tucked between King and Market Streets, in a former haberdashery in the Coffman Fisher Building (c. 1910), are a half-dozen two-bedroom/two-bath condos, the brainchild of [...]
Stylin’ in the Rain: Spring Fashion Picks
April showers bring May flowers, but first we must brave the notoriously unpredictable spring weather in Coastal Virginia. Preparation is the best defense, so suit up to face the wind and rain–I promise it will have been worth it when the sun comes back out. In the meantime, versatility and functionality are your primary objectives. [...]
Brews & Bees at St. George Brewing
At St. George Brewing Company, there are two ways to catch a buzz. In the traditional sense of the term, you can imbibe the brewery’s European-style sips and slip happily into a boozy oblivion. The alternative, however, involves not alcohol, but bees. With the exception of beer gardens, bees and brews have a very short [...]
