FOOD PICS OF THE WEEK - War of the Wings Festival

War of the Wings (***)

333 Waterside Dr., Norfolk, VA 23510

 
 

Winner, winner, chicken (wing) dinner. I was lucky to score a complimentary ticket from Costal VA Yelp Elite for this year's War of the Wings. From top to bottom, this was an excellent event. Ok, I will admit that I'm not a huge fan of food festivals. Well, I guess I wasn't a fan of food festivals during my NYC life for a few reasons.

  • They tend to be a bit overpriced for the amount of food you get. I recall going to a food truck festival in NYC that was 35ish dollars. After 45 minutes, I left hungry and ended up going to a Thai restaurant a couple of blocks away. The next reason is why I left hungry and frustrated.

  • These festivals tend to have massive lines for crumbs of food. Regarding the NYC food truck festival that I mentioned above: I tried to find the shortest line possible, I found it, waited for about 20 minutes, and was disappointed. Turns out the line was for goddamn doggie treats.

  • There is rarely any place to comfortably enjoy the food. I guess I'm a little bougie when it comes to this, but I like to sit at a table to consume my food and beverage(s). What's the point of eating (and trying to enjoy yummy food) if you have to struggle to balance the food on all of your limbs while living in fear of dropping it?

  • The Fyre Festival of Pizza in NYC. Seriously, who the hell is paying ~$75 to sample various slices of pizza?

 
 

However, I experienced NONE of these issues during the War of the Wings festival. For the festival, Coastal VA Yelp Elite provided us with a complimentary VIP pass, which included 10 tasting and 5 cocktail tickets, and access to a VIP "lounge". Depending on the vendor, one tasting ticket gave you 1-3 chicken wings. Based on my experience at the festival, I wouldn't mind dropping ~$35 for VIP tickets for next year's festival. I mean five cocktails alone probably will cost at least 35 bucks.

 
 

LOL, I think that I was doing the festival wrong because I used up most of my drink tickets before making a real dent in my tasting tickets.

 
 

Kwame S, multipass. Muuuuulllllltttttiiii pass.

The Food:

The festival had about 15 vendors competing to win the "war" on wings. Even Hooters was there, but I hope to God that they did not win. Of my tastings, I really enjoyed two vendors, but I'm not saying that the other ones were bad. I think the Koren fried chicken vendor had the best wings.

 
 

If they did not win the war for the best chicken wing. I hope they got an honorable mention for the nicest vendor.

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the peace cobbler wing from one vendor.

You know, what? I'll take it back. It wasn't a bad chicken wing; it just wasn't to my taste. I think I'm at an age where I'm not a fan of things that are sweet just for the sake of being sweet. If I want peach cobbler, I'll just get peach cobbler . . . I don't need my chicken to taste like dessert.

Speaking of taste:

I get that you want to have a unique chicken wing sauce, BUT you still gotta season the chicken. I noticed this lack of attention to detail from a few vendors. Y'all spend so much time adding 80 thousand things to the sauce that you forget about the main component of the wing THE ACTUAL CHICKEN WING.

Both of these wings (a chicken parm sauce and a soy, ginger sauce) were AMAZING

 
 

This was was interesting, because the sauce contained fish sauce. Actually, I think that vendor was more of a seafood restaurant than a chicken joint. However, I think the sauce actually grew on me as I nibbled (maybe pecked would be a better term) at the chicken wing.

Since I did not take too many pictures, I guess this wasn't much of an FPOTW post. There was a bit of carnage though. ;)

 
 

Although you cannot see my face, I was happy because there were plenty of spots throughout Waterside District to sit and enjoy the food.

FOOD PICS OF THE WEEK - Saltine

Saltine (***)

100 E Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23510

 
 

Before going to see Come from Away for “Broadway in Norfolk”, the hubby and I decided to stop here for some wedding anniversary bites. The funny thing: the plan was to have some oysters as an appetizer, then go to another place for light dinner. However, we enjoyed Saltine so much that we decided to stay until it was time to walk to the show. Everything was pretty amazing, and Saltine definitely is now cemented on our list of Downtown Norfolk happy hour spots. I love when you take a ‘risk’ on culinary delights, and it works out. Let me clarify. We have a main happy hour spot in the area (Todd’s Bistro) that is amazing. Sometimes, for me, it can be tough deciding on going to a place that I know will be amazing or taking a risk to check out an unknown spot. This time, the risk worked out for us.

THE FOOD:

We did more of a tapas-style tasting for a couple of reasons. 1. We were going to check out another place for some bites. 2. When I have a large pre-dinner meal before a show, I tend to fall asleep. Ok, so it’s probably the wine and not the food. BUT, I think (and will die on that hill) the large meals (and a cool, dark theater) also contributed to catching some Zs during a couple of shows.

From left to right:

  • Raw Oysters: Perhaps, folks in the area do not really like raw oysters compared to fried oysters because we were shocked (and somewhat concerned) that Saltine had happy hour oysters for only 75 cents!!!

  • Shrimp Ceviche: Great dish; however, I’m still not sure if I liked that it was served with pork rinds. Seems like the epitome of oil and water.

  • Fried Calamari: This was amazing with the exception of the parmesan cheese. I’m team you don’t need to add anything to calamari. The dish was not gross; my tastebuds just were not used to having calamari with cheese.

  • Fish Dip: This will be my go-to dish.

Random THOUGHTS:

When we first arrived at the restaurant, I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive because I was the only Black person in the restaurant aside from a couple of employees. However, that changed once time passed, and we moved deeper into happy hour. Sometimes, as a minority, you wonder if there is a particular reason why you are the only person who looks like you in certain places. At first, I thought it was a bit strange because the clientele of our go-to spot, Todd’s Bistro (which is a block away from Saltine), always has a nice mixture of folks of different races/ethnicities. Although we ordered the oysters and a couple of glasses of wine upon sitting at the bar, I immediately went to Yelp to see if there were negative reviews that mentioned anything about racial discrimination. Fortunately, there were not. #PHEW.

FOOD PICS OF THE WEEK - Sugar Freak

Sugar Freak (Yelp Link: ***)

37-11 30th Ave Astoria, NY 11103



Boy oh boy. I cannot remember the last time when I’ve brunched in Astoria. So a couple of friends and I hit up this New Orleans-style restaurant. Random: I keep wanting to call it Superfreak because of Ricky James’s song. Walking into this restaurant, was a trip back in time into the deep South. Fortunately, the Klan and/or lynch mobs were not present in the restaurant.

 

LOL, at the old school toilet where you had to flush it with an overhead chain.

 

For my dining pleasure, I went with the Oysters Rockefeller Eggs Benedict and a side of grits

 
 

FOOD PICS OF THE WEEK - A TOUR OF NEW ORLEANS

Preface:

Since the hubby and I had quite a few dining excursions in between me running Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon and having fun, New Orleans-based cocktails, I figure that I would mention a couple of spots for this edition of Food Pics of the Week.

Overall, I thought the food for many from many of the spots was in the OK to good range. LOL because during the trip the husband kept asking me which restaurants were the best. I was like Dude, I do not know. I have not lived in New Orleans since I graduated college in 2002. Also as a broke a** college student, restaurants like the Outback were “fancy” spots for us.

Our Tops:

Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar (Yelp Link: ***)

Chargrilled Oysters (left); Turtle Soup (right)

OMG. If I could, I would have these oysters every freaking day. This stop here was more of a snack break, but I wish that we had one of our dinners here . . . primarily to enjoy more of the chargrilled oysters.

NOLA Poboys (Yelp link: ***)

This was my first stop after dropping off my crap at the Inn on Friday. I wanted to get something simple and easy (a shrimp po’boy) to line my belly before getting into some Bourbon St. f*ckery. Note: Since the hubby was meeting me the next day in New Orleans, I had all of my Friday night to myself. As some may know, I love my hole-in-the-wall spots. Good food without any BS.

Oceana Grill (Yelp Link: ***)

While this was an impromptu visit, I’m glad this was our last meal in New Orleans. Look at that Ultimate Bloody Mary!!! C’mom this thing came with a fried crab, and five fried shrimp and oysters. Extra points for the presentation of the Bloody Mary. Also, my shrimp crawfish omelet was on point. A few points in deductions because the cheese was not completely melted.

The Wack:

New Orleans Creole Cookery (Yelp Link: ***)

Taste of New Orleans – Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice, Shrimp Etouffee, and Crawfish Creole (left), Fish (don’t remember which one) Creole (middle), and Alligator Bites (right)

This probably was one of our least favorite dining experiences during the trip. While the restaurant atmosphere was nice, the food was struggling. Dare I say, this place was a bit of a waste of money. Put it like this, for my Taste of New Orleans sampler, the red beans and rice (probably the easiest New Orleans-based dish to make) were the best part of the “taste” . . . and they were not all that great. Also, my shrimp etouffee was WAY too salty and nasty. The Alligator Bites were tired, through, and delayed. Food aside, I was also disappointed that the restaurant’s bathroom was disgusting. I really hope that the restaurant was having an off night during our visit.

Honorable Mentions:

Café Du Monde (Yelp Link: ***)

While I know this is a must-do in New Orleans, I never got the hype surrounding Café Du Monde (even while living in NOLA). Sometimes, I think some people over-hype Café Du Monde as a means to justify waiting 50+ minutes for french powdered doughnuts (yes, I know they are called beignets) and coffee. Actually, this excursion almost did not happen. I walked past Café Du Monde (Saturday morning) the way to pick my race stuff at the convention center. Let me tell you, that line extended almost two blocks, and I was like hell to the no. When the husband and I visited on Saturday evening (around 7 pm), I was shocked that there was no line. I think a lot of people were at the Chewbacca parade and probably hit up Café Du Monde after the festivities.

I guess that my nearly two-decade grudge with Cafe du Monde is officially over. I don’t remember what caused the grudge back in college, but a table and/or chair might have been turned over.

Daisy Dukes – French Quarter (Yelp Link: ***)

I’m always am going to be Team Biscuits and Gravy, and this place was pretty decent. My only (minor complaint) is that I think my plate was left out for a bit before the waitress bought to my section of the bar. That said, the restaurant was slammed packed, so I will not hold this against them. Also, there was quite a bit of confusion with a table of rowdy guests. But the restaurant gained some points because it has free refills on Bloody Marys (why not call it bottomless). Clearly, I did not read the entire description for the Bloody Marys and missed the part about free refills.

The lack of detail is what caused the confusion with the rowdy table. Four folks at a table ordered about 6+ mimosas each thinking they were bottomless, which they were not. Let’s just say that they were very upset when they received their bill because each mimosa was about $15. Unfortunately, they took this out on the waitress and left her a $4 tip. I mean, it’s not the waitress’s fault that the FOUR of you didn’t properly read the menu. However, I think the waitress should have mentioned that the mimosas were not bottomless especially seeing how many they were ordering and that they looked like they were in their VERY early 20s.

Final Thoughts:

We had a nice time dining (and drinking) on what New Orleans had to offer. However, the hubby mentioned that New York City has spoiled us, and to some extent, I can agree. Not to be like one of those people, but I do recall saying on a few times that I have had better (albeit inauthentic) Creole and Southern food in New York.

Food Pic of the Week

Red Rooster (***)

310 Lenox Avenue, NY, NY 10027

Another weekend, another brunch. Believe it or not, we did NOT have bottomless brunch this time around. A good choice because this place does not have bottomless brunch.

Anytime someone visits Harlem, they always want to have a meal at Red Rooster Harlem, but I honestly do not get all of the hype surrounding this place . . . Lemme show the food pic before I get into hater mode.

Cornbread & Gravy with Chorizo, Fried Egg

 
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I gotta say that this dish really did hit the spot. Honestly, I never would have considered eating cornbread and gravy for my brunch. BUT, the restaurant's brunch menu was uuummmmmmm a bit lacking.

 
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Wait a minute! Y'all have only three things on the brunch menu? FYI: There were more cocktails than the ones in the screenshot. I get that this is a fancy restaurant so one should not expect a menu with 20 different brunch and lunch items, but may we get a few more fun brunch items? I mean the owner, Marcus Samuelsson, did win the second season of Top Chef, and I'm sure that contestants from the show have to do some sort of innovative dish challenge.

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Food Pic of the Week

Cap’t Loui (***) 

3147 Broadway, New York, NY 10027

At this point, I probably should be saying “food pic of the month” instead of “food pic of the week”. That said, I will try to update this thing more often with yummy food pics. Because of the pandemic, it has been difficult to try out new food spots around the city. Since things are beginning to open up (a little too fast for my liking), I think that I will be able to update this blog more frequently.

Have you ever pass a restaurant on multiple occasions and think to yourself that you should try out the joint? A couple of weeks ago, Cap’t Loui was that place for us. To be perfectly honest, the hubby and I were going to have ramen at another spot about a block away from Cap’t Loui. Before going to the ramen place, I was like screw it, let’s do to Cap’t Loui.

Man Oh Man, I’m so glad that we went to Cap’t Loui because it was AMAZING. Long story short, the restaurant is pretty much a New Orleans-style seafood boil spot. You pretty much will pick a boil and select 1+ seafood options (crawfish, shrimp, crabs, etc.), a sauce, and any extra fixings. For our boil, we went with shrimp, mussels, corn, potatoes, garlic noodles, and sausage. Since I spent my undergraduate years in New Orleans, I guess that I was supposed to select crawfish as one of the seafood options. Under normal circumstances, I would have gone with crawfish, but I was EXTREMELY hungry and did not have time to fiddle around with crawfish. Sometimes, I find getting to the meat of crawfish takes too much effort for a little reward.

 
A seafood boil from Cap’t Loui in Morningside Heights (New York, NY)
 

One tip: Wear clothes that you do not care about messing up because the food will be quite messy (especially because of the butter sauce).

Although I did not relive my memories of New Orleans through crawfish, I did relive my time in New Orleans years through a Hurricane cocktail at Cap’t Loui.

 
A hurricane cocktail at Cap’t Loui in Morningside Heights (New York, NY)
 

In my opinion, I found my Hurricane WAY too sweet. Maybe Hurricanes are supposed to be really sweet, and I never really noticed the sweetness as a 21/22 year-old. Let me stop lying about the 21 year old thing, I probably had a few Hurricanes as an 18-year old freshman. If memory serves me correctly, I think Louisiana (or maybe it was just New Orleans) raised the drinking age from 18 to 21 a couple of years before I started college so many bars in New Orleans were pretty lax in serving underage folks. Yeah, I think it was the state because Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) successfully lobbied to withholding federal funds for Louisiana unless the state raised the drinking age.

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FOOD PIC OF THE WEEK

The Rustic Spoon (***) 

1658 Pleasure House Rd., Ste 101, Virginia Beach, VA 23455

Dining here for breakfast (or was it brunch0 was the perfect way to end our quick ‘getaway’ to Virginia. Also, it is conveniently located near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. I am so glad that I had an opportunity to try (for the first time ever) a fried oyster eggs Benedict. I’ve had fried oysters plenty of times during my family Christmas brunch celebrations. But, why not combine these delicious bivalve mollusks with eggs?

fried oyster eggs Benedict.

I gotta say that going forward The Rustic Spoon will be one of my go to spots for brunch doing my trips to VA.

Food Pic of the Week

Jackson’s Eatery (***) 

 10-37 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101

Bringing in the fall season with a bang.

I took an ‘adventure’ to Long Island City to visit an old friend, catch up, and get my grub on for Labor Day weekend. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised that the 7 train was running quite efficiently during the weekend. Sometimes the 7 train is hit or miss with more misses than hits. Coming here was not really planned. We pretty much ended here because the restaurant had open tables in the shade and it was like half a block from the Jackson Vernon subway stop.

OMG! I want to come back to this restaurant at least eight more times so I can try more of their brunch items . . . and cocktails. What’s brunch without a few adult cocktails? Seriously, I was experiencing FOMO looking at the food at other folks’ tables.

In addition to the amazing food, the service was also top-notch.

Can’t wait to go back.