Vicki Vail's

The burger and fries: a staple in American culture. In Hampton Roads, I haven't found a better pair than the one coming out of Vicki Vail's food truck.

Everything about them is simple in the best way possible. Their truck is sleek and elegant in its design, and their food mirrors that. Their menu is small, giving you less than a dozen options, but from the ones I've tried, each is a solid choice.

Mushroom And Swiss

On my maiden voyage I got their Mushroom and Swiss. It's exactly as the title suggests, but they do it so well. Melted cheese wraps around the 80/20 beef patty like cellophane, so each bite has that cheesy goodness. The mushrooms taste like they were cut and sautéed to order. Crisp lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions add the perfect fresh contrast to the savory patty. But sometimes, it's the little things that push good ingredients over the edge: a buttered, toasted bun.

You know what's just as good as a great burger? The perfect french fries. The seasoning is spot on. They're so tasty with the the right balance of starchy, salty goodness. There's no artificial aftertaste like the one you find with fast food chains. You'll just have the desire to take the whole basket of fries for yourself.

So what's the downside of Vicki Vails? It's a food truck, so it's inherently a little bit more difficult to pinpoint your soon-to-be-new-addiction than a stationary restaurant. Follow them on Facebook to get alerts about the festivals and events they attend.

The other downside: the price. Two burgers, fries to share, and 2 bottles of water will set you back nearly $30. That might be a little much for some because people have this notion that food out of a truck should be really inexpensive. My advise, the meal is worth the money.

Vicki Vails: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Five Boroughs

There's a duality going on at Five Boroughs on High Street in Portsmouth. Some know it for the pizza, and others for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes (or MME dishes as I'm going to call it). So if you only know it for the New York-style options go back and try the shawarma behind the pizza.

The menu is extensive from strombolis to calzones to hotdogs and hamburgers. That may get people in the door, but shawarma keeps them coming back. 

I confess I've only had 3 of their MME dishes, but it's enough that I had to write about it. So let's dive in to my favorite: the chicken shawarma. 

Chicken Shawarma Platter (takeout edition)

It comes with rice (which is underneath the generous helping of chicken in the picture), a lettuce and tomato salad, mayo-less cabbage slaw, and of course your choice of meat. The chicken is well-spiced but not too salty, the rice is rich and flavorful, and the salad and cabbage slaw add a fresh element that helps balance the whole dish. My suggestion: mix it all together so you get each element in each bite. So what's missing? Hummus! It's like the extra sauce that pulls the whole shawarma platter together. That's why ordering the side dish is a must.

Hummus (takeout edition)

The hummus is great. It's creamy, not too tart, not too much tahini, and literally begs you to eat it by the spoonful. They add some kind of watery pepper on top as a garnish that I could honestly do without. It makes the texture of the hummus more watery than I like, but after you mix it in, it doesn't detract too much from the dish. 

You have 2 options when ordering a side of hummus: pita chips or pita bread. Their pita chips are fried remnants of larger pita pieces. It's not those uniform, thick pieces you buy from a grocery store. The crunch adds great texture, but they can be a little oily; the thinner pieces more so. I prefer getting the pita bread, however it doesn't have as much flavor as the chips.

Left to Right: Shawarma Platter, Pita Bread, Hummus

The chicken shawarma platter will set you back about $10. Add the hummus and pita side for another  $5 to $6 (pita chips are $1 cheaper). The portion size is generous for the price.

The pizza at Five Boroughs is decent. While it's not the best I've eaten, it's large, thin, and very much the New York style many people crave.

Five Boroughs: ⭐⭐⭐

Press 626

Right off Ghent's main drag is a house turned restaurant packing all the flavor and class of something you'd find in a much bigger city. That's Press 626.

(From Left to Right: Champagne Flight, Reds Flight)

It's a wine bar that's won many awards. Don't be intimidated if you're a novice though. Every time I've been there the staff is very knowledgeable and down to Earth. In fact, they offer wine flights, which is the best way to get your foot in the door. What's pictured to the left is a champagne flight and a Spanish reds flight. I had the reds, and now have a new favorite: Estenas Bobal 2015 from Utiel-Requena, Spain. It's actually fitting because that happens to be from the Valencia province where I studied during college. By the way, the cost for those flights is between $15 and $20.

Other Drinks to Check Out: Their Wine Spritzers are very yummy. Very refreshing. If mimosas are your thing, definitely check out their mimosa bar offered during brunch. It's a giant tiered displayed that comes to your table. It features mini champagne bottles at the bottom, a variety of juices like orange and cranberry in the middle, and then at the top are garnishes like mint, oranges, and strawberries.

Courtesy: Press 626 Facebook Page

Food:
I'll break down the food starting with Charcuterie. You get to choose either 3, 5, or 7 cheese and meats on your board for $18, $24, or $30. The picture below features 5: Busseto dry-cured salami mild sopressata (meat), Beemster (cheese), Manchego (cheese), homemade Boursin (cheese), and Buffaleto (cheese). Also featured are the accoutrements that come on every board: apple slices, homemade gluten-free shortbread cookies, bar pickles, cranberry compote, truffle honey, and slices of baguette.

The salami was a tasty, savory addition to the board, but the two, thick pieces were difficult to share with three people.

The Beemster is a firm cheese from Holland, and a safe pick for those new to trying cheeses.

Manchego is a mild Spanish cheese, and is one of my favorites. It's got a nutty flavor I really enjoy. It's also a good pick for beginners.

The Boursin is another one for those new to cheeses. It's like a herb, garlic cream cheese that's great with bread.

The Buffaleto is a soft, pungent cheese, that almost has a bitter after taste. It was a good contrasting flavor with some of the sweeter options on the board, but definitely an acquired taste.

What stands out from the accoutrements are the truffle honey and bar pickles. The bar pickles are small and not too tart. They have a nice palette cleansing effect. The truffle honey is good enough to drink. The subtle truffle flavor paired very well with the Manchego cheese, apples, and shortbreads.

Artichoke & Roasted Tomato Bruschetta Crostini

Small Plates: 
To the right is one of Press's three crostinis. This particular one cost $6 dollars. It was a good balance of flavors between the tartness of the artichokes, the savory feta cheese, the sweetness from the tomatoes and balsamic reduction, all soaked up by the starchy baguette underneath. However, was this a show stopper I'd need to get again? Probably not.

The real show stopper goes to the Beets and Brussels Sautée. You wouldn't think two vegetables could be so appetizing, but the brussel sprouts are deliciously crispy and have that wonderful earthy bitterness to them. Then the beets are juicy and sweet. All of it sits on a spicy chile aioli. The $6 you would have spent on the crostini, save it and spend on a second plate of this.





The third small plate was the Lamb Croquettes.

Lamb Croquetts

It's ground lamb balled up and fried in a breading. Underneath it is mint and cilantro sauce, and flanking the croquettes is creamy yogurt-like sauce and a spicy one that tastes a lot like Siracha. However, the description on the menu was more intriguing than the actual dish. It didn't have much flavor. The sauces did all the talking, and at $9 a pop, I'd like the actual main part of the dish to stand out. I'd pass on them.

Their menu changes so you should go back every once in a while to see their new creations. About a year ago they had a gnocchi and mushroom dish on their small plates menu. It was to die for!

Main Dishes:

I've eaten dinner at Press quite a few times, and each main dish has always left me satisfied. About a year ago I had a delicious pork chop that was perfectly cooked. A little after that I had a chicken dish that was also perfectly cooked. So if you stay away from those proteins at restaurants because most of the time they're overcooked, try Press's version. Despite that, I will say, go during the weekend. I went with my parents in the middle of the week and, while my chicken dish was good, my parents' dishes missed the mark. It seemed like they had their B team in the kitchen that day.

Hand-Rolled Ricotta & Herbed Gnocchi with a Lamb Bolognese & Mint Pesto

My last gnocchi dish with them was very good. The pieces of gnocchi, as you can see in the picture, were quite large. I enjoyed them, but I can see how others might find it too starchy. The lamb bolognese was meaty and savory, a great addition all in all, but what elevated the dish even more was the mint pesto. It added a freshness that made the meat sauce and large, starchy gnocchi not feel so heavy.

Press 626 continues to be one of my favorite restaurants in the area. I always consider it for special occasions, but it has a great brunch selection as well. Don't be fooled by this quaint little house off West Olney Road. It packs a big punch, and there's off-street parking, which is not something you often find in Ghent.

Press 626 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cure Coffeehouse & Brasserie

Hipster cute with trendy drinks that make you feel posh. That's pretty much Cure Coffeehouse and Brasserie in a nut shell.

Coffee: 

Cure is known for their delicious lattes. They've got a list on the wall with cute names like Honeycin, Vanilla Haze, and Churro. It's fun to try and get through the list, but keep in mind a cup like the one in the picture will set you back around $5. They're all good and fairly sweet, so if you're a black coffee drinker, it's not for you. 

Apart from their lattes, you can get a regular cup of coffee in pretty much any form: french press, drip,  and one options uses a ceramic cup that filters it. You'll also see macchiatos and a bunch of other words a coffee novice knows from Starbucks, but this is a real coffeehouse, so don't expect the same thing. 

Just like Cafe Stella, Cure serves beer, wine, and champagne. Follow them on Facebook because they have special drinks for holidays or special events (the shop had a Harry Potter Day when the newest book came out). Also check out their chalkboard near the register for special, seasonal drinks.

My favorite non-coffee drink: their fresh-squeezed lemonade. They've got a good selection of teas as well. Opt for the teapot verses the cup. Trust me. The filter for individual cups is messy. My favorite hot drink is their Chai Tea Latte. It's like fall in a cup.

Food: It's posh flavors and choices, so if you're a simple eater who doesn't like trying new things, don't bother. That being said, if you're adventurous, everything is pretty good.

Their menu recently updated when Cure went through a bit of a facelift. They expanded and tripled their seating space and changed up their menu. It's not as extensive as Cafe Stella, and it is mostly made up of sandwiches. There's also a set time for lunch and breakfast, so if you're jonesing for a lunch-type sandwich at 9 a.m., you're out of luck.

Their breakfast menu includes the Croque Madam, which is one of my favs. Last I checked, they come with a side: fruit, rice pudding, or potato gratin. I'm usually always down for some potato gratin, but they didn't have it one time and I got the rice pudding- SO GOOD! They also have another option with chocolate and peanut butter, also GOOD. 

Other Noshes: The hummus is good, but not as creamy as some recipes. The pita bread is served warm and you'll want another order of just that. They serve charcuterie. It'll set you back at least $10 to $15, but all of it is tasty. (However if charcuterie is really what you love, head to Press 626. Stay tuned, a review for them is coming soon!)

Like Cafe Stella, Cure will post specials you may miss on their chalkboard menu next to the register (sometimes they don't write them down until later in the afternoon). I had a delicious chicken pot pie soup once with a lemon curd cup for dessert with a shortbread cookie. Very yummy, but a little pricey.

That's the big thing about Cure, since it's rehab, I feel like the prices have gone up a bit. That's completely understandable, and not to mention a business needs to keep up with higher costs of materials and inflation. However, you can't really walk out of there with a latte and an appetizer for less than $10. That's why I've cut back on going there.

In addition to good food and drink Cure also has live music on certain nights and fun art on the walls that is for sale and rotates throughout the year. 

Cure Coffeehouse and Brasserie ⭐⭐⭐

Cafe Stella

There's no shortage of cute, hipster coffee shops in Norfolk, but two of my favorites are Cafe Stella and Cure Coffeehouse and Brasserie.

Today I'm breaking down all things Cafe Stella.

Pizzette with Apples, Caramelized Onions, and Gorgonzola Cheese

If you're looking for good coffee and great selection of food at a decent price, head to Stella.

Coffee: To me it's a food place first, then a coffee place.

You won't find a special drink menu with a dozen cutely named concoctions (You'll find that at Cure, but we'll get to that later). Stella has a little bit of everything: coffee, matcha, rooibos, iced tea, hot teas, lattes, limeades, and mochas.

If you want a fancy drink with all the bells and whistles, ask for it. Otherwise, a large, regular cup of coffee will set you back a little under $2.00. A large iced latte with a shot of hazelnut syrup gets pricey. It set me back about $6.00 with tax and all.

Food: Now this is why I really go to Stella. As you can see from the picture above, Stella does some pretty fancy stuff. The menu has a little something for everyone. It's got tradition breakfast and lunch options, but if you're like me and have an affinity for adventure, check out the specials. 

The "specials" of the day are usually in the third column on the menu, or you'll find them on their Facebook page. The Pizzette was very well balanced. That's what a love so much about their food. The pungent Gorgonzola with the sweet caramelized onions, and the tartness of the apples, all equaled a great bite. However, the dough underneath it was a little too thick and tough. If it had been softer or put on a thinner, crisper puff pastry it would have been perfect. The other thing I love about their specials: they could be absolutely anything from a Vietnamese Bahn Mi, to Pupusas, to Borscht, they really have an eclectic chef. The best thing is, these specials are ready to order pretty much all day.

The one downside of their food is the portions aren't too big. If you're expecting a gut-busting plate, you might be disappointed.

Pastries: My favorite is the Gluten Free Dulce de Leche Brownie. It's thick, rich, and has a ribbon of caramel through it. Delish! Their coffee cakes aren't bad, but a little dry and dense. The Polish Apple Cake has a good flavor, but I'd prefer it warmed up.

Hours: Here's another reason why Stella is always my go-to place, it's open really early for breakfast for coffee lovers, and fairly late to serve beer and wine and host live music. I come from a family of food shop owners, so I understand just how difficult it is to be open for that amount of time. Big Kudos to them!

Cafe Stella ⭐⭐⭐⭐