We’re excited to welcome Patrick Evans Hilton to Living 757 as a regular contributor, letting folks know about all the good eats and good drinks across Coastal Virginia.
Here’s what we discussed on the May 4, 2021 show. Miss the episode, check it out below!
EATS | CAFE STELLA
Cafe Stella is a charming restaurant located in Norfolk’s Ghent.
The eclectic space showcases a mix of antiques and art in a relaxing setting. Coffee, fresh roasted by Mariusz Pomianek, who owns Cafe Stella with his wife, Stella, is used in a number of coffee drinks, and is available to take home to brew, as well.
The restaurant also offers beer, cocktails, and wine.
Delicious dishes and artisan baked goods come from baker/owner Stella.
In the segment, we showcase just some of the yum-mazing treats:
+ Bacon-Cheddar Scones
+ Date Bars
+ Miniature Lemon-Passionfruit Bars
+ Millionaire Bars (caramel with a dark chocolate top resting on a shortbread crust)
The showstopper is the White Cake with Raspberry Jam Filling and frosted in an Italian Buttercream. This 6-inch cake is also available in an 8-inch offering.
In the segment, we pair a Virginia-crafted Rockbridge Vineyard Tuscarora White wine (www.RockbridgeVineyard.com), a crisp, refreshing white wine perfect for spring and summer entertaining.
The wine today comes from our friends at the Virginia Wine of the Month Club (www.VAWineClub.com)
RSVP
Cafe Stella
1907 Colonial Ave., Norfolk
757-625-0461
DRINKS | ORANGE CRUSH COCKTAIL
f Coastal Virginia’s were to have an official summer cocktail, no doubt it would be the Orange Crush. Forget syrupy-sweet, fizzy sodas of the same name you remember from your childhood.
These adult imbibes are a skillful blend of orange vodka, triple sec, fresh-squeezed orange juice and a splash of lemon-lime soda all served in big, frosty glass packed full of ice.
With it’s wild popularity, it’s hard to believe the drink is less than 20 years old, but the Orange Crush’s Coastal Virginia history dates back to just 2002. The OG was first served up at Waterman’s Surfside Grille (www.Watermans.com), located at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
And while Waterman’s serves up their fair share of them to folks looking for Mixed Drink Mecca, but truth is, you can find them at just about any watering hole in these parts. And you can find them made with just about any fruit, too, including blueberry, grapefruit, mango, pineapple, and strawberry.
Here’s how we make our Orange Crush:
Ingredients
2 orange slices
4 ounces fresh squeezed orange juice
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce orange flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
Lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite
2 orange slices
Method
In a tall glass, add one orange slice and muddle with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add orange juice, vodka, and orange liqueur, and shake. Fill the glass with ice and strain cocktail into the glass. Top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with an orange slice.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 4 ounces fresh orange juice, 2 ounces vodka and 1 ounce orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier and shake. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and fill with a lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite. Garnish with an orange slice.
Note: make it a lighter version by using lemon-lime seltzer water in place of the soda.
Yields 1 cocktail.
We like to keep things local, and recommend using vodka from one of Coastal Virginia’s craft distilleries, such as Norfolk’s Reverend Spirits (www.DrinkReverend.com).
Portions of this article appeared in the May 2021 issue of Boulevard Magazine; visit www.BLVDMedia.io
FOOD NEWS YOU CAN USE
Here’s the latest in Coastal Virginia’s cuisine scene:
+ After closing for several weeks in early spring, Eurasia Cafe (www.EurasiaVB.com) has reopened with major renovations, some new menu items, and a new cocktail program.
Inside, light green walls mix with dark wood accents and seating hued in butterscotch and pearl. The bar has moved to the front of the restaurant, and the wine collection wraps around a corner of the dining room. A sophisticated enclosure now embraces the outdoor seating, and another expansion of the alfresco space is planned.
On a recent visit we enjoyed Fine Swine, medallions of grilled pork tenderloin fanned out across a bowl of fried rice. The fried rice is accented with pineapple, shiitake mushrooms, peas, and finely chopped peanuts.
Also enjoyed was the Wanderlust cocktail, comprised of butterfly pea infused Gunpowder Gin, maraschino liqueur, lavender syrup, honey syrup, lemon, soda.
A layered drink with an opaque bottom half and brilliant purple top was stunning to look at, and beautiful to drink
+ Indicative of labor woes across the restaurant industry and others as well, Zoes Restaurant (www.ZoesVB.com), located in the Virginia Beach ViBe Creative District, has announced that for the time being they are closing on Mondays. The cause stems from a number of positions unfilled.
We’ll keep you informed when regular hours are resumed at the fine dining steak and seafood restaurant.
MORE EATS + DRINKS
Get all the information from today’s Virginia Eats + Drinks on Living 757 segment plus more: giveaways, recipes, tips, and tricks on our website, www.VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com
