A New Place to Wine

While we sing the bailout blues, there’s still a lot happening to hail on our restaurant scene. Bargains, too. The Winehouse Bar and Bistro (née The Winehouse in Ghent) recently re-opened at its new "uptown Ghent" address (formerly Zio’s) and took its half-price Sunday entrees along for the move (drink specials, too, including half-price bottles Tuesdays).

Claret-colored walls mellow the handsome, hard surfaces in this larger home, where brick-framed booths seem like fireplace hearths. Chef Tim McGee offers his dinner menu of small plates and "international comfort food" entrees (Thai shrimp curry, carbonara pasta), adding lunch and Sunday brunch. With a 2,000-count wine vault, owners Brad and Jennifer Smith expand selections, maintaining their emphasis on small producers, and there’s a private tasting room with a drop-down screen. Meeting, anyone? 1517 Colley Ave., Norfolk, 622-7777/961-8510, www.mywinehouse.com

Cushy expense accounts might be history, but you can still indulge in a four-star nosh at your ergonomic desk. Todd Jurich’s Bistro has taken over the "grab-n-go kiosk" in the SunTrust lobby (formerly run by Baker’s Crust), dubbing it Todd’s Refresher.

"We thought it was a good fit," says Jurich. "It’s right out the back door of our kitchen and helps broaden our clientele and reach people on the fly."

Belgian hot chocolate, Starbucks coffee, bagels and beignets can be had for breakfast, (7:30 a.m.-10 a.m.) with soups, salads, sandwiches, sushi and more at lunch (11 a.m.-2 p.m.). 150 W. Main St., Norfolk

Although there will be 50 wines under $50 at soon-to-open Press 26 Café & Wine Bar (in Winehouse’s original spot at 626 Olney Ave., Norfolk), pressed grapes won’t be the sole focus, shares Lindsay Bennett, co-owner with husband Ed, who got her industry start tending bar at Todd Jurich’s Bistro. The casual, slow food-embracing eatery across from Sentara will be about all things pressed, like panini and coffee, elaborates chef Andres DeMarchena (Harbor Club, Beale Street). No word yet about pants.

"Farm To Feast Week" is what five local restaurants known for celebrating regionally-grown ingredients every day of the year have proclaimed the last week of October. Each takes a night to produce a $30 three course menu showcasing nearby farmers: Croc’s (Sun., Oct. 26) in Virginia Beach (428-5444), The Boot (Mon., Oct. 27) in Norfolk (627-2668), Comfort (Tues., Oct. 28) in Portsmouth (393-3322), Stove (Wed., Oct. 29) in Portsmouth (397-0900) and Vintage Kitchen (Thurs., Oct. 30) in Norfolk (625-3370). As Michael Pollan writes in an open letter to the next "Farmer in Chief" in New York Times Magazine’s "The Food Issue" (Oct. 12): "…the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security."

The dialogue’s as processed as Cheez Whiz, but it’s worth sobbing through for the Outer Banks sites in Nights in Rodanthe. Should you find yourself in the real Hatteras Island village, as I did last week, there aren’t many restaurant options. One pick is BoardWok South (Pamlico Station, Hwy. 12, milepost 39 ¾), the Asian-American bistro owned by Gia Brown, sister of Kevin Wong of BoardWok in Virginia Beach. Nights’ cast, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, had their meals catered on set, so missed out on the chocolate egg rolls. But the crew supported a bake sale to raise funds for a seriously burned local man at a shop downstairs. Leslie Robinson, who helped with the benefit and has since opened Beach Mugs Coffeehouse (with most excellent java and free wireless Internet) in the same complex, recalls: "At the end, the woman in charge of catering for the film came in and bought everything left. We wound up raising $1,200!"

Lizard Cafe's Jamie Seriani presents a homemade carrot cake.

Bookmark Lizard Café

A Favorite

Bibliophile/foodies, rejoice! Bill Prince, who delights with astonishingly fresh, local, seasonal fare at Leaping Lizard Café in Virginia Beach, just opened Lizard Café in his sister Sarah Pishko’s Prince Books in downtown Norfolk. It’s a stunning new chapter for the spot that had been a "quickie" Taste Unlimited. Prince elevated the booths to window level, creating an inviting environment with waitstaff (although takeout orders abound). Linger over fresh-caught, dilled tuna on homemade rosemary bread, or a salad exuberant with yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta, mushrooms and homemade vinaigrette. Kitchen limitations preclude entrees like those at Lizard’s Beach locale, but choices are still voluminous, with soups such as roasted chicken with cannellini beans and just-baked carrot cake destined to become bestsellers. 109 E. Main St., Norfolk, 622-5973, Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Seems there’s a big election brewing. 7-Eleven invites customers to pick their president by 20-oz. coffee cup (don’t worry, McCain’s and Obama’s mugs aren’t on them, they’re just red and blue, with Dr. Pepper in Big Gulp cups for those who prefer a straw poll). At press time, the non-scientific 7-Election standings in Virginia have Obama leading 61 percent to McCain’s 39 percent (updates at www.7-election.com). Want another belly ballot? Taste Unlimited endorses Byrd Cookie Company’s G.O.P. Cookies and Democrat Snacks as well as Dave’s Gourmet Hot Sauce in John McCain and Barack Obama varieties.