WINESday at Whole Foods - 10 April 2013

WINESday at Whole Foods, 10 April 2013. Spring Whites.

Shady Grove Marketplace - Part 2

This past weekend Shady Grove Marketplace celebrated their 2 year anniversary! They had samples from Sabrosa Foods and Artisan’s Bakery & Cafe on hand for visitors. New Belgium Virginia and The Ten Top were there too with delicious sandwiches and beer, compliments of the house. Make it a point to visit the market if you’re in the area.

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Shady Grove Marketplace - Part 1

This past weekend Shady Grove Marketplace celebrated their 2 year anniversary! They had samples from Sabrosa Foods and Artisan’s Bakery & Cafe on hand for visitors. New Belgium Virginia and The Ten Top were there too with delicious sandwiches and beer, compliments of the house. Make it a point to visit the market if you’re in the area.

Set 1 of 2

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WINESday at Whole Foods - 3 Apr 2013

Last night was another WINESday tasting at Whole Foods Virginia Beach. On Wednesdays they pour wines from selected regions and pair them with food made in-house. We had French varietals last night; one of my favorite pairings was the French Onion Soup Casserole towards the end. The vegan Mushroom Bourguignon very good too. The wines were all new.

Visit i<3food on Facebook for more photos from the event.

Leila’s Mediterranean Groceries and Deli

Having lunch at Leila’s Mediterranean Groceries and Deli, Virginia Beach, VA. From top to bottom: Baba Ghanoush, Lamb Gyros, Lamb Shawarma, assorted olives, and more.

A hidden gem in the city. The store is on the corner of a tiny shopping strip in a part of town that could use a little attention. We found it a few years ago by accident; we were driving down the boulevard and it caught my eye.

Inside there are spices, oils, cheeses, and other odds and ends from the Mediterranean. One of my favorite things to get in the store is the Kalamata olives they have in self-service bins. There is a good assortment and they’re priced well. My wife and I also tell people this is the place to go if you need hard to find spices from the region. I remember I had a hard time finding sumac but I found it at Leila’s. They buy in bulk so they allowed me to take as much as I needed and charged me by weight. That was great, otherwise I would have had to buy a pound of the stuff and I’m not sumac that much.

There are hookahs, dairy, and grains available. We buy cous cous from here if we’re near and I know we need it. Very good price and it’s nice to purchase at a small shop. If you’re in the area stop by and check it out. Here’s a link to it on the map.

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Lamb Kefta

Lamb Kefta on the grill.

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Easter Dinner 2013

Easter Dinner. It turned out great and I had it done on time too.

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Wine Tasting at Grape and Gourmet

March 29th was Wine Tasting night at Grape and Gourmet.

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Beer Tasting at Grape and Gourmet

March 28th was Beer Tasting night at Grape and Gourmet. I ended up taking home the Brooklyn Brewery’s Breathing Head.

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Sample Saturday

We happened upon a ton of samples tonight! Hotdogs, waffles, chicken salad, corndogs, candy, and bourbon! Food and booze, not bad, not bad at all :)

WINESday at Whole Foods - 27 March 2013

WINESday at Whole Foods Virginia Beach, 27 March 2013. Spanish varietals.

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Food Trucks at WHRO

Our local PBS station, WHRO, ran a spotlight on food trucks in Hampton Roads. Cathy Lewis of HearSay and chef/writer Patrick Evans-Hylton hosted a meetup between the community and a couple of rigs. Hubcap Grill and Bro’s Fish Tacos were both on the spot to feed the public.

Virginia Chocolate Festival 2013

This weekend was the Virginia Chocolate Festival hosted at Scope! Two days of artisans and vendors sampling and selling their goods. Everything from chocolate flavored wines to molding chocolates you could play with (then eat later) where available for those who attended.

Wine Tasting at Grape & Gourmet - 22 March 2013

Friday night Wine Tasting at Grape and Gourmet. Virginia Beach, VA. The tastings are weekly: beer on Thursday, wine on Friday. A great way to try a lot of things you wouldn’t pick-up normally.

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Second Street Bistro

Second Street Bistro in Williamsburg, VA. Excellent food.  Top to bottom: 2nd St’s Famous O-Rings, Bread with Herb Oil, Grilled Salmon on Sweet Potato-Sage Risotto, Signature Burger, Grilled Bison Meatloaf.

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