THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 1, 1994 TAG: 9411290120
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
If Leigh Vitasek looks familiar to customers at the new BrewBakers Coffeehouse on Spotswood Avenue, that's because she managed the Cuisine & Co. operation on West 21st Street for two years, then returned later to open the First Colony Coffee House in the same location.
The new coffeehouse is located in the former Sunflower Florist storefront just off Colley Avenue, adjacent to the Naro video store, and sports 14 antique oak pub tables imported from England, as well as an eight-stool bar that juts out from the corner of a black wall like the prow of a boat. The ceiling tin overhead is painted beige, as are the walls, giving the place a fresh, clean appearance. A huge antique retail display case abuts racks of coffee bags, adding to the amalgamation of old and new.
Vitasek is about as local as you can get, having gone to Maury High School and ODU, where she majored in English, but her partner, Patrick Sullivan, is a newcomer whose background includes a degree from Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I., and experience at large-volume operations such as Bennigan's and Ruby Tuesday.
``I was hired as a consultant by Patrick, to help him find a spot for a coffeehouse in Farmville, but we couldn't get the retail space we wanted,'' Vitasek explained.
Meanwhile, some local people were discussing a Colley Avenue coffeehouse operation with Vitasek, and when that deal didn't pan out she convinced Sullivan to relocate. The result is BrewBakers.
Coffeehouses are riding the crest of a trend now, but BrewBakers has the appeal to become a local institution. The menu offers New England-style clam chowder or French onion soup ($4.95) served in a freshly baked bread bowl. The French onion soup, topped with a slice of Gouda cheese rather than the traditional Brie, is presented on a black enamelware plate and could serve as a meal in its own right, not to mention a still-life.
Salads include the Ghent Chicken Tortellini, cheese-filled tortellini with Italian plum and sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, Parmesan cheese and marinated chicken ($6.50); a walnut cinnamon salad or greens under warm, breaded goat cheese, apples, walnuts and cinnamon, topped with a walnut vinaigrette dressing ($6.25), as well as a Caesar ($4.95) and others.
Sandwiches include the BrewBakers' Beefeater of sliced roast beef au jus, with Cheddar cheese ($5.50); and a pork apple pita (pork tenderloin wrapped in Gouda cheese in a whole wheat pita, with an apple walnut vinaigrette dressing and a sweet-apple pickle relish alongside - $5.50).
My pal Nick tried the Hot Ham & Cheese (lettuce, tomato, bacon, Cheddar cheese and ham, of course, with mayo, on toasted French bread - $4.95), while I opted for the Irish Dip, which turned out not to be a pickpocket with an accent - as in Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes - but a corned beef and Swiss on rye with espresso cups of sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on the side. Both sandwiches were served with seedless grapes and slices of orange on the plates, and went down quite easily.
Desserts include chocolate fondue for two ($6.95), with sour-cream pound cake, pineapples, bananas, apples and marshmallows for dipping, and an assortment of sweets, such as apple or banana cream pie, German chocolate cake, and the ``BrewBar,'' a sort of blondie (as in brownie).
As for coffee, it's sold by the cup ($1 with tax and a refill for the Coffees O' The Day, which might be a non-flavored caffeinate, decaf mocha java or hazelnut), or by the large bag ($6 to $13 for approximately a pound) or small bag ($3 to $7 for approximately a half-pound). There is also cafe au lait, cappuccino and cafe latte ($2.25 per cup), as well as coffee cordials, such as the Naro Escape (with Bailey's and Kahlua - $3.95). ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Leigh Vitasek, standing, and Patrick Sullivan, in the pastry case,
have teamed to run the new BrewBakers Coffeehouse.
AT A GLANCE
BrewBakers Coffeehouse: 806 Spotswood Ave., 625-BREW (2739).
Food: soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts and specialty coffees;
full ABC expected to be in place soon, if it isn't already.
Prices: salads and sandwiches from $3.95 to $6.50.
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1
a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
by CNB