THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 25, 1995 TAG: 9505240047
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: A LA CARTE
SOURCE: DONNA REISS
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
FELLINI'S, which brought some of the first designer pizzas to South Hampton Roads, has vacated its longtime location at 123 W. 21st St. in Norfolk and reopened at 3910 Colley Ave., site of the short-lived Wilma's Chili Parlor.
Wilma's, like Fellini's, was owned by Mike Cavish and Ann Ribar, who closed the chili parlor, brought over the mismatched wooden chairs and tables from 21st Street, installed handsome wooden mantles where there are no fireplaces, and added a Fellini's sign.
The menu is the same; as usual, best bets are designer pies with white or whole-wheat crusts and huge house salads with homemade croutons. Call 625-3000.
Meanwhile, Joe Hoggard of Ships Cabin, 4110 E. Ocean View Ave. in Norfolk (362-5749), has signed a lease on the former Fellini's site on 21st Street.
An as-yet unnamed cafe will appear there, Hoggard says.. Decor and menu have been influenced by his trips to France and California.
Fresh salads, pastas and pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven will be featured. AND IN D.C. . .
Although we missed the annual cherry blossom festival during a March trip to Washington, D.C., we did see enough pink blooms to welcome spring.
We also managed a few meals at noteworthy restaurants, including the famous Red Sage. A short walk from the Mall at 605 14th St. N.W., this trendy southwestern cafe is awash in yellow-orange and teal, the bright touches softened by a puffy cloud ceiling and a table tucked into a corner.
Our blue corn enchilada was stuffed with grilled vegetables and goat cheese and accompanied by smoky tomato-pepper salsa - filling, fun, and delicious at $7.95, average for lunches.
Blue and yellow tortilla chips came with smoky red chipotle dip, spicy green tomatillo dip, and creamy black bean dip; and every table had a basket of six liquid pepper sauces to fortify the flavors.
Dinner ($17.25 to $23.75) is served downstairs in a dining area and bar described by my companion as ``way cool.'' Call (202) 638-4444.
Neither trendy nor commercial was Red Sea, in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, with its astonishing array of ethnic restaurants. We sipped Ethiopian table wine and shared foot-round metal trays of meats and vegetables.
With rounds of injera, a spongy flat pancake, we scooped up garlic-and-turmeric-scented lamb cubes, spicy shrimp with ginger and green chilies, and vegetable blends of legumes and peppers. A first for most of us, this cuisine was reminiscent of Indian fare; the communal dining was delightful and inexpensive at less than $20 a person. Cross this Red Sea at 2463 18th St. N.W. at Columbia Road (202-483-5000).
A microbrewery near the monuments? Indeed, the Capital City Brewing Co., 1100 New York Ave. N.W. (202-628-2222) capitalizes on this trend with a large selection of local lagers, ales, porters and stouts, a big square of a bar, a jukebox and lots of casual seating to capture the crowds from the nearby convention center. The fare is American standard; soft pretzels are a best bet with the beer.
One evening we enjoyed the elegant Morrison-Clark Inn on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Eleventh Street N.W. Restored to period style in 1987, this charming Victorian mansion's dining areas incorporate marble, gilt, floral upholstery, candlelight and impeccable service.
New American cuisine harmonized well: baby spinach salad with radicchio and shaved fennel root, sauteed spiced shiitake mushrooms on toast points, and salmon with black beans and fresh tomato chutney. Reserve a table at (202) 898-1200. by CNB