THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 10, 1995 TAG: 9508100675
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: ON THE TOWN
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
THE NEXT TIME I go to the Taphouse Grill I might order a tray of beers. If that sounds overindulgent, bear in mind that I'm referring to 4-ounce samplers of the dozen microbrews on tap at the 21st Street restaurant, a great way to try the caramel-like Stoudt's Wheat, a rich glass of Legend Brown Ale, or Norfolk's own Steamship Captain's Lager.
The idea behind the microbrewery grill has been transplanted to Ghent from Richmond's Fan District, where Taphouse partners James Talley and Jim Dickerson have operated the Commercial Taphouse for two years. The partners chose Ghent for their southern expansion because the demographics so closely resemble the Fan.
Their new 95-seat eatery includes 30 outdoor seats, in the location that has housed Los Amigos, Robert Allen's, the Dining Car and Bebe's Tunes 'n Tonic. Talley said he was worried at first about the location, but response from customers the first week has been positive.
The restaurant has been renovated, with a new bar that will eventually spout 23 taps for a dozen microbrews, a new kitchen, and almost Gothic wainscoting that frames dark red walls.
The menu was designed by Virginia Beach native Nancy Cobb, who worked for Talley at the Memphis Bar & Grill in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom. Cobb has a master's degree in psychology, more helpful in a restaurant kitchen than you might surmise, and honed her culinary skills on the job.
``I went for simplicity on this first menu because I didn't know what the staff could handle or who would be walking through the door,'' Cobb explained. ``I tend to have a Mediterranean flair with a lot of my dishes, using seafood a lot, and I like to do Mexican food. I want everything as fresh as possible, so we do everything from scratch.'' Cobb even uses herbs grown out front in a newly planted garden.
The Taphouse menu offers Apps & Snacks, the sort of finger food you'd expect - Bayou wings ($4.25), chips and salsa ($2.25), nachos ($5.50) - and some you may find intriguing, such as Aioli Crostini, croutons baked with roasted garlic oil and served with a blend of herbed goat cheese and crimini mushrooms ($5.50). We tried Chicken Satay, an Eastern dish of marinated chicken strips with a delicious Thai peanut sauce ($5.50).
Pub Fare offers a club sandwich, burgers, a Ploughman's Platter of cheeses, chutney and other fixin's, and the ``Stealth Sauce Chicken Sandwich.'' Sandwiches are in the $4 to $6 range. Pizzas include the Southwestern (with char-grilled chicken, jack and cheddar, black beans and jalapenos on a light tomato sauce - $7.95), the Louisianne (shrimp and andouille sausage over a white cheese sauce and onions - $8.95), and a vegetarian pie.
Julie chose her dinner from among the salads, which include a Caesar or the Taphouse salad ($4.95), and the ``Big Red Salad'' of chilled tomato slices with scallions, garlic, arugula, parsley and parmesan cheese ($4.50). Her ``My Day Off'' salad consisted of mixed greens with a cilantro oil, peppered goat cheese and roasted walnuts ($5.75), which was as refreshing as it sounds.
Entrees include Paella Norte ($13.95), sauteed chicken breast with snow peas, tomatoes, onion, peppers and seafood, which varies depending on what's fresh and available, Cobb said, and might include shrimp and calamari, or baby clams and mussels. Dean's Three-bean Terrine ($9.95) is a vegetarian meat loaf with two types of lentils, black beans and a spicy tomato sauce over sauteed vegetables. A 12-ounce New York strip is $14.95, while a half-rack of ribs is $8.95. I tried the Pleasuredome Pasta ($10.95), a nouvelle approach to the classic puttanesca sauce, with andouille sausage ringing a rich, thick marinara sauce with capers and black olives.
We tried a number of the microbrews at $1 a sample, about half what you'd pay for a glass of beer (pints are in the $3 to $4 range.) I asked general manager Karl Dornemann why the drafts were served warmer than usual. ``The first week we were open the beer was a bit warmer than we like to sell it because of a refrigeration problem,'' Dornemann explained. ``But microbrewery beer should always be served a bit warmer. The colder the beer is, the more you hide the flavor.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE
Left to right, James Talley, co-owner of the Taphouse Grill, with
chef Nancy Cobb and manager Karl Dornemann.
Graphic
AT A GLANCE
Taphouse Grill: 931 W. 21st St., 627-9172.
Food: pub fare, pizza, salads, nouvelle American entrees;
microbrewery beers, limited wine selection, full ABC.
Prices: sandwiches and pizza $3.95 to $8.95; entrees $8.95 to
$14.95; daily specials.
Hours: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.
by CNB