THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 14, 1996 TAG: 9608130056
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: A LA CARTE
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: 68 lines
BILL MINDER liked his grandma's Sicilian-style cooking so much he learned to follow her recipes. In the two months since he opened Zia Marie at 4407 Lookout Road in Virginia Beach, he's been serving homemade sausage, marinated vegetable salad, pastas and meats fashioned after the Chicago restaurant run by his relatives. Soon he'll add thin-crust pizzas to the menu.
Inside the building at Chick's Beach that used to be a bar, large windows now let in the afternoon light. A warm contemporary look comes from trims of stone, earth tones, oak furnishings, a fireplace and a marble-topped bar. Look closely at the small black-and-white photographs framed along the walls and you'll see the Italian ancestors of Minder and his partner Butch Germano. Go for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Phone 460-0715. AUTHENTIC JAPANESE
Wataru Mizuno has lived in Japan and New Jersey and once attended Western Branch High School for a few years. His training in restaurants in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo prepared him to be chef-owner of Mizuno, which opened in January at La Promenade shopping center in Virginia Beach.
He describes his restaurant as ``basic and authentic'' with its two-level sushi bar, clean lines, big-button sconces and quiet atmosphere. Among his specialties are sashimi salad with lettuces, seaweeds, fish, and a light gingery dressing and fantail rolls with lobster.
We sampled the salad and a tasty bowl of thick udon noodles. Next time we'll order some of the more exotic offerings like grilled whole squid with grated ginger or smoked eel over rice.
Mizuno, at 1860 Laskin Road, is open for lunch and dinner; phone 422-1200. THIRSTING FOR KNOWLEDGE?
Here's a reason to go back to school: R.L. Williams, director of the Enological Research Facility and professor of chemistry at Old Dominion University, offers a course in wine appreciation every semester. Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m., Sept. 3 through Dec. 3, students will sample four to five varietals with cheese at every class. The $185 class culminates in a four-course wine-tasting dinner prepared by chef John Zinitz at the Town Point Club in Norfolk. The course number is XSSC 1065 CN94567.
If you'd rather do a day trip, Williams is guiding bus tours, one to Charlottesville area wineries, Sept. 21 (course number XSSC 1006 CN94575), and the other to Northern Virginia wineries, Nov. 2 (course number XSSC 1006 CN94581). These tastings are limited to 44 riders, $79 each. For information about either course, contact Williams at 683-4091. To register, phone the university at 683-5101. BARBECUE MONTH
American barbecue is the theme of this month's promotion at La Promenade, Airport Hilton, 1500 N. Military Highway, 466-8000. Through Sept. 15, you can sample scallops and tuna with Pee Dee River Farm Barbecue Sauce, baby back ribs with Jack Daniel's Whiskey Que Sauce, and chicken basted in Tennessee fowl hen sauce. On the side are potato salad, cole slaw, corn on the cob, baked beans, mayonnaise biscuits, and jalapeno corn muffins. A FRESH SQUEEZE
Lemonade is the beverage of choice at O'Bailey's Cafe in Portsmouth. Open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday, this 2-month-old eatery features the fresh-squeezed flavored citrus drinks owner Karen Bailey also serves at her kiosks in Portside and Waterside. The 30-seat cafe, at 3210 High St., also serves sandwiches, Irish potato soup, deli salads, and daily specials. Phone 393-2383. by CNB