Article and photography by Fitz
Input considered and quoted from Staff and Contributors
We’ve all been there. You innocently went out with your friends after a long work week and one drink led to two drinks which led to eight. Before you know it, your legs are jello, your heads in a fog, and your verbal filter is set to TRUMP. You need food. You gotta soak up the booze and get something in your belly. Not too much food though. Puking is a real hazard here! Don’t worry, we got you. Here is a tasty list of some of the best bar bites to help you stay upright in Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
Shishito Peppers Esoteric
Hands down the best bar snack I’ve had in the last few months, the shishito peppers at Esoteric come simply prepared and are down right addictive. They’re picked from the garden out back and blackened in a cast iron skillet with a bit of sea salt, olive oil, fresh lime and benne seeds. When plated, they’re paired with a refreshing house made cucumber tzatziki sauce consisting of greek yogurt, parsley, mint, lime, and salt and pepper. By and large, these tasty little devils are mild but an occasional spicy odd ball can lurk amongst the bunch primed and ready to strike. Can you say surprise spicy drinking game?
Street Corn Elixia
Oh Nate (Chef de cuisine) and Hledik (Executive Chef/ Owner), thank you so much for unpretentious and affordable tapas menu options in Hampton Roads. With nothing on Elixia’s menu over eleven bucks and on average around six bucks per tapa, I believe I have finally found a tapas place in Hampton Roads I can visit without worrying about my rent money later in the month. There are small plates available, skewers, tacos, and, at number two on our list, Elotes (Mexican Street Corn). They’re grilled, limey, and covered ever so deliciously with cotija cheese and chilli. With a wooden skewer driven through the cobb, as long as you can still touch your face, these handheld bad boys are perfect for drunk snacking. You may even end up with a corn flavor savor between your teeth or in your beard should you be rocking one of those.
Pig Ears Saint Germain
Another bite on this list presented by Chef Hledik, this time available at Saint Germain, I give much respect to him for bringing pig ears to Downtown Norfolk. A popular option to many of the contributors and staff at Southern Grit, I’ll let contributing writer and serious Hampton Roads eater Dennis Cayton break it down for you.
“The pig ears remind me of pork rinds on steroids. They are much thicker than pork rinds, yet they still maintain their outer crisp while delivering a delicately meaty and chewy texture inside. They also gave me an intense and full bodied bacon flavor that I enjoy.”
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For more on The Bakehouse at Chelsea’s classic wood-fired pastries visit HERE or click the flier above!
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Poutine 1608 Crafthouse
There are some solid poutines around Hampton Roads these days. Esoteric’s poutine and FMC Garden’s poor man’s poutine come to mind as great offerings of the dish. My favorite in recent memory however is Chef Kevin Sharkey’s version of the Canadian comfort food staple at 1608 Crafthouse. The meaty oxtail chili spin really shines in this take on a classic bar bite usually featuring a bit thinner gravy. When you are hungry drunk, you can’t do much better than these savory house cut chili fries loaded with curds, jalapeños, and topped with a fried egg.
Pork Lettuce Wraps Judy’s Sichuan
I get the argument that people want bread and grease to suck up all the liquor and beer, but I also know that pushing water during a drunken night helps with hangovers. For that reason, the pork lettuce wraps at Judy’s are perfecto. You can find lettuce wraps with meat at other Chinese spots but, as with so many of the dishes at Judy’s, they are a cut above. Texturally, the juxtaposition between the crisp lettuce and minced pork does it for me every time. For those not looking for overly heavy drunk food, these will be your jam.
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Creative, Fresh, Seasonal! For More on Eat An American Bistro visit them HERE or click the flier above!
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Fried Pickles Grilled Cheese Bistro
“What makes a fried pickle worth raving about? This peasant’s pub grub appetizer at GCB has been elevated to the peerage of main courses.”
“The pickles at GCB have the best consistency of any fried pickles I’ve ever tasted: The perfect, thick, crunchy, exterior around a gloriously juicy interior.”
These quotes by contributors Nadira Grubbs and Tiffannie Williams are just a sample of what I continue to hear about Grilled Cheese Bistro’s epic fried pickles. It’s likely the shortening used when frying these bad boys that makes them so tasty. Inspired by GCB owner Dina Taylor’s memories of amusement park fried pickles, pairing a fruit or lambic style beer with these juicy devils is sinfully delightful.
Salted Pretzel Wasserhund
Could there be a more classic bar snack than the 10-inch salted soft pretzel at Wasserhund? As contributing writer Kyle Kovachik put it, “What better bar experience could you ask for than a giant pretzel and a Wasserhund beer. [It’s] a mouth watering appetizer that pairs well with their beers.” In my opinion, the best beer to pair it with is Wasserhund’s Purebred Pilsner. The lager-esque Pilsner with it’s dry malty sweet notes play well with the outer crust of the pretzel in a classic way not too removed from a beer and pretzel pairing you might find out at a ballgame. A true Bavarian beer batter pretzel, Wasserhund, serves it with a house made mustard created using their Dunkel Lager.
For more on Esoteric visit them online HERE
For more on Elixia visit them HERE
For more on Saint Germain visit them HERE
For more on 1608 Crafthouse visit them HERE
For more on Judy’s Sichuan visit them HERE
For more on The Grilled Cheese Bistro visit them HERE
For more on Wasserhund visit them HERE
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