Article and Photography by Fitz
Recently, I sat down and shot the shit with Anne Galante and Patrick Edwards at Field Guide in Norfolk. In a time when ambitiously large restaurant menus that might seem bloated to some still reign across Hampton Roads, this couple of seven years at their restaurant, Stockpot, in Virginia Beach, have made it a point to keep it simple and focus on soup. “Nothing is worse than going into a restaurant, seeing a bunch of things that sound great on the menu and then get them and they’re just OK.” Patrick explained to me. “We wanted to make sure that we concentrated on what we did so that it stood out. We took something that is an afterthought at many restaurants and made it our focus.”
Patrick Edwards having dinner at Field Guide
It was rather fitting that we were having this conversation over dinner at Field Guide, owned by David Hausman, and John Porter. Their other two restaurants, Handsome Biscuit and Toast feature narrow menus that focus on chicken and biscuits and a quaint variety of toast dishes. Both Anne and Patrick credit the restaurateurs as influences. There is no doubt a similar ethos is at play with Stockpot but with one diverging variable, Anne.
Anne Galante having dinner at Field Guide
In both the kitchens at Handsome Biscuit and Toast, there really isn’t a figure with the chops that Anne has. In fact, in terms of local female chefs, along with Rina Estero at Nouvelle in Norfolk and a select few others, Galante is a trailblazer setting a high bar in an industry dominated by men. When Patrick mentioned to me how good her cooking was though, she started squirming in her chair. Anne truly is humble but her back story, along with the respect she has earned in the industry, justifies the praise from her other half. After all, Patrick would know, even despite the bias. He worked under Anne at The Leaping Lizard Cafe some years ago. Back then, Anne, with far less experience than she has now, was running the kitchen there not long after first getting the job. Undeterred from the challenge, she would help endear the public to the food at Leaping Lizard before leaving around 2011.
Ask any chef that has worked with her or ate her food over the years and they to will likely have compliments that would also make Anne a bit uneasy.
Kevin Dubel, the Chef de Cuisine at Terrapin said of her, “Anne’s food is thoughtful, focused and built from humble beginnings. She is all about the ingredients and technique, not over manipulation. When you eat her food you think to yourself…‘this is familiar, I’ve had something like this growing up…but THIS is the best version of it I’ve ever had.’”
Chef Ian Hock, formerly of Esoteric, recently said of her, “Anne is putting out some of the most honest and fun food at the beach right now. Her love and humility shows through in every dish.”
And Ross Riddle, of Hashi, stated, “Anne seems razor focused and measured, which can sometimes lend food to come off as sterile or lacking soul, but she manages to walk that tight rope of calculation, with love that you can taste!”
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For more on Esoteric’s carefully curated craft beer, cocktails, and modern American cuisine, visit them online at esotericvb.com or click the flier above!
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In terms of acclaim and praise, Patrick knew he would not be the face of Stockpot. During a conversation he recalled with Porter, Patrick, detailed to me the reasons both of them came up with that would drive public attention for Stockpot to Anne. Patrick, a vet of the industry having, most notably, worked at Pacifica for four plus years, is a bit of an athlete. He regularly plays beach volleyball and enjoys mountain sports when possible. It’s a good thing too, Stockpot is often crushed with customers and Patrick regularly has to hustle when running the front of the house and expediting plates.
In paralleling Handsome Biscuit and Toast’s focused and limited menu approach, Anne and Patrick with Stockpot in Virginia Beach have established a restaurant that may point to things to come in that city. They have also filled a niche. They recognized how familiar soup is to everyone and then took the time and care to make it stand out. Add to that their respectable local sourcing practices, along with Anne’s talent, and this couple stands to help shape the culinary culture in Virginia Beach.
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