Article by Chris Fellini with photography by Joshua Fitzwater
Zeke’s pour over coffee
They say April showers bring May flowers. I don’t know if that’s always true, but what I do know is the skies have decided to unleash their rage on Norfolk the day we pay Zeke’s a visit. “Big Jet Plane” by Angus and Julia Stone is playing as we walk in, a slower tempo song with just enough somberness in the music to fit the weather’s mood. If you haven’t been yet, Zeke’s is the latest player in the NEON District (formerly known as the Arts District), joining Work｜Release and The Parlor On Granby as cool new spots to eat in the neighborhood.
Before they moved in, the space was the storefront for Acclaimed Events. When the owners of Zeke’s decided to open their Norfolk location here, there was a lot of work to be done to the space. They ripped out the carpet and replaced it with hardwood laminate, and added a bar that runs the length of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the front and on the side of the building. They also created a coffee bar and built a kitchen from the ground up in a space that was probably never originally conceived or planned out as a restaurant. Furniture is a little sparse right now, as the main focus was turning the site around fast enough for the beginning of First Fridays in downtown Norfolk. There are a couple tables and chairs besides the bar stools, but owner Nick Vitale has plans to put a few couches in the cafe down the road. An old chalkboard hangs above one of the tables, listing the menu options at Zeke’s.
(above left- sweet and spicy poke bowl/ above right- North Pole acai bowl)
After talking to Vitale, I learn that the menu is still super limited because they’re in the middle of a back and forth with the Health Department to get their grill installed. Once they sort out all the red tape, they’ll be adding the pitas and sandwiches that are popular at their Virginia Beach location. For now, they’ve got their staple fresh juices, pour-over coffee, acai bowls, and poke rice bowls.
If you’ve never had a poke bowl, it’s a Hawaiian dish involving raw fish (usually yellowfin tuna) seasoned with sea salt, crushed red pepper, and soy sauce. At Zeke’s, the poke bowls come in several different flavors from the O.G. poke bowl to the Southwestern bowl. The tuna sits atop a bed of rice, tossed in with the other ingredients of each bowl. I settle on the sweet and spicy bowl after Parrish Majestic, who works in the kitchen, recommends it. The sesame used in the preparation of the dish lends a nice nutty flavor to the rice. The fish, at first, comes off a touch too salty. With the pineapple, however, the fruit’s sweetness melds perfectly with the salt to bring the dish altogether. The poke bowl is as healthy and wholesome as it tastes, filling me up but not making me feel stuffed.
The acai bowls are like the breakfast counterparts of the poke bowls. They come with granola and fresh acai juice, and the different options use different fruits and nuts. We order the Northpole, which comes with coconut, almonds, banana, mango, and blueberry. The cup it comes in is overflowing with everything inside. I work my way through some of the coconut and almonds until I can mix everything without sending things flying. This is the way breakfast should be. Between the freshly cut fruit, the acai juice, and the granola, everything tastes refreshingly healthy in a flavorful way. Sure, you could have a bagel or even grab an early riser special at a diner, but when there’s food like this that makes you feel great after eating why waste your time.
The juices at Zeke’s are made fresh to order. My personal favorite has become the watermelon juice, which tastes just like summer. There are several other juices, running the gamut from pear and apple to the obligatory green juice made up of a bunch of different leafy greens and cut with apple and lemon. The coffee at Zeke’s deserves mention, as they’re the only area coffee shop brewing strictly pour over coffee. Pour over coffee tends to be immensely more flavorful, without any residue making it’s way into your cup. It takes longer, as the barista has to directly pour hot water over the grounds and stir the slurry as they go, but for the caliber of coffee you wind up with, it’s worth it.
(above right- art by Parrish Majestic)
The thing that throws most people off at Zeke’s is the prices. It’s not the cheapest cup of coffee, but that’s because both coffee suppliers (Three Ships Coffee in Virginia Beach and Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago) use only organic, fair trade coffee beans. The juices are all about five dollars, but you’re also getting a juice made the second you order it instead of sitting in a bin all day. The poke bowls aren’t cheap (ranging from $6 for a small to $11 for a large), but you’re getting high quality raw tuna. Honestly, would you really want to eat cheap raw tuna. Don’t go into Zeke’s expecting a dollar cup of joe and a bagel, but do go to Zeke’s if you want something a little different and a lot healthier.
Zeke’s Beans and Bowls Norfolk is located at 800 Granby St. Norfolk, VA
Zeke’s Beans and Bowl’s Norfolk facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/zekesnfk
1 Comment
It would be nice if the service was in line with the food quality and the pricing which are both high. There is a sense of entitlement that I am seeing more and more with younger, “hipper” eateries. Don’t give me tip options on your iPad checkout screen that are worthy of five-star table service, when all you’re gonna do is drop off my bowl at my uncomfortable window ledge. I’ve been a waiter. I know what 20% is supposed to look like. Sorry. Not sorry. Still great food. Great coffee. They just need to work on the customer experience.