Article by Fitz
Photography by Zoe Grant and Fitz
Lead photo/edition 008 cover photo by Zoe Grant
Tim Chastain is a beer nerd. Well, he prefers beer lover. He feels beer nerd carries a pretentious context. I’m going with beer nerd though. In light of his knowledge in craft beer, I feel compelled to. And, he’s far from snobby anyway. I have a story that predates the interview with him for this article that attests to that. I’ll get to that in a bit. Kristina Chastain is a risk taker. She chases down her creative ideas. She grabs hold of them. She nurtures them. Then she rolls the dice and kicks them out in the world. She’s betting on them prospering. Together, they are the brains behind Esoteric. They are the Medicis if you will to a younger but some might say hungrier staff serving the Vibe District in Virginia Beach.
Tim Chastain and his stash (Photo by Fitz)
There has been a lot of comparison between the Neon Arts District in Norfolk and the Vibe District. Objectively, in terms of art, I believe the Neon District via its art program initiatives, murals, glass studios, exhibitions and the more progressive efforts of Jesse Scaccia (Alt Daily) and Charles (Work Release) dwarfs what Vibe has done to date. However, when it comes to forward thinking food, locally sourced, from scratch, seasonal, conceptually current, Vibe stands leaps and bounds above Neon.
With that conclusion, I’m not pointing to long established restaurants in Vibe that have benefited from an association re-branding. I’m speaking primarily of the newer food efforts of Commune, Hearth, Stockpot, and possibly most substantially, Esoteric. In fact, soon, if Kristina has her way, Esoteric is going to make a real dent in that art deficit with the opening of the gallery, Tenant E.
Kristina Chastain at Esoteric (Photo by Zoe Grant)
For Kristina, the daughter of George Pitsilides, the man behind the Captain George’s franchise, I believe there is a component of furthering the family legacy at play. Specifically when it comes to entrepreneurial endeavors. However, she told me she saw how her, “[…] dad made his restaurant his life” and how, “[…] she wanted to execute her vision but ensure she had time for her personal life.” That said, I think she’s merged them a little. I’ve witnessed her young daughter, sit in, so to speak on a meeting or two. Further, Kristina is much more invested in deepening the cultural footprint her endeavors leave. Along with the art space, she involves herself in weddings, plant swaps, live music, this list goes awhile, but always with the intention of nurturing a creative environment.
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For more on the inspired street food at Streats, visit them online HERE or click the flier above!
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As I am now in this article just getting back to Tim’s role at Esoteric, I think sometimes it’s easy to overlook him in light of Kristina’s pedigree and his somewhat reserved demeanor. Doing so however would be a monumental oversight. After all, he is responsible for what I feel confident in saying is Virginia Beach’s best answer to the Birch in Norfolk. Tim in fact credited co-founder of the Birch, Ben Bublick, as an influence. Put simply, you’re just not going to find a better beer program anywhere else in Virginia Beach. It’s broad, balanced, and more thought out than the others. And there are some good ones in Virginia Beach.
Tim bartending at Esoteric (Photo by Fitz)
Tim gets there a couple ways. First, he doesn’t necessarily go through the same distribution channels as many other places. I’ll leave that vague so as to not ruffle anyone’s feathers, mainly his. Second, he makes it a point to visit, travel, and drink at as many leading bars and craft breweries as he can. Third, he builds lasting relationships with the brewers and stays in close touch, always looking for one offs and limited runs. And finally, he stays doggedly independent. He literally cleans his own beer lines so he doesn’t feel he owes anything to a delivering distributor who would normally offer to do it.
Ironically enough, the first time I met Tim during one of my early visits to scope out Esoteric, I didn’t realize who he was. Behind the bar, he was one of the few bartenders around town who didn’t either smirk or rib me a bit when I told him of my affinity for sweet, LIKE REALLY SWEET, dessert style stouts. Instead, he “put me in the tastes I like” as Norfolk bartender Josh Seaburg likes to say. Tim is the type of beer nerd who from his impressive, LIKE REALLY IMPRESSIVE, stash, takes out a bottled gem or two from an impressive year now and again and puts it in the slightly obscured corner of one of the see through fridges behind the bar to be discovered like an easter egg by a fellow aficionado.
Tim updating the tap list at Esoteric (Photo by Fitz)
Kristina has definitely always noticed Tim. She in fact hired him back in the day to work at Captain George’s. She told me that his work ethic quickly stood out to her from early on. In time Tim would get involved with the beer program there but as Kristina explained, “There was really only so far he could go with the built in and established crowd that frequented Captain George’s.” Both of them eventually game to the point where they wanted to make a mark on their own terms.
They bought the building in Christmas of 2014 and Kristina immediately set out designing. She explained that she wanted a look, “[…] based around clean lines and an under-designed aesthetic. I love that we were able to expose the tin roof. I feel really happy that we were able to get an historic building.” Tim in fact found old key top beer cans behind the walls when renovating. Almost named “The Mission”, a choice Kristina is glad they thought better of, the couple eventually fell in love with Esoteric, in light of their desire not to be easily categorized and their love for secret societies.
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For more on Wasserhund’s German style beer with a Beach KICK, visit them online at wasserhundbrewing.com or click the flier above.
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At present, the Esoteric kitchen is run by new executive chef, the recently promoted sous chef, Bryan Wegener. Until recently, local favorite, Chef Ian Hock (former Sous chef at Terrapin and current contributing Chef to Commis) was the face of food at the restaurant offering a menu sometimes indebted to the influence of Sean Brock of Husk. With Wegener, who credits Hock with teaching him a lot about pasta making and hot sauces, a shifting of the menu is currently in place. Though I, both from the words of the Chastains and Wegener, don’t believe they are about micromanaging their chefs, I do believe this is their show at the end of the day. As Pastry Chef Michelle Felipe told me in the kitchen, “We get to do what we want but we know what they like.”
Considering the profound dynamism Esoteric has brought into Virginia Beach food and drinks over the last two years, I think the Chastains should continue doing what they like. It’s clearly working. Possibly even more profound though, should their cultural endeavors continue to gain traction as their beer and bites have, the Chastains may be the best conduit for energizing The Vibe from materializing premonition to creative consciousness.
For more on Esoteric visit them online at www.esotericvb.com and facebook.com/esotericvb
Esoteric is located at 501 Virginia Beach Blvd Virginia Beach, VA 23451
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