Article and photography by Joshua Fitzwater
We like to drink here in Hampton Roads. Just take a look at all the local craft breweries that have popped up in recent years. Off the top of my head, we’ve got Young Veterans, Back Bay, Smartmouth, O’Connor, Alewerks, and St. George, with Coelacanth on its way. Yeah friends, we like to get smashed. Local publisher Jeff Maisey couldn’t wait to weigh in on this with his newest publication Virginia Craft Beer. Hell, he seems so delighted about us getting sloshed that there’s tons of beer content overlap into his other publication, Veer Magazine. Maybe the definitive culture rag of Hampton Roads should be re-dubbed “Veer Beer”. It kinda has a ring, Jeff. Oh damn, let me not forget that Norfolk was not long ago named the second drunkest city in all of America by the Daily Beast, after Boston! Yes it’s undeniable my friends, we are all about getting fucked up in these parts, which for a few months now had me worried in regards to Nouvelle Restaurant.
Rina Estero
For eight months, Rina Estero was trying to get Nouvelle’s liquor license. She and co-owner Luke Bingham had to get background checks from out of state. They had to change residency from Texas to here. They had to submit redundant documentation via the mail to both the city and state. And while all this was going on, they were losing customers who wanted a glass of white wine with their moules frites. This booze or cruise mentality was putting a strain on the restaurant, still in it’s infancy. These guys are churning out really inspiring seasonal cuisine with a French bend to it, but many customers couldn’t get past the teetotaler drink menu.
After months of bureaucratic red tape and financial strain, I am rather happy to announce that Nouvelle has obtained its liquor license. Not long after the Southern Grit release party, Estero and I were talking about the restaurant and how the extended time they operated without the license put considerable fiscal pressure on the business. Like much of Estero’s career, however, she persevered and proved that she’s got the staying power to make Nouvelle a real player in the Hampton Roads food scene.
Estero pouring a Mexican Martini
Estero is no stranger to adversity in the business. It often has not been an easy path for the chef. The head chef she was first under use to say to her, “Your tits are going to get in the way of your cooking.” Estero would also find herself excluded from discussions on menu improvements for restaurants she worked at simply because she was one of the few women working in the kitchens. Often she would discover herself standing separate from the others on smoke breaks and regularly discouraged from presenting her opinions. “No one wanted my opinion back then because I had a vagina,” as she bluntly put it. Estero, however, would outlast many of her male counterparts in the field because of her unwillingness to give up when the odds were against her.
With the incredible French fusion cuisine that Estero and company consistently churn out, it’s good news indeed that Nouvelle’s liquor license is in place. I may just stop in this week for a Mexican Martini or two. As they incorporate alcohol into the experience, I’m curious to see what drinks will make their way onto the menu. If they’re anything like the food at Nouvelle, they’re sure to impress.
Nouvelle Restaurant
Location- 217 Grace St. Norfolk VA
Hours- 11am- 9pm
Price range- $8 to $20 meals
Genre- French/ American Fusion
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