Written by Chris Fellini with photography by Joshua Fitzwater
Rina Estero, like many people in the area, didn’t start her story here. She started attending culinary school at the Arts Institute in Austin, TX in the early 2000s. She and five other guys from school started working at PBK Stem % Stein in 2004. The owners were dismissive at first, only letting her be the expo. Before long, her fellow chefs started dropping like flies, unable to handle the pressure of an industry with some of the highest turnover rates. Within a month, the owners were forced to put Estero on the line as a pantry chef. Within another month, she was running the kitchen. She managed to turn the restaurant around and get them out of the red soon after.
Estero preparing the Heritage Farm Pork Belly
Being the executive chef didn’t come without its sacrifices. “I became a mean chef,” she says of how she ran her kitchen. “In an industry of misfits, you have to have a thick skin and can’t be afraid of being an asshole.” This is still a male dominated ind- ustry, so that’s doubly true for women. Respect isn’t given, it’s earned and Estero earned it by becoming the queen bitch. She didn’t like who she was becoming, so when she opened Nouvelle she decided to switch tactics. “I run my kitchen with love and care and understanding now,” Estero says as we sit at the counter of Nouvelle. She works alongside her boyfriend, Luke, and another cook, Jon. She trusts her staff, and the respect shows in the way all three share responsibilities on each task in the kitchen.
Rina Estero inside Nouvelle
Before launching Nouvelle, Estero lived in Roanoke for a bit. She moved to be closer to her sister, who was doing her residency at the time. She fell in love with Virginia and the access to fresh produce we take for granted. In Austin, she says that even though there are farms you can’t just go to them and buy produce. “Whenever there’s a market, everybody goes. Like big restaurants, little restaurants, they’re all trying to go. These are chefs that go at like two o clock in the morning, just to get a spot. It’s just too hard for little guys to make it work.” While living in Roanoke, she worked under Jeff Farmer at Lucky Restaurant. She credits Farmer with being one of her biggest inspirations, even though she was only there for a few months. She ended up moving to Virginia Beach to be closer to her boyfriend while he finished his culinary degree. Estero opened Nouvelle five months ago, in the old Grace St. Grill location in Norfolk. The space is small, and the kitchen is completely open. If you sit at one of the five seats at the counter, you can trace every move the chefs make as they reach above to the hood to grab a magnetic spice jar or turn to the low boy directly in front of you. They operate with only the essentials: one flat top, a counter top fryer, two hot plates for sauté, one reach-in, and a low boy. Estero’s focus is on fresh and seasonal cuisine. She gets her meat from Leaping Waters Farm, a connection she made while working at Lucky Restaurant. Her produce and seafood are sourced locally as well.
The menu is almost chaotic, and there are some dishes like the flounder and avocado wrap that seem to be placating. Although the menu is rooted in French cuisine, you can notice influences from her native Philippines as well as Texas and Virginia. The focus on housemade can be a double- edged sword. Sometimes, the effort shines through, such as the earthy and naturally sweet fries or the ketchup that tastes fresh from the garden. Sometimes, the results fall a little flat like the pickles that could have used a little more time fermenting. Estero can be a bit heavy handed with the seasoning. The Bordeaux blanc and garlic in the moules frites almost overpowered the subtle sweetness of the mussels. Yet, she still plays creative, like the pairing of pork belly, strawberries, and balsamic.
Heritage Black Hog from Leaping Waters Farm braised with Miso and Ginger served with Brothers Farms Greens, Strawberries, and Balsamic Glaze
For all the minor details that I don’t care for, the end result almost always pleases. And, to be fair, Nouvelle has only been open for five months. Considering their refreshing outlook on classic cuisine, and considering that their prices are a fraction of what many other restaurants could get away with, I’m excited to see where they’re at in another six months. I hope Estero has finally decided to plant roots, and continue building her reputation in Norfolk.
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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