12 in 12 (September 2013)

This month's 12 in 12 (on the 12th) project found us running all over, from sunup to sundown. Usually when we have a busy day like this I feel wrung out by the end of it, but this day, our travels all over town really came together to highlight to me how much our city has to offer. I feel like this post is a love letter to Norfolk just as much as it is a recording of our ordinary run-of-the-mill day.

Dear Norfolk -- we love living in you. And dear readers, don't forget to pop over and check out Darcy's and Rebecca's 12 in 12 projects at No Monsters in My Bed and Not-So-SAHM.

7:30 AM: Mornings make me feel like this too.



10:00 AM: Anouk and I venture down to Ghent for a couple of hours to run errands. We have a lot of presents to buy, as pretty much everyone we know had a baby or a birthday (or both!) in September. We bought one of the baby gifts, for my friend A.'s little girl, from Kitsch, which is such an awesome store full of handmade goodies. If you live in the area, you should definitely stop in.




11:30 AM: Coffee break at Fair Grounds. Anouk sings along to the Beatles Let it Be album and I read a poetry zine put out by high school students while I finish my drink. Why wasn't I this awesome in high school??

12:00 PM: High noon on Colley Ave.

12:30 PM: We stop by Lafayette Park on the way home to run off some steam before lunch. I just adore the gnarly old live oaks that grow there; they might be my all-time favorite trees.




2:00 PM: Naptime.

5:30 PM: Aunt Kristen is in town for the day on her way to a friend's wedding. Anouk is SO happy to see her and I think the feeling might be mutual.

6:00 PM: We walk down Granby Street to visit our favorite of the Norfolk mermaids (Miss Definitely Downtown) before Aunt Bonne's birthday dinner at Hokkaido. Happy birthday, Bon-Bon! P.S.: I swear sometimes we really do eat meals at home.

8:45 PM: A quick bath before bed.

How was your day?

We ♥ Handsome Biscuit

Every now and again, Anne's work-at-home daddy comes downstairs and suggests that we take our lunch hour off premises. When that happens, we grab our things and rush out to one of our many, established favorite area restaurants, but sometimes the adventurous spirit strikes us and we seek out a new place. Last week, we hit up Handsome Biscuit on Colonial Avenue, and as soon as we had our first bites of our lunch, we knew it was going on the list.

Handsome Biscuit (which opened just a few weeks ago) is a quirky place -- and we love quirk. The menu features sandwiches made on fluffy homemade sweet potato biscuits, with a whole slew of inventive add-ons and sides (caviar! pickled veggies!) They also feature a selection of Dr. Brown's sodas and even biscuit bread pudding (to die for). So far each of us has already picked a favorite -- PB&J for A., barbecue with slaw for J., and eggs over easy with bacon and cheese for me.

Eating out with a picky toddler can get more than a little repetitive, so whenever we find a place that offers kid-friendly food and also something new and interesting for an adult palate, we can't resist telling the world about it, even if that might mean that we'll have an even harder time getting a table in the lunch rush! But in this case, the buzz is well-deserved.

I am head over heels with the restaurant renaissance that's been happening in Norfolk lately. Handsome Biscuit is a welcome addition to the roster. We love you, Handsome B.! We'll be back soon! (I promise).

Happy Friday! Where/what will you be eating this weekend?

Outer Banks, Part 3: Ocracoke Village

While Anne and I were staying with family on Hatteras Island, we took a day trip to Ocracoke, probably the cutest and most interesting place in the whole Outer Banks. I've always been fascinated with Ocracoke, how remote it is, its laid-back, Key-West-type vibe, it's wild history as a WWII hotspot and a colonial-era pirate hangout.

Our journey began in Hatteras with a ferry ride that took us across the Pamlico Sound, followed by a short drive down the island to Ocracoke Village, which is situated at the very southern tip. All of Ocracoke Island, except for the village, is owned by the National Park Service, which means that it's as remote and pristine as you could hope for it to be. Nothing but dunes and grasses, and glimpses of the sea in between.

Our first stop, once in the village, was at Dajio, for a delicious seafood lunch. Then we explored: we went all the way around Silver Lake harbor and meandered some of the village's shady, unpaved lanes, poking our heads into the shops we passed. Our favorites were the Village Craftsman and the Ocracoke Community Store, a handmade art co-op featuring local artisans. A blackboard outside the latter proclaimed that a local resident was turning 90 that day -- the man himself was sitting on the porch to accept birthday wishes from passers-by, who rode by on bikes or in rented golf carts. (The streets on the island are narrow and mostly unpaved, and so those are the preferred ways of getting around; it's not really a car-friendly place).

We also paid a visit to the famous wild Banker pony pasture outside of town, but as it was 90+ degrees, the ponies themselves had decided to hunker down in their shelters for shade, like any smart mammal would. We didn't get to see as many as we wanted and we definitely didn't get any good photos of them. But as my 13-year-old cousin, child of the internet age, reminded me, I could just Photoshop them in to the pics we did get. (Sadly, my skills aren't quite up to that yet.) So...

This is the part you should definitely read if you are thinking about visiting Ocracoke: With the tourist season in full swing, and the waters in the Pamlico shoaling up as a result of recent storms, the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry ride can take a little more time than anticipated. Wait times to get on one of the three free ferries can be upwards of two hours, and the ride, which is supposed to take 40 minutes, is actually more like an hour. My advice is to get there early, when the ferry opens at 5 AM, or else wait until the afternoon to cross and stay overnight on the island. I wish somebody had told us before we tried it -- we could have saved a lot of time (and sanity -- there's only so many times you can sing your toddler the "What do you do with a drunken sailor?" song before you feel like you might lose it).

But I would have done it all over again for the sight of the beautiful Ocracoke beaches. Stay tuned for the fourth (and final, and my favorite) installment of our OBX trip for more on that.

Charlie's Cafe

A. and I had a bad day earlier in the week. We don't have many, but when we do get one it tends to go sour pretty fast. It was one of those days when you haven't gotten enough sleep (me) or else the sleep you got wasn't good (her) and you keep taking off your diaper and hiding it in inconvenient places around the house (definitely not me, I swear). By lunchtime we were in need of a pick-me-up, so we called up some friends and headed down Granby to Charlie's Cafe.

Molly and I have decided that we are adopting Charlie's as Our Place. You know -- the place where you go so frequently that you get to know everybody by name and maybe, if you go there enough times over enough years, they reserve a barstool in your honor and name a sandwich after you? Everything is better at Charlie's. For instance, this is how the pancakes look at Charlie's:




And this is the kind of chocolate milk you'll get at Charlie's:

And that's not even special kid chocolate milk, mind you. It's just the way it comes! For everyone!

There are many things to love about Charlie's, including the extremely friendly staff and the ready availability of vegan and vegetarian options, which is sometimes hard to find in standard diner fare. But the best thing about Charlie's is that they serve breakfast all day, which means if you don't like how your day is going, you can have a symbolic do-over in the form of a fluffy Charlie's omelet with spicy, oniony home fries and crumbly-delicious beaten biscuits on the side. And so we did. We also ordered a restorative bag of the famous Norfolk donuts to go because nothing turns a bad day around like a bag of donuts, hot off the grill (pan? fryer? however it is that these particular donuts are cooked). They also come stuffed with ice cream but we're saving that for a cure for a really bad day -- you know, like when our house burns down or our dog runs away or something.

Little Zeke (a restaurant critic in the making) pronounced it: "Smiley Charlie's -- a place for kids!" Three years old and already on the lookout! I fully expect him to take over this blog one day when I have moved on to different things ("geriatric-friendly living in Hampton Roads"). Watch this space.

Ocean View Fishing Pier

Anne and I spent three days at the beach last week -- in April! Tuesday, we went for a beautiful walk at East Beach, Wednesday we met up with friends at the Community Beach Park for a bracing swim, and on Thursday, we hit Willoughby Spit with our Auntie C. for a stroll along the Ocean View Fishing Pier.

The pier used to be known as Harrison's Pier, an iconic Norfolk landmark until it was swept away in Hurricane Isabel in 2003. I remembered crabbing from Harrison's Pier as a kid, but hadn't been back since the new pier was built. The new pier looked flashy and bright and swell, with the double-decker restaurant on top, but it just wasn't the same as the old pier I knew and loved. So I didn't even bother getting to know the new one. As you might have realized by now, I am not the biggest fan of change.

But on this 90-degree day, we were in search of some sun and sand and bright blue water and the pier is where we found it. We took our time walking out, pausing to peer down between the rails at the waves, turning back to wave at the sunbathers scattered along the shore of the Sarah Constant Beach. By the time we'd reached the building smack dab in the middle of the pier that houses the restaurant and tackle shop, the sea air had given us an appetite, so we decided to stop for lunch, and climbed the stairs to the rooftop level restaurant.

The rooftop deck of the pier restaurant is a wonderful place to be on a hot day. Even when it's stifling on the ground, there is sure to be a breeze ruffling around up top. There are also giant table/bench gliders to rock on while you enjoy it. And the view! We could see for miles, to the bridge-tunnel and to Point Comfort, all the way out to the Thimble Shoal light, which seemed a lot closer than you think it can be when you're looking for it from the shore.

(And the food wasn't bad either. We shared the steamer basket of clams and mussels, Aunt C. and A. and I. Two of our party of three had Bloody Marys that were just fantastic -- I'll let you guess which two! They don't skimp on olives at the OV Pier restaurant, no sir. Keep that in mind.)

For a fee, we could have gone through the tackle shop to the far side of the pier but we were content to stay up top and watch the fishermen there go about their business. The pier seemed to stretch for a long, long way out -- the same way it did when I was a kid. Some things don't change.

(What? Don't you wear galoshes and a tutu to the beach??)

Happy weekend!

Where to eat in Colonial Williamsburg

Last week I posted Part I of our trip to Colonial Williamsburg with friends. Today I want to post Part II:  namely, the two can't-miss places to eat (with kids or even without them) when you're in town.

My little sis went to William and Mary, and so our family got to sample many of Williamsburg's great restaurants when we visited her. But in my opinion, the only place to get lunch when you're there is The Cheese Shop, a little gourmet market/sandwichery on Duke of Gloucester Street. It has everything: the food is fantastic and it's just a short walk to the main attractions and sights across Henry St. Plus, there is heaps of cheese, and also wine. By the time we'd finished outletting on Thursday, we were all starving and so I suggested The Cheese Shop as our lunch destination -- and by "suggested" I mean that I basically told the others in the group they would regret it for the rest of their lives if we went anywhere else.

The only drawback of The Cheese Shop is that wait times can be upwards of 15-20 minutes for your food to be prepared and also, seating is limited, and most of it is outdoors. Because we hit it just at the lunch rush, our option was basically one of the benches that line DoG Street. We parked ourselves and our strollers, and tucked in. I think the verdict across the board was YUM and well-worth waiting for.

Try: the super-sized grilled cheese sandwich, with a locally made Chowning's Tavern root beer -- and don't forget to pick up a bag of bread ends for $1, to dip in the wonderful, mustardy house spread.

And then, for dessert! After Molly and I said goodbye to our friends B. and J. and Baby T., we drove by Sno-to-Go on our way out of town. The tiny, walk-up frozen-treat place is open only part of the year, and the last time I was in town, it was closed for the season. It opened back up in March, and I've been dreaming of it ever since. I raved about it so much that Molly had no choice but to join me in my pilgrimage.

Sno-to-Go's specialty is shaved ice snow-cones in literally hundreds of flavor combinations, which can then be "stuffed" with soft-serve ice cream. The combination at first sounds strange but you'll have to believe me when I tell you that the end result is one of those perfect "why didn't I think of it?" pairings. Even if you're not a shaved ice fan, the soft serve by itself is worth the drive -- it's thick and creamy and custardy delicious.

We ordered treats for ourselves and the kids even though it wasn't really the day for it -- 46 degrees and sleeting (!). We sat in the car with the heat blaring and shivered while we ate. But sometimes you just have to go for it -- Sno-to-Go is amazing, any time of year.

Try: Tiger's Blood (mixed berry and coconut) shaved ice stuffed with vanilla soft serve.

I think this face says it all:

Ain't nobody taking Baby Anne's Sno-to-Go. 

She will cut you, watch out.