Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar

Style: European and Wine Bar
Website: http://www.orzokitchen.com/

My Rating: 5/5 stars

Likes: Divine food, excellent wine, friendly staff that was able to deal with splitting checks in many ways, beautiful decor

Dislikes: It's too far away to return and finding it was tricky the first time (but it does have a parking lot which means no parallel parking!)

My friend Lindsay, from Eveery Day is an Adventure and I had just finished a long day of travel. The night before I had been out for a going away party for my cousin who was moving to Alabama. Then I had to get up around 3:30 a.m. and drive with Lindsay to Charlottesville, VA in order to attend a Google Teacher Conference. The conference was an amazing adventure in its own right as we spent the day learning about ways to use Google Apps. However, after the conference session was done for this day, it was time to take our tired brains and retire to the hotel. But first, and most importantly, it was time to eat.

My cousin had mentioned a restaurant to try that was nearby called Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar.   So Lindsay and I loaded up into our big white whale of a car that we named Bertha and tried to find it. We drove up and down Main st. and looked for it. It was helpful that we found the street address because it was tucked away inside a shopping center. We parked Bertha and walked in the back way, realizing that there was a front door. Whoops. Then, both the host and a manager asked if we had a reservation. We didn't because we weren't even sure if we could find the place. They both seemed deeply disappointed, which left Lindsay and I slightly puzzled.

We were seated right next to the open kitchen and a dessert case. From that moment on the awkwardness subsided and excitement took over! When we were handed the menu, I was tantalized by the variety of savory excitements that awaited us. This was the type of menu that is good for your soul. The pairings of food were beckoning to me and I easily found six or seven dishes that I wanted to try. The ones that I did not get to were such a tease! I still feel them calling to me and my mouth waters for them.

Glass of Water at Orzo

When we ordered, we were served with a delicious artisan bread that was crusty the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. There was a tasty and aromatic hummus that accompanied the bread that we spread over the top.

We ordered an appetizer of figs served with buratta, bacon, and grilled lettuce. The sweetness of the fig was opposed to the salty and savory bacon and brought together by the mixture of textures that were present. It seemed like each flavor in this bite was clearly present as an individual, but was united in a perfect union with the others. It went especially well with my wine pairing of the Chianti that they offered. 



When we were ordering food, I thought for sure that I would be able to remember all of the little components of the dishes we ordered. If not, then I thought I would be able to look at the menu online. However, the menu online is not the same as when we visited last weekend. Therefore, I am going to wing it!

Lindsay ordered a filet of trout on a bed of calamari. I loved the bite I had because it was a beautiful seafood taste with tomatoes without it tasting like a cup of ocean water.

I ordered pork belly on a bed of spinach gnocchi and broccoli rhab. The bitterness of the broccoli rhab was absorbed by the gnocchli dumplings and the pork belly addition added a flavorful explosion to the palette. 

We were not necessarily hungry at the end of our entree, but we were so impressed by our meal that we had to get desserts. I ordered Tiramisu, which had the correct flavors. I tasted the lady fingers, coffee, and cocoa. The consistency was slightly more like pudding than I am used to though.

Lindsay ordered a bread pudding, which was very tasty, but barely recognizable as bread pudding. It had a sheet of caramelized sugar over a bed of sweet sauce and a chocolate bread cube at the top. Although  not what I was expecting, it was still very tasty.

I loved my experience here at Orzo. I look forward to making the long trip bak since it is now beckoning me. This is my definition of soul food.

Spicy Shrimp and Grits

There is a restaurant in Williamsburg called Food For Thought that has really tasty shrimp and grits. I have never actually ordered them before because they also have other tasty dishes, but my husband orders them consistently. As a Yankee, I had never heard of grits with shrimp. Grits are a breakfast food, I thought. Kind of like Cream of Wheat, right? Shrimp just doesn't belong there.

Now that I am being trained and sculpted into a quasi-Southern Belle by my husband and colleagues alike, I get the whole shrimp and grits thing. I have learned the error of my ways. Why don't they make these up North? Seriously. The Greek diner owners need to get on this. They have everything else under the sun already. Why not a touch of southern classics? Now with all of my pondering and finger pointing at the Greeks, I came to a realization. I have never made grits before. Ever. 

How can I be a southern man's wife properly without ever having made grits before?

Tonight I faced the challenge. I had pinned a recipe from Martha Stewart on how to make shrimp grits from her style. Then, I checked other recipes and thought of what to add to it or alter. I made up my own concoction from fusing a multitude of recipes together. I liked this recipe because all of the different flavors of the bacon, shrimp, tomatoes, and paper melded together into a spoonful of heaven! It was also a touch spicy, but not overly spicy, so that we could taste the flavors of the ingredients, and not just spice. 

 Here is what we did!

Not Martha's Shrimp and Grits

Serves 3 (would be 4 if none of men at the feast were State Troopers)

Ingredients

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup to-cook grits (not quick cooking)

2 Tbsp butter

3 slices of thick bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 large jalapeno with seeds, halved and thinly sliced

2 tsp minced garlic

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice (we used Redpack. We always use Redpack.)

1 pound large peeled and deveined frozen shrimp, thawed

2 Tbsp Sriracha (or just hot sauce to taste)

***We think the next time we make this, we would add a red or a yellow bell pepper. Something to think about...

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 1/2 c water to boil. Whisk in grits and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, whisking occasionally, until grits are creamy for about 30 minutes. 

2. About ten minutes into the grits cooking, cook bacon in a large skillet until the pieces are browned. Transfer the pieces to a plate with a paper towel to absorb the oil using a slotted spoon.

3. Add the onion to the bacon fat in the skillet and cook until the onion is soft and browned. Add the jalapenos and the garlic and cook for another 2-3  minutes.

4. Add tomatoes with the juice and 1/4 cup of water to the skillet mixture. Bring to a boil and then add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp until cooked throughout, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce. Taste. Then add more sauce if desired. We did. :)

5. Serve the shrimp mixture over the grits and sprinkle the bacon on top.

Enjoy!