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| My homey Ben, the co-owner of the awesome Birch Bar. |
The Green Onion and The Birch Bar
were on point!
What’s up, Beer Sippers!
Since so many of you know that I can’t sit still because I
do my best to travel the world in search of the coolest beer spots, a few
fellow craft beer enthusiasts said they were heading to Norfolk,
Virginia (pronounced Nor-fuk...seriously)
for a couple of days and wanted to know if there were a couple places I would
recommend for a great imbibing experience. Well they lucked out because I
had
the pleasure of hitting up this charming city recently and yep, there
are some sure shots they can’t miss.
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| The USS Wisconsin chillin'. |
Since I was only in town for two days due to a crazy travel
schedule, I made sure I got my photography on shooting everything
from Nauticus’ jaw-dropping USS
Wisconsin battleship sitting on glistening waters to walking the
cobblestone streets of the Freemason District. It only took a few minutes to realize
how picturesque the city Norfolk was. But let me stay on course: the brew.
Norfolk is renowned for kickass seafood due to its
location right off the water, collection of wine varieties from its hosting
state, and delectable cuisine (if you want to see how awesome the food scene
is, don’t miss the Granby Street Culinary Tour). Keeping this in mind, I found
the best place to indulge in one of my favorite culinary combinations—mussels,
pommes frites, and Belgian-style ales—at a charming bistro called
the Green Onion.
The
Green Onion
Green Onion’s covered patio adorned with fresh flower
arrangements, a smiling staff, local art, tablecloths, and
chalkboard boasting daily specials perfectly embraced the southern charm
travelers flock to the Ghent region to experience. Although the
numerous specials of the day had my mouth watering—especially with my seafood
fanaticism building an instant craving for the Lobster Roll, Seared Diver
Scallops, and famous Lobster Cheesecake I heard so much about—my mind was set
on mussels.
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| Flexin' my Green Onion mussel. Delicious! |
The beer menu boasted an
impressive variety of craft brews including Belgian-style ales, so I
chose the Unibroue La Fin Du Monde—one of the best beers in the world—which
flawlessly complemented the plump, fresh and plentiful mussels
that were bathing in a wine broth. And the pommes frites? A healthy serving of
crisp, fresh-cut fries, but soft in the middle and spiced to perfection sealed
the deal. It was one of those times where your foot taps while getting your
grubbing on. The entire experience confirmed that
Green Onion deserves a thumb’s up and recommendation when you are Cruisin’
For A Brewsin’ in Norfolk. Lobster Cheesecake, you are mine when I come back!
The Birch Bar
After a busy day exploring the historic Freemason
District of the city (look for a full account of my culinary experience on J’Adore
Magazine’s website soon!), I found the perfect place to spend my evening: The Birch Bar. Since everything is
relatively close in Norfolk, I heard so many things about this bar so I grabbed
a cab and head over to West Ghent—a burgeoning neighborhood—with a couple of
other beer enthusiasts. Plain and simple, we were not disappointed.
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| A fellow beer geek diggin' the selection. |
From the outside, the décor was simple: a sign that read “Birch
Bar” on a lime green-colored brick wall followed by the uplifting words, “Craft
Beer, Growlers, Kegs & Eats,” adjacent to a garage door and a sign brandishing
drawings of various beer glassware. I was sold!
Upon entrance, it struck me as a mechanic’s workplace that was transformed
into a dimly lit, intimate space complete with an L-shaped bar, 21 taps along
the wall, wooden tables, coolers filled with a book’s worth of bottled beers,
and my favorite feature—a chalk board taking up a whole wall listing the
incredibly diverse menu of craft beers on tap from around the world. Breweries
ranging from Denmark’s Mikkeller and Nøgne Ø out of Norway, to the renowned U.S. “gypsy”
brews from Stillwater Artisanal Ales were listed from the floor to the ceiling.
Since I just ate an awesome meal at a colossal old school bank-turned-posh-eatery called
Trilogy Bistro (who also had pretty impressive
brew list), I didn’t get a chance to indulge in the Birch’s array of cheeses, famous
P&J, and grilled cheese sandwiches, but the Gaverhopke/Tired Hands
Bittersweet Symphony DIPA collaboration out of Belgium (7.8 ABV) served me
just fine. Speaking of “served,” the super cool husband and wife team Ben and Malia—the
Birch Bar’s owners—showed me hella love and even posted my sticker on their
wall. We chopped it up and learned that they take the beer thing seriously,
hosting special nights weekly and special events including their very own
upcoming 43 Hours of Dark, featuring
all of those potent imperial stouts, barley wines and other warming ales the
cold season ushers in on January 15 through January 19. I pledged to not only
come back, but to make sure I let the world know about the Birch Bar, a must-visit
in Norfolk.
Well here you go.
Stay tuned for a recount on another part of the
Old Dominion State that is becoming one of the most concentrated regions for
microbreweries, Nelson County. Yep, Virginia is doing beer big!
Cheers!
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