Looking for one of the pleasant restaurants within the entire country to experience a great bottle of wine? It turns out you don’t need to look too much distance. Zoes Steak and Seafood, close to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, become named in America’s a hundred Best Wine Restaurants by way of the Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The most effective different Virginia eatery to garner the accolades is Shagbark in Richmond.
This can be one of the most important countrywide accolades I actually have obtained in 30 years in the commercial enterprise,” says Marc Sauter, Zoes’ sommelier and one of the restaurant proprietors. He’s been interested in wine since age 14 and have become a first-stage sommelier at age 22 whilst running at La Galleria Restaurant in Norfolk. Since then, he’s been involved at many high-quality place eateries, together with Todd Jurich’s Bistro in Norfolk and Zinc Brasserie and Eurasia, each in Virginia Beach.
I am pleased but additionally humbled. I understand we’ve got a without a doubt exquisite wine application, however, in case you look at a number of the restaurants on the list, it’s miles truly an honor.” Some of these eating places include Alinea in Chicago, Gotham Bar & Grill in New York and McCrady’s in Charleston. Editors at the renown e-book say the list “is a selection of restaurants wherein wine is shared and celebrated, and in which, in our reviews, the choice, food, provider and surroundings are all perfect. Sauter is now at the 0.33 of 4 stages within the Court of Master Sommeliers and an Advance Master Sommelier Candidate. He is a custodian of a wine list of more than 600 alternatives, plus another 1,000 offerings now not on the list. About forty-five of those are served by the glass.
Our wine bottles variety in fee from $10 a bottle to $25,000 a bottle,” he says. “We have wines as young as 2018 and as old as 1834. I try to pick wines for absolutely everyone. I pick classic wines and uncommon and interesting varietals. I’m usually looking for the subsequent slicing part wine.” Wine is not simply provided for diners, but also permits to-cross wines for domestic consumption, sharing, or accumulating. The restaurant offers wine dinners at the least as soon as a month.
The Wine Enthusiast reputation comes at crucial crossroads for Zoes.
We simply had our 10-yr anniversary in March,” says Sauter. “I helped reopen Zoes in 2009.” But the past 12 months have been rocky. Sauter says the business has suffered due to an improvement task. Timing is the entirety of lifestyles. I am certain that the information of this national accolade will assist soften that decrease a piece.
KUDOS TO ROCKAFELLER’S RESTAURANT
Rockafeller’s Restaurant, that stalwart Rudee’s Inlet eatery, has gained the 2019 Restaurant Neighbor Award for Virginia, an hour from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The foundation notes the award goes to individuals who make the enterprise “inclusive, beneficiant and interesting. Accepting the award is Elizabeth “BJ” Henley-Baumann, owner of Rockafeller’s Restaurant because it opened in 1989.
This award is especially significant as it recognizes how critical the community is to Rockafeller’s. We want to make our network and neighborhoods more potent with our efforts,” says Henley-Baumann. Efforts have included donations of meals, gift certificates, and money to such local charities because of the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center for the homeless, Samaritan House for battered women and youngsters, and others.
A LA CARTE: COMINGS AND GOINGS IN VIRGINIA BEACH
Happy first anniversary to The Atlantic. The seafood-centric Oceanfront eatery celebrates with a block celebration from 1-5 p.M. on July 7. Oysters, beer from Smartmouth, wine, cocktails, and extra are supplied along with side stay song. We all can’t watch for the block party,” says government chef Dave Brue. “It’s our manner of showing appreciation to our guests for our first year. We’ll be shucking and smoking oysters and serving up some delicious libations. We are going to have oyster consuming and shucking competition, so I desire human beings convey their A sport.” Tickets for the occasion may be bought individually or through the phone.