Outside of Thai Thai's

Thai Thai’s is a new restaurant that opened in the new Stoney Run section in Newport News.  This is the new shopping/living/eating complex at the corner of Jefferson and Denbigh. 

Thai Thai’s is a takeout restaurant that also has some inside seating.  When you walk in, it looks very clean and welcoming.  The lady at the register was very nice and courteous.  You can eat in or take out.  My husband and I decided to eat in. 

Once we ordered, we sat down and waited.  It took just under 10 mins for our food to come out.  They were super quick.  I ordered Pad Thai with tofu and my husband ordered Pad See-Ew with tofu.  Both dishes were delicious and a good size.  We ordered regular which is currently $6.95 ($8.95 for large).  I also ordered Thai Tea.  The Thai Tea wasn’t the best I’ve had but it was still good.

They even have a separate ‘Vegetarian Dishes’ section which is so nice.  Some options include Mixed Vegetables, Pad Pak, Tofu (steamed or fried), and Vegetable Pad Thai .  The Vegetable Pad Thai is loaded with vegetables – different than the meal I ordered.  I like the traditional one with tofu a little better so that is why I didn’t get the loaded vegetable one. 

They have a set up like Panera where you leave the dishes and trays on top of the trash can when you are done.  It was a great first experience at Thai Thai’s and we will definitely be back.

We walked into Nonnas and were seated promptly even though they were very busy. They really have a lot of room inside their establishment and it was very clean and welcoming.

This was my third time coming to Nonnas and as always, I was not disappointed. They had Valentine’s day dinner options that seemed very upscale and delicious. One option was portabello mushrooms stuffed with risotto cheese, pesto, and more. Their stromboli’s are enormous. My sister got one and it was at least 3 meals for her. They have huge portions for the prices. It is normally a $2 charge to split meals but if you just get a side salad for $2.99, they waive that charge.

I came there wanting to get their eggplant parmesan sub but unfortunately, they no longer offer this. They do still have the regular pasta meal though. There are lots of vegetarian options including veggie pizza, veggie sub, and lots of pasta options. Anna, the owner, is also very accommodating with special requests. She is very friendly and frequently comes over to ask how everything is. You can tell she really cares about her customers.

I would definitely recommend Nonnas to anyone wanting Italian food. One caveat – when you order the house salad, be warned that it normally comes with a slice of salami. Ask the waitress to omit that and you will love it. They have great house dressing.

Osaka Sushi Bar

Osaka Sushi Bar in Stoney Run Shopping Center in Newport News was a nice surprise.  My husband and I went on a week night and they weren’t busy at all.  It was just us and one more couple.  The atmosphere was nice thought not overly Asian themed.  They don’t have an overwhelming selection of vegetarian options but I like how they label their rolls as “c” for cooked, “u” for uncooked, and “v” for veggie.  Be sure to not confuse the U’s for V’s.  The best veggie roll that I’ve tried there is the cucumber avocado roll.  It had roasted sesame seeds around the rice that really added to the flavor.  It was delicious!  The service was quick and friendly and the price was just right ($3.50 for the cucumber/avocado roll).  I will definitely go back.

Mama Lina's - Newport News, VA

Date: October 3, 2008
Time: Approx 7:30pm

I had great expectations for Mama Linas since I read a review of someone on the southside traveling to the peninsula just to eat there.  I was craving Italian so I thought – perfect time to try them out.  BIG MISTAKE.

We came in and ordered without much trouble.  The problems started AFTER ordering.  First, they only serve garlic knots with certain meal choices which was disappointing to me since most Italian places serve bread first (and to everyone) regardless of what you order.  Regardless, he garlic knots were pretty good though.

After waiting about 15 mins and sipping on drinks, I decided to go wash my hands in the bathroom (since I ordered pizza).  There was no soap – bummer.

I went back to my seat and waited.  Finally after another 10 minutes, my party’s food came out.  Well, most of our food came out.  They didn’t have my pizza.  They apologized and said it was coming right up.

10 mins later… still no pizza.  Waitress came by and apologized again and said it was in the oven.

Another 5-10 mins later… The rest of my party is done with their meal and we’re still waiting.  The waitress comes by again and apologizes and asks if I’d like to take it to go.  I said yes and asked for the check. 

Finally, about 10 mins after that, they bring out my pizza and the check.  It smells good but I’m too angry to even try a piece.  I am not angry at the waitress since it may not have been her fault but waiting almost an hour for my order is ridiculous.  The manager should have at least come out and apologized.  The pizza wasn’t even very good (when I did end up eating it).  Maybe it would’ve been better fresh but I can’t say since it wasn’t hot anymore by the time I ate it (at home).

My fiancé did say that his eggplant parmesan was good (not the best but good).  Okay food but if service (and your time) is of any value to you, stay away from Mama Lina’s.

We went to Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar on a Sunday night and they were not busy at all.  We walked in and were greeted and sat down right away.   The atmosphere is Asian/Modern.  After ordering our drinks, we were ready to order right away.  They have an extensive vegetarian menu for a Japanese restaurant.  To name a few:  Vegetarian Shrimp Tempura, Vegetarian Salmon Roll, Vegetarian Lobster Roll, Vegetarian Ham, and Vegetarian Chicken Teriyaki.  We decided to go with the Eggplant “Ham” platter and the Sesame “Chicken”.

After serving us Miso Soup and salad (both were delicious), they came out with our meals.  I loved the presentation.  The food was also superb.  They brought it out with a potato cake and a spring roll.  The spring roll had a bit too much cabbage for my taste but I loved the potato cake.  My sesame chicken was excellent and my fiancé’s Eggplant “Ham” platter was TO DIE FOR!  After trying it, I had to second guess myself and make sure that there was no Eggplant Ham platter anywhere else on the menu.  It tasted just like what I remember Ham tasting like and the consistency was close but I think not as chewy as real ham.   Since they only offer a vegetarian version, this was definitely vegetarian.

I had a wonderful first experience with Kotobuki and will definitely be going back soon.  The server was very friendly and very willing to help.   I highly recommend it.  You can find out more about Kotobuki at their US Directory listing: http://kotobuki.usdirectory.com

Ah. Thai food. Pattaya, located on George Washington Memorial Hwy in Yorktown, is one of many local restaurants offering Thai Cuisine.

Pattaya Thai Cuisine

The first thing you notice when you walk in, is their modern and elegant atmosphere.  We came during lunchtime, around 11:30, and were sat down right away.  As soon as we sat down, the glasses in front of us were filled with water.  Looking at their menu, they had a “vegetarian” section with plenty of options.  They had Veggie Pad Thai, Tofu or Eggplant delight, Veggie Fried Rice, and more.  We decided to order Pad Se Eew with Tofu replacing the usual chicken, beef, or pork.  We also ordered Thai Tea as our drinks.  As is customary in most Thai restaurants, our lunch meal was preceded by a small salad.  This salad was very good.  The only thing missing was a spring roll.  Quite a few Thai restaurants serve the salad with a spring roll.  While waiting for our food to arrive, we sipped on the sweet Thai Tea.  It was perfect. There are some restaurants who put too much or too little of the cream/milk and sugar but this was not one of them.  When the food arrived, the portions were smaller when compared to other Thai restaurants but the taste was excellent!  It is, to this day, one of the best Pad Se Eew w/Tofu that I have ever tried.  Not at a bad price either at $7.95 (lunch price).

We decided to skip dessert since its lunch (vs. dinner) and I had to get back to work.  Paying went quickly and we were in and out within 40 minutes (probably would have been faster but I was taking my time enjoying every bite!)  The waitress was very friendly, silverware was clean, and food was excellent.  All-in-all, it was a great dining experience.

I would recommend Pattaya as one of, if not my favorite, Thai restaurants on the Peninsula.  Now, Southside is another matter but that will be on a later review.  ;)

I love Silver Diner.  Or, perhaps I should say, I loved Silver Diner.  They had the best veggie burger bites ever – granted they are made with what I think are the Morning Star sausage patties and barbecue sauce, they are still better than my homemade ones… Much better actually. 

When we went after work on Tuesday, August 5th, we were all really looking forward to our regular veggie burger bites.  Even the two non-vegetarians with us were wanting to get it – we always do because they are so good.  To our complete dismay, they told us that they no longer served it!  Our jaws dropped.  Now, they had a veggie black bean burger that replaced it – but they were out of that.* 

We ended up getting different things – veggie griddle and eggs benedict (without meat).  I was tempted to go eat somewhere else but stayed because we wanted to support MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association).  They had a fundraiser that day.

Anyway, the food we got was pretty good but not comparable to the veggie burger bites.  I do have to say that Silver Diner (at least in Newport News) has great service.  The servers are very friendly and do what they can to make you happy.  When you order one milkshake and say you want to share, they’ll bring out two with whipped cream and a cherry on each!  It’s awesome!  Granted, if you don’t share, you still get your regular shake and a tin can on the side with the leftovers.  It’s like getting two for the price of one!

Despite my recent letdown, I would like to say that Silver Diner is a fine place to dine with many vegetarian options – chili, griddles, omlets, and other breakfast items.  They have great desserts and excellent staff!  Their prices are also reasonable.

*Note: After trying the spicy black bean burger on another visit, it was EXCELLENT!  One of the best veggie burgers I have tried anywhere (in recent memory).

Baker's Crust - Norfolk, VA

This was my first time going to the Baker’s Crust.  After we walked in, we were greeted and sat down promptly.  There wasn’t a wait at all and on a Saturday night, that’s amazing.  We had the option to eat outside but decided to eat inside because it was kind of muggy out and getting dark.

Once we sat down and ordered our drinks (I had some great tasting peach tea), they brought out some bread and butter.  It wasn’t out of this world but was still pretty good.  I’m a bread-lover though so I have to say I’m a bit picky.

They only serve breakfast until 11am so that made our menu choices a little more limited.  Still, there were some good options.   I was craving some French Onion Soup but unfortunately, it isn’t vegetarian (when asked, the waitress wasn’t sure if it was beef or chicken broth but she knew it wasn’t vegetarian).  They do have a Mushroom and Brie soup that is vegetarian.  I tried some of my friend’s and it was really good.  The mushrooms weren’t too overpowering.

I ended up ordering their Baker’s Combo which allows for a cup of soup, half of your choice of sandwich and/or half of your choice of salad.  You can choose two of either and I chose to get their Roasted Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Panini and their Wine Country Salad.  This combo was $8.99 which I didn’t think was bad.  When it came out, the salad was enormous (for being a half-salad).  The panini was delicious and was smothered with pesto sauce – yum!  The salad was mixed greens garnished with strawberries, grapes, diced pears, and candied pecans.  It came with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  This salad could be too sweet for some people.  I am a sweet-tooth so it was perfect for me.

For dessert, the Baker’s Crust has plenty of options though they seemed slightly overpriced.  I was in the mood for chocolate so I ordered their Ultimate Chocolate Lava Cake for $6.99.  This cake comes with a side of Vanilla Bean ice cream.  I was surprised when they brought it out because they also included some whipped cream with strawberries on top free of charge.    The chocolate was extremely rich and the ice cream made it a perfect combination.

All things considered, I was very pleasantly surprised with the Baker’s Crust.  I didn’t realize they would have such great food.  They had a couple different options for vegetarians in salads and a couple paninis (besides what I got, there’s also an Avocado Goat Cheese panini), as well as at least one soup option (Mushroom & Cheese soup is probably vegetarian too).  Of course their breakfast menu has many vegetarian options as well if you go before 11am.

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Thanks and Enjoy!