Southern Beach Food

Virginia Beach's location on the southern tip of the Chesapeake Bay gives the coastal community a seafood-centric culinary culture, which boasts a wide array of unique and delectable fare. With the famously rich waters of the bay, hundreds of inlets snaking through the city and miles of farmland, Virginia Beach is the place to go for seafood and locally harvested ingredients.

LOCALLY SOURCED

Seafood

Virginia Beach lies at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest and most biologically diverse estuary, yielding more seafood than any of the 840 other estuaries in the country. In fact, before establishing Jamestown in 1607, Captain John Smith and his crew spent three days in Virginia Beach, surviving primarily off fish, oysters, turtles and even wild strawberries. In his writings, John Smith described the area: “oysters lay as thick as stones,” and the Bay and rivers contained more sturgeon “than could be devoured by dog or man.”

Seafood available within 50 Miles include Yellowfin Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Marlin, Sailfish, Flounder, Striped Bass or “Rockfish,” Blue Crab, Oysters, Clams, Shrimp, Mackerel, Chesapeake Ray, Monkfish and Trout.

• Lynnhaven Oysters – Virginia Beach is the only place to harvest the legendary Lynnhaven oysters, once coveted around the world and served to presidents and royalty for their size, saltiness and gentle zing. Once pushed to near extinction, these oysters are now back on the menu at top restaurants. Visitors can even try their hand at harvesting the bivalves during Pleasure House Oysters' oyster-farm boat tours and a unique Chef's Table experience right on the Lynnhaven River.

• “Striped Bass Capital of the World” – Due to the abundance of striped bass, many of which are caught at 40 to 60 lbs., Virginia Beach is known as one of the top places to catch and eat striped bass, also known as rockfish.

• Soft Shell Crab – Caught immediately after molting their shells, soft shell blue crab is a delicious southern seafood staple, usually deep fried and eaten nearly whole.

• She-Crab Soup – Chesapeake Bay blue crabs are the most important ingredient when making the popular creamy southern dish. Already a staple at area restaurants, dozens of chefs compete in the East Coast She-Crab Soup Classic, held every spring in Virginia Beach.

Local Produce /Pungo Farms

From March through September, chefs, locals and visitors stop at Pungo's 8,000 acres of farmland to browse the 16 You-Pick farms, farmer's markets and roadside stands for fresh, sustainable, local produce. The area is most well-known for its strawberries, thanks to the annual Strawberry Festival, but kale, blueberries, blackberries, cantaloupe and flowers also abound, just to name a few. Visitors can get their hands dirty and immerse themselves in farm life at New Earth Farm, a sustainable and educational working farm. Adults can sheer sheep, learn how to make cheese, kombucha, noodles and other dishes during the regularly scheduled classes, or sign up for cooking classes led by some of the area's top chefs at the farm's Food Lab. Young culinary enthusiasts, 10-years-old and up, can also sign up for cooking classes and make a meal from scratch, including harvesting eggs, washing and chopping produce and putting it all together to create a delicious farm-made feast.

BITES & BREWS

Restaurant Highlights

• Blue Pete's – Located in Pungo, on the beautiful Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, this local favorite offers guests the opportunity to kayak or canoe to the dock, then enjoy a crab boil or whole hog BBQ with live music.

• Eurasia Café and Wine Bar – The AAA Four-Diamond restaurant's seasonal menu incorporates fresh local produce into its fine Southern- inspired dishes, which include buttermilk-fried calamari, shrimp and grits, and locally harvested Lynnhaven oysters.

• Salacia – Virginia's only AAA Four-Diamond steakhouse combines fine dining with a memorable and elegant oceanfront atmosphere.

• Tautog's – Housed in a classic Virginia Beach 1920s cottage, the restaurant prides itself on guest service and a thoughtfully curated seafood-centric menu.

• Terrapin – Chef Rodney Einhorn helms this James Beard-recognized,

• AAA Four-Diamond restaurant, serving contemporary American Cuisine with a creative use of seasonal farm-fresh ingredients.

• The Back Deck – This nautical dive bar has an unparalleled dockside view and is a local favorite for fresh seafood and strong drinks. Hidden behind The Shellfish Company seafood market, the Back Deck is stocked by the owners' private fishing fleet, who unload their catch at the bar's private dock daily.

Local Breweries

• Young Veterans Brewing Company – Iraq War veterans Thomas Wilder and Neil McCanon opened the brewery in August 2013 to much acclaim and rave reviews. They currently offer six brews with names drawing inspiration from the armed services, such as their Double IPA “Jet Noise” and Hefeweizen “Pineapple Grenade.”

• Beach Brewing Company – A mainstay in the area's growing artisan beer scene, Beach Brewing offers five year-round beers named after the beach surroundings, such as “Hoptopus Double IPA” and “Riptide Altbier.”

• Back Bay Brewing - Borrowing its name from the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Back Bay Brewing was founded in 2011 by five longtime friends and recently opened its first tasting room.

• Pleasure House Brewing – The most recent brewery addition to the area opened in late 2014. The new brewery offers a tasting room designed to give beer enthusiasts a place to gather, offering eight brews, live music and games.

• Green Flash Brewing Co – The well-known San Diego-based micro brewery has chosen to open its second location in Virginia Beach and will begin construction on a 58,000-square-foot craft brewery and tasting room planned to open spring 2016. Co-founder Mike Hinkley says they chose Virginia Beach because of the city's synergy with their San Diego home base, including their mutual reputations as top coastal travel destinations with a large military presence.

###