Virginia Beach 2009: 456 Fish

A brief update on a nice fish spot I found in my recent travels as I work to slog through my seemingly unending backlog of posts to put out there.

I had travelled to Norfolk, Virginia for an event on an aircraft carrier, which was pretty cool, but the food left something to be desired, so we retired to the trendy block of Norfolk that sports a number of new restaurants and clubs.

We entered the clean, classic interior of 456 Fish (thus named for its address at 456 Granby Street) to, well, have some good fish.

The hour was late but luckily Norfolk seems to have a bit of a late evening scene, so the kitchen was open until 11pm. The restaurant's decor was reminiscent of an older club-style lounge, evoking a newly redo art deco steakhouse more than a well-recommended fish joint.

The short wine list was quite well done, with something for everyone - a good variety of all varietals and regions. We settled on a white (for the fish) despite my protestation that we should opt for a lighter red, but I was overruled. The '07 Flora Springs Soliloquy did the job quite nicely, however.

I opted for the Lobster Spring Rolls, which were tasty and more like egg rolls, with a lot of cabbage and some other vegetables stuffed in with the morsels of lobster. They were a good portion and served with a decent sweet and sour dipping sauce with chili flakes.

I also sampled the Fried Calamari, which lived up to the "award winning" moniker on the menu. Done with corn meal and lightly fried, served with a pesto mayonnaise and a marinara sauce, these two appetizers were both very good ways to start our late night meal.

At the recommendation of the waiter, I chose the Grouper for my main (the special that evening). This dish reminded me why I do like white fish - it was meaty, light flavored and served over plantains and sauteed spinach. An Italian-style tomato sauce complemented the subtle flavor of the fish nicely.

Overall, when we left the restaurant we were very pleased, and although it was late felt very well-served. A prime place to try in this up and coming section of the city.