The Eclectic Stove in Portsmouth

“Who knew?” may be the theme for this post. First, who knew that Portsmouth Restaurant Week was in its fourth year? I’m pretty observant when it comes to food related celebrations in Hampton Roads but it wasn’t until I stumbled on to Portsmouth Independent Restaurant Association on Facebook that I learned about the celebration taking place March 24 – April 2.

Much like Norfolk and Virginia Beach Restaurant Weeks, the deal is a three-course prix fixe menu at participating restaurants throughout Portsmouth. There are over 20 restaurants participating including: Still Worldly Eclectic Tapas, Montgomery Grill, Brutti’s, and The Stove. For those reluctant to travel to Portsmouth you may be pleased to discover that the city provides a wonderful array of culinary destinations.

I’ve said it before and I will continue to say that these weeks make for ideal opportunities for patrons to sample a place they have never been and in turn, it provides restaurants the opportunity to “woo” new customers so that they will come back for more dish sampling and enjoyment.

I chose to visit The Stove last night having heard great things and having never been. Who knew that place even existed? There is no way you are just going to stumble upon it. The Stove is a destination restaurant located in an old neighborhood on an off street (2622 Detroit Street).

"I don't think you're ready for this,
'cause my body's too bootylicious"

They offered a three-course meal for $35 with an option to add a wine pairing with each course for $15. For the first course I had butternut squash and tart apple bisque with sponge apple strips. This was my favorite part of the meal. The sponge apple strips were super tasty. My love got the local baby lettuce, arugula and romaine hearts with daikon radish, smoked tomato with mustard vinaigrette. I generally hate tomatoes but he prompted me to try the smoked tomato and that bite was pretty bangin’. For my second course I enjoyed the grilled house-made sausage and crisp pork belly bacon on a butternut squash oyster mushroom sauté with stove steak sauce. I was upset that they ran out of my third course selection which was the petite cobbler, tart apples and strawberries in sugar lemon slurry with caramel sauce. Instead I got a chocolate genache dessert with a name that sounded like a track from a Beyoncé album. (Sorry for not remembering.) It was better than the alternate dessert option on the restaurant week menu which was a bittersweet chocolate tart topped with a semi-sweet chocolate genache sprinkled with smoked sea salt sitting on a sweet chocolate sauce.

I enjoyed all of the wines paired with the meal for the exception of the dessert port. I just do not like ultra-sweet wines. It is just a personal preference. The portions were perfect for the ladies but the men left hungry. (That is for both the food and the wine pours.)

I did see two items on the regular menu that I will make a point to go back and sample. “Da Bubby Gump,” Chef Sydney Meers version of shrimp and grits using Virginia stone ground grit made into a cake topped with pimento cheese, his sausage, smoked tomato and the holy trinity with seafood stock finish. The other dish is The Dumbwaiter classic spicy etouffee with jumbo shrimp and smoochie bear ham (no clue what this is, but it is on the menu) with the holy trinity and tomato on jalapeño sticky rice. See you then – you crazy little restaurant.