Blissful Bites & Tasty Flights

When I aim to visit a winery, I imagine jumping in the ragtop and taking a jaunt through the countryside past rows of ripening grapes to arrive at a vintner’s tasting table.

Not necessarily, says retired Navy commander Jason Witt, who with his wife, Dyan, opened Waters Edge Winery two years ago in Norfolk.

Their winery sits on a residential stretch of Hampton Boulevard near Old Dominion University. There’s nary a grapevine in sight. Rather, the Witts import big bags of grapes from around the globe—Argentina, Australia, Armenia, Tuscany, France, South Africa, and the United States—and ferment, rack, filter, bottle, and label them all in their spacious tank room.

And why not, the Witts say. After all, breweries don’t grow their own hops to make beer.

During Jason Witt’s 21-year Navy career (his call sign was “Tank,” go figure), the Witts traveled the world. When he was ready to retire, he already had his scope trained on the former Taste Unlimited location near their home.

Theirs is more than a winery and tasting room. It’s also an airy, full-scale restaurant complete with gift shop, event room, and dog-friendly outdoor seating. The clean nautical decor, all soft blues and greys, is a perfect setting for a girls’ night out or an intimate dinner date. And like local breweries, families are welcome. There’s even a kids’ menu.

On a recent Thursday evening, a smattering of customers occupied upholstered booths and tables sipping flights of wine ($21 to $27) and nibbling charcuterie plates ($27 for two; $47 for four) and crab dip ($18).

We settled into a four-top in a sunny section near the front of the restaurant with a sunset view and a clear line of sight into the vast tank room. Our smiling and efficient server, Meagan, promptly brought our wine of choice, a bottle of 2023 Monterey County Grenache ($45). While somewhat lighter bodied than we expected, it had its promised notes of tart cherries and a long satisfying finish that begged thoughtful sipping rather than quaffing.

To go with that grenache we ordered two starters: crab cakes seared ($16) and Norfolk Brussels ($15). The dual, dinner-sized crab cakes packed plenty of crustacean, if not the knobs of lump listed on the menu. They arrived warm and crispy on the outside, soft in the center with a little kick of heat that could be tempered by the ramekin of bright, house-made lemon vinaigrette. 

Now, flash-fried Brussels sprouts have become ubiquitous on restaurant appetizer menus with each kitchen adding their own twist. Waters Edge sets theirs apart topping a hearty oblong dish full of tiny cabbages with crisp bacon, feta, and the kicker, Mike’s Hot Honey. 

We ate them all.

For main courses, we ordered The Edge Smash Burger ($17), Blackened Shrimp Salad, ($25) and a Bistro Plate menu selection of Chimichurri Short Ribs and Frites ($28) to split between two of us.

Peter, the burger man, lifted the glistening double patty sammie oozing with sharp cheddar and chimichurri aioli and exclaimed, “I can’t put this down.” And he didn’t, enjoying every bite of the juicy beef elevated by the unusual addition of the Argentinean condiment made with parsley, garlic, pepper flakes and olive oil.

Across the table from me, Peggy tucked into her shrimp salad, which featured a bed of greens strafed with black bean salsa, avocado, niblets of fresh corn, and a half dozen large shrimp very lightly blackened. The construct earned big points for freshness and variety—the hallmark of a good salad—but she would have enjoyed a more assertive blackening.

I wisely decided to share the chimichurri short ribs, one of two tempting short rib dishes—the other simmered in a house-made red wine glaze and served with risotto and seasonal veggies ($32).

Meagan set the long rectangular dish between us that was heaped with plenty to sate two adult appetites. A generous foundation of crispy fries (worth eating!) had a surprising and delicious strata of shaved parmesan at the bottom of the plate. Two mounds of oh-so-tender short ribs finished the dish.

Still, somehow we had room for dessert and soon we tucked into two slices of dense chocolate torte enveloped in a shiny dark chocolate sauce ($14), so rich and silky and chocolatey that it demanded thoughtful bliss between bites. 

Food Find: 

Waters Edge Winery
On Facebook and Instagram
6464 Hampton Blvd. Norfolk
757-904-3821
info@wewnorfolk.com

Hours:
Sun. - Thurs., 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Fri. and Sat., 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays

Starters: $7 to $47
Salads: $12 to $25
Flatbreads: $15 to $16
Sandwiches: $14 to $19
Bistro plates: $19 to $35
Desserts: $6 to $15
Kids’ meals: $11, includes fountain drink
Lunch special: Mon.-Fri., 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Gluten-free dishes available: crab dip, soup, charcuterie, salad
Wine club memberships: $45 to $500 per month

Lorraine Eaton, formerly with the Virginian-Pilot, is co-author of the “Food Lover’s Guide to Virginia,” and author of “Tidewater Table.” She has won numerous writing awards, and her work has been included in “Best Food Writing.” Lorraine lives in Va. Beach.