Another date with Daddy

We weren't planning it, but we ended up with a bonus sitter tonight. All week long we couldn't decide where to go or what to do. We considered all our favorite area restaurants, but it had been so long since we went someplace new. So I dragged out our Entertainment Book of coupons and we decided to pick one with a buy-one-get-one-free offer and ended up at the Blue Crab in Virginia Beach.

You can't beat the atmosphere, sitting on the deck overlooking the boats of the marina. And I'd go back for that reason alone.


We started out meal with a house salad ($4), which Mike and I split. I loved the fact that the salad was topped with shredded beets. But the dressing, while tasty, was a bit too heavy on the vinegar, and I found myself reaching for my water several times.

Mike ordered the surf and turf, which came with steamed shrimp and grilled tenderloin (although they were out of the tenderloin, so they substituted a New York Strip for $20 vs. $27), "southern beans" and smashed potatoes. First the bad. The beans were awful. They had far too much seasoning and tasted almost burnt. The potatoes were OK. But Mike said the stars of the meal -- the steak and pile of shrimp -- were perfect. Mike says ordering steak out can be hit or miss. He wants it medium-rare, with an emphasis on the rare, but each chef seems to define "rare" differently and often it comes overcooked.

I ordered the seafood scampi ($24), shrimp, scallops and lobster in a butter wine sauce with tomatoes and scallions served over angel hair pasta. I think scampi should be so garlicky that you'll be vampire-free for weeks. but this scampi was a bit bland. And it had a cheese melted on top, which seemed unnecessary. I did enjoy it, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. Or as good as it might have been had I made it at home.

In fact, next time, I'll try my homemade Angel Hair with Scallop Sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1/2 lb. sea scallops
Angel hair pasta.
Heat butter and oil together in a skillet until butter is melted. Add garilc and cook until golden. Remove garlic. Heat a large pot of salted water. When water is boiling, add angel hair to water and scallops to butter/olive oil skillet and saute until cooked through. Drain pasta, add scallops and butter/oil and toss to combine.