In Episode 009 of our podcast we sit down with Maryland native Chef “Mixxer” Ashanti as she gives us insight to what its like being a black female buisness owner, how she transitioned from radio talk show to chef, how she got into vlogging, where she sees her carryout restaurant in the coming years and much more. Listen here.
Food
INTHEMIXXER
A few weeks ago ThePerfectPlay had the opportunity to host a Mixer catered by an up and coming local chef who goes by Inthemixxer. If you live in Hampton Roads you’ve likely heard of her or at least seen pictures of her succulent products on social media. Her skills definitely don’t disappoint outside of the Internet either. Inthemixxer, whose real name is Ashanti, also offers monthly/weekly meal services alongside catering events/mixers/holidays. Get to know more about the 27 year old self taught chef below and book her for your next gathering.
Instagram: Inthemixxer
Twitter: Inthemixxer
Bookings: Info@mixxerskitchen.com
Good Eats pt. 2
Welcome back to Good Eats with The Perfect Play. During this review, we will be taking a crash course with ‘The Public House. Located in the ghent area of Norfolk, it provides delicious foods and beers to the public, hence the name of the restaurant lulz. On their website http://www.publichouseeats.com/index.html, it gives a little insight on what they have to offer to their customers with a little ‘about me’ section. Open seven days a week from 11 am to 2 pm, it gives hungry goers a relaxing place to head to when they are craving pub food or beer on tap. From the word of the owners themselves, “ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS ANYTIME YOU ORDER ANYTHING AT THE PUBLIC HOUSE, FROM THE ICE-CREAM TO THE CORNED BEEF TO THE MOZZARELLA STICKS, IT’S ALL MADE FRESH IN HOUSE. NOTHING PRE-ORDERED, NOTHING FROZEN. WELL, OKAY WISE GUY, THE ICE-CREAM IS FROZEN, BUT AFTER WE CHURN IT FROM FRESH INGREDIENTS,” reassuring the hungry diners that they have nothing to worry about in terms of eating nothing but the best they have to offer. The Public House offer menus according the time of deal. If interested they can be viewed below:
Saturday and Sunday Brunch: http://www.publichouseeats.com/pdf/PublicHouseBrunchMenuFall2014Web.pdf
Lunch and Dinner: http://www.publichouseeats.com/pdf/PublicHouseMenuJan2015.pdf
Late Night: http://www.publichouseeats.com/pdf/150278_PHLateNightMenuJan2015.pdf
Beer, Wine, and Cocktails: http://www.publichouseeats.com/pdf/PH_beer_cocktail.pdf
The Perfect Play team also took some time to visit the establishment and see what it was like for ourselves. Below are what each person decided to order.
Our experience there I could say was a pleasant one for us. The environment was dim, and gave a homely feeling. The service was great, and the food was very delicious. I personally recommend either the blue or white collar mac and cheese if you’re a fan of the cheesy goodness. Additionally a selection of proteins can be added on top for a small fee as well. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that want to try comfort food while at the same time want to enjoy a cold brew. Go check it out sometime and tell them The Perfect Play sent ya!
Good Eats
If you were to ask any person “what is one good way to make you happy,” a common response would be good food. For this article on the perfect play, we will be discussing local popular eating destinations. As the saying goes, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” we will go in depth a very popular food destination in the city of Norfolk, VA. For any food connoisseur, a good breakfast consists of eggs, a protein, form of carbs, and sometimes gravy. At handsome biscuit, this place offers all of that. Now if you haven’t noticed already in the name of the restaurant itself, this place is all about biscuits. Located close to downtown Norfolk, in the ghent area off of Colonial road, all who come here is in for a sure fire food experience. The first steps in the small restaurant, right away you can smell the sweet potato biscuits baking away and giving off a mouth watering aroma. Having a hipster vibe to the environment, it gives off a very welcoming feeling. On the side wall, written out in chalk is the menu of the delicacies that they offer. With a list of 10 different biscuit combos to choose from, if you haven’t already chosen a favorite, you’re in for a hard decision. Offering choices from the ‘Hella Fitzgerald‘, which is a Fried Chicken with bacon, cheddar, and red eye sausage gravy, to ‘Dill Na Na’, which consists of Potato Onion Frittata and Arugula with Dill Mayo. If you aren’t satisfied with just the biscuits they also offer add ons and sides for a little extra charge. Along with these there are many more options to choose from, and the best thing about it all is that this restaurant is budget friendly with nothing being more than $6.50. If you’re interested in exploring more about the menu, here is a link to their menu online. http://handsomebiscuit.com/menu/
Also for a more visual representation, please take some time and peep the pictures below. Cheers.
26th Annual Bayou Boogaloo
This weekend Norfolk is hosting their 26th annual Bayou Boogaloo, a festival dedicated to bringing us a taste of New Orleans style food and music. I stopped by today for the festivals start and I can say it definitely didn’t disappoint! The Louisiana feels hit you right when you enter, as you are greeted by a local jazz band and the sounds from another band can be heard echoing in the distance. Circling through the park all day is Eric Haines, the one man band from Seattle. All around are food stands from restaurants throughout Louisiana and even some from right here in Norfolk. The options are endless: crawfish, every cajun dish you can think of, blackened fish, shrimp, alligator sausage, alligator pie, jambalaya, gumbo, crab cakes, roasted corn, beignets. In other words it’s the best thing in the area right now. I tried food from three different vendors and all were amazing but with dessert being my favorite, beignets from the Praline Connection are a must!
In addition to all the food and music are stands from Louisiana vendors selling things such as paintings, photographs, personal artwork, hand made jewelry, clothing, etc. I picked up some cool necklaces from a stand whose slogan was “art made from found objects”. If you have some free time this weekend it’s definitely worth it to check it out! The festival will be at Town Point Park at Norfolk Waterfront today, Saturday June 20th and is staying until tomorrow. Admission is $10/a person and tickets can be purchased online. For musician line ups, times and more information click the link below:
https://festevents.org/events/2015-season-events/bayou-boogaloo-cajun-festival/
Thanks for reading!
