| 'Create' a lovely evening | | Print | |
| Written by PJ Freebourn | |
| Thursday, 29 March 2007 | |
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There is a danger in telling someone how good a restaurant is: unfulfilled high expectations. I can not count the number of times where someone told me that I had to go to some place because it was amazing, but when I tried it, I found it was just average. Many people that told me to go check out the new little restaurant in Hilton Village (Newport News). With the high expectations I had for Create Bistro, it had no chance. However, against all odds, this little restaurant met and exceeded all of those expectations. From the outside, the building looks impossibly small, but the inside it nicely accommodates both a bar and a dining area. The ambiance is not overstated and suits the space very well. Everything has a feel of elegance from the moment you walk through the door. From the bar where we sat, we could see couples having a beautiful romantic dinner in the dining area while we socialized. Though the food and service are both amazing (and we will get to that in a second),
And yes, the food is wonderful. We did not make it to a main course (called the "Main Events" on the menu), but reading through the list, one salivates in anticipation. Items include: Roasted Pekin Duck breast/ smoked gouda cauliflower mash/ garlic asparagus/ yellow pepper ginger coulis Cast iron Beef tenderloin/ sour cream mashers/ asparagus/ white truffle chimichurri and similar creations with salmon, crabcake, chicken (free range), lamb loin, and even bison meatloaf. As tasty as all that sounded, I started instead with an appetizer (known as "Mouth amusements" on the menu). We had the Peanut crusted seared Tuna Tataki/ bok choy ramen slaw/ furikake teriyaki vinaigrette. It was absolutely amazing. Now I am a fan of Tuna done well (not well done), and this may have been the best I have had in a long time. I don't even know how to pronounce half of those ingredients, but somehow, it all came together to create (get it) a perfectly balanced dish (and one that I am missing and dreaming about as I write this article). While we ate our tuna and socialized, we got the opportunity to taste a number of red wines and tried the bartender's hand at a bloody mary as well as a dirty martini. Alright, lets get this out of the way. I like a shaken martini. So call me a wuss, but "the colder the better"... especially when you have that chipped ice floating in a perfectly balanced dirty martini. The bartender handled that (and agreed with me on the shaking) and the bloody mary well, although the bloody mary was a little too spicy, it was very tasty and also well balanced. The various wines we had were... well... different (and that is actually a compliment). {josquote}They carry a wide variety of wines and not just the normal ones you can get anywhere.{/josqtuoe} Some of them were good, some of them were weird, but all of them contributed to a pleasurable evening. Without much room in our stomachs, we thought it best to move straight from appetizer to dessert. This was a mistake. We started with ordering one desert and ended the night having ingested five. It was a good plan: just get some ice cream and call it a night. But after the Bourbon ice cream was quickly demolished (and I had thought tuna was amazing) we moved quickly through a creme brulee, an upsidown macadamia nut cheese cake, another bourbon ice cream, and a bananas flambe. So 10 pounds and 2 inches later we final called it a night. The problem with Create, is that it is too good. I could spend way too much money (and it is expensive!) and gain way too much weight there. (It doesn't help that the bartender is great at "the upsale"). All in all, I am left wanting. I think about the next time I might get a chance to go and try even more dishes (including more desserts... must have more desserts) especially those tasty sounding "Main Events". Newport News is growing up, with restaurants like Schlessingers, Light, and now Create. You can easily compare this little bistro with the short list of the best of Newport News... strike that... you can put it at the top of that list.
Create Bistro |
the first thing that struck me was how friendly everyone was. 
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Just ate at Create and loved it! The food was delicious and even though it is small, the people were friendly and made the atmosphere very comfortable. Not a place for a private conversation, but when in the mood for great food and a fun environment, Create is the place. I agree... great review. The food is amazing (and the bartender is cute) Thank you so much for reviewing Create. Create was to say the least... amazing, from their signature drinks, to the amazing mozerella tomato salad and their fried green tomatoes with goat cheese appetizer to their dessert, it was a beautiful experience, recommend to anyone who would enjoy to have a meal of a lifetime. Thanks Mary. -PJ Freebourn Great review, PJ! We liked it too, but felt a little cramped in a tight space for a 'Romantic' evening. I am commenting because I do not want you to leave out 99 Main, another fabulous restaurant around the corner from Create. It remains our favorite! |