Norfolk’s nod to exotic food & rock ‘n’ roll.
Photo by George Culver
It doesn’t happen often that you find yourself in a restaurant named after an iconic record label, but owner and chef Steve Marsh opened his 28-seat neighborhood diner four years ago as a nod to the 1960s label that was home to legendary singers Gary U.S. Bonds and JohnnySoul. Norfolk’s LeGrand Kitchen offers an eclectic menu with a variety of dishes deeply rooted in the Eastern Seaboard’s diverse wildlife.
“We love food, we love food ingredients, and we love rock ‘n’ roll,” says Marsh. “Our menu changes weekly, with the exception of a couple items that have stayed on since the opening from customers’ requests.” Items on the diner’s menu include ramp rice grits, ramp pesto, Spanish octopus, fermented pepper, fiddlehead ferns, lobster mushrooms, and Rappahannock oysters with caviar. “We try and use relevant ingredients in conjunction with the seasons,” says Marsh. “While not all the ingredients we use are local, they are what’s available in limited quantities, sometimes for only a week before they are gone until next season.”
To Marsh, LeGrand Kitchen is designed as an experience for diners who are open to new ideas. “Dining should be fun, it should be memorable, and you should leave wanting to come back again and again,” he says. LeGrandKitchen.com
This article originally appeared in our Best of Virginia 2019 issue.