September/October 2005
Top of the Chain
Choosing a Run-of-the-Mill Restaurant Doesn’t Always Amount to a Dull Dinner
Get out your pens and paper—there is going to be a test.
You have two steaks. One was grilled at a Chicago restaurant, and a second was grilled in Hampton Roads at another locale. Do they taste exactly the same?
Answer—probably pretty close ... if each location was part of a chain restaurant.
There are more than 1,600 eateries across Hampton Roads, and the number increases with the inclusion of fast food outlets. A good portion of these places—names you recognize like Applebee’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Olive Garden and Chili’s—are chains. Does that mean they still deserve recognition?
“Many people don’t want surprises,” says Tammy Jaxtheimer, a restaurant critic for The Virginian-Pilot with a culinary arts degree from Johnson and Wales University.
“When someone goes to a chain restaurant, many of them feel that they’ve removed the element of surprise, that they know just what to expect when they order, and that’s a comfort to them,” she adds.
But many worry familiarity may breed something besides comfort—indigestion.
“ÔChain’ isn’t a bad word,” Jaxtheimer concludes. “People love chains. This is a chain town. Just look at Town Center.”
She refers to Town Center in Virginia Beach, home to scores of national chain restaurants—Red Star Tavern, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, California Pizza Kitchen, Cheesecake Factory, P. F. Chang’s China Bistro, Max & Erma’s, Smokey Bones and Romano’s Macaroni Grill—to name a few.
Since Town Center opened a few years ago, the chain gang has exploded, adding to already established names like Kincaid’s and The Melting Pot.
Still, the drive to support independents is fierce. In fact, the Council of Independent Restaurants of America, founded in 1999, believes passionately in the importance of protecting and nurturing the independent entrepreneurial restaurants across the country.
However, Jaxtheimer notes independent restaurants don’t necessarily indicate high quality. So how do we solve the ever-nagging question of where to eat out? Embrace the ones that shine.
Rather than breaking the chain, Hampton Roads Magazine’s editorial team has looked at some of its favorite restaurants, including casual and upscale, that have three or more locations. They were selected from the myriad of restaurants in the area based on menu selection, uniqueness of menu, value of menu selections, service, appearance and quality of food.
They are the best, the top of the chain.
For the rest of this story, see the September/October 2005 issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, currently available on newsstands.