Restaurant notes from around town

By Tammy Jaxtheimer

Restaurant critic

During my dining adventures in New York City, Mario Batali's Babbo Ristorante has often beckoned me back.

Hampton Roads connoisseurs will have the opportunity to experience "Babbo by the Sea" Sept. 19 at Virginia Beach's Terrapin Restaurant. Frank Langello, executive chef of Babbo's for the past six years, will be cooking with Rodney Einhorn, chef-owner of Terrapin.

Einhorn and Langello were classmates at the Culinary Institute of America, as well as co-workers at Le Cirque. Langello will prepare three of Babbo's signature plates while Einhorn will prepare three of Terrapin's most acclaimed dishes, all paired with wines. The cost is $195 per person with a portion of the proceeds going to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters Health and Surgery Center in Virginia Beach.

Make reservations at (757) 321-6688. This collaborative dinner is sure to please your palate - and sell out quickly. Check out the menu at www.terrapinvirginiabeach.com. Both chefs are committed to featuring fresh ingredients, many of which are local and organic.

Chef challenge

"Market: Impossible 2! Chef's Challenge" will be Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Downtown Waterfront Market in Elizabeth City. Andy Lewis, chef of Coasters Downtown Draughthouse will have 10 minutes to shop for ingredients from the market's variety of locally grown foods and less than an hour to prepare his fare.

At an earlier Market Impossible event, chef owner Andy Montero of Montero's Restaurant and sous chef, Brandon Clark prepared six dishes including blackberry-glazed duck, stuffed mushrooms, eggplant roulade and fruit terrine.

The market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the green at Mariners' Wharf in Elizabeth City. Under white tents filled with home-grown goods, vendors from throughout northeastern North Carolina sell fresh produce, baked goods, gourmet foods, dairy products, plants and flowers and handcrafted wares. Local musicians and entertainers perform, and coffee and fresh-squeezed limeades and orangeades are available. Call (252) 338-0169 or visit www.DowntownWaterfrontMarket.com.

Brunch at the Chamberlin

Check out Sunday brunch and the $54 million renovation at The Chamberlin in Hampton that created a 133-unit luxury senior apartment community.

Executive chef Damon Armstrong, previously a chef instructor at Norfolk Technical Center and a chef at Portsmouth's Krush, describes it as traditional brunch with a contemporary flair influenced by seasonal products. An array of seafood and meat selections, omelet station, fresh pastries, desserts and more are offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday

The Chamberlin touts local produce and made-from-scratch sauces, dressings, marinades and more. Brunch is $29 per person, $13 per child and $27 for seniors and military personnel. Reservations required at (757) 637-7200.

Vegan friendly

Diners wanting to cut out or cut down on their intake of meat and dairy products should take note of Bella Pizzeria on Colley Avenue in Norfolk, named by PETA as one of the country's top 10 vegan-friendly pizzerias. Bella, ranked No. 8, starts with a New York-style crust and covers it with homemade sauce and two different kinds of soy cheese. Then add your choice of peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, spinach, broccoli, garlic and pineapple.

Claiming first place was Pizza Luce in Minneapolis.

Tammy Jaxtheimer, flavor@pilotonline.com