Inviting Plaid Turnip will keep you coming back

SUFFOLK

It wasn't enough to see our old friend Ed Beardsley on opening day of the Plaid Turnip downtown. His new restaurant had rye bread too.

I don't know why I like the bread with those tiny black seeds, but I do. And I was glad to see that finally somebody around here is offering it.

Beardsley, who most of us remember from Art's Kitchen a way down West Washington Street, has taken over what was formerly Pisces. He'd been working at Outback at Chesapeake Square, he said, and was pleased when Steve and Margaret Gellas came to him after they decided running two restaurants downtown - they also own and operate Primo 116, on Washington Street - was simply too much.

"I was honored they thought to offer it to me," he said.

Beardsley said he thought it was time. This is his first time owning a restaurant. Although he admits he has partners, he calls himself the "financial behind" of this new turnip venture.

A group of friends and I visited with Beardsley on his first day of business. Same old Ed. He came out of the kitchen to chat for a few minutes. And, although he didn't yet have appetizers on the menu, he came up with a pleasing sample platter that we mostly devoured. It was fried mac and cheese, fried olives, calamari and fried green tomatoes. Anything to accommodate his guests.

That's the feeling Beardsley said he likes to maintain. He was a psychology major at the College of William and Mary but decided long ago that he'd rather cook.

You can see from the decor that he also loves having his own place. The place is almost unrecognizable from its former self. Every wall is painted a different color. And once again, the place where Ed works has become a showplace for local artwork. He has about six artists right now, he said, with more coming.

What does he enjoy most about restaurants? It's the people, and he especially likes the people of Suffolk, the city where he has lived for the past several years.

He likes to make it comfortable, enjoyable and fulfilling for folks to dine around him, he said.

"And people don't go away hungry. I'm not a small portion kind of guy."

The Plaid Turnip opens for breakfast at 7 a.m. On Sundays, it's open for brunch. The Turnip offers lunch and dinner, and stays open most nights until 9 p.m., 10 p.m. on weekends.

He prefers to cook simple meals. He likes to give his employees - like former Pisces chef Greg Carver - license to try new and different things. He understands that, in today's economy, going out to eat is a treat. It should be treated with care.

He's launching an "early bird special" nightly from 4 to 6 p.m., $10 for an entree and two sides.

We all enjoyed hearty sandwiches: the patty melt, with the rye bread; a simple grilled cheese with bacon; the "Kitchen Sink," a burger with bacon, onions, mushrooms, chili and four cheeses.

And, yes, some of us even indulged in dessert. It all looked so good. It's made right there, in the kitchen, Beardsley said. He hopes to expand his offerings to include cookies, donuts and other bakery-type stuff.

If you stop in just to say hi to Ed, you probably won't get out without trying a little something. He has happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m.

It's the Plaid Turnip. Just a name. Something that people will remember.

Linda McNatt, (757) 222-5561, linda.mcnatt@pilotonline.com