WILLIS WHARF A few weeks back, I met a new oyster. This oyster lived in a curiously shaped shell, cupped on the bottom, level on the top, different from the flattish oysters I'm accustomed to slurping. The meat inside looked different, too - rounded and plumpish, not quite compact, but not as spread out as other oysters.

Dream Teamer Nancy Zeitman took first place at the State Fair of Virginia this year for her sugar-free cookies. Her winners are based on a sugar cookie recipe that a friend gave to her years ago.

Norfolk All the kitchen equipment and cookware, dishes and decor of Magnolia Steak & Seafood Co. went up for bid Thursday morning as auctioneers sold off the defunct restaurant's assets.

 By Judy Cowling
Restaurant critic
VIRGINIA BEACH
If you enjoy alfresco dining, you need to know about Ammos. Open for three seasons now on the Boardwalk across from the 14th Street Fishing Pier, Ammos Authentic Greek Cuisine offers excellent Greek dishes, super-friendly service and open-air dining.

By AnnaLisa Michalski
Correspondent
When Nov. 1 dawns, reward your jack-o'-lantern for escaping smashing. Give the gourd a second life in tasty seasonal treats.

By Holly Van Auken
Correspondent
Four years ago, Ken Pavelo made the kind of deal with his wife, Mary, that few spouses would turn down.
Ken's career would require him to spend half of each week away from home. In exchange for Mary's support, Ken agreed to do all the cooking - breakfast, lunch and dinner - for the three or four days he was home in Virginia Beach.

VIRGINIA BEACH
Lunch had ended at Beach Day School, but at a round table ringed by 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds, there was plenty of eating ahead. Pumpkins, fat-fingered hands and broom handles and bristles had yet to be consumed.

A couple of Saturdays back,  we asked Old Dominion University tailgaters to hang out a shingle if they wanted The Virginian-Pilot’s taste testers to come by and rate their spread.       

THE FALL season for local organic veggies is under way. Check out Virginia Garden Organic Grocery at the Virginia Beach Farmers Market for bok choy, collards, kale, cilantro and sweet potatoes as well as sweet and hot peppers still ripening on the vines.

NORFOLK Voila, tucked away in Norfolk’s cobblestoned Freemason section, is a charming establishment. It bills itself as an international cafe, but the menu is decidedly French. The place is small but elegant. Accent lighting provides a romantic glow over its 11 small tables. The jazz music in the background almost makes it a riff on early 20th century Paris.