Leone’s: 2020 Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week
2020 Restaurant Week SZN has officially begun. Restaurant Week, which occurs in cities across the country, showcases local restaurants. This is a fantastic chance to try a restaurant you’ve never been to before or return to an old favorite.
Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week
Participating restaurants crafted three-course, prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner. From January 19–26, diners could head to downtown Norfolk and savor meals specially designed by local chefs.
This year, Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week offered over two dozen restaurants with the choice of $12 lunch, $12 brunch, $25 dinner and $35 dinner. I meticulously went through each menu for each restaurant before narrowing my choices down to two. On Friday, January 24, my friend Zoe and I headed to Leone’s for their $35 Restaurant Week dinner menu.
Leone’s
Leone’s is an upscale restaurant located in downtown Norfolk. The restaurant dishes out classic Italian specialties with a twist. Awarded OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice Award for 2018, I’ve heard a lot of good things about Leone’s as the place to go for authentic Italian food.
We started with a glass of one of the house wines (you know, because ballin’ on a budget) then narrowed down our choices from the three-course dinner menu.
First Course
The first course had three options: M. Vernon Escargot, Charcuterie Micro-Plate and a Warm Goat Cheese Salad. Zoe and I both picked the escargot.
This was Zoe’s first time having escargot, and this dish was the perfect way for her to dip her toe into French delicacy. The cream-based sauce and gorgonzola cheese was a great way to introduce familiar flavors to the escargot. The dish was garnished with plenty of herbs that could’ve been plated more on the side. I don’t love chewing rosemary needles with my food. Aside from that, the escargot was cooked perfectly—soft with a firm center that wasn’t rubbery.
Second Course
For our entrees, we each chose something different. With the choice of Langoustine Alfredo, Chicken Milanese, Ribeye Al Gorgonzola and Zuppa di Pesce, I went with the steak while Zoe selected the Zuppa di Pesce.
I try not to order steaks during Restaurant Week, unless I’m eating at a steakhouse. While I initially thought I was missing out on an opportunity to fully indulge in Italian cuisine, I had zero regrets when I bit into the steak.
The boneless ribeye was cooked with a hard sear, topped with melted gorgonzola compound butter. I closed my eyes as I ate about a quarter of this tender, melt-in-your-mouth steak, then saved the rest for breakfast the next day. The ribeye was served with pasta mini-timballo, reminiscent of a small rigatoni lasagna, and sautéed arugula with cherry tomatoes and plenty of garlic. Leone’s is very generous with the garlic so keep that in mind if you plan on making out with someone after eating here.
“Zuppa di Pesce” translates from Italian to fish soup. This savory dish had a tomato base complemented by white wine. While the soup did showcase a few large shrimps, along with clams, mussels, calamari and white fish, Zoe felt like the dish needed even more seafood.
Third Course
The final course had the option of a White Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake or a scoop of gelato. It was about 9 p.m. so we both ended up ordering a slightly caffeinated dessert. Zoe went with the cheesecake (which I did not get a picture of), while I chose a coffee gelato.
I was practically falling asleep at the table, so the coffee gelato was a nice way to end the meal, since I don’t drink coffee.
The Vibe
From couples to friends celebrating a birthday, there were all sorts of diners at Leone’s. While the atmosphere is more refined, you can still dress casually. When we walked in, there was plenty of seating at the bar, but the main dining room was filling up. We were shown to a cozy table near the back of the restaurant, which was perfect for two mildly anti-social people like ourselves.
The service was spot-on, to the point where a guy who wasn’t our server kept checking in on us. Our server Kristin was incredibly attentive and friendly. There was a longer break between the courses than I’m used to, but the steak was so good that it was totally worth it.
During our meal, we noticed people leaving out a backdoor. We later realized that Leone’s has an expansive outdoor patio, as well as rooftop seating overlooking Granby Street. I’d definitely love to come back when the weather warms up for a meal and a few drinks al fresco.
Leone’s is located at 455 Granby St., Norfolk.