Food Features and Selected Food and Restaurant Columns
Food | Food Features | Cookbooks | | Travel | Donna Reiss-WordsWorth2 Consulting

Virginian-Pilot 1981-1984 and 1987-1996
As restaurant critic, food news and trends columnist, and food and restaurant feature writer, I wrote hundreds of articles during this period. Columns for the Virginian-Pilot included "Bill of Fare" restaurant criticism; "Morsels," "a la carte," and "Short Orders" food news and trends; and "Chef's Secret" recipes from local restaurants. Features included profiles of restaurant people, cookbook reviews and overviews, food-related travel, and themes like eating out with children, brunches, bistros, and ethnic cuisines.

virginian pilot inn style article cover

The Year in Dining 1995, last of my annual end-of-the-year overviews of the restaurant scene in South Hampton Roads, Virginia, before I retired from the columns in September 1996

Inn Style: The Inn at Little Washington, Virginia "One of the Ten Best Restaurants in the World" according to Patricia Wells (1994) and one of my favorite restaurant feature articles (August 21, 1994)


Feature Articles

“Dining in Charlottesville: Mr. Jefferson Never Tasted Fare Like This.” Sunday, October 18, 1981: H1, H3.

“...And To All A Good Bite:Christmas season-time for a chicken in every pot and a cookbook in every stocking.”  Sunday, December 13, 1981:H1, H4.

“The House Dressing: Haute couture for garden-variety greens.”  Sunday, January 31, 1982:H1-2

“Cruising for Cuisine:Strip offers sustenance by the sea.”  Sunday, July, 4, 1982:H1,H6.

“Feast Or Fast: When your diet says ‘no no,’ but the pastry cart says ‘yes, yes.’  Sunday, August 15, 1982: H1, H7.

“Gluttony On The Bounty: It’s hard not to go overboard when the bill of fare is a buffet.”  Sunday, October 224, 1982: H1, H4.

“Tomes on the Range: What’s cooking in books.”  Sunday, December 5, 1982: H1-H2

“Fast-Food Fantasia: Waterside moveable feast provides transatlantic feast.”  Sunday, July 3, 1983: H1-H2

“Apple Pie Keeps the Home Fires Burning.”   Monday, July 4, 1983: B1-B2

“Eating Along the Strip.”  July 14/15, 1983: Page 1  - 3 (The Summer Times promotional supplement to the Beacon, Virginian-Pilot)

“Dining By Waterside: Phillips’ seafood full steam ahead, Tandoor is Nice for A Change, Pasta Repast at Il Porto, Lamb Leads The Way At The Riverside Café, and Brew and Bangers at Reggie’s: Sunday, August 7, 1983: H1, H3-H4.

“Munch a Bunch at Bessie’s.”  Sunday, September 25, 1983: H1, H4.

“A Book-Shelf Lined With Love.”  October 3, 1982: Page 35, 37. (The Good Life Section. The Virginian- Pilot & The Ledger-Star Sunday Magazine) 

“The Subject is Food: Whatever cuisine, cookbooks have it covered,” “Global, regional, ethnic cookbooks have it covered.”  Sunday, December 11, 1983: H1, H4.

“Santa’s Bag Of  Tricks: When the Batterie De Cuisine Misfires.”  Sunday, December 25, 1983: H1.

“Portside Picnic: Market Offers Taste of Smalltown Festival.”  Sunday, May 27, 1984: H4.

“You’ll Have a Ball Eating at Thalia Hall Pavilion.”  Sunday July 15, 1984: H8, H10.

“Dining Out With The Little Darlings: Restaurants welcome well-prepared child.”    Sunday, February, 3, 1985: H4.

“CriticsChoice: memories are in the making.”  Sunday, December 9, 1984. H1-H2.

“What’s Cooking in Hotel Restaurants: Better decor, menu put dining room on status with bedrooms.”  Sunday, July 14, 1985.  H1.

“Fast Fun Food: Marketplace fare still mixes ethnic, indulgent.” Sunday, June 5, 1988:  H1-H2

“Dining Alfresco: Open air eateries becoming a big attraction.”  July 3, 1998: H1-H2, H7.

“Bed And Breakfast And Lunch and Dinner: Hotels Boost Restaurant Image to entire locals and tourists alike.”  Sunday, September 4, 1988: H1, H9.

“Froth Bitten: Cappuccino- strong coffee an steamed milk - makes a perfect after-dinner drink.  January 8, 1989: H1-H2.

“Tourists Take A Delicious Path To France, England.” May 27/28, 1992.  F1, F3. 

“A Collection of Cookbooks: Let’s sample the latest because you can’t gain weight just reading about fine food...CAN you?  June 10/11, 1992: F1, F7,

“Not the Same Old Grind: Hampron roads wakes up to the popularity of coffee bars, hoouses.”  July 15/16, 1992: F1.

“Coffee Bars, Houses, Kiosks.”  July 15/16, 1992:F3.

“The Brunch Bunch: Who can resist a gnereoys midday spread of crab-filled omelete, bubly mimosa and other breakfast/lunch treats?”  October 7/8, 1992: F1

“In the Raw: Yet aother Japanese import- sushi bars- has americans hooked.”  November 11/12, 1992: F1,F6. 

“Where Chef’s Eat:Even restaurant owners and chefs dine out.  Hot dogs, seafood or ethnic fare may grab their fancy.  And like the rests of us, they appreciate good food service.”  March 17/18:F1, F5.

“Beauty of the Bistro is personal style, moderate price: In 19tth century Paris, bistros were an extension of home for city dwellers.”  Sunday, Novemerv 20, 1994: F1-F2 

Food | Food Features | Cookbooks | | Travel | Donna Reiss-WordsWorth2 Consulting

modified January 17, 2008 by D. Reiss