Featured Image: Mel Lhuillier | Marlin Chronicle
With Valentine’s day right around the corner, Zia Marie is the perfect destination for a romantic dinner or a galentines date. Zia Marie is an Italian restaurant located on 2272 West Great Neck Rd, Virginia Beach, only 14 minutes from Virginia Wesleyan’s campus.
This homey restaurant is dotted with numerous fireplaces. Its wooden walls act as a frame to the picturesque hostesses greeting you with a genuine smile. The waiting staff form an unformidable and knowledgeable team, equipped with the skill to help customers understand the menu and keep them comfortable. The overall atmosphere can aptly be described as cozy. Fire and dimmed lights illuminate the restaurant, providing patrons with a romantic backdrop, which is perfect for a dinner date.
After moving to a new location within the last year, Zia’s has gained popularity. Their previous location could be found down Lookout Road–a hidden gem which many individuals mistook for just another Italian restaurant and locals fervently frequented.
Zia’s has been the source of inspiration, the standard to which local Italian restaurants are measured, for nearly a decade. It is even known as Virginia Beach’s slice of Italy. They strive to have a restaurant that welcomes, nourishes and entertains customers. With that passion, they have achieved a loyal clientele, numerous families who choose Zia’s to help them celebrate everything from birthdays to a mundane Monday night.
Once a customer tries Zia’s, their delectable menu soon becomes a checklist for repeat visits. Personally, I have visited Zia’s around twenty times in the past two years. The innumerable selections have kept me coming back again and again, staying with them through their new location and business changes.
Despite their expansive menu, they make a commitment to excellence. Their dishes cater to every palette, with seafood, chicken, eggplant, veal and beef for those special occasions. Zia’s provides dishes for anyone who walks through their door, with variations and customizations available so everyone can enjoy a perfect Italian dinner.
Like a traditional Italian family meal, not only does Zia’s serve entrees, but craveable traditional homemade desserts as well. Unctuous cannolis, weekly special cheesecake and smooth tiramisu make perfect sweet treats to satiate customers. Zia’s honors the classics while updating their menu with a new seasonal dish every week–highly recommended by waiters.
For those ladies wanting a special galentines night, or friends looking for a place to hang out, they do offer a pizza menu with prolific customizations.
Zia Marie is open Monday through Wednesday, from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. For the weekend, they are open Thursday through Sunday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Typically, they are busiest around 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., if you are considering a casual visit. They can be reached through their phone number, (757) 460-0715, or website, https://www.ziamarie.com/, for reservations. Be sure to follow them on instagram @zia_marie, and facebook at ZiaMarieVB.
By Mikayla Moscatelli
mamoscatelli@vwu.edu
