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Staying home for months and not traveling had provided us the opportunity to get creative in planning for a quick getaway to take advantage of what was left of the summer heat before cold autumn takes over. Because I haven't really gone to the area for non-work reasons, we decided to drive down to Virginia Beach. Driving from Northern Virginia to Virginia Beach takes around three hours or more, depending on the traffic.  Our first stop when we arrived is Orion's Roof located on the 23rd floor of Marriott Resort Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The restaurant, headed by ex-Nobu chef Hisashi Araki, just opened last May and has been attracting sushi fanatics both visiting and living in the Virginia Beach area.  We reserved for late dinner at least a week prior and we got seated at our table as soon as we arrived. While enjoying our bottle of wine, we had these starters: Edamame ($6), Local Oysters on the Half Shell ($14), Hamachi Carpaccio ($16), and Conch Ceviche ($14).  Conch Ceviche

During the past few months, a lot of places in my area started to reopen and attempt to return to normal, somehow. One of the places that I was able to visit recently is Trummer's located in Clifton, Virginia. Trummer's (formerly called Trummer's on Main) was  recently awarded as the winner of Upscale Brunch of the Year  by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.  I was able to visit this place for brunch prior to the pandemic and enjoyed my experience and decided that it would a good idea to revisit to try their new brunch menu.  Currently, Trummer's brunch schedule is only every Saturday but is otherwise open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. Reservations are not required but are highly recommended.  As a foodie, I enjoy visiting restaurants with classic menus but I have an appreciation for restaurants such as Trummer's that regularly change their menu items, so the dishes that we have tried during this visit may not be available if you visit the