Positive PR/ Westin/Lucky Star

Been longing for some Lucky?
Last night a friend and I tooled on over to The Westin at Virginia Beach’s Town Center for the grand re-opening of the Lucky Star restaurant.
The restaurant, long located on Pleasure House Road, closed several months back, leaving loyalists craving signature dishes like blackened scallops and fresh-made goat cheese ravioli and the delectable crab cakes.
Well it’s all back.
Such a tasty affair the grand re-opening was. Waitresses circulated with trays filled with martini glasses filled with a big spicy shrimp and round of fried tomato sitting on a sea of boursin cheese and corn in a roasted tomato ancho cream sauce. I was wishing for a pointy spoon so that I could get every morsel out of the bottom of the martini glass!
Others came bearing skewers of Cajun fried oysters, wonderful with an unexpected taste of dill pickle and the heat of chipotle. While I was eating a tapas of the ravioli, we got steered over to a dessert tray.
Patrick Evans-Hylton – chef, teacher, food and wine writer, keeper of all local restaurant background info – noted one in particular, Mon Amour (my love in French). He said it’s a cake made with a layer of crepe for each year that Chef Bernheisel and his wife, Julie, have been married. I didn’t write down how many years that has been, but it’s something around 16. (Sorry, I was eating and did not want to stop!) But really, how sweet is that dessert? On so many levels. (It's there in the picture.)
Anyway, the restaurant is now owned by The Westin, which has hired Chef Bernheisel as the executive chef. All those old faves are on the menu. Plus, Chef B will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Can you imagine breakfast served here? Can’t wait to try that!
The sleek dining room has glass partitions, gleaming wood paneling and stylized fresh flowers on each table. There’s plenty of room between tables, and also a private dining room and comfortable couches to chill on while waiting for tables.
Dinner appetizers range from $7 to $9; entrees from $23 to $32. Julie Bernheisel also noted that they’ll be serving a $10 lunch.
Judging from the crowd, a lot of people feel lucky that the Lucky Star is back.