Dish of the Week: Seafood Quesadilla from Stripers Waterside in Norfolk

Back in November, I had the opportunity to attend a media event at Waterside District’s newest restaurant, Stripers Waterside. The Manteo, N.C.-based restaurant is known for serving outstanding seafood dishes with cozy, waterfront views. Click here for my write up for Coastal Virginia Magazine’s Bay Bites blog.

After the event, I raved about Stripers to everyone who asked. The restaurant is a bit more upscale compared to neighboring restaurants at Norfolk’s Waterside District. Despite the moderately high-end menu, Stripers maintains the laidback atmosphere of the Outer Banks.

After spending three hours sampling wine at the Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival on Sunday, May 6, my friend and I decided to fill our stomachs with succulent seafood at Stripers.

The media day event allowed me to sample some of Stripers signature menu items. While the Bronzed Salmon called to me like a siren in the sea, I knew I wanted to try something new. Stripers had Seafood Quesadillas as one of their specials for that day which fit my love of seafood and melted cheese.

I started my meal with the Spinach and Crab Dip. Shockingly, I’ve had a hard time finding really good crab dip in Coastal Virginia. Some places I’ve tried have either been lacking on the crab or have too many lumps of cream cheese. Blech. Both Stripers and Virginia Beach’s Bay Local have met my expectations with their Spinach and Crab Dip.

Topped with crispy bread crumbs, this crab dip has no shortage of crab meat in it. I scooped spoonful after spoonful of the warm, creamy dip onto toasted crostini. It’s the best of spinach dip, with the added bonus of crab meat.

I was halfway through my dip with my quesadillas arrived. Four flour tortilla quesadillas were placed in front of me. I could see the steam radiating off the dish, so I tried to wait patiently for it to cool. I took a sneak peek inside the quesadilla to see the crab meat and shrimp held together by Monterey Jack cheese.

The first bite was met with a bite-sized piece of shrimp, as well as crab flavors. The tortillas gave the dish a slight crunch while remaining soft enough to avoid crumbs from getting all over the place. I wish I had taken a picture to showcase how much cheese was in these quesadillas. It could’ve been a pretty decent #CheesePull, but I was so focused on eating that nothing else mattered. Some restaurants overcompensate with a ton of cheese, but Stripers’ Seafood Quesadilla had the perfect cheese to seafood ratio.

After this meal, I can continue to boast about how delicious Stripers Waterside is.