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The Casa Pearl concept is oysters and tacos! Photo by Corey Miller.
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The Second Street American Bistro's menu is stocked with appetizers and finger foods for any type of eater and its menu favors those with diverse dietary habits. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Cochon on 2nd is the flagship restaurant of chef/owner Neil Griggs who also owns Moody’s on Merrimac Trail. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Column 15 guests who aren’t quite sure what to buy from its robust coffee menu are invited to try a flight of five beverages. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Shorty’s Diner is a 1950s-style restaurant offering all-day breakfast options at 1990s prices. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Shoofly Dairy Bar serves all the nostalgia a beach-stand–style ice cream parlor can offer, from its soft serve ice cream and sundaes to Hawaiian shaved ice snoballs. Photo by Corey Miller.
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The Virginia Beer Company was founded in 2012 by friends Robby Willey and Chris Smith who met while at the College of William & Mary. Photo by Corey Miller.
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For those with a curious palate who love the taste of unique whisky, Copper Fox Distillery is a must-make stop. Photo by Corey Miller.
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The Velvet Shoestring is a high-end furniture and home décor consignment shop offers an array of decorative styles shoppers will enjoy. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Savvy Swatch owner Debby Venne helps customers find the perfect fabric for DIY projects. Photo by Corey Miller.
The Edge District, a collection of restaurants, taprooms and boutiques spanning Second Street, Merrimac Trail, Capitol Landing Road and the 143 Corridor, derives its name from its proximity to the localities it serves—James City and York Counties and Williamsburg.
Established in 2019, The Edge District is a perfect escape for those looking to explore an array of flavors from locally owned establishments followed by an afternoon of perusing its specialty shops. Here are a list of places to enjoy alone, on a date or with a group of friends.
These are a few of the restaurants and stops within The Edge District. There are other restaurants available for a breakfast or lunch trek while shopping in the stores and boutiques in the area. While new as a collective concept, The Edge District brand continues to show strength as it carves out its space as the next great Williamsburg destination area.
EAT
Casa Pearl: Oysters & Tacos
Once an old Texaco gas station, Casa Pearl transformed the space into a gorgeous dining room reminiscent of bars found in the Florida Keys and the Caribbean. Oysters are a staple of the menu—which is a nod to the culture of the Chesapeake Bay—while tacos are fun and novel finger food loved by many.
“Our team is very passionate about Casa Pearl’s concept: oysters and tacos! I wanted the name to adequately reflect the fun, unique concept. ‘Casa’ means house, so it loosely translates in Spanglish to ‘house of oysters,’” says owner Mikey Maksimowicz.
For those who make conscious food choices, Casa Pearl builds its menu offerings on fresh ingredients sourced from the Chesapeake Bay region.
“Casa Pearl focuses on quality locally sourced ingredients. Our raw bar features many of the delicious fish and shellfish that the Chesapeake Bay region has to offer. Our tacos are Latin inspired, but with a southern twist,” he says.
The Casa Pearl drink and cocktail menu is fully stocked, for those who would prefer a night of appetizers and spirits with a date or among friends on the restaurant’s patio.
eatcasapearl.com | 757-208-0149
Second Street American Bistro
Positioned at the mouth of The Edge District, Second Street American Bistro has been a staple restaurant in Williamsburg for the past 32 years. Brothers John and Mickey Chohany, Williamsburg natives, took over the restaurant and have engineered an environment to be enjoyed formally or casually, complete with an ambient patio for warm seasonal nights of dining.
The menu is stocked with appetizers and finger foods for any type of eater and its menu favors those with diverse dietary habits.
Its drink menu features a large selection of local and regional craft beer and award-winning Napa Valley wines.
Vegetarians and those with food sensitivities have a robust menu selection. Plant-based patties can be served as substitutes for any of the burgers on the menu for a small fee.
For those who have a sweet tooth, Second Street’s dessert menu has a full array of sweet treats from its Colossal Carrot Cake and Donut Churros to its Peppermint Crème Brûlée and NY Style Cheesecake. Coffee and dessert cocktails round out the menu for those who love a nightcap with dessert.
Cochon on 2nd
Cochon on 2nd tickles tastebuds with its combination of satisfying flavors through locally sourced ingredients. The flagship restaurant of Williamsburg native Chef Neil Griggs, who also owns Moody’s, features a fine dining atmosphere for those looking for a more upscale night.
A host of savory smoked and wood-grilled meats from chicken, beef and pork to popular seafood favorites like shrimp, crab and oysters await on the menu.
“I would like to say we have the best steaks in town. Starting with such a high-quality product makes our prime beef tenderloin and rib eye any meat eater’s dream,” says Melissa Keller, a spokesperson for Cochon on 2nd.
“Chef also pan sears any number of fresh fish we receive daily with his delicious Provençale sauce, sautéed local tomatoes, fresh basil, olives, shiitake mushroom and of course butter!”
Cochon on 2nd features a robust drink menu complete with craft beer from local breweries and scrumptious summer cocktails, like David Baines’ Watermelon Basil Martini.
cochonon2nd.com | 757-229-1199
COFFEE HOUSE
Column 15
Owned and operated by two William & Mary alumni, James Kroll and Victoria Goldsby, Column 15 has evolved into a popular coffee spot for people seeking their morning blend, or who want to enjoy a cup of joe while working from the spacious location on 701 Merrimac Trail (in the Food Lion Shopping Center). Taking a page from the craft brewery scene, guests of the coffee shop who aren’t quite sure what to buy from its robust coffee menu are invited to try a flight of five beverages. Adding to the experience is the fact that Column 15 is also a coffee roastery where home brewing enthusiasts can get freshly prepared whole bean and ground coffees for front porch sipping.
BREAKFAST
Shorty’s Diner
For the early bird who likes to catch their meal with the sun, Shorty’s Diner is a 1950s-style restaurant offering all-day breakfast options at 1990s prices. Open daily from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm, the restaurant is operated by Gil Short, who has spent most of his career in the food service and hospitalities industries. Shorty’s guests can expect generous portion sizes for a great price.
shortysdinerva.com | 757-603-6674
DESSERT
Shoofly Dairy Bar
Shoofly Dairy Bar serves all the nostalgia a beach-stand–style ice cream parlor can offer, from its soft serve ice cream and sundaes to Hawaiian shaved ice snoballs. Guest can also enjoy oversized checkers and Connect Four among many outdoor game offerings at the parlor.
“Our Shoofly Sundae is popular year-round,” says Shoofly spokesperson Jessi DiPette. “Customers love our little 1950s shop ‘frozen in time,’ where they can relax and chat, play outside games like cornhole or checkers, and even bring their pets to join in the fun.”
shooflydairy.com | 757-707-9505
SHOP
Velvet Shoestring
If you’re looking for a fun and playful shopping experience on par with HGTV’s Love It or List It, try Velvet Shoestring. This high-end furniture and home décor consignment shop offers an array of decorative styles shoppers will enjoy.
“It’s an ever-changing inventory of high-quality furniture and home décor that we gather from Washington, D.C., to Virginia Beach. Most of our shoppers come once a week so they don’t miss new inventory,” owner Joanne Stephans says.
The shop has been on Second Street since long before its rebrand as The Edge District. People who stop in are typically new homeowners looking to find novel, one-of-a-kind pieces to add to their homes.
“We have everyone from homeowners to decorators shopping here. It’s beautiful, recycled furniture at an affordable price,” she says.
thevelvetshoestringwmbg.com | 757-220-9494
Savvy Swatch
For seven years, Savvy Swatch has offered a huge collection of upholstery, drapery and home accent fabrics for home interior do-it-yourselfers. Shoppers will find lighting, rugs and home accents.
“We offer a wide variety of fabrics, many of which are luxury fabrics from exclusive high-end fabric houses at a fraction of the cost, as well as wallpaper, design services and a full upholstery/drapery workroom,” says Debby Venne.
Though Savvy Swatch is home décor focused, it’s also a paradise of unique fabrics for quilters and seamstresses.
“We cater mainly to people who are looking to do home projects, but still have dressmakers and quilters venture in to find something that will work for a project, as well as designers who shop our store and utilize our workroom,” says Venne.
savvyswatch.com | 757-253-0216
