Sydney Meers has been in the restaurant game since 1989, but with Stove he makes some serious blunders.
There are a lot of ways you can be greeted when you walk into a restaurant. Sometimes by a host who asks you if you have a reservation, others by the owner themselves. At Stove you are greeted by a room full of dead animal heads and a bartender. The bar/lounge/entrance is where Sydney scares away vegetarians and vegans. I guess he’s trying to create that ever-so-classy hunt club feel. No matter what the reasoning, it only has the effect of making you wish you weren’t in the room anymore, and questioning why you went to Stove in the first place.
Moving past the dead animals, you enter the only other room in Stove – the main dining area. This is a smallish restaurant with only a dozen or so tables, many of which are against a wall with a long bench serving as seating for one side. Behind the bench is a row of sexy artificial grass. Classy. The tables, chairs and serving materials are nice enough and the bathroom exhibits the kind of flair you’d expect from a man with Meers’ reputation. It’s a shame the rest of the joint doesn’t live up to the restroom or the artwork on the walls that the owner created. Meers himself can be seen sitting on one side of the dining room behind a curtain like something from The Wizard of Oz. Sadly there wasn’t really room for his computer here, so he kind of sticks out from behind the little curtain. It’s just weird to walk by him browsing Facebook on the way to the bathroom.
Another issue with Stove relating to its small size is the fact that the kitchen is just a few feet away from the dining area. This means that you can literally hear dishes being tossed about and the dishwasher running – not exactly what you’re looking for in a dining experience.
The food and service were both below par as well. Sydney got a little lazy with the menu, offering less than a dozen items and not bothering to even create first, second or third courses – everything just comes in small or large portions. Our waitress seemed unexcited to be serving us, even though we were one of only two couples present that evening. She didn’t elaborate on any of the menu items and seemed to be in a hurry to go do something else. The food was generally disappointing with no real standouts. We didn’t stay for desert, as we were just uncomfortable and ready to leave.
Stove is a real disappointment given Meer’s reputation and his previous successes. I remember having some very enjoyable meals at Cowboy Syd’s, his venture before Stove. Hopefully with time Sydney will improve his current restaurant but until you hear about it, I’d stay away.
Contact Information for Stove:
Stove
2622 Detroit St
Portsmouth, VA 23707
757-397-0900
