The Culinary Loft at the old Five Point Farmers Market

I visited the Culinary Loft last week for a local cooking competition. I was pleasantly surprised at the available parting nearby, between the combination of little parking lots and available street parking. One of the coolest things about the Culinary Loft is it is a culinary incubator, giving a space for up and coming chefs to prep and cook. The owner said that is a major challenge of getting started in the culinary space is needing access to a commercial kitchen for large-scale opportunities. The Culinary Loft is that space!It shares a space with the Whole-ly Rollers Bakery, which was closed during the event that I was attending. The venue features a large cooking space off to the side with lots of room for a buffet and for the venue to accommodate a large number of seated or standing guests.I absolutely love what The Culinary Loft is bringing to the Norfolk culinary scene and I cannot wait to find out what the next event will be! My one complaint about the venue was the bathroom. It is worth mentioning that it is a unisex bathroom, no problem. However, the only thing hiding the two stalls are shower curtains. I'm not sure if this is a temporary situation, but real stalls with a lock would definitely make me feel more comfortable using the restroom. During the event I was attending I was very close to being walked in on- awkward! Again, the space is still developing. Hopefully, securing the bathroom stalls is high on the list of priorities.

Came here for the first time for the 2019 Top Chef competition. This is a repurposed building that houses an assortment of small businesses from vendors in the 757 area.Limited parking but in the rear there are options for street parking. This event showcased cooking talents from a few of Hampton Roads gifted culinary artists. If you've watched some of the competitions on stations such as Food Network, that's how this event was set up for the competitors.For attendees, we were treated to items such as assorted cheesecakes, chicken adobe, loaded mashed potatoes, yakisoba and Chef Dro's delicious shrimp and grits.Tickets were available via Eventbrite. Set up was still in progress upon arrival and there was a need to set up additional tables. Patrons were free to roam and watch the 3 chefs as they did their challenges. It was cool to see them keep level heads while being mindful of the time constraints and crafting a quality product from surprise ingredients.Expect more events of this nature throughout Hampton Roads. This venue also hosts space for up and coming business owners who are making a name for themselves. Good opportunity to buy local.