Other than the Fat Canary, are there any other dinner recommendations within walking distance of the historic area. Would prefer casual American dining for 2 adults. We have always liked the WMBG. Lodge rest. (and tired of the Taverns) but is sounds like it's closed for renovations?

We enjoy The Trellis.

http://www.thetrellis.com/

My first choice would be the Blue Talon Bistro which is located on Prince George Street in the original home of the Cheese Shop. Great food at the Blue Talon. My second choice would be A Carroll's Bistro which is also on Prince George a block or so off of Merchant Square.

There's a seafood place too, (Beret's??) at the SE block of Merchants' Square.

obx - a motel question you could answer I posted yesterday; I'm gonna be down there Fri9Sept-Mon12Sept

rb, If the Tioga is the place I'm thinking of then I believe it's a dump. I have an errand on that side of town this afternoon so I'll drive by and report back here later today.

Berrett's Seafood is a good choice, agreed.

Yes, very sad about the Gov SW. Progress (not).

There is a new concept restaurant near DOG St. that I have been hearing raves about. I think it's called The Chef's Table (Kitchen?) There is one seating and the chef teaches you how to cook each course and then it is served. The restaurant is on Prince George St. Other casual spots are Greene Leaf and Paul's, two delis across from W&M stadium. They are not in the same class as FC or BT but you did say casual.
The Golden Horseshoe restaurant at the Inn golf course was serving dinner during the summer. I am not sure if they are continuing that into the fall.

Always wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner at the Williamsberg Inn, but the locals have convinced me to go to some of those mentioned above. Oh well.
M

Thank you all. I made reservations at the Fat Canary but....

The Green Leafe and Paul's Deli are definitely hangouts for locals/students/faculty!

Birdie, I've heard good things about the Chef's Kitchen too. So unusual for Wmbg!

rb, The Tioga is *not* the dump I was thinking of (which is behind the Big Apple Bagel place on Richmond Rd) but it's not really on par with the Princess Anne or the Gov Spottswood. Not as well maintained. Not the same leafy spacious grounds.

The Tioga is much closer to the restored area. It's cramped and while I wouldn't call it seedy, it shows its age in a way the others didn't. I saw multiple bicycles parked outside of a couple of rooms which leads me to believe it might be a long term residence for some. That doesn't make it a bad place but, personally, I'd give it a pass.

Hope you have a great weekend in the Burg!

Thank you obxgirl on checking it out. I know the place you were thinking of, the SOUTHERN INN, and I'm embarassed to admit I stayed there once, maybe around 1995. It was sold to the family of the deskclerk and went downhill FAST, and quicly became a welfare hotel.

Cheapbutnice would probably not walk up to Sals by Victor, but it IS walkable if you're in halfway decent shape. Is there any decent dining at the Hospitality House?? or down Scotland Street?

I can't imagine a better place for Thanksgiving Dinner than the elegant dining room of the Williamsburg Inn--unless it's at Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. Why don't the locals like the Wmsburg. Inn?

I've posted my opinion of the Wmbg Inn more than a couple of times here. I think the place is stuck in a 1960s time warp. The dining room is huge and the atmosphere is incredibly stuffy. Kind of like a command performance at your wealthy grandmother's house. The food is excellent which it ought to be considering the price. Very traditionally prepared. I think it would be a great place to have Thanksgiving dinner.

rb, The Hospitality House does a brisk event business in addition to being a popular location for W&M alumni to stay. The in-house restaurant has had many incarnations, none of them very distinguished. If I were staying there, I'd head around the corner to the Green Leafe for a beer and a decent burger. Scotland Street is mostly residential with the exception of the library.

Maybe I've got the street wrong, but I could swear that on one of the side streets off Richmond Rd that I'd seen a decent appearing restaurant. Maybe it was a marijuana flashback !!

rb you may be thinking of A. Carroll's which Obxgirl mentioned. It's very nice looking and has very good food. It's pricey, though, and the menu is fairly limited. The tiny bar is fun with an extensive martini and wine by the glass menu. Often there is live music.
Thanksgiving dinner would be nice at the Inn. I agree with Obxgirl on the Inn's ambience. The only time I go there now is with my ladies' book club for a Christmas lunch. We all wear our "ladies that lunch suits".

I finally tried Casa Maya, which I was surprised to see has moved to the building on Richmond Rd formerly housing a HoJo then a Dennys. I'm surprised to NOT have read about its move within these threads. Had steak fajitas and they were great and abundant - took them back to hotel to nibble on & still threw half away.

Westgate Resorts, a timeshare company currently re-developing the Heritage Inn, next door to Staples, is the new owner of Princess Ann and that dingy old HoJo hotel on Bypass Rd, now called "Historical Inn" or some similar rubbish. I stayed this time at Econolodge (next to Red Lobster) and Quality Inn Bypass Rd; liked them both, but like the QI a little better.

Keeping this on Restaurants, I had my usual "Chicken Victor" at Sals by Victor. The only meal I had not served by a "Polish student" was at Shields Tavern, now a "coffeehouse" instead of tavern fare. I don't care how hard it is to find help; raise your compensation (and prices) rather than importing a labor force. Heck, there's "students" in Richmond, Newport News & Hampton that could use those jobs. Half the rooms at the Econolodge were occupied by these "European students". In all fairness to them tho, the service was excellent.

Rb - I didn't post the Casa Maya move because I haven't been. Husband, kids, and fellow CM fans went right after they opened. The service was so bad (very unlike them) that we swore we would wait until local season (Jan-Feb) to give them another try. We switched our Mexican allegiance to South of the Border on Bypass.
We're not eating out anywhere this month so we can send our entertainment dollars to Katrina victims. Ohhh, the pain of cooking every single night!!!
Personally, I have found the Eastern Europeans to be a very welcome addition to Williamsburg. It's not the salaries that make the difference. It's the work ethic. They are willing to work as many hours as the employers can give them. My son and I knew they had truly infiltrated when they were at the drive thru at McDonald's.

I didn't see the SOB on ByPass! We have none of them near here, but I often stop at one at Woburn MA.

I agree that the Eastern Europeans do seem to work hard and were all very pleasent. <rant>I just don't like the idea of us importing workers just because employers claim they can't hire anyone. It's the law of supply and demand. What they mean is that they can't hire anyone at the miserably low wages they pay. This is happening a LOT in nursing too, as well as information services. There are plenty of qualified RN's already in this country who are NOT working in their field because of the low pay:working-condition ratios. If hospitals take care of that, they'll have their qualified employees.</rant>

The year in Colonial Williamsburg is now 1775 and the war has begun. This is the first time I've been to CW "during the war" and it provides for a new prospective of things then and comparisons to current events. Come to Williamsburg!

Thanks for the original help.We missed our Fat Canary reservations (twice) and they could not have been any nicer & understanding. We ended up at the Blue Talon which was fairly priced and very, very good.