dscott

Along the lines of kale: Very briefly, deep fry some baby spinach. You will never look at spinach the same way again.

YUM.

Have not done the individual portions but have done baked brie (pas en croute) several times w/ onion marmalade. It is a delicious combo. IMO, I would serve the marmalade on the side of the individual pieces.

Two reports on visits yesterday to local establishments: 1) Once Upon A Vine is finally open in the Bellevue neighborhood, on MacArthur Ave. near Dot's Back Inn. Looks like a great neighborhood wine & beer shop w/ a small case of Thumann's meats & cheeses and another small case with imported cheeses and pates. I'm no oenophile so I cannot vouch for the wines. He's not focusing on the high end, that's for sure (I suspect J. Emerson might have a lock on that niche). Wines are sorted by price, not varietal. It'll be a great place for me to drop in and say, "whaddya have for $9"). He had literally dozens of wines in the drink-every-night category (<$3-10). The beers were still being stocked. Looked like a nice variety. What I saw in boxes or on shelves included a number of belgians (lambics, chimay, a few trappistes), english (sam smith's line plus a few others), and American microbrews (e.g., Dogfish, Saranac). He also stocks "macrobrews" such as Corona, Michelob, etc. Meats and cheeses looked quite nice. Specialty cheeses included a couple of Double Gloucesters, camembert, Spanish Manchego, 1+ yr aged Gouda (yummy, Oude Kaas), several beer cheeses (Chimay, Boddington's and an Irish porter cheddar), NY state cheddar, and a couple of fruit cheeses. He also has a few pate's in there (including at least one by Trois Petit Cochons) but I can't remember exactly what. He also had a number of snacks (crackers, chips), chocolates, etc and what appears to be quite a decent cigar selection, if that floats your boat. Had a nice chat with the owner. He used to own a place down on Strawberry St. in the Fan that many people loved (can't remember the name, before my time). He's taking his time to gauge neighborhood reaction before stocking up on some things (e.g., what types of higher end wines people want, cigars, beers, etc.). I can't say that he carries a ton of stuff that you can't get elsewhere in town (e.g. River City Cellars and Carytown Wine and Beer) however it's so nice to have this close to home. He's doing wine tastings on Fridays at 5:30. This is very close to me so I'll do my part to make it a success. Y'all should drop by if you're in the neighborhood. Speaking of being in the neighborhood, the new coffeeshop by the Rostov's folks, Stir Crazy, is almost open next door. Looks pretty cool. Pretty big with a combination of couches, armchairs and a large # of tables & chairs. Coffee prices look good (much better than starbucks) and I think that they might doing standard coffee shop fare (scones, muffins, etc.). Wish that place would open! 2) Had lunch at 6 Burner yesterday. It was 1p.m. and completely empty, not a great sign? Enjoyed the space and it looks like it could be quite fun at dinner time. Had shittake soup for an app. It was tasty but, after the 5th bite it was way too much flavor. Something with this much ooomph should be resigned to a sauce. $2 for a cup (but they gave me a bowl). Had the soft-shell crab sandwich special ($9) and it was tasty. The batter seemed to be a hybrid beer batter/tempura batter and, whatever it was, it worked great w/ the crab. Perfectly fried and really good. Came with a mixed green salad w/ zucchini and yellow squash, big hunks of squash. The crunchy squash was great but it was kind of a weird combination with the mixed greens. It was very overdressed and that killed the flavor of the veg. Would I go back? Sure but, in line with other reviews posted here, it's nothing to get too excited about.

I know that my wife and I would definitely be in. I love the idea of meeting down at the farmer's market on a Saturday as a starter eGullet event. Could maybe eat somewhere down in the Slip/Bottom/Hill area for lunch afterwords. Next few Saturdays are bad for us but June would be good. Where is everyone located? I know that kendra, mighty quinn and I are in Richmond. Not sure if Drew and s'kat are in W'burg or Richmond. Anyone I'm missing?

I'd be game for a Richmond eGullet outing but I'll be one of those annoying persons who needs advance planning (in order to arrange for a baby sitter). For that reason, the Richmond meal stands a better chance for me than the Wegman's trip. Speaking of baby sitters and meals, we have our first baby sitter lined up for a couple of weeks from now. That means, for the first time in 4 months, I get to eat somewhere other than baby-friendly places (e.g., Joe's, Dot's, Casa Grande, early at Mamma Zu & Edo's, etc.)!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm thinking either Kitchen Table, Stella's or Zeus Gallery. We haven't tried any of these yet. Thoughts? I know that kendra likes KT and Stella's but if you had to choose for one night out... Lastly, in terms of the outdoor dining comments, we were able to get to Baja Bean early enough last Fri to get a table w/o an obscene wait. Surprisingly, the food was pretty good (which is not my recollection from the 1/2 dozen times I'd been before). The best was my "Burro del Fuego". It had grilled chicken, some jalapeno smoked sausage, beans & rice and chipotle and cilantro sauces that added nice flavor. For $6, it was really good. Margarita was really weak but _really_ tasty nonetheless. Popeye (spinach) burrito was o.k. too. Only disappointment was the quac but overall it was a major improvement over past visits. If they can stay consistently decent with the food, I'll inhabit that patio a lot.

Not exactly "mail order" but one of the guys at Allen and Son (chapel hill, nc) once told me that he's more than happy to pack up a bunch of whatever you want and ship it off to you. Classic NC pork bbq cooked over wood (no gas!). Not sure that they have a website but you'll find many mentions of Allen's on this board (Southeast) if you do a search. When I'm down that way, I usually get a huge take out order for the 3 hour drive back home and eat off of it for several days. I'd bet it's still good after overnight shipment.

The bun from a buttered lobster roll after you've eaten all the lobster: Toasty & slightly crispy on the outside; Soft, buttery and full of lobster flavor on the inside.

You can actually buy whole bowls of just that rice crust in microwaveable packaging in Korean markets now - those Koreans are a clever people. Gasp! Is there an online resource in the U.S. for these "bowls". The bottom of the Bi Bim Bop pot _was_ going to be my contribution to this thread but Pan beat me to it.. I've been looking for an online source for stone pots but if I can just buy the rice bowl...

Interesting. They'll be opening '5 Guys' franchises down here in Richmond in the next year. The first one opens in the Richmond 'burbs this summer but I think that they're planning on several more. Hope that they don't suck like the location that you report.

I have the perfect image of that poster as Meg Ryan's character in When Harry Met Sally.

Given the current weather, how about briefly modifying our discussion to the following: What's the best restaurant(s) in RIC with outdoor seating. Criteria is open. Can be food, booze, or atmosphere. Why do I raise this topic? We went looking for an outside table on Sat. at about 6:30p.m. to the usual spots in the Fan and were SOL. Notwithstanding our bad timing, is there anywhere outside of the Fan and Carytown w/ nice (or not nice, for that fact) outside dining. There's so little outside dining that it's invariably packed. In Atlanta (as a comparison), there are tons of places w/ outside eats. What gives in Richmond? With those heater lamps, we could eat outside in Richmond 8 months of the year (still waiting for someone to invent an air conditioning lamp for June-Sept.). I enjoy (usually for booze/ambiance more than food) most of the Fan spots and just discovered Vanessa's coffee in Carytown (cool inside too). Legend's is great for the view of the City, the beer isn't bad but the food is average (and that's being kind). Bottom's Up pizza is not worth the outside seating. What else is there outside of Fan/Carytown? I think that the City may have some pretty restrictive ordinances on outside dining, so that might be part of the problem. (Here's an idea, maybe they can make outdoor dining easier if they keep taxing the hell out of city restaurant goers?). Anything in the counties? I'm willing to hit the 'burbs if there's anything worthwhile.

I've heard good things about the Track. Your recommendation bumps it up on my lists of restaurants to try. Your post raises a question for my list: La Grotta or Amici - Same ownership (I believe) but which is better? Amici has the little patio going for it but what about the food?

Well, if we're talking beverages, I believe that Utica Club is uniquely Upstate. UC/Matt's was all I could afford as a poor undergrad. A few years ago at a beer festival in North Carolina, I asked the Saranac (Matt's Brewery) rep where the UC was. She replied, in a very serious tone, "back in Utica."

A little further west there's a bunch of good (fried) seafood places in the Lyme, Saybrook, Westbrook area. My favorite is Lenny and Joe's (in either Madison [preferred] or Westbrook) but there's a number of other joints too. Not fine dining but L & J's is the best fish 'n chips around. L & J used to have a Westerly, R.I. outpost but I think that it may have closed (not sure). Edited to add: You *MUST* have a lobster roll at L & J's. Buttery, toasted heaven.

o.k. takomabaker spill the beans. I saw the thread that you started on the DC board and, based on your description of the Richmond Ukrops, I am finally convinced that you frequented a Ukrop's that is significantly superior to any one that I have stepped in (and I can think of at least a half dozen that I've tried on multiple occasions off the top of my head). After a while, I gave up hope. ...But you have shown me the light. Seriously, which store did you frequent that had, to use your phrase "...an excellent meat counter, top-quality deli ..."? On the basis of that quote alone, I want to find your store. There were several items that you mention specifically that I have looked for and have _never_ seen at a Ukrops. Such as: * nice bone-in pork roast (at the U, if it's pork, it's boneless. Unless you count ham hocks) * thick-cut pork chops (never have seen anything > 1/2 inch) * good dry-aged beef (not unless it's shrink wrapped and blue in color, in which case, I tend to skip it). * baby artichokes (was desparately looking for these for Easter. Tried 2 Ukrops [brook Run and Fan], Kroger [Carytown], and the upscale Ukrop's (i.e., Joe's Mkt). I was SOL at all 4 places.)

takomabaker, I did misunderstand your main point. Yes, Ukrop IS heads and tails above Giant and Safeway. I've been in them. Yuck. On the other hand, in the greater DC area, you DO have Wegman's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Sutton Place/Balducci's ... *SIGH* Trade 'ya? Ukrop's for Wegmans. Hell, I'll even toss in the local Krogers for free.

Ditto on your thoughts about Ukrop's. The salad bar in the Fan location isn't too bad. I occasionally hit it for lunch since I can walk there from work. The monopoly is a little disconcerting. I've never been in a city of this size w/ so few grocery options. Thanks for the hints on meats and fish. I always use Yellow Umbrella for fish. I'll be sure to hit Stonewall Mkt next time that I'm over that way. I just found SPROUT, our CSA, but they're out of shares for the season. I'll sign up next year to get some fresh organics.

Why would you miss Ukrop's? In a "time passed by" sort of way? Even on that front, Ukrop's doesn't have the old-timeyness of a Piggly Wiggly. I see no reason to patronize a Ukrop's unless you greatly value someone carrying your groceries to your car for you (but they do that at Ellwood Thompson too) or unless you want some nasty prepared dinners. As someone who enjoys cooking and eating, I can't stand the minimal (& terrible) produce that they have and the _awful_ meats and fish that they have. I can't find a decent cut of meat in this town. Where are the butchers? To be fair, I know lots of folks who don't cook and don't care about food so, for these people, the Ukrops nightly dinners for 2 are a great deal. Unfortunately, I've tried them a couple of times to give them a chance. I won't be going back for more. I can do better at Arby's for $10. I may well be in the minority in my opinion of Ukrops. There are clearly enough folks around here who agree with you to keep the Ukrops in business. It'll be interesting to see how they do now that Super Walmarts are popping up around town. Many of my Ukrop's shopping friends have started shopping at Walmart/Super W. instead. Same quality meats and produce but much lower prices.

Milt, To add to kendrabail's directions, Binigi's is on the west side of Brook Road between the Brook Run Ukrop's and Parham Road. It's just north of a place called The Dump (furniture) and there's a tattoo parlor in the shopping center with Binigi's. I *think* that they're open 11a.m-8pm Tuesday (maybe Monday) - Saturday.

mightyquinn, you really need to hit Mamma 'Zu if you haven't already: borderline crappy space but some of the best food in Richmond. Edo's Squid is Ed Vasaio's other restaurant where the space is a lot better and the food almost as good. Still, I prefer MZ. What to eat? Osso bucco (for that matter, braised anything), pork chops, all the fish, sweetbreads and for the pastas: orrechiette w/ sausage and broc rabe (OMG), penne karl, and gorgonzola. For apps, get their squid and beans and lots of Billy Bread. Welcome to the joys of my favorite whipping boys: the U supermarket chain. I doubt that they'll let another big chain into the Market's space. They are/were invested in the Market/Community Pride operation so I think that they'll have some say in who goes in that space. I'm surprised that they haven't taken it over already. Maybe they're waiting to come in like knights in shining armour. I'm wondering if there was some sort of falling out between them and JJ. They have a sophisticated monopoly on the Richmond mkt (and Richmond politics). They let in just enough competition to avoid any monopolistic charges. I've already written Wegmans begging them to come (they said no plans in their near future). A deal to put a Trader Joe's in Short Pump just fell through. Whole Foods is a possibility but I think that they'd be more likely to go to the 'burbs than Church Hill. Of course, any of these would be an improvement over the U chain. It's a shame about the Market. The 2 times I went in there, the produce was of a pretty decent quality (but that was when they first opened. it was too far for me on a regular basis). Have you tried Ellwood Thompson for organics? It's small but the quality is pretty good and it's the only place to consistently find organic produce. Cheap produce at Tan A Asian market too.

Are you honestly going to post that picture without posting a recipe? My mouth is watering in a terrible way looking at that. Talk about licking the screen. I must make this shrimp this weekend. Recipe. Please. Share.

Perhaps you can give some direction to what does wow you (and what your budget is)? Are you looking for cheap, dirty and yummy or white linens and maitre d's? Maybe one way to help would be to give us a basis for comparison. What do you like in NYC, DC, Atlanta, Triangle (which are where most of my experiences lie)? Since you've been here before, what else have you tried? Lemaire? Mamma 'Zu?

Personally, I'd go for Acacia over Millie's (Acacia). It's easy to get to off of I-195 (which you have to go by either on 64 or 95, depending on your direction). But Millie's is a very cool space and good food too. Bottom's Up is only good if you like thick crust pizza, their thin crust is terrible (pardon my New Haven thin crust bias). For some good upscale Southern near the highway, I like Comfort (Comfort). Ignore the crappy surroundings and go in and and eat in a really cool space. Go to the Tobacco Company to drink and socialize, not to eat. However, I have heard that their crab cakes are pretty good. Any specific requests?

Very helpful. Thanks so much. I will have to experiment.