Restaurant recommendations for Richmond?

[saycheese]

I will be driving back to DC from Chesapeake, VA on Saturday evening, and plan to be passing through Richmond around dinner time. Can anyone recommend an interesting restaurant for dinner? (Definition of interesting = innovative cooking, high quality ingredients, relaxed atmosphere, maybe like Kinkead's, Cashion's, Bistro Lepic, for example . . . ?)

[maggiethecat]

I will be driving back to DC from Chesapeake, VA on Saturday evening, and plan to be passing through Richmond around dinner time.  Can anyone recommend an interesting restaurant for dinner?  (Definition of interesting = innovative cooking, high quality ingredients, relaxed atmosphere, maybe like Kinkead's, Cashion's, Bistro Lepic, for example . . . ?)

Sayvheese: Can't help you...live in Chicago. But welcome to eGullet. I'm sure someone else can help you out.

[Zeb A]

I don't know of a place along the lines of your request.

Millie's Diner and Bottom's Up Pizza are two neat places with good not so expensive food. Both are downtown in the Shockoe Bottom area, right off 95.

Millie's is not fancy by any stretch, but it is nicer than the name implies.

[scooter260]

Edo's Squid and Mamma Zu's are both amazing.

[Steve Klc]

Scooter--what kind of food or cooking?

Zeb--I've done both of them as well--you nailed it. Good. But there was a real good coffee roaster in Shockoe Bottom last time I was there--a few years ago. Is it still there?

Mt recommendation for you saycheese is to drive a little further and eat at Bistro 309 in Fredericksburg before Jay Comfort moves up to take over Poste in the District. He does Cashion better than Cashion and as a chef--he's at least as talented as the talented Bruno Fortin. The restaurant and its cooking is quietly elegant but completely warm and welcoming.

[Timo]

oh, if you find yourself in shockoe bottom, stop at "17.5" it is a little (great!) coffee shop halfway down 17th (hence the name, haha) i think they use locally roasted beans, so maybe this has some connection to the roaster that steve mentioned. but, this is not a restaurant....

[saycheese]

Thanks for the suggestions. I managed to have 2 meals in Richmond -- Millie's Diner on Friday night and Acacia on Saturday night. Both were good but quite different. Millie's had a pretty diverse menu, and was very ambitious for such a small kitchen. The preparation of the food was a little disappointing. One of us had veal cheeks with broccolini and mushrooms. While the veal cheeks were nice and tender, there was a bitterness from the broccolini which was unpleasant. Vinegar had been added to the broccolini, and it was too strong -- it didn't go with the veal cheeks at all. The broccolini itself also tasted bitter. The mushrooms were just button mushrooms, not wild mushrooms, which would have been more enjoyable. The atmosphere was very casual and boisterous. We had to wait about 45 minutes for a table. Acacia was more elegant, but still very comfortable, and the food was much better. Overall, I preferred Acacia -- among the three of us, we had an appetizer of lobster and sausage macaroni & cheese, a duck confit salad, rockfish with gnocchi and ravioli of salsify, roast chicken with sweet wahini rice and green beans, and strawberry clafouti with strawberry sorbet. The strawberry sorbet was really full of flavor and richness - almost like ice cream. We sat at the bar since we weren't able to get a reservation for a table, but the service was excellent. We called about 90 minutes ahead, and they saved us 3 places at the bar. The bartender, Jenna, was very knowledgeable, professional, efficient and friendly, without being intrusive. I would definitely go back there, and probably will, since I have to make the same trip to Chesapeake in April.

Someone else recommended a restaurant called the Coastal Grill in or near Virginia Beach. Does anyone have any feedback about it?

[bilrus]

I want to bump up this thread, since my wife read the article in the Post Home section today and now wants to go to Richmond this weekend. I figured there might be others who may have similar plans.

Any suggestions other than the few already listed here?

[JRage]

It's been a few years, but If they are still there, one restaurant that I thought was very good was 'The Frog and the Redneck." Two owners/chefs, obviously one from the south and the other from France...

I had a wonderful meal there but it was about 2 or so years ago. Not sure if they are still around, should be though... That was in shockoe bottom.

Have a fun trip.

[Steve Klc]

I thought it closed. Doublecheck.

[JRage]

Yikes, I think you are right...Directory listing isn't there and I found there number online and it was disconnected... my mistake. Now, a moment of silence...

Thanks Steve, good catch.

[bilrus]

That's OK. We'll let you slide on this one JRage.

The menu I found online looked good, but it was five years old.

[JRage]

Ok.. I guess I'm a little more out of touch than I thought...

A little more on the casual side is Kuba-Kuba which offers awesome Cuban food. Don't know why I didn't think of this in the first place.

Also, a good Italian Joint is Mamma Zu's. It's a lot like our Pasta-Mia in that it has great pasta... and long waits.

And both of these restaurants are listed...

[dscott]

I want to bump up this thread, since my wife read the article in the Post Home section today and now wants to go to Richmond this weekend.  I figured there might be others who may have similar plans.

Any suggestions other than the few already listed here?

Well darn if our little town of Richmond didn't get a recommendation in the Post.

You've got many highlights in these prior posts but I'll try to put these places in geographic proximity to the places that the Post talks about.

Acacia is in Carytown (near Lane Sanson and Owen Suter's). Lunch at Acacia is inexpensive and yummy. Dinner is more expensive but still delicious. IMO, Acacia is consistently the best restaurant in Richmond if you're looking for a nice atmosphere (see Mamma 'Zu below).

Millie's is very close to La Difference and is also good but not as consistent as Acacia. The veal cheeks (described by someone else above) were excellent. Very cool atmosphere also.

Mamma 'zu - In food terms, MZ is Richmond's best restaurant. The service is often indifferent, the interior is iffy and the line is usually long but the food is always great. I've never had a bad meal. You can have an awesome $11 dish of orechiette with sausage and tomatoes or you can spend $20+ on osso bucco and sweetbreads. It's all good. Bonus: It's only 2 miles from Caravati's (in the Post article) which has very cool architectural salvage. FYI: If you go to Mamma 'Zu, you're going to MZ. There's nothing else in this neighborhood. If you're needing a drink and are near Caravati's, Legend's brew pub has a deck with a great view of downtown Richmond (average beer though the brown ale is pretty decent).

If you happen to find yourself at Decorators' Warehouse, you're about 6 blocks from Mamma 'Zu's sister restaurant, Edo's Squid on Harrison St. Atmosphere is a wee bit nicer than MZ and the food is _almost_ as good. Also nearby is the relatively new Comfort (upscale down-home cooking). Comfort is still working out the kinks but is generally very good.

If you go to Williams and Sherrill (which you should b/c they have great fabrics), do NOT eat down there. Chesterfield Co. (So. of Richmond) is a dining wasteland (unless you like McDonald's and Applebee's).

JRage, stop telling out-of-towners about Kuba Kuba. It's impossible to get a table as it is!

Plenty of other good options in our fair city but that'll give you a start.

[Steve Klc]

I'm preparing a regular bus trip down to Kuba Kuba, thanks guys.

And thanks dscott for the summary. Not surprising that it takes a cool article in the Home section to get DC'ers down to Richmond to eat.

Is that coffee roasting place still any good?

[dscott]

Is that coffee roasting place still any good?

If you mean the place in Shockoe Slip (can't remember the name), yeah, it's still there and still good.

By the way, that "bus" comment was NOT cool.

[fchrisgrimm]

Howdy,

Planning the annual one night in Richmond (on the way South to visit family) and looking for a recommendation - especially if anything new or up and coming is on the radar.

Previous stops have included...

2003 - Acacia

2002 - the place at the Jefferson

2001 - Pomegranate

2000 (?) - The Frog and the Redneck

Should we finally try Mamma Zu? Acacia was very good and am happy to go back. We're partial to regional food (glad that Acacia and Pomegranate had some VA wine, too). LOVED the (long gone) Frog and the Redneck - anything similar would immediately move to the top of my list. Budget is a little tighter this year, so hidden gem would work, too.

fcg

[JPW]

Look here in Southeast forum

[fchrisgrimm]

Per kendrabail's original post:

Just got a copy of the March issue of Richmond mag w/ its cover story on the best new restaurants in Richmond.

It lists:

After 5 Cafe at Fabulous Foods

Dogwood

Cafe Lafayette

Comfort

Fleming's

Julep's

Kitchen Table

Of these 7, embarrassingly, I've only been to Comfort, which I really enjoy. Delicious FG tomatoes, pickled watermelon, meatloaf and a bacon-wrapped trout that brought tears to my eyes (& to my heart).

KT is next on my list (hopefully this weekend) and they do make Dogwood and Cafe Lafayette sound good.

I'm a little puzzled by the Fleming's choice but that type of establishment is not my cup of tea anyway.

And Fabulous Foods? Chesterfield County? I'm halfway to Raleigh by the time that I get there?!?    That's just too far to go when there's good food in the city.

I was also happy to see that they gave a brief mention to Binigi's, the Peruvian place on the Northside that is a favorite of mine (although they did misspell the name).

←

Thanks for the link! Silly me, looking for Virginia in DelMarVa! lol Will look to try Comfort.

Have included a relevant quote for the benefit of others who look here.

Is the chain Fleming's (that got bashed) the West Coast steak chain? If so, I have always found them pretty good for that kind of thing. Not Morton's, but a terrific wine by the glass program (at least in La Jolla - though it all depends what is available in your State).

fcg

[dscott]

I think that Comfort would be a good choice. If you're travelling, it's relatively easy to get to from the Boulevard exit off of 64/95.

I'd pick Mamma 'Zu over Comfort but Comfort is certainly more southern and the service & decor are better than at MZ.

Unfortunately, from that list that you post, Kitchen Table fell victim to the horrible T.S. Gaston flooding in Shockoe Bottom. We only had one opportunity to eat there and it was phenomenal. I hope that the chef/owner finds a way to re-open but it didn't sound good from the newspaper reports.

Never did try Flemings but, as I intimated, large seating, chain restaurants are usually not particularly pleasant in my opinion, even if the food can be good on occasion. I don't know the Flemings in La Jolla but we usually eat in San Diego when we're out there. However, I do want to try Rappongi on my next visit.

BTW, Richmond is a great city to drive through and have one meal per year. Inexpensive, relatively easy to navigate and a surprisingly good array of food for a city of its size.

[Seand04]

saycheese and all other interested...

*Mama Zu's, it has been mentioned, and rightfuly so, one of the best in Richmond, ask for the white pizza that is not on the menu for an appetizer. My favorite dishes are the Veal Sweetbreads, and the Lamb if they have it. All of the pasta is great also.

*Six Burner, The same chef from Acacia opened this place up not too long ago and I like it alot. It is cheaper than Acacia and easier to get a table. They serve some interesting dishes too like braised pork cheeks, and pork nachos. I had the risotto and bacon butter scallops when i was there and everything was really good.

*Lemaire-if you want fine dining, the best in Richmond.

*Che Max-The best French in Richmond, although it is in the burbs.

*Kuba Kuba is good for lunch, good traditional Cuban Sammy, I think someone mentioned it already.

*Millies-I thought the dinner review that you gave was typical, I would recomend the brunch which is always above average. Crawfish egg enchiladas, lobster bacon scrambled eggs, stuff like that...

I used to live on Vernon St, right by Cashions and while nothing is quite as good as that in Richmond in my opinion (or Bistro Du Coin, sigh) there are some great places...

(Yes the Flemmings is a chain...)

[fchrisgrimm]

Never did try Flemings but, as I intimated, large seating, chain restaurants are usually not particularly pleasant in my opinion, even if the food can be good on occasion.  I don't know the Flemings in La Jolla but we usually eat in San Diego when we're out there.  However, I do want to try Rappongi on my next visit.

←

Thanks for the ongoing advice. Certainly leaning toward Comfort, as I like to get my fix of food of the South on the annual trip. Though we will continue to keep Mamma Zu's in mind - hard to think about Italian in Richmond with NYC right down the road! Enjoyed Lemaire a whole lot, but would rather not go to the same place twice, when we only stay one night a year! (Richmond is a perfect halfway point between our Connecticut home and Greenville, SC.)

One brief (non Richmond or Southeast) digression (esp for Dscott) - while I certainly thought Flemings was a big cut above the usual "chain," I certainly wouldn't recommend it above the many fine restaurants (it's at the Hyatt La Jolla, so convenient for a business dinner, especially on an extended stay).

If you are in San Diego, try WineSellar Brasserie (attached to a remarkable wine shop) or (one of my favorite restaurants anywhere) Milles Fleurs in Rancho Santa Fe. Rainwaters is a terrific indy steak house downtown, but not always worth the trip, if staying in LaJolla.

[rl1856]

----Though we will continue to keep Mamma Zu's in mind ----

My wife and I had a memorable meal there a few years ago when we were visiting a friend. Walked in @7:30, left @ 11:30 ! Wait was almost 2hrs and we consumed far too much wine.

I recall a great Arabata sauce, excellent veal shank and gnochi. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the location ! My wife was apprehensive when we parked a few blocks a way and had to walk to the restaurant- we certainly did not look like we lived in the area.

If you get a chance, you should go.

Best,

Ross

[mighty quinn]

comfort is my favorite and it's relatively easy to find off i-95. if you're used to paying d.c. prices for food you'll be pleasantly surprised. if you're not familiar with the richmond area, don't go looking for 'zu's. you'll end up in some pretty scary area in the vcu/oregon hill neighborhood. the only fine dining place left open in the bottom is juleps. i had a pretty decent rack of venison there. you can skip anything in shockoe slip. it's touristy, over-priced and the food isn't worth it. lemaire is definitely the cream of the fine dining crop. go to buz 'n ned's for bbq. it's a weird amalgam of styles but it's good pig and they have abc on/off- something rare for a bbq joint. it's located on boulevard just off of i-95.

[dscott]

Interesting point about the neighborhood. As a (former) Richmond resident, I felt comfortable in Oregon Hill. Not sit-on-my-car-hood-and-hang-out comfortable but certainly fine walking to and from my car relatively late at night. However, I lived in the City my whole time in Richmond, worked at VCU and was comfortable with the scene around the Fan/VCU.

How does this relate to this thread? I don't know if I'd point a complete stranger to the Oregon Hill area for dinner. Not because of safety but because it's just a run-down area and I don't particularly want visitors having that as their one image of the City. Richmond takes a lot of undeserved hits from people who don't know the city. We felt comfortable taking lot's of out-of-town friends there but we could give them context ("we're going to eat at this great place in a pretty tired working class neighborhood"). I can't give that context as convincingly to a stranger.

Having said all of that, Comfort is HARDLY in a beautiful area. It's on a semi-desolate strip of Broad St that VCU hasn't gentrified yet and finding parking stinks (compared with Mamma Zu where I've always found a spot w/in 2 blocks).

fchrisgrimm seems like a pretty savvy traveler, however, and I bet he'd be willing to try either place. You're not going to go wrong with the food at either place.