Best restaurant(s) in Richmond

[dscott]

Chef Sean, I think that it depends on what you're seeking.

First, I don't dismiss Chef Bundy's choice of product or the service or, for that fact, the marvelous space that is the Jefferson Hotel. On the other hand, what am I willing to pay for it?

Let's face it, once you factor in the fixed costs other than food at Lemaire (e.g., cost of the space, cost of the staff to provide you with that high level of service, cost of the chef himself) and divide them by Lemaire's relatively small clientele, you have a significant premium added to the food cost for each individual diner.

What if I'm able to find similar quality food without all of those additional costs? I'm willing to trade down on service, decor and chef's name in order to keep my dining bill down.

Now, when I am looking to drop some cash and I am looking to have a meal where the focus is as much on the decor and the service as it is on the food, THEN I will proceed directly to Lemaire (or perhaps take a nice weekend trip to the Hermitage )

[chefseanbrock]

i guess i am a bit biased...........i drove to atlanta just to eat at blais and drove right back to nashville yesterday..........i also just spent about 400 bucks at trio and flew there to eat a couple of weeks ago .........i really don't think about price when i eat.........the restaurant industry is my life and to me dining is priceless.........i also understand your point.........and i was the executive sous chef at lemiare for two years and i did all the ordering and the network of purveyors they use at lemaire could rival that of charlie trotter's.........

just one man's opinion...........that's the beauty of egullet

[dscott]

That's the great thing about passionate chefs. Y'all do amazing things for food. All in the name of research and inspiration!

[chefseanbrock]

word

[bleachboy]

Indeed!

[mighty quinn]

didn't realize this thread was already in progress... have been to 6 burner-had a ceasar-type salad and the romaine hearts were kind of brown around the edges. braised pork cheeks were pretty tasty, if not a little heavy on the glaze. the side was roasted asparagus-done nicely. i can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems that the menu/ wine list didn't quite add up to the fan location- when i was there it almost seemed like a student hangout.

julep's- nice atmosphere. i had a southern-style boulliabaise (sorry about my spelling) heavy on the saffron and the scallops were cooked into the next century. however, my beau had rack of venison- VERY TASTY!! wish i had ordered this. the meal was served with an amuse bouche-nice touch but it was some kind of cold mango soup and it didn't particularly mesh.

kitchen table- i really liked this place and i'm looking forward to going back for dinner. had sunday brunch-crabmeat quiche, lobster bisque and champagne. all good and the restaurant space is really asian-cool. the chef/owner, Sosie, told me that they're expanding the dining room and from the looks of business they need to.

hill cafe-has become my second home. blue plate specials before 6pm. had a good center cut pork chop with mac n cheese the other day. they were good about substituting collard greens for fries with a burger. yummy!! kept my jacket for me when i left it there after the basketball game. good real estate advice from the bartenders. what more can you ask for?

i've heard that acapella in church hill is good any thoughts? and please, wegmans or freshfields or harris teeter take over the market in church hill if it indeed closes. the "u" is ridiculous AND DRY!!!!

[Milt]

This past week we drove from the Atlanta area to northern New Jersey to visit family. We ate lunch in the Richmond area on our way up Monday and ate dinner in the Richmond area on our way back on Friday evening.

Our Monday lunch was at the Brook Run Ukrop's. We had been told about a place called Binigi's near the Parham and Brook Rd intersection. We gave up on finding where Parham exit was and stopped at exit 81 northbound to see what we could find. Ukrop's was quite busy and we ate there. I had a shrimp scampi wrap and my wife ordered a grilled tuna steak. With drinks, our total cost was $14.27 - not bad. My wrap was quite good, my wife said she would order differently next time.

Immediately after leaving Ukrop's, we discovered that Parham was the next exit. On our way back Friday evening, we exited on Parham and began to look for Brook Rd which we found quickly. It is also US 1, and is just west of I-95 - but we could not find Binigi's. It wasn't listed in the phone book at the Holiday Inn on Parham, so we ate at the River City Diner next door. The food was decent, the place was quite busy, the service was very slow, the manager was very defensive. The ambiance was quite enjoyable. We were both able to watch tv screens running commercials from the 50s and 60s - many of which we remembered too well.

Earlier in this thread, Binigi's is mentioned positively. Were we close to it?

For our sake and others, please give as specific directions as is humanly possible. You know your city well, but the rest of us do not.

For our next trip to New Jersey, where should we eat in the Richmond area? Close to I-95 and casual is best, as we don't travel in our Sunday best.

[kendrabail]

Bignini's is a tough find. You were somewhat close. It is located in a tiny strip mall on Route 1 between the intersection of Parham (and large, substantial intersection) and Lakeside (a smaller intesection). There is approximately a mile inbetween these two intersection and Bignini's is located within that mile. In the future, I would suggest giving the place a call before you come (especially if you have a cell phone). There number is: (804) 261-2224. There hours are weird, so you may want to call to make sure they are open.

You can also use mapquest on your computer to really pinpoint where the place is. It's a saving grace when I travel. But whatever, you do , don't rely on us locals! j/k

p.s. Don't hate me, but I am about to have lunch at Bignini's in an hour. Will post the results :)

The Accidental Chef

[dscott]

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.

[dscott]

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.

[kendrabail]

Bignini's is open on Monday. I had a wonderful lunch there yesterday. The black bean "chili" was the perfect respite on a rainy afternoon. And they have some nice salads with grilled chicken, homemade lime/cream dressing with bleu cheese and walnuts. I am a salad junkie, so this really hit the spot. The Keke de Naranja (Orange Chiffon-type cake) is amazing. All their desserts are homemade and off the hook.

On Fridays and Saturdays, they do ceviche. Haven't had it yet, but have been hearing great things about it.

No liquor license, which I hate to say prevents me from eating there at night. Nothing would be better with a spicy ceviche, some pork carnitas with orange than a cool glass of white bordeaux or a dry reisling. They need to get wine and beer license.

And god dscott, don't even get me started with the "U" family. I heard the Trader Joes deal fell through for Short Pump. (Isn't it funny how ALL the deals not involving the "U"'s seems to fall through??)

I hate to admit it, but we are doomed to a life of crappy chicken salad and take home meals from the "U" until someone desposes them. Fresh Fields lasted about 6 months here and then, "poof" gone. I figure the new farmer's market in Short Pump is on shakey ground. I also figure it is here b/c an agreement with the "U was made beforehand NOT to expand in any way.

The organic world is exploding around us, but none are allowed in a sad, little town. I was just in Charlottesville last week and I counted at least 10 organic food marts with 2 organic chains and not ONE, SINGLE "U' there. Go figure.

[takomabaker]

I'm holding out hope that Whole Foods will bring one of its big markets here. It's not Wegmans but it would certainly be an improvement over what we have now. I heard that Trader Joe's might come to Short Pump in the next year or so. Fingers crossed. Do you know if Tom Leonard's Farmer's Mkt has opened out there yet?

There WAS a Whole Foods (Fresh Fields then) on Broad Street in the early 90's when I lived in Richmond. It only lasted a few months. I really enjoyed going there and eating free samples for dinner. I lived there right after I graduated from college and I was pretty broke most of the time.

I would trade all of the Whole Foods by me in D.C. for one Ukrops close to my house. I HATE the grocery stores in the D.C. area. Giant and Safeway SUCK! I don't know why such a big city has such cruddy grocery stores. Probably something political. I was told that they are all union up here and I bet that makes it hard for other chains to get zoning. I do miss Ukrops, even if I couldn't do my grocery shopping on Sunday.

[dscott]

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]

We discovered Ukrop's last week, on our way to New Jersey to visit family. We were trying to find another restaurant which had been recommended on a message board. We were tired of looking and took the next exit and found the Brook Run Ukrop's. I now realize that we were only about a mile from the restaurant we were seeking. My wife noticed how busy the restaurant/deli portion of Ukrop's was and suggested that we eat there. She also likes to eat at Publix a lot more than I do. She was hungry, it was late, etc. We went in and were amazed by the number of dining options. It was overwhelming trying to decide what to order and where. The staff was very friendly, professional and helpful. Far beyond what I would expect in such a place. My lunch was delicious (shrimp scampi wrap). My wife ordered tuna steak, and says she would order what I did next time - or try something else. The tuna was well enough prepared, but that is all there was beyond the side item.

On our way back to Georgia, we again tried to find Binigi's and ate at River City Diner on Parham @ I-95 instead.

Now, thanks to eGullet, we know exactly where Binigi's is - and will eat there on our next trip. Beyond that, my wife wants to try Ukrop's again and so do I.

[kendrabail]

I can see why Ukrops would be a novel idea for someone visiting Richmond. It is nice. It is clean and the staff will go above and beyond your expectations.

I guess it's just that some of us locals are tired of the monopoly. Plus, eating there for lunch is not so bad (decent salad bar) but shopping there is another thing altogether.

I totally agree with dscott about the heinous meats and seafoods. Fish smells fishy (and is overpriced) and the meats are average (had to find lamb other than overpriced lamb chops sold is packages of two's, so if you are trying to cook dinner for 8, you have to 4-5 packages at about 8 dollars a piece. Absurd!

Dscott, for the best meats (not the cheapest) go to Stonewall Market and ask for Dave. He will set you up. They have (or can get) almost anything.

For seafood, Yellow Umbrella is one of the best. They can get you Malpeq (sp?) oysters flown in if you want 'em.

But back to the task at hand, Ukrops has cornered the grocery scene here with decidely average foods, ok lunches, horrible take-out dinners, no beer or wine and to make it all worse they are closed on Sundays which inconveniences many people whose closest market is a Ukrops. Plus, I don't need my groceries carried out for me. I don't care.

The Ukrops are packed all the time, b/c if you want to buy food, it's probably either the only or the closest market to where you live. God, and they are building another up the road from my house. It never ends!

I am a firm supporter of the small business owner, the REAL organic growers in Virginia, the local farmer's markets, the small meat producers and fishmongers. My loyalty will always be to those folks, and not the Ukrop's family congolmerate.

Check out www.slowfood.com. This is what's real.

[dscott]

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.

[takomabaker]

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.

Come up to Washington. Go into a Giant or a Safeway. You'll never say bad things about Ukrops again. Right after I posted my message about Ukrops, I started a new topic on the DC board asking why our grocery stores are so horrible. It's become quite prolific in less than 24 hours. Horrible meat (mostly pre-marinated convenience stuff), half-dead produce, surly customer service, dirty and poorly lit stores... Ukrops takes your groceries to your car -- it would be a miracle if Giant employees even brought the carts in from the parking lot. If it's raining or cold out, you better remember to get a cart on your way in. The take-out areas are nothing but potato salad and coleslaw with dried up rotisserie chickens. It's truly nasty.

I remember my mother shopping in Piggly Wiggly when I was a kid, but I didn't pay much attention to the store. I was a kid. I did always like the little pig mascot, though.

[dscott]

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.

[dscott]

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]

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.)

You're right. I never did find any of that stuff at Ukrops. It was just better than what I have now. I used to shop at the Ukrops at end of Broad Street. It was brand new back then! The fact that they at least had Boar's Head deli meat and a take-out counter with those seasoned potato planks (my roommate and I used to chow on those) and decent baked chicken made me much happier that anything at Giant or Safeway. And the meat, seafood, and produce is still heads and tails above anything at Safeway or Giant.

But anything's better than what I have now. Wegman's is only in Virginia (I live just over the DC border in Maryland)-- and very far out in the suburbs of Virginia. I've heard good things about them, but I'm not going to get onto the Beltway to go grocery shopping. Whole Foods is the best thing around here, but it depends on the store that is closest to you. The Dupont Circle Whole Foods in the city is GREAT, but the one closest to me in Silver Spring isn't anything to write home about. The quality of the products in Whole Foods really does depend on the location of the store. I work in downtown DC, so I can go to the Dupont Circle store to shop. Although what they have is high quality, the selection is very limited. Sutton Place (soon to be Balducci's) is great if you have unlimited funds. They are VERY expensive. Trader Joe's is GREAT. I love it and buy lots of stuff there. The frozen seafood at Trader Joe's is actually better than the "fresh" (actually defrosted) seafood you can get at any seafood counter. I think I saw someone post that there is a Trader Joe's opening in Short Pump. That's great for Richmond. Jeez, how Richmond has grown. Short Pump was nothing but Walmart and Capital One when I moved. When I was back a few weeks ago, I couldn't BELIEVE it.

But maybe my disgust with Safeway and Giant has caused me to look back on Ukrops a bit too wistfully. But there is a lot that I miss about Richmond all the way around.

[kendrabail]

Richmond is an awesome town...no doubt about it. However, I still vote for usurping the Ukrop's monopoly.

Yes, the food is better than Safeway's or Food Lion, but it is till substantially below Wegmans or Trader Joes.

Ukrop's is designed for people that don't really want to cook...that want to pick up a dinner in a bag, grab some heinous, pre-made, day-old sushi, a couple pounds of mayonasiy potato salad and a few pre-cooked, chewy marinated chicken breasts. That is customer that Ukrop's is appealing to. People that want the food either halfway made (i.e. marinated or stuffed) or completely cooked with nice, little reheating instructions. Therefore, it is popular in this day and age. However, those of us that are serious of cooking and food know that Ukrop's is not the place to find baby artichokes (or any artichokes that are worthy for that matter) fresh seafood (unless you count pre-cooked, pre-marinated baby shrimp).

Ukrops is all about convenience and not food unless you like paninis.

What Richmond desperately needs is a grocery store that caters to folks who actually like to cook, experiment with recipes and try new types of produce, less popular cuts of meats and exotic seafood. We just need one, good one and I would shop their weekly at minimum.

I teach cooking classes and often provided with recipes for certain classes and find myself not being able to find half of the produce or meats b/c they simply do no exist here. For example, have a recipe that I am doing for a class Thurs night and needed to find fresh figs. Impossible in this town. Have to substitute pears. It really stinks.

[kendrabail]

p.s. Sorry of you had trouble reading the previous post. Some letters and/or words are missing. My keyboard is doing funny things here.

[DrewHaslett]

Recently I was talking to a rancher from west of Richmond who supplies some products to Ellwood Thompson's. I asked him if he participated in the Green Market at duPont Circle and he replied that he didn't have time due to the market in Williamsburg

As I remember the discussion, it is on the weekend and is in the restored area. Does anyone have any more details?

[s'kat]

Hi Drew-

The farmer's market in Williamsburg will re-open on May 1st, and is held every Saturday thereafter. Here's the website: Williamsburg Farmer's Market

[DrewHaslett]

Without mentioning all the great places above, I would like to add several to the list. In some cases I have not been lately but have had very good food and sevice in the past.

The Track on West Cary, opposite the Byrd Theatre

Amici's on West Cary, about 5 blocks west of the Byrd

The Dining Room in the Berkely Hotel, 12th and East Cary

La Petitte France behind Athemn Blue Cross, just off Thalbro St.