Best restaurant(s) in Richmond

[dscott]

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?

[dscott]

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.

[kendrabail]

Man, Dscott...you really hit the nail on the head with outdoor seating.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE to sit outside and eat when it's nice (which is now!) but the choices are limited.

Some fun places that I tend to frequent in no particular order are:

Nacho Mama's (especially for Sunday brunch) Food is merely ok, but it's lively and fun. A great spot to go with a few friends, but go early cuz it gets packed.

Rio Grande (at Stony Point) Yes, it is a chain, but you know what? It is a blast to sit outside and watch the mall shoppers in their overpriced Gucci jeans and little dogs in suits. Kitsch at its best! Plus, this place makes some mean margaritas. Dinner is a bit overpriced in my opinion but they make a mean queso dip with chips (which usually becomes my dinner). Avoid going before 7pm on Friday and Sat. night. Turns into romper room. Screaming kids everywhere. It's uncanny. The Rio Grande in Reston, Virginia has a fun party scene at happy hour. All we have is a Chucky Cheese remake going on.

Rivah Bistro (their amazing Morrocan Chef, Chafik has returned!) has open air and patio seating. Go try some of their authentic Morrocan specialities just added to the menu like the braised, spiced lamb, Merquez sausage(homemade from lamb), rock shrimp in a tomato concasse is to die for. Plus, now you can sit outside and watch all the drunk college kids waddle their way down to the new BW3's. A definite bonus.

[DrewHaslett]

DScott - I can't compare Amici's and La Grotta because I have not been to the latter. Amici's is Northern Italian cuisine. When you order a rack of lamb, you get all seven ribs.

As for outdoors, for booze at least, Baja Bean is hard to beat. The atmosphere is great and the drinks are potent. When the crepe myrtles are in bloom, it is very colorful. Good place for people watching.

On a previous topic, super markets are super markets. We don't have good butcher shops and exotic produce stands because Richmonders do not support them. Anderson Seafood is closed which was one of my favorites. Stonewall is the only butcher shop left I know.

I just returned from Florida and had reason to visit Publix, Winn - Dixie and Harris Teeter in upscale areas. I expected more and better produce considering its proximity to the Everglades produce. You could have been in Kroger or Ukrops, they all looked the same.

The only redemption is Lobel's has an 800 number and will ship over night. The green market at duPont Circle on Sunday mornings is very good; I am waiting for the Williamsburg market to open.

[mighty quinn]

ok-richmond now has a 2-pager, even though most of it was devoted to the lack of a decent grocer. this must means that there are enough of "us" in the area to have an event-eat out or maybe a pilgimage to wegman's in sterling (it really STILL is in the commonwealth, technically) anybody game?

[s'kat]

I am waiting for the Williamsburg market to open.

My last day of school was today, and I look forward to perusing it next week. It's been a long winter.

[dscott]

ok-richmond now has a 2-pager, even though most of it was devoted to the lack of a decent grocer. this must means that there are enough of "us" in the area to have an event-eat out or maybe a pilgimage to wegman's in sterling (it really STILL is in the commonwealth, technically) anybody game?

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.

[kendrabail]

Okay, you guys know that I would be up for some kind of outing. I think a visit to the Farmer's Market On Sat. could be fun? Also, a short hour down the road are some amazing wineries and eateries. There are foodies out here. YES!

My husband and I live to do this kind of stuff.

Regrads to dscotts question for a night out sans kiddie plates...definitely still have to go with Kitchen Table or Stella's. Depends on what you're going for. KT is more romantic and quiet while Stella's is a bit more boisterous, but fun. Both are around the same price with Stellas being a bit more.

Sounds like a fun night. Have blast!

[dscott]

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?

[dscott]

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.

[mighty quinn]

where's belleview?? i'll be relocating to churchhill the beginning of next month and will be pretty busy, but i'll be in town the weekend of the 15th of may-farmers market sounds good to me, then a brunch at kitchen table. anyone else??

[dscott]

Would love to do the mkt + KT but no-can-do on the 15th. Maybe once you're moved in we can find another date.

Bellevue is a neighborhood on the northside of the City (South of Bryan Park and North of Ginter Park). General boundaries would be Hermitage Rd on the West, Brook Rd on the East, Laburnum Ave on the South and Westwood on the North. Bellevue's been pretty much a dining/food wasteland since we moved to Richmond but it's been getting a little better recently. Stir Crazy just opened this week with a full menu supposedly. Will provide a report if I get over there.

[chefseanbrock]

go to mama zu

[dscott]

go to mama zu

Ah, but I do that weekly (or more) anyway. Mmmm. Mamma 'Zu.

[chefseanbrock]

smart man

[dscott]

Sean, Ed V. just opened a new takeout/deli joint called 8 1/2 on Strawberry St. (in the old Mojo's) in the Fan. We had fresh fried sardines and a sausage & mushroom pizza from there last night. Damn those sardines are good.

[chefseanbrock]

i can only imagine how good they are..........i still dream about the sweetbreads and white pizza at mama zu

sean

[dscott]

Dinner at Kitchen Table was excellent on Saturday night. I'm usually more focused on food than environs but we absolutely loved the space, service and overall feel at KT.

The meal:

House-Cured Salmon served w/ avocado, grapefruit and roe (Special)

Crispy Catfish Wontons w/ slaw

Maytag Salad

Pork tenderloin w/ baby bok choy, fingerlings, ...

Mahi Mahi w/ baby bok choy, morels, shittakes... (Special)

Highlights of dinner:

1. House cured salmon served w/ avocado, grapefruit and roe

This was the best dish of the night. I may be biased b/c I make a similar dish at home w/ homemade gravlax but this was the perfect combination of flavor and texture. I could have eaten 3 plates of this and been happy for dinner. Truly fantastic. Reminded me of the salmon appetizer that they serve at Cafe des Artistes in NYC (which is one of my most delicious memories of living in NYC).

2. Presentation of all dishes:

Everything was plated beautifully, but not in a Jacques Torres-pastry-competition way (you know, where there are 15 items stacked on top of each other) . Rather, each presentation made the food look fantastic, made you excited for the dish and added to the overall ambience of the restaurant.

3. Dish accompaniments:

In some ways the veg that were served with the mains overshadowed the main itself, which was just fine with me. Both mains came with braised baby bok choy (which rocked) and mine came swimming with morels and shittakes, which I just could not get enough of. The accompaniments to my Mahi Mahi far exceeded the fish itself. I would have traded the fish in for another plate of the veg. (To be fair, the pork was cooked perfectly and served w/ a delicious sauce). Also, the slaw (asian-inspired?) that came with the catfish was great. I was pushing the wontons aside to get more slaw!

4. The price:

We felt that this was a great value. We had 2 beers, 2 glasses of wine, 2 apps, 1 salad and 2 mains for < $100. Even though each dish was not particularly substantial in and of itself, I could barely move at the end of the night from eating so much.

Overall a great night. Would definitely return. Be interested to see how the space feel during the daytime.

[mighty quinn]

ok richmond gulleteers-howabout this saturday am at the farmers market. i'll be going to the flea market in church hill and will be downtown. any takers??

[dscott]

One more weekend and THEN I'll be game. Sorry.

[TGTyson]

Just stumbled into this thread tonight so I'll try to hit some of the points in one post.

I live out east near Old Church, so a hike into town takes some effort, but I try to get in at least once a week for a good dinner.

Good restaurants (in no particular order):

Kitchen Table

Bistro-R (off W. Broad near Jimmys/Kinkos)

Bella Luna (good Italian one block north of Parham&Brook)

The Houndstooth - very good BBQ & fresh seafood - 5 miles east of I-95 on rt54 (exit 92?) A MUST TRY if you're on I-95 north of the city at dinnertime Tue - Sat.

Henry Clay Inn in downtown Ashland directly across from the RR depot - A B&B which serves dinner to the public on Friday and Saturday nights - phone to confirm this - I haven't been there in about a year.

Mexico is to my taste as good as any of the better mexican restaurants we had in either Austin, TX or Colorado Springs, CO when we lived in those places.

Rosemary and I would definitely be up for a dinner out with some fellow foodies. Just please, no smoke.

- Tom

[TGTyson]

So here we are, Wednesday night before Memorial Day weekend - anyone here want to get together sometime this weekend?

Just say the place and the time and we're there.

- Tom

[DrewHaslett]

dscott - Drew lives in Richmond in the Fan.

[mighty quinn]

I'M GAME FOR SOMETIME SATURDAY PM-DRINKS AT KITCHEN TABLE WOULD BE FINE BY ME. VICTORIA

[TGTyson]

OK, Six pm Saturday, May 29th at the Kitchen Table

There will be two of us (Rosemary and I) for dinner

Who else will be joining us?

- Tom Tyson