Read Drink & Be Merry

I was recently asked to help out at Richmond Magazine with their Top 25 Restaurants issue that just hit the stands a few days ago.  Tina E did a great job as my editor, taking my rather lengthy thoughts and condensing them down to a more reasonable length for the feature.  You should rush out a get a copy and read it – if that leaves you wanting a bit more then here is the full piece on Edo’s Squid……

Most people have a list of restaurants that they go to frequently.  Within that list is usually a place or two that you head for whenever family or friends show up from out of town.  One of those places for us is Edo’s Squid.

First, the space is very interesting.  The narrow staircase is scary at best and may make one wonder about the quality of the food at the top.  Once at there is a simple open space of wood floors and bare brick walls.  Also, something unusual in Richmond, a bit of a view – beyond just the drunk VCU students wander the street below.  The space can get loud when busy and it is nearly always busy.  Even with a reservation you can have a bit of a wait at times but the food really is worth it.

Ordering Calamari for an appetizer is almost de rigueur.  Obviously fresh and expertly fried you know you’re in the right place when you sample the most excellent marinara sauce that accompanies the squid.  For something else special there is the Braised Fennel, simple yet full of flavor or my person favorite – Chopped Liver.  Cooked to perfection, without a hint of dryness, and combined with hard-boiled eggs the result is soft textures and creaminess that causes a rush of knives to get the last bits.  If liver isn’t your style try the Conch Insalata – slices of conch marinated in olive oil and vinegar with garlic.  A wonderful balance of flavors, textures and acids that will wake you up and smile.

The main menu is split into two parts.  The pasta combinations are on the printed menu and then white sheets on the wall with all the fresh meats and fishes.  Creamy and salty Carbonara is a winner for both kids and adults but for a truly sublime experience get the Clams in White Sauce.  Big, full clams tossed in spaghetti with olive oil, white wine and garlic.  Of the many variations I have tried of this dish over the years this is hands down the best.  Not on the menu, but always available, is White Pizza – a bit of a tradition at one of Ed’s other restaurants, Mama ‘Zu.

The handwritten items on the wall allow availability of the freshest items.  Some of the fishes may be served roasted whole but if you like robust flavors try any item that they have listed as ‘fra diavlo’.  Edo’s manages to walk the fine line between spicy heat while still tasting the main ingredients.  Most recently they had monkfish served this way and I can say I was a bit unwilling to share.  Oddly, Edo’s also serves one of the best steaks in town.  Their Grilled Hanger Steak is always perfectly cooked for us with a crispy crust and a juicy interior.  Like so many of the entrées this one is really large enough for two and they do encourage (actually insist if the party is over 4) that everything is served family style.

Edo’s has got a bit of a bad rap for service.  Most of that is myth and Richmonder’s propensity for a shared experience to complain about.  What it actually is, is competent verging on brusque.  Is that a problem?  Not really.  Sit at the bar on a Saturday night and watch the staff.  They are constantly moving.  No standing around gossiping, no hanging out in the wait station sipping a cup of coffee/wine, everyone is in motion keeping everyone fed.  I’ve actually seen a table cleared, reset and people being taken toward it before the previous diners have left the restaurant.

Something else to remember here is the cost.  It is pretty reasonable.  If you stick to pastas you can get out real cheap and when you consider that most entrées are nearly big enough for two the per person prices drops even more.  The Italian heavy wine list will not gouge you either.  Also, they do continuous service all day long – a good way to beat the crowds to enjoy an app or two with a glass of wine in the piece of the afternoon.

I was recently asked to help out at Richmond Magazine with their Top 25 Restaurants issue that just hit the stands a few days ago.  Tina E did a great job as my editor, taking my rather lengthy thoughts and condensing them down to a more reasonable length for the feature.  You should rush out a get a copy and read it – if that leaves you wanting a bit more then here is the full piece on Coast……

It’s always sad to see a favorite restaurant close.  Especially when one closes abruptly, like Enoteca Sogna did on November 28^th, not due to a lack of business but over landlord issues and an overly boisterous new neighbor.  The good news is that owner/chef Gary York has a new restaurant over on Grove & Libbie in the old Du Jour space called Coast.  The question is, does Coast live up to the high expectations one would have after dining at Enoteca?  In a word, yes.

At first glance the restaurant feels familiar.  Muted wall colors and sparse décor, much like Enoteca.  The food, however, is completely different.  Instead of Italian classics the emphasis is on seafood.  Starters for dinner include such inventive dishes as Fried Oysters with a Tarragon Remoulade or my personal favorite, Seared Sea Scallops in Chive Butter with Serrano Ham.   The perfectly crusted scallops remain moist in the center while the richness of the chive butter and the saltiness of the ham make every bite enjoyable.

Two of the entrées are real standouts.  Normally, I am not a fan of grits (Why, yes, I am not from the South).  The Shrimp and Grits, however, may make me re-think that stance.  Stone-ground, the grits add texture and become the perfect vehicle for enjoying the rich sherry and garlic cream sauce with the tasty shrimp.  The signature dish for Coast is their Crab Cakes.  Made with Jumbo Lump Crab, no fillers and just enough binder to hold it together the taste and textures of the crab shine through.  The sauce the last time I was in sounded a bit pedestrian at first, tartar sauce, but the homemade taste with just enough sweetness was memorable enough for me to turn my noise up at any jar tartar sauce that I may be offered in the future.

Lunch tends successfully towards the decadent.  Kobe Burger with White Vermont Cheddar and Caramelized Onions?  Got it.  How about a BLT with locally made bacon and topped with a fried egg?  Even a simple Ham & Cheese gets stepped up a notch when served with Fontina cheese and on brioche.  If it’s cold, or just because they are good, don’t skip the soups.  Seasonal favorites like Butternut Squash are full of creamy goodness can be had for the soup du jour or you can go a little spicier with the Roasted Red Pepper with Jumbo Lump Crab.  There are even lunch portions of the Shrimp & Grits or the Crab Cake as a sandwich – a nice way to sample before taking the big plunge for dinner.

Like Enoteca, it’s all about the food.  Since they use only the freshest ingredients the menu is short to avoid items sitting too long or needing to be frozen.  The restaurant is also small so get there early or make a reservation to ensure you can get seated.  Applications are in to cover the patio so it can be used year round – assuming the city cooperates.  And if you are missing Enoteca, never fear, they are close to signing a lease on a new space and hope to be re-opened sometime in the first half of 2010.  Here’s to hoping Gary is successful.

I was recently asked to help out at Richmond Magazine with their Top 25 Restaurants issue that just hit the stands a few days ago.  Tina E did a great job as my editor, taking my rather lengthy thoughts and condensing them down to a more reasonable length for the feature.  You should rush out a get a copy and read it – if that leaves you wanting a bit more then here is the full piece on Can-Can……

If I didn’t have a kitchen, Can-Can could easily provide me with all my meals.  Really, I mean it.

Except for Sundays – when Can-Can serves an excellent brunch – they don’t actually have a breakfast menu but what they do have is, in a way, much better.  Opening at 7:00 AM they serve a rotating array of pastries, croissant and fresh breads with jams – all baked in-house.  Sample a Pecan Madeleine or their amazing Almond Croissant and you’ll stop here rather than a fast food drive through any day of the week.  Pair that with a pot of fresh coffee, tea or hot chocolate and you’ll get up a few minutes early, bring your newspaper (or laptop – they do have wi-fi) and have a relaxing start to your day with someone else doing the clean-up.

Skip out of the office for lunch and get recharged with happy taste buds for the remainder of the day.  While some dishes are available year-round, Croque Monsieur or add an egg for the Madame, the menu rotates to take advantage of seasonal items and desires.  Cold winter days are made less nasty after a Braised Lamb Sandwich or a Fried Oyster BLT and if you’re under the weather try the Butternut Squash Soup, the creamy goodness won’t cure you but you will feel much better.

Don’t be concerned if you are running a bit late for lunch.  Can-Can does continuous service and has an afternoon café menu.  The burger is one of the best in town, with a difficulty bonus for being able to serve them rare or medium rare perfectly and without complaint, and the pommes frites are second to none.  If you’re looking for something else then try the Moules Frites, mussels and fries.  While the traditional white wine and garlic is excellent try the mustard, tarragon and pancetta.  The creamy flavor combination of the mustard sauce and mussels will bring conversation to a halt.

Dinner takes Can-Can’s French Bistro theme to its height.  From Escargot to Beouf Tartar for starters (most available in half orders so you can sample more) to Sole Meuniere or Grilled Hanger Steak Bordelaise for entrees you will forget you are in Richmond.  The French wine list can be a bit intimidating but have no fear, just flag down the beverage manager, Bob Talbot, who has probably forgotten more about wine then I currently know.  Starting in January they will also offer a prix fixe menu – entrée and soup or salad for $20 – a nice option in these tough economic times.

One can even swing by after a movie.  Can-Can doesn’t close till 1:00 AM (2:00 on Friday and Saturday) making it the perfect place to stop for a dessert (all, including sorbets and ice creams, made in-house) a cheese plate or an after-dinner drink.

What is possibly the most amazing thing is that Can-Can does all this and does it so well.  Most restaurants that try to do too much lose consistency and simply become mediocre.  Yep, I could eat all my meals here.

Sometimes you really want to like a restaurant.  Sometimes you don’t get what you want.

Walking into The Fat Goat you can almost forget you are in Richmond.  It has a very Northern California kind of feel.  Quirky organic space.  Jack of all trade staff that might be serving one minute and working the stove the next.  You get the impression that you could easily spend a lot of time here.  Pity it falls apart at the food.

1st Course – High Hopes – I love scallops.  You have to really mess up for me to not like them (Gibson’s Grill managed that…).  The idea of a Smoked Scallop Slider was intriguing…  A smoked scallop can be tricky.  Very easy for it to come out tough or with a funky flavour.  The scallops were actually very well done.  Smoked just enough to add flavour and colour but not tough or stringy.  Sadly, the bun was cold and a little hard while the tomato aioli may as well have been generic bottled mayo.  The total lack of depth and flavour was disappointing.

2nd Course – Still Hopeful – A rainy November night just screams for a good soup.  Lentil Soup with Curry easily catches the eye.  Presentation was perfect.  Large bowl, lentils fully cooked but still intact and not mushed, triangle of flat bread, dollop of sour cream.  Taste?  Exceptionally bland.  The curry was only the hint of an aftertaste.  Unfortunate, since when I could detect the curry it tasted wonderful.  Other than that I may as well have been eating, well, unflavoured boiled lentils.  Some bacon, or bacon fat would have been a really nice addition but I would have just settled for some salt.

I was ordering the next course while I was eating the one before.  I had fully intended for the next course to be an entree.  After this shaky start I couldn’t justify the price of the entrees and decided to hit another appetizer…

3rd Course – Losing Hope – Crab Cake with Wasabi Aioli.  I’m sure I’ve had this dish elsewhere and liked it.  I was also willing to endure another lecture from Brandon Fox on the sustainability of crab and some of it’s less then reputable sources.  I just wanted something good.  The crab cake was fine.  Basically all crab, no noticeable filler except for binder, no fishy flavour, no real flavour….  Sigh.  I’m starting to notice a trend.  If the aioli had any relationship with wasabi it was a bad one-night stand that ended with a handshake.  On the side of the plate was tomato and cucumber pearls.  A real fancy piece of molecular gastronomy.  Done right these should explode with flavour in your mouth.  They didn’t.

4th Course – Grasping At Straws – Gnocchi with Grilled Fennel, Spinach, Roasted Red Peppers, Parmesan and Garlic Sauce.  Surely this must have flavour.  Nope.  I appreciate subtle and delicate flavours.  This was just lacking.  The sauce was a brown broth-like liquid lacking in flavour and the promised garlic.  The Parmesan was forgotten.  The gnocchi was tough and over-cooked on the outside and nearly raw on the inside.  ‘Nuff said.

It’s a shame.  The space, a horribly difficult space to work with, is nicely done and appointed.  The staff is interesting and quirky.  Sean, the waiter (organic vegetable farmer by day, waiter by night) reminded of me of Jeff Spicoli – but in a good way.  Short of high-end formal dining he could be a great waiter anywhere – casual, caring and genuine.  The rest of the staff stood out from many RVA eateries by working together as a team.  If they could just embrace the quirky base they have built perhaps they could make the menu just a bit more interesting and if they could embrace some ****ing salt perhaps it might even taste good.

Being from the Pacific Northwest I am always on the hunt for a good raw bar.  For years we had Awful Arthur’s here in Richmond.  Nothing fancy, just cheap raw (and steamed) bar that only occasionally laid you low.  Since they closed things have been pretty limited.  The Hard Shell and Can-Can both do it well but can be a bit spendy – especially when you start including alcohol.  So, you can imagine,  I was quite intrigued when I heard that the Water Grill, the newest creation from Michelle Williams in Karsen’s abandoned space in Carytown, was going to have raw bar.  The fact that they were advertising 1/2 price from 4 to 6 during the week sealed the deal.  We were going to stop by.

Advertised hours for restaurants can be squishy at best.  Many places close earlier then advertised when business is slow and the opening hours can sometimes be simply prep time for the staff (Any place that does continuous service gets extra points in my book.  I’m always hunting for a place to get a quiet cocktail and something good to nosh on in the middle of the afternoon.).  With this in mind I wondered what kind of reaction I would get to a 4:15 arrival on a Thursday.  Sure enough, caught them off guard.  The bar was strewn with piles of napkins and the staff looked more like a bunch of kids out for drinks.  To give them credit they reacted fast.  The bar was cleaned off and the group scattered, although conversations about staffing, schedules and in-house gossip continued in very loud tones for quite a while.  Settling into the bar I asked the bartender a number of questions.  As I have found at many of Michelle Williams’ places the bartender was professional and knowledgeable.  A couple of things she needed to refer to one of managers and, well, as usual they ducked the questions.  Something about Michelle’s restaurants.  Too many managers not accomplishing very much and often spending more time being the staff’s social manager rather then managing the restaurant.

Martini in hand we started ordering.  First out was a dozen clams.  Each one perfect and sweet.  Not a skunky one in the bunch.  Rather then cocktail sauce I asked for the mignonette.  Meh.  It seemed to be solely sherry vinegar.  No herbs or spices.  I considered walking across the street to Penzy’s to pick up some of their mignonette spice packs but thought that might be considered rude.  It really wasn’t bad, it just seemed lazy and not very special.  A pity considering how good the clams were.

The wife decided on a half pound of spiced shrimp.  The shrimp came out warm but not hot.  Not sure if it was intentional for the steamed shrimp to come that way but it did make it easier to eat quickly without burning your fingers.  The shrimp were larger then you usually find and very tasty.  The seasonings were perfect and you could actually taste the shrimp, a nice change from so many spiced shrimp dishes that you get where it turns out the shrimp are simply a vehicle for eating mass quantities of Old Bay seasonings.

House cut french fries and homemade potato chips rounded out our order.  The fries were good, a big step up from the frozen ones served at deLux, and may very well challenge Can-Can’s outstanding fries.  The chips were a big surprise.  Often these have such a short shelf life and are nor worth eating once they cool to room temperature.  Not here, these were crispy and delicious from first chip to last.  Water Grill, however, falls short on the sauce again.  The ancho ranch dressing served with both tasted as if it came from a jar rather then house made and just didn’t live up to what it was served with.

Before wrapping it all up I decided to squeeze in one last dish.  A little talk with the bartender and her recommendation led me to try the Steamed Mussels with Lemongrass and Curried Coconut Milk.  There is nothing subtle about this dish.  The coconut milk is strong.  The curry is strong.  The lemongrass is strong.  Paired with an equally strong Tanqueray 10 martini it all worked wonderfully.  The mussels, from PEI, varied wildly in size but held up to all this.  For me it is one of those dishes that will bring you back to a restaurant – that the broth was perfect for sopping bread didn’t hurt either.

While the mussels ended the meal right the bill helped keep the mood right.  Half prices on the raw bar items were nice, especially since they were not all that inflated to begin with.  The big surprise was the martini prices.  At $9 for premium top shelf martini (Tanqueray 10) Water Grill is three to five dollars cheaper then most comparable places – nice to know in these tough economic times.  All in all not bad for a relatively new restaurant.  Dinner may be in the cards at some point but raw bar happy hour, especially out on the patio when weather permits, will be added to my dance card.

When a new restaurant opens it helps to have buzz.  Balliceaux certainly got it by coming into existence by killing off local music hotspot, Bogart’s.  OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. The people who owned the building had every right to not to renew the lease and Bogart’s has found itself a spiffy new home.  The people of Richmond, however, can be a tad resistant to change so there was more then a bit of horror at the fact that a ‘landmark’ was being displaced – mostly by people who probably hadn’t even been to Bogart’s in years.  Well, Bogart’s has survived the move and now we have a new eatery.  Time to move on.

The renovated space is great.  Period.

While I am all for historical authenticity too many of the restaurants in the Fan all look the same (deLux being the exception but not necessarily in a good way) – same ceilings, walls and even booths.  Balliceaux has been rebuilt using reclaimed wood and materials (much from the old space) to create a modernistic Zen space.  You now what?  It works.  It’s not really out of place, like deLux, and is visually interesting.  The music was a bit odd, and noticeable off the hard surfaces, but wasn’t offensive.  Just one of those bumps that a new place has to work out over time.

The lunch menu is full of interesting items but a little difficult to read.  It’s visually pleasing but is not very clear – just needs refinement that comes over time.  Simply an issue of style overriding function.

Both Marinara and myself started with soup.  He had the Golden Gazpacho – he enjoyed it and my taste of it was very nice – fresh golden tomatoes with herbs and spices.  It was not suffering from tasting like salsa as I had heard elsewhere.  I had the Chicken Tortilla – huge chunks of chicken (I had to cut one piece into three smaller pieces) with onion and carrots in a beautiful broth with hints flavours tasting more Asian then Mexican to me.  Elias, at 7 months and trying chicken broth for the first time, approved.  The soup was not as hot as I would normally like, somewhere between warm and tepid.  On a warm September afternoon it wasn’t a real issue but had it been a cold day in January I probably would have sent it back.  Hopefully, just a bit more of new restaurant adjustments.

For an lunch entree I tried the Crab Cakes.  This is a tough one.  The crab cakes were excellent and nearly all crab.  The golden horseradish with it was the perfect blend of spicy and creamy without overpowering the crab.  The issue was the size.  Two two-ounce cakes are not really enough for lunch.    The $12 price really wasn’t out of line, for a cake that is crab and not filler with crab flavouring, I guess it was the lack of a side.  Had I not ordered some soup to start this would not have been enough for lunch for me – think dinner appetizer not lunch entree.  Still, it was really very, very good.

Marinara ordered the Cider Braised Pork.  Both of us are on low-card diets so he asked if he could have something other than the red beans and rice.  The answer was ‘no’.  I do not disagree with the answer.  Menus are not ‘pick and choose’ and when people create their own dishes it plays havoc with food cost and is disruptive to the kitchen.  On the other hand, people do have dietary restrictions.  Once it was clear he would simply buy a different side the issue became moot.  The pork dish was the opposite of mine, I would not have been able to finish it.  Six slices of pork braised to perfection.  I was able to get one slice for myself, as well as some of the garlic greens that he had chosen for his side.  Another winner.

While not all the buzz about Balliceaux before it opened was good, it got people talking and ultimately helped to spur interest in the place.  Several weeks after opening we arrived for a late lunch, at around 1:30, on a Tuesday and had to wait for a table – that’s a good sign for a new restaurant.  While there I heard no complaints from other guests and even ran into other friends dining there (RVA Foodie) -  another good sign.  Sure, they need a few tweaks.  Any new place does.  The food was good, the service competent, the space inviting.  I’ll be back for dinner.

Overheard by a friend dining out at Si the other night…

Customer – What beers do you have?

Waiter – Heineken, Corona, Sam Adams.  Let me know quickly which you would like, we only have two of each.

WTF!  OK, I probably got the beers wrong but the point is if you can’t stock your bar anymore then you are in serious trouble.  Of course my track record is mediocre when it comes to declaring the death of a restaurant.  Sensi, thankfully, is still chugging along and I hear they are still living up to and exceeding expectations for delivering great food.  Bookbinder’s is slightly changed.  The Taxin’s fired the management (no great loss) and are trying to keep it going.

Boys night out is an age old tradition.  The wife and kids go to visit a sister in a far away town leaving the husband to fend for himself, alone, at home.  Calls go out to friends to see who wants to hit the town and have some fun.  Matt Marinara is in, another Matt is a maybe, RVA Foodie on the other hand seems more interested in some female wrestling event and selects to spend the evening in the basement of his house. So, with the people picked the next question is ‘Where?’

Dance clubs are out.  The evening starts too late and spouses tend to frown upon that.  Sports bars hold no interest for me nor would karaoke.  Good drinks and decent things to sample are more my speed.  The other key would be lots of places to choose from in a small area so we’re not tempted to drive.  Shokoe Bottom seems to fit the bill.

The first place we decided to hit was Morton’s.  Martinis at the bar and perhaps a little cold shellfish seemed to be a good way to start the evening.  The martinis were good and cold as was the lobster and crab.  The bartender, Chettie (of Chettie’s Cow & Clam back in the day), was polished and professional.  The bar… meh.  It’s dark and cozy but is awfully tiny.  Waiters yelling through the service window were a little disruptive but when the twelve strong bachelorette party the noise level bouncing off the walls of the tiny wood paneled room grew to an unbearable point.  One drink and gone.

The next stop was Cha-Cha’s.  Loud, boys and girls on the prowl, a whole flock of girls circling Jack like vultures around carrion. Probably would have loved this place when I was younger.  Now, everything I touched felt dirty and sticky.  The guys loud and oafish, the girls just one shot away from staring in a ‘Girls Gone Wild’ video.  Time to walk briskly away.

The rest of our walk through the Bottom was interesting but more of the same.  Loud music, very drunk kids (a couple of them passed out on the sidewalk in their own puke.), full sensory overload.  In the midst of all this chaos there was a little of corner of darkness, Julep’s, closed for the evening.  Or was it….  A few feet away from the main door is a very odd door, one with no handle.  We approached and dialed a number on my cell.  Moments later the door opened and we slipped in.

It seems, after the restaurant has finished serving and the shutters on the windows closed, they re-open, but very discretely around 11 on the weekends.  In the spirit of an old speakeasy they are open but only if you know how to get in.  After the noise, the August heat and the stumbling drunks it was nice to go inside to the cool and quiet peace.  Soft music was playing.  The darkness broken by candle lit tables with people relaxing comfortably.  We pulled up to the bar and made ourselves at home.

A cocktail list was offered with an array of interesting concoctions.  Of course there was a mint julep, possible the best one in town and served in a pewter cup.  I selected a nice Hendrick’s Cocktail.  The small batch gin muddled with cucumber is a wonderful combination.  Sadly my diet required me to have the simple syrup replaced with Splenda but it was good none the less.

While the dinner service was over they still offered appetizers.  Pickled Shrimp served with a tangy cream and a trout pate fit the bill wonderfully.  Compared to the bar food being served at our other stops this seemed like returning to civilization after a long slog in the wilderness.  Don’t get me wrong, the other places we wandered through that evening were fun and I would have been barhopping with the best them in my younger days.  I can still drink most of them under a table but as an adult my tastes have become more refined.  Spending an evening down in the Bottom and all the drunken kiddies was made enjoyable thanks to this little oasis.

I’d tell you the secret number but then I would have to kill you….
Oh, OK – 651-8621 – I’ve programmed it into my cell.
Read more…

Last year the city was abuzz with the impending, and oft delayed, arrival of Gibson’s Grill.  Attached to The National, Richmond’s hot new music venue, it was billed as a showcase of good food for before and after the shows.  Speculation and anticipation was rampant as the owners had a reputation that made the hype more than just a bit believable.  Initial reports from various sources who attended the soft opening and the early months were mostly positive – both for the service and the food.  Sadly, we were not able to partake in all this as M was pregnant with Elias and the collapse of the economy last Fall caused us to become a bit more frugal.  Gibson’s was still on our hit list to visit and when a friend’s band, Three Sheets To The Wind, played The National we decided to take advantage of the evening at give Gibson’s a try….

The upstairs is quite nice and inviting.  It looks like the place you want to hang out at before a show.  Sadly, we were seated downstairs with wobbly tables, lounging staff and a very loud kitchen.  When the waitress finally realized she had a table to deal with she came to talk to us.  Inquiries about the types of gin were met with a blank look and a very long trip to find out what they had.  Turns out pretty basic stuff, nothing interesting or even what is being served at some of the mid-range restaurants in town.  Later, as we were leaving and I glanced at the bar stock, I found out she hadn’t really even bothered to tell me all of the offerings.  Note to waiters – you cannot drive up a check average it you do not even know what you have so you can make suggestions.  Note to managers – those expensive bottles you stock will not sell unless you educate and test your wait staff.  Had I been able to sample some of the Hendrick’s Gin I might have been a little happier.

Appetizers were the next disappointment.  The nachos were no better or worse then any casual dining chain, except for the slightly soggy chips from the puddle of liquid on the plate.  The salads looked to have been prepped during the afternoon and the dressing came in little plastic cups – how very Applebee’s.  My order of Panko Fried Scallops were the worst.  The first clue was being able to smell them before they even reached the table.  The wet-pack scallops made the fried panko soggy and the scallops themselves alternated between raw and cooked to the point of rubber.  I haven’t had scallops this bad since the 80’s at some coastal dive in a ‘basket’.

Entrees fared little better.  M and a friend both had the Steak Wrap.  Mediocre would be kind.  The chopped steak tasted as if it had been made in batches once every few days and returned each night to a steam table.  Either that or microwaved.  L had the French Dip.  What came out was enormous, at least five inches tall.  That was impressive till you looked at the interior of the two halves of the sandwich and realized it was all bread and a half inch of meat.  The only bright spot of the meal was my entree, which was actually off the appetizer menu, Mini Lamb Burgers.  The taste was excellent and the yogurt fennel sauce blended well with the lamb.  They would have been really memorable if they hadn’t been grilled past well done.

For a restaurant that was hyped as a showcase to compliment The National this was truly disappointing.  Hopefully visiting acts will seek their food elsewhere. Perhaps the owner’s other very good restaurants – Kuba Kuba and Kitchen 64 – and not what seems to be a complete afterthought from them.

My mother already lived in Virginia when I moved here in the early 90’s.  Soon after I arrived in Charlottesville she introduced me to the thriving Scandinavian community there.  The large group of immigrants and first generation Americans became the focal point of life here in Virginia.  Parties, dinners, and simple gatherings with the food, drink and social interactions that I grew up with made the transition here to Virginia very easy.

One Christmas party in particular stands out in my memory.  Held at the Flemings huge home in horse country of Albemarle it is an evening that burns through the fog of alcohol consumed that night.  The house was amazing.  Newly built on a high ridge the view at sunset was beautiful and set the mood for the evening.  In the kitchen dishes were being prepped for platters or to be finished in one of the ovens.  A log was crackling in a fireplace large enough for a dining room table.  Everywhere you looked you saw special treats and delicacies brought over from the homeland or prepared with decades old recipes.

Having just arrived in VA and not yet sure of my cooking skills I decided not to cook that night and instead I had searched out a couple hard to find items to share with my new extended family.  Carlsberg beer and a bottle of JUBILÆUMS Akvavit.  The beer didn’t impress, many others had found the same or similar sources.  The akvavit, however, did.  Many had found the Taffel version but not the JUBILÆUMS.  Both have the same basic dill, coriander and anise flavour but the JUBILÆUMS is distilled through amber changing the colour and flavour.  The bottle went into the freezer with the others and the evening got well under way.

The evening progressed as normal.  Lots of food.  Lots of drink.  A swirl of activity.  Once the main dinner was over the serious drinking began.  Many had already had too much and I was left looking rather foolish looking for a drinking partner.  Finally, I had a taker – Hanne-Bjerg.  Mid-60’s, Norwegian, leathered farmers skin and a raspy voice from too many Marlboro reds.  She wanted to drink, and drink hard.  The older generation wanted to die sober and the younger generation were wimps, she said.  So drank, and chain smoked, we did.  For a time we had a third person with us – name and face forgotten – but we started and finished that bottle of akvavit.  For any who have drank it should no that is no small feat.

After that party I saw Hanne-Bjerg several times a year.  She could always be counted on to tell the truth, no matter how brutal.  Some found her impolite or difficult.  She was simply who she was a made no bones about it – a woman farmer who had no time in the day for anything less then honesty and action.  I admired her greatly.

Very quickly my favourite party of the year became her May 17th celebration, Norwegian Independence Day, held on her farm out near Zion Crossroads.  The food would always be amazing especially with the ex-pats trying to outdo each other on specific dishes.  The discussion around the different roast pork, frikkedeller (meatballs), or a dozen other dishes could be intense as each was judged to be most traditional or a best new take.  It was at these parties I was inspired into cooking at nearly a competitive level and chose as my weapon gravlax.  The first year was, well, ok.  My mother liked it and ultimately nothing was left but it was a tad salty.  Subsequent years saw my skill  improve till Hanne-Bjerg gave me a compliment – ‘You cook like a Norwegian.’  Considering I am Danish – and we were celebrating independence from Denmark – I took that as a compliment.

Through the 90’s and into the new century we would make the trek out to her house every year.  In addition to my food – I had moved on from lax and was now cooking original dishes with Scandinavian inspired flavours and ingredients – I would always bring Hanne-Bjerg a bottle of akvavit and a carton of Prince cigarettes.  No year was the same – sometimes less than 50 sometimes more although the number of children was always increasing – but the basics were always the same.  Food and cooks to the kitchen others with coolers to the lawn with many kids underfoot.  Some of the wine was cheap but the beer was always Scandinavian and all the food was made from scratch.  Most years you could even find a kransekake – a cake made not with flour but gound almonds – very difficult but worth the effort.  Before we sat down to the full meal we stood around the flag pole flying the Norwegian flag and sang the anthems of the old countries as well as out new one.  To follow was a speech, full of history and usually the source of alcohol and nationalistic debate for the rest of the day.

In a world of change this was a constant every year.  A time to meet friends, fellowship and an anchor for a chaotic life.  But one cannot stop change.

Late in 2006 Hanne-Bjerg husband, Lennart Heimer (also Norwegian), was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  A respected professor of Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, at UVA he spent his last year taping his lectures and trying to preserve his life saving knowledge for future students.  A few weeks before that years Mai 17th celebration he passed, the Scandinavian community, in mourning, did not celebrate that year.

In 2008 we speculated.  Would we gather in May or was it all over?  Word came out that the party was on – but what to expect?  I decided to braise a pork shoulder with apples and fennel.  For an experiment it came out pretty good, the rest of the day was not.  The core of the ex-pats were there but very few of the first generation or their kids arrived.  The beer and wine was cheap and domestic, some cooked like I did but many just picked up platters from Ukrop’s or Food Lion.  The very gray day matched the mood.  Hanne-Bjerg put on a stong face but there were cracks in the facade. I told my wife on the way home that I thought this may be it for the annual gathering but hoped it would not.

Last week, while the rest of us were putting together potential recipes and looking at potential dates and rain-day back-ups if the party was to go on, Hanne-Bjerg got out of bed and her heart simply stopped.  I suppose the timing was right.  We always thought of her at this time of year and her death within days of her party will cement the day in our memories but the tradition is over.  You cannot reclaim a tradition that is lost but sometimes you can remake it.  The Scandinavian tradition is strong enough that many of the second generation children are not taught English till they reach school age.  While I may go that far I do intend to keep the traditions alive and maybe I will inspire my children the way Hanne-Bjerg inspired me.

Skøl, Hanne-Bjerg, you will be missed.