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.

My dad and step-mom live out in Portland, OR, so their annual visits to see Finn are a bit of a big deal. We try to have one big dinner out for each visit and they have been pleased with the results each time. One year it was Can-Can, and except for a bit of a service flub, the dinner was great. Another year it was just across the street at Lamani**, the most amazing fish eatery in Richmond, it was a shame they were so short lived and their replacements, Durum and Wheezies, have really not lived up to the former glory (that’s just based on hearsay as we have been to neither the equally short-lived Durum or Wheezies Kitchen).

So, with the success of the earlier dinners in mind, I decided to go with a sure thing and go with the place that tops nearly every list as the place to take out of town guests – Edo’s Squid. I’m not sure why but for some reason I thought they only took reservations for larger parties – I was wrong. Might’ve been their connection to Mama ‘Zu that made me think that but they will take reservations for any size party, just call early as they do tend to fill up… Actually, it worked out well as we weren’t looking for a prime time reservation but rather an early one at 5:30. Another little bit of new info I learned is that they do continuous service from lunch through dinner. That’s a nice piece of info as I am often out and about in the middle of the afternoon and it is hard to find good (non-chain) places to grab a bite.

Seated at a nice corner table we looked over the menu and the specials board. A round of appetizers to share seemed in order. The first choice was obvious – Fried Squid. A plate heaped with pieces of golden brown, crispy squid parts. This was actually the first time we had the calamari there as they were out whenever we visit. Basically, it was perfect. Tender not rubbery, just enough breading and seasoning. Crispy and moist, not greasy. It didn’t come with any sauce (not sure if that was intentional or an oversight) but, frankly, it didn’t need any. Finn went to town on these, tentacles and all. Given his druthers he may eaten a whole plate of the little tasties.

To go with that we ordered a plate of the Conch Insalata. Not really sure what I was expecting but it was an interesting looking plate. Slices of conch marinated in oil, vinegar and garlic with capers and other little bits. The conch was tender and tasty, the oil and vinegar well balanced. Given my druthers I could have eaten a whole plate of that myself. It was perfect.

We ordered an array of items to share for dinner. A plate of Veal Marsala (textbook perfect), Penne w/Meat Sauce (excellent), Spaghetti w/White Clam as well as one special – Soft Shell Crabs.

The pasta with clams were excellent. Rich with flavour from the garlic and wine, added texture and taste from pine nuts. It restored my faith in white clam sauce. Of course, and this is not a fair comparison, the last time I had white clam sauce was at Joe’s Inn and it was a bit disappointing.

The crabs were a huge hit. Crustaceans, from clams to dungeness, are a big deal in Oregon but my parents had never had softshell crabs. When the plate came out the waitress apologized as they were a bit smaller than usual and offered to take a bit off the bill, we asked if we could have an extra (for a little more) and they happily complied. The fresh softshells were juicy and tasty. A real treat.

Finn had his first real restaurant accident part way through dinner. Sloshed about half his water into his lap. I got a bar towel from a waitress and cleaned the water under the table. Did give me a chance to observe how clean they keep the restaurant, even in the corners under the table. (I’m pretty sure the waitress was happy I cleaned it up rather than expecting her to crawl under the table to do it – does make me remember how many times I had customers expect me to clean up things like that and then leave lousy tips – bastards…) As clean as it was they do go on my list of bad bathrooms. I am not sure if a larger person would be able to turn around in the men’s room… Fan architecture at it’s best. No idea how they could’ve made it better though.

Dessert was Tiramisu. Really good and big enough to share.

Don’t expect fawning service here and didn’t get it. What we did get was all the basics and whatever was needed. Everything was done, water glasses filled, plates cleared. They handled the soft shell crab issue very well (we would never have known they were smaller and it was so nice they said something). People may mistake it for brusque, or even rude (like the mis-perception at Mama ‘Zu), but these people are very busy and are not slackers.

It’s obvious why this place is the topper for so many lists to take people visiting RVA. I know it’s at the top of ours.

**Notes on Lemani. It was a great place, just across the street from Can-Can. They served an array of fresh fish from all over the world – many of them served whole for 2. Nearly all the fish were prepared the same simple way – with olive oil, lemon, sea salt and a little pepper. Sides were huge and excellent. My understanding is they were a victim of rising air freight prices and couldn’t maintain the number of fish offerings without a catastrophic price increase. Very sad. We miss them.

For a myriad of reasons we had never been to Edo Squid before. I know, I know, Richmond landmark restaurant, everyone has been…. Well, last night we rectified that. Arriving with Finn in tow at a little after 8 we were surprised to see the place so packed on a chilly Monday night. We squeezed up to the bar got some wine (in little juice like glasses) and bread and actual juice for Finn.

I was a little surprised at how smoky the place was. As a recent ex-smoker I can’t bitch too much but it would have been nice to smell the food. It shouldn’t be a whole lot longer before Richmond goes smoke free. Looking forward to it in restaurants but not so sure all bars should be the same.

We were seated pretty quickly at one of the tables with a window. The view was of a parking lot and a huge electrical junction box but it was enjoyed by all. Finn has recently developed a taste for fried squid so as soon as the waiter came by we tried to order some. Alas, Edo Squid had no squid. I thought it a bit odd but we muddled along. M ordered a house salad to start and I selected the chopped liver. The salad looked a little sad. M said very little about it. The chopped liver was really good. Coarsely chopped, mixed with egg and thin slices of purple onion. The result was the flavour you would expect but without the heaviness or hints of iron that you get so often. Good start.

Finn’s entree arrived soon after. Carbonara. We knew from 8 1/2 that he would like it and he did. Not as much meat as at 8 1/2, but Finn’s not a big meat eater so it wasn’t a problem.

For M’s entree she chose the veal piccata and I the monkfish fra diablo.

The veal was quite good. It was the appropriate thickness, not too thin and not gristely like we had at a very sad trip to Pasta Luna. A tad heavy on the lemon threw off the balance of the sauce, I thought, but you could tell it was fresh, not bottled.

The monkfish was excellent. Big chunks of meaty white fish with a spicy tomato sauce atop pasta. From the taste and the texture you could tell why some less than reputable eateries used to use monkfish in their lobster fra diablo (including one I worked at in North Carolina…).

For dessert we had the Tiramisu. It was wonderful. Soaked but not soggy, dusted with cocoa and large enough for all three. I think Finn got one of the more alcohol soaked pieces and was a little loopy for the rest of the evening. So nice to have such a wonderful dessert done right, unlike the abomination they try to pass off at Bookbinder’s. I worked there a few nights a week for two years and after tasting the Tiramisu never served it again.

All in all, a very nice evening. Good food. Basic but competent service. Not too spendy. We’ll be back, after June 1st (assuming the state legislature passes the smoking ban) when the new laws go into effect…