Read Drink & Be Merry

Looks like we may be soon losing one of the more well-established restaruants here in RVA. The end brought about not by the economy but rather by poor decisions and management in-fighting.

The restaurant here was created to revive a well established name that had closed in a northern city after years of decline. The place was a hit. No reservation, no table. Food and wine flowed freely and diners indulged to their hearts content. Success, though, can lead to overreaching and overextending. Several more local restaurants were opened or partnered with and plans to reopen the flagship up north were put into motion. As the managing partner withdrew to these other projects (we’ll call him ‘Journey’) problems started popping up. On-site managers were not given the authority to make decisions and routinely had their choices overruled based on back-room gossip. Frustration set in and, while restaurants always have a fairly high level of intrigue, this one was becoming toxic.

In the midst of this commodity prices started spiking. Rather then raise prices a couple of signature items disappeared and, when the menus were reprinted, a key word was missing – Prime. Of course, rather then tell the customers they were now being served Choice, no mention of the beef grade was present on the menu. Guess they were hoping no one would notice. People did. Other shortcuts started creeping in. Not enough turtle meat in the soup to make it last another day? No problem. Dice up some chicken and throw it in!

The head chef, working from his open kitchen, would yell, cuss and swear at the staff and give a running commentary on the guests walking by. Personally, if I heard a member of staff say about my wife as we walked by ‘I’d let her sit on my face and take a crap’ there would be a bit of a scene… Some chefs should just not work in kitchens where they are exposed to the public.

As the re-opening of the original restaurant was repeatedly delayed a series of temporary managers served their time in RVA. With no vested interest in the local establishment they were the definition of the term ‘empty suit’. One General Manager was ousted in a palace coup by another manager who immediately went from being effective to a ’sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen’ by spending his time snapping the hostesses G-strings. Slacker staff put more energy into gossip and theiving, while the management turned a blind eye, and harder working staff members left as they realized all the delayed promises would never be filled.

Customer traffic dwindled. The drop in beef grade. Pasteurized crab from Indonesia. Frozen farmed shrimp. Turtle soup made with chicken. When your paying premium prices one should expect to receive premium ingredients.

The mother restaurant reopened and, while it is still operating, is doing so under bankruptcy protection. The family partner’s (we’ll call them the Cabs) and Journey’s relationship became strained. Banquets and parties (brought in by a very competant banquet manager) keep the place alive in RVA but the Cab’s and Journey’s inability to gain a consensus on the direction of the restaurant have come to an impasse. Journey and the foul mouthed chef have threatened to shut the place down and open a new eatery in the West End – leaving the remaining staff to their own devices. Senior staff, reading the writing on the wall have left or are keeping the resumes updated.

Rumours of a Fall closing did not come to pass. Personally, I think the Holiday season followed by the legislature coming into session are just to lucrative to pass up. If they are to close, my guess would be to see a sudden appearance of a padlock right after Valentine’s. After that date I would not use cash to pay for a banquet deposit… use a credit card, just in case.

Note – I will not post any comments using the restaurants actual name or any of the players involved. Use pseudonyms.

Sports bars. Ugh. Typically they exist not for the food but for the game. You get the impression that more thought and effort goes into TV placement and daily game selection then into the food. You could even make the argument that the food exists only to soak up the alcohol so the customers can order another round or pitcher. Not being a huge sports fan, nor being able to remember the last time I ordered a pitcher of beer, I usually avoid sports bars. My last visit to one, Home Team Grill , found weak drinks (albeit cheap) and inconsistent food. Sometimes, however, the situation – or the craving – makes the decision for you.

At the Gaylord Hotel, on Maryland side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the National Harbor, there are a number of choices for dining to choose from. We, of course, just really wanted a good burger. Based on that, and the need for speed, we decided that National Pastime Sports Bar & Grill was the choice for the afternoon.

The restaurant itself is big and airy. Very modern and slick with a theatre size screen showing five games with additional TV’s over the two bar areas (they even have a golf simulator). Since the entire hotel is smoke free the usual smoky blue haze of sports bars was absent. While the place was busy the entire staff was smiling and pleasant. Amazingly so. From the waitress, the busboys, the bartenders – even all the managers I ended up speaking with during our visit – every person we came in contact over the weekend was a pleasure to interact with.

The menu reflected the upscale nature of the hotel. The usual items like quesedillas and ribs augmented with offerings like blackened rockfish and panini. We, however, were here for the burgers. In this case all their burgers were 1/2 pound Kobe beef – with a promise of cooked perfectly to order. So, with 86 Richmond in mind, I took the plunge for a medium rare burger.
To start we had a plate of shrimp tempura with a spicy thai chili sauce. For a sports bar the price was a bit much at $11, even in an upscale hotel, but the plate came out with 10 jumbo shrimp on it so it turned out to be a pretty good value. The shrimp were good but had a lingering greasy flavour. My guess was the oil temp wasn’t quite high enough or they had been put in too quickly after another dish had been fried. Moshi-Moshi serves a better shrimp tempura but these were adequate. The thai chili sauce was surprisingly like one that M makes at home so we had no complaints there.

Soon after we cleaned the plate our burgers came out….

Apologies for the crap quality of the burger picture….

Let’s start with the good. Kobe beef is very fatty and makes for a greasy burger – but greasy in a good way. The fat in the meat has an amazing flavour and this burger had flavour. I had ordered the swiss, mushroom and caramelized onion. I kind of wish I hadn’t because I could tell this was beef that was good enough to stand on it’s own and, joy of joys, the chef had hit medium rare very nearly dead on (M had ordered hers medium and I thought it looked a bit closer to medium well but she thought it fine and that’s who really matters).

Now the not so good. The buns were egg rolls. Tasty unto themselves but with Kobe beef your dealing with way to much moisture for the bread to hold together. Add to that the moisture of the cheese, mushrooms and caramelized onions and the whole thing was coming to pieces on me before I got halfway through. It might have worked better had I flipped the burger upon receiving it, so the larger top could soak up the juices, but I didn’t. They really need to use a more substantial bun that can stand up to the Kobe.

The fries were forgettable. It’s sad when you have a high quality main product and then use low quality sides. Should’ve been fresh or hand cut.

Now the bad…. As I had the swiss mushroom and M had the bacon BBQ we both removed our tomatoes from inside the burgers. Halfway through my burger I noticed one of our tomato slices had a rotten interior. The very center was a mushy dark brown. At first I thought it might be some of the BBQ sauce but M had requested it on the side and a closer inspection proved it to be rot. Ugh. So, with my hamburger disintegrating further after each bite and a rotten tomato on the table my appetite abandoned me.

The waitress was horrified and the manager was very nice. Offered dessert, we declined.

For a sports bar this was a pretty nice place. They seem to be able to serve a medium rare burger, something that way too many restaurant cannot. If they get a more appropriate bun and fix the fries they have the base for a world class hamburger.

Oh, just in case, if you have a sandwich there be sure to inspect all the ingredients. I can only imagine had we not removed the tomato…

Normally I wouldn’t have anything to say about a fast food chain restaurant. Lately, however, we seem to have had an explosion of new chain arrivals in RVA. Many of these places most of us have never heard of. You do hear a few people waxing nostalgic about some of these places from their college or home town days but for the rest of us it’s a guessing game. Today I decided to try one of these new places out.

First, let me say that being hungry while driving around Short Pump is an exercise in overload. Everywhere neon signs beckoning you with key words like ‘gourmet’ or ‘brick-oven’ trying to tell you that they serve the same food as the other guy in the next shopping center but that they’ve got a special ‘twist’ on your average pizza, or sandwich, or whatever. The result of all these choices, at least for me, is something akin to ‘deer in the headlights’. So, I fell prey to one of the keywords while driving aimlessly and decided ‘gourmet sandwiches’ would be the way to go.

Designing a Jimmy John’s wasn’t that difficult. Post-industrial minimal with faux-snarky signs to fill up all the blank white spaces (I did think the ‘No Hippies’ sign was a bit odd and possibly insulting to hippies…). As I approached the counter I was hit with a bit of anxiety. If you go to some fast food places on a regular basis you know the routine, what to order, where to stand, where to pick it all up. As a newbie I tried to take it in as quickly as I could without looking like an complete simpleton. The line moved quickly and I arrived at the register before I could get more of a basic idea of what I wanted. I stuttered out an order, paid, and then stood there foolishly not knowing what to do next. Tentatively, I reached out and asked if I should just take a soda cup – the cashier looked at me with an expression that said ‘Duh!’

So, cup in hand, I wandered around trying to figure out the set-up. Found the soda machine, filled up and then grabbed a table – if there are napkin dispensers in this place they were beyond my ability to locate. The sandwich assembly line was moving fast and someone kept out calling out sandwich descriptions. Since the don’t give out order numbers I can only imagine the potential for confusion if more than one person ordered the same thing in the middle of a rush. Could get ugly.

In an amount of time that I could describe as ‘just barely quick enough’ considering the number of customers my sandwich name was called out. I unwrapped my sub and took a bite. The applewood smoked ham was very good, the provolone was tasty, the lettuce crisp. We had the making for a pretty decent sub. The problem was the bread. Tough and chewy it kept threatening to squirt the fillings out on to the table as I bit down. It was very similar to the bread at Fuddrucker’s – doughy and devoid of flavour or character.

The result was a bland sandwich – certainly not the ‘gourmet’ advertised on their sign. Had I known the menu better I probably could have ordered better. Different toppings might have made it more interesting and when was the last time that you actually had to order a pickle? The sandwich I had at Coppola’s a couple of weeks ago was far superior in all respects and, while I haven’t tried the behemoth battleship sandwich’s at Black Sheep, I bet they’re better tasting and a better value.

All this got me to thinking. Basically anything they have to offer out in the chain riddled traffic mess of Short Pump can be got better and for the same or less at any number of our locally owned restaurants in the city. So, the next time life finds me out in Short Pump and feeling a bit peckish I shouldn’t waste my time looking for some mediocre attempt at ‘gourmet’ food but instead run quickly back into the city for the real deal.

Is Kobe the best sushi restaurant in town – no. Is it the most creative – no. Is it authentic Japanese – not really. I would describe Kobe as a your basic Americanized ideal of a sushi restaurant. If you want innovative and creative dishes try Viktor’s two eateries, Sumo San and Moshi-Moshi. If your looking for your basic gyoza or shumai and nothing too exotic in the way of raw fish, try Kobe. It’s just basic – it’s our Japanese comfort food. Really, we’ve been going here for years and have never had a bad meal nor bad service. It will satisfy your cravings for Japanese in a roadside diner sort of way – just ignore the star scenes that look to have been painted on ceilings and wall by 3rd graders…

What was most interesting about this meal was Finn. He actually has a normal meal at Kobe. To start a plate of stir fried onions, a good way to practice his chopstick skills. When our apps come out he usually grabs one or two of the gyoza, shumai and kara age. During entrees he’ll gobble a couple of pieces of California roll and then finish with a bowl of miso – drunk through a straw. Every now and then he will have a piece of tuna or a shrimp but it’s pretty hit or miss whether he will eat the sushi. There has even been two occasions where he has eaten eel, although I told him it was snake. This visit, was a little different….

I had ordered my ‘usual’ array of sashimi – scallop, surf clam, tuna, toro, white tuna, salmon and sea eel. I always offer Finn some but he declines most. Tonight he threw me a bit off and tried everything. Not a single funny face. Smiles and exhortations of all things fishy. A little hesitation at the eel, until I told him it was snake, but everything went down. As I ran out of things to try he picked up the little sushi board and asked for… octopus.

M and I discussed this. Was he ready for something quite so chewy? Sure, why not. An order went out for octopus and a little more tuna. The plate came out and Finn grabbed not one of the thin slices but the full piece of tentacle. We waited for the verdict. ‘I love octopus!’, Finn declared. OK then. Our child really will eat anything. This, of course, was short lived. The piece proved to be too chewy for him after a couple of minutes and he got a very worried look on his face. This didn’t really surprise us and we allowed him to spit out the half-masticated piece of octopus into a napkin. ‘Too chewy’, he said – which, I suppose is better than him saying he didn’t like it.

Maybe next time we’ll have to truck over to Hana Sushi and see if they have the baby octopus appetizer on special….

Richmond has come a long way on the food scene over the last ten or fifteen years. I know my first meal in Richmond was a total disaster – in a cockroach infested fondue place below street level in Shockoe Slip. Since then the bar has been raised by over-rated places like the Frog And The Redneck to current winners such as Can-Can, 1 North Belmont and Edo Squid. Our little city has become a place where you can be proud to take visiting friends and family out to destination eateries. At least until you go out of town yourself.

Vino recently bemoaned the fact that, even with all the upscale sushi places we do have, Ten in C’ville has fish rarely, if ever seen in River City (and nearly as much gunfire…). I hear similar stories of great restaurants (that we don’t have equivalents of) from people who travel to Hampton Roads, Norfolk, DC or Baltimore. Then there’s the vague feeling that there is not a lot of variety here in Richmond. Look at Millie’s, LuLu’s, deLux, Helen’s or any number of other restaurants that seem to be working off the same food palate as well as the possibility that the chefs all trained under the same person – just look at how many places have ‘gourmet’ mac-n-cheese right now. Sure, there are differences, but there is certain sameness.

Then there’s the service… The professional level I find outside the city makes a number of local places here look like amateurs run them. There are a lot of good servers in Richmond but too many places have not made training and education of their front of house staff a priority. RVA Foodie had a good example recently where the waiter had no idea what he had just brought to the table. Oh, and before RVA Foodie starts – there is a huge difference between professional and pretentious. Even Applebee’s requires their servers to know the ingredients on a plate.

So, here we are, on the road visiting the in-laws and in search of a meal in Roanoke. Last visit we had eaten at a place with a wonderful view that was probably excellent when it opened decades ago but was now in need of a makeover. Kinda Roanoke’s version of Byrum’s, OK but could be so much better. Based on that I had hopes for a good meal but wasn’t expecting to be wowed. Well, wowed I was.

202 Market (there seem to be a problem with their website today…) is in the middle of old town Roanoke and is in the midst of upscale eateries, coffee houses, and specialty shops. The building is an old warehouse and you can’t help but feel a little thrown when you first enter. The bar is very sleek and modern, almost futuristic. It looked like the kind of place I would enjoy having a drink in but wasn’t convinced that it was where I wanted to have dinner. Once led to the dining room I changed my mind. Exposed brick, high backed open booths, dark wood tables. I was reminded of Sensi except that it seemed much more finished. The large flat screen TV’s bothered me a bit (we had come to eat not watch TV) until I realized the TV’s were showing a live feed from the kitchen – pretty cool.

After ordering they brought out a special appetizer compliments of the chef. I don’t see too many places in RVA do this even though it is great way to showcase the chef’s skills. The theme for the appetizer was a putting green. A club made out of a ebony toothpick with proscuitto sitting on a bed of powdered proscuitto, a putting green of molecularly pressed melon and a champagne grape for a golf ball. The melon nearly exploded flavour in your mouth and the powdered proscuitto had all the intensified taste without intensified saltiness. A wonderful example of the creativity of molecular gastronomy.

Appetizers came out quickly and there wasn’t a loser in the bunch. M had Mushroom Tempura with an Apple Ponzu, L had an excellent Calamari with a Spearmint and Harrisa Dipping Sauce, G had Wagyu Tip Kebab (great inexpensive way to try this type of beef for the first time), and I had the Seared Scallops. On my dish there was also mango and proscuitto. The mango had been pressed in such a way that the flavours were amplified and the piece nearly had the consistency of pasta. The talk at the table was that you could just sit at the bar and order round after round of appetizer and be perfectly happy.

For a wine for the evening I ordered a bottle of Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir. The waitress, being well supported by the management, let me know that they might be low or even out of that wine. Nice to know that up front rather than after 10 or 15 minutes of searching on their part. Turned out they did have the wine and she did point out the change in vintage rather than try to pass off the change and hope I didn’t notice. The 2005 needed a little extra time to smooth out but turned out to be perfect once allowed to breath.

Glancing at the TV’s we watched with anticipation as our entrees were plated up…

M had the Filet. Not very exciting in of itself but the steak, cooked perfectly, was served with powdered bacon. The result was all the flavour without the grease. A great combination.

The kids, Finn and his 11-year-old cousin, shared the Parpedelle Bolognese. The dish was excellent, rich and creamy, and the kids were treated well by the staff and owner. There were actually quite a number of families throughout the dining room and even eating in the bar. Nice change from the elitist attitudes of some in RVA who feel that families should be excluded from the downtown eating scene. Frankly the only place I feel is an ‘adult eatery’ is where the waitresses wear pasties.

L partook in the Paella. Saffron and chorizo with fresh shellfish. This is what Europa strives for in their Paella but comes up short. I don’t know what they do to the rice here but both on L’s dish and on mine it was possibly the best rice I have ever had. Individual grains, no clumping balls, seasoned perfectly. I would eat here just for the rice.

Both G and I had the Colorado Rack of Lamb. While still good this was my least favourite dish. The lamb was cooked sous vide (sealed in a bag and cooked under water) and while it produced a perfect juicy medium rare the taste was a bit bland. Without the caramelization of direct heat and reduction of moisture to intensify the flavour it was a little disappointing. Sous Vide would work well for he Opah on the menu, or even their twice cooked fried chicken, but not so much here.

To finish we had dessert. For me the usual, crème brulee. The best I have had in years. Exploding with vanilla beans and just a crust of caramelized sugar. Lately, in RVA, I’ve nearly needed a sledgehammer to get through the plate glass layer of sugar on the crème brulee’s.

The closest we have to Market 202, that I have eaten at, is Sensi but I found 202 Market to be more exciting and creative in their food and their hospitality was flawless. Combine that with the cost being less than 2/3’s of Sensi and I think it might be worth the drive.

Sometimes, after a rough week, you just want to tie one on. That was me last Friday and I decided to destroy a few brain cells. Wandering about town found me faced with a familiar dilemma – who’s open in the middle of the afternoon. I work six days a week but am relieved by one of my assistants at two several times a week. My preference is to be home with the family as M finishes work and Finn gets out of school so my prime ‘party’ time is from 3-6. Can-Can is a good place, as is Buddy’s, but I do like to try new places. Friday my wanderings found me in the Bottom so I parked and went in search of liquid refreshment.

First stop was ‘The Cocktail Capital of the World’. Bit of a bust. Jack was there doing prep work and he kinda threw me out. Kidding. Guess they don’t open till 4ish so I was a bit early. I always found prep work somewhat meditative. Folding a couple of hundred napkins or cutting a box of limes before the hordes hit the door help you get into a calmer state so when someone requests a strawberry daiquiri (‘made with fresh strawberries but could you please remove the seeds’….) you don’t stab them with a cocktail fork. I left Jack to find his zen and moved on.

‘On’ found me wandering into Halligan’s, a tiny fireman themed bar on the other side of the Farmer’s Market. Decent drinks, reasonable prices, nothing fancy. Often these ‘themed’ bars are just affectations. Not so here. Seems it is quite the hangout for the cities firefighters. So girls (and any interested boys) who have a fireman fetish, this would be the place to go. It’s not really my kind of place but the people were so friendly that I enjoyed myself and would probably wander back in.

While I was there the kitchen staff was expirementing with some possible new additions to their menu (I didn’t look at the menu so can’t share what they have). Of note would be the fried twinkie. They brought it out and set it on the bar. Everyone looked at it, daring someone else to take the first bite. Turned out not that bad. I did prove that after 25+ years as a smoker and 4 years as a non-smoker your tastebuds do return. Just a faint hint of fish flavour. One cook said he had just put in clean oil that morning but then another said he had fried some fish at lunch. The result was that if they add the fried twinkie to the menu they are going to get a Fry Daddy to cook them seperately.

I also noticed something interesting while enjoying my beverage there. The Farmer’s Market, not offically open on Fridays, did have a number of vendors there. The customers? All seemed to be wearing white chef’s jackets. Now if it’s good enough for them….

After taste testing at Halligan’s I returned to Jack’s and got what I had been really craving – Tanqueray 10 martini, up with a twist. Good stuff. We chatted for a bit and were soon joined by M and Finn. After a bit we decided some food was in order, bade Jack farewell and walked accross to LuLu’s. We had been once last February and it was not bad – except for the stroganoff. Guess it was time to see if they were firing on all cylinders.

They were.

M had the Meatloaf and I had the Beef Loin. Her’s was good, mine was excellent. The hanger cut of meat had been grilled and seasoned perfectly and the price was very reasonable. Both came with mashed potato (good) and a mushroom demi. The demi was reduced perfectly and the amount used allowed you to taste the food rather than drown it out.

Finn had the Lobster & Crab Fritters. I still can’t detect any trace of seafood in these but Finn likes them so – what the hell.

All in all a good afternoon/evening…. except for waking up at 2 with a hangover.

NOTE – If anyone has any good suggestions for afternoon hangouts – do share!

With Finn now in school I’m finding myself at a bit of a loss as to what to do with myself when I have the afternoon off. Late last week that equated to me driving around RVA looking for someplace to nosh and enjoy a bevvie. Sadly, most places are closed at 3 or 4 in the afternoon so the choices are limited. As I tried to go over the short list in my head I realized I really just wanted to go someplace new. Luck would have it that my aimless travels had me close to Carytown and the newest place to grace the restaurant scene, Mezzanine. My hopes were dashed in that they were not open (currently opening at 5:30). I did, however, get something a little special. The kitchen staff were out sitting on the patio and were in a chatty mood.

I walked away with some interesting information.

The basic theme (if you could call it that – more like a philosophy) is to focus on fresh, local and regional ingredients with an emphais on produce from local farmers. They are not going to go totally organic but are going to strive to pick suppliers who use minimal pesticides and try to avoid growth hormones and antibiotics. Expect the menu to change rapidly, especially in the first few months, as they try different suppliers and see what works and what doesn’t.

I really like this approach. Rather than impose a theme on the menu they are going to let it evolve based on results and, quite possibly, feedback. I’ve seen some places stick to a failed idea and sink while waiting for it to ‘catch on’. If the chef here is good (I didn’t catch his name) and creative we may very well have some exciting things going on here.

Realizing that you have to walk before you can run they are going to expand their offerings as they work the kinks out (ever been someplace that thought they could do it all on day one and manage to do nothing right?). The chefs all sounded very passionate about food and I’ve found that attitude often translates onto the plate. If they have the skills we could be seeing some very exciting dishes coming out of that kitchen.

It also sounds like they will start opening earlier as more people come and may have good munchies to help down that afternoon glass of wine or martini on their patio.

The rumour of raw bar offerings is an idea on the radar screen there that they haven’t fully fleshed out. Something that perishable needs a good purveyor and a steady stream of customers to avoid bad bivalves. If they decide to add the raw bar I’ll be excited to see what approach they take.

So far I like what I see and think they will be busy. That’s a good thing. Of course, then there’s the RTD reporter who loves the place but seems to imply that it won’t be worth going once it gets busy. Personally I prefer restaurants that are inclusive and busy rather than elitist and exclusionary. She must get that from her boyfriend….

A while back I ruffled a few feathers by suggesting that Millie’s brunch, while good, might not be worth the wait for a table. Some people disagreed and said it was worth the wait (that’s ok – personally, I still am not sure as the meal was a bit uneven). A number of people waxed poetic about the dinner and declared me wrong. The problem with that is that I was just writing about their brunch, not dinner – so, let’s stay on subject, OK? This time I‘m writing about dinner so take your brunch comments (if any) over to the other post.

Dinner’s out are becoming less frequent for us. With Finn in school and M pregnant if we make it out to dinner it’s becoming earlier and earlier. We’re not looking for early bird specials but we seem to be calling for opening times rather than closing times. The issue with that is I don’t close my store until 7 in the evening. If we eat out on nights I close it tends to be quick or a chain (shudder…) of some sort. There are, however, still nights that we just need to get out for a good meal. Wednesday was one of those.

After the typical debate between M and I (involving a good 15 or 20 restaurants) we decided while circling Shockoe Bottom on Millie’s and, once parking was located, entered the restaurant. My first thought, upon entering, was the music was better and not as loud before – good start. We were told that a table would be available soon, unless we wanted the worst table in the place (they didn’t actually say that but you could hear the apology in his voice as he pointed out a table flanked by the stairs and the door to the kitchen). Actually, we didn’t mind a table in a high traffic zone so we sat there.

As Finn pushed buttons on the table top jukebox we looked over the menu. The waiter approached and told us that they were out of a few items. I liked that. Too often your told about an item being 86′d while your ordering or even later. Nice to see someone making an effort. The other thing I really liked was a nice selection of 1/2 bottles. With M on the knocked up wagon it’s nice to be able to order something other than a full bottle that I may very well not finish or take home and forget about before polishing it off. Millie’s didn’t disappoint and I ordered a nice bottle of Trimbach Gerwurtzriminer – rich flavours of pear and apricot without being too sweet.

To start I ordered the Seared Beef Carpachio. I caught a hint of saran wrap on the first bite but but the rest was great. The spiced tomato puree gave flavour without overpowering and there were none of the stringy pieces in the beef. I thought the yellow tomato salsa a little bland but then I am not a huge fan of tomatoes and M thought it tasty so you be your own judge. (Of course, as I am writing this I checked their web site and they’ve posted a new menu changing this dish and a bunch of others…).

For Finn we got the Mac & Cheese with Asparagus, Oyster Mushrooms & Foie Gras Butter. Very tasty, although if you have a small child you may want to have them leave off the asparagus – Finn is a little picky about larger green items….

For an entree M had the Tamarind Oven Roasted Pork Loin. Tamarind can be tricky. I’ve cooked with it before and there is a very fine line between ‘needs a little bit more’ and ‘OMG, I can’t taste anything else’. Millie’s hit it perfectly and the roasting left the pork moist and juicy.

I had a bit of a quandry for for my entree. They had a Crispy Rendered Duck dish that sounded good as did the Spicy Thai Shrimp. Basically decided on the shrimp as I had just had a great duck sandwich at Can-Can a week or so ago (warm duck, melted brie, sauteed mushrooms on a sweet fruit and nut bread – mmm, yummy.).

The dish looked a little odd to me. The shrimp had little colour, like they weren’t cooked, and the noodles looked very odd. They were cooked perfectly, everything tasted great. I especially liked the fact that the spiciness was balanced so that, even though it was hot, you could still taste the individual ingredients. Very enjoyable. I was also very glad that I took a picture of the dish. Turns out it was just poor lighting that made it look odd as the shrimp as well as the noodles look fine under the harsh glare of my flash.

To finish M had a chocolate layer cake and I had the creme brulee. Her’s was excellent and mine was good but otherwise unremarkable. Service was friendly and efficient (although I think I could hear them thinking ‘why would you sit at that horrible table?’ as they walked by. It was actually fine and they all made an effort not to bump into me as they went by).

So, in sum, for those of who find it harder and harder to get out in the evenings – is it worth staying up past 7?… Yes.

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.

Food trends come and go. Sometimes they start out great but get overdone – balsamic vinegar. Sometimes they are poorly thought out – nouvelle cuisine (think overpriced tapas). Sometimes they end up wiping out an entire species – Orange Roughy & Chilean Sea Bass. And sometimes they don’t make a lot of sense – crunchy beans. After reading that I was pretty convinced that it was just an error that either the waiter didn’t want to fix or was afraid the chef would yell at him. Or at least I did until Saturday…

We had started out the evening at a beer bash thrown by some friends featuring a number of home made beers. I’m actually not a big fan of beer but they had bottled a raspberry wheat beer that was really quite tasty. Since Finn was in tow we had arrived at the very beginning of the party and as it started to fill up we said our goodbye’s before it got too crazy. Feeling a bit peckish, and since it was close by, we made the quick hop over to Can-Can.

For quite some time we’ve been a fan of their scallop appetizer dishes. Almost always on their seasonally changing menu they change the dish often enough so we have yet to get tired of it. Their latest menu, however, was a bit different. Instead of being pan seared they were roasted. Hrmm. I find it relatively easy to pan sear something to the proper temp but I think I would find roasting a scallop without having it raw or a piece of rubber a bit of a challenge. Having faith in the chef there I ordered.

The scallop had been roasted ‘au poivre’, just enough pepper to add flavour and at the right grind so it wasn’t crunchy or just dust. They were cooked perfectly and the difference in flavour and texture was a nice change from the ubiquitous sear everyone else does. The bacon, potato, and corn broth were tasty until I bit down on the English Peas. Firm would be polite. I know, English Peas are supposed to be firmer than Sweet Peas but these took effort to bite down on and were dry inside. Ugh. Firm and crunchy veg are good, firm and crunchy beans and peas – not so much. I enjoyed the rest of the dish so I didn’t whine or even really ask and I would order it again. It did make me wonder if we were witnessing a trend starting it’s march through RVA. Not quite sure how I feel about it. Guess we’ll have to wait and see if it was a cooking aberration or if we’ll have crunchiness showing up all over town.

The rest of the meal was great. I really loved the roasted red snapper and the fact that they have carafes of good wine. With M in her present condition I don’t always want a full bottle to myself and a 1/2 carafe is perfect. The service was great.

The full moon on Saturday (or there abouts) helped make for good cat catching. Managed to catch four cats, actually four kittens – two sets of siblings. Unfortunately one of the kittens was too young to be fixed but at least he got a good check up. The score, if you keeping count…

5 female/5 males – Trapped Fixed and Released
1 kitten – Too Young – Medically Checked & Released
1 male – Not Healthy or Injured – Euthanized
1 female – Didn’t Learn Lesson & Trapped Again
1 female – Didn’t Survive Procedure

Next month will be round #6!