Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A Hemingway
A Hemingway cocktail at Amuse. Vodka, citrus, and grapefruit foam. Refreshing and oh-so-drinkable. On this night the table service was delightful.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Drool-worthy Parsnip Bisque
A couple of weeks ago, I took the day off and hubby and I finished up our Christmas shopping. We stopped in Amuse for a well deserved respite and enjoyed parsnip bisque with serrano bits. The soup was extremely good (I'm still drooling). Please order it while it's still on the menu.
Unfortunately the service was less than stellar. I've eaten at Amuse several times both at table and at the bar. Table service has been good; bar service has knocked out socks off. I'm sure that this one time was an anomaly.
It's just a shame to ruin such outstanding food with less than adequate service.
Unfortunately the service was less than stellar. I've eaten at Amuse several times both at table and at the bar. Table service has been good; bar service has knocked out socks off. I'm sure that this one time was an anomaly.
It's just a shame to ruin such outstanding food with less than adequate service.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Traditions
Most of us have some kind of holiday tradition. For me it's a blend of childhood Christmas past and a married Christmas present which I hope lasts for many years into Christmas future.
Today we awoke at my parents' house a couple of hours south of Richmond on the edge of the North Carolina border. Kids, parents, grandparents, - wild excitement of ripping into packages and then consuming ham rolls, apple dump cobbler, and pounds of bacon. We eat lounging in the living room or standing in the kitchen. We attempt to avoid the remote control tiny cars or giggling electronic guinea pigs.
My hubby and I then pack up and head back to Richmond. It's a quiet drive listening to carols of the season and lost in thought gazing upon the stark winter country landscape.
Upon arrival home we kiss and snuggle with our kitties. Haul presents and gifts of food into the house and light the Christmas trees (yes, I have more than one). We snack on smoked eye of round, goat cheese, pepper jelly, and crackers. And then pop open a bottle of champagne. This year a Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top. We always crack open the real bubbly for Christmas mid-day. Lovely and yeasty. The right prelude for opening our gifts (this year included bottles of sambuca and anejo tequila!).
After presents, I make egg nog for after dinner. The nog is my own recipe. The only change this year is using vanilla infused Wild Turkey bourbon.
And this year, snow. An actual white Christmas. We walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the flakes as they begin to cover the ground and trees.
A wee nap before starting Christmas dinner. Dinner is always just the two of us and the menu changes each year (except for some type of mashed potatoes - these are a must-have). This year we enjoy salt and pepper encrusted filet mignons with a red wine shallot sauce as well as garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans with shallots. To drink... a 1994 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon.
I hope you are having a fabulous holiday season and enjoying old or new traditions.
Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Today we awoke at my parents' house a couple of hours south of Richmond on the edge of the North Carolina border. Kids, parents, grandparents, - wild excitement of ripping into packages and then consuming ham rolls, apple dump cobbler, and pounds of bacon. We eat lounging in the living room or standing in the kitchen. We attempt to avoid the remote control tiny cars or giggling electronic guinea pigs.
My hubby and I then pack up and head back to Richmond. It's a quiet drive listening to carols of the season and lost in thought gazing upon the stark winter country landscape.
Upon arrival home we kiss and snuggle with our kitties. Haul presents and gifts of food into the house and light the Christmas trees (yes, I have more than one). We snack on smoked eye of round, goat cheese, pepper jelly, and crackers. And then pop open a bottle of champagne. This year a Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top. We always crack open the real bubbly for Christmas mid-day. Lovely and yeasty. The right prelude for opening our gifts (this year included bottles of sambuca and anejo tequila!).
After presents, I make egg nog for after dinner. The nog is my own recipe. The only change this year is using vanilla infused Wild Turkey bourbon.
And this year, snow. An actual white Christmas. We walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the flakes as they begin to cover the ground and trees.
A wee nap before starting Christmas dinner. Dinner is always just the two of us and the menu changes each year (except for some type of mashed potatoes - these are a must-have). This year we enjoy salt and pepper encrusted filet mignons with a red wine shallot sauce as well as garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans with shallots. To drink... a 1994 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon.
I hope you are having a fabulous holiday season and enjoying old or new traditions.
Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Getting Our Winter Tasty On
While Thursday was a snow day, I still had to work. Luckily, I could work from my own abode, but after many intense hours, I needed a break. Night had fallen, the snow had stopped and the world glistened with the fluffy white stuff and a myriad of festive holiday lights. We bundled up in heavy duty Army/Navy coats, insulated hiking boots, and nanook of the north hats and trudged over to Tastebuds American Bistro.
Along the way we took in some decorations
espied others out for a stroll
and encountered this cute fellow
Once inside and shed of our heavy winter gear, we warmed up with an Italian Whiskey Sour and a Sazerac (both made with rye). And then selected a Duckhorn Decoy Red for dinner (so glad this is on the wine list - yummy!).
And on this night, we could not resist the specials. To start we shared Portuguese kale soup. Warm, smokey, hints of paprika.
And then we had red beans and rice with braised pork, andouille, and greens.
Delicious! and appropriate for a cold wintery evening. I am not a greens fan, but I was able to eat some of mine without gagging (this is, indeed, a huge compliment to the chef and kitchen, really). My hubby sang their praises and thoroughly enjoyed his veggies. Being a meat girl, I liked the pork. Nice, tender chunks that could be easily cut with a spoon. The andouille did not overpower the dish and let the brasied pork do most of the work making this dish delicious. And we had ample servings to take home for leftovers. A nice relaxing dinner to make us forget the worries of the world.
Tastebuds American Bistro will be hosting dinner on New Years Eve with a 6 PM seating and an 8:45 PM seating. The late seating may be full by now, but if you want an early dinner, call them at 804-261-6544. 4 courses for $50 per person plus tax. A couple of items that caught my eye: Duck Ragout en Croute with Blueberry Confit and and House Made Orange Sherbert with Chocolate Truffle and Aged Pedro Jimenez Sherry Sauce.
Along the way we took in some decorations
espied others out for a stroll
and encountered this cute fellow
Once inside and shed of our heavy winter gear, we warmed up with an Italian Whiskey Sour and a Sazerac (both made with rye). And then selected a Duckhorn Decoy Red for dinner (so glad this is on the wine list - yummy!).
And on this night, we could not resist the specials. To start we shared Portuguese kale soup. Warm, smokey, hints of paprika.
And then we had red beans and rice with braised pork, andouille, and greens.
Delicious! and appropriate for a cold wintery evening. I am not a greens fan, but I was able to eat some of mine without gagging (this is, indeed, a huge compliment to the chef and kitchen, really). My hubby sang their praises and thoroughly enjoyed his veggies. Being a meat girl, I liked the pork. Nice, tender chunks that could be easily cut with a spoon. The andouille did not overpower the dish and let the brasied pork do most of the work making this dish delicious. And we had ample servings to take home for leftovers. A nice relaxing dinner to make us forget the worries of the world.
Tastebuds American Bistro will be hosting dinner on New Years Eve with a 6 PM seating and an 8:45 PM seating. The late seating may be full by now, but if you want an early dinner, call them at 804-261-6544. 4 courses for $50 per person plus tax. A couple of items that caught my eye: Duck Ragout en Croute with Blueberry Confit and and House Made Orange Sherbert with Chocolate Truffle and Aged Pedro Jimenez Sherry Sauce.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
A Double Dose of Food Happiness
Last weekend we had opportunities to dine at both Wild Ginger and Osaka at River Road. Yummy, yummy!
We went to Wild Ginger after partaking in the wine tasting at Vino Market. Vino tasted out an unusual South African white that was awesome! The name began with a "C." It was so good they sold out and I had to order some. Unfortunately, the weather has deterred me from picking it up. If you ask for it, Hunter and Dave will know what you are looking for.
Anyhow, we stepped into Wild Ginger fairly early and the place was fairly empty and could easily accomodate a couple without reservations. Later on all of the tables were filled.
Always a plethora of delectable menu items and specials. This time we both decided to have steak for the main course, so we ordered a bottle of Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with the meal.While decent, not the best considering the price. We would have been better off choosing The Prisoner. Oh well, we wanted to try something we had not tasted before and sometimes disappointment ensues.
No matter, the food was fantastic. To start we shared the special lobster tempura roll with lettuce, avocado, and kani. Lovely.
For entrees hubby ordered the special teriyaki glazed NY Strip with asparagus and three oysters rockefeller.
And I had the filet mignon with fried wontons stuffed with wasabi mashed potatoes and served with a black pepper sauce.
My spouse's steak was HUGE and tasty (we had to take some of this beef home). And the glaze was very light, so the sweetness did not overpower the dish. The oysters were cheesy and satisfying. My filet was plain, but perfect and oh-so-tender. I liked the black pepper sauce that came on the side. I could use as little or as much as I wanted. Nice touch. The wontons were a cute side dish with hints of wasabi, but nothing that blasted out one's sinuses.
No dessert - we were stuffed and happy.
A couple of evenings later we popped into Osaka.
This time we ordered the Patricia Green Osaka Cuvee. Osaka managed to obtain its own blend from the famed pinot noir producer.
When we tasted it, the wine seemed a bit on the thin side and young (2009). Not what we were used to from other Patty Green offerings. We sipped and ordered the special appetizer to share: smoked duck spring rolls.
The spring rolls were amazing. The meat was slightly smoked. The wine paired very well with this dish.
For entrees, hubby selected the shrimp and vegetable tempura. Great shrimp, but he was dissappointed with the veggies. He was not expecting sweet potato or plantains and the broccoli and zucchini did not taste fresh.
I had the shrimp tempura roll. Always good. And the yellowtail and scallion roll.
This tuna roll with the soy sauce was the quintessential food pairing with the Osaka Cuvee. Absolutely incredible! I highly recommend this wine/sushi combination. It's difficult to pair reds with sushi and given our initally assessment of the Osaka Cuvee, we thought we were destined for disappointment. It was so nice to be overwhelmingly wowed.
We went to Wild Ginger after partaking in the wine tasting at Vino Market. Vino tasted out an unusual South African white that was awesome! The name began with a "C." It was so good they sold out and I had to order some. Unfortunately, the weather has deterred me from picking it up. If you ask for it, Hunter and Dave will know what you are looking for.
Anyhow, we stepped into Wild Ginger fairly early and the place was fairly empty and could easily accomodate a couple without reservations. Later on all of the tables were filled.
Always a plethora of delectable menu items and specials. This time we both decided to have steak for the main course, so we ordered a bottle of Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with the meal.While decent, not the best considering the price. We would have been better off choosing The Prisoner. Oh well, we wanted to try something we had not tasted before and sometimes disappointment ensues.
No matter, the food was fantastic. To start we shared the special lobster tempura roll with lettuce, avocado, and kani. Lovely.
For entrees hubby ordered the special teriyaki glazed NY Strip with asparagus and three oysters rockefeller.
And I had the filet mignon with fried wontons stuffed with wasabi mashed potatoes and served with a black pepper sauce.
My spouse's steak was HUGE and tasty (we had to take some of this beef home). And the glaze was very light, so the sweetness did not overpower the dish. The oysters were cheesy and satisfying. My filet was plain, but perfect and oh-so-tender. I liked the black pepper sauce that came on the side. I could use as little or as much as I wanted. Nice touch. The wontons were a cute side dish with hints of wasabi, but nothing that blasted out one's sinuses.
No dessert - we were stuffed and happy.
A couple of evenings later we popped into Osaka.
This time we ordered the Patricia Green Osaka Cuvee. Osaka managed to obtain its own blend from the famed pinot noir producer.
When we tasted it, the wine seemed a bit on the thin side and young (2009). Not what we were used to from other Patty Green offerings. We sipped and ordered the special appetizer to share: smoked duck spring rolls.
The spring rolls were amazing. The meat was slightly smoked. The wine paired very well with this dish.
For entrees, hubby selected the shrimp and vegetable tempura. Great shrimp, but he was dissappointed with the veggies. He was not expecting sweet potato or plantains and the broccoli and zucchini did not taste fresh.
I had the shrimp tempura roll. Always good. And the yellowtail and scallion roll.
This tuna roll with the soy sauce was the quintessential food pairing with the Osaka Cuvee. Absolutely incredible! I highly recommend this wine/sushi combination. It's difficult to pair reds with sushi and given our initally assessment of the Osaka Cuvee, we thought we were destined for disappointment. It was so nice to be overwhelmingly wowed.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Definitely Not BFF
Right before Thanksgiving we decided to dine at Amici's. The last time we were there was before the renovation. We sat on the patio with the outdoor heaters keeping us warm. It was an intimate, magical setting and we had some good food.
This time, not so much. The patio is now enclosed and is bright, crowded, and loud. We chose to stay anyway because we remembered the delicious fare. One waiter seated us and reviewed the specials. The waiters then switched up on us and our new one spouted the specials again (leaving one of them off of his list). No matter. We ordered an inexpensive Valpolicella and was served a bread basket with a garlic spread. The bread was fine. The garlic spread was more doughy than garlicky, really quite bland.
For entrees hubby ordered penne pasta with a piedmontese style meat sauce. Similar to bolognese. As soon as he had a bite he leaned over to me and said mine was better. While a decent dish, a bit pricey if I can make something better at home. I decided to have baked homemade cannelloni pasta filled with veal in a tomato cream sauce. Very creamy, very cheesy and absolutely no flavor at all. I ate half of it and did not ask for a to go box. Is cannelloni not supposed to have any taste??
Our waiter asked us if we wanted dessert twice and took a long time bringing us our bill.
After some really good recent experiences with the Richmond restaurant scene, Amici's only served up bitter disappointment. It was definitely not the old friend we remembered.
This time, not so much. The patio is now enclosed and is bright, crowded, and loud. We chose to stay anyway because we remembered the delicious fare. One waiter seated us and reviewed the specials. The waiters then switched up on us and our new one spouted the specials again (leaving one of them off of his list). No matter. We ordered an inexpensive Valpolicella and was served a bread basket with a garlic spread. The bread was fine. The garlic spread was more doughy than garlicky, really quite bland.
For entrees hubby ordered penne pasta with a piedmontese style meat sauce. Similar to bolognese. As soon as he had a bite he leaned over to me and said mine was better. While a decent dish, a bit pricey if I can make something better at home. I decided to have baked homemade cannelloni pasta filled with veal in a tomato cream sauce. Very creamy, very cheesy and absolutely no flavor at all. I ate half of it and did not ask for a to go box. Is cannelloni not supposed to have any taste??
Our waiter asked us if we wanted dessert twice and took a long time bringing us our bill.
After some really good recent experiences with the Richmond restaurant scene, Amici's only served up bitter disappointment. It was definitely not the old friend we remembered.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Happy Happy Sparkling Sparkling
Tastebuds American Bistro hosted a divine sparkling wine dinner last night. We were fortunate enough to have attended the sold out affair. As usual Tastebuds served up thoughtful imaginative pairings.
Probably the best food/wine pairing of the evening. The riesling stood up to all of the flavors of the dish, especially the spicy micro greens. And when sipping with the flan it enhanced the cheddarness of the flan.
Hubby could not stop raving about the pork belly and I liked the gnocchi with the syrupy Calvados drizzle. The prosecco was our least favorite of the sparling choices.
The French sparkling was very herbaceous with a hint of anise. An unusual taste, but a great choice for this course. The lavender butter that bledned into the dish was pure genius. And I truly enjoyed the grouper. Good restaurants will eventually turn me into a fish eater.
I signed up for this wine dinner because of the duck course. The breast was sliced and medium to medium rare. Yummy! But the leg confit bread pudding was to die for. So rich and flavorful. I hope they offer this on the regular menu. And, yes, we had an Italian red sparkler to imbibe. It worked well with the dish and curried sauce.
I am not a brie fan and am still not a brie fan, but I enjoyed the polenta cookie and cherry sauce. I thought the cava was not as sweet as it should have been for this dish.
What an incredible evening. It was great to have such a warm, glowing feeling on a particularly chilly evening.
Tastebuds ususally hosts wine dinners about once a month. They are $50 per person and are always good.
Course 1
Sweet Corn and Aged Cheddar Flan with Smithfield Ham, Micro Salad, and Blackberry Vinaigrette
Fitzritter Sparkling Riesling, Germany
Probably the best food/wine pairing of the evening. The riesling stood up to all of the flavors of the dish, especially the spicy micro greens. And when sipping with the flan it enhanced the cheddarness of the flan.
Course 2
Autumn Squash Gnocchi with Calvados Gastrique, Crispy Pork Belly, and Local Fuji Apple
Santa Margherita Prosecco, Italy
Hubby could not stop raving about the pork belly and I liked the gnocchi with the syrupy Calvados drizzle. The prosecco was our least favorite of the sparling choices.
Course 3
Pan Roasted Black Grouper with Brunoise of Root Vegetable, Lemon-Fennel Essence, and Lavender Butter.
Baumard Cremat de Loire, France
The French sparkling was very herbaceous with a hint of anise. An unusual taste, but a great choice for this course. The lavender butter that bledned into the dish was pure genius. And I truly enjoyed the grouper. Good restaurants will eventually turn me into a fish eater.
Course 4
Duo of Duck - Sliced Breast with Leg Confit Bread Pudding and Curried Pumpkin Sauce
Barbolini Grasparosa Lambrusco, Italy
I signed up for this wine dinner because of the duck course. The breast was sliced and medium to medium rare. Yummy! But the leg confit bread pudding was to die for. So rich and flavorful. I hope they offer this on the regular menu. And, yes, we had an Italian red sparkler to imbibe. It worked well with the dish and curried sauce.
Course 5
Creamy Brie, Bartlet Pear Marmalade, Polenta Cookie, and Sour Cherry Coulis
Cresta Azul Semi-Sparkling Cava, Spain
I am not a brie fan and am still not a brie fan, but I enjoyed the polenta cookie and cherry sauce. I thought the cava was not as sweet as it should have been for this dish.
What an incredible evening. It was great to have such a warm, glowing feeling on a particularly chilly evening.
Tastebuds ususally hosts wine dinners about once a month. They are $50 per person and are always good.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Last Day of SOJ
Farewell South of the James Market until next year. I want to thank all of the participating vendors. Both hubby and I looked forward to going to the market every week. You guys work hard and produce lovely fresh produce as well as other delights. I was not able to take any photos today, but here are a few from before Thanksgiving.
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