Unintended Dining

It's been hot y'all! Way too hot for me. Yet, the heat has not stopped me from going out to eat. During the last couple of steamy weeks we've intended to eat at one place and ended up somewhere else.

First up we tried to get into Blue Goat. It was a week night, no reservations. What were we thinking? At least a 30 minute wait and the bar was packed. Not the goat's fault. We ambled up Grove in the stagnating heat. Coast was closed. Another half a block to Cafe Caturra. We entered to a wall of LOUD. Mostly women, very crowded. I immediately registered hens cackling. Hubby and I looked at each other and flew the coop! We finally decided to go outside of our usual beaten path and try the beaten path of some other Richmonders at Pegasus on Patterson in the Post Office Square.

We had made note of Pegasus some time back and then promptly forgot about it. The menu posted on the door looked decent and featured Greek dishes and seafood offerings. As we entered, an old school charm greeted us. The decor reminded me of upscale dining decor in the 1970's. Heavy wood, cozy booths. Most of the diners were older and regulars. And despite being tucked away with a nondescript storefront, the place was busy for a week night.

Our waiter greeted us warmly as we settled in to look at the menu and peeked with a bit of trepidation at the wine list. To our delight, the wine list, though small, offered a number of decent choices. No bottle was over $40 and all were available by the glass as well. There are a number of traditional Greek/Italian restaurants in the area. The food begs for wine, but the wine lists are atrocious. Pegasus impressed us and we ordered a bottle of Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma.

As for food, all entrees were served with piping hot rolls and a house salad. We ordered the house dresisng (Greek-style) and were treated to a bit of creamy feta with the dish.

I was tempted by some of the seafood options on the menu, but in the end ordered the Grecian Ziti with caramelized onions, tomatoes, feta, and romano. The onions added a tiny bit of sweetness to the dish. The tomatoes were diced and fresh and did not overwhelm the dish. The feta was of the creamy variety and not too sharp. A delight for the tastebuds and enough to enjoy for lunch the next day.

Hubby ordered the flounder special with mashed potatoes. The good-sized portion of fish was sauteed in wine, garlic, and shallots. He was well-pleased with his selection.

As we were paying the bill our waiter gave us a take out menu. Apparently, regulars also like Pegasus meals to go. An unexpectedly delightful evening. I want to go back to try the seafood.

The next incident was when the heat index read 115 degrees. I had worked from home that day. I was tired of being cooped up in the house. We decided to go to the movies and wanted a nice dinner first. It had been a while since we had eaten at Water Grill. We arrived around 5 PM so we could have plenty of time to eat before the movie. The sign outside invited us to "Beat the Heat." There were patrons at the bar, but nowhere else. The hostess seated us upstairs. As soon as I sat down I could tell that the AC was not working well. We got water and started to look at the menu. I was still not cooling down and knew there would be trouble if I tried to brave the heat. We went downstairs and the air was much cooler. We told the waitress at the bottom of the stairs our situation. She immediately remarked snidely, to the point of rudeness, that we would have to wait for the hostess to check on table reservations. No apologies for our situation; maybe she had been working upstairs earlier and had gotten steamed. And there were still no diners in the cool part of the restaurant and it was a bit after 5 PM. The hostess proceeded to seat us in the enclosed porch. We sat down. This was not a decently cool part of the restaurant, either. With so many options available in Carytown, we beat the heat and left walking across the street to Xtra's Cafe. As soon as we entered, the AC greeted us and continued to greet us as we climbed the stairs. It was a bit strange since we had just dined at Xtra's the previous week, but it was welcome relief.

We celebrated by ordering Blood Orange Margaritas. Mmmm.

We ordered Boom Boom Syrah, a lovely fruit bomb from Washington State.

We tried the Mahi Mahi Spring Rolls (a bit fishy for me).

I had the French Dip again (the ciabatta was not as toasted this time) and hubby selected the Shrimp Linguini which was delightful and refreshing.

We ended up having a lovely time.

For dessert I feasted on eye candy: Chris Hemsworth in Thor at the Byrd (thank goodness the AC at the Byrd was working!).

I hope the rest of you out there are staying cool.