Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Brunch at Secco

Start with a glass of Pederzano Lambrusco Secco, a dry sparkling red wine from Italy. Enjoy this festive bubbly while waiting for your brunch order.

Rave over the Biscuit Sandwich - a substantial biscuit with grilled pork belly and scrambled egg (make mine without the cheddar cheese).

Pork Belly and Egg Biscuit with Crispy Potatoes

A wonderful brunch option. Not enormous, but so satisfying. The biscuit held up to the meat and egg and did not crumble apart. I loved the pork belly. Fairly lean and very tasty.

Rave even more about the crispy potatoes. I really like potatoes and have had lots of good ones in RVA. These were outstanding. Truly crispy on the outside; soft and potato-ey on the inside. Served with a mustard/mayo sauce that sealed the deal on the spuds. If your brunch choice does not include these potatoes, order them as a side.

Choose an Armandiere Malbec from Cahors to imbibe with the biscuit.

Thank you Secco for a lovely and delicious brunch outing.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

A Trip to Country Style Donuts

I highly recommend the filled varieties from Country Style Donuts. The Glazed Custard and Glazed Lemon were my particular favorites amongst the 38 offerings.

Country Style Donuts
Open 24 Hours (Except Mondays)
Donut Varieties
A Variety of Options
A Dozen Donuts from Country Style
One dozen donuts filled with deliciousness
Happy Holidays from Country Style Donuts
Happy Holidays from Country Style Donuts

Since I don't get out this way much, these were a real treat!

Friday, December 26, 2014

Eat 33

A diner with stick-to-your-ribs offerings.

Chopped Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Corn

The Chopped Steak with grilled onions, gravy, mashed potatoes, and corn delighted on a cold day. Most folks walking in were regulars to Eat 33 and it's not hard to see why.  Open for breakfast and lunch 7 days a week.

Friday, December 19, 2014

A Mighty Fine Evening at Brux'l Cafe

Last week we headed over to Brux'l Cafe for an early dinner. We discovered all of the tables were reserved (a good sign for the place), but found a couple of spots at the cozy bar. The entire staff seemed giddy with the spirit of Christmas and this rubbed off on the two of us during the evening.

Brux'l Cafe
Brux'l Cafe in the Fan - all decked out for the holidays
The joy of going early on a weeknight is that Brux'l has a decent happy hour with specials on wine, beer, and martinis. Sweet Bubbles (sparkling and violet syrup) came my way and hubby had the Famous Dirty martini. As we sipped our bartender, Jared, took us through the highlights of the menu.

Jared was a most excellent host and as the bar filled up, he continued to give personalized service to all. He helped to make our evening very special. What really made a difference was when we were choosing a wine for dinner. Brux'l Cafe carries a very limited but drinkable selection. All wines are available by the glass and bottles range in price from $32-40. We were torn between a Bordeaux and something from the South of France. Jared thought we might also enjoy the Spanish red. To help us with our selection he poured us a taste of all three. The Spanish option won out - an Arrocal Tempranillo.

Arrocal Ribera del Duero
Jared helped steer us in the right direction for wine
Jared also helped other bar patrons figure out which draft beer would be best for their evenings. Being able to taste and then choose - fantastic!

The rest of our experience was delightful. To begin I took advantage of the evening special and had fried frog legs. The legs came straight from the fryer with a crisp coating and with the legs being meaty - a real treat. As I ate with my fingers, Chef Meers came out of the kitchen to ask how they were. Yummy!

Frog Legs
The frog legs were very tasty
Hubby ordered the Croquette de Fromage - a fried ball of cheese and potato. For me, very rich. For him, swoon-worthy. He raved about this and really liked the bit of salad on the side.

Cheese Croquette
While the croquette may look small it packs a rich flavor punch

For an entree hubby ordered the Moules a la Provencale. Dozens of mussels swimming in white wine, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and cream. Served with a side of frites. Jared gave us more bread to take advantage of the sauce. Very satisfying.

I indulged in the L'Entrecote with Bearnaise sauce. A big ribeye topped with butter, parsley, and shallots and served with a side salad with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. A huge portion and very tender with all the flavor one could hope for. I appreciated the fact that the sauce was served separately so I could enjoy my steak both with and without the Bearnaise.

L'Entrecote with Bearnaise
Very traditional meal, superbly prepared
As we enjoyed our meal Chef Meers would pop out of the kitchen occasionally to check on diners. He seemed so happy and his vibe was infectious. At the end of our meal I got up to retrieve out coats and he even helped me find our jackets. A delicious and magical evening. I can't wait to go back and try the truffle burger.



Sunday, December 14, 2014

Dressed and Pressed Biscuit at South of the James

The South of the James Market may have gone into winter mode, but a fair number of vendors are carrying the torch. The Dressed and Pressed food truck offers biscuits.

Sausage and Egg Biscuit

We tried the sausage and egg version. The biscuit was a little crumbly, but good. I was surprised to see link sausage which was tasty. The best part was the very flavorful egg. A generous size for $4. I also treated myself to an Alchemy mocha. Yummy!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Tacos at En Su Boca

The first time I went to En Su Boca for lunch the place was a madhouse and nothing except the cocktails were up to snuff. After many, many months, I went back for lunch. The place was still busy and understaffed, so service was slow. But the tacos had more flavor and the portions seemed much more generous. I definitely enjoyed the Carnitas and the Carne Asada on this return trip.

En Su Boca Tacos

Since the tacos were only $3 a piece, lunch was inexpensive and filling.

Sunday, December 07, 2014

Slap Yo Mama Silly Chicken Biscuit at Saison Market

Saison Market serves up the definitive breakfast (and now also for lunch) biscuit.

Saison Market Chicken Biscuit

Slap yo mama silly good!

Lucy's Brunch

Lucy's is a cute little spot in Jackson Ward. We had brunch there about a month ago and enjoyed Mimosas

Mimosa

and the Two Street Club.

Two Street Club

The club sandwich came with housemade mesa chips and pickles. Very satisfying. And I loved the bright and colorful bouquet gracing the table.

Saturday, December 06, 2014

Vermilion in NYC

Vermilion brings together Latin and Indian flavors and has garnered high acclaim from all over the globe. The decor was sleek, airy, and contemporary with touches of red.

Vermilion


A Bogle Petite Sirah was greatly enjoyed.

Bogle Petite Sirah

And paired well with the Tandoori Skirt Steak - seared churrasco, Indian marinade, plantain chips, chorizo Swiss chard, and jicama citrus roll.

Tandoori Skirt Steak

Prices for NYC were fairly reasonable and the meal was delicious.

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Schnipper's Quality Kitchen

Had a fun time munching down on a Schnipper's Classic Burger with bacon, cheese, caramelized onions, and arugula. A bit messy, but yummy.

Schnipper's Quality Kitchen
There are several Schnipper's in New York. This one was located in The New York Times building
Schnipper's Bacon Cheeseburger
And check out the toasted bun

It was a fun trip to NYC.