Boulevard Burger & Brew

Retro RVA hits its full stride with Boulevard Burger & Brew. Red and white tile and roofing; round, chromed bar stools (don't forget to twirl!); and a huge neon sign make anyone of a certain age sigh nostalgically.

We arrived on a warmish Winter day late in the afternoon as it was opening (it's now open for lunch except on Sundays). Already the place was packed. The myriad bar stools were all taken, and we snagged the last high-topped table. Once we were seated, couples and families waited outside for a bit.

What makes this joint different from the drive-ins and burger places of yore (at least in the South) is the addition of alcohol. Beer and wine were available on tap and the cocktails offered the mundane to the neon Weird Science served in a chemistry beaker. The draft red wine was drinkable and very reasonable at happy hour.

The food offerings are basic: burgers, fries, onion rings, chicken sandwiches and fingers, a couple of salads for good measure. The meat from the burgers is sourced from Creekstone Farms, and it is Black Angus and non-GMO. BB&B offers a number of topping variations and, if you want to strike out on your own, they have "Just a Burger" and a list of additions to please any burger palate.

The Kelly's Classic was served with American cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onion. The inside bun edges were seared and met expectations. The burger was accompanied by a little cup of pickled veggies. A nice tangy touch.

Of course a side had to be ordered as well and I am a sucker for beer battered onion rings. And yes, they were good.

After a burger and onion rings it's usually time to stroll out of an establishment and digest the meal. But no. BB&B had adult milkshakes. So we made folks waiting for a table wait just a bit longer and indulged in a Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Milkshake. Salted caramel whiskey, creme de cacao, and soft serve in a salted rim with a caramel garnish. Whoa! So good and so very, very filling.Next time if we want a milkshake, we will go easy on the other food.

It's nice to have a burger joint on Boulevard. It makes for a bright, colorful spot in Scott's Addition that caters to a variety of folks. May the neon sign remain bright for many years.

Sometimes We All Need a Little Mothering from Dot's Back Inn

We had been cooped up and snowed in long enough. We trudged through the snow and unplowed city roads to arrive at Dot's Back Inn for some cheap booze and delicious burgers.

The Famous Amos was just what I needed. A bacon cheeseburger with a seared bun and an add-on of grilled onions. I kept the indulgence going with a side of onion rings. True comfort food after surviving a foot of snow.

Make Sure to Order the Crinkly Fries

Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint is a chain, but feels a bit like a hole-in-the-wall place. It's mainly bar and barstools with an emphasis on craft beer (they also have Bold Rock Cider, which I imbibed). The fact that it is "On the Avenues" is amusing, too.

The wagyu burgers are straightforward with none of that lettuce/tomato/onion stuff. Choose from a plain hamburger or cheeseburger or go for one of their own concoctions, such as The Elvis - a bacon, peanut butter, and banana offering. The burgers were tasty and the inside of the buns were griddled. If you don't want a burger, they offer a grilled cheese; otherwise, go someplace down the street.

Fries are the crinkly kind. I don't see the crinkle variety too often and they fit the bill as we watched the Redskins lose another game on the TV above the bar.

Laid back with lots of beer and decent burgers. Don't forget to order the crinkly fries.

Burger Time at The Betty on Davis

The Betty on Davis offers burger specials on a regular basis. They even have a contest for the special burger on Mondays right now.

I indulged in a Patty Melt with bacon, caramelized onions, and Swiss on grilled Texas toast.

A delicious combination for my tastes. Of course, the bacon is always a favorite, but the onions added that over the top touch.  And the size ensures that you will not leave hungry.

The burger came with a choice of side. I chose the fries. Next time I might try the warm German potato salad. The fries were tired and limp. I brought most of them home and reheated the next evening attempting a revival with minimum success.

So, enjoy the cozy atmosphere at The Betty while chowing down on their creative burgers. Consider ordering non-traditional side.

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.

There are several Schnipper's in New York. This one was located in The New York Times building

And check out the toasted bun

It was a fun trip to NYC.

The Original Burger at the Original Burger Bach

Ah, burgers at Burger Bach. Such deliciousness The Original features awesome New Zealand grass-fed beef (I suggest you order it pink) with uncured bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, NZ  cheddar, dill pickle, and "original" sauce. Yum! The Bach also features a whole host of draft beers and some decent wines from the lands down under.

The Original from Burger Bach

I can even watch Arsenal lose on the telly.

Lunch at The Continental Westhampton

I dare you to leave The Continental Westhampton still hungry. Portions are always generous.

The Continental Westhamption

A few Sundays ago we wanted a late lunch with a TV to see how badly the Washington Redskins would be playing on that day. The Continental Westhampton fit the bill. We were escorted to a booth in the back and hubby and I shared a bench to watch the game and become depressed.

I ordered the roasted turkey sandwich with house-made cranberry sauce and Swiss. Satisfying comfort food for me. I like that the offering does not come dressed with the typical lettuce, tomato, and mayo. For the side option I chose the house-made chips. Not bad, but I got tired of the hard crunch after a while.

Roasted Turkey Sandwich - Comfort Central

Hubby got his grub on and selected the Cuba Libra Burger - a burger with pork, ham, pickles, mustard, and Swiss. It was supposed to be pressed. Maybe it was, but the thing was so big it needed a second pressing. Tasty and filling. Hubby could not eat all of it.

Big-assed meaty burger

For this hearty meal we sipped a Matchbook Tinto Rey.

A little red wine to help with digestion

After our huge lunch, the waiter had the nerve to ask us about dessert. Sadly, dessert was not an option. Eventually, I will need to visit and just order the Baked Alaska. The last time I had this dessert was in a Home Ec class. Definitely a less-than-stellar experience way back then.

So, if you are up for a game, The Continental Westhamption's got you covered.

Condiments at Play

Bacon Cheeseburger at Camden's Dogtown Market

Feast your eyes on this baby of a burger from Camden's Dogtown Market. Beef, cooked medium - medium-rare; Swiss cheese; house-cured bacon; lovely bun.

Wine is our choice from what the market offers (add $10 corkage fee except on Tuesdays). The Nebbiolo D'Alba was a friendly pairing.

And don't forget the house-made pickles!

Yummy!

Newly Minted Brunch

I don't watch Top Chef or pay much attention to the latest reality chef/cooking shows. So I'm still not sure who Malcolm Mitchell really is, but we strolled by the newly reinvented Mint Gastropub on a Sunday afternoon and the place was still open for brunch. We were there, it was there; why not?

I did not anticipate anything spectacular and I already have it in for the word "gastropub." This word contains no charm or appeal for me. I hope the word dies a quick and unremarkable death.

Despite the word issue, I had a delicious meal. I started with the Porch Rocker, a bourbon concoction with Maker's Mark, agave nectar, lemon, and mint. The mint leaf in the ice cube was a cute detail.

To eat I ordered the Bison Breakfast Burger with Frites. The burger had caramelized onions, a fried egg, and smoked cheddar. The egg was slightly runny to drip down the sides of the bison. A bit messy, but the way it should be served. A mac-daddy burger that I thoroughly enjoyed. (Please notice that the bun was also grilled.)

Roasted garlic horseradish mayo was placed in a little container to be used for either the burger or the frites. I recommend using the strong garlic garnish on the frites.

So, I still really do not know who Malcolm is, but he can put together a kick-ass burger for brunch.

Bacon Cheeseburger at Saison

Bacon Cheeseburger a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

I've come across quite a few tasty burgers in this town. Saison is now tops on my list. Ground sirloin with fixins, including pickled onions (a big fave). I recommend adding smoked Cheddar and bacon for an unbelievable experience. The fries are pretty damned good too. To add even more joy, wine is half off on Wednesdays!

The Original Burger at Burger Bach

The Original Burger a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Burger Bach cooks up some of the best burgers in town. A very tasty treat! Fries are good too.

Camden Market

Yes, London does have a zoo, but the really wild times are just beyond the zoo at Camden. The trek along the canal is peaceful enough, but as one approaches the locks there is an explosion of people and goods and good things to eat. We were overwhelmed.

We happened upon the food vendors right at lunch time. I had to have the duck confit baguette. So delicious and only 5 pounds. Hubby went for the unusual. A vendor called Game On featured burgers from different sources such as crocodile, kangaroo, and springbok. The last offering was camel and that is what hubby tried (I had a bite, too). The taste was a cross between ground beef and ostrich and cost 6 pounds. Very interesting and not something I have seen around RVA, yet.

We then wandered around the shops full of vintage and non-so-vintage items. A great slice of market life. Lunch is definitely worth wading through the crowds.

Check out some snaps:

Barges along the canal

The not-so-vintage lane

Camden Locks

Folks in costume encourage tourists to visit particular market areas

Vintage cameras

The makings of a toasted cheese sandwich

Yummy duck confit!

Camel burger with sauteed onions and a toasted bun

Cookies to drool over

The Portman

The first night we arrived in London we ate at a pub called The Portman. Pubs can be hit or miss. The food can be dreadful and the atmosphere loud and claustrophobic.  This one was about a block and a half from our hotel (The Cumberland at Marble Arch). Because The Portman was away from the major arteries, I think we were the only tourists that evening. We also arrived fairly early (jet lag was settling in) and we were able to grab a seat before the locals came in to drown their sorrows after work.

The food was very tasty and the staff were very nice since we were not familiar with the routine of ordering at the bar. I would recommend it.

Entrance to The Portman

A right proper bar. Hubby enjoyed the G & T's.

Beer Battered Haddock with Chips and Proper Mushy Peas

The Portman Burger with Smoked Cheese

The Portman is located on Upper Berkeley Street in Marylebone. Upper Berkeley turned out to be a very good street, indeed. We returned twice more to dine at other restaurants along the block.

After our satisfying pub meal we returned to The Cumberland and slept for about 12 hours.

Muriel Thornburger

Muriel Thornburger a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Waiting for you at Dots Back Inn. Fried egg, grilled onions, American cheese, and bacon (on top of the beef!). Come hungry!

Retro Dining

As with every Giavos family venture, the Continental Westhampton contains everything to be a neighborhood crowd-pleaser: wonderful theme and decor, a menu offering a variety of options at decent prices, and generous portions to keep all satisfied. We finally tried this place with the great chrome and retro furnishings a couple of weeks ago. This time the wait was only about 10 minutes long (enough to order a Manhattan straight up from the shiny and packed bar).

There were so many choices on the menu that we asked our waitress to give us time to read, lick our lips, and change our minds a couple of times. Knowing that portions were probably on the generous side, we could not order everything.

We ended up having two of the messier sandwiches from the "Eat With Your Hands" section of the menu: The Cuba Libre Burger and the Classic Ham and Cheese with Fried Egg.

I thought the picks with the Continental banner added that just-right retro detail. We had our choices of sides. I went with house-made chips and hubby had fries. Both sandwiches required multiple napkins. My fried egg oozed yolk which was a bonus, but halfway through I gave up and grabbed my knife and fork. The burger had lots of flavor thanks to the addition of ham.

We were also pleased to see the Continental carry Kim Kim sauce, which means I could try it. And it was good.

There were lots of items that we still need to try such as the Kentucky Hot Brown, Lobster Hushpuppies, and Stuart's Baked Alaska... We'll have to return.

Muriel Thornburger

Muriel Thornburger a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Kick ass burger from Dot's Back Inn. I enjoyed this burger while watching The Preakness with a packed house. It was great cheering on I'll Have Another for the win (and then everyone telling their waitress the same after the race was over).

One Jam-Packed Saturday in RVA

A couple of Saturdays ago there was so much occurring right here in RVA. We partook of a few of the festivities.

To begin with we stopped by Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden early in the morning. We had already planned to stroll along the rosy paths before we realized what else was going on. Took a few shots of the lovelies.

We headed over to the French Food Festival hosted by The Little Sisters of the Poor. This is our third year attending. The food is getting better and more diverse. The Sisters put on a delicious show. We were pleased to see Lady N'awlins strutting her stuff (have to go eat there soon - it's on the list!).

We enjoyed the Bouchee a la Reine (chicken, veal, mushrooms, and peas in a white sauce over puff pastry), a Bordeaux, and some wonderful macarons from Petites Bouchees (the macarons with the geranium essence were pure heaven).

In the early afternoon I needed to enter a photo into the All Media Show at Art Works. As we approached Manchester via the Mayo Bridge, we ran smack into the Earth Day Festival. We quickly did a u-turn to park.

Fun times. (And my Nuttall's Market photo is on display at Art Works - go check it out!)

After the impromptu distraction, we high tailed it to the Byrd Theatre to see the matinee showing of John Carter. I know, it got all manner of bad reviews, but me and hubby had read the books and had to see it. What better way than for $2 and the biggest screen in Richmond? I'll admit that Disney took some liberties with the story line (at least this was a work of fiction to begin with and not the trashing of Pocahontas). Still, a rollicking western on Mars.

 For dinner we hit up Bonvenu again. We had such a comforting experience there we wanted to go back. We started with Fried Calamari (decent with a light batter), a cheeseburger (satisfying), and a roasted turkey and bacon sandwich with mashed potatoes (so good, I ordered it on this visit, too). Washed down with a tasty Italian red.

Busy jam-packed day. How did you get your RVA on?