shout out loud at bonvenu

On Thursday we tried going to the Virginia Museum in the evening to listen to jazz and grab a bite at Best Cafe. Crowded. No seats unoccupied. We were hungry, so forget that. We walked over to Stuzzi's. Folks entering and immediately turning around because of the wait. Secco? Not a chance. Wall to wall people. Was it still Thursday? or had we blown over into Friday?

Wait bonvenu had a table or two. We were seated at the two top in the middle and front of the house. And it was LOUD! A couple of 6-8 person parties. High pitched laughter. I had a hard time hearing the waitress and my hubby.

But since we were hungry and running out of choices, we stayed.

bonvenu had a wine special ($27 for Brouilly) and we ordered it.

Decent light red, but it had been stored some place warmer than the restaurant. And while it had not affected this bottle, I would be wary of the wine list and take extra care in tasting when going back in the future.

We ordered Vegetarian Lasagna w/ layers of pasta, fresh vegetables, ricotta, mozzarella, marinara & fresh grated parmesan $17

and Grilled Pork Chops stuffed w/ clove apples & topped w/ sage butter, served w/ thyme roasted red potatoes & haricot-verts $21

Both entrees were very nice. The lasagna contained eggplant, peppers, and onions with a strong fresh tomato sauce. My hubby was a fan. The pork chops were boneless, meaty, grilled (nice charred grill lines) and big (I took one home). The apples had the right amount of spice and were not too sweet. The green beans were very garlicky and the potatoes were perfectly roasted.

Our wonderful nose be-ringed and tattooed waitress took great care of us despite the busy-ness and noisy chaos. She checked on us a couple of times and kept our wine glasses filled. Great service! And helped us to wind down a bit despite the noise.

Great service and good food made our experience enjoyable. But I hope next time we encounter some quieter diners or have the good fortune to be seated in an out-of-the-way corner.