Notes and Observations

A few rants; a few raves.

I received an email from Acacia Midtown advertising a to-go lunch special. I usually do not open these since I am not available to take advantage of the offering, but last time I read about the crab cake and this month my mouth watered over the Banh Mi with duck sausage. In both emails (and past instances going back a few years) Acacia has stated this as the routine for ordering:

YOU KNOW HOW THIS WORKS..........

EMAIL US SOON, THEY SELL OUT FAST

YOUR NAME:

PHONE NUMBER:

NUMBER OF ORDERS:

CREDIT CARD NUMBER:

EXPIRATION DATE:

And apparently they sell out every time. Hello? Listen up people: NEVER SEND YOUR CREDIT CARD INFO VIA EMAIL!!!! You are opening yourselves up for identity theft. This is not a secure communication method. I emailed Acacia last time and expressed concern. No response. I emailed them again this time. No response. While I would trust Acacia with the preparation of food. I cannot trust them with how they would handle my credit card. Shame on Acacia for placing their loyal patrons at risk.

Let's face it. Fat Dragon is basically a bar with okay food. I appreciate the fact they have 24 taps and feature local brews. Their cocktails are strong and tasty. They even have impressive wine service. But the food did not wow us like their sister restaurants. Nothing wrong with being more bar than restaurant. And I love taking photos of the place.

While I have yet to find a bread that I like at Sub Rosa Bakery, they have THE BEST croissants. Both the plain and chocolate are to die for and transport me back to Paris when I eat them.

I am so pleased that Little House Green Grocery now carries shallots, onions, potatoes, and garlic! They also have fresh butter from Mountain View Farm in Fairfield, VA and KimKim sauce. Every week brings new delights.

The waiter that made us avoid Amuse for so long is not working there anymore (I have no idea where he went or when he left). Hubby and I rejoiced by having a luxuriously leisurely lunch there a couple of weeks ago.

View from our table

Kaleidoscope Sparkling Cocktail

Fried Oysters

Hangar Steak with Turnip Puree and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

While it looks like bonvenu has finally married up the menu prices on-line, on the printed menu, and in their charging system, in mid-January they had not. Based on our waitresses response when we questioned the bill, it seemed like a known problem. While our food and service was good, unaligned prices do not thrill me.

The Rocket Shrimp at Mekong continues to be a favorite and while Beer is the Answer, they also have a fine list of wines at truly incredible prices.

Rocket Shrimp

Beer may be the answer but Sass is in the glass

Shout outs to both Tastebuds American Bistro and Enoteca Sogno. Northside is so very lucky to have you both. We took out-of-town guests to Tastebuds and they were mightily impressed. We met three friends for dinner at Enoteca - all with different tastes, personalities, and allergies. Enoteca accommodated everyone with grace and deliciousness.

Last weekend we tried The Grey Hill Cafe, a food truck crafting sandwiches located in the Once Upon a Vine parking lot. Hubby enjoyed one of the largest crabcake sandwiches I've ever seen. I had turkey and meunster with arugula on marble rye. Very satisfying.

Finally, Northside (and for me specifically Ginter Park and Bellevue areas) needs, no, is desperate for, a GOOD local pizza delivery company. Zorba's on MacArthur was sold to someone else and the pizzas have not been the same. While the former Zorba's was not spectacular, we had figured out what to order and was happy (we also loved Mike, the delivery driver). Now, not so much. Mike left and we have tried Zorba's Express a couple of times and just can't order from them in their current state. We have not been impressed with Arianna's either. While we enjoy the chicken parm subs on occasion, we were disappointed in the pizza.  Please, any of you budding pizza makers or any old pros, please, please, consider a pizza delivery service for Northside!

Mini Wine Dinner at Acacia Mid-Town

A few Sundays ago we attended a "mod" wine dinner at Acacia. Mango Salon presented various hairstyles and then a three course dinner was served. We liked the menu offerings and decided to go. The "mod" hairstyles were fine, but we always come for the food (and wine).

We began with a white wine sangria sporting muddled strawberries and pre-dinner amuse bouches: fried oysters (hubby's favorite), country pate and house-made pickles (yum for me), truffled deviled eggs (not bad), cheese with citrus marmalade (good).

For the first course I ordered the Potato Crusted Shrimp on Ragout of Spring Peas, Sunchokes, Caramelized Red Onions, Sunflower Shoots, and Surry Sausage Butter paired with 2010 Brandbrg Pinot Gris, Umpqua Valley, Oregon. I really enjoyed the shrimp and the Oregon Pinot Gris. Nice pairing and the food-to-wine ratio was appropriate.

Hubby had the Tarragon and Campari Poached Peach Salad with Fresh Goat Cheese and Lettuces with Blood Orange Vinaigrette paired with 2010 Seven of Hearts Viognier/Roussanne, Columbia Valley, Oregon. The peaches did not really taste poached. While they were good, they just tasted like peaches. The rest of the salad was fine. While the white blend was drinkable, both of us preferred the Pinot Gris.

For the second or main course we both selected Pan Roasted Bistro Beef Fillet, Potato Gnocchi Gratin, Broccolini with Confit Shallots and Garlic and paired with 2009 Wildaire Tempranillo, Folin Vineyard, Rogue Valley, Oregon. The beef was tasty. Hubby loved the gnocchi. It was way too rich for me. The wine was disappointing in several ways. We did not think it paired well with the beef. We've had other varietals and blends from the Rogue Valley and were pleased. This Tempranillo was a bit too smokey for the simply prepared meat. Another problem was the food-to-wine ratio. We did not have enough wine to enjoy with this heavy rich course. We had to be parsimonious with our sips to make the wine last. We had noticed several other tables ordering additional bottles of wine. Is this how Acacia makes a profit on their wine dinners? If so, what's the point in a wine dinner? Serve a three course meal and let me make my own wine selections.

For the dessert course we had Strawberry Angel Cake and Marscapone Ice Cream paired with 2008 Terra Blance Late Harvest Chenin Blanc, Yakima Valley, Washington. The strawberries and the dessert wine paired beautifully. Such a delight to the palate. The ice cream was also yummy. Unfortunately, the angel cake was extremely dry and not enjoyable at all.

As much as we love going to Acacia for regular meals, the wine dinner did not live up to the restaurant's otherwise stellar reputation.

Return to Acacia

Acacia. We had neglected you. Thank you for the warm bar welcome on a Tuesday before restaurant week. We missed the precision crafted cocktails. We were pleased to order a couple before dinner.

Ginger Smash - Buffalo Trace Whiskey, Clement Creole Shrubb, Mint, Orange, Ginger Ice Cubes

Sharp as a Barb - Catoctin Creek Mosby's Spirit White Whisky, Wild Turkey 101, Aperol, Lemon Balm, Housemade Rhubarb Soda

 We like to sit at the bar just to watch the cocktails being concocted with great care. One of my favorite details is the mint pop. The bartender places the mint sprig in her palm and then claps her hands. This brings out the mint essence that you can smell as you lift the glass to take a sip. Brilliant.

And wine on Tuesday nights is half off. Yes!

Hearty Red

 The appetizers offer interesting choices (pork belly with kimchee) as well as consistently traditional options (fried oysters - my hubby's favorite).

Crispy Pork Belly with Kimchee, Fennel, Radish, Apple, Green Onions

Fried Oysters, Southern Coleslaw, Spicy Mayo

 Entrees consisted of flounder and bacon-wrapped duck (how could I resist?). The duck dish was so good that I even raved about the broccolini.

Sauteed Flounder, Basil Cauliflower Puree, Roasted Colorful Cauliflower and Baby Carrots, Sweet and Sour Mango Sauce

Pan Roasted Bacon Wrapped Duck Breast Stuffed with Apples, Smoked Gouda Polenta, Garlic Braised Broccolini, Lingonberry Sauce

 We ended with Sambuca coffee.

Yummy!

Good times.

Caught in the Rain

DSC_0019 a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

I had the most wonderful cocktail at Acacia last week entitled Caught in the Rain. The ingredients consisted of Gran Centenario Azul Reposado Tequila, Del Maguey Crema Mezcal, and Aperol.

The taste? Imagine you are walking in a misty rain. It's about 65 degrees and a house has a smokey wood-fired chimney near by.

Wow!!

Thank you Michelle and staff at the Acacia Bar for your artistry!

Something New

At least for me. A couple of weeks ago we went to Acacia and ate at the bar (our favorite spot is the bar). While hubby indulged in a couple of craft cocktails, I was on the wagon this evening. (Sigh...)

Anyway, as I perused the menu, I decided to try something new. Keep in mind, I am not a fish fan and this was an incredibly bold step for me. I ordered the marinated white anchovies with wilted radicchio and romaine. What I had envisioned was a salad. What I received was art.

But a bit overwhelming with the multitude of little fishes. The bitterness of the radicchio with the vinaigrette and the anchovies paired very well together. Afterwards, however, I could really taste the fish. Anyone who likes fish would have drooled over this dish. And I ate every bit of it. But my flirtation with anchovies is over.

For the next course, I stuck to the small plate listing and ordered something that I knew would make me happy: Duck confit with roasted potatoes and butternut squash topped with an egg.

Oh so, so good. While I don't make this at home, I still consider it comfort food.

On this night we splurged on dessert: salted chocolate torte with chocolate ganache, carmelized banana, and brown butter ice cream.

Dreamy and delicious. The tiny addition of the salt made the sweet concoction even better. Hubby enjoyed it with a glass of tawny port.

Where Do You Suppose My Hubby Wanted To Go For His Birthday?

Acacia, of course. And we had to sit at the bar (not because the dining room was crowded, but because it's our favorite place to sit at Acacia). And, lucky us, our favorite bartender was there, even though he was supposed to be off.

We had to try a new craft cocktail. For hubby, a Mai Tai with three different types of rum!

For me, bourbon with plum puree and Strega.

I never tire of watching the bartenders here ply their craft. They are very knowledgeable and strive for perfection. This is an art form that stirs all of the senses. Alas, I wax poetic...

For wine, we ordered a bottle of 2008 Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz from Barossa Valley. Full bodied, with a touch of spice.

We shared the smoked mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad. We have had this salad before. It's good. Get it while they are still offering it.

For entrees, I had the duck breast stuffed with apple and wrapped in applewood smoked bacon and served with cheesy polenta. All good. Every time I order this dish, I rave.

Hubby ordered the sauteed flounder and he raved about it. For me, I've said it before: I am not a huge fish fan. And I never eat flounder. My better half (at least on this night!) insisted that I try it. Oh ny god!!!!! Superb! If I had known, I would have ordered the flounder. Perfectly sauteed with just a bit of crisp browning and no chewy fishiness at all. I was mightily impressed.

Since it was hubby's birthday, we had dessert. He had a grown up root beer float.

I had the almond financier with cream and cherry compote.

Yummy, yummy.

For the past few years whether it was my husband's birthday or mine or our anniversary, we have not had good luck going out to eat. We hit the jackpot this time and it was at the bar!

Food, Art, and Market

My folks came to visit this past weekend. A fairly big deal since they hardly ever come. And we showed them parts of Richmond that they had never experienced before. Somewhat of a risk, but I think they enjoyed it.

We enjoyed Torraine Sauvignon Blanc, Whiskey Smash, and Sunday Paper at Acacia. The tiny bar alcove was free for relaxing and catching up on news of all of my relatives.

We then traveled to ArtWorks for the All Media Show reception. I have a couple of photos on display. It had been quite some time since they had been on that end of Hull St.

We had dinner at Avenue 805. Veal Picccata; Veal Saltimbacco; Ribeye Steak; and Crab, Scallop, and Shrimp Cake with a 2003 Lan Rioja Riserva.

Wonderful veal served with housemade pasta and marinara. My mom raved about the seafood cake. Very good. The ribeye looked overcooked to me and not as appealing as the other dishes. The restaurant was very hot. But prices were reasonable and the wine, divine.

The next morning we visited the South of the James Market. Wonderful as always (but extremely hot!).

Then on to the Virginia Museum to look at stuff - both old and new. We met my sister for lunch at Amuse. The L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah was very tasty as well as the polenta fries, hangar steak, tuna tartar and avocado, and crab cake. And the service seemed to have gone up a notch.

We then went to the special Tiffany exhibit. My favorite part was discovering how the studio made the stained glass pieces so three dimensional though layering and folding glass.

My other favorite part was looking at the favorite art work that my nephews and niece picked out. All different. All intriguing. All contemporary.

It was a good visit.