Pleasant Weeknight Pairing

This week past week after a hectic day at work we decided to visit Cafe Rustica. It had been forever since we last ate here. Both of us were extremely pleased to find Schweineschnitzel still on the menu accompanied by red cabbage and pan-fried spaetzle. Yummy! I so enjoy schnitzel and the spaetzle is fantastic. I love the flavor the pan frying gives this little German dumpling. And the the pork was large enough to take half of it home and scarf up as leftovers the next evening.

Then, we came to dessert - Grilled pound cake with lemon curd. Simple, yet so satisfying. The grilling of the cake caramelizes the sugar in the pound cake. Delicious!

Thank you Cafe Rustica for a delightful evening!

 

Another Fine Dinner at Cafe Rustica

Once again we found ourselves eating at the bar at Cafe Rustica. We had a lovely wine. 2005 Chateau du Bousquet from Cotes du Bourg in Bordeaux.

For dinner I had Schweinschnitzel with red cabbage and spaetzle. Yummy! The portion was large and satisfying. The breading, perfect. Loved the capers. The spaetzle was pan-fried. This bit of browning added subtle flavor and enhanced the enjoyment of the side dish.

My hubby ordered the Oyster Stew and Swedish Meatballs. The stew was creamy and intensely rich. Not a dish for everyday consumption.

The meatballs were over-the-top good. The best of the dishes we had and maybe the best dish on the current menu.

Our charming waitress (with the slightly squeaky voice) recognized us from the last time we visited and treated us well. Once again, a good evening at Cafe Rustica.

VMFA, Amuse, ArtWorks, and Cafe Rustica

Last Friday was busy. We visited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to wander and have cocktails at Amuse.

Friday around 5 PM turned out to be an excellent time to check out the sculpture garden.

Folks had not quite arrived for the evening, so we thrilled to the fact that the wide white airy expanse was bare.

Two barstools awaited our arrival at Amuse. Tommy fixed a Blackhound for me (vodka, muddled blackberries, elderberry and thyme syrup, and grapfruit juice).

For hubby - a Richmond Summer (rum, vanilla bean syrup, mint, orange, and club soda).

With drinks tossed off, we headed for the 20th century section and enjoyed some of the more colorful details of the collection.

And then, off to ArtWorks for the August All Media show benefitting the Richmond SPCA (a photo of my darling kitty had also made the art show cut and is proudly displayed along with the other wonderful pet-related art). While at the show we hopped next door to Russell Projects. I was most impressed with the paintings of Susan Jamison - bright, eclectic, thoughtful, provocative.

We then headed back across the James to eat at Cafe Rustica. A 2007 Perrin and Fils Gigondas called to us and we answered "Here!" Bright cherry at first taste. As the bottle received air, it became more hearty with a deeper fruitiness.

The Tuscan bean soup was delicious.

The German pot roast with roasted bacon potatoes turned out to be most excellent comfort food as well as the Jaegerschnitzel with red cabbage.

We believe that Cafe Rustica is the only place in Richmond serving German cuisine. We are glad of it.

Cafe Rustica

We went back to Cafe Rustica a couple of weeks ago. It had been quite a while. Mainly because we were afraid it would be packed. But on this evening we had dinner early. And even though we had the chance to sit at a booth, we still opted for the bar.

We started with a lovely Cab Franc from Chinon.

From past visits I remembered some killer desserts. So, in hopes of a still-delicious dessert menu, I had a pork tostada appetizer.

The pork had been cooked to pull-apart tenderness. Fresh salsa-style veggies topped the pork along with  Mexican crema. Great flavor. And very filling.

Hubby ordered the seafood cakes with crab, shrimp, and scallop and served with roasted potatoes. He thought the sauce overpowered the seafood, but the cakes themselves were tasty.

Dessert, for me, did not disappoint - grilled pound cake with lemon curd, whipped cream, and fresh berries. So, so good.

Hubby had the chocolate tart with a walnut crust. He loved the chocolate, but did not like the crust. Being more of a chocolate purist, he said the walnuts distracted from the chocolate.

A home run for me in the eats department, not so much for my spouse. He is still willing to go back, he just made some poor choices for his palate this time around.

Did I Taste a Wee Bit of Heaven?

We ate dinner at Cafe Rustica tonight. Yeah, you know. The one that has garnered raves on East Main? We enjoyed our dinner, but this time, we saved room for dessert:

Grilled Pound Cake with Lemon Curd and Fresh Berries.

The pound cake was moist and sported grill marks that added a bit of crunch to the mix. The curd held just the right amount of lemon flavor. Not too much to turn one's mouth sour and just enough to play off of the fresh strawberries. Fresh blueberries rounded out this send-me-to-heaven dessert. Did I mention the price? Only $5.

Next time, I may have to eat dessert first!

A Bit of Nostalgia at Cafe Rustica

After a day of pure work hell, I twisted my husband's arm and demanded that he take me out to eat. And we just had to go to Cafe Rustica. I had heard a boatload of praise for this tiny boite at 414 E. Main St. The place was small indeed and all of the tables, booths and bar seats were taken. So, we stood at the bar for a bit and soaked up the atmosphere. Rustica fit the decor. I liked the oil paintings (I presume by local artists). I also adored the German gewgaws that graced the bar from the banks that had the German girl and boy kissing to the cuckoo clock that still needed to be hung on the wall. After about 7 minutes folks moved from the bar to a booth. The wine list was an ode to Europe and we selected a 2005 Roux Pere and Fils Bourgogne - a light, easy drinking bottle.

The menu featured a smattering of Italian, French, and, yes, German dishes. When both of us espied the Schweineschnitzel we were intrigued. The dish could be served with lemon slices or "a la Holstien." What, pray tell was "a la Holstien?" It was the breaded pork cutlet with a sunny side up egg on top. We were both game. Why it was called what it was called remains a mystery to us, but it is a legitimate designation for schnitzel. The dish took a while to get to our place at the bar, but it gave us some to relax a bit and put the rigors of the day behind us. When we finally received our pork it was accompanied by spatzle that had been pan sauteed, featuring just a bit of crunchy browning, and red cabbage brasied in Bass Ale and brown sugar. My hubby loved the cabbage. He thought the egg should have been a bit more runny. I really enjoyed it all. Mainly because it made me think of my Mom. Not because she ever made anything like this, but because when she and my father were first married they lived in Germany for a couple of years. She always talked about having schnitzel with a fried egg on top. When I was younger, I thought this was the strangest concept. The scant number of German places that I have visited here in Virginia never featured it (or at least I did not inquire about "a al Holstien!"). In any case, I got a great dose of homey nolstagia, good food, good wine, and a good place to visit again.