An Evening at The Viceroy

Most of you know that I am a huge fan of Ryan Baldwin from his days at Tastebuds American Bistro. I was distraught we he left to go to Accanto. I knew I would miss him not being here in the city. I am pleased to report that he is now at The Viceroy and showcasing a fairly ambitious menu. While it's a jaunt for me to walk there, it is closer to my humble abode, affording me an opportunity to dine on the offerings of an incredibly talented chef.

Hubby and I met at The Viceroy for dinner a couple of weeks after it opened. Lots of wood accents and almost as many high, bar-like tables as booths. Art work dons the walls along with a painting of The Queen of the Viceroy (my moniker) as one heads to the restroom.

Our cocktail of choice was The Baron - Maker's Mark, Byrrh, and Dry Vermouth, with Orange Zest.

We slowly sipped our Manhattanesque beverage and strategized our dining plan. So many options.

We decided that we had to begin with Torched House-made Mozzarella Wrapped in Prosciutto with Grilled Fig Balsamic Sauce and Arugula. Both of us are suckers for fresh mozzarella. I'm sure the kitchen revels in torching this dish. The creamy, melted cheese melded well with the salty ham. The balsamic sauce added just a touch of sweetness. The dish was definitely large enough to share.

We then ordered a Lyeth Meritage to enjoy with dinner. The Viceroy has a varied wine list with several Virginia offerings alongside the bottles from France, California, New Zealand, etc. Quite a few bottles are under $30 and very drinkable.

For the main attraction we decided upon sandwiches. It's nice that The Viceroy offers a variety of options for both small and large appetites. Hubby chose a classic Shaved Prime Rib-Eye French Dip with White Cheddar, Herb Au Jus, and Fresh Horseradish. The grated fresh horseradish was a wonderful added detail.

I ordered the the Charred Pork Belly Bahn Mi. While I enjoyed the pork, I enjoyed the topping even more which was a mix of watermelon, Napa cabbage, purple basil, radish, scallion, carrot, and jicama kimchee slaw. Lots of flavor.

Each sandwich comes with your choice of mixed baby greens, crispy frites, house-made slaw or potato salad. We got the frites. We really loved the frites. Very crispy on the outside, but soft inside. There are a few places in Richmond that make yummy fries. I now count The Viceroy in that category.

We were full, so we were not able to try any of the Bittersweet Endings. Ryan has put together a dessert menu that features some unlikely combinations, but are very intriguing, such as Avocado Key Lime Cheesecake Popsicles and Grilled Peach Trifle with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream.

We will also have to head back soon to sample some entrees. The Grilled Rack of Wild Boar sounds fantastic.

Another Visit to The Roosevelt

Earlier in July we headed back to The Roosevelt to enjoy another meal. This time a rehearsal dinner filled half the space. A bit strange since there is no way to partition a group gathering. And when the best man stood up to make a speech, all I could think of was Four Weddings and a Funeral. It took an enormous amount of effort to keep from rolling my eyes and bursting out with guffaws. I do wish the bride and groom a happy journey despite my cynicism.

In any case hubby and I ate, drank, and made merry. We began with cocktails: Jasper's Rum Punch and The Orange Door Hinge. Hubby enjoys rum and on this blazing hot night, it was very refreshing. My Hinge contained Espolon tequila and blood orange juice with a jalapeno hint and Kentucky Ale 8 soda. I have lately been won over by Espolon. The taste of the tequila shines through no matter what is added. This is a very good thing. I liked the black sea salt around the rim, too, but beware, it will temporarily turn lips and tongue black.

Jasper's Rum Punch

The Orange Door Hinge

We shared a salad and a snack: Peach and Burrata Salad and Fried Pork Rinds. The salad was the best thing we encountered all night (the rest was good, this was simply outstanding). The salad also contained arugula and hazelnuts with a Banyuls vinaigrette. So yummy. The pork rinds were still crackling as they were served - a grown up version of pop rocks and a nice crunchy companion to the salad.

The Virginia wine of the evening was a King Family Meritage. Once again, I'm happy that The Roosevelt had the gumption to only offer Virginia wine and that they select quality producers.

For dinner proper: Flap Steak with Fingerling Potatoes and Housemade A1 and Smoked Duck Leg with Cheddar Grits and Oyster and Sausage Gravy. The flap steak was similar to a flat iron. Hubby enjoyed it, but was not a fan of the A1 sauce. I was lured in by the duck, which was fabulous. I even enjoyed the oysters. The grits were too rich for me and I really could not eat them. I have to be careful about creamy-cheesy offerings be it quiche, alfredo sauce, or even mac and cheese. Other diners would have scarfed them down and asked for more, I'm sure.

Richmond has been blessed with some wonderful places to experience good food and drink. The Roosevelt continues to be one of these special places. Go soon and enjoy for yourself. And one more thing - despite the temperature of 100 degrees outside, the restaurant was cool and comfortable inside. A difficult thing to achieve with older buildings.

6 Wineries 6 Personalities

For Memorial Day weekend we headed west to Staunton. During our trip we stopped at 6 Virginia wineries in the Monticello AVA region. We were inspired to seek out a few new (or new to us) Virginia wineries during a recent trip to The Roosevelt. The Roosevelt only serves Virginia wine. While I have had some decent Virginia wine in the past, I've also had some horrible pisswater, too. My motto: "Taste it before you buy it." Virginia wine over the years has been inconsistent at best with weather being a key factor. But winemaking talent and eclectic owners have also contributed to the less-than-stellar reputation. At The Roosevelt, we took a chance on a Pollak Meritage (a true unknown to us) and were pleasantly surprised. We were ready to explore.

We visited 6 wineries. All of the wines we tasted were drinkable. Some were good. A couple were stunning. We were pleased at our findings. Each location had a different personality. The trip was a lot of fun and we came back with three cases of wine to enjoy.

Virginia Wineworks/Michael Shaps: A no-frills operation. The tasting room is in the midst of the barrels and tanks. Shaps sources all of his grapes from the local area and only selects the best of the bunch for his high-end wines. He also is a consulting winemaker to many other Virginia wineries. Located south of Monticello at the end of a gravel road. We brought home Michael Shaps Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

Bleheim Vineyards: Part of the celebrity wine trail. Owned by Dave Matthews and situated next door to Trump Winery. Inspiring Americana setting with a white barn, sweeping vistas, and a cool label for their Painted Red series. We purchased Cabernet Sauvignon and Painted Red.

Pollak Vineyards: A large operation producing a series of polished wines in a pastoral setting with vines, mountains, and pond. Pollak grows all of their grapes which is totally opposite from the Shaps approach. For home consumption we carried back Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Meritage.

Stinson Vineyards: An up-and-coming site with baby vines planted all around. They use a combination of locally grown grapes plus their own production. The also have a cool ceramic vat for winemaking. We purchased the Meritage Red.

Mountfair Vineyards: Hands-down the best winery we visited from the wine view point. Located down a dirt road, this little place only produces red wine. Everything we tasted was hearty and wonderful. They also taste out Thibaut-Janisson sparkling wines. We bought Belated, Engagement, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a bottle of the Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Blancs.

Glass House Winery: The best place to drink a glass of wine. Choose between the balcony overlooking the pond or the tropical greenhouse conservatory. Both wonderful settings. Handmade chocolates are also available along with a chocolate dessert wine utilizing cocoa powder during winemaking process. Glass House also had a healthy sense of humor. We took home the Twenty-First, a red blend and Meglio del Sesso, the chocolate dessert wine.

The trip made us appreciate Virginia wine a bit more. We recognized that over the last 10 years new places have popped up that are making seriously nice-drinking options. Places are figuring out what grows better in the region and branching out to embrace the unique Virginia terroir. Some have honed their skills on a few stellar grapes. I hope they keep up the good work. I now want to explore other new-to-me Virginia wineries.

But in the end "Taste it before you buy it" still reigns supreme. On the way home we stopped at the Greenwood Gourmet Grocery in Crozet. They carry a ton of local wine. And I was taken in by the name - Well Hung Vineyard. I bought a bottle of Verdot-Merlot, untasted. Once we opened the bottle and tasted it we had a new name: Strung Up (and I was strung along). Oh well. Wine, no matter where it comes from, can be good or not. At least 6 Virginia wineries are making a reputation for the Commonwealth and are leading the way to putting Virginia on the global wine map.

Portrait of The Roosevelt - What Appeals To You?

Earlier in May we headed to The Roosevelt early to snag a table. We had a delicious time. I took a bunch of photos. Which ones look the most appealing to you?

Window Sign

Interior

The Clawhammer - Bourbon, Aperol, Sweet Vermouth, Fig Jam

A Blend of Cab Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot

Crab and Avocado Salad with Grapefruit

Fried Chicken Slider with Kimchee Mayo

Trout with Grits, Sea Island Peas, and Sunchoke Relish

Fried Fingerlings with Ramp Aioli

Steak Tartare with Chopped Egg and Apricot Mostarda

Let me know what you have savored at The Roosevelt.

Wine Roundup

During the period between Thanksgiving and New Years we had the opportunity to enjoy a variety of nice wines from diverse sources.

From the Owen Roe Winery. The blend is as follows – 22% Sangiovese; 20% Zinfandel; 20% Merlot; 15% Cab Franc; 7% Grenache; 6% Syrah; 3% Cinsault; 3% Petit Syrah; 3% Malbec; 1% Pinot Noir. Purchased at Bella Vino Southshore. A lovely wine. The $30 price tag is a bit steep for regular consumption, but worth considering every so often. Apparently, every year The Abbot's Table features a different blend.

We splurged on this bottle from Silver Oak Cellars at Fleming's. They were offering their email subscribers this particular bottle for half price. It was a Christmas present to ourselves. It was composed of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Even at half price, it was most likely a once in a life time indulgence.

We purchased this ice cider when we were in Canada a few years ago and enjoyed it with slices of apple pie. Produced by La Face Cachee de la Pomme. A very nice treat during the holidays.

Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2007 from Glaetzer Wines. Purchased at Kroger for ~$25. Very hearty and delicious for a cold winter evening.

It had been a while since we had imbibed wines from Rabbit Ridge. This one was a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre. My hubby found it at Kroger for under $10. Not too shabby and affordable for every day enjoyment.

We picked this up at Vino Market upon Dave's enthusiastic recommendation. It did not disappoint. Orin Swift Cellars produces the red blend. The 2008 consists of 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 2% Charbono, 1% Grenache. At $35 a bottle, it's not cheap, but probably my favorite of the listing here and something I would consider buying again.

We enjoyed this Milbrandt Vineyards Cabernet from Washington State when we took my mom to Cafe Caturra (on Grove) for dinner when she was in town. It is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 1% Malbec. We were able to taste several reds before deciding and this red won, hands down.

Hess Collection Mount Veeder 19 Block Cuvée - 2005

Hess Collection Mount Veeder 19 Block Cuvée - 2005




I have now had this wine twice at The Barrel Thief ($9 a glass and $27 a bottle). The blend is superb with a hearty mouth feel. It's the taste that comes to my mind when a Napa meritage is mentioned.



And The Barrel Thief's price is great. The Hess website sells it for $36.