Brunch at Amuse is an Awesome Thing

Amuse is serving up a wonderful brunch. My current favorite dish is the Pork Chop Biscuit with Fried Eggs and Mushroom Gravy. Such a delight for the taste buds.

And don't forget to also see the Kehinde Wiley exhibit, A New Republic, before it leaves town. Big, bold, bright, beautiful!

We in RVA are so lucky to have VMFA!

The Urban Farmhouse in Scott's Addition

We had lovely Country Ham and Egg Sandwiches for brunch at The Urban Farmhouse in Scott's Addition. A simple, yet satisfying meal accompanied by an iced coffee.

We loved the open airy space and the patio for outside dining. So glad to have this Farmhouse in the Scott's Addition neighborhood.

Brunch at Secco

Start with a glass of Pederzano Lambrusco Secco, a dry sparkling red wine from Italy. Enjoy this festive bubbly while waiting for your brunch order.

Rave over the Biscuit Sandwich - a substantial biscuit with grilled pork belly and scrambled egg (make mine without the cheddar cheese).

A wonderful brunch option. Not enormous, but so satisfying. The biscuit held up to the meat and egg and did not crumble apart. I loved the pork belly. Fairly lean and very tasty.

Rave even more about the crispy potatoes. I really like potatoes and have had lots of good ones in RVA. These were outstanding. Truly crispy on the outside; soft and potato-ey on the inside. Served with a mustard/mayo sauce that sealed the deal on the spuds. If your brunch choice does not include these potatoes, order them as a side.

Choose an Armandiere Malbec from Cahors to imbibe with the biscuit.

Thank you Secco for a lovely and delicious brunch outing.

Lucy's Brunch

Lucy's is a cute little spot in Jackson Ward. We had brunch there about a month ago and enjoyed Mimosas

and the Two Street Club.

The club sandwich came with housemade mesa chips and pickles. Very satisfying. And I loved the bright and colorful bouquet gracing the table.

Brunch at Pomegranate

I now do a bit of volunteer work on Sundays for the VMFA. Whereas I once praised brunch boites for opening before 11 AM, I now seek out places that remain open after 2 PM. Pomegranate is open until 3 PM. Well done! And most brunch goers had cleared out by the time we arrived.

The first order of business, a '36 Picador cocktail with Espolon tequila, Solerno, and lime juice. A bit more lime than I needed since it hid the taste of the tequila, but probably what most brumchers would want.

For the eats portion I ordered the Quail and Pancakes. The quail purported to be quail confit and then buttermilk fried. I've had duck confit many times and the quail did not seem to have gone through this process; however, I have never had quail confit. It was nicely fried. And the ricotta pancakes with the maple syrup really hit the spot. A perfect pancake to syrup ratio. Not too dry; not drowning.

Hubby took the eclectic path with the Goat Ravioli with ricotta and spinach and a sage butter. When it first arrived he was disappointed in the size. Too small. After the first bite he realized why. The ravioli was so rich that it would have been difficult to eat any more.

We indulged in an irresistible side: a duck fat biscuit. Yummy, although I was surprised that the biscuit did not come with some kind of condiment - jam, jelly, butter, etc.

Brunch was enjoyable. I would consider going again, but I prefer the dinner menu.

Heavenly Brunches at The Viceroy

The Viceroy knows how to wow the palate during brunch. In the past few months we went twice. Once for Easter and again on Father's Day. Both times the food was excellent. I also appreciate that The Viceroy opens at 10:30 AM for brunch. I prefer going a bit earlier and skipping the after-church crowd. And I have no qualms over ordering a cocktail (yes, think of a Manhattan-esque beverage) that early in the morning.

The other cool thing about brunch is pricing. I can enjoy all of Ryan Baldwin's exquisite dishes at reasonable prices. Brunch offerings range in price from $9 - $14 and features imaginative dishes that match the dinner menu.

Here is what we enjoyed (in no particular order) between the two visits.

A split of pink bubbly

Champagne Butter Poached Lobster and Avocado Omelet

The Lobster Omelet was perfect for Easter brunch

Torched Handmade Mozzarella Wrapped in Prosciutto with Fig Balsamic Sauce

This dish is always a favorite

Crab Sandwich with Fries

Duck Breast with Fried Egg and Hash Browns

Awesome special for the day

Smoked Pork Shoulder with Grits and Eggs

The pork could be pulled apart with a fork and the flavor was delightful

Plungerhead Zin

Great choice with the pork and duck

Oh so good! And there were other items on the menu that we also wanted to get. The only solution is to go back!

Huevos Kuba

Huevos Kuba a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Brunch at Kuba Kuba. Yummy! Don't forget to enjoy a limeade or some Cuban coffee.

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 Eggs Potatoes Toast at Magpie

Bacon Eggs Potatoes Toast a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

The Magpie serves up a scrumptious brunch!

Brunch at The Blue Goat

The last time we attempted to eat brunch at The Blue Goat, the place was mobbed. This time, the bar was a bit busy, but the restaurant side of the house was sparse. We were surprised by the attendance and welcomed our wee bit of luck.

First up, Strawberry Fields Mimosas: muddled strawberries, mint, and sparkling wine. Refreshing and only $5 a glass.

The brunch menu offered a variety of options including salads, goat ravioli, BLTs, and pancakes. We both wanted eggs. Hubby ordered the Blue Goat Scramble ($7) with shallots, peppers, and mozzarella. A delicious combination and quite satisfying.

I had to have the Goat Benny ($9): Serrano ham, tomato (well, no tomato for me), poached eggs, and hollandaise. The eggs were perfectly runny and melded into the sauce. The ham, delightfully salty. I loved the toasted slices of baguette instead of the traditional English muffin as the base.

Both dishes came with a choice of one side. We both selected the Pommes Frites. Yes, they were very good.

We enjoyed the food and drink and the prices were reasonable.

Rock on Blue Goat!

The First Week of April in Richmond

This year April has been a perfect month for residing in Richmond. Hubby and I have done quite a bit and eaten even more. I wanted to share some of our local adventures with you for the first week in April.

Right at the beginning of the month we attended the Homestyle Brunch at Six Burner hosted by Chef Philip Denny and The Marinara. I got to take photos! Check them out here. We had three flavors of sous vide fried chicken (Thai iced tea, tandoori spiced, and Korean spiced) along with greens and waffles and kimchi. All yummy.

The Virginia Historical Society invited all of Richmond to the inaugural Food Truck Court. Lots of excitement was generated and lots of people and lines. We ended up getting dessert first at Mister Softee (chocolate milkshake).

Mister Softee

We then wandered over to Caliente to enjoy burgers (half price on Tuesday nights).

With the burgers we enjoyed a Petite Syrah from Foppiano. We had heard earlier that day that old man Foppiano had recently passed away at the ripe old age of 101. We toasted the venerable vintner.

Santa Fe Burger with Roasted Peppers and Avocado

Lot 96 Petite Sirah from Foppiano. 

On the the first Friday in April we went to the VMFA to view the silent ode to Communism - Battleship Potemkin. What really made this special was the band Goldrush. The super talented musicians performed live while the movie ran. So cool.



And afterwards we headed over to Carytown for a lovely dinner at Amour Wine Bistro. After taking a little bit of time figuring out the menu options and eventually getting a wine list to peruse (everyone wanted to suggest wines by the glass and I wanted to know what they had by the bottle and the price range), we decided on the 3 Course Prix Fixe Menu and a bottle of 2008 Chateau Lyonnat Bordeaux.

A Lovely Bordeaux

The amuse bouche was a grilled ramp on crostini. Such a nice ode to early Spring.

The Season for Ramps

We proceeded to enjoy a garlic and leek soup and grilled beef tenderloin. Dessert was chocolate creme brulee with caramel and sea salt. What a delight!

Incredible Dessert!

The  South of the James Winter Market is still going strong and Ault's Family Farm had a fresh chicken waiting for us. Yeah! Spring onions, greens, and asparagus are now available. Of course, the pooches are also out in full force.

Time for Spring

Onion Variety

Oh Joy!

For Easter we had brunch at the Empress and enjoyed a pitcher of mimosas.

Mmmm...Mimosas

The pulled pork and eggs were outstanding. The biscuits with the eggs benedict were most excellent. But I think it was just a wee bit early for the kitchen. One of my eggs was missing and the seasoned potatoes were almost not done. Breakfast potatoes need to be cooked until extremely tender. Maybe if we had wound up there after Easter on Parade we would have hit the kitchen in its stride?

One-eyed Benedict

  In any case make sure to see the mural on the side of the building by Lelo. Bright and colorful.

Isn't this cool?

Easter on Parade is always fun. Bunnies, eggs, a yarn bomb, bonnets, dogs. And this year the Art 180 project. I'm glad that residents found front yard homes for these young artists' works after Easter.

Art, entertainment, and FOOD! Go out and enjoy Richmond in April!

Chasing Away the Marathon Blues

What does one do when the Richmond Marathon has one penned in on all sides? I'm glad that the marathon brings honor, glory, and, hopefully, some tourist dollars to our fair city. But I literally cannot go anywhere in a car until it's over.

This year we were smart and strolled over to Dot's Back Inn for brunch. After a Bloody Mary and a Mimosa we weren't caring that much about feeling trapped.

And then I had the Smithfield Benedict - English muffin, country ham, fried egg (over easy), and hollandaise sauce. Served with a side of home fries. Yummy!

Did Richmond have a marathon?

I want to thank the staff for making extra efforts to get to work. While they made us forget all about our brief inconvenience, they had to park quite a ways from Dot's and hoof it to work.