Trio Grill - An Indulgence in NOVA

In July we traveled up to Northern Virginia for a brief weekend respite from RVA. On Friday night we weighed a few options for dinner and had decided to take our chances in the Mosaic area when we drove by Trio Grill. In the span of a few seconds my thoughts were: I remember seeing/hearing something about the place - It's right here on Lee Highway? - Maybe we should try it. And then, "Hey Hubby! Can you turn the car around?"

We were early and thirsty and they had a table just for us. With a Trio Manhattan under our belts we indulged ourselves with a kick-ass wine, medium-rare steak, and over-the-top fries with duck fat hollandaise sauce. While the meal wasn't too adventurous, it was sumptuously delicious. Our waiter was personable and attentive, and it was a great beginning to our getaway weekend.

Trio Grill received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator in 2016. Conn Creek Anthology was a real treat for us.

A perfectly cooked steak topped with a roasted shallot. Yum!

The ultimate indulgence - fries with duck fat hollandaise

The menu should have something to please most palettes, and they have a nice patio when the temperatures become reasonable.

Yumminess from Camden's Dogtown Market

I don't get over to Manchester as much as I should, but when I do I try to hit up Camden's Dogtown Market for delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere. Last week it was time to try the Caprese Press with fresh mozzarella, roasted red pepper, and house-made pesto on grilled foccacia. Served with a heaping pile of frites and homemade pickles - delightful.

The other great thing about Camden's is the wine. Any wine from the market can be served with a $10 corkage fee. The current pinot noir line up is mighty impressive.

Great food; great drink.

Make Sure to Order the Crinkly Fries

Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint is a chain, but feels a bit like a hole-in-the-wall place. It's mainly bar and barstools with an emphasis on craft beer (they also have Bold Rock Cider, which I imbibed). The fact that it is "On the Avenues" is amusing, too.

The wagyu burgers are straightforward with none of that lettuce/tomato/onion stuff. Choose from a plain hamburger or cheeseburger or go for one of their own concoctions, such as The Elvis - a bacon, peanut butter, and banana offering. The burgers were tasty and the inside of the buns were griddled. If you don't want a burger, they offer a grilled cheese; otherwise, go someplace down the street.

Fries are the crinkly kind. I don't see the crinkle variety too often and they fit the bill as we watched the Redskins lose another game on the TV above the bar.

Laid back with lots of beer and decent burgers. Don't forget to order the crinkly fries.

Burger Time at The Betty on Davis

The Betty on Davis offers burger specials on a regular basis. They even have a contest for the special burger on Mondays right now.

I indulged in a Patty Melt with bacon, caramelized onions, and Swiss on grilled Texas toast.

A delicious combination for my tastes. Of course, the bacon is always a favorite, but the onions added that over the top touch.  And the size ensures that you will not leave hungry.

The burger came with a choice of side. I chose the fries. Next time I might try the warm German potato salad. The fries were tired and limp. I brought most of them home and reheated the next evening attempting a revival with minimum success.

So, enjoy the cozy atmosphere at The Betty while chowing down on their creative burgers. Consider ordering non-traditional side.

Bacon Cheeseburger at Camden's Dogtown Market

Feast your eyes on this baby of a burger from Camden's Dogtown Market. Beef, cooked medium - medium-rare; Swiss cheese; house-cured bacon; lovely bun.

Wine is our choice from what the market offers (add $10 corkage fee except on Tuesdays). The Nebbiolo D'Alba was a friendly pairing.

And don't forget the house-made pickles!

Yummy!

Bacon Cheeseburger at Saison

Bacon Cheeseburger a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

I've come across quite a few tasty burgers in this town. Saison is now tops on my list. Ground sirloin with fixins, including pickled onions (a big fave). I recommend adding smoked Cheddar and bacon for an unbelievable experience. The fries are pretty damned good too. To add even more joy, wine is half off on Wednesdays!

Looking Back: Broad Appetit 2012

Yes, fabulous as always. And the weather cooperated. Not so freakin hot as in the past. I continue to applaud all of the independent restaurateurs in the area who wow us with imaginative and delicious creations. I love that the festival takes place in the heart of the arts district and the city allows Broad Street to be blocked off. Having the vendors placed in the median and tables and chairs set up on the sidewalk allows for easier pedestrian flow despite the overwhelming crowds. It looked like there were enough wine stations, but the ID checks and beer lines were a bottle neck. Of course, some vendors run out of food. This happens every year. I think most vendors have learned to adjust. Vendors running out by 1:30 PM just isn't right. To a few other vendors that were late setting up - Plan Better. You are there to showcase your stuff. Poor planning/execution does not impress.

Let me share numerous photos and some of the food that delighted hubby and me.

Balliceaux Booth

The Magpie

Shyndigz

Sticky Rice

Cake Pops

Nothing left but the liquid

Love the Pink Bus!

Bahn Mini from Popkin Tavern

Duck Fat Fries from On the Rox

Pork Belly Bun from Sticky Rice - So Good!

Goat Curry from The Magpie - These guys took a risk that turned out to be fabulous. I appreciated that the goat was boneless, too!

We had cider instead of wine. Foggy Ridge rocked it with dry hard cider. Good stuff.

Cochon au Lait with Gouda Grits and Pork Cracklings from Chez Foushee. Our favorite dish from the festival.

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese from C'est Le Vin. Divine.

Seared Scallop with Corn and Bacon from Spoon. Delicious and the winner of the Best Dish.

If you have never attended Broad Appetit, shame on you. Hands down the best food festival in the area. The shear variety is worth checking out. I always go early (not as hot and not as crowded).  I encourage the rest of you to go later so I can enjoy my food with less people :)

Steak Frites at Stronghill Dining Co

Steak Frites a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Stronghill features small plates. The Steak Frites was plenty big with a nice plump sirloin and herbed fries. Pimento cheese can be served either on the side or atop the beef.

And kudos to our waiter. We ordered Manhattans and he let us enjoy our cocktails before he took our dinner order. I was much pleased.

The Blue Goat

After a couple of tries we finally secured a table at The Blue Goat. We decided to go early on a Monday evening.

I adore the blue goat theme, especially the mural. Whimsical and fun.

The bar was busy this evening and the bartender was showing off bar tricks. Interesting considering some of the business clientele.

The menu features local produce and house-made offerings. Diners can choose a variety of small plates to Nibble ($7 each), Graze ($11 each) or Feed ($15). We ordered one or two dishes at a time and kept the menu to determine the next tasty morsel to enjoy. Dishes arrive as they are prepared. If one wants to eat in a certain order, selecting one of two dishes at a time ensures the desired progression.

First up, or course were cocktails and wine. For the cocktail it was The Only Thing You Drink: Aperol, St. Germain, Lime Juice, Rosemary Sprig. I really like Aperol which has a slightly bitter orange flavor (I imbibed quite a bit of this in Italy), but the sweetness of the St. Germain overpowered the subtle bitterness of the Aperol. This is not necessarily the fault of The Blue Goat. Many specialty cocktails in the area tend to be on the sweet side to accommodate local tastes. Still, very pretty presentation.

The wine list offered many choices at decent prices. We went with Terra Blanca Arch Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State. A nice red with good body and fruit.

To eat we began with the pate maison with gherkins and pickled peppers. Wrapped in bacon and sporting pistachios, the pate was a nice departure for us and very enjoyable with the crostini provided.

Next up we selected the pork and venison bolognese over house made gnocchi. What a spectacular dish! Meaty and flavorful sauce, shaved parmesan cheese, and the best gnocchi I have ever had - light fluffy pillows of pasta. Yum.

Polyface farm pork belly over white bean cassoulet. The pork belly was on so tender and the belly fat had melted over some of the beans. Great flavor. And then I tried a few white beans and this is where The Blue Goat faltered. The beans in the cassoulet were crunchy. A disappointment to be sure. If the beans had been done, it would have added that creamy/starchy aspect to the dish and I would have waxed rhapsodic. I want to give kudos to our waiter, however. He noticed that we had not finished the beans and asked about them. We relayed our experience. After taking the half-eaten dish back to the kitchen, he said the chef apologized and we were comped the dish. So while the dish faltered, the service did not.

We then tried the pommes frites with pork dust, sea salt, and garlic aioli. Yummy. Great flavor and crisp on the outside and creamy baked potato softness on the inside. Probably the best I've had in Richmond. And it was great to have the garlic aioli for dipping.

And we splurged on dessert: Chocolate Godiva Pate and Caramel and Lava Salt Gelato. Both delicious.

Food at The Blue Goat (for the most part) was sensational. Slight missteps were handled promptly and satisfactorily. The wine list was not over-priced. The prices on the food did seem a bit high. I loved the frites, but $7 for a small serving might be tough for some folks to shell out. The bolognese was part of the Feed menu, but seemed small in portion for the price (maybe it was so good we wanted more). Desserts were $8.

Go for the exquisitely prepared food, but keep an eye on your wallet as the small plates add up.

Bar and Art

Ah Friday. The end of the work week. We took advantage of the most excellent weather and headed for downtown. We parked in the vicinity of the Jefferson and leisurely strolled to Bistro Bobette for drinks and eats.

Although small, the bar at Bobette is truly the best place to be. I like arriving early. Olivier, the bartender, and John, one of the waiters always greets me and my hubby warmly. We talk about food, other area restaurants, cocktails, and wine. They are always genuine and treat other new arrivals with enthusiasm as well. No wonder they have so many regulars. If they were in walking distance, I would be tempted to pop in practically every night.

For this night I started with a refreshing rose from Provence.

We followed up with a bottle of Syrah from the Rhone. Very spicy red; although the spice went away while we were eating and promptly returned after the meal.

We then ordered steak frites from the bar menu.

The beef was the perfect medium rare and very tender. The frites, lovely.

We were tempted by dessert and gave into the urge. I had a chocolate hazelnut croustillant - a lucious cake with a crispy layer adding texture and crunch to this delicious concoction.

Hubby got the cherry sorbet. Rich, ripe, summer decadence that was very refreshing. The colorful presentation also delighted us.

After a wonderful dinner we headed up Broad for the First Fridays Art Walk. Lots of folks were out and about. Gallery 5 featured Skull Appreciation as well as bass vibes from Todd Matthews. Studio 8 West gave us art and models. Ghostprint presented a juried show. And we saw many other delights. A few pics are below:

This type of evening makes Richmond a fun and special place, at least for me.