Farm to Table at Zynodoa

Located in historic downtown Staunton, Zynodoa serves creative dishes inspired by local producers. This contemporary restaurant has garnered great press up and down the eastern seaboard, but as many times as we had visited Staunton, we never stopped to partake of the "inspired southern cuisine." This oversight was addressed during the Memorial Day weekend.

Despite not having reservations we were gracefully guided to a table for two at the back of the establishment near the kitchen window (too high for me to watch the action, unfortunately).

A Spearmint Mojito for hubby to celebrate the start of a weekend getaway

and a Ginger Pear Martini for me with a candied ginger swizzle.

Zynodoa displays a Farm to Fork board listing local producers and purveyors.

While imbibing our cocktails we ordered the Caromont Goat Cheese Tartlet with melted leeks and a shortbread crust.

Both of us exclaimed, murmured, and moaned over the tart's allure with each bite. We were familiar with Caromont because the lovely Sara Adduci (former cheese queen of River City Cellars and Secco and now cheesemonger at Feast! in Charlottesville) introduced us to this wonderful Virginia product a few years ago. Zynodoa prepared an extrodinary dish. Creamy with a slight goatish tang, a hint of leeks, and a touch of sweetness with the shortbread crust. A rich starter that can be easily shared and lusted after.

We opted for a non-local wine. Zynodoa's wine list offered several Virginia bottles, but we spotted the Marietta Petite Sirah, Alexander Valley. A favorite of ours that we had not enjoyed in quite a while.

And the wine paired extremely well with our choice of entree. We both ordered the the Buffalo Creek Steak Frites: Grilled Skirt Steak with Crispy Potato Wedges, AM Fog Oyster Mushrooms, and Horseradish Aioli.

A lovely dish. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare. We adored the potatoes and we could use as much or as little of the aioli as we cared to. Yummy. But the big surprise happened to be the mushrooms. Maybe because they were local; maybe due to the chef's expertise; perhaps a combination; in any case, they were freakin' awesome! Fungi usually do not thrill me. Some I have detested; some, tolerated. Only a scant few servings have I liked and quality of the product and expert preparation have been the key. These I really raved about and scarfed them all down. I was that impressed. (By the way, for you mushroom lovers, AM Fog offers their lovely fungi at the South of the James Market!)

Good drink. Awesome food. Mostly local. Zynodoa.

A View of the Kracken

The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing offers The Kracken (Kracken black spiced rum, fresh limes, simple syrup, fresh mint, club soda)

coupled with a spectacular view

Refreshing.

More April Awesomeness in RVA

This April I did something I had never done before - go to a home baseball opener. I'm not a baseball fan, but The Flying Squirrels always gives one lots of distractions. First up was the No BS Brass Band. Yeah!

We actually won with lots of hits and runs!

And then we had fireworks.

The night proved to be a bit chilly, but fun all the same. And yes, I really came for the fireworks.

On Friday the weather warmed up so we had mojitos at Havana 59. I enjoyed the Hennessy Mojito.

But beware, the wait staff will tell you that appetizers are half off for Happy Hour and then lets you order one. When you get your bill she says only certain appetizers are half off. Way to represent the profession.

Never fear. For dinner we went to one of our favorite spots: Aziza's on Main. Caleb Shriver fixed this most amazing appetizer: smoked trout with grilled asparagus and gribiche. Gribiche is an egg based sauce with mustard, spices, and pickles. This stuff was out of this world! I go nuts over smoked trout and the cold sauce was a perfect pairing. But wait for the kicker - I absolutely hate asparagus. My family did not eat this darling of spring (it did not grow in my grandparents' garden, so we did not eat it). In high school (when I would hardly even touch a salad), I had a teacher that made the entire class try asparagus. The worst part was, the stuff was canned. I gagged and almost threw it back up. That experience scarred me. Occasionally, hubby would get asparagus (the fresh variety) and sing its praises. Every time I tried it, the high school memories vividly appeared. Could not enjoy the green spears. On this night, I decided to be brave and have a taste. With the gribiche, it wasn't all that bad. I ate an entire spear and survived! The great chefs/cooks of this world make anything taste good. So hats off to Caleb. That man can prepare asparagus and he has a wonderful way with eggs (love his Perfect Egg, too!).

We also enjoyed a white pizza with cow mozzarella and pancetta. Aziza's pizza always reminds me of the pizza we consumed multiple times in Florence. Thin crust, wood-fired oven, fine ingredients, delicious.

While in the neighborhood we got a preview of the G40 Street Art Summit. The murals near and around Have a Nice Day Cafe are very cool and adds even more character to the neighborhood.

On the Saturday of the Street Art Festival we decided to check out Thai Corner in Jackson Ward. We have always liked the Thai Cabin food cart and wanted to see how the lunch spot measured up. The Nur Nam Tok delighted the tastebuds. Grilled marinated beef with kaffir leaves, lime, chile, red onions, and roasted ground rice. On a scale of 1 to 5, my heat level was a 3. Whew!

We proceeded to enjoy other murals as we made our way to the Canal Walk and the old power plant.

So much talent. And we had fun peering around buildings to see if we could spot more.

When we reached the festival we could see art in progress.

It was great to see RVA out in force supporting the artists.

On Sunday we headed over to the newly reopened Parkside Cafe for brunch. I indulged in a very sweet Cherry Shrub (non-alcoholic) and a wonderful Turkey, Avocado, and Bacon Sandwich. The avocado served as an alternative to mayo. Very good!

We also checked out the Tree Skirts at Maymont put together by VCU students. Whimsical entities in cotton and red bric-a-brac.

The Japanese Garden at Maymont turned 100 this year. I encourage you to visit this local treasure. The koi in the pond are huge. It was fun watching them draw lazy, languorous loops through the water.

As this second week of April proved - it's a great time to be living in Richmond. Go out and get your own RVA on!

Shouting Over Mac and Cheese at deLux

Last night we paid a visit to deLux on Main St. What a happening place! The non-smoking downstairs, both bar and tables, were filled to capacity while the mojitos flowed through the crowd. Our smartly dressed host whisked us up the staircase and seated us well away from the upstairs smoking bar. Our seats allowed us to people watch both bars as we worked our way through the meal. We also admired the large paintings gracing the wall by the stairs. I liked the contemporary feel juxtaposed with the exposed brick.

Indecision on our food order hounded us. A number of appetizers caught our attention, the pork special with fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers also beckoned. But, then wait, what about the skirt steak or the Cuban pork? We gave up and ordered mojitos and beef empanadas to get started. The mojitos balanced mint and lime very well. A tad sweet for what I wanted last night, thus, we only had one. The empanada filling contained a spicy ground beef accompanied by a spicy sauce. While tasty, the pastry was a bit thicker than I like and did not allow for more of the delicious filling to be stuffed in the shell.

After finishing our mojitos we ordered a 2003 Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa to enjoy with the rest of our meal. Hearty and fruity.

Still indecision on our meal. So, we decided to try a couple of appetizers and share an entrée. First up was the Truffle Fries with melted Asiago cheese and truffle oil. Melted Italian-style cheese on fries that still sported potato skin with a sprinkling of dried herbs – looked like thyme to me. So far, all good. Unfortunately, I just could not detect the truffle oil. Part of it may have been due to some of the fries being coated with an orange spice that reminded me of Bullets fries or Arby’s curly fries. Any truffle oil lurking about must have surrendered to this stronger component.

The Fried Calamari tasted wonderful. Not chewy with a good breading. The sauce, however, reminded us of straight-from-the-bottle barbeque sauce. We happily ignored the sauce and enjoyed the appetizer with a spritz of fresh-squeezed lemon.

The “Oh my God” dish ended up being the Macaroni and Cheese. Vermont white cheddar sauce with ham and peas and toasted bread crumbs. Rich, creamy, must-be-a-sin-to-eat goodness. We had some food hits and misses, but this dish will definitely lure us back (and we will now need to try the Lobster Mac and Cheese!).

One last comment. deLux was LOUD! I have discovered that the owner of deLux also owns The Hard Shell (one of the LOUDEST meals we have ever had in Richmond). As we mull over when to return, it will probably be a weeknight to secure a space in the non-smoking downstairs and to hopefully enjoy a quieter setting.

A Pleasant Evening at Kitchen 64

After a day of wrestling with ordering, picking up (and don’t forget waiting for the order), loading, and unloading boxes that will eventually turn into kitchen cabinets, my hubby and I did not want to cook and did not want to drive anywhere to eat. Basically, we wanted alcohol, some decent food, and a casual atmosphere. Thus, we walked over to Kitchen 64. We arrived at 5 PM – just before the hostess had gotten her act together. The bartenders/kitchen staff were slicing lemons and limes for the beverages that would be served that evening at one of the back tables. Despite this lackadaisical welcome, all but one of the inside booths were filled and the bar sported a few patrons. The outside patio (encased in tenting and plastic to maintain warmth) displayed a number of empty tables and we opted for the semi-outdoors.

We settled in and ordered mojitos ($7) which arrived in tall frosted glasses. Fairly refreshing, but more sweet than minty or limey. I happened to be the klutz of the evening and after just a few sips knocked the glass over and the liquid onto me. Our waitress, Petrina, immediately came to my rescue with napkins to mop up the mess. She then whisked my glass away and returned with a fresh drink. I call that fantastic service.

We also ordered a bottle of 75 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa ($36) for the meal. Petrina only presented the bottle after we had finished the mojitos (as good wait staff should) and our colorfully tattooed server was able to converse about this particular wine as well as a few of the other wines that she liked on the menu (pleasant conversation without being snooty). This is what the Richmond restaurant and wine scene should be about. And one other thing. The cabernet was a bargain from a restaurant mark-up point of view. Most places sell the 75 cab for $25 a bottle. This is a fantastic red wine and I am very glad that Kitchen 64 carries it and has it reasonable priced.

My spouse ordered the Fried Oyster Platter ($15.95) and I selected the Prime Rib ($18.95). Both came with a mixed green salad and rolls (white and wheat). The salad greens were fresh and the tomatoes (according to my husband) were sweet. And he really, really liked the oysters – very sweet and not “swampy.” Although the cornmeal batter was not his favorite, the quality of the oysters made up for it. He will be back for these sea goodies. His dish also included cole slaw (average) and fries (so-so). My prime rib (ordered medium rare) was more done on the outside than I expected, but very pink on the inside. I enjoyed the horsey sauce – not too overpowering. My meal was accompanied by a small baked potato and mixed sautéed veggies. Not the best prime rib, but a great meal for the money since it included the salad.

After dinner we lingered over the rest of our yummy wine. Folks were now rolling in and waiting for tables inside. Since we were walking, we decided to go for the gusto and ordered an after dinner desserty drink – Red Eye Russian ($9) with vodka, Kahlua, espresso, and whipped cream.

Kitchen 64 was exactly what we needed last night. It behooved us to arrive early on a Saturday. I hope they continue to carry great wines at reasonable prices. And we would like Petrina to be our waitress all the time.

Hangin' Out at Havana 59

Mojitos. Avocado Salsa. Plantain Chips. Key ingredients for an evening of girl-talk. SMO and I trekked to Shockoe Bottom to enjoy the breezy open-air atmosphere of Havana 59. The $7 Mojitos were refreshing, but also packed a punch (about an hour later!). We scarfed up the Avocado Salsa served with thinly sliced and salted plantain chips ($6.95) so fast that we ordered another one. Very addictive. We then had a Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad with lardons, pistachios, and a guava vinaigrette ($9.95). The goat cheese was mild and pleasant with the spinach and lardons, but I could not detect much in the way of guava. We finished the evening sharing a pumpkin flan topped with grilled pineapple and vanilla bean whipped cream ($5.95). While all of the ingredients were fine in and of themselves, the grilled pineapple was spectacular.