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.

Congrats to Deco Ristorante

Deco Ristorante earned an Elby nod for best new restaurant yesterday. (See the entire list here.) We dined at Deco a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed the following:

Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar to enjoy with bread

An inexpensive fruity red for dinner

A favorite! Fried Fresh Mozzarella with sauce. We have to order this every time. So yummy!

The special of the evening: Penne a la Vodka with Grilled Chicken Breast. The chicken was a bit dry, but the pasta was divine. Enough to take home for leftovers and add a bit of Sausage Craft sausage to the mix. 

Kudos to Deco! Thanks for providing us with a taste of Sicily.

Dinner Doesn't Dampen Delightful Duo

Back in early October, hubby and I attended a concert at the Modlin Center with Philip Glass and Tim Fain. Glass is my favorite composer and to have a chance to hear him play was amazing. Tim Fain plays the violin and was unknown to us. He is a fantastic musician. We thoroughly enjoyed both artists.

Before the concert we went to Azzuro for dinner. The last time we ate at Azzuro was before we moved to Richmond. While we liked it well enough then, we were not very impressed this time. Service was okay, but nothing to rave about. Everyone was preoccupied with a big party to the detriment of the few early diners. To eat we tried the calamari. Again, okay, but does not compare to Wild Ginger, Lemaire, or Bistro 27.

We also tried Mozzarella en Carrozza - Bufala mozzarella between egg battered bread sauteed in olive oil and topped with an anchovy porcini mushroom sauce. It sounded interesting, but was disappointing. I somehow thought the bread would be fried a bit more. It also seemed like there was ham or prosciutto added to the mix? If not, what was it? I just did not like it. If this is the way the dish is supposed to be, chalk it up to my lack of knowledge.

We also shared a Toasted Pepperoni Pizza. Azzuro has a brick oven for pizza. The pizza had goat cheese as well as mozzarella which added an interesting twist. But once again, the pizza was okay. Aziza's on Main and the newly opened Flames 231 are much better.

Since we were in the vicinity, it made sense for us to try Azzuro. We'll probably choose other options for future Modlin events.

Deco - A Little Italian Gem

As we approached Deco, we already liked it. The transformation of the exterior to a classic art deco style is quite pleasing.

The interior is sleek and artful.

Deco offers traditional Italian cocktails (as well as other libations). The Aperol Spritz was perfect drinking for a summer evening and pretty for the eye to admire.

As we perused the menu, the Fried Fresh Mozzarella called out to us. We both like fried cheese. We were introduced to really good  fried cheese about 20 years ago at a non-defunct restaurant in Williamsburg. The place used fresh mozzarella and we loved it. Deco's version offers generous portions, lightly breaded with a tomato sauce. Since this is fresh, it is not overly salty and while the tomato sauce is good, we really liked eating it with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Yum.

For his entree hubby ordered the special of the evening: Mussels and Pasta with a Tomato Sauce (your choice of spicy or non-spicy). He could not decide on which sauce and so the kitchen combined a bit of both to his satisfaction.

I had the thinly sliced and breaded veal. Very tasty. The entree was accompanied by the side of the day which was a green bean and potato salad. I raved about the salad with its perfectly cooked ingredients and a tasty vinegary twang.

We enjoyed a Rosso from Puglia with the meal.

A lovely little gem of a spot nestled within the Museum District. Delicious food. Affordable prices. With all of the news about various places closing, go give the newly opened Deco some love so they will stick around.