VMFA, Amuse, ArtWorks, and Cafe Rustica

Last Friday was busy. We visited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to wander and have cocktails at Amuse.

Friday around 5 PM turned out to be an excellent time to check out the sculpture garden.

Folks had not quite arrived for the evening, so we thrilled to the fact that the wide white airy expanse was bare.

Two barstools awaited our arrival at Amuse. Tommy fixed a Blackhound for me (vodka, muddled blackberries, elderberry and thyme syrup, and grapfruit juice).

For hubby - a Richmond Summer (rum, vanilla bean syrup, mint, orange, and club soda).

With drinks tossed off, we headed for the 20th century section and enjoyed some of the more colorful details of the collection.

And then, off to ArtWorks for the August All Media show benefitting the Richmond SPCA (a photo of my darling kitty had also made the art show cut and is proudly displayed along with the other wonderful pet-related art). While at the show we hopped next door to Russell Projects. I was most impressed with the paintings of Susan Jamison - bright, eclectic, thoughtful, provocative.

We then headed back across the James to eat at Cafe Rustica. A 2007 Perrin and Fils Gigondas called to us and we answered "Here!" Bright cherry at first taste. As the bottle received air, it became more hearty with a deeper fruitiness.

The Tuscan bean soup was delicious.

The German pot roast with roasted bacon potatoes turned out to be most excellent comfort food as well as the Jaegerschnitzel with red cabbage.

We believe that Cafe Rustica is the only place in Richmond serving German cuisine. We are glad of it.

Acacia Mid-Town Part 2

We went to Acacia to participate in Richmond Restaurant Week and make a small contribution to the Central Virginia Foodbank. Last year we had a miserable experience at another establishment during restaurant week. Acacia restored our faith in restaurant week this year.

After we had exquisite drinks at the bar, we were seated in a modern grayed space with wisps of green for accent. We ordered wine - 2006 Domaine Berthet-Rayne Chateauneuf du Pape. Mmmm.


And then on to the difficult part - choosing what to eat. Acacia offered a great variety for the special menu. For an appetizer, my husband had Pan Seared Scallops/Cauliflower Puree/Brioche/Gremolata. He raved about the scallops! and wished it had been an entree selection. I ordered Curried Parsnip Pear Soup/Fresh Shrimp/Creme Fraiche. I raved about my soup! Continuing my exploration and budding romance with root veggies other than potatoes, I took a chance on the soup and was not disappointed. A great balance of flavors.

For the entree I went straight for the Duck Stuffed with Roasted Pears, Wrapped in Bacon, Carraway Gnocchi, Red Wine Braised Cabbage, Lingonberry Sauce. The duck carried a smokey flavor throughout and was oh-so-yummy. A delicious updated take on German-influenced cuisine. I could not have asked for anything better. And hubby stuck with seafood and selected Baked Crabcake, Cheddar Cheese Grits, Creamed Leeks, Greens, Herb Garlic Sauce. He also was well pleased with the flavors and tastes. And both entrees did not skimp on the food. While it was not an over-abundance, we were quite satisfied.

And then came dessert. A Parsnip Spice Cake/Fromage Blance Ice Cream/Pear Sauce for hubby. He was always a sucker for ice cream. This one was like a whipped cream ice cream and paired very well with the spice cake. I had the Vanilla Mascarpone Panna Cotta/Rich Chocolate Torte. I ordered it because of the chocolate (dense, intense dark chocolate), but the dessert was memorable because of the panna cotta. While not a usual panna cotta fan, this one rocked. It featured a grapefruity, puckery sauce that was out of this world.

We had a great dinner. We contributed to a worthy cause. Acacia gained two additional fans.

Loin of Pork with Fennel

Borders listed a fantastic recipe from Ina Garten - Loin of Pork with Fennel. And I made it last night. The only change I made was using dry vermouth instead of Pernod or white wine. And my version looked every bit as good as the picture. The fennel and onion added an almost-sweet flavor to the pork. I served it with slices of bread covered in sesame seeds and a 2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape which had spicy overtones and floral undertones (an unusual combination for a Rhone).

I was quite pleased with how the dish turned out and would definitely consider making it for dinner guests.

Domaine de la Mordoree Tasting at J. Emerson

Prepare your palate for some fabulous Rhones at J. Emerson on Wednesday, August 22 from 5:30-7:30 PM. The wine shop on Grove will host a free wine tasting. The line up includes:

2006 La Dame Rousse Cotes du Rhone
2005 La Dame Rousse Lirac
2005 La Reine Des Bois Lirac
2002 La Reine De Bois Chateauneuf du Pape
2003 La Reine Des Bois Chateauneuf du Pape

For years both my husband and I have drooled over several La Reines, but alas, we could never afford the steep price tag. Thank you J. Emerson for giving us the opportunity to at least taste.

La Petite Auberge

My husband and I were driving back to Richmond after a day at Ikea and Potomac Mills. We had had enough of cheap Swedish meatballs, horrendous interstate traffic, and the never ceasing wail of little kids. We needed decent food in a quiet place that caters to adults. We found our oasis at La Petite Auberge in downtown Fredericksburg. We arrived around 6:30 PM without reservations and were promptly seated. We would have had difficulty obtaining a table if we had walked in any later. The place was divided into an enclosed smoky bar with red-checked tablecloths and a non-smoking dining area with more formal white cloths. The dining room space soared up two stories with rustic beams and exposed brick. Large contemporary oil paintings bedecked the upper part of the brick. White fence trellising was set along the lower part of the walls.

Marti C. took great care of us. She was an experienced and fantastic waitress. The wine list held a fair number of “House Wines” (such as House Cotes du Rhone or House Chardonnay) which was a bit confusing, at first. Make sure to ask what these bottles are. The Cotes du Rhone turned out to be a 2005 Perrin Reserve. We drooled over a 2003 Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape, but the restaurant did not have any more of the 2003 vintage, so we ordered the Cotes du Rhone ($22). Once the wine was open we received a basket of baguette-like rolls served with unsalted Plugra butter. Yum!

La Petite Auberge carried a regular menu as well as an extensive dinner special page. On this night lump crabmeat seemed to be the main feature. Appetizers ranged in price from $5.25 (Ripe Avocado and Golden Delicious Apple Vinaigrette) to $22 (Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Poached Pear and Stan Keel’s Date and Nut Bread with a Glass of Loupiac). Regular menu selections offered a wide variety - Blackened Mahi Mahi with Bananas and Spring Onions ($19), Cajun Andouille Sausage with Basmati Rice and Black Beans ($13), and Filet Grille Bearnaise ($29) – to name a few. Dinner specials boasted Soft Shell Crabs Amandine ($30), Halibut with Crabmeat and Piperade ($22), Pan Roasted Pork Chop Grand Mere with Lardons, Mushrooms, Pearl Onions, and Natural Jus ($17), and Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Mustard Crust and Mint Jelly ($22.50).

We had a difficult time deciding. We shared an appetizer – Smoked Trout with Betty Poole’s Sweet Red Pepper Jelly, Bagel, Crème Fraiche, Capers, and Minced Onion ($9.95). What a fantastic starter! I had envisioned little slivers of smoked trout. I was wrong. We received a whole trout filet, smoked to perfection. The condiments subtly enhanced the flavor of the dish. I loved the intense smokiness of the trout. The capers and onions added a strong counterpoint with the jelly contributing a sweet tang. The crème fraiche bound everything together. The bagel was the only so-so part of the dish. My husband preferred to eat his trout portion with the baguette rolls. Thank goodness we shared the trout. This appetizer could easily have provided enough tasty morsels for four diners.

For dinner proper, I ordered Poached Eggs Benedict ($10.95) from the regular menu. It is unusual for restaurants around here to serve any type of main course egg dish for dinner. It was nice to see this as part of the regular offerings. And very tasty, too. The Hollandaise sauce was well prepared with only a hint of lemon. The eggs were of the proper runny consistency, and the ham added that touch of smoky salt to the dish. The eggs were also accompanied by scalloped potatoes. Very rich and creamy. My husband went for one of the specials for the evening – Baked Stuffed Shrimp with Crabmeat ($22). He received three jumbo shrimp with the equivalent of a crab cake on top of each of the shrimp. The shrimp were wonderfully sweet and the stuffing contained mostly crab with a few breadcrumbs sprinkled on top to achieve a browning effect. The dish also came with a side of scalloped potatoes, much to my husband’s delight.

We had no room for dessert.

What an unexpectedly wonderful meal after a weary day of mall shopping! We were very pleased and plan to return again, soon.

La Petite Auberge
311 William Street
Fredericksburg, VA
540-371-2727

Good Eats at Gutenberg

My friend SMO just moved into a cute little loft apartment in Shockoe Bottom. We went to see her new digs and wound up at Café Gutenberg for dinner. The last time I had eaten here was the day before the flood. It was about time we tried it again.

We sat at a marble-topped round table looking out onto Main Street. The dinner menu featured a wine list, menu items (no real distinction between appetizers and entrees), and a beer list. We ordered a 2005 Domaine Paul Autard Cotes du Rhone for $26. Light and fruity with an ever-so-slight spice thrown into the mix.

For dinner I ordered Crab Cakes ($10). Two petite cakes with a curry, mustard, and caper sauce accompanied by crostini. The cakes contained a fair amount of crabmeat, but it was the sauce that put these little babies over the top. SMO decided upon the Mixed Grill ($11) – Lamb and Curry Chicken over Greens and Cucumber Salad, served with pita wedges and a buttermilk parsley dressing. “Yum, scrum, delilumscious!” was her enthusiastic reaction. Her lamb was medium rare – a perfect complement to the char grilled edge. My husband had a hankering for the Bratwurst plate ($10) – 2 grilled brats with sauerkraut and German potato salad. The sauerkraut was the surprise of the night – mild with a slightly smoky flavor. “Finally, someone who realizes that sauerkraut does not come out of a jar,” exclaimed my spouse. He enjoyed the rest of his meal as well.

I really liked the fact that the appetizers, salads, and entrees were listed without headings. In this way I truly selected what I wanted to eat instead of struggling with categories. The portions were smaller, but in the end were just right.

The reason why the portions were just right was because we had room for dessert! These Café Gutenberg folks thought this through and did a wonderful job of manipulating us! We all ordered the Affogato ($6.50) – chocolate gelati with whipped cream served with a shot of espresso to pour. Very rich, very decadent, very delicious.