En Su Boca

On a hot August Saturday we had lunch at En Su Boca or the Taco Porn Shop. So glad to see the evolution of the adult bookstore into a cute oasis off of Boulevard.

On this day, it was crowded. Every bar stool was occupied. We were seated at a two top. Later on, we understood why this strip of tables were the last to be filled. They sit directly under the HVAC conduits and it was so humid/hot that the vents dripped. You are now warned and can strategize accordingly.

With an eye on where the condensation landed we ordered a cocktail. The Teeny Weeny Hot Bikini was a pink concoction containing Espolon Reposado tequila, watermelon, basil, agave, and lime. The watermelon was very refreshing, although I did not really taste the basil. Still, En Su Boca utilized one of my favorite tequilas, and I would gladly order it again.

We also ordered chips with three different salsas: roasted tomato, tomatillo verde, and grilled habanero. The chips were not gratis, but understandable with the not-your-average salsas. My favorite was the tomatillo verde. The chips were not your average chips either; more like fried tortilla wrappers. Very satisfying.

Burritos and tacos dominated the menu. The tacos were priced individually with discounts for ordering four or more. Four tacos seemed a bit much, especially after chowing down on chips. I ordered three instead; it turned out to be the right choice for lunch. And I ordered a variety: Marinated Grilled Chicken, Slow Roasted Carnitas, and Carne Asada.

The chicken didn't taste very grilled. A bit bland really. The pork was decent, but did not bowl me over. The beef was the clear winner. Great flavor with the right amount of spices. When I return, this is what I will be ordering.

I like the spot. It's cute. I will be judicious in where I sit in the future. And I'll continue to enjoy the tequila choices, the carne asada, and the chips.

Another Visit to The Roosevelt

Earlier in July we headed back to The Roosevelt to enjoy another meal. This time a rehearsal dinner filled half the space. A bit strange since there is no way to partition a group gathering. And when the best man stood up to make a speech, all I could think of was Four Weddings and a Funeral. It took an enormous amount of effort to keep from rolling my eyes and bursting out with guffaws. I do wish the bride and groom a happy journey despite my cynicism.

In any case hubby and I ate, drank, and made merry. We began with cocktails: Jasper's Rum Punch and The Orange Door Hinge. Hubby enjoys rum and on this blazing hot night, it was very refreshing. My Hinge contained Espolon tequila and blood orange juice with a jalapeno hint and Kentucky Ale 8 soda. I have lately been won over by Espolon. The taste of the tequila shines through no matter what is added. This is a very good thing. I liked the black sea salt around the rim, too, but beware, it will temporarily turn lips and tongue black.

Jasper's Rum Punch

The Orange Door Hinge

We shared a salad and a snack: Peach and Burrata Salad and Fried Pork Rinds. The salad was the best thing we encountered all night (the rest was good, this was simply outstanding). The salad also contained arugula and hazelnuts with a Banyuls vinaigrette. So yummy. The pork rinds were still crackling as they were served - a grown up version of pop rocks and a nice crunchy companion to the salad.

The Virginia wine of the evening was a King Family Meritage. Once again, I'm happy that The Roosevelt had the gumption to only offer Virginia wine and that they select quality producers.

For dinner proper: Flap Steak with Fingerling Potatoes and Housemade A1 and Smoked Duck Leg with Cheddar Grits and Oyster and Sausage Gravy. The flap steak was similar to a flat iron. Hubby enjoyed it, but was not a fan of the A1 sauce. I was lured in by the duck, which was fabulous. I even enjoyed the oysters. The grits were too rich for me and I really could not eat them. I have to be careful about creamy-cheesy offerings be it quiche, alfredo sauce, or even mac and cheese. Other diners would have scarfed them down and asked for more, I'm sure.

Richmond has been blessed with some wonderful places to experience good food and drink. The Roosevelt continues to be one of these special places. Go soon and enjoy for yourself. And one more thing - despite the temperature of 100 degrees outside, the restaurant was cool and comfortable inside. A difficult thing to achieve with older buildings.

Plenty Good on the Cheap

Don't Look Back. We went here to eat after watching a matinee of  The Artist at the Byrd. A selection of beers, don't ask me what, since I am not a beer fan. From other reviews and comments I have heard they have decent offerings. An eye popping selection of tequila from the cheap stuff to the esoteric anejos. The menu contains prices (very nice to see) so you know what you are getting into. If you want a margarita, just add a buck for a small and two bucks for a large. Of course, I cannot recommend any of the anejos as the base for the lime green cocktail, those amigos are for slowly sipping and contemplating the origins of the universe. I can recommend the Espolon Silver as a margarita base. While the mix is sweet, the Espolon still shines through. It's important to be able to taste the tequila in a margarita. I need to return to try out the sipping varieties (with DD or taxi in tow).

The food menu is flat out cheap. This is a good thing. Since Nate formerly of Nate's Taco Truck fame is running the kitchen show, we knew the offerings would be delicious. They were. We started with chips, salsa, and guacamole. This is not free like many of the other establishments, but I would gladly fork over the $3 bucks ($2 for the chips and salsa and a $1 extra for the guac). Delicious.

I had the Pulled Chicken Taco and the Carnitas Taco, traditional style (lime and cilantro-topped, no cheese). Lovely as ever and since Nate is not at the South of the James Market these days, this is the place to grab these babies. Best of all - only $3 each.

Hubby had the Carnitas Burrito with pinto beans. A huge and tasty dish for only $7.

Yummy and inexpensive (at least if you lay off the agave offerings). Don't think about it, just go.

Caught in the Rain

DSC_0019 a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

I had the most wonderful cocktail at Acacia last week entitled Caught in the Rain. The ingredients consisted of Gran Centenario Azul Reposado Tequila, Del Maguey Crema Mezcal, and Aperol.

The taste? Imagine you are walking in a misty rain. It's about 65 degrees and a house has a smokey wood-fired chimney near by.

Wow!!

Thank you Michelle and staff at the Acacia Bar for your artistry!

Weekend Round Up

Lots of activity this weekend. On Saturday we shopped for furniture. If anyone out there is aware of a pair of cool oval, round, or triangular bedside tables - contemporary or whimsical, let me know. I've had no luck.

We popped by the French Food Festival supporting the Little Sisters of the Poor. While the beef burgundy was tasty, it was ordinary.

The Cream Puffs based on Sister Teresa's recipe were incredible! It will be worth returning next year just for these.

In the evening we headed to The Diamond for Flying Squirrel action. On the way, we paused at Kitchen 64 for a margarita. Kithen 64 makes them with Sauza Gold tequila. I have always liked this brand for making margaritas. It retains the tequila essence (hint of licorice and black pepper) despite the sour, lime, and orange mix. Yummy!

During the game, we tried the BBQ - okay, but no great shakes and Dominic's brats (good, as usual). A word to the wise - if you want food at The Diamond, get to the game early. The lines were horrendous! Our friends elected to eat peanuts (Virginia Diner brand, I'm pleased to report) for dinner becuase the game would have ended before they got dinner.

I thought I had read that the vendors would also serve wine as well as beer. No wine to be found, so I stuck with Coke.

We were pleased that our team won and we met Nutzy.

While I have not found any bedside tables, I did fall in love with a chair for the office. We brought it home today. A big shout-out to R-Prime for the use of his truck. I hope you enjoy the Chateau Meyney!

And we enjoyed some burgers and fries at Five Guys.  We both like bacon with our beef - me with cheese, grilled onions, and ketchup; hubby with A-1 sauce (remember steak burgers?).

Nice weekend.

La Casita - Fast, Funky, Fun

Probably the only reason we really go to La Casita is because it's within walking distance of our house. But every time we go we, it's enjoyable. The place is popular with the area locals and you get a lot of decent food for a great price. And don't forget the chips with three types of salsa - red, white, and green. I am fond of mixing the white and the green together and then spooning out some green sauce in my refried beans.

So, on Friday we headed to the little house once again at the corner of Azalea and Brook. The sign offers a hint of what's inside.


The funky holiday lights adds to the quirkiness of the place.

I tried the soft taco special of the evening with grilled steak, grilled onions, guacamole, and cilantro with Spanish rice and refried beans. Very tasty.

We also tried the drink special featuring tequila and orange curacao - way too sweet. We switched to margaritas for the second round.

It was still all good and doesn't break the bank. If only they featured some kind of pork dish...

Mmmmm...Margaritas

I enjoy margaritas. Always on the rocks. If I'm imbibing a bottom shelf bar 'rita, then I get it with salt. If the tequila is halfway decent, then no salt. I love sipping Patron Anejo, but seldom can afford it. Good tequila, to me, has a licorice/black pepper taste that is ever so smooth. My husband and I disagree on what we actually taste, but this is what I taste. Last night was margarita night and I bought a middle-of-the-road priced Sauza Gold from the ABC. I wanted to try something other than Cuervo. And the taste that I like so well came shining through in my margarita. To the tequila I added a squirt of fresh lime juice, a splash of orange liqueur, and topped it off with some El Paso Chile Company Margarita Mix.

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

I'll Stick to the Margarita

My hubby and I dined at The Cheesecake Factory last week. He had received a generous gift certificate and with the kitchen that continues to be in flux, we deserved the treat. The décor called up repressed collective tribal memories of Atlantis. Watery, ethereal, exotic. The menu contained something for everyone from down home comfort food favorites to Asian-fusion inspired offerings to Italian crowd pleasers. We paged through many menu pages, but only half of the pages listed food choices. Advertisements filled the opposing pages. Disconcerting, but we forged ahead. Wine choices were limited, but the cocktail list was extensive. The only pet peeve with the drink menu was the lack of prices. Why do nation-wide chains do that? I intrepidly ordered the El Diablo Margarita anyway. Tres Generaciones Anejo tequila with pomegranate and grapefruit juices. What a combination. Of course, the tequila had that peppery-licorice quality that I adore. The juices did not make this concoction overly sweet, just yummy. Our entrees (omelet and pork cutlet) were tasty, but not exceptional. The portions were quite large, however, and we took home leftovers in order to save room for dessert. I had never seen so many cheesecake choices in my entire life. I chose the Key Lime Cheesecake and my other half tried the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake. Both desserts disappointed. It seemed like neither of them were really baked, like a real homemade cheesecake would be. While both contained great flavor, the texture did not meet our expectations.

I’ll stick with the margarita…better, yet, I’ll experiment with making my own!