South of the James Market Goodies

The South of the James Market is still going strong, thank goodness, with a plethora of veteran producers as well as newcomers. Always fun to visit!

Check out these beauties:

Take time on a Saturday morning to head on over to Forest Hill Park and grab some goodness.

Imperial China in London

We ducked into Imperial China for lunch one day. The entrance was unassuming, but led into a little outdoor courtyard with a little waterfall and an arched bridge and colorful Chinese lanterns. Upon entering the second door, a large dining room appeared with more lanterns and a variety of diners. A couple reminisced over wine (every Asian place we went to in London had a wonderful wine list); girlfriends were taking a break from shopping; in the corner businessmen ate and talked about how to amass more treasure; a family celebrated their matriarch's birthday.

Amid the bustle we were seated and given a menu that offered a la carte items, dim sum, and a set menu. We opted for the set menu for lunch. A very traditional meal.

We began with Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup along with a pot of Jasmine Tea. When we were served the soup, we discovered the name of the restaurant.

We then had Crispy Duck with Pancakes. Of course, this was my favorite dish. It reminded me of Moo Shu Pork, but this was much better. We received shredded duck and crispy duck skin for the pancakes. Add plum sauce and scallions to the package and I was in heaven.

For the main dish we could choose between Chicken and Lemon Sauce or Sweet and Sour Shrimp. I got the former and hubby the latter. We were also served Stir Fried Vegetables and rice. Each dish was good and plentiful.

This was a nice place for lunch. We were pleased to come upon this on the edge of Chinatown. And that duck was fabulous.

SOJ 7/7 and 7/14

Summertime at South of the James Market. It's blazing hot, so it's to everyone's advantage to arrive early. As hot as it is shopping for all of the delicious variety of products, it's even hotter working in the fields or slaving over a hot stove/oven to provide us with all of this goodness. My thanks to everyone who works so hard to bring me and others such delightfulness.

With the hard work comes a feast for the eyes. The colorful variety of tomatoes always catch my eye as well as the bright peppers. Peaches, watermelon, and berries abound. Coxcomb is also in undulating bloom. And don't forget the adorable canines.

If you have any photos of any of the area markets, post them to the RVA Farmers' Market site and stay cool y'all!

SOJ 5/18/2012

Last Saturday was so busy, we only had time for a brief stop at the South of the James Market. But Markiss Blowfish was already plugged in and greeting everyone with some blues. Of course, we purchased a fresh chicken from Ault's. An abundance of veggies continue to delight the senses, including a market favorite, Asian turnips. And don't forget the must-have Maple Bourbon Bacon Popcorn from Dollop.

What are your favorite market finds? Post photos of any of the area markets on the RVA Farmers Market flickr site.

SOJ 5/5/2012 Pictorial

The regular South of the James Market opened last week at Forest Hill Park. Yeah! We snapped up chicken, fresh garlic, Japanese turnips, lettuce, iced coffee, sirloin steak, and BBQ last week. So glad to see the variety of vendors and all of the patrons.

I took a lot of pictures, per usual, and wanted to share.

There are over 15 different weekly markets in the Richmond area this year. Support your local producers as much as you can.

If you have photos of any of the area markets, please post them on the Richmond Area Farmers Markets flickr site.

Friendly Hospitality

Last Saturday we traveled east to Quinton for a fantastic home-cooked dinner with friends. What a fantastic feast!

Here's the line up so you can be envious:

Olive Medley with Mahon, Parrano, and Idiazabal Cheeses

Country Pork Pate with Cornichons

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

Mashed Potatoes and Celery Root Graced with Chopped Celery Leaves

Ox Tails

Broccolini, Carrot, and Pepper Medley

Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms and Bacon

Caramel Sea Salt Ice Cream

With dinner we enjoyed a Brunello and a Vacqueyras. With dessert, a special treat - Russell's Reserve Bourbon infused with maple sugar. OMG! Stupid good.

What a wonderful evening with friends.

Out to Pasture

A couple of Fridays ago we stopped by Lemaire to have $5 Manhattans during happy hour. We would then wander downtown to find dinner. Since Pasture was near by, I wanted to stroll over to at least see what the place looked like. To our surprise they still had numerous tables available so we stayed and ate.

I liked the bright green colors against the white walls and wood. I liked the soaring ceilings and the large storefront windows.

The menu offered lots of Southern-influenced variety. All small plates meant to be shared. We started off with a Chinon (Cab Franc) at $29. We like wine from this French region and this red did not disappoint.

We ordered quite a few plates. Some were outstanding, others had us shaking our heads. Here is a run down:

Pimento Cheese $4

Both hubby and I liked this starter. I have never been a huge fan of the stuff even though I grew up in the South, but this one was creamy with finely shredded cheese with a hint of pimento pepper throughout. Easy to share with Ritz-style crackers. From a taste and cost perspective, we would consider ordering again.

Deviled Eggs $7

While decent-tasting, fairly ordinary. My sister-in-law produces about the same (minus the salmon roe which did not impart a lot of flavor) for a lot less money. We would pass on this small plate next time.

Sweet Tea Smoked Trout $11

Kick ass. Loved this dish. Lightly smoked and moist. I would order this dish every time.

Brussels Sprouts $6

Hubby enjoyed them. I thought they were okay, but I'm not a huge sprouts fan. The portion seemed small for the price.

Fried Oysters $10

Served with cole slaw. Hubby (who is my fried oyster aficionado) said they were decent, but a small helping. The slaw was just okay. Pasture would not be his go-to fried oyster place.

Pork Rillettes $8

While hubby was not a fan, I really enjoyed this dish. The intense pork flavor and creamy fat with crostini-like toast was fabulous. Served with quince and whole-grain mustard, fresh parsley, and pickled fennel. I thought the amount and quality of food for the price was also good. I would order this again.

Fried Chicken $11

Served with spicy honey (a nice touch) and potato salad. Some of the best fried chicken ever outside of my mom's (about the only dish she can make) and my husband's grandfather (cast iron skillet on the grill). The potato salad was just so-so. I took some of my parsley from the pork rillettes and mixed it with the potato salad to give it a flavor boost. So even though the chicken was great we kept talking the price and the smallness of the plate. We weren't sure if we could continually justify the price when I can make pretty good chicken at home.

While the Candy Bar looked tempting for dessert, we had ordered a lot and decided to pass on the sweet stuff.

We had attentive, casual service throughout the evening. As our dinner progressed the place filled up and got a bit louder. The number of cars using the valet parking service astonished us. I guess for the later diners, it was the thing to do. For us, we left with full bellies, a few memorable dishes, and a few misses and wandered back to our car parked about a block away from The Jefferson.