Festival of India

Last weekend the Greater Richmond Convention Center hosted the Festival of India.

We went and had a fabulous time. The food was great. The dancing competition showcased favorite Bollywood songs. I think we were the only couple who did not recognize them.

The music was energetic. The clothing vendors offered colorful flowing items. The jewelry vendors featured adornments that sparkled with 22k gold.

Did I mention the great food? We began with samosas filled with potato and chickpeas and served with tamarind dipping sauce. We enjoyed a salty lemonade (sherbert) to drink.

The butter chicken was spicy (at least to us!). The plain rice helped cool our mouths.

The best dish was the chicken kati. Kind of like an Indian-style burrito that is traditionally street vendor food. The chicken curry was graced with mint chutney before being rolled up in an egg-based Indian flatbread. Truly outstanding!

The festival was free and I assume it will be free next year, too. All of the food vendors had posted menu items with all of the ingredients clearly listed. This helped us newbies as we decided what to eat. I encourage everyone to attend next year. I'm looking forward to it!

Celebrating at Kuba Kuba

My friend 007 got engaged to sweet Mr. B. To celebrate we took them out to one of her favorite places - Kuba Kuba.

Although we arrived a bit before 6 PM, the line was out the door. So we sat outside and the happy couple shared some of their dating/wedding plan adventures.

Once seated we ordered a bottle of 2008 Sass Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Oregon. We have always liked this wine and our waiter even waxed rhapsodic about the stuff.

Cuban pressed sandwiches (with and without chorizo), chicken-pineapple sandwich, and vegetarian paella were the orders for the evening. All delicious, of course.

And for dessert? Cafe con leche with sweetened condensed milk.

Happy times.

Bryan Park Centennial Celebration

A beautiful, if somewhat warm, day.

Jazzbo's Red Beans and Rice (a bit on the mild side - needed some hot sauce to give it some zing)

Q Barbeque. Yum.

Soul Ice in Lemon/Lime flavors for dessert.

More photos.

Summer Into Fall at SOJ

Lots of yummy items at the market.

Would love to see other local market photos. Post them here.

Enjoying the Positive

This past week we headed across the river to Max's Positive Vibe Cafe. I had dined here once a few years ago and hubby had never been. We knew that Chef Frits Huntjens had taken over the Executive Chef reins and we wanted to do something positive while enjoying our favorite past time.

As we entered a reception was being held in the bar area for an unknown group. A bit noisy, but not too intrusive. While being promptly seated we noticed only one other table occupied, which was a shame since the meal we enjoyed was delicious and reasonably priced.

The wine menu listed a variety of choices, most under $30, but a few that were also splurge-worthy. We selected a 2005 Villa Mt. Eden Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley ($25). Medium-bodied with bing cherry fruit.

For dinner hubby ordered Pan Seared Flounder Filet with Lemon and Caper Butter, Sauteed Broccoli, and Hand Cut French Fries ($14.95)

He liked the flounder - moist with more of a lemoness to the sauce than capers.

I ordered Flat Iron Steak with a Green Peppercorn and Cognac Cream Sauce with Sauteed Squash, and Hand Cut French Fries ($17.95)

The flat iron was a bit thicker than expected (like a sirloin cut), but very tasy. The sauce contained a hint of mustard, too. Very nice.

The fries were kick-ass. And rival, if not surpass Can Can's frites. They were served in tall diner-syle water glasses and wrapped in parchment paper. Extremely good. And my peppercorn-cognac sauce made for the best dipping sauce for the fries.

Definitely, a most positive experience. Go get your positive on, soon.

Armenian Food Festival

While we were somewhat disappointed with Oktoberfest last weekend, we experienced Hye Burger love at the Armenian Food Festival at St. James Armenian Church. This festival has run for over 50 years.

Almost all of the menu tempted us, but seeing the Hye Burgers grilling in the back of the tent cemented our choice.

Hye Burgers are a mixture of ground lamb and sirloin with onion, herbs, and spices - hand-formed and grilled. They are topped with sauteed onions and peppers and served with pita bread. We ordered the combo with pilaf and lupia (Armenian-style green beans with tomato sauce).

The burgers were enormous and juicy. The herbs and spices added delicious flavor. And, by jove, I was eating lamb and singing its praises (I am generally not a lamb girl).

The festival also offered Armenian wine and we chose a bottle of Khoran - semi-sweet red wine.

A little sweet, very fruity, and a touch of effervescence. It reminded us of Lambrusco, but paired well with our awesome burgers.

Armenian music added to the festive occasion as well as traditional songs from the Greater Richmond Children's Choir.