Eggs benedict with country sausage replacing the ham. Yummy! And warm enough to eat outside on the balcony.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Sunday, March 06, 2011
At Last
All of you told me I had to try it. I kept promising to go and just never made it. On Friday hubby wanted to go eat somewhere else, and I put my foot down and said "NO! I want to go to Aziza's!" When I am in this mood, he agrees to whatever I say. So, we went to Aziza's on Main.
We arrived fairly earlier and surprisingly, they were not busy. Although the kitchen was at work as we approached and the wood fired brick oven was ablaze.
We experienced friendly service from the entire staff and began with a bottle of Napa Cellars Zinfandel. Very drinkable and a good choice for dinner.
The wine selection offered a reasonable variety at reasonable prices. If we had been in the mood to splurge we would have had a tough time deciding amongst the three high end red choices. While pricey, all were a bargain in the restaurant arena.
The small plates and entrees were tempting, but we needed to try the pizza. Aziza's offers both the red and white variety (10 inches in diameter) with a multitude of combinations or we could build our own. We decided to do a bit of both. We got the pepperoni and roasted red peppers with red sauce and cow mozzarella and added hot sausage. Tasty! And we loved the crust!!
We also ordered white pizza with garlic, fontina, chile, and oregano and added salt packed capers. The crust on this gem was even better, but the capers did make the pie extremely salty.
We munched and imbibed and exclaimed how good everything was and generally stuffed ourselves. We had no room for dessert. But we had drooled over the chocolate toffee cake and the cream puffs while we waited for our meal to arrive. We did what any sensible couple would do; we got dessert to go. And much later in the evening at home, the desserts were delightful accompanied by a glass of port.
Lovely evening, lovely restaurant, lovely wine, lovely pizza. And affordable prices. I should have listened to all of you and dined here sooner.
We arrived fairly earlier and surprisingly, they were not busy. Although the kitchen was at work as we approached and the wood fired brick oven was ablaze.
We experienced friendly service from the entire staff and began with a bottle of Napa Cellars Zinfandel. Very drinkable and a good choice for dinner.
The wine selection offered a reasonable variety at reasonable prices. If we had been in the mood to splurge we would have had a tough time deciding amongst the three high end red choices. While pricey, all were a bargain in the restaurant arena.
The small plates and entrees were tempting, but we needed to try the pizza. Aziza's offers both the red and white variety (10 inches in diameter) with a multitude of combinations or we could build our own. We decided to do a bit of both. We got the pepperoni and roasted red peppers with red sauce and cow mozzarella and added hot sausage. Tasty! And we loved the crust!!
We also ordered white pizza with garlic, fontina, chile, and oregano and added salt packed capers. The crust on this gem was even better, but the capers did make the pie extremely salty.
We munched and imbibed and exclaimed how good everything was and generally stuffed ourselves. We had no room for dessert. But we had drooled over the chocolate toffee cake and the cream puffs while we waited for our meal to arrive. We did what any sensible couple would do; we got dessert to go. And much later in the evening at home, the desserts were delightful accompanied by a glass of port.
Lovely evening, lovely restaurant, lovely wine, lovely pizza. And affordable prices. I should have listened to all of you and dined here sooner.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Yum Yum Good
Last weekend we attended an incredible Chablis tasting at J. Emerson and then jaunted over to Patterson to enjoy Chinese food at Yum Yum Good. This tiny place has been around for years, and continues to serve up decent and inexpensive meals. A few tables were occupied, but most of the traffic came from take out.
We began with Wonton Soup
and a Spring Roll
Both tasty. The soup was very welcome on this chilly, windy evening.
For the main couse we ordered General Tao's Chicken
and an evening special of Chicken and String Beans
The General Tao's was what one would expect, but the breading was crispier than most places around here and a few peppers and baby corn graced the sauce. The special was very good. The string beans were steamed and then fiercely sauteed. A few tree ears were also tossed in. All of the plates had been kept very warm, thus, keeping the food warmer during the meal which I thought was a nice touch.
And our traditional fortune cookie contained a fortune in Spanish!
Nobody knows what he can do until he tries (translation courtesy of iGoogle).
All in all a quiet satisfactory evening.
We began with Wonton Soup
and a Spring Roll
Both tasty. The soup was very welcome on this chilly, windy evening.
For the main couse we ordered General Tao's Chicken
and an evening special of Chicken and String Beans
The General Tao's was what one would expect, but the breading was crispier than most places around here and a few peppers and baby corn graced the sauce. The special was very good. The string beans were steamed and then fiercely sauteed. A few tree ears were also tossed in. All of the plates had been kept very warm, thus, keeping the food warmer during the meal which I thought was a nice touch.
And our traditional fortune cookie contained a fortune in Spanish!
Nobody knows what he can do until he tries (translation courtesy of iGoogle).
All in all a quiet satisfactory evening.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
A February South-er of the James Market
We returned to the winter version of SOJ yesterday to find several vendors including:
Snider Brothers Greenhouse Bus
Alfedo's Honey
Sullivan's Pond Farm featuring goat cheese and eggs
And Pizza Tonight with their mobile brick oven
Snider Brothers Greenhouse Bus
Alfedo's Honey
Sullivan's Pond Farm featuring goat cheese and eggs
And Pizza Tonight with their mobile brick oven
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Something New
At least for me. A couple of weeks ago we went to Acacia and ate at the bar (our favorite spot is the bar). While hubby indulged in a couple of craft cocktails, I was on the wagon this evening. (Sigh...)
Anyway, as I perused the menu, I decided to try something new. Keep in mind, I am not a fish fan and this was an incredibly bold step for me. I ordered the marinated white anchovies with wilted radicchio and romaine. What I had envisioned was a salad. What I received was art.
But a bit overwhelming with the multitude of little fishes. The bitterness of the radicchio with the vinaigrette and the anchovies paired very well together. Afterwards, however, I could really taste the fish. Anyone who likes fish would have drooled over this dish. And I ate every bit of it. But my flirtation with anchovies is over.
For the next course, I stuck to the small plate listing and ordered something that I knew would make me happy: Duck confit with roasted potatoes and butternut squash topped with an egg.
Oh so, so good. While I don't make this at home, I still consider it comfort food.
On this night we splurged on dessert: salted chocolate torte with chocolate ganache, carmelized banana, and brown butter ice cream.
Dreamy and delicious. The tiny addition of the salt made the sweet concoction even better. Hubby enjoyed it with a glass of tawny port.
Anyway, as I perused the menu, I decided to try something new. Keep in mind, I am not a fish fan and this was an incredibly bold step for me. I ordered the marinated white anchovies with wilted radicchio and romaine. What I had envisioned was a salad. What I received was art.
But a bit overwhelming with the multitude of little fishes. The bitterness of the radicchio with the vinaigrette and the anchovies paired very well together. Afterwards, however, I could really taste the fish. Anyone who likes fish would have drooled over this dish. And I ate every bit of it. But my flirtation with anchovies is over.
For the next course, I stuck to the small plate listing and ordered something that I knew would make me happy: Duck confit with roasted potatoes and butternut squash topped with an egg.
Oh so, so good. While I don't make this at home, I still consider it comfort food.
On this night we splurged on dessert: salted chocolate torte with chocolate ganache, carmelized banana, and brown butter ice cream.
Dreamy and delicious. The tiny addition of the salt made the sweet concoction even better. Hubby enjoyed it with a glass of tawny port.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday Brunch at Lulu's
After wandering down to Great Shiplock Park, we needed sustenance. We tried to visit Aziza's on Main. Alas, no lunch service on Saturday (one day I will eat at this place!). After looking at a few other places, we decided to head for Lulu's and were extremely pleased that they were serving brunch on Saturday.
We perused the menu and both ordered the same thing: Paco's Barnyard Romance - two chicken tamales, fried eggs, salsa verde. The tamales were nestled amid black beans and the over easy eggs covered fried potatoes.
SO GOOD! The egg yolks added decadent richness and the touch of salsa verde added the zing that put the dish over the top.
We perused the menu and both ordered the same thing: Paco's Barnyard Romance - two chicken tamales, fried eggs, salsa verde. The tamales were nestled amid black beans and the over easy eggs covered fried potatoes.
SO GOOD! The egg yolks added decadent richness and the touch of salsa verde added the zing that put the dish over the top.
Korean Garden
On Friday we found ourselves south of the river and I insisted that we try Korean Garden. The last time I was in this building it was a Red Lobster (yes, I know, I'm showing my age). We arrived early to a nearly empty restaurant, but as the evening progressed more diners entered.
The menu offered Korean specialties as well as traditional Japanese dishes and sushi. But we came for the Korean dishes. Since we had a hard time deciding we ordered some steamed dumplings and hot tea to start. The dumpling wrappers were delicate and filled with beef. Our waitress, dressed in a traditional outfit of red and black, realized we still had problems deciding and suggested that we order Bul Gogi, one beef and one spicy pork. We readily agreed. Both dishes featured thinly sliced seasoned meat. With the Korean BBQ dishes a bevy of traditional side dishes accompany the meal as well as rice and lettuce leaves. To eat the meat, one takes a lettuce leaf, spreads a bit of flavorful paste on the leaf, adds a dollop of rice, and then some of the meat. Wrap the leaf around everything and consume. The lettuce was red leaf and of high quality - no bad spots or blemishes. Very delicious.
The side dishes were small but numerous and featured spicy hot, vinegary/sour, sweet, and salty as well as steamed eggs with a bit of green onion. My favorites were the radish in a sweet/sour vinegar, seaweed, noodles, and kimchi. Hubby liked the bean sprouts, the black beans, and the radish. Anchovy slivers were also served and we tried them, but they were not as appealing to us.
We were clumsy in making our wraps, but enjoyed the food and the different flavors immensely. The wait staff brought more lettuce as we continued to devour our meat. The meat portions were big with the side dishes being small and served family style.
A tasty evening. The little side dishes were the surprise of the evening and gave us a peek into the flavors of this cuisine. In the back of the building is a Korean market with a wide variety of items including big jars of kimchi.
Korean Garden
6827 Midlothian Tnpk
Richmond, VA
804.675.0511
The menu offered Korean specialties as well as traditional Japanese dishes and sushi. But we came for the Korean dishes. Since we had a hard time deciding we ordered some steamed dumplings and hot tea to start. The dumpling wrappers were delicate and filled with beef. Our waitress, dressed in a traditional outfit of red and black, realized we still had problems deciding and suggested that we order Bul Gogi, one beef and one spicy pork. We readily agreed. Both dishes featured thinly sliced seasoned meat. With the Korean BBQ dishes a bevy of traditional side dishes accompany the meal as well as rice and lettuce leaves. To eat the meat, one takes a lettuce leaf, spreads a bit of flavorful paste on the leaf, adds a dollop of rice, and then some of the meat. Wrap the leaf around everything and consume. The lettuce was red leaf and of high quality - no bad spots or blemishes. Very delicious.
The side dishes were small but numerous and featured spicy hot, vinegary/sour, sweet, and salty as well as steamed eggs with a bit of green onion. My favorites were the radish in a sweet/sour vinegar, seaweed, noodles, and kimchi. Hubby liked the bean sprouts, the black beans, and the radish. Anchovy slivers were also served and we tried them, but they were not as appealing to us.
We were clumsy in making our wraps, but enjoyed the food and the different flavors immensely. The wait staff brought more lettuce as we continued to devour our meat. The meat portions were big with the side dishes being small and served family style.
A tasty evening. The little side dishes were the surprise of the evening and gave us a peek into the flavors of this cuisine. In the back of the building is a Korean market with a wide variety of items including big jars of kimchi.
Korean Garden
6827 Midlothian Tnpk
Richmond, VA
804.675.0511
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Good Morning!
Still Life (detail) Elizabeth V. O. Paxton (American 20th century), The White Coffee Pot. Oil on canvas, from the Maryhill Museum of Art in Washington State, located in the Columbia River Gorge.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Dinner at Chez Foushee
Last Friday we were on the prowl for dinner. We had attended the ArtWorks 4th Friday. It was a bit late. We really wanted to go to Cafe Rustica, but they were packed. We jaunted up a bit further to check out Bistro 27. Closed for a private function (wow! on a Friday). We had recently dined at Tarrant's. As we trudged back to the car, we came across Chez Foushee. I knew this weekday lunch and catering establishment had begun opening for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, but I had no real interest. We had eaten lunch here many years ago and was not enthused. The hype outranked the substance. But tonight, it was cold and we were ready to eat and they had a table available.
First up, a Cava Cocktail: Canton Bamboo - crystallized ginger and cognac ginger liqueur. The ginger added that subtle heat for a cold winter night. So far, so good.
We ordered Pork and Shrimp Pot Stickers with Tonkatsu Sauce to enjoy with our ginger-enhanced cocktail. Great pairing. More pork-like than shrimp-like. I really liked the sauce.
The wine list was short, but reasonable. Nothing over $30 and all of the wine selections were available by the glass. We selected a Ferraton Côtes du Rhône.
For dinner hubby had the Grilled Salmon Steak with potato gnocchi, oregano vinaigrette, and beet root coulis. Pretty grilled presentation and quite tasty. The potato gnocchi was the absolute bomb.
I, of course, had to order Braised Duck Shank with winter fruit compote and potato gnocchi. Fall off the bone duck with a spiced fruit sauce. I love duck and this dish was perfect for a cold winter evening. If I had been at home I would have picked up the bones and scarfed up all of the delightful meaty morsels that still had the tenacity to cling.
On this night Chez Foushee did not disappoint. I like the dining area with the bi-level dining spaces. Being in a older building also lends charm and character to the experience. They also offer a $25 prix fixe on Friday and Saturday nights.
First up, a Cava Cocktail: Canton Bamboo - crystallized ginger and cognac ginger liqueur. The ginger added that subtle heat for a cold winter night. So far, so good.
We ordered Pork and Shrimp Pot Stickers with Tonkatsu Sauce to enjoy with our ginger-enhanced cocktail. Great pairing. More pork-like than shrimp-like. I really liked the sauce.
The wine list was short, but reasonable. Nothing over $30 and all of the wine selections were available by the glass. We selected a Ferraton Côtes du Rhône.
For dinner hubby had the Grilled Salmon Steak with potato gnocchi, oregano vinaigrette, and beet root coulis. Pretty grilled presentation and quite tasty. The potato gnocchi was the absolute bomb.
I, of course, had to order Braised Duck Shank with winter fruit compote and potato gnocchi. Fall off the bone duck with a spiced fruit sauce. I love duck and this dish was perfect for a cold winter evening. If I had been at home I would have picked up the bones and scarfed up all of the delightful meaty morsels that still had the tenacity to cling.
On this night Chez Foushee did not disappoint. I like the dining area with the bi-level dining spaces. Being in a older building also lends charm and character to the experience. They also offer a $25 prix fixe on Friday and Saturday nights.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Pot Rack!
In the forever continuing saga of kitchen renovation: pot rack installation. Williams Sonoma was having a sweet sale on this Eclune model.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sam Miller's
After being out there for 35 years, we finally dined at Sam Miller's.
I had gone on-line to see the menu. A lot of traditional offerings; a couple of inventive ones. We actually made reservations (a bit unusual for us).
When we arrived there were a few folks at the bar and the dining room was less than half full. So, where were we seated? Not in a little cozy corner for two (even though we had made reservations and cozy tables were plentiful). We were seated with a grand view of the dining room entrance and the TV at the bar playing that night's NBA game.
Really?
We received our menus and the choices did not match the on-line menu. Gone were any signs of inventiveness. Oh well. Hubby was on the wagon tonight and I almost ordered a glass of wine. On second thought, the place was not busy and I did not trust the turnover of the open bottles. I ordered a whiskey sour, instead. (This turned out to be a good move. Later in the evening another couple, seated after us in a cozy corner, sent back a glass of wine.) Upon ordering, our waiter asked which type of whiskey I wanted. I asked what the house brand was. After a bit of hesitation, he stated Evan Williams. Fine by me since it would be added to sour mix. At this point I got the impression he was used to serving business entities with corporate accounts.
To eat I ordered the crabcake sandwich on a freshly made roll. Hubby ordered the salmon over mashed potatoes. My crabcake was decent, but not the best in Richmond. A bit bland for my tastes. The roll was a typical upscale sandwich roll that I can find at Kroger's or Martin's. When the salmon arrived, it was over roasted potatoes and topped with asparagus (these sides were on the fish of the day offerings). When we pointed this out our waiter said all dishes came with these sides for the evening. We had to insist that we had read the menu correctly and had even seen another table (also in a cozy table) receive the type of dish we ordered. He returned with the correct sides and said he thought we had ordered the fish of the day. Really?
The salmon was a great piece of fish and hubby thoroughly enjoyed it.
Upon clearing our plates, our waiter asked if we needed separate checks. Really? I understand that Sam Miller's must make its living from the business/convention crowd, but none of those types of groups were dining there that night. It just seemed a bit odd.
While the fish was good, the rest of the experience was less than satisfactory. I'll throw Sam Miller's back into the business/convention ocean and seek sustenance on other shores.
I had gone on-line to see the menu. A lot of traditional offerings; a couple of inventive ones. We actually made reservations (a bit unusual for us).
When we arrived there were a few folks at the bar and the dining room was less than half full. So, where were we seated? Not in a little cozy corner for two (even though we had made reservations and cozy tables were plentiful). We were seated with a grand view of the dining room entrance and the TV at the bar playing that night's NBA game.
Really?
We received our menus and the choices did not match the on-line menu. Gone were any signs of inventiveness. Oh well. Hubby was on the wagon tonight and I almost ordered a glass of wine. On second thought, the place was not busy and I did not trust the turnover of the open bottles. I ordered a whiskey sour, instead. (This turned out to be a good move. Later in the evening another couple, seated after us in a cozy corner, sent back a glass of wine.) Upon ordering, our waiter asked which type of whiskey I wanted. I asked what the house brand was. After a bit of hesitation, he stated Evan Williams. Fine by me since it would be added to sour mix. At this point I got the impression he was used to serving business entities with corporate accounts.
To eat I ordered the crabcake sandwich on a freshly made roll. Hubby ordered the salmon over mashed potatoes. My crabcake was decent, but not the best in Richmond. A bit bland for my tastes. The roll was a typical upscale sandwich roll that I can find at Kroger's or Martin's. When the salmon arrived, it was over roasted potatoes and topped with asparagus (these sides were on the fish of the day offerings). When we pointed this out our waiter said all dishes came with these sides for the evening. We had to insist that we had read the menu correctly and had even seen another table (also in a cozy table) receive the type of dish we ordered. He returned with the correct sides and said he thought we had ordered the fish of the day. Really?
The salmon was a great piece of fish and hubby thoroughly enjoyed it.
Upon clearing our plates, our waiter asked if we needed separate checks. Really? I understand that Sam Miller's must make its living from the business/convention crowd, but none of those types of groups were dining there that night. It just seemed a bit odd.
While the fish was good, the rest of the experience was less than satisfactory. I'll throw Sam Miller's back into the business/convention ocean and seek sustenance on other shores.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
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