Richmond Folk Festival 2012

Greetings all. You may or may not have missed me. Hubby and I have been gallivanting up and down the east coast on vacation with a few local festivals in between. Since I take a ton of photos, I've been busy editing and uploading all manner of visual stimulation.

My favorite RVA festival, hands-down, is the Richmond Folk Festival. We managed to attend all three days. The weather was wonderful. We like to mix it up a bit by listening to some wonderful performances and then enjoying dinner at one of the restaurants nearby.

On Friday before the festival began, we enjoyed a cocktail at Bistro 27 along with Fried Calamari at the bar.

While we there, Phil Wiggins arrived at the bar for a beer and the Beef Carpaccio.

At the festival we began on a Celtic note with the Liz Carroll Trio and some mighty fine Cape Breton and Irish fiddling.

We ended up at Chez Foushee for dinner. The Steak with Bordelaise Sauce and Truffle Salt Fries and Duck Confit with Candied Orange Peel Gastrique ended up being very satisfying choices. The orange sauce in the duck dish was subtle and gave the rice a slightly sweet and slightly tannic edge. A Milbrandt Vineyards Cab complemented both dishes.

On Saturday, we arrived around noon and enjoyed a wonderful Jambalaya from Gail's Gumbo House. Gail is local and the "better half" of Big Daddy's BBQ. You can also find Gail dishing up BBQ and Gumbo at the South of the James Market most Saturdays.

We experienced wonderful musical performances including Forro Pe De Serra All Stars and Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-chas.

Everyone rocked the Dominion Dance Pavilion. As usual, what a fun time.

We drifted over to the Community Stage to catch the American Indian Music and Dance Show as well as James "Super Chikan" Johnson and the Fighting Cocks. Super Chikan turned out to be my favorite act. These guys were so good and I appreciated the fact that all of the "Fighting Cocks" were women. If you get a chance make sure you catch a performance somewhere. I loved Lala on the keyboards and Heather on the bass was always cool and in the groove sporting bared feet.

After we revived from our blues-kicking experience we wandered over to Bistro Bobette to see if they had any tables available. We had not dined here in a very long time. Not because we didn't want to; it just did not happen. The sign of an incredible place is when they still recognize you and treat you as an old friend. Olivier, the bartender, greeted us enthusiastically and set us up with a nice table despite our t-shirts and somewhat dusty jeans. One of the owners also welcomed us warmly. We really felt like we had returned home. Hubby ordered the Arctic Char with a white wine pesto. He thoroughly enjoyed it. I could not resist ordering the Veal Tenderloin with a garlic, rosemary, and red pepper sauce. Most excellent. The touch of red pepper was a special treat along with a few sprigs of fresh oregano. We enjoyed a lovely and silky Burgundy with the meal.

Our aim on Sunday was to attend the Blues House Party with Nathan Williams, James Johnson, Phil Wiggins, and John Dee Holeman among others. What a great jam session. This was the best performance of the festival (at least for us).

John Dee Holeman

Phil Wiggins

One last bit and it was an unexpected delight. The folkways exhibits featured Fried Apple Pies. My Grandma used to make these half-moon shaped desserts for every family gathering and I loved them. She used dried apples and lots of spices and rolled out her own dough. I never got her recipe (she passed away before I became interested in cooking). I have run across fried apple pies in different places, but none of them had dried apples. Well, Frances Davis gave me a sweet taste of nostalgia on the final day of the Folk Festival. The dough was slightly different, but after one taste I knew it would be the closest I would get to my favorite childhood dessert.

The booth handed out recipes and I am including it here.

For the Pie Crust

4 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Take out 2/3's of this mixture and mix with 1/2 cup milk to form a paste. Add the shortening to remaining flour and blend until pieces are the size of small peas. Add flour paste to shortening flour mixture. Mix well until dough comes together and can be shaped into a ball. Roll out crust 1/8 inch thick. Make five pie crusts. Use more liquid if you desire softer dough.

For the Pie Filling

6 cups dried apples
3 teaspoons allspice
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Mix all ingredients together in a large sauce pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thick. Cool overnight before making pies.

This is the end of the recipe. I assume the next steps are to place the apples onto the pie crust, fold over, crimp, and fry in hot oil. In any case, a delicious taste of the past.

If you have never attended the Richmond Folk Festival, you are missing out on one of the best things that RVA has to offer. First of all, it's FREE!!! and they provide shuttle buses if you are not interested in finding parking downtown (also free). The wide variety of music is phenomenal and all of the performers are incredible. A great way to enjoy a weekend and discover new music and cultures.

The Carytown Farmers Market

A new Sunday market just sprouted up: The Carytown Farmers Market. The market is open 10 AM until 2 PM every Sunday. Opening day brought rain so my pics are few, but, while small, the market offers a nice variety of veggies, fruit, flowers, meat (including duck!), doggie treats, pickles, and fresh pasta.

Keep supporting your local farmers!

Aziza's on Main - Now Serving...

Vodka Limeades! And only $5 during Happy Hour!

I toasted my nephew with one of these to congratulate him as he makes his way in the world. The smart guy with the incredible hair is off on a full ride to Hampden-Sydney. (Please note: Nephew celebrated with water. He can get his own adult limeades when he gets a degree and a well-paying job!)

We also had pizza. The best pizza my nephew ever had. Thank you, Aziza, for making the night a special one!

Garnett's: Casual Goodness and Lovely Photo Ops

Need an inexpensive, cozy spot teeming with deliciousness? Garnett's Cafe is just the place. We did not want to cook, but did not want to spend a fortune. We still wanted wine with our meal. Date night at Garnett's Cafe fit the bill. Two sandwiches and a bottle of wine: $30. Boom.

There's another reason I like the place: fabulous photo ops. Take a gander.

As we approach the entrance

Our table was situated under this print

I like the bar/lunch counter as well as the various state plates

YOu can never go wrong with a Michael Shaps wine. Even the whites are good.

Hubby enjoyed the Turkey and Swiss with Cole Slaw

I like The Colonel with roast beef, turkey, Swiss, and tiger sauce

The old iconic chairs have been replaced with colorful uniformity. Garnett's is so in sync even the bikes complement the colors!

The only bad thing about Garnett's? Not within walking distance of my house!

What Was Enjoyed at the Filipino Festival

In mid-August Our Lady of Lourdes hosts the Filipino Festival. Food and entertainment ensure for two days during one of the hottest months of the year. This year, the Friday evening was bearable, so we threaded the parking maze and thoroughly enjoyed our favorite Filipino dishes.

Lechon - roasted pig with crispy skin

Pancit

Lumpia

Pork Adobo

We also liked the variety of t-shirts.

Deco - A Little Italian Gem

As we approached Deco, we already liked it. The transformation of the exterior to a classic art deco style is quite pleasing.

The interior is sleek and artful.

Deco offers traditional Italian cocktails (as well as other libations). The Aperol Spritz was perfect drinking for a summer evening and pretty for the eye to admire.

As we perused the menu, the Fried Fresh Mozzarella called out to us. We both like fried cheese. We were introduced to really good  fried cheese about 20 years ago at a non-defunct restaurant in Williamsburg. The place used fresh mozzarella and we loved it. Deco's version offers generous portions, lightly breaded with a tomato sauce. Since this is fresh, it is not overly salty and while the tomato sauce is good, we really liked eating it with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Yum.

For his entree hubby ordered the special of the evening: Mussels and Pasta with a Tomato Sauce (your choice of spicy or non-spicy). He could not decide on which sauce and so the kitchen combined a bit of both to his satisfaction.

I had the thinly sliced and breaded veal. Very tasty. The entree was accompanied by the side of the day which was a green bean and potato salad. I raved about the salad with its perfectly cooked ingredients and a tasty vinegary twang.

We enjoyed a Rosso from Puglia with the meal.

A lovely little gem of a spot nestled within the Museum District. Delicious food. Affordable prices. With all of the news about various places closing, go give the newly opened Deco some love so they will stick around.

Have a Delicious Evening at Accanto

Okay all of you living in the Far West End/Short Pump area - Listen up! Accanto is nestled amongst you and it is very good.

Accanto is connected to Little Venice and located on Ridgefield Parkway. It was tough for us to find, but all of you locals out there should be able to zero in on the location very quickly.

When you walk in, the space looks like a bar. Well, it is a bar, with contemporary black bar stools and furniture. A full complement of cocktails can be mixed. A decent wine list is available.

But the best thing about Accanto is the chef - Ryan Baldwin. Ryan used to delight my taste buds at Tastebuds American Bistro. He decided to try a new venture and landed at Accanto to showcase his considerable talent. His menu is creative and inventive.

I'll let a few pictures entice you.

Guajillo Duck Confit Tacos with radish, pear-jicama-tomatillo salsa, crema, queso fresco, plantain chips

I'm always a sucker for duck. This was very good. I loved the plantain chips as well as the pear-based salsa. 

Ginger Pork Barbeque Spring Rolls with cucumber-cilantro dipping coulis, daikon, and mango

Crispy roll, but not oily. The pork had a lovely smoky flavor.

Braised Pork Belly Sliders with Scotch Bonnet Goat Cheese

This dish came with three HUGE sliders. The pork belly was oh-so-tender. The goat cheese was not scorching hot. I ate one and took the other two home to make tasty leftovers.

with Grilled Pineapple Jicama Napa Slaw

This was such an incredible slaw/salad. Perfect for summer time dining. A bit of sweet, a bit of crunch, many mouthfuls of delight.

Curry Salmon with Marcona Almonds

Hubby is usually a sucker for salmon. Very satisfying for him.

Lavender Creme Brulee

We both marveled at the floral tones and we were very pleased with the presentation.

Yummy, yummy.

Of course, we wish Ryan were closer to our home, but Accanto is worth visiting. Ryan is a talented young chef and can conjure up dining magic. If you live nearby and you are pining for delicious creativity, you must go! At last you will not have to venture into the city proper (and the tax is only 5%!).

A Bit of August at Random

First up: Tastebuds American Bistro currently features fresh roasted local figs as their small plate special. After experiencing some fresh fig awesomeness last year, we look forward to this seasonal delight. Freakin' fantastic with goat cheese.

Ault's Family Farm raised some summertime turkeys this year. How wonderful is that? Smoked turkey wonderful. Yum!

We shared this deliciousness with some friends and sipped on our now-official summertime cocktail for 2012: a pjpink!  A pjpink consists of 1 oz (or more depending on your mood) of bourbon (Wild Turkey 101, preferably); 1/2 oz of Campari, add a few ice cubes, and top off with 4-6 ounces of sparkling lemonade (Sanpellegrino limonata, preferably). The cocktail turns a wonderful shade of pink, is not too sweet, and tastes oh-so-refreshing.

My oldest nephew started college this weekend. The night before he left we took him, his girlfriend, mom, and dad to Aziza's on Main. Best pizza they ever had. Thanks Aziza's for making this last night before the big leap into adulthood very special.

Finally tried Dixie Chicken. Great-tasting fried chicken. Loved the homemade sides - mashed potatoes are real, including the peel, and green beans were cooked with ham. A request - list your hours of operation on your web site. We tried to go earlier in the year, but discovered you were not open on Sunday - wasted time and gas.

Happy Birthday to The Roosevelt

The Roosevelt celebrated its first birthday at the end of July with a multi-course dinner paired with Wines by Gabriele Rausse. The theme, entitled Veneto, combined a bit of Italy with fabulous Southern comfort.

We hopped on The Roosevelt bandwagon late since they were so busy for the first half of the year, we could not snag a table. We have since enjoyed our culinary excursions to Church Hill. The Roosevelt inspired us to seek out new Virginia wines (still impressed that they present an all-Virginia wine list). We have also appreciated their cocktails (the Orange Door Hinge is a favorite) and, of course, the food (smoked duck was a big hit with me).

For this dinner, we both stepped out of our comfort zone to celebrate.

Sardine in Saor (pickled sardine) with Whipped Lardo on Crostini served with Vin Gris de Pinot Noir

Monkfish, Porcini, Cauliflower, Salsa Verde, and Anchovy Bread Crumbs served with Dry Rose

Smoked Pork Shoulder, Polenta, Cranberry beans, Cabbage and Virginia Clams served with Cabernet Franc

Olive Oil Cake, Marscapone, and Orange Sorbet served with Collage

A lovely dinner. To The Roosevelt: congrats on being in business for a year; may you continue to tantalize our taste buds with inventive Southern fare and libations.

A Very Happy Birthday

For a number of years, hubby and I would take each other out to a surprise location (often new) for our birthdays. We always like trying new places (as you can attest to). Unfortunately, the surprise place, be it new or old, somehow disappointed on that special day. A strange phenomenon.

For hubby's birthday this year, no surprises. We went to Tastebuds American Bistro and, per usual, we had a mighty fine experience. And since we are regulars, Andrew and Valentina also had a couple of special items for the occasion.

The cocktail of the week was a Cherry Collins with two types of gin. Yeah, hubby likes gin.

A special wine was ordered for us: Adelsheim Pinot Noir. Unbeknownst to Tastebuds, this is our favorite Oregon Pinot producer.

We ordered Olive Tapanade with Goat Cheese and Crostini. And then was presented with a special appetizer: Duck Two Ways. Delicious! We spent some time experimenting with the various parings: duck with olives, duck with goat cheese, etc. All good.

For the main course we both ordered Crab-stuffed Flounder. Yes, I ordered the fish and it was good.

Sweet endings reign on birthdays and hubby did not miss out on Chocolate Cheesecake.

Tastebuds gave hubby and experience to remember. We truly appreciated it and will stick with our local favorite for future celebrations.

(And this past week, I convinced my new boss, his wife, and a teammate to eat with us at Tastebuds. Everyone enjoyed this wonderful neighborhood gem!)

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling at the Richmond Jazz Festival

Yesterday hubby and I attended the Richmond Jazz Festival* at Maymont.  We arrived around 1PM, survived the humidity and the rain, and had a fantastic time. We spent most of our time near the Virginia is for Lovers stage. There was lots of great music. We particularly enjoyed Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. Check these guys out if you have the chance.

Tucked in among the vendors Chateau Ste. Michelle had set up The Reason for Riesling Tent, pouring three different Riesling styles from the Washington State producer. All were from the 2011 harvest and ranged from dry to sweet.

First up we tasted the Dry Riesling. With the very first sip we felt a tongue tingling effervescence. Apple dominated this Riesling, thus, even though this wine was dry, it had enough fruit to please the palate. This wine would be a great base for a white wine sangria. It would also be a nice accompaniment to shrimp or scallops.

The next wine was the Columbia Valley Riesling. This medium-dry offering sported a heavier mouth-feel and reminded us of the weight of an Alsatian Riesling. We picked up apricot essences. Because of the weight of the wine, this turned out to be our favorite of the three.

We could see ourselves sipping this on a warm afternoon or enjoying with a roasted chicken and sauteed green beans. It would also pair well with some of the food offerings from the Jazz Festival vendors like Chef Mamusu and the Curry Fried Lake Trout with Jollof Rice, Greens and Cornbread.

The last wine tasted was the Harvest Select Sweet Riesling. Lower in alcohol (10%) and definitely sweeter than the first two Rieslings. However, not cloying sweet like some dessert wines. This wine which showed some hints of peach was the crowd favorite and would be a good choice for folks who prefer non-dry wine styles. We could envision the multitude of pairing possibilities: spicy food, macerated peaches, or cheesecake.

All three were delightfully quaffable. Summer is a great season to enjoy Rieslings, including the variety from Chateau Ste. Michelle.

*Full disclosure here: I was contacted by a social media marketing company and asked if I would be willing to review the three Chateau Ste. Michelle Rieslings at the Richmond Jazz Festival. In order to taste the wines, we were provided passes to the Festival. We truly enjoyed tasting the wines.  We also really appreciated the incredibly talented musicians at the Festival.

A Middling Feeling

According to Merriam-Webster:

Origin of MEZZANINE

French, from Italian mezzanino, from mezzano middle, from Latin medianus middle, median

First Known Use: 1711

And a middle or median evening is what we experienced at Mezzanine. The dishes were delicious. We were intrigued and please with the Watermelon with Basil-Mint Cream and Prosciutto. While I had envisioned a salad, this dish was a deconstruction allowing us to pair and experiment with differing tastes.

We also raved over the Virginia Pork Carnitas with Black Beans, Mole, Tumeric Rice and Peach Salsa. The pork was tender and flavorful. The peach salsa, an outstanding accompaniment.

But sometimes something happens that colors the entire evening, kind of like going to the theater and someone in the audience is playing games on his smart phone and I can see the tiny screen light up. I'm thinking about the annoyance instead of enjoying the show.

Something very tiny, but very annoying happened during our Mezzanine meal. One of the waitstaff (someone helping out our waiter) cleared our appetizer dishes. A fork and knife were used and remained on our plates. Instead of taking the utensils and bringing us new ones, and instead of asking politely us to keep our utensils for the next course, this person grabbed the utensils and plopped them back on the table. Really? I know this is a small thing, but let's face it. This was a bad service move and I thought about this lack of service/training/experience/apathy for the rest of the evening. It's been about 3 weeks and I'm still incredulous. Small plates at Mezzanine range from $14 - $18 and entrees run $18 - $35. Why would I want to pay these prices for dirty utensil plopping service?

I shaved my tip by $1. Our real waiter was much better and I did not want to leave completely embittered. I have to say, it will be a while before I return. I can get dazzling food elsewhere with better service.

A Confession and a Plea for Enlightenment

I will admit it. I just don't get Dim Sum. What's so great about it? Okay, I'll agree that all of those photos are enticing. I look at Dim Sum steamed dumplings and I nudge hubby and exclaim: "We need to try this place!"

We have now tried Dim Sum three times over a span of years. Full Kee was first. We had a difficult time understanding what was in the dishes, but everything we tried was fairly bland. We were not impressed. We have enjoyed other offerings at Full Kee.

Next up was Mark's Duck House in Northern Virginia. Once again, we tried it, we experienced blandness. We just did not like it. We continue to enjoy and rave about the duck.

A couple of weeks ago we had lunch at Queen's Dim Sum. The place was pleasant. Queen's had a Dim Sum menu to describe what we were ordering (which we greatly appreciated). The wait staff were patient and attentive. We had steamed pork and shrimp, fried meatballs, taro root, and a couple of others. The results? Neither of us liked what we ate. Everything seemed bland.

Based on our triple experience, it's us, obviously, not the eating establishment.

So, for all of you Dim Sum aficionados - What's the big deal? What am I missing? I am in need of enlightenment.

Looks delicious enough to entice

Grilled Cheese from Tarrant's Cafe

Grilled Cheese a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

One of my favorite sandwiches in RVA comes from Tarrant's Cafe. Swiss and American cheese with bacon and ham on grilled Texas toast. Hell Yeah, this is good. And it comes with a plethora of side choices. I opted for onion straws.