Jump to content

jasonb

Members
  • Posts

    51
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by jasonb

  1. Does anyone knbow what's being built beside the 7-11 near Cary and Belvidere? I assume that its apartments but does anyone know how many or what the complex will look like? It is a big site. I'm sure that the businesses at the dorm across the street are glad to see construction starting on the project.

    It is an apartment building. I want to say its 3 stories tall, but I could be wrong. I read about it, but I am not sure where. I know the construction materials will be of higher grade than those used for the cary/belvidere apartments, which consisited of vinyl siding. I believe this is an all brick structure.

  2. I remember reading in the T-D that the Republicans did not want funding to go through for this project.

    Does anyone know if the FY 2009 budget includes this project?

    I'm guessing its part of the bond referendum, which is up for an april vote. The Department of Taxation also has a bid out there to get a new building, which I know is part of the bond referendum.

  3. Is there any news on the GRTC redevelopment? Presumably, Acacia thinks that it isn't far off.

    An even bigger question is "how is the construction of the new GRTC headquarters on Belt Blvd. going?" I cannot say I have read anything about it even though the project started in August 2007. It isn't scheduled to be completed until late 2009 or early 2010. So I imagine redeveloping the land near Robinson & Cary would be done by 2012-2013 depending on what they do...

  4. Ate at Delux last night and it was hopping. I don't think there is anywhere in the fan with better decor and ambiance. The menu is great since you can get out of there with a $40 check or a $120 check (for two) depending on your tastes. I think this might be our new "go to" in the fan, frankly. The second floor is really where it's at, there is smoking at the bar but it doesn't really filter into the dining area on the second floor.

    agreed. no corners were cut when coming up w/ the idea behind DeLux... I've yet to eat there, but its a great place to grab a drink :)

  5. There's one coming to Short Pump... you should tell them how much you want one in the city/downtown.

    I've heard they haven't inked the deal, yet... Hence the post.

    I submit my zip code (23220, which is ~ The Fan) about once a month, so I think they get the picture. haha.

    Too bad Ukrop's ruined our shot at having one on Libbie Ave...

  6. Jason, that's a fantastic review of INFUZION. Did you notice anone actually dining, and if so, in which room -- the lounge or the club? Any timeline on opening of The Ice Bar? How's the parking situation? Is the crowd a diverse mix?

    Sounds like INFUZION, at the northwest corner of Clay and Roseneath in Scotts Addition is the "It" club that Richmond hasn't known since CAFFEIN's.

    Thanks. No, I didn't notice anyone eating, but keep in mind--I didn't arrive until 11:45 PM. The Ice Bar part opens when they have the grand opening, which should be in the nest 3-4 weeks...Infuzion has a parking lot for maybe 40-50 cars, but there's also tons of parking b/c no other businesses are open at that time of night in that area (for now). The crowd started off diverse, but by 12:30 AM it was entirely gay. I imagine different nights will cater to different clientele (since each has a different theme, such as salsa night, etc). I never went to Cafein's, but it will probably similar. Although with the immense amount of security, I doubt it will have the problems Cafein's had.

    Oh, the best part about Infuzion. Its entirely SMOKE FREE.

  7. Anyone got a critique of Infuzion? Sounds very interesting.

    Infuzion Ice Bar

    There are several critiques of infuzion in the rants and raves part of craigslist. However, I don't know how accurate most of it is.

    My take on the place: I went Saturday night. Its like nothing RVA has right now (and maybe has ever had) as far as a club experience goes. There are two main rooms/settings--the lounge and the club. The lounge is nicely furnished, has its own bar, and consists of 4 smaller rooms connected via a central hallway. The club area is one big room. As you enter the club, you see two huge projection screens on the far wall, a DJ booth and a long bar to the right, a VIP seating area (and what will be the Ice Bar) to the left. The state of the art sound and lighting systems are well utilized in the 5,000 sq ft club area, which also has what seems to be 18-20 foot ceilings...There are a few minor kinks related to bar management, but nothing out of the ordinary for a new business. Of course, the place was also extremely crowded, so waiting for a drink was somewhat inevitable. I imagine we'll hear several glowing reviews of the place before too much longer. I know I'll definitely visit again :)

  8. sbc, here are recommendations:

    Recommendation #1 -- Diabetic friendly

    Strawberry Street Cafe--Great all you can eat soup and salad bar (search for strawberry street in richmond.com's restaurant section for coupon details). They also have steak and many other tasty items. I'd argue they have the best chicken pot pie and chicken and dumplings around.

    Star-Lite - Great Fan Restaurant with a HUGE menu!

    Recommendation #2 Cool Places

    Edo's Squid - hands down my favorite restaurant in RVA. very affordable--entrees are between $8 and $13. However, cuts of meat can be high priced. but the quality is amazing. reservations needed! I highly recommend the carbonara, fried squid, and tiramisu.

    Comfort - great southern food!

    Tarrant's Cafe - Great soups and sandwiches.

    For Brunch (decent prices)

    Capital Ale House

    3Monkeys

    Recommendation #3 -- Celebratory

    some amazing places which aren't exactly cost conscious. However, they all offer great atmosphere and true fine dining.

    The White Dog

    Millie's

    Can Can

    Dogwood Grille

    Six Burner

  9. I visited strawberry st. cafe on presidents day. we had the brachetta pizza as an appetizer--it was really good! some of the tomato pieces were a bit larger than I prefer, but the flavor wasn't too tomato-ey. My friend got the chicken pot pie with mac 'n cheese. The pot pie looked amazing (I'm told it tasted grrreat)--the crust was thick and appeared homemade ,as advertised, and the inside was the the correct consistency. It was almost an extremely thick soup with a fair amount of white chicken and various vegetables. The mac 'n cheese was very cheesy--and it was definitely real cheese.

    I had the chicken and dumplings, which is served in a bread bowl. It was very tasty with good-size portions of white chicken. The dumplings were the perfect size--just right for eating. usually I've found them to be so small they're more like small carrots. haha.

    it was a great lunch with very attentive service :)

    After that we headed to Can Can for coffee. I'll just say we ended up getting what we ordered for free (the service and the produced were abysmal. haha). On the second try of delivering a chai latte and a mocha, everything was perfect. I think we hit them at a bad time with our first order, and I also believe it was this girl's first day...I've been to Can Can several times now and they've always been extremely professional (and the food has been great!). Might I add, did they get rid of their opening windows? I was sitting in the Cafe and I noticed the windows were no longer on tracks. My friend said they replaced the original windows a good while ago, but I guess I had just never noticed.

  10. Frankly, I think it's rather odd that Style doesn't list the "chains" at either of the major shopping centers.

    For everyone who detests them, a larger number flocks to them. And like it or not, Cheescake Factory, P F Changs, etc. do add a certain panache to a Metro's reputation.

    I dunno if chains really do all that much besides give out of towners, who aren't brave enough to try something one of a kind, a familiar place to eat.

  11. Watch out, IPANEMA, you've got BIG competition out there in the far west end.

    Are you speaking of the Ipanema on W. Grace St?? That place is more of a play on words--its almost entirely vegetarian (whereas brasilian food is supposed to involve a lot of meat)! haha. Everything is written on a chalk board and, they only offer up 1 or 2 meat dishes per evening (usually fish).

  12. I went to Popkin's Wednesday night for a couple after work drinks. I liked it - cool atmosphere and food/beverage selection. Thinking about Tarrant's for dinner tonight...

    I posted about tarrant's on the 20th. great prices, great food, & great atmosphere!

  13. Speaking of Regency I drove past it today on the way home from the New Wal-Mart and I tell ya what I have never seen Regency so diserted in my life.

    I went out that way as well this evening and Regency was indeed vacant. However, I went there two weekends ago and they do a decent business. Their store lineup is actually fairly decent....too bad they didn't just completely revamped it into an upscale mall instead of building stony point...

  14. I went to Tarrant's Cafe recently--the whole experience was extremely nice and the atmosphere is cozy, too! I had broiled rockfish in a white wine and butter sauce along with the cheddar cheese and broccoli soup and fresh mozarella and tomato's as an appetizer. Everything was great from presentation to portion size to taste. The waitstaff was friendly as well. One thing I will note--they do not offer many entrees at the moment. So, if you go expect to see about 7-8 of them, but a whole lot of soup/sandwiches/wraps/salads. The prices are extremely reasonable!

    I ate there back in the summer, and I'd have to agree that it was not as good as my previous visits. The food was good, but it just didn't seem to have that same pizzaz that I was used to.

    My biggest beef however was, indeed, the surliness of the staff. It seemed that about 90% of them were very sullen Russian kids who apparently have no concept of customer service. In previous visits, the staff had been wonderfully attentive and friendly. Not so for this visit.

    My wife and I usually like to linger and have some extra wine. On this trip, we just couldn't wait to get the check and leave.

    I'd have to agree on Pasta Luna. I went there last night and while it was good, it just didn't come close to my favorite italian place (Edo's Squid). I'd even go as far as arguing that Pasta Luna is overpriced in comparison.

  15. Great report, Coupe.

    Does POPKIN TAVERN still have Chicken Pot Pie on the menu? If they do, and you had ordered one, it would have been enough for you, your pal, g/f and a doggy bag. :lol:

    I had the chicken pot pot pie there 2 weeks ago, and it was tasty. Although I definitely ate the entire thing. haha, I was rather full afterwards.

  16. Is NILE ETHIOPIAN CAFE on the Laurel Street site once occupied by Hole in the Wall? Thanks to all who post personal comments about restaurants.

    I still hope to see a report from you Jason on ENOTECA SOGNO. Isn't it near your work?

    I am not familiar w/ hole in the wall, but it is on laurel about a half block off broad street.

    When it comes to craving Italian food, I am addicted to Edo's Squid. I may visit Enoteca Sogno at some point, but the atmosphere doesn't seem appealing to me...

  17. I went to Nile Ethiopian Cafe tonight. The atmosphere inside the place is nice b/c of the high ceilings, exposed beams, and the vibrant colors on the painted brick walls. The dining experience was very different (and very good) as well--it was my first time having Ethiopian food. Their combination plates are a great way to experiment since you get 5 different entrees on your plate. Most of the food is somewhat spicy, and I really do not know how to describe the actual dishes (everything is just that different!). However, the presentation was great. I had beef, chicken, and lamb, all of which were very flavorful and filling. The most unique part of the experience is using bread to pick up everything (there is no silverware). Anyway, I'd highly recommend the place. See December's Richmond Magazine for a more restaurant critic kind of review :)

  18. The Cheesecake Factory is the most overhyped, underwhelming restaurant I've ever had the misfortune to frequent. It was a freebie we got from their management (in exchange for allowing them to use some of our work facilities for server training) and I still think we overpaid. Why people line up and wait ages to pay too much for bland food is beyond me. Of course, I had a co-worker tell me she and her husband went to NYC for christmas and ate at either Applebee's, TGI Fridays or Chili's every day, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. :rolleyes:

    You summed up nicely why I completely dislike everything about the cheesecake factory. haha. The only thing I enjoy is their cheesecake, which I do go there for occasionally. Of course, this is coming from someone who absolutely loves edo's squid, comfort, hill cafe, can can, etc...

  19. According to the city's property search website the East End Theater was sold in December to a Richmond couple.

    I don't remember where I read it, but there was an article about the couple who purchased the theatre a while back (September or October, I think).

  20. Hmmmm. The Kroger lot is seldom full.

    Correct, but Kroger (the main developer of that shopping center, I believe) was required by the city to have ALL of those spaces in the development as opposed to having more space for retail. So, I understand why Kroger would be upset--The Firestone developer isn't having the same burden placed upon him.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.