Richmond Dining-Out scene

[burt]

THE WOODEN SPOON on Lombardy Street in the Fan between Hanover and Grove Avenues has closed.

My early memories, dating at least to the 60's, are of a small nook called NICK'S. Its specialty was steaks - inexpensive but tasty ones. It was on two levels seating slightly in excess of the number required to get a full liquor license (50, I believe).

IL PAGLIACCI was its next incarnation. I always enjoyed going there. The Italian offerings were quite good, and there was something about the intimate ambience that intrigued me.

WOODEN SPOON took over in spring of 2005. I had no opportunity to try its menu, but I will be very sorry if the spot stays empty.

And speaking of intimate spots, BOGART'S BACK ROOM across Lombardy Street offers great jazz most every night of the week in the tiny room.

Edited November 15, 2006 by burt

[wrldcoupe4]

Congrats Burt Richmond's restaurant scene is great

Edited November 15, 2006 by wrldcoupe4

[burt]

B. P. FOX expresses her views of the Richmond restaurant with the longest name - CARYTOWN SEAFOOD AT INNSBROOK RESTAURANT AND MARKET.

Reading between the lines in her Style review one may suspect that Ms Fox disdains polo shirts, pressed jeans and tassled loafers. But that's nothing compared to her opinion of menu offerings. She says "Decent fish and chips, with sweetly moist insides and delicately puffed crust, can be found on both the lunch and dinner menus, but an oyster po' boy is stingy with its oysters and overly generous with its leaden French-bread roll." A crabcake sandwich on croissant had an "excessive- breading-to-low-crabmeat ratio" and the crabmeat and lobster bisque lacked discernible chunks of lobster.

She continues, "The 'smashed' red skin potatoes work better as an industrial adhesive and the 'country-style' moniker attached to the green beans is just an excuse to let them inelegantly turn to mush on a back burner."

And her comments about her pricey martini are very funny if, regrettably, true. In short, she paid an extra dollar for "NOT having any ice in my drink. My olives, thankfully were free."

She did not reveal total cost for the evening except to point out that the martini served "up" was $9.

The long-named place, which is miles from Carytown, is at 4040-B Cox Road at Innsbrook. Tel. 804/965-5514.

Edited November 15, 2006 by burt

[bugsy]

avenue 805 on Davis near Broad is a place that mr and mrs bugsy have enjoyed a couple times recently.

very reasonable prices ($3.50 for house salad and $10 pasta plates) and some daily specials that were quite creative. $ 32 for a bottle of joel gott zin and you're in heaven....at least for a little while.

[burt]

avenue 805 on Davis near Broad is a place that mr and mrs bugsy have enjoyed a couple times recently.

very reasonable prices ($3.50 for house salad and $10 pasta plates) and some daily specials that were quite creative. $ 32 for a bottle of joel gott zin and you're in heaven....at least for a little while.

Hi, Bugsy, and hello to the little lady.

Have you ever tried ZEUS on Belmont just north of Grove Avenue? I think you and the Mrs. would enjoy it. It's costlier than Avenue 805 and probably noisier, but food was excellent last I was there.

[burt]

Hahaha. I hope I don't get in trouble with Urban Planet's censorship board while reporting on Dana Craig's review in today's TD.

First of all, it's a place owned by our friend John YamaS H I T A. He also owns the very popular Fan spot called STICKY RICE where specialties include tater tots and "sticky b a l l s".

Now to business: John's new venue is COUS COUS on the 1st floor of the Chesterfield Apartment building at Shaffer and Franklin Streets in the dead center of VCU's Monroe Park campus.

I looked into the restaurant late of an evening and was pleased with its look and subsequently tried to dine there. But it was a Sunday and many if not most of Richmond's dining places close on that particular day.

Dana generally liked it, awarding it 3 stars. She says the former Tea Room has been "transformed into a Moroccan hideaway with red walls, ebony wood and intricate draperies where exotic dishes, such as lamb tangine and saganaki outclass its sibling's..." offerings. Charlie Williams, a former chef at the late lamented STELLA'S "oversees the seasonal menu."

It's not without a few pitfalls, but on the whole COUS COUS apparently is pretty tasty.

COUS COUS at 900 W. Franklin, tel. 804/358-0868.

Tab for two: $79.

Edited November 20, 2006 by burt

[burt]

I miss Zach's Table Talk column in the TD. His replacement comments on more delicate and folksy dining stories such as wine-tastings, fund-raising events, etc. She offers very little restaurant news.

[cassia]

just relocated to richmond recently and tried a couple new restaurants last week:

lucky lounge - tasty sake cocktails. the crispy tuna roll was very impressive (and massive) but it was mostly rice. also tried a variety of appetizers, such as the kobe beef tartare and lettuce wraps - i highly recommend them. overall, i enjoyed the dishes but the service was slow. the menu's very extensive so i'd definitely go back to try out their other offerings.

dd33 - reminds me of restaurants back in nyc. the decor is amazing - haven't seen anything like this in richmond. they also have a crispy tuna roll (no rice). the miso sablefish was perfect. had it with a side of pineapple fried rice. i went on their opening night and it was empty but i'm sure that once word gets out this place will be packed. overall, service was very good, the food was excellent and i'd definitely go back.

other favorite places of mine include 27, racine, sensi and can can. found a few suggestions via this board so i can't wait to try them out!

[wrldcoupe4]

thanks for the info! I take it you relocated from NYC... how's Richmond treating you?

[burt]

Welcome, Cassia. Isn't Lucky Lounge called LUCKY BUDHA now?

I've heard of dd33. Didn't it just open and isn't it in the far west end?

There's also a new spot called THE PIANO CLUB - out on West Broad, I believe. I'd like to hear about it if anybody has been there.

[cassia]

thanks burt! whoops, i meant lucky buddha. hi wrldcoupe4! you got it, i moved here from nyc and i'm enjoying it in richmond so far dd33 opened this past sunday. they're in the same shopping center as ipanema grill on cox road.

[burt]

thanks burt! whoops, i meant lucky buddha. hi wrldcoupe4! you got it, i moved here from nyc and i'm enjoying it in richmond so far dd33 opened this past sunday. they're in the same shopping center as ipanema grill on cox road.

Cassia, I note you liked RACINE. I think I read recently that it just underwent a management change. Is it still French with a strong provencal accent? I wanted to try it out while I was there (I live in Manhattan), but the opportunity did not arise. Some have said that smoke from the bar is almost overwhelming. Tell us of your impressions.

I really liked SENSI.

Have you check MILLIE'S yet? If not, put it on your "to try" list. Also, JULEP'S in The Bottom is quite good, Request an upstairs table.

And POMEGRANATE in The Slip is one of the best.

. So glad to have you aboard. Mr. and Mrs. Bugsy contribute from time to time and there are other regulars who visit often. And I hope "Check please" can be enticed back for comments.

[dining_out]

Hi everyone, I am new here. I actually had an opportunity to check out DD33 early this past week. I guess they opened sometime pretty recently. The decor in this place is pretty nice. I walked in and certainly felt like I was in a different world. The design is nice with a lot of asian flair, and yet with a modern appeal to it. It actually was pretty consistent with their menu. They have a neat little bar/lounge section that I could definitely see myself hanging out at...

We had the crab and asparagus egg drop soup which was a uniquely enjoyable variation on what one might expect. We also had the peking duck quesadillas which, i will have to admit, did it for me. I'm not exactly sure why, but I fell in love with these. As entrees, my fiancee had some black angus filet, which came with wasabi mashed potatoes, and i think tempura onion rings. From what I could tell, she enjoyed it. (Didn't really leave much for me...) As for me, I had the miso glazed sablefish as was recommended by our waitress. I didnt really know what sablefish was, but it was recommended, and I tried it. If you are a fan of Chilean Sea Bass, I would say it is quite similar... and I am a fan. It was quite good. As for desert, try the churros with chocolate sauce. So simple, but oh so good. Overall, we were satisfied with our food. Our biggest worry before going was not getting enough food, as is often the case (for me at least) at fusion places, but dd33 does a pretty good job at keeping you well fed.

Servicewise, our waitress (can't remember her name) was pretty on top of things, always making sure that everything was ok. She made good recommendations when asked, and was very courteous. Overall, I was pretty impressed that she knew the menu so well for being a pretty new restaurant. If you are into that kind of thing like we are, see if you can get a table with a good view of the open kitchen so you can see the kitchen in action!

I think this place has a pretty good future... It has a good combination of food, decor, and service I think without overdoing it. I've always thought Richmond needed a place like this, and hopefully dd33 will fit the bill... hope it sticks around...

5 New Restaurants on the Richmond Scene

Dd33 Asian Bistro, The Lucky Buddha, The Piano Club, Popkin's Tavern, and To Go Go... check out the link for more info!

Edited November 18, 2006 by dining_out

[urbanvb]

welcome dining_out and thanks for your posting.

[burt]

Nice to have you here, dining_out. And how about that?!! Two near raves for dd33 out on Cox Road.

I think the restaurant's name is unfortunate - at least from a personal standpoint. I always have difficulty remembering initials when they are used in place of full names. In my mind, when trying to recall, it's: "Hmmmm; is it dc, or cc or bb or what?"

David Du, son of restauranteur Dicky Du of PEKING fame, is dd33's owner/operator; so maybe his and his dad's initials will help to remind me that it is called dd33. lol Wonder if the 33 is David's age? I have a notion that David was on the showbiz fringe on the west coast for a while, but that may have been one of Dicky's other sons.

Edited November 18, 2006 by burt

[burt]

Has anyone been to FAT DADDY'S on Main Street in The Bottom? While walking thru the area one noontime after a lunch at ZUPPA, I popped in and was greeted by an affable gentleman named DC who runs the place.

It has had other names (VITELLO'S at one time), but DC has revamped the place. It is very large - mostly bar up front, but a dining room in the rear opening on an outdoor patio. I have a notion that food is not the prime attraction here. On weekend nights girls suspend from ceiling swings and bands play on a stage.

DC says he is opening an Italian-themed restaurant in the vacant building next door.

If anyone has visited the spot, a report would be appreciated.

[wrldcoupe4]

BIG*** Daddy's

[dklee]

i am new here, and i saw someone write a review on Comfort. So here is my input.

Comfort is by far my newest favorite restaurant. awesome food, good bang for the buck and nice crowd. Always good to see people just chilling and relaxing. Parking is sometimes hard to find, or, easy, but you might want to hurry to the destination, otherwise, you would start feeling like someone is going to mug you...

But i do have one comment, and it isn't really about Comfort, more on this thread.

At this point, i have to go to page 63 to leave a comment. Who really has the time to read all 63 pages to see what people thing about a certain restaurant. wouldn't it be easier if a subsection was created just for restaurants and each restaurant will have it's own review? that way, we can see what everyone has said about one restaurant instead of reading the latest news.

I certainly wouldn't want to try a restaurant if someone on page 20 already said it was terrible and another person verified it on page 30, but it was lost in all the other banter regarding other establishments.

just my new $.02

BTW...

HELLO EVERYONE...

[TBurban]

Welcome to this neck of the woods! It would be a neat idea if we had a Coffee House Forum for Richmond....there could be a thread for each restaurant. It could also include things like events, shows, retail, business. Some threads could be moved into there, and the Richmond Forum would be used for strictly development.

Edited November 19, 2006 by TBurban

[urbanvb]

Welcome dklee! We seem to have a slight surge of new people posting in our dining out thread. I am just curious how each of you found us.

[dining_out]

hi all,

thanks for the welcome. hmm, guess we were pretty fortunate to have picked out a good restaurant. Anyone have any other good suggestions? Originally from DC area, so if anyone has any thoughts from up there, let me know1

jl

Nice to have you here, dining_out. And how about that?!! Two near raves for dd33 out on Cox Road.

I think the restaurant's name is unfortunate - at least from a personal standpoint. I always have difficulty remembering initials when they are used in place of full names. In my mind, when trying to recall, it's: "Hmmmm; is it dc, or cc or bb or what?"

David Du, son of restauranteur Dicky Du of PEKING fame, is dd33's owner/operator; so maybe his and his dad's initials will help to remind me that it is called dd33. lol Wonder if the 33 is David's age? I have a notion that David was on the showbiz fringe on the west coast for a while, but that may have been one of Dicky's other sons.

[Brent]

Chances of getting mugged on or around Broad Street are slim. The more you visit, the safer it will feel. I live behind Comfort on Marshall. I walk everywhere and at all hours (as late as 2 and 3am). I've never had any problems (I do remain aware of my surroundings at all times). With Popkins now open, there is a lot more ped traffic which makes the area seem more safe than ever.

[bankrupt]

i believe that jacquemos restaurant at 18th and franklin in shockoe bottom is now closed. it has been dark the past few weekends.

i noticed a place called downtown lounge, on 12th (or 11th?) between cary street and main street in shockoe slip, which, according to info painted on its windows, will be opening before too long. it looks like a basement bar of some sort.

[checkplease]

hi all,

thanks for the welcome. hmm, guess we were pretty fortunate to have picked out a good restaurant. Anyone have any other good suggestions? Originally from DC area, so if anyone has any thoughts from up there, let me know1

jl

Hey Burt, I'm here. I frequently pop in and read up on all the latest news, but I haven't had anything monumental to report. But, now that there are so many new contributors, I feel the need to say hello again.

Welcome, dining_out, dklee and other new contributors.

Recommendations: I've been to Cous Cous several times over the last month or two, and for the most part, I've found it pretty enjoyable. Seems some nights the food is a little off, but for newcomers to town (especially from DC), it's a pretty hip spot to check out. It's definitely no Marakesh (in DC), but the vibe is cool.

I also recommend Rowland on Main Street in the Fan if you're looking for fine dining with a laid back atmosphere. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Comfort is a great spot (one of my favorites), but has anyone been across the street to Popkin Tavern yet? A friend told me it was very "TGIFridays" with plastic baskets lined with paper. Not what I was expecting to hear, I guess.

I can't wait to try DD33 based on what everyone is saying. I checked out their menu online and it seems great. Based on the above reviews, I need to go.

[burt]

Great to hear from you again, checkplease, and a warm welcome to all our new posters. I guess you all reflect the growing cosmopolitan feel in the air.

If anybody has a plan and is able to do it, perhaps there could be an alphabetical listing of restaurants with accompanying reviews and comments. Maybe it could be a sub-thread to this one.

My plan when starting this 63 pages ago was just to raise consciousness about eating out in Richmond.

What about, as Tommy suggests, combining events and club news about The National, Toads and other venues in this space?