Richmond Dining-Out scene

[burt]

The big city "Pop-Up" trend was late arriving in Richmond, sizzled for a short while, then fizzled.

The fad could entangle organizers in all sorts of civic permit problems, but despite potential difficulties, local pop-ups may flare again in the future.

From Karen Newton in today's Style Weekly:

http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/death-of-a-pop-up/Content?oid=1593848

Edited August 3, 2011 by burt

[burt]

Deveron Timberlake describes the Lychee Martini served at specific Aisian bars in her column today, and then informs us of openings and closings in the Richmond restaurant scene.

While Louisiana Flair and Cedars have closed their doors, here are the websites of new or enlarged restaurants on the scene:

http://www.kennticocubanbargrill.com has enlarged its space on East Grace between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

http://www.selbarichmond.com opened last weekend in the 2400 block of West Cary Street.

http://www.mbistro-rocketts.com now serving lunch and dinner in the 210 Rock Building at Rocketts Landing.

http://www.ejayrin.com in the former Savor on /East 7th Street in Manchester.

http://www.bluegoatva.com On the Avenues, next to The Westhampton Theatre on Grove Avenue.

http://www.stellasrichmond.com in a commercial block on Lafayette Street between Monument and Patterson Avenues in the near West End. (The wallpaper behind this website looks like it might have been borrowed from D. C. or NYCity.)

Edited August 3, 2011 by burt

[burt]

Naughty naughty, tsk tsk.

Big ABC Brother decrees that one may not watch the art of burlesque in a Virginia club that serves mixed drinks.

But full frontal nudity is OK in theatres that also happen to have full bars in their lobbies.

From today's RVANews:

http://rvanews.com/news/burlesque-shows-banned-canal-club/49084

[burt]

The old firehouse at 2016 East Main Street has been successfully converted to a restaurant known as STATION 2 and appears to be doing good business.

Here's the website:

http://station2richmond.com/

STATION 2

2016 East Main Street in Shockoe Bottom

804/249-4702

[burt]

The old firehouse at 2016 East Main Street has been successfully converted to a restaurant known as STATION 2 and appears to be doing good business.

Here's the website:

http://station2richmond.com/

STATION 2

2016 East Main Street in Shockoe Bottom

804/249-4702

Here are some photos from STATION 2's Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/Station2Richmond#!/photo.php?fbid=155963817814430&set=a.155963757814436.39001.104992942911518&type=1&theater

[burt]

ROOSEVELT has its beer and wine license . Since the menu does not indicate spirits are available it might mean you'll have to wait a bit longer to order a dry martini . Anyway, the new restaurant is packing 'em in and getting great reviews.

Here's the website with menu:

http://rooseveltrva.com/menu.html

Click "Press" for reviews.

ROOSEVELT

623 North 25th Street (in Church Hill where 25th, M Streets, and Jefferson Avenue converge.)

804/658-1935

Edited August 7, 2011 by burt

[burt]

Here are some photos from STATION 2's Facebook:

http://www.facebook....&type=1

The restaurant on East Main Street has been open less than a week and is finding a big following.

Check out this comment:

http://realrva.com/

[burt]

THE DINING ROOM AT THE BERKELEY is offering 1989 prices for its menu offerings throughout the month of August. The restaurant in the elegant boutique hotel at 12th and East Cary Streets in The Slip is consistently one of Richmond's finest dining options.

Here's the hotel's website. If you scroll down to "The Dining Room" you can access a PDF file showing the menu with 1989 prices:

http://www.berkeleyhotel.com/

Edited August 8, 2011 by burt

[burt]

Our friend, Karri Peifer over at Richmond dot com updates recent information on restaurants that have been discussed in these pages.

It seems I was a bit early in announcing that SELBA in the 2400 block of West Cary Street had officially opened. It has been having "soft" trial runs since last week end and may fully launch operations in a few days.

Karri has provided some nice photos of M-BISTRO at Rocketts Landing.

And she announces that LA PARISIENNE BISTRO AND CAFE is open for business at 200 South 10th Street in The Williams Mullen Building. Perhaps our contributor, jbjust, who is familiar with the Financial District will give us his opinion of LA PARISIENNE.

From today's Richmond dot com:

http://www2.richmond...nts-ar-1225895/

Edited August 9, 2011 by burt

[burt]

Like everyone else I'm unfamiliar with the new Urban Planet format.  So, I'm hoping this is not a "Reply to this topic", but a new entry about Deveron Timberlake's latest Short Order column in Style Weekly.

In it, she warmly discusses THE MAGPIE in Carver at 1301 West Leigh Street.

And she tells us that Todd Manley and partner have restyled the former White Anchovie into THE IRON FISH at 3061 Lauderdale Drive in the far west end.  Apparently, Manley's former chef/partner, Matthew Tlusty, is pursuing another project.

From today's Style Weekly:

http://www.styleweek...ent?oid=1596582

[burt]

Restaurateurs are coping in various ways with the new state law that allows customers to bring their own wine.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2011/aug/15/tdmbiz10-consumers-can-now-bring-wines-to-some-res-ar-1238332/

[burt]

Richard Hayes who heads up a blog called

Shockoe News brings our attention to a story by Tina Eshleman of Richmond Magazine.

The owner/chef of POE's PUB has leased a boat and plans to open a restaurant on its two decks around Labor Day. It is docked on Water Street at Richmond Intermediate Terminal just upstream from Rocketts Landing.

Here's the Richmond Magazine Online story with photos:

http://www.richmondmagazine.com/dine/blogs.php?blogID=a1583aeafdaa1a3960bf2ff5bb437952

[burt]

NOTE:  If anybody knows how to operate the "edit" option in this new Urban Planet format, I wish you'd give me a clue.

[burt]

Dining Out Notes:

Sometimes Dana Craig's restaurant reviews in The Times Dispatch lack "star" ratings primarily because of errors at the newspaper office. I think that is not the reason for the rating omission in today's review of LAVENDER CAFE on East Main Street between 1st and 2nd Street.  Clearly, Dana was not enamored of the small cafe.

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MALLORY (a boat -- not a person) is tied up at the wharf which also accommodates a small crusie ship just up stream from Rocketts Landing.  

Mike Brill of Poe' Pub is Cap'n of what will be the city's third riverside eatery.  Cruises while dining may be in the future, but as of Labor Day you need only cross the gang plank to enjoy shoreside cuisine prepared by Steve Jurina, formerly a partner at LuLu's and chef at Millie's.  With that kind of galley talent, the small ship probably will fill its 80 seats more frequently than not.

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Speaking of LULU's, Head Chef Neil Smith has resigned.

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JULEP's is still interested in establishing a Fan beach head at the DAVIS & MAIN property, according to the rumor mill.

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MAINSTREAM at 1731 West Main Street in The Fan was about as popular as Lavenda Cafe before shutting down.  It is empty and undergoing interior work.  Prior to becoming known as Mainstream, the property was home to several restaurateurs -- amongst them were the talented people who called it DOGWOOD.

[burt]

ROOSEVELT on North 25th Street consistently gets great word of mouth.

Meanwhile, two other new eateries are attracting attention in Church Hill:

STR8 OUT OF PHILLY at 306 North 29th Street.  Those in the know, rave about the restaurant's Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwiches on the right kind of roll.

And they deliver on The Hill and downtown.

804/771-1978  

Meanwhile, OMG at 412 North 25th Street has just the right touch with its soul food preparation.

804/269-0531

From the delightful Robey Martin at Style Weekly:

http://www.styleweek...ent?oid=1596579

[burt]

Dana Craig is my favorite restaurant reviewer in Richmond.  And I also enjoy reading comments from the unique reviewing couple Leah and Jon Nelson.

Richmond dot com's Karri Peifer asks them about their dining out assignments and how they strive to be positive, yet straight-forward.

Here's Part One of Karri's interview:

http://www2.richmond...ews-ar-1242553/

[burt]

Peaches have never been on my favorite fruit list -- that is, until this week.

On the side street outside my apartment building here in New York, a couple of upstate farmers park their pick-up truck laden with fresh vegetables and fruits on Thursdays and Sundays.

They introduced me to doughnut peaches -- absolutely the most succulent little treats imaginable.  They are small, round and flat like do-nuts without a hole.

If you run across them in your favorite market, by all means give them a try. Mmmmmmm.

[burt]

Here's Bloomberg Business Week's list of the 25 MOST FUN AND AFFORDABLE CITIES IN AMERICA.

Actually, the selection is by the most active zip codes.  For instance, Richmond which ranks 19th among the 25 was chosen because of its bars, restaurants and housing costs in zip code 23220 (The Fan District.) Yet the accompanying photo is of Shockoe Slip (23219.)

Some of the other ranking cities in the south are North Charleston (SC), Winston Salem, Daytona Beach, Orlando and Greenville (SC.)

Click the thumb nails to enlarge:

http://images.busine...ities/slides/26

[burt]

You have to do a bit of manipulating to pull up the list cited above, but if you persevere, you'll find your way.

[burt]

Style Weekly writer Rich Griset capsules a number of reviews of off (and on) VCU campus dining options.

Since the nearby Landmark Theatre has some big time shows coming in this season for extended runs (WICKED in October and THE LION KING in February/March) this list might come in handy for potential show-goers seeking pre (or post) theatre dining.

From the current Style Weekly:

http://www.styleweek...ent?oid=1602788

[burt]

This is "Part Two:  The Truth Behind Richmond Restaurant Reviews."

From Richmond dot com (where proof readers appear to be in short supply:)

http://www2.richmond...ews-ar-1242595/

[burt]

Style Weekly's Deveron Timberlake advises that PORTICO, Chef Paolo Randazzi's make-over of the place once known as The English Garden on River Road in Goochland will open in September.

Randazzi, who also operates SENSI in Tobacco Row, has spent a long time re-fashioning the quaint country tea room into a full restaurant.

PORTICO is at 12506 River Road a short distance west of the Henrico/Goochland border.

[burt]

David Gil, whose name doesn't sound Latino, can rattle off Spanish like a true south of the border native.

Gil is a co owner of the popular Plaza Azteca chain as well as the brand new MARIACHIS MEXICAN GRILL on Midlothian Turnpike.  And the company, which extends from The Outer Banks via Hampton Roads to Richmond, has expansion plans.

MARIACHIS MEXICAN GRILL is an effort to out-class the Plaza Aztecas in menu, ambiance and price.  However, with some entrees priced in the $35 range, Dana Craig and a fellow diner got off with a reasonable tab of $37.

Service is the weak spot, according to Dana.  Otherwise, she has 3-star priase for the new restaurant.

From today's RTD:

MARIACHIS MEXICAN GRILL

Dana's rating:  3 Stars

10456 Midlothian Tpk (in Pocono Crossing)

804/272-5692

http://www.mariachismexicangrill.net

Noise level:  Average

Tab for two:  $37

Be sure to click on the slideshow.  

[burt]

Here is Dana Craig's Times Dispatch review of MARIACHIS MEXICAN GRILL.

I lost it while trying to make an editing adjustment above.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...vat-ar-1260159/

[burt]

Sob.

CAFE GUTENBERG at 17th and Main Streets in The Bottom has closed.  It has been sold.

But whaat's this about THE ROOSTER CART?

From Shockoe News blog:

http://shockoenews.c...losed-and-sold/