Last night we decided to check out Stronghill Dining Company with our friends Luke, Cathy and Marc. It wasn't a great experience, but it wasn't a terrible one either.
We arrived shortly after 7 and there is only one other table occupied...I hate when that happens. I like the feel of a bustling place and don't like the ruh-roh feeling one has when arriving to a near empty business. The place has a nice atmosphere with warm colors and clean lines and high ceilings.
We are seated and given menus and information on soup of the day, fish of the day, etc. I have a glass of Albarino and a bottle of red is ordered and the guys started with a beer. The menu looks great...lots of things I'd like to try and no real dud offerings. This is good.
Marc and Luke order the soup of the day, rabbit stew. Bob and I order the Stronghill appetizer sampler and a wedge salad to share. Cathy orders the arugula salad. The stew is a disappointment. It was watery and bland. The appetizer was okay, but not memorable. The salads were fine but not outstanding.
For entrees Luke had the pork chop, Marc and Cathy each venison, Bob had the ribs and I ordered the rib eye. I don't remember the sides on everyone else's dishes, but Bob loved the cabbage slaw with his ribs and said it made the dish. At first he wasn't thrilled with the ribs, but enjoyed them more as the night went on. I had the rib eye with smoked tomato mac & cheese and collard greens. The steak was fine and cooked as requested (rare plus), the greens were the best part of the meal and the smoked tomato mac and cheese was bland with no sign of cheese or much flavor from the tomatoes....slight smokiness was all I got. The venison was deemed okay, but under seasoned. The pork chop was overcooked slightly. The service was good and Tiffany was patient with our various questions regarding the menu.
It was an okay meal (with great company) and I plan on giving it another try. The concept is good, the menu is enticing, but the execution needs some improvement. They are new to the scene and understandably tweaking things a bit. Stronghill definitely has potential, but they will need to step up just a few notches in order to succeed. STRONGHILL DINING COMPANY
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Lunch at Kabab Grille...yum, yum, yum
Lunch rut. Hate being in a lunch rut. I've worked at the same office 13 years, so I've gone to every place imaginable near my office and frankly I am tired of them.
Gas prices are down, the weather is mild and I had errands to run, so I decided to check out Kabab Grille located on West Koger Center Drive next door to a TMobile store in a tiny strip mall.
The place is clean and simply decorated and welcoming with the fragrance of many spices. As expected the menu has a variety of kababs, curries, and a variety of Pakistani offerings I am unfamiliar with, but sure did sound good. Their website has more information and detailed descriptions. http://www.kababgrille.com/index.html
They offer a lunch and dinner buffet, but tend to prefer ordering off the menu, so I chose the boneless chicken kababs. These were chunks of white meat which had been marinated and served with spiced chick peas, basmati rice, naan, salad and raita. At $8.99 this was a deal as it is a lot of food (enough for lunch tomorrow). The meat was tender and flavorful, the chickpeas spiced nicely and great with the rice and I loved the raita. I skipped the salad as it was simple (iceburg, tomatoes) and I was busy enjoying everything else.
I look forward to returning and trying many more items. The service was very good and the food definitely got my out of the lunch rut cycle. It is worth driving from Brandermill to Koger Center for lunch.
Gas prices are down, the weather is mild and I had errands to run, so I decided to check out Kabab Grille located on West Koger Center Drive next door to a TMobile store in a tiny strip mall.
The place is clean and simply decorated and welcoming with the fragrance of many spices. As expected the menu has a variety of kababs, curries, and a variety of Pakistani offerings I am unfamiliar with, but sure did sound good. Their website has more information and detailed descriptions. http://www.kababgrille.com/index.html
They offer a lunch and dinner buffet, but tend to prefer ordering off the menu, so I chose the boneless chicken kababs. These were chunks of white meat which had been marinated and served with spiced chick peas, basmati rice, naan, salad and raita. At $8.99 this was a deal as it is a lot of food (enough for lunch tomorrow). The meat was tender and flavorful, the chickpeas spiced nicely and great with the rice and I loved the raita. I skipped the salad as it was simple (iceburg, tomatoes) and I was busy enjoying everything else.
I look forward to returning and trying many more items. The service was very good and the food definitely got my out of the lunch rut cycle. It is worth driving from Brandermill to Koger Center for lunch.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Some things are better the second time around....dinner at Acacia Mid-town
I was never that enamored with the former Acacia. Something about it seemed awkward to me and I tended to get my hopes up and while I never had a bad meal, I somehow left feeling disappointed.
Mckenzie's boyfriend Peyton gave us a very generous Christmas present of a gift certificate to the new Acacia Mid-town located at 2601 West Cary Street. And we were anxious to try it.
We went last night and being the good parents we are invited Mck and Peyton to join us.
First impressions....free valet parking.....BIG points for that. While it was not needed last night, it will be a godsend on the weekends. They take reservations....yeah!!! Always a plus. And they are open on Monday for dinner...yippee!
We walk into a very sleek, contemporary and inviting interior. Lots of warm colors and sleek trappings. Bob and I arrived early, so we sat at the bar and Jenn presented us with a very nice (and reasonably priced) wine list. We order a bottle of Pazo de Senoran Albarino for $44. This was a crispy and light wine, not sweet and a great start to the evening. We are seated promptly after Mck and Peyton arrive and we all love the menu.....a lot of very good looking offerings. Since I am hoarding the white wine, we order a bottle of Ferrand Cotes du Rhone ($37) for the table. We ordered three appetizers of fried oysters with Southern coleslaw and spicy mayo, Surry sausage with Brie and red onion marmalade and crabcakes with cabbage slaw and curry remoulade. The oysters were outstanding....I am loving that Richmond restaurants are embracing this wonderful dish. The sausage was very good and I cannot say enough good things about the red onion marmalade....this stuff would be wonderful on most anything. I did not have the crabcakes but they were very well received.
For our entrees I ordered the jumbo lump crabcakes with local creamy grits, surry sausage, asparagus and blt sauce. This will be hard not to order when we return. The crabcakes were perfect....lots of lump crab, well seasoned with virtually no filler. The corn grits and other accompaniments were delicious and the presentation was beautiful. Bob ordered the roasted duck breast stuffed with apples, wrapped in applewood bacon and served with smoked gouda polenta. Bob is very particular when it comes to duck and he was very pleased with his choice and not just because he got some good polenta out of the deal. Mck and Peyton each ordered the sauteed scallops with homemade gnocchi, spinach and parmesan sauce. The scallops were huge and cooked perfectly and they enjoyed them immensely (and had several to take home) but they were less than thrilled with the gnocchi and wished they had been served with something different.
Our tab was $234 (before tip and credit for Peyton's gift certificate) and it was a great evening.
Acacia has been added to the iPhone & I look forward to returning and bringing friends.
Mckenzie's boyfriend Peyton gave us a very generous Christmas present of a gift certificate to the new Acacia Mid-town located at 2601 West Cary Street. And we were anxious to try it.
We went last night and being the good parents we are invited Mck and Peyton to join us.
First impressions....free valet parking.....BIG points for that. While it was not needed last night, it will be a godsend on the weekends. They take reservations....yeah!!! Always a plus. And they are open on Monday for dinner...yippee!
We walk into a very sleek, contemporary and inviting interior. Lots of warm colors and sleek trappings. Bob and I arrived early, so we sat at the bar and Jenn presented us with a very nice (and reasonably priced) wine list. We order a bottle of Pazo de Senoran Albarino for $44. This was a crispy and light wine, not sweet and a great start to the evening. We are seated promptly after Mck and Peyton arrive and we all love the menu.....a lot of very good looking offerings. Since I am hoarding the white wine, we order a bottle of Ferrand Cotes du Rhone ($37) for the table. We ordered three appetizers of fried oysters with Southern coleslaw and spicy mayo, Surry sausage with Brie and red onion marmalade and crabcakes with cabbage slaw and curry remoulade. The oysters were outstanding....I am loving that Richmond restaurants are embracing this wonderful dish. The sausage was very good and I cannot say enough good things about the red onion marmalade....this stuff would be wonderful on most anything. I did not have the crabcakes but they were very well received.
For our entrees I ordered the jumbo lump crabcakes with local creamy grits, surry sausage, asparagus and blt sauce. This will be hard not to order when we return. The crabcakes were perfect....lots of lump crab, well seasoned with virtually no filler. The corn grits and other accompaniments were delicious and the presentation was beautiful. Bob ordered the roasted duck breast stuffed with apples, wrapped in applewood bacon and served with smoked gouda polenta. Bob is very particular when it comes to duck and he was very pleased with his choice and not just because he got some good polenta out of the deal. Mck and Peyton each ordered the sauteed scallops with homemade gnocchi, spinach and parmesan sauce. The scallops were huge and cooked perfectly and they enjoyed them immensely (and had several to take home) but they were less than thrilled with the gnocchi and wished they had been served with something different.
Our tab was $234 (before tip and credit for Peyton's gift certificate) and it was a great evening.
Acacia has been added to the iPhone & I look forward to returning and bringing friends.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The joys of being first....brunch at Edible Garden
Edible Garden, on River Road, just over the Goochland line, started serving brunch yesterday. Not only were we there for their first day, we were the first customers. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes it is not. In our case, it was a very good thing.
For me, there are different types of brunches. There is the hangover brunch....heavy, very casual, hair pulled up, no makeup and either sweats or yoga pants. There is the fancy brunch....Sunday best, very quiet, a bit formal, often for a special occasion.
The brunch at Edible Garden falls in between. A lovely setting, quiet atmosphere, but casual enough not to feel stuffy (though you will want to shower and leave the Hokie hat at home). The menu is focused on fresh ingredients and is on the light side and one leaves feeling good and good about what they ate. This is also a nice brunch to take the parents, in-laws or a romantic date.
We arrive at our reservation time (I love that they take reservations for brunch) and are promptly seated and offered some Rostov's coffee...a great way to start the day. Bob orders poached eggs, with sage infused breakfast sausage and sweet potato and onion hash and extra toast. I order the frittata of the day...spinach, tomato and feta served over mixed greens with maple walnut vinaigrette and grilled multi grain toast. Shortly after we order a small bread basket arrives with two mini blueberry muffin, crumb cake and a ginger biscotti. All of these items were very good and I'm a sucker for a good biscotti and anything ginger, so that was my favorite (especially with the Rostov's coffee). Our entrees arrive and Bob was very pleased with his and mine was very good as well. The frittata was cooked through but not dry (as often happens) and the eggs were not overwhelmed by the filling. The maple dressing was not too sweet and a nice contrast to the spinach and feta and the grilled (nice touch) multi grain toast was very good.
Sarah, our waitress, did a very good job as did the rest of the staff. We never had to give anyone "the eye" for refills or the check and they made sure everything was just right without being overbearing.
I can't wait until the weather warms up and enjoy brunch outside. Edible Garden is doing good things with good ingredients. Edible Garden
For me, there are different types of brunches. There is the hangover brunch....heavy, very casual, hair pulled up, no makeup and either sweats or yoga pants. There is the fancy brunch....Sunday best, very quiet, a bit formal, often for a special occasion.
The brunch at Edible Garden falls in between. A lovely setting, quiet atmosphere, but casual enough not to feel stuffy (though you will want to shower and leave the Hokie hat at home). The menu is focused on fresh ingredients and is on the light side and one leaves feeling good and good about what they ate. This is also a nice brunch to take the parents, in-laws or a romantic date.
We arrive at our reservation time (I love that they take reservations for brunch) and are promptly seated and offered some Rostov's coffee...a great way to start the day. Bob orders poached eggs, with sage infused breakfast sausage and sweet potato and onion hash and extra toast. I order the frittata of the day...spinach, tomato and feta served over mixed greens with maple walnut vinaigrette and grilled multi grain toast. Shortly after we order a small bread basket arrives with two mini blueberry muffin, crumb cake and a ginger biscotti. All of these items were very good and I'm a sucker for a good biscotti and anything ginger, so that was my favorite (especially with the Rostov's coffee). Our entrees arrive and Bob was very pleased with his and mine was very good as well. The frittata was cooked through but not dry (as often happens) and the eggs were not overwhelmed by the filling. The maple dressing was not too sweet and a nice contrast to the spinach and feta and the grilled (nice touch) multi grain toast was very good.
Sarah, our waitress, did a very good job as did the rest of the staff. We never had to give anyone "the eye" for refills or the check and they made sure everything was just right without being overbearing.
I can't wait until the weather warms up and enjoy brunch outside. Edible Garden is doing good things with good ingredients. Edible Garden
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Need suggestions for a good place to watch the Inauguration next Tuesday.
Help me out fellow bloggers, readers, and lurkers. I am in the process of deciding where to watch the Inauguration next Tuesday. Looking for a place with a good vibe, Obama-friendly atmosphere and of course tv and good grub. So far nothing I have come up with fits the bill, but I have faith in all of you! Thanks!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Disappointment thy name is Rowland
Not since the Buckhead's fiasco of 2008 have I been so disappointed in a place. Six of us went to dinner at Rowland on Friday night and both the food and service were substandard and it is now off the list (and out of my iPhone). There are too many places who deserve our business, who do it right and who make an effort that those who clearly aren't interested should be dismissed.
In the past we've had some very good meals at Rowland and while the place has never wowed us, it's always been solid and reliable and well executed with good service.
We arrived at our reservation time of 8:00 and there was only one other party, a couple, having dinner. This was a sign of things to come. The less-than-friendly waitress distributed menus and took drink orders....one menu short was corrected, drinks were less than prompt in arriving, and we had that feeling one gets when you realize you've made a poor choice but hope your instincts are incorrect.
Eventually all drinks and bottles of wine were delivered and we placed our orders. Two of our friends got the soup special of roasted corn soup with a lobster cake and Bob ordered the spring roll of the day (which I cannot remember what it was because it was that forgetful). The soup was good, the lobster cake heavy, greasy and not very good.
Entrees arrive....two rockfish specials, the lamb shank, Coq au Vin and two orders of beef tenderloin. The rockfish (which I got) was salty, overcooked and served on al dente lentils with a red curry coconut sauce and two clams and two shrimp. The only saving grace was the coconut curry sauce....nothing else was pleasant except the two clams which seemed out of place with the meal. Bob's Coq au Vin was in his words "terrible". It was bland, the chicken had not been cooked in the sauce and it was nothing like the dish is supposed to be. One order of beef tenderloin was good, the other had a huge amount of gristle through the middle of it making the entire dish tough. The lamb shank (which the waitress said was their best dish) was tough, but our friend's dog Peanut will have a nice snack. The high points of the meal were the warm bread and the Patricia Green Pinot Noir ($62/bottle).
The entire evening the waitress seemed disinterested and bothered by us. I believe this was in part due to the fact that an 18% tip is included for parties of six or more and the other tables (the original couple, another couple and a party of 4) had no tip included. She had to be reminded of drink orders, additional bottles of wine and we also had to wait an inexcusable amount of time to pay our substantial ($186/couple including the 18% gratuity) tab.
It's the first place off the list in 2009.
In the past we've had some very good meals at Rowland and while the place has never wowed us, it's always been solid and reliable and well executed with good service.
We arrived at our reservation time of 8:00 and there was only one other party, a couple, having dinner. This was a sign of things to come. The less-than-friendly waitress distributed menus and took drink orders....one menu short was corrected, drinks were less than prompt in arriving, and we had that feeling one gets when you realize you've made a poor choice but hope your instincts are incorrect.
Eventually all drinks and bottles of wine were delivered and we placed our orders. Two of our friends got the soup special of roasted corn soup with a lobster cake and Bob ordered the spring roll of the day (which I cannot remember what it was because it was that forgetful). The soup was good, the lobster cake heavy, greasy and not very good.
Entrees arrive....two rockfish specials, the lamb shank, Coq au Vin and two orders of beef tenderloin. The rockfish (which I got) was salty, overcooked and served on al dente lentils with a red curry coconut sauce and two clams and two shrimp. The only saving grace was the coconut curry sauce....nothing else was pleasant except the two clams which seemed out of place with the meal. Bob's Coq au Vin was in his words "terrible". It was bland, the chicken had not been cooked in the sauce and it was nothing like the dish is supposed to be. One order of beef tenderloin was good, the other had a huge amount of gristle through the middle of it making the entire dish tough. The lamb shank (which the waitress said was their best dish) was tough, but our friend's dog Peanut will have a nice snack. The high points of the meal were the warm bread and the Patricia Green Pinot Noir ($62/bottle).
The entire evening the waitress seemed disinterested and bothered by us. I believe this was in part due to the fact that an 18% tip is included for parties of six or more and the other tables (the original couple, another couple and a party of 4) had no tip included. She had to be reminded of drink orders, additional bottles of wine and we also had to wait an inexcusable amount of time to pay our substantial ($186/couple including the 18% gratuity) tab.
It's the first place off the list in 2009.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Two great salmon lunches....Nordstrom Cafe & Tuckahoe Seafood
First of the year means I'm trying to eat healthier lunches. We shall see how this pans out.
Yesterday, I had to pick up some jeans from Nordstrom and took the opportunity to have lunch at their Cafe, which I always enjoy. I had the Salmon Nicoise salad...and it was terrific. Mixed greens, romaine, red onions, tomatoes, haricot verts, a few roasted potatoes, Kalamata olives, capers and tomatoes tossed in a balsamic dressing and served with a nice grilled, herb crusted salmon steak on top. This hit the spot. It was light but filling and the quality of each ingredient was outstanding. Nice service also and a break from the usual hustly-bustly lunch places.
On the way back to the office I stopped at Tuckahoe Seafood, my seafood place of choice, to get some shrimp to make creole with tonight and decided to get their smoked salmon as well. They smoke it themselves and I cannot say enough good things about it. It's got the right amount of smoke and is well seasoned, firm but moist and is definitely crave-worthy. Today I tossed some mixed baby greens in balsamic vinegar and olive oil along with capers, mixed olives and sundried tomatoes and flaked the salmon in big hunks on top and gave it a nice squeeze of lemon.
Maybe eating better isn't as dreadful as I anticipated....though I'm sure I'll be falling off the wagon soon enough and get some pizza, Mexican, Five Guys or Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Such is life.
Yesterday, I had to pick up some jeans from Nordstrom and took the opportunity to have lunch at their Cafe, which I always enjoy. I had the Salmon Nicoise salad...and it was terrific. Mixed greens, romaine, red onions, tomatoes, haricot verts, a few roasted potatoes, Kalamata olives, capers and tomatoes tossed in a balsamic dressing and served with a nice grilled, herb crusted salmon steak on top. This hit the spot. It was light but filling and the quality of each ingredient was outstanding. Nice service also and a break from the usual hustly-bustly lunch places.
On the way back to the office I stopped at Tuckahoe Seafood, my seafood place of choice, to get some shrimp to make creole with tonight and decided to get their smoked salmon as well. They smoke it themselves and I cannot say enough good things about it. It's got the right amount of smoke and is well seasoned, firm but moist and is definitely crave-worthy. Today I tossed some mixed baby greens in balsamic vinegar and olive oil along with capers, mixed olives and sundried tomatoes and flaked the salmon in big hunks on top and gave it a nice squeeze of lemon.
Maybe eating better isn't as dreadful as I anticipated....though I'm sure I'll be falling off the wagon soon enough and get some pizza, Mexican, Five Guys or Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Such is life.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
My Year in Review: Dining in Richmond
2008 was an interesting year for Richmond restaurants and first I want to give a shout out to those places we frequent regularly and are our standbys: Azzurro, Flemings, Chicken Fiesta, Avalon, Six Burner, Edo's Squid and Sensi. You all treat us well and consistently bring us good food and cheer.
A special shout out to our newest regular place: Mediterraneo. We've eaten there once a week since they opened and every dish has been outstanding, the service terrific and they already know our name. This is a great addition to Midlothian and it's only two turns for us to get home.
Speaking of great additions to Midlothian, check out Q Barbeque. Great BBQ served by nice folks. The pulled chicken is the unsung hero and holds it's own against the pig. The corn pudding and mac and cheese are not to be missed either.
Sushi O on Alverser is another great addition to the Midlothian restaurant scene.
My newest regular lunch spot is Cafe Caturra on Midlothian Tpke. Homemade soups, terrific sandwiches and perfect for picking up a bagel and coffee on the way to the office.
Weekend brunch is as good as ever.....Millie's, Lulu's, Can-Can, and Bacchus offer great ways to start the day or recover from the night before. The Black Sheep is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner any day of the week.
For a party, especially in good weather, give Cynthia at Havana 59 a call and she will set you up. Thank you again for making Mckenzie's White Coat Ceremony party such a hit.
We say good-bye to Lemaire....but am looking forward to trying TJ's for dinner. Also looking forward to trying Stronghill Dining Company, Acacia, City Dogs, and Halligan's during 2009.
Places that disappointed......Buckheads on a level like no other. Worst experience of 2008.
The one place I do not get the accolades for, but am keeping an open mind....Mezzanine. I will likely give them a second chance during 2009.
A special shout out to our newest regular place: Mediterraneo. We've eaten there once a week since they opened and every dish has been outstanding, the service terrific and they already know our name. This is a great addition to Midlothian and it's only two turns for us to get home.
Speaking of great additions to Midlothian, check out Q Barbeque. Great BBQ served by nice folks. The pulled chicken is the unsung hero and holds it's own against the pig. The corn pudding and mac and cheese are not to be missed either.
Sushi O on Alverser is another great addition to the Midlothian restaurant scene.
My newest regular lunch spot is Cafe Caturra on Midlothian Tpke. Homemade soups, terrific sandwiches and perfect for picking up a bagel and coffee on the way to the office.
Weekend brunch is as good as ever.....Millie's, Lulu's, Can-Can, and Bacchus offer great ways to start the day or recover from the night before. The Black Sheep is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner any day of the week.
For a party, especially in good weather, give Cynthia at Havana 59 a call and she will set you up. Thank you again for making Mckenzie's White Coat Ceremony party such a hit.
We say good-bye to Lemaire....but am looking forward to trying TJ's for dinner. Also looking forward to trying Stronghill Dining Company, Acacia, City Dogs, and Halligan's during 2009.
Places that disappointed......Buckheads on a level like no other. Worst experience of 2008.
The one place I do not get the accolades for, but am keeping an open mind....Mezzanine. I will likely give them a second chance during 2009.
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