A rare venture to the Northside was an opportunity to try Tastebuds on MacArthur Avenue. I have a fondness for Northside and Tastebuds reminded me why. Northside has that true neighborhood feel lacking in many areas of Richmond and has the local businesses to back that up.
When we arrived on a Thursday night, the place was full but we were able to eat at their small, quaint bar. The bartender (who was terrific throughout the evening) suggested a Watermelon beer on draft to start. Neither Bob nor I are fond of fruity beers but we found this California beer refreshing and not too watermelony (okay, that's not a word, but you get my drift).
The menu offers an ideal number of selections and the challenge is that everything sounds so good, making it hard to decide. Apparentally we were in the mood for pork, and started by sharing the appetizer of the Pork Adobo Taco with Mole and Corn and Black Bean salad ($6.50). Two small tacos were served in soft corn tortillas with tender pork and just the right amount of spice. The salad was a nice cool contrast to the warm spicy tacos.
Bob chose one of the specials for his entree, pork tenderloin with blue cheese. I chose the Vietnamese BBQ pork with crepes and jicama and Napa slaw ($13.50). We were both very pleased with our dishes. The BBQ on the pork was not too sweet and the slaw was the perfect accompainment.
We shared a bottle of Cotes du Rhone with the meal ($25) and finished with the bartender's special bellini.
A comfortable atmosphere, great menu, thoughtful service and reasonable prices make Tastebuds a regular place for Northsiders and a place worth driving to for those of us in other parts of the RIC. http://tastebudsamericanbistro.com/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I didn't know that you could dine in at Tastebuds- I think the one time I went by, they were closed. I'll check it out. And I assume that the beer you mentioned is the 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon? Great beer if you want to have a couple sitting outside in the sun, but that third one starts to tip into the unwelcome. Love those first two though!
I am so glad you wnet to Tastebuds! They are fantastic and very reasonable! The pork taco is fabulous!
I am also a fan of the French 76 cocktail.
It was the 21st Amendment. I can see how that third one would not be as good as the first.
Post a Comment