Dinner at The Roosevelt

Friday night, Bob and I ventured to Church Hill to try The Roosevelt. We had reservations (a must in my opinion)and were seated promptly. My first impression was that parking is a beast. I know in theory it shouldn't be a mitigating factor but challenging parking situations stress me out (unfortunately all to common in both downtown and the Fan). Second impression was that it was a very dark restaurant even by restaurant standards. It is a beautiful restaurant though and had a great vibe.

We ordered two glasses of Virginia Fizz ($7/each) to start. It was a nice, dry sparkling to start the meal with. For an appetizer we decided to share the Southern Poutine ($8) with French fries, pimento cheese, and Benton's Ham gravy. The fries were fresh and hot, the pimento cheese tangy and crumbly just like I like it but there was no gravy to be found. For our entrees Bob chose the short ribs with Anson Mills rice grits, slow cooked egg and chili broth ($18) and I ordered the pork cheeks with cheese grits, hominy and mushroom broth ($16). We also ordered a bottle of Vertitas Petit Verdot Reserve ($40). I, for one, will be happy when the soft egg accompaniment falls out of favor. Having said that, Bob loves soft eggs and short ribs and was pleased with his meal. The pork cheeks were tender and the cheese grits very good. Both meals were solid, the wine was solid, but nothing was memorable. Service was outstanding and everyone was very friendly. If I lived in Church Hill, I'd likely be a regular but if I'm driving into the city, there are other places I'll probably go where there is consistently a "wow" factor.

It's a great neighborhood place and a nice addition to the Church Hill dining scene.
http://rooseveltrva.com/