Lulululu's

Just back at my desk after a fabulous lunch w/ Anya at Lulu's (thanks Anya!). We made it round trip in 55 minutes - not so important on one's second-to-last-day of work (YAY!), but always appreciated when the waitstaff can accommodate a work schedule. But enough about that, let's get down to the (you guessed it) BACON. (As an aside, I had my cholesterol checked last week and it is perfect!). I had the most sublime sandwich: bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato. On barely toasted squishy whole-grain bread with just a trace of mayo. With a side of asparagus topped with a couple shavings of parm. Crispy bacon + smooth avocado + sweet tomato = happiness.

Six Burner

For a mere $23 one selects a delectable app (roast beets and goat cheese with NUTELLA-I know!), main course (scallops, salmon, or chicken), and then the most fabulous ass-building panna cotta.

This doesn't need any more comment- it is awesome and great value.

What a Bargain!

It's not in Richmond, and it ain't haute cuisine, but it was delicious and cheap! I was lucky enough to attend the practice rounds at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia last Monday - Wednesday. This was by far the most beautiful and best executed sporting or any other event I have ever attended. The flowers were amazing, azaleas in the peak of bloom, and the fairways were more pristine than any green I've ever duffed a ball onto. The best part, however, were the $1.50 pimiento cheese sandwiches and $2.00 beers! Lunch was a fat sandwich, chips, moonpie, and 2 beers for $7.50! Augusta was a fantastic town with great food, sincere people, and beautiful scenery. I can't recommend it enough.

The Weekly Bacon

Since I am the only one posting - and probably reading - this blog, I will write about whatever I damn well please. And that is BACON. Today's is a bacon-infused bourbon and maple syrup cocktail. I've gotten to the point that I don't like much in my bourbon besides some ice, but there's always room for bacon.

Carena's part 2

John and I checked it out on Friday, and thought it was very ... meh. Not bad / not great, strange atmosphere, excellent service (including a free sample of the oxtail when we asked about it) (think greasy pot roast). Anyway, glad to have gone, but doubt we'll go back - we have too much Richmond yet to eat!

File under Strange but True

If yall get tired of my endless bacon rantings, I can start another blog called "Eating Bacon". Meanwhile, I bring you Maple Bacon Lollipops.

Carena's Jamaican Delicious

My friend (Marguer-eats) and I ventured deep into the south side Saturday night for some eats at Carena's and were well treated for it..  The ambience of Carena's is not fantastic but for fuck sake it was a Friendly's in a past life so we forgave them for that.  We were promptly attended to by a seemingly 9 year old Russian girl who proved to be a very good and pleasant server.  We started off with the conch fritters which were very nicely prepared if not totally exciting but still worth it.  My friend had the salmon which as we found was the much lighter of the two entree selections.  The fish was light, tasty and very nicely turned out.  I had the tilapia which was much richer in every way:  saucier, more savory, more sloppy yet altogether yummy.  I was doing a bunch of ecstasy-style moaning and groaning while eating.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Altogether, the meal was great, well worth it and will certainly visit again.  Phil.

It all comes back to bacon

I was just reading Style's review of the Charles City Tavern (formerly Indian Fields Tavern, recently re-opened by the Cafe Lafayette people). My eye (of course) was drawn to their description of a particular brunch item:

...in addition to traditional midday fare, it boasts innovations such as tavern-style “bacon and eggs,” made with crisp pork belly instead of bacon...

They had me at "belly"!

The Gute Lives On!

After reading in the Sunday paper that Cafe Gutenburg was going to stick it out (due to some eleventh-hour investors), Phil and I met for brunch. Service was traditionally absent-minded, but charming. Coffee delivery was prompt, but it took three requests to get water. Alas, the meal was memorable! And the BOWLS of coffee were laughable.

Honestly, this airy cafe, with its eclectic book selection, groovy poetry readings, and bustling international set, could thrive with a mediocre menu. But they excel in this area too. My shrimp nicoise was perfection.

I know--salad. Surprise! But the shrimp was marinated and grilled, or perhaps charbroiled, with little flecks of crusty yum all over them. Only hearts of palm and romaine lettuce rounded out this salad, but it needed nothing else. Oh wait, except for the insanely delicious dressing-creamy anchovy, caper, lemony, vinaigrette (sp?!) that I can still taste if I close my eyes. Oh my god, I'm going back right now...

In under an hour...

...you can be in Charlottesville, eating at Zocalo! John and I skipped over to C'ville on Saturday just to get up out of here for a little while, and a friend had reommended Zocalo. (He also recommended reservations, which we were psyched about after the hostess quoted the couple in front of us a 2-hour wait at 8:30pm!).

We started with butternut squash soup w/ a big dollop of crab salad in the middle, and a spinach salad with masa-encrusted fried oysters and bacon-cider vinaigrette. Both were amazing, especially the oysters! Followed that with some mussels in spicy tomato broth - perfectly cooked, and we were eating the tomato broth like it was soup. YUM. We're trying to get back in an old habit of splitting a salad, app and entree, so we shared the beef short-rib osso bucco (which was prepped in the traditional osso bucco style, but wasn't veal). It was incredible. We took most of it to go so that we could try a dessert: mexican chocolate bread pudding w/ bailey's creme anglaise. We each had about two bites and then somehow mustered the willpower to send it away, but OHMYGOSH it was delicious. Melty and saucy and ooohhhhh.

Ended up meeting both owners before we left - two nice, young guys who just seem so psyched to be succeeding. We'll definitely be back - let us know if anyone wants to road trip!

"Pittsburg Blue"

I know this has nothing to do with Richmond, but I thought it was interesting and decided to pass it on. I was in Pittsburg last week and went out for a steak and some drinks on the company dime. I like 'em rare - as in, wipe it's ass, knock the horns off, and stick it on a plate, rare. Though I do like a nice char on the outside. Now, I had heard of a 'Chicago blue' steak, which is charred on the outside and rare on the inside, but apparently, that's a misnomer. My waiter informed me that this steak preparation originated in Pittsburg, not Chicago, and should thus be ordered as 'Pittsburg Blue.' He went on to tell me that the steel workers there only got 10 minutes for lunch years ago. So they would bring their steaks in and toss them in the steel blast furnace at amazingly high temps for just a couple of minutes. I ordered it, and while it wasnt cooked in a blast furnace, it was charry and bloody and raw and delicious.

Is it food or friends we hunger?

Phil and I were visited by an old friend this weekend and the itinerary was based around food. Brunch at Cuba Cuba. Afternoon drinks at Can Can. Dinner at Comfort. All of our old rest stops. So, it made me think of another layer to food that is not always so obvious. It's the memories that are made around the table. The conversations, laughs, stories that help us savor the moment. So, cheers to Lizzy and Catherine for creating this blog. Let's get a dinner date on the calendar soon -- especially since I missed Lu Lu's!

Food for Thought

Mark Bittman takes a break this week from posting drool-worthy food porn to bring you the article "Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler". Though it flies in the face of my well-documented love for meat, he has a point. Who knew that the average American eats a half-pound of meat a day? He also gives a shout-out to Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, which is on my to-read list. How can you argue with this wisdom?: "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Anyone read it?

The Helmand, Boston

I may be breaking the rule by posting a review of a restaurant that is far from accessible to Richmond but I feel like I would be doing a disservice by not spreading the word. While in Boston a few weekends ago I had an abundance of dining pleasures -- from authentic Chinese to a gourmet Brunch at the Ritz to a French dinner by candlelight. But of all my eating adventures, my favorite was The Helmand in Cambridge. This is an authentic Afghanistan restaurant. The owner is supposedly the brother of Afghanistan's President and they also have a restaurant in San Francisco. Anyway, the atmosphere was perfect and the food was so flavorful I'm still dreaming about it (read other reviews here)! Since you won't be able to venture to The Helmand, I'll go ahead and give you the recipe for one of their appetizers which was truly to die for. Kaddo: baked pumpkin with a yogurt sauce, topped with a delectable meat sauce. Probably doesn't sound too good but just trust me. If you ever get to Boston or San Fran, look'em up. It's totally worth it. You won't forget the sex that happened in your mouth. (I can't believe I just said that!) I'm now on the lookout for any restaurant in the area that might serve up the same kind of food. Any recommendations?

Tandoori at LuLu's

Obviously, my culinary company on this evening was top notch, but this place was just cool. I respect anywhere that can make an open kitchen look industrial, efficient, and appetizing at the same time. While I dont think I would love the open booths in the main room, I enjoyed being tucked around the corner with a big group in an intimate setting.

I have yet to go to a top notch Indian restaurant in Richmond. A good substitute is the Tandoori chicken from LuLu's. It was moist, tender, and amazingly flavorful - no easy feat for a difficult dish that is typically dry and easily overcooked. Literally some of the best I've ever had. I can see why one of the servers eats this every night.

SI! Amigos

A most unlikely yet fabulous spot to enjoy a bit of The New Yorker. A late, rainy Wednesday night. The couch, upstairs, at Si. I needed something to accompany my glass of Spanish red, and vacillated between dates wrapped in bacon and the cheese fondue. Something about the description of Serrano and Fontina cheeses baked in a bechamel sauce with a center of homemade apricot preserves convinced me to try this little $8 gem. I lathered the warm, creamy, sharply sweet mixture onto slices of Billy Bread. An apricot half slid back into the ceramic bowl. I put down my magazine and exhaled, sinking back into the sofa, to fully appreciate this moment of perfection.

Phil You're Crazy

I'm glad you like Bin 22, and I do too....
Just don't expect that you can go there some warm afternoon say around 4pm to enjoy some wine on the porch.... because they'll be closed for the entire beautiful afternoon. How French indeed. They close every afternoon so they can clean up from lunch... and I guess, get a free medical checkup, have a pack of cigarettes and lament over lost love. Quelle dommage!!! I love the place, but when you have outdoor seating, at the very least, give us balmy Saturdays. Maybe they didn't get the memo about the popularity of leisure activities on Saturdays. Maybe they're too existential to care.

One Saturday morning during their brunch, I got Toast there, and it took forever. I don't know the brunch etiquette. Is it table service, or do I get in line at the counter? Okay, I'll get in line, and now I'm watching the guy wait over the toaster, drift off a little, then get startled when the Kenmore Twin Toastamatic pops. An hour later, he's jellying the toast like a sleepy person in his pajamas. He's making swirls in it and staring at it like, "coooool." (At this point there is a line going out the door, and they're rocking two toast slices at a time.) Man this is awkward. Why am I still standing here? You know what, Albert Camus junior? Due to a sudden rush of ennui, I don't care about toast anymore. In fact, everything is absurd. I'm going to the beach to stare at the sun and question all of life. Wait! You were there yesterday! Weren't you the guy burning ants with a magnifying glass and flying a kite in zero wind? I remember now. Yes, exactly! It was around 4pm and I was craving a glass of wine. Well, at least you have all that money from this morning's toast rush. Carry on. I'm not gonna tell you how to run a business.

Bin 22

(posted by Lizzy on behalf of Phil)

As of late, I have been catching the most delicious buzz from bin 22. I can't tell whether its the food, the drink, the company I keep. Maybe its the combination. Don't really care which it is. I just like it. Greg and his crew have created part of what I was meant to do: eat little bits of tasty cheeses, meats, breads, fruits and then wash them down with wonderful wines all the while being held in the nice comfort of the place. mmmm. Phil.

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon, BACON!!

I'm obsessed. In the last 10 days, I've consumed bacon, bacon salt, bacon chocolate, I've even read about bacon vodka. But the one that really made my heart skip a beat (okay, it might have actually seized up a bit) was the lamb bacon at Six Burner. Yes, friends: LAMB BACON. Same part of the belly where pig bacon comes from, but on a LAMB. Not crispy like you'd expect - I'd liken it to the fatty parts of a steak that you push aside when other people are watching, but that you secretly savor when you're eating alone. There was a whole slab of it, served atop a bed of local grits and doused in a strange but wonderful coffee/balsamic sauce. I shared with 3 other people, which is likely the only reason I'm still alive to talk about it.

The waiter said it best when we asked what the deal was with this "lamb bacon" on the app menu: "It's amazing; but you wouldn't want to eat it every day". "Why?", we asked. "BECAUSE YOU WOULD DIE".