February Small Plates

Unfortunately it is still winter ... so as we brave the last few weeks of cold here are a few mini restaurant reviews to distract you from the chilly weather: The Hard Shell, Pasture, and Acacia Mid-town!

The Hard Shell (Shockoe Slip)  

Rating: 3 stars

The Hard Shell has been around since 1995 and is a Richmond staple for seafood. Located on the lower part of Shockoe Slip, this restaurant provides a great upscale option for city dwellers or those looking to spend a fancy night downtown. 

The dining area is large, with a couple of different rooms, and is full of dark wood tables and booths which are accompanied by brick walls. It has an inviting feel but you can tell this is a fancy place. The bar is also very welcoming, offering diners the option for a nice drink while they wait for a table. 

Restaurant Club visited here during the Sampling Shockoe Restaurant week in July. I must say I am glad we did it then because like I mentioned before this place is fancy, meaning it isn't cheap. Most entrees are $20 or above and we are not talking about getting Red Lobster sized portions here. The menu boasts a large raw bar selection and mainly traditional seafood options along with some steak choices as well (but really you should never order steak at a seafood restaurant).

She Crab Soup

For appetizers we had the she crab soup and the creamy lobster dip with fried tortillas. The soup was excellent with big pieces of crab meat and a great creamy consistency, but I was not impressed with the lobster dip. The tortillas were way too salty and the dip looked like Cheez Whiz ... definitely not what I was expecting from this type of restaurant. 

Lobster Dip

Crab Cakes

For our entrees we opted for the crab cakes and the grilled shrimp and scallops. The crab cakes were very good and ample in size, accompanied by jasmine rice and asparagus. On the more interesting side was the grilled shrimp and scallops. Inspired by Asian flavors it included orange sticky rice, seared Asian vegetables, and soy ginger beurre blanc. It was delicious. The flavors blended well and everything was cooked perfectly. My lone issue was that there were only two shrimp and two scallops. I was hoping for a little more with what normally would have been a $24 meal. We finished the night with the key lime pie and the chocolate mouse which were both very yummy. 

Grilled Shrimp and Scallops

Overall I think The Hard Shell is a nice place and it would be great for a fancy date night where you can travel downtown and enjoy the scenery of Shockoe Slip and the Canal Walk, but you might find it a little expensive and underwhelming for a more everyday occasion. 

Check out the Hard Shell website at: www.thehardshell.com/downtown





Pasture

Rating: 2.5 stars

Pasture has received a lot of good press lately, in and outside of Richmond, so I was very excited to make a Restaurant Club trip here. Unfortunately I don't think Pasture lived up to all the hype.

Those stools do not look comfy!

First off it is in an awkward location at Grace and 5th Street downtown where it is surrounded by empty office buildings during the evening. You definitely have to be seeking this place out to find it. Second, the decor is not really ... pleasant? It attempts to present the stark, simple feeling of a barn, with high ceilings, low booths, white walls, and a cold tile floor. The bar is warmed up just a tad with a giant wall of wood planks behind it that give it a very rustic feel, but there is really nothing else there except the super minimized taps and metal bar stools that look rather painful to sit in. The lighting is bald and harsh as well. Let's just say it is not a place where I would want to hang out for a long period of time.

A very different looking bar area.

Simple table layout.

The menu was also surprisingly simple with snacks like Ritz crackers and pimento cheese and bread with butter and jams. More expensive small plates are offered as well as some full entree options like a pan roasted pork chop, a burger, and roasted chicken. The main focus is southern food and using fresh local ingredients as much as possible, which is pretty common around Richmond now.

Mushroom Toasts

On our visit we had the mushroom toasts as appetizers which honestly looked like cat food spread on crunchy pieces of bread. I found them way too salty and did not like the consistency at all. For our entrees one friend had the mixed green salad and the pork and house-chorizo meatballs with  chili grits and pozole broth, while myself and another friend had the grilled top sirloin with yukon gold mashed potatoes, charred onions, and red wine mushrooms. The salad is just your typical mixed green salad and the meatball dish, which we were expecting to be a little spicy due to the chili grits, was rather bland. The steaks were fine and the flavors blended well with the mushrooms and onions, but it was nothing to write home about ... and I hate paying $19 for sirloin. 

Meatballs

Sirloin Steak

So ... I don't know, I wasn't very impressed with the food or the atmosphere at Pasture. Perhaps it is a new cool thing that I am missing. I mean, I get what they are going for ... but I just don't get it. 

Check out the Pasture website at: www.pastureva.com





Acacia Mid-town

Rating: 5 stars

Now this is a cool place to go. If you have ever driven past this restaurant on the Fan side of Cary Street and thought to yourself "Man that place looks neat/good/interesting," you were right! 

Super hip!

This restaurant has a super hip vibe from the cute waiting area up front, to the snazzy bar, to the fun art installation in the middle of the room. The dark walls and tables make the sexy lighting scheme pop and you get a sense that this place always has a chic buzz going on. With the addition of free valet parking and open doors on warm evenings Acacia is much more upscale and classy than your typical Fan restaurant. All night I kept saying that I felt like I was in New York City instead of Richmond.

Snazzy bar

Calamari Salad

Restaurant Club chose this as our fall Richmond Restaurant Week outing and lucky for us they have half price wine bottles on Tuesdays! The wine menu is very extensive and the food menu consists of a few small plates and appetizers plus several substantial entree choices. I am not going to lie to you, Acacia is expensive, but this is one of the few places that is actually worth it! They also offer a $24 fixed price menu from 5:30-9pm Monday through Thursday and 5:30-6:30pm on Friday and Saturday. So if you pair that with half priced wine on Tuesdays you can get a lot of good stuff for a decent price.

Tuna Tartare

Crab Cake

We had the fried calamari salad (delicious), the tuna tartare with wasabi mayo appetizer (great if you like tuna tartare, hehe), the hangar steak (unfortunately this was a little over cooked but they quickly replaced it with a perfect one), and the crab cake (awesome, major lump crab, and I even liked the cheese grits that accompanied it which normally I do not). I believe we had some different desserts than what they have on their menu now, and I can't remember their exact names, but they were wonderful (see pictures below!).

Acacia provides that unique combination of a fun and exciting experience and great food. So grab your significant other or a group a friends and treat yourself to a dazzling night out at Acacia soon!

Check out the Acacia Mid-town website at: www.acaciarestaurant.com



Be Real.
~Samantha

Cafe Caturra

Rating: 5 stars

Are you looking for a place to enjoy a nice glass of wine on a patio? Want to have a tasty sandwich in a charming, laid back, atmosphere? Craving a great salad?

Well look no further than Cafe Caturra.

This is one of my absolute favorite places to go in Richmond. There are three locations around town, Midlothian, Grove Avenue, and Short Pump. I can personally only speak to the Midlothian branch, but I am sure it is a fair representation of this fast growing, all in one, coffee house/wine bar/cafe.

If you are desiring a fancy night out with a waiter and full entrees, this is not your place, but if you are out shopping for the day and need to refresh yourself, want somewhere fun to have a drink with your friends, or are just looking for a quick bite that is great quality, consider giving Cafe Caturra a try.

When I first started going here I thought it was a new chain that had ventured into Richmond, as great care has been put into making this establishment feel like it has been around for a while and that they know what they are doing. You will not find any peeling walls or dirty floors here, and the bathrooms are all spacious and modern (which is hard to say for many local coffee shops/cafes).

Photo accredited to Cafe Caturra's (Midlothian) Facebook page.

The inside of the cafe is very cute and welcoming, with rich dark woods, warmly colored walls, and soft lighting inviting you in. A variety of table options accommodate all sorts of groups, and a large wood burning fireplace, surrounded by four comfy, high back, chairs presents an ideal option for a little wine and reading.  The decor looks like it came right out of Anthropolgie (love it!), which adds a perfect mesh of classy and hip. There is also a bag of coffee beans and a huge coffee grinder in one corner of the cafe, causing the rich scent of coffee to greet you as you walk through the door. And while you dine or drink, feel free to peruse the interesting images of local artists which are displayed throughout the cafe.

The back patio (my favorite part) has plenty of tables and a few umbrellas, as well as a roof over the middle, so you can enjoy either the shade or the sun, depending on your preference for the day. A second fireplace also adorns the patio, so if you still want to enjoy the outdoors once the weather turns cooler you now have an option!

Awesome outdoor patio! Photo accredited to Daniel A. from Foursquare.

                       

When you have selected your table and are now ready to order your food, head on over to the bar area where you can either go ahead and order or do a little wine tasting before you decide. I highly recommend you do some wine tasting from their extensive list! Cafe Caturra prides itself on being a great wine bar (they actually have their wine "on tap" ... literally), and you can taste anything you want. They offer 3, 6 and 9 oz glasses, as well as bottles, so you can drink several different varieties, or go with one big glass of one you love. While tasting, be sure to grab a few of the appetizers they have at the bar for you to try!

Being that it is a wine bar, and a good one at that, their wine is certainly not cheap. There are only one or two options at around $6 a glass, and the rest range from about $7-10. But, it is all excellent wine and they offer many options you will not see elsewhere in Richmond. We have discovered several types of wine that we now enjoy on a regular basis specifically because we were able to try them at Cafe Caturra (Viognier and Gruner Veltliner to name a few).  They also hold actual wine tastings on a regular basis if you are interested in learning more about the wines you are drinking.  The "bartenders" are eager to assist you and are very knowledgeable about the wines, so if you have questions or want a recommendation don't be afraid to ask! There are also a few different bottled beers to choose from, as well as tea, soda, etc, if you are not a big wine fan.

Wine on tap!  Photo accredited to Cafe Caturra's (Midlothian) Facebook page.

As for the food ordering, they have their menu on a large, professionally done, chalkboard that is clear and easy to read while you are in line, and they also have paper menus you can take back to your table to peruse at your leisure before ordering. Wait ... a legible chalkboard AND paper menus?! Genius! This place is heaven!

Once you have decided, go ahead and give your order to the cashier, and you can either pay at that time or start a tab. You will be handed your receipt and a number to take back with you, and in a few minutes your food/drinks will be brought to your table. Waiters will also periodically ask you if you need more wine or refills, but feel free to go back to the bar and order more when you are ready. Pretty classy, eh?

Ok, on to the food ... finally ;). The menu consists of upscale small plates (such as a cheese plate, caprese crostini, and crab cakes), sandwiches, soups and salads, and desserts. Sandwiches come in full or half sizes and you can get either chips, garden salad, or raspberry walnut salad as your side. I have tried several of the sandwiches and soups and they have all been delicious. The sandwiches are very hearty and filling, no skimping on size here, and the side salads are plentiful as well. I have never walked away from this place hungry.

Caprese crostini ... Photo accredited to Cafe Caturra's website.

I always get the crispy cheese panini with the raspberry walnut salad. It is the best grilled cheese you will ever have!!! Mounds of cheddar spilling out beneath perfectly grilled sourdough bread, with a juicy tomato in between (my idea of perfection!). And the salad is a perfect combination to the sharpness of the sandwich, with sweet romaine, Gorgonzola, walnuts, dried cranberries, and amazing raspberry walnut vinaigrette. I literally crave this meal.  My mom, on the other hand, always gets the Tuscan panini, which consists of chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and bacon, which she swears by. We really should branch out and try more of the menu, but we just love our sandwiches and salads too much! (Note: If you get a sandwich, PLEASE try the raspberry walnut salad. I swear it is divine!)

Crispy cheese panini and raspberry walnut Salad ... you will crave it too!
Photo accredited to Foodalicious Follies Blog.

Cafe Caturrra also has specials throughout the week, as well as occasional live entertainment, and a killer happy hour on wine and appetizers if you can make it there before 6pm.

The only issue I have with this place is that it can be a little expensive for a cafe, especially if you order wine. Most of the sandwiches are around $10, but like I said, you get a good amount of food and great quality for your money. But don't go in expecting to eat for cheap.

Instead, go in expecting to have a great experience, delicious food, and to probably find your new favorite casual dining spot ... because this place is much more than your average cafe.

Make it in for the great happy hour and enjoy some awesome wine!
Photo accredited to Cafe Caturra's (Midlothian) Facebook page.

Check out the Cafe Caturra website at: http://www.cafecaturra.com/


Be real.
~Samantha

The Roosevelt

Photo from The Roosevelt's Facebook page

Rating: 5 stars

This is the story of the best fish sandwich I have ever had ...

Back in December my friend suggested we try a new restaurant he had been hearing alot about. I myself had never heard of the place, but always being game for new adventures I decided it was a great idea. So we ventured out on a chilly and rainy Friday night to take a chance with two other good friends. Eating out is always more fun in a group!

Let's just say I am not a huge fan of cold nasty weather, so walking into the warm cozy glow of The Roosevelt was like coming home to sit by the fire. With it's high dark ceiling, open feeling, and dark wood tables, it is very welcoming. Sadly though, the place was full.

We wandered over to the bar because there was not really a clear hostess stand, and stood there to check out our surroundings for a few moments. Graciously, someone took notice of us quickly. When we told her we had four, she scanned the room and discovered that there were two smaller tables that they could put together for us, but they were on opposite sides of the room. Swiftly, she and two other guys proceeded to lift the table and chairs over and through the crowd to get them together for us! I must say I have never seen such great customer service in a restaurant before. It was like they didn't think twice about doing whatever it took to get us a seat. Awesome.

Our table was right at the front window, which worried me a little, but the spot was perfectly warm and enjoyable. The restaurant was full of several other small groups and couples, and one large table taken up by a birthday party. The group was joyously enjoying tons of dishes and champagne, and it was great to have that fun atmosphere around us but without it interrupting our night. I never felt crowded or that it was too loud, like I often do at other small Richmond restaurants. It felt just right.

Photo from The Roosevelt's Facebook page

And the waiters are very cool, with a chill hipster vibe, which I did not expect from the style of the restaurant. Ours was very knowledgeable about the menu and was more than willing to explain dishes to us. Their laid back attitude and attire allows you to relax instead of feeling like you are in a stuffy highbrow establishment, which you might expect when you first walk in.

Ok, so on to the food. First off, The Roosevelt has a nice wine and beer list (VA wines only!). It's not overwhelming, forcing you to stare at it in a panic trying to decide what to have, but seems to provide something for everyone. And there are several options from Charlottesville wineries, which is a nice touch (esp. if you went to UVA). Their cocktail list is very intriguing as well. If you like mixed drinks this would be a great place to try out one, or a few...

After selecting a nice red from Barboursville we moved onto the dining options. As for the food menu, it seems that they have made some changes since December according to their website (though the fish sandwich is still on there...but we'll get to that later). I am sure there will be a continual evolution as they strive to keep fresh and exciting, which is always a good thing. For our appetizer we ordered the Southern Poutine, which is pimento cheese and ham gravy over french fries ... basically fancy cheese fries (which I certainly don't have a problem with!). It was a good starter, though I guess I was expecting something a little more gourmet when we ordered it due to the description in the menu, but once I accepted that it was cheese fries I settled on in.

Couldn't find a photo of the fish sandwich, so you have to settle for the  Southern Poutine. Photo from Style Weekly.

For the entree I ordered the gnocchi because I had heard the name often but had never had it, and since you don't see it in that many restaurants in Richmond, I decided to go for it. My friends had steak, a sausage dish  (which I no longer see on the menu), and the catfish sandwich. I must note that he only ordered the fish after we told him he was not allowed to get a cheeseburger! Though I am sure the burger is good, we felt he needed to branch out a little, even if he didn't agree.

The gnocchi was good, but I guess since I've never had any other gnocchi I don't feel I can really judge it that well. Much like a pasta dish I started to get tired of it halfway through, since it's the same taste over and over again. But that's just what you get with those types of dishes (take note, I certainly managed to finish it all!). The steak was excellent, and even the sausage, which I am not normally a big fan of, was just the right balance of sweet and spicy, with great mashed potatoes on the side.

And then there was the fish sandwich ...

After taking a bite of my friend's meal early on in our dining experience I immediately wished I had ordered what he did. For the rest of the night I looked longingly at his plate, hoping that he would get full so that I could have the rest. It is heaven. A soft, melt in your mouth like butter, piece of catfish, with perfect remoulade sauce (which I love!). Thinking about it makes me want to drive to The Roosevelt right now. If I lived in Church Hill I would be eating this sandwich once a week. When you go to The Roosevelt please try it. I promise it will make you want to go back!

For the rest of the evening we all enjoyed our dishes (and our second bottle of wine) and each other's company in a lovely, charismatic atmosphere. I am not really sure how to describe it, but I was very happy to be there.

We were too stuffed for desert, but I am guessing it is pretty good, and so paying our check (note: the prices are not bad at all considering the uniqueness and size of the dishes offered), we left this wonderful place and headed back into the cold.

I have not had a chance to get back to The Roosevelt yet, but I have recommended it as a great place to many people. Hopefully they have taken my suggestion. I sincerely encourage you to go there soon if you have not yet ventured over to Church Hill to experience this lovely new addition to Richmond's restaurant scene.

Who knows, you may see me there ... eating the fish sandwich.

Photo from The Roosevelt's Facebook page

Check out The Roosevelt's website at: http://rooseveltrva.com/


Be Real.
~Samantha