It's rare that you can drag me out for breakfast, brunch is a better option. Why? Because I think the "Hungry" Hubby makes the best coffee and that caffeinated cup is what I'm looking forward to every morning. In fact, every time we've had to go out of town we dread the shitty hotel coffee.

Anyway, last Sunday, despite turning in late after dinner and a movie with friends, we were up relatively early and I surprised the HH by suggesting to eat brunch somewhere. I've always wanted to try the Roosevelt brunch.

There was one problem. When I checked their menu online, most of the items with butter used vanilla butter. Vanilla and hubby's nose don't mix - it tastes like cough syrup to him - I've accepted that it's a physiological issue with his palate and not psychological (okay, sometimes I do wonder).

So scratch the ricotta pancakes. Some of you may ask, "Well can't you just ask the server to give you regular butter?" Yes, but knowing how the Roosevelt gets so busy, I'd hate to make special requests. Besides, I'm always in the mind that the chef knows best and when you make substitutions you kinda veer away from his vision of the dish.

We arrived 5 minutes before they opened for brunch which was 10:30 am. That's one thing about me too, I hate waiting for a table and I'd rather be the first one through the door (there was already a group ahead of us though). By 11:00 am, the restaurant was packed.

We were promptly given water and it was a good thing we were ready to order by the time our server returned. In a bustling place like this, it's best to get your order in before the 4-tops or 5-tops go in (heaven help you if you're behind a group of 10.)

Which is why I hate to go out in groups to a popular restaurant. Most of my friends don't seem to grasp the urgency of getting your food order in to the kitchen quickly - we can catch up on stuff later people - heck I wouldn't let HH use the restroom before ordering.

Yes, I know, I maybe weird, but waiting for food is not one of my virtues.

Anyway, I went for - what else - the fried chicken thighs, cast-iron potatoes, slow-cooked egg and sausage gravy. I'm a fried chicken fiend and a sucker for runny eggs, so this dish is a winner for me. The chicken was crisp and the meat was juicy. HH had a bite of the chicken and thought it needed more seasoning, but for me it was perfect. I thought my potatoes needed crusting as it was touted as cast-iron prepared, but it was still yummy - nothing like breaking the yolk over the potatoes and spooning that medley into my mouth.

Fried chicken thighs, cast-iron potatoes

My hubby's dish of potato, mushroom, sausage hash was a revelation. The salsa verde went so well with this combination. The sausage was packed full of flavor and reminded me of chorizo. The only catch was, I knew it wasn't enough food for him which gave us a perfect excuse to get a biscuit as I've been eyeing someone at another table tearing into one. Thankfully, the vanilla butter was served separately.

So the Roosevelt is a great dinner and brunch spot. If I just lived closer, I probably would be there every time Kendra tweeted something new on the menu. I wonder if they'll ever open for lunch?

The Roosevelt
623 N. 25th street
(804)658-1935

The weather does not need to dip below freezing for me to crave hot soup. I think eating noodle soup is in my DNA and I would want it in hot humid weather just as I would in these current frosty conditions. However, when the mercury plummets, there appears to be an increased compulsion to seek out that hot steaming bowl of broth, whether to eat or just wrap my fingers around for comfort.

I've also seen my twitter-feed explode with people feeling "under" the weather after last weekend's spring-like air morphed back into winter. By the way, I never remember the winter being this fickle.

Whether true or not, I always felt that spicy food was good for when you get the onset of a cold. Once, the hubby and I were stuck at a company outing on a bitterly cold day that "chilled to the bone" comes to mind. We were fortunate to end up going to a friend's house for dinner. She was making seafood gumbo and she inadvertently made it too spicy. I mean, we couldn't take a bite without taking a swig of water. Our mouths were on fire, beads of sweat dotted our foreheads and we were tearing up and sniffling endlessly. Well, by the time dessert arrived, hubby and I were both feeling better. I think the spicy food induced an artificial fever and nipped the virus in the bud before it had the chance to propagate. Again, there is no science behind this so take this claim with a grain of salt. 

So I thought it would be nice to compile a list of noodle soup places for rva folks to have handy; just in case the noodle-soup urge hits them:

1. Thai Diner - spicy noodle soup. Have it with chicken for a spicy take on chicken noodle soup. Order it as spicy as you can endure when you feel the inklings of a cold. (8059 West Broad Street)
2. Pho So 1 - my place for authentic Vietnamese pho, very reasonable prices and it comes in two sizes. (6403 Rigsby Rd)
3. Dalat - for a tamer pho. My hubby doesn't like strong flavorings in soup and their menu is a great middle-ground between us. (9125 W Broad St # L)
4. Thai Flavor - chicken noodle soup. You can pick your noodle type: egg noodle, vermicelli, thin rice noodle and wide rice noodle. The broth tastes like the one they use for Tom Yum Goong.(Innsbrooke shoppes - 4040-F, Cox Road)
5. Full Kee - Roast duck and Hong Kong style noodle soup. Request the breast meat as leg part is hard to eat in a soup. Also, you can add vegetables. (6400 Horsepen Rd)

Full Kee Roast Duck noodle soup

Several suggestions from twitter that I've never tried or haven't tried in a long time include:

Mekong - for pho and they also have a great beer selection. (6004 West Broad Street)

Pho Tay do - for pho. cash only. (6328 Rigsby Road)

King of Szechuan - for hot pot. (3991 Glenside Dr)

If you have any other favorites, please add them in the comments section. 

Happy slurping!

It happens all the time, a beautiful spring-like day comes along and the first thing that comes to mind is where I'm going to have lunch that day. Today I thought of Amour Wine Bistro's big window, so perfect for Carytown people-watching.

In order to snag one of those 2 window-side tables, it's probably best to be there when they open for lunch, 11:30 am. I've also decided that I was just going to stick with the salad for lunch and finish off with a sorbet trio.

Boy, am I easily swayed.

Amour Wine Bistro's menu changes every week depending on seasonality and wine region. The theme this week was "New French in New Year". I saw the duck breast on the menu but I still had a strong resolve to order salad until my server, Tripp, told me how good the duck plate was. Duck was wrapped in shitake and bok-choy and baked, it comes with asian slaw (which I love) and get this... the ginger-mashed potatoes was flavored from the duck confit fat (which every "confiter" knows is liquid gold).

I was also really hungry and I didn't think chewing on salad would satisfy that gnawing in my belly.

What can I say, I loved my lunch...words escape me right now but trust me when I say the combination of everything was simply perfection.

But that was not all. It takes a lot for me not to order the chocolate creme brulee or the sorbets - Paul Heitz is the master of sorbet, I never liked sorbets until I have tried his...they are so creamy you can almost mistake them for ice cream.

The Espresso, champagne and hazelnut panna cotta with raspberry-brioche French toast and pure maple syrup was too hard to resist.

espresso panna cotta

Uhm, I'll let the "after" plate tell you whether I liked it or not.

The lunch duck plate + dessert was $16.00. I think that's such a great price for the quality and level of food, not to mention the service you are getting. Here is the complete menu for this week. 

Amour Wine Bistro
3129 W Cary Street, Va 23221
353-4020
email: reserve@AmourWB.com

There is also a growing immigrant population here in Richmond, and with that growth is the emergence of global cuisine. Immigrants like myself, though drawn at first to the popularity of fast food chains like McDonald’s and KFC or restaurants like the Olive Garden, soon realize that food tastes better if it does not come pre-made or frozen from a processing plant.

Though I enjoy the creativity right now of Richmond chefs embracing trends like the gastro pub and using local ingredients, I confess to being more excited in seeing International cuisine gaining traction in the area. I think that in turn, it would make other more established restaurants break out of a mold of mediocrity in trying to satisfy the status quo and instead give Richmond something new to try. 

I’ve long ago noticed that the location of most Asian/non-American cuisine (trying not to use "ethnic" since it's totally wrong) restaurants in the West End have easy access from Broad Street and more than a few are in strip malls. Starting with Pho So 1, Mekong, Full Kee, Dalat, Thai Diner,India K' Raja, Pho City and many more. Again, from an immigrant's point of view: easy parking and familiar streets.

Anyway, here are some of my recent favorites, starting from Broad and Dominion Boulevard at the Shoppes at Innsbrook, Thai Flavor.

I love stopping by this place on my way home for some great Tom Yum Goong. My favorite to order here is the Fried chicken rice. The rice tastes like it’s been sauteed from the drippings of Chinese sausage, plus it doesn't taste greasy at all.

Thai Flavor Fried Chicken rice

Further down on Broad Street is the relatively new Pho Saigon specializing in South Vietnamese cuisine. Minh, their chef, does grilled pork dishes very well.

Pho Saigon's Pork Bahn Mi

Pho Saigon's Grilled Pork chop special

Now I’m not a big fan of Mexican food, but other Latin American cuisine, I like. Which is why when I heard Jason, aka RVAfoodie, tweet about Peruvian Chicken near Broad and Parham...I didn’t waste any time in checking it out.

Rocoto Chicken, attached to El Jardin Latino Market, serves a mix of Latino food from Mexican, El Salvadoran and Peruvian culture.

I’ve only have had their Peruvian chicken but I'm sold on the clean, succulent rotisserie flavor. Their poultry is all-natural, hormone and antibiotic free and the seasoning can be tasted all the way to the bone. {also tried the pupusa after I wrote this}

Rocoto's Peruvian chicken with fried yucca and plantains

Pupusa 

Before any one of you think I don’t like American food, think again. I’m saving one of my favorites for last.  I love a great burger (and what's more American than a hamburger) and Burgerworks does not disappoint. I couldn’t count how many times I’ve been there and living not too far from it could be dangerous.

I’ve tried their regular beef, turkey and bison patties. All were deliciously juicy and fresh tasting. Now there was one time we went there when my burger was overcooked and the fries were cold but every restaurant have their bad days.

The burgers are more expensive than most ...but I don’t mind paying for such quality.

Burgerworks SOB burger with chips and jalapeno on a wheat bun

Burgerworks custom burger with beef pattie, bacon, swiss cheese, egg bun

Thai Flavor
4040 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, Va 23060
(804) 562-4105

Pho Saigon
10190 W Broad St  Glen Allen, VA 23060
(804) 217-7979

Rocoto Chicken
8046 W Broad St  Richmond, VA 23294
(804) 516-2687

BurgerWorks
10321 W Broad St Glen Allen, VA 23060
(804) 527-2747

Even before Richmond Magazine’s list of best new restaurants came out, I’ve always wanted to dine at Portico, Paolo Randazzo’s new venture located at the old Edible Garden.

So last Tuesday, as we winded up old River Road, I asked the “Hungry” hubby if he knew exactly where it was because I get anxious about being late for a dinner reservation and the clock was fast approaching 6pm. As we flitted pass grand houses tucked away behind tall trees and hedges, I thought Paolo did have the right idea of opening a restaurant in this area after all.

When we pulled into Portico, there was only one other car in the parking lot. It was dark but I could see the warmly lit interior beckoning to us like moths to a flame. Did I mention that it was also the first day of winter that the temperature had plunged into the 20’s?

We were greeted courteously by the host and she was about to sit us near the front of the room when we spied Paolo - not in his chef’s jacket - doing some paperwork at the corner table near the door leading to the patio.

Yes, it was strange not seeing Paolo in his kitchen attire. He told us not to take our coats off as he wanted to show us the outside seating ... which ... was ...beautiful!

The patio boasts of heated floors, heat lamps and a gorgeous stone fireplace. He said that the day we went was the first day of winter that they could not use the outside space. I look forward to taking in all its glory during day time.

I wanted to linger but it was so damn cold, so we headed back indoors where Paolo told us that they also grew their own vegetables and herbs - a rising trend with restaurants specially in California. He also said it was hard not to be in the kitchen but he had an executive chef who had worked with him at Franco’s and is so familiar with his style of cooking that minimum training was needed. Besides he is still very much involved in menu development, testing and tasting.

Most importantly, he said he was having so much fun with Portico. He is now able to have face time with customers as well as oversee different facets of the restaurant. 

We were seated at a table in the back where we could see the kitchen that was located in an adjacent structure. A portico joins the kitchen and the main building where, I guess, the name originated from.

The menu is divided into simple dishes like burgers, pizza and then pasta (old Franco’s favorites) and some entrees.

Paolo Randazzo’s fried calamari is still the benchmark by which we judge other restaurants’ calamari. Seldom have we tasted any other place that could rival his.

HH ordered the seafood linguine while I went for the braised lamb over risotto. Again, you cannot go wrong with risotto in any of Paolo’s establishments.

When my dish arrived, I could immediately tell that the lamb was going to be good. I’ve experienced being served lamb that was gamey or tasteless or if I'm lucky, spot on. This was spot on. How could I tell? By the aroma. My sister-in-law told me long ago that the fat of a lamb is what makes it taste so good. And a good lamb's fat has a certain essence when it's cooked that is unmistakable. I can also tell with the first bite, that this was expertly braised.
Braised lamb shanks have become ubiquitous in many restaurants. I used to be so excited when I see them on menus but I’ve tasted more than my fair share of stringy dry meat. I think the problem with most braises is that the muscle fibers get squeezed out of all moisture before the collagen and connective tissue have the chance to break down and give richness to the braise.

My braised lamb over risotto that night hit all the right notes. Moist meat, a sliver of tasty fat and creamy risotto with just the right bite to it.
 

sformato

For dessert, HH had the tartufo which was italian ice cream encased in a crisp chocolate shell. I went for the sformato. I’ve never heard of such dessert but it was basically a budino on top of a layer of lady fingers and  it was incredibly swoon-worthy.

Paolo told us about his deconstructed tiramisu. Now I have since become allergic to ordering tiramisu at any restaurant because it has become such a cliché dessert, but I might just order Portico’s version next time I come for a visit.

The dining room and bar was packed by 7:30 pm on a Tuesday night. Reservations are definitely a must if you want to score a table here. I hear they’ll be open for lunch in two weeks, but call first before heading out.

Portico Restaurant
12506 River Road
(804) 784-4800

* I apologize for the color of the pictures, Iphone and romantic lighting don't mix.

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2012! Last year was definitely the year of the macarons for me, hoping this year would be just as good.

I know I have not been blogging for a while and not sure if I will be consistent in the future. The problem with me is, is that words are hard to come by if the subject does not inspire me. I do not want to write a post just because I need to keep a quota of 2 a week. The problem with that is, when I do feel inspired I end up with a very long post.

I'll definitely start blogging more about local food here in Richmond, a ton of new restaurants opened last year. Whether they are just an iteration of each other with the same old RVA cuisine remains to be seen. 

I'm also in the quest for the perfect "adobo" - this is not the spice that I am talking about but the national Filipino dish - a stew (or braise) of soy, vinegar and garlic. There are different variations: the tostado (fried or dry) and the masarsa (saucey) and many in between. My brother was able to get me a cookbook devoted to this one subject.

On the Petites Bouchees business front. I am working on some new items. I have started with pies and tarts last year and though they have been moderately successful, the macarons took over until I've decided to devote 99% of the time to them towards the last quarter. 

macaron ice cream sandwich

I've also worked on my first macaron tower for a company event.

macaron tower

Company event

I also made the verrines and tarts for this sweet dessert spread.

raspberry white chocolate cream verrines

In the middle of all these, I was able to take a class with the fastest rising-star of the cake world, Maggie Austin Cake who, luckily for me, is based out of DC. If you haven't seen her jaw-dropping work, get over her website now and prepare to "ooh and ahh".

Here is one of my roses from her fun class.

la rose

And as always, I'll still be making more macarons in different colors. I expect a bigger demand for them for the next few years. Why? Because Laduree opened in NY and has really elevated the macaron to a food-fashion accessory.

Colorful macarons

Bonne Année !!!

Pernil al Horno

The Pernil al Horno (Puerto Rican roast pork) is my brother-in-law's specialty and it's always a dish we look forward to during these gatherings. Another friend brought the turkey and the fixings, sliced ham from heavenly ham and I brought the pies including a turkey shaped pie-pop which I filled with pumpkin pie filling.

Other dishes were 3 kinds of rice: Puerto rican olive and bean rice, Persian cranberry-almond rice and Persian dill-lima bean rice.

I must confess I was halfway full before dinner was officially served because I was sitting in front of the carving of the turkey and pork and was doled out morsels of juicy meat and crispy skin dripping with delicious fat.

The thanksgiving buffet table

Thanksgiving pies 

Leftovers were just as good the next day. Cuban sandwiches from the leftover pernil and ham. We made extra mojito sauce to drizzle on the roast pork so it won't dry out when reheated in the oven. YUM!

This event is on Sunday, December 4th, 2011 at 7 pm. 

Check out the menu here. 

Make your reservations here.

So looking forward to this! Can't wait to try out the coq au vin, perfect for this cold weather...

Well, I've done it again: disappear for a while from this little food space. I was busy in the last month with sudden influx of macaron orders for weddings and showers plus an all-pie table (pictures in next post) and stylized dessert table for a wedding. I've determined that when I'm physically tired, there is no way I can find the inspiration to cook anything worth blogging.

But I ate well.

It's been a pleasure hanging out at Amour Wine Bistro on Saturday afternoons while selling macarons. In between customers stopping by, owner Paul Heitz and I talk about desserts with a passion. Just talking about a simple but well-made apple tart brings a twinkle to his eye and smile on my face.  

Anyway, I was beyond excited when I found out he would be offering: crepes!

The real kind. 

Fresh Fruit Crepe

Not the sorry excuse some restaurants sell as a way to hold more sorry excuse of a filling.

The joy of eating a crepe starts from the crepe itself. It should be crisp at the fringes but soft, warm and stretchy all around. Which is why a crepe as simple as one merely filled with lemon sugar is such a joy to eat.

Lemon sugar

And of course you cannot not have a nutella crepe.

Nutella crepe with grape fruit sorbet

By the way, Paul makes the best sorbet and he pairs them expertly with other desserts or wine. The grapefruit is a perfect foil for the sweetness of nutella making for a fantastic flavor profile.

The crepes were offered for Sunday brunch, I think there is a crepe dessert on weekdays but do check Amour Wine Bistro's website for more information.

We are thrilled to announce that our macarons will be available this Saturday, September 10 from 2:30 to 5:00 pm at Amour Wine Bistro. You can now buy them individually and I will have many flavors available. I am thankful for this opportunity given to us by owner Paul Heitz an expert in French cuisine, pastry and wine pairings. I was never a fan of wine pairings but after sampling a cocoa sorbet paired with a wonderful dessert wine I am sold!

Which led me to an epiphany: when food is paired with a wine based on its own merit and not on the winery dictating it, the experience is so different.

We've been advised several times to sell our macarons in supermarkets and other coffee shops but we've dragged our feet on this. Why? It takes us time and effort to make them, we simply can’t imagine our macarons in a grocery store or in the forgotten shelves of a gourmet shop without a trusted eye to keep watch over making sure that they don't get crushed or mishandled.

Which is why when Paul offered us the use of his establishment to sell our beloved macarons, we were psyched! For one thing, his restaurant goes very well with the French theme of the macarons, secondly, Paul and I had a long conversation about quality: the quality of the ingredients and the care you give in creating something you are passionate about are a shared philosophy.

So check us out this Saturday at Amour wine bistro. The plan is every Saturday this September and depending on the reception we may plan to expand to other days and times in the coming months! Please check our Facebook page for updated dates and times.