Tag Archives: richmond dining

Richmond Restaurant Dining

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Slowly getting back into blogging again. Soon, I will have more time to write about food (and eating) – more about that later.
Anyway, my brother and sister-in-law came for a 10-day visit and I was excited to show them how the Richmond dining scene has evolved since 2008.

Hubby and I did our best not to eat out in the weeks preceding their visit because I know if it’s anything like my vacations to the Philippines, it’s going to be non-stop “see food” diet.

First place we whisked our guests to:

BurgerWorks

Our favorite burger joint in town, besides what says “Welcome to the USA” than a great American burger. Ordering can be confusing with so many options but I always go for the bison, bacon and mushrooms. Hubby loves the S.O.B. 

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The S.O.B at Burgerworks

CineBistro

One place we couldn’t wait to take my brother M and his wife M – I’ll just call them 2Ms – was Cinebistro. My family are movie buffs and we were sure they’d get a kick out of watching a movie in style. The food at this theatre is actually good considering that orders needed to be placed and served within a 30-minute window. They are also dinner-sized portions. Hubby and I always had leftovers before, so now we share an appetizer and an entree. My favorite is the popcorn trio which is popcorn shrimp, chicken and calamari with some popcorn at the bottom to soak up the grease. :)

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Theatre entrance
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The bar area to order drinks while you wait
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comfortable seating

Lehja

Mall shopping is a pre-requisite of my out-of-town guests and I’m glad that we have a great Indian restaurant right smacked in there. 2Ms loved Lehja and we went there twice, once for brunch and the second time when a cousin and his family drove through from Chicago and was able to join us for lunch.

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  Lehja

Stella’s
We were so thankful Stella’s was open on a Monday. All our dishes were fantastic. They have truly the best moussaka. Brother was ecstatic over the braised lamb shank although he kept on hinting that he wanted the hubby’s grilled lamb chops. The standout that night was the pan-seared branzino which tasted so fresh.

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lamb shank
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Branzino – european sea bass

Pho Saigon

I am always hesitant to take my family to Asian restaurants because everything appears sweetened up for the American palate. Brother made a comment about the pho broth being too sweet and having too much cinnamon – well there you go.
However, this special of pork belly in clay pot blew our mind away. So good!

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Clay-pot pork belly

Williamsburg Cheese Shop (Merchant’s Square)

After spending most of the morning shopping at the outlets we were all ready and hungry for lunch. My brother and I gobbled up our prosciutto and provolone sandwich from The Cheese Shop – the roasted peppers and house dressing were a great complement. This sandwich, as simple as it sounds, remains to be one of my brother’s most memorable meal of his visit. We actually bought a half-pint of the house dressing to bring home so we could replicate the sandwich.

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The Cheese Shop

My brother, a professional photographer, loved Williamsburg and wanted to shoot some photographs while I took my sis-in-law to the little shops.

The weather was stifling hot and by the time our photographer was done, his shirt was soaked. I told 2Ms they should try come visit during cooler weather.

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One of my favorite photos from the trip, it’s like he waited for the shadows and light to be perfect

Portico

12506 River Road Richmond, VA 23238
(804) 784-4800
This gem on River road is a showplace to take out-of-town guests. Tucked away in an affluent neighborhood, we felt out of place with the perfectly-coiffed crowd, after all we were grungy from a day of shopping. But hey, we’re here for the food.

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Gorgeous patio
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seared tuna appetizer
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Lamb and risotto

Umi
So I tentatively asked if the 2Ms were ready for Japanese food. Their face actually lit up. My family is not big on sushi. Nope, we prefer straight-up sashimi. Why bother with all that blob of rice?

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Sashimi platter – the escarol, salmon and yellow fin were outstanding

On a side note: We watched the documentary “Jiro dreams of Sushi”. The preparation of the rice is an integral part of sushi-making. A lot of establishments get this wrong. The rice needs to be served at room temperature and not cold.

Though I prefer sashimi, Umi’s maki is a dish not to pass up and the first thing I noticed is how their rice is at the right temperature for serving. We loved the Richmond roll.

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Umi’s richmond roll

Okay, we’re at the home stretch. We’re actually almost reaching eating-out saturation. In fact, 2Ms were just begging to eat at home and we did on several occasions but that would be a separate post.

The Roosevelt
For a taste of inventive Southern cuisine.

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perfectly-seared scallops

Amour Wine Bistro
Rounding up our dining-out experience we headed to Carytown for a cozy evening at Amour Wine Bistro. By this time the 2Ms and I were having trouble feeling hungry (after days of eating – who could blame us?), luckily the hubby was starving.
It was also “educate with taste” week, so three of us ordered the $25.12 three-course menu and my sis-in-law had the tarte flambée. 

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refreshing watermelon and tuna tartare
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Chocolate sea salt caramel creme brûlée – always a winner at Amour

I ordered the pear tarte tatin for my dessert which was absolutely delicious. It’s a perfect example of a well executed simple dessert. 

My one regret was not taking the 2Ms to Peter Chang’s. Brother was stuck in the HK airport for a few days (luckily sis-in-law was already in the U.S. visiting a relative) – maybe if they stayed a few days longer they would have started missing Chinese food. ;)

Most pictures taken by my brother on his Leica D-Lux except the clay-pot pork belly which was an iPhone pic. The leaf picture was taken with a Nikon camera.

Portico Restaurant

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Braised Lamb over parmesan risotto

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.
 

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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. ;)