Now Richmond Magazine has released their 25 best Restaurants. Most of them have already proven their worth in my book like Can Can, Sensi, Cafe Rustica, Umi (forget about the sushi, I love their sashimi) and Full Kee (I’m Chinese and this is the closest I can get to my grandma’s cooking).

There were several on the list that I have not tried yet, and with one week to go before I leave for the Philippines, I wanted to knock down at least two from the list. So we finally went to Balliceaux – an underwhelming experience despite our initial excitement upon seeing the bourride on their menu. Since the restaurant received much praise both online and in print, I’ll reserve judgement until I could pay them another visit as it does show some promise.

I had high hopes for Bouchon bistro whose food is touted as “decidedly French” in the Richmag article. And guess what, it did not disappoint!

HH’s appetizer of seared foie gras was expertly cooked, having that melting center which the cranberry compote and dried orange peel complemented by cutting its richness with the tart and bitter. My own plate of country paté was a revelation – I made this at the CIA bootcamp, so I respect the effort taken to turn out such an interesting texture and flavor. Partnered with the adorable cornichons and mustard, I also enjoyed the extras like the olive tapenade, olives and pickled onions.

The knockout dish of the evening was HH’s red wine marinated beef stew. Do not miss this if it is on the menu.The beef is succulent and fall apart tender. This even initiated a conversation at what temperature should meat cook so the tendons and ligaments dissolve so as not to squeeze the moisture out from the meat – I said 300F from a Cook’s Illustrated test. Anyway, back to the dish, the sauce was definitely rich with the flavor of the wine, rosemary and walnut so well blended I wonder how long it took to cook this. I ordered the roast chicken breast, I know so tame and so unlike me but I was curious about the tarragon and pink peppercorn sauce and ever since my trip to Paris, I’ve seen this so much on restaurants’ menu over there, I wanted to compare. I enjoyed my dish, but HH’s definitely eclipsed mine.

Now the beef stew, as a whole, was not perfect in every way. The truffled mac and cheese, besides being so out of place in the center of the dish, did not taste of truffle at all. I am a firm believer that truffle flavor and aroma should punch you in the face and if you have to search your palate to find that taste, then it is best to leave truffle out.
Dessert was uneven, I’d hate to give it a fail. HH’s chocolate marquise was quite enjoyable, better than most desserts in other RVA restaurants and my elderflower creme brulee had a good overall taste but it was the texture I had an issue with. It was grainy and bordering on eggy. However, I overheard a diner in the table behind us declare (okay, gush) to the hostess “ Your creme brulee is out of this world.”
I looked at HH and said, “If the price of the creme brulee is over $7.00 then I have an issue with it, otherwise …” I shrugged.
When we got our check, the price of my custard dessert WAS $7.00.

I am very pleased to have this little French Bistro make a splash on the Richmond food scene. The dinner was a bit pricey. Our bill for 2 appetizers, 2 glasses of wine, 2 dinners, 2 desserts, coffee and espresso was $137.00. This wouldn’t be a spur of the moment place to go to. They also have a prix-fixe menu on Tuesday nights for $50/pp that includes a bottle of wine. I would have loved to have gone this Thursday to their "all about birds" night featuring quail, squab and pigeon, but oh well maybe next time because we’re definitely going back.

Oh, and check out RVAfoodie’ s opinion on the 25 best restaurants. He makes a good point, besides it’s a compelling read (whine?)
 

We have been regulars at Ipanema Grill ever since it opened a few years ago. Their new location on Cox road is probably only two miles from the house. But when Texas de Brazil opened a little over a year ago in Richmond, VA, a dyed-in-the-wool carnivore like me just had to go try it.

I told HH that: “I know we really like the owners of Ipanema Grill, but we need to keep an open mind. If Texas de Brazil is anything like the Fogo de Chao  in Atlanta…" Was I going to switch restaurants to get my rodizio fix?

When we entered Texas de Brazil (TDB), I was awed by the beautiful interior. The stacks of wine behind glass panels were impressive as well. My stomach was fluttering with anticipation. But does the food measure up?

I was beyond disappointed.

Sure the salad bar was extensive. But I could not find anything that was even remotely appealing. Sure the smoked salmon tasted okay, but the all important rice resembled ordinary boiled grains – just filler.

And the meat?

One after another the meat runners came. The HH and I were experts at pacing ourselves in churrascarrias so we knew how not to be overwhelmed and we could sample the meat pieces slowly. There was an odd seasoning to all the meat – HH and I both agreed that it was too sweet which clouded the intrinsic flavors of the tenderloin, sirloin and lamb etc. And the chicken legs were the biggest disappoint of all! I mean, how could one mess up a chicken leg on a skewer?

I expelled a sigh of relief. I did not have to switch after all. For one thing, the buffet was pricey and second it was about six miles from the house. For me, ambience is important but I’d prefer food that can deliver the promise of a great meal.

That experience was a year ago. Fast forward to present time.

About a month back, we were having dinner at Ipanema Grill (IG) with a group of friends. One of them asked us if we have tried TDB – he thought they were really good. I whispered to HH “Maybe we should try them again – maybe they got their act together.” And so that next week, we went back to TDB.

“Remember- open mind.” I told HH as we walked into the restaurant.

Despite so many wait staff standing around it took a while for the waitress to come by our table and take our drink order. And then she brought HH the wrong beer! That set the tone for our annoyance. All this frou frouness and they couldn’t get that part right.

We got up and looked around the salad bar. I took some potato salad (IG also had this) and the rice which still looked like ordinary boiled rice. Both tasted as horribly as my first visit.

They also brought some fried bananas and mash potatoes to the table. I had one fried banana and did not bother to finish it. In IG I could polish off four no problem. The mashed potato remained untouched. Then the meat parade commenced. There was a slight improvement in the flavor, gone was that sweet coating but the meat still lacked the robust taste of perfectly salted churrascarria fare. Even their sausage tasted like ordinary kielbasa that one could get at the supermarket.

Trying to remain optimistic for at least one redeeming item, I asked if they had chicken legs on the skewer (it’s been a year; hopefully they have it down by now).

The waiter who was eyeing the pile of uneaten meat on my plate brightened up and said “Oh the parmesan chicken!”

HH and I looked at each other baffled “Parmesan chicken?!”

The meat runner deposited one piece of leg each on our plate. I took one bite and that was that. I am DONE here!

For a fresh comparison, HH and I agreed to return to IG a week after TDB to figure out why despite the glamorous setting of the latter, extensive wine list and meat variety, we were not impressed. Clearly, the salting technique or maybe the quality of the salt that IG uses is far superior to TDB. The meat at IG can be addictive and you can taste the difference between a tenderloin, a sirloin, a flank steak etc. and appreciate how unique each cut of meat is.

I can sing arias about the chicken leg at IG which happens to be my favorite, the skin is perfectly crisp while the flesh is amazingly juicy with the unmistakable tang of garlic (and I just so loove garlic!). What also sets IG apart is its salad bar. It is on a smaller scale than TDB, but the rice is subtlety – okay maybe not too subtlety- flavored with garlic and the grains have a nice chew to them.  The potato salad is not your ordinary farinaceous dish either and it’s actually one of my favorite salad bar items. If there would be mash potato or pasta in the salad bar it would certainly be spiced up with a Brazilian flair.

So what am I getting at: Another reason that the menu at IG works is because there is no disconnect between the food at the salad bar and the meat that is served to you. Everything functions as one cohesive menu.

IG is not without its faults. During slow nights, the meat can come out overcooked or appear to have been on the grill too long. On nights that are hopping you can get neglected by the meat runner especially if they are understaffed and there could be some wait time on their popular cuts like the fabulous filet mignon with that scrumptious grilled layer of fat. But on nights when everything is just right, be prepared for meat-glutton heaven.

In summary, between a big restaurant chain and the local little guy, I’d go for the local guy. I guess there’s nothing like hands-on business owners who regularly go back to Brazil and do not lose touch with the idea that inspired their restaurant. They are not held up by franchise rules; they can choose to make the food the way they please. Besides, IG is a lot cheaper at $27 vs. TBD’s $42.99 (granted that TBD has a lot more cuts and simply bombards you with meat – but really how much can a person eat) and IG's kick-ass caipirinha simply completes the dining experience.

That said, I’d still want to give the Fogo De Chao restaurant that opened in Washington, D.C. a try. Their amazing Picanha still haunts my dreams…