The House of Marinara » Old School

Places I Like: City Diner

Matt Sadler — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:21:10 +0000

It’s not perfect, but I still love the place. I have been a fan of Karen’s, now known as City Diner, for years now. Located near the corner of Strawberry and Broad, this cozy diner has become the regular spot for me and little marinara on our weekly morning out.

The people are what make it comfortable. When we visit, we recognize half the people in the restaurant as regulars. Our waitress, Suzie, already knows to make the chocolate milk for the little one. As she brings it over to the table, I often will discuss with her the finer points of NASCAR. The other waitress Yvonne is helping me culture the little one with the Irish vocabulary. Mike, the owner for almost 3 years, gives everyone a warm hello. Don’t be surprised to see Richmond celebrities like former NBA star Johnny Newman or Governor Tim Kaine come by for a quick bite to eat.

As for the food, it’s your standard breakfast fare. The hash brown potatoes are fresh, the sausage gravy is awesome, the link sausage is better than the patty sausage, and the scrapple is deep fried crispy. Mon-Fri , they have a breakfast special that gives you 2 eggs, 1 meat, side, and bread for $3.79. I’m a fan of the bologna, egg and cheese on toast or the breakfast club. It’s really hard to go wrong.

NOTE- The place only takes local checks and cash, but they do have an ATM in the building.

I won’t attempt to put this into the class or Millie’s or Black Sheep, but I will tell you that I am at City Diner many more times than those two combined. If you have your regular spot, stick with it. If you need a regular spot, City Diner may just well be that place.

Places I Like: Joe’s Inn

Matt Sadler — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:00:13 +0000

Joe’s Inn is like that old pair of jeans that you can’t throw away because it they are so damn comfortable. Whether you are visiting the old location in the Fan or the strip mall version in Bon Air, both bring their unique qualities while maintaining a glorious consistency in the food they provide to their patrons.

For the few of you that may have never been to Joe’s Inn, it is Richmond’s version of the classic, Greek run diner. Now, neither location is located in a diner car, but they are known for hearty breakfasts, solid sandwiches, and fabulous baked pasta. In the AM, they carry the standard fare- eggs, pancakes, waffles, etc. Lunch and dinner menus are the same. The staple menu items that get most of the attention are the small Greek salads, fried chicken livers, spaghetti ala Joe and its cousin, the spaghetti ala Greek.

The Greek salads are not complicated but the red wine vinaigrette they use is so addicting that it is tempting to pay $5 for it in the local grocery stores. They also use a high quality feta which provides the perfect creamy blend to the tart dressing. As for the livers, I can’t stand livers in general. I just see people people eating them all of the time. The spaghetti ala Joe is the big ticket item. This dish is a huge pile of spaghetti, topped with browned provolone cheese and finished off with marinara and meat sauce. The spaghetti ala Greek is the same except that it has some feta added to the mix. Based on the name of this blog, you can be sure that I take my sauce seriously. Joe’s has a great recipe. Spicy without being to acidic. I am more than happy to pay the $10 as opposed to going through the hassle myself.

Images provided by JoesInn.com

Which brings me to price. Joe’s is family friendly dining at a reasonable price. There may be a handful of items that are over $10. It’s a safe place to bring out-of-towners because of the variety as well as being a Richmond tradition for years. I’m tempted to go try on those old jeans again!

*Note- I have never been to the Mechanicsville location, but who really goes to Mechanicsville to dine anayway

Places I Like: Mamma Zu’

Matt Sadler — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:07:00 +0000

In honor of WhineMeDineMe’s post title old school eats, I have decided to start a series on the restuarants I love to frequest in Richmond.

So Mamma Zu’. Most of you have already formed your opinion on the matter. Overhyped. Rude. Grungy. Wonderful. And in many ways, everything I have heard about the place is correct. It’s all about what is important to you.

I personally am a fan of great food and consistency. And those are two qualities found at Mamma Zu’. The great food is rarely argued. Whether its the white pizza (we call it “crack”), eggplant parm, penne all’Amatriciana, penne with gorgonzola, orrechietti, spaghetti carbonara, soft shell crabs, sweet breads, broccoletti, ossobuco, or white beans, it all rocks. I love it. I crave it. The only time people are disappointed when they eat the food is when then settle for plain old stuff- sausage and marinara sauce. It’s not that it tastes bad, it is that everyone else has amazing food around them. And then when you finish the amazing meal, you are obligated to order the best Tiramisu in VA. So yes, I love the food and I generally eat way too much.

Now, the consistency is also present at Mamma Zu’. Some argue that they are consistently rude and provide consistently poor service. Rudeness… I can see that. The service isn’t bad. It’s hurried and rushed, but it’s what I would expect in a place that is that busy. The rudeness is usually focused on the maître d’. I often wonder if he is one of the more infamous people in Richmond. He is tough, he is stubborn, and he instills fear in the hearts of those who want to eat. The thing is that he actually seems like a nice guy, but he has to run a tight ship to keep the restaurant humming. So the key to Mamma Zu’ is knowing the rules.

1) All members of the party must be present. Don’t bother even asking if they aren’t.

2) Get on the list. Wait your turn. Don’t ask again. You are on the list. Don’t worry. Relax. Resist the urge. Don’t do it.

3) Reservations are kind of helpful but then it gets all confusing with “family style.” Take the large groups to Edo’s.

4) Try to get to Mamma Zu’ by 6 PM or just resign yourself to a long wait.

Once you come to grip with the rules, you will have a much better experience because you can spend your time appreciating the food rather than trying to fight the man.

One important note- they only take Amex, local checks and cash.