The House of Marinara

Delivery to the museum district isn’t great. I have some pizza options, a Chinese option, and then what. Really, MoJo’s Philadeli is the only place with some other options… not to mention the only place that I can find that delivers real chicken wings. It was wing delivery one night that changed my whole perspective on wings in Richmond. Read more »

I can’t get RVAFoodie to shut up about this place. “Capriccio” this and “Capriccio” that. I love me some good pizza but I am in ignorant bliss living blocks away from Arianna’s and Mary Angela’s. So for me to go out to the west end for NY Style pizza seems a little over the top.

Yesterday the perfect storm hit and I was in the West End and we were in need of dinner and Little Marinara wanted pepperoni pizza (never mind that he always wants pepperoni pizza) so we ended up at Capriccio’s.

And……. It was good….. really good.

Let me be upfront, this is nothing close to the stuff I have had in Brooklyn. But it was very yummy.

• The crust was light and crunchy. Perfectly browned.
• The cheese was extravagant. Way too much.
• The sauce was the perfect complement.

Was it better than Mary Angela’s? I am not ready to go there. I definitely don’t think it is a 20 minute drive better.

I was a little disappointed in the topping selection. It was very standard fare. Little or no creativity, but does it matter when the product is so good?

Mrs. Marinara wanted me to mention that they served crushed ice with their fountain drinks and that should be noted a plus.

So, have you been? Is it better than the other Richmond stalwarts?

I love that I can review Acacia-Midtown and then KFC and not think twice about it.

I saw the commercial for the grilled chicken on a Thursday. By Saturday, I was in line at the drive-thru ordering it.

I purchased a wing, a thigh and a breast. I really don’t like the drumstick so I passed on them.

I really liked the chicken. Crispy exterior, nice grill marks, flavorful skin and flavorful meat. The wing and the thigh were sufficiently juicy and wonderful. The breast was not. I ate two bites before I threw it away. I noticed that the major portion of skin was gone and I’m not sure if that it is why the meat was so dry.

Overall, I prefer the Pollo Arrosto at Peruvian Rotisserie places , but for fast food it is not a bad alternative.

As of a week ago, I had still not been to Acacia or Mezzanine. Because of time constraints, I needed a place with reservations so Acacia won out.

I knew I was in the right place when I saw the energy and excitement and then the waitress sold us on some super filtration water that was super good.  I had my with bubbles and ended up drinking 3 bottles of the stuff.

The food was OUTSTANDING.

Appetizers- I had the white anchovy salad and Mrs. Marinara had the garlic soup.I love white anchovies and this did not disappoint; however, that garlic soup blew it out of the water. Creamy, rich, garlicky and perfect.

Entrees- Mrs. M had the ribeye and I had dish with monkfish and lobster. Her ribeye was seared perfectly at the perfect temp. It almost seemed to be that the steak was grass fed because it was pretty lean and not a fatty/ juicy as we expected. It was still wonderful. My monkfish dish was perfect. I had always wanted to compare monkfish directly with lobster since monkfish is often referred to as “poor man’s lobster”.

Overall- the place was a hit hr. I want need to make a point of going back there soon.

I love food that defines a city: Buffalo- chicken wings, Philly- cheesesteaks and Baltimore- crabcakes. So whenever I visit these cities, I try to find the restaurants that do these items the best. Recently, I was picking up my buddy at BWI airport and it afforded me the opportunity to stop by the legendary G&M lounge to have a few of their mammoth jumbo lump crabcakes.

This place is a few exits north of the BWI exit on 295. The restaurant looked to be newly renovated and it was absolutely packed on a Thursday night. Due to time constraints, I chose to partake in their takeout section. Same food, same menu…. just no servers and fancy table clothes.

I ordered the crabcake platter that came with 2 HUGE crabcakes and 2 sides. All the sides I saw looked very underwhelming. I think I passed on them all together. Instead I focused on the huge mounds of meat.

They were amazing. They were broiled to a nice golden color. The lump crab was evident. Each bite was comprised of a single piece of crab. There was a little filling, being mostly used to bind the meat together. It seemed to be less breading and rather egg and mayo . Either way it was very simple and very perfect.

These suckers weren’t cheap. A platter costs around $26, but if you consider the retail price of crab meat, it really isn’t that bad.

It was easy to see why people flock to this place and I imagine I won’t hesitate going there again.

G&M

http://www.gandmcrabcakes.com/

I knew it was time to finally check out Sensi. I have unfortunately missed out on some truly great Richmond eateries by procrastinating- ex. The Frog and the Redneck, Stellas. With rumors of it possibly closing, I decided to seize the moment and head out there last Friday w/ Mrs. Marinara.

I thought the restaurant was cool with its decor and music, but the lack of a crowd drained some of its energy.

The service was impeccable. I absolutely love professional waitstaff and it is worth the extra tip money.

We shared the following:

SEAFOOD “QUATTRO”

Local Oyster “shooters” with Tomato “succo” and Horseradish foam, Petite Crabcake,Poached Tiger Shrimp and Cognac Cocktail sauce, seared Ahi Tuna, Wasabi and Balsamic Syrup

SALAD “ESOTICA”

Baby Lettuces, Asian Pear, Spiced Walnuts and Gorgonzola “Terrina” with Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Cold Press Virgin Olive Oil

CERTIFIED ANGUS “BISTECCA”

18 Ounce  Rib Eye Steak with Garlic Butter.

The appetizer and entree were fabulous. We were blown away by the steak. It had to have been a 24 oz steak and it was cooked perfectly- Crusty exterior with no hint of burn with a red, wonderful inside. Add a couple of side items, and we were overly stuffed with plenty to go home. We were able to walk out there for under $100 after tax and a generous tip.

If this place goes under, it would be a shame. It is that good.

I recently had a birthday and therefor it meant another trip to Texas de Brazil. Birthdays are great because it means a buy-one-get-one free coupon at this meat fest. Really, I go there about 4 times a year and each visit is wonderful.

Now let me get this out of the way, I know this place is a chain, but I don’t hate chains as long as they serve a quality product. TDB has a great product. We aren’t talking prime or even choice quality meats, but they are cooked simply and are very tasty. Oh and they have the most wonderful salad bar in town (in my carnivorous opinion).

The salad bar is full of wonderful prepared salads, meats, cheeses and other wonderful delights. I am personally a fan of the grilled provolone, grilled jalapenos, crab rolls, shrimp salad, and the addicting blue cheese dressing. Also make sure to grab chimchurri sauce for your meat and some extra bacon from the bucket o’ bacon.

They have a hot bar, but I rarely touch it because I am not there to eat side dishes. I am there to eat the meat. While there is a plethora of carne, I have a select few that I commit to eating. The lamb is a must (chops and leg). The flank steak is usually rich and wonderful. The linguica sausage is a nice break from the red meat. My two favorites are the beef ribs and the house special sirloin. The beef ribs are rich and succulent. I can usually only handle a small portion. Note- you sometimes have to ask you server to have the beef ribs delivered. The house special sirloin is also referred to as the picahna by Brazilians. It is a but of the top sirloin with a nice fat cap. It is tender, tasty and wonderful. It’s a travesty that the US and European butchers often destroy it.

By the time dessert comes around I am usually stuffed. I have had the flan and it is great. Also, make sure to try some traditional Brazilian drinks while you are there. The caipirinha is a strong and addicting adult beverage. For the soda drinkers out there, try the Guanara.

Overall, I love the place but the $40+ per person price tag is a bit much. That being said, by joining there e-club for free, you will receive multiple discounts over the year with several 50% coupons for special events.

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

I grew up in NY State and pizza in NY State equates to large slice of thin pizza that can be folded in half. So while I can appreciate other styles of pizza, my default will always be that NY style slice. For my money, that is no better replicated than at Mary Angela’s in Carytown.

Mary Angela’s is a typical 70’s style pizza shop with the cramped booths, painted Italian murals on the wall, and Italian football..er..soccer on the tv. Its location in carytown gives it a good dose of foot traffic, and it always seems to be crowded. That being said, I live close by and I frequent it through the perverbial take out. They have delivery, but most people say that it takes too long to get the pies and they are often too soggy by the time they arrive.

Truth is that I am very boring when I order from there. I always order the 18″ x-large pie. This is key for slice folding (see ablove). As for toppings- pepperoni or sauage, sometimes onions. sometimes basil. The final product is a crispy-brown crust, gooey-salty cheese and perfection in the mouth.

It tastes amazing, the product is consistant and that is why I will continue to order from there.

I have heard about Brock’s BBQ for years. It’s a bit hazy whether it was from radio advertising or actual people. So yesterday when I was driving down RT 10 in Chesterfield yesterday at lunchtime, I deceded I should stop by for a quick bite.