The House of Marinara

*This is number #6 on my trek though Richmond Goodlife’s Top #50 Restaurants in Richmond

It is difficult to argue against Comfort. It’s a good concept. The prices are reasonable. The food seems to be good.
I will always have a certain respect for Comfort. They were pioneers in bringing the Richmond dining scene back to Broad Street. They brought it back and they did it with style.

For those of you who are new to Comfort, the restaurant plays on the traditional Meat and Three concept. You pick your meat and 3 sides to go along with it. While traditional Meat and Three places are basic comfort foods, Comfort takes those same basic meals and tries to kick it up a notch. Read more »

I’ll admit it. I am a Biggest Loser geek. I used to watch the show because I thought some of the drama was hilarious. I still think it is hilarious. What I have grown to appreciate, is that for 2 hours a week, I get spoon-fed information and stories about living a healthy life. As a huge fan I love talking about it at every opportunity. So when I heard that Biggest Loser Bob Harper was coming to Richmond, I had to go.

Here was the problem; it was an event for employees of the Commonwealth of Virginia. So I contacted the agency sponsoring the event and asked if I could cover the event for my blog. They were gracious and granted my request.

The event was held this morning at the Richmond Convention Center. I know there were 1,500 people signed up to attend. I am not sure what the actual attendance was but there a lot of people there. Read more »

Thursday night I had the pleasure of grabbing some good beef at Shula’s Steakhouse in the new Hilton Richmond Hotel.

I’ve been asked several times- “What do you think?”

My only response- “It was fine”

For the money that was spent on that meal, I feel like I should have been more excited. But in reality Shula’s is just another chain restaurant that invaded the Richmond area that happens to serve Prime Steak. Read more »

This is number #4 on my trek though Richmond Goodlife’s Top #50 Restaurants in Richmond

I dig Grandpa Eddies BBQ. Mind you, I won’t put it on my top 25 list nor advertise it as the best bbq, but given it’s location, it’s a great option. Located in the chain infested waters of the Short Pump area, the place survives and puts out a great product and perhaps a great value.

Let me first start by saying, the old location was so much better. The newer location makes more sense. It just has no atmosphere. It’s too clean and polished on the outside and bleh on the inside. Read more »

I am crossing a restaurant off my list of places I visit- Bailey’s Smokehouse & Tavern.

The term “smokehouse” is quite appropriate. Somehow they have managed to make the place a smoking facility by blocking of 6 tables as non-smoking and making the other 50 table tops smoking.

The food is mediocre at best, but no one really goes there for the food. They go there to watch sports and drink a crapload of alcohol. I believe in the right to smoke, and the Libertarian me has some issues with the smoking ban. That doesn’t keep me from enjoying the results of the ban and setting certain expectations. So when those expectations aren’t met, expect me to be angry.

Anyway, the place was slammed. I am convinced that every smoker in Richmond found there way out there. And such, I will make sure not to return.

*It also doesn’t help that there was open drug dealing in the rest room and angry customers wielding axes.

Croakers was one of those place I knew I wanted to visit and yet I never made it out there (out there- meaning Jackson-Wardish area). While being in the middle of the city, it really isn’t convenient.

I had heard rumors of their seafood chili being amazing; alas, they didn’t have any. So it was going to be one of their fish boats. I figured I would delve into the Buffalo Style Fish Boat, and man did I hit a home run. It was 2 or 3 huge fillets of “Lake Trout” breaded and fried perfectly and drenched in hot sauce. The “Lake Trout” was light and flakey. The breading provided nice texture and crunch without overwhelming flavor and the sauce blended well into it. Read more »

I haven’t been watching High Fidelity, but suddenly I am in the mood to rank things. So tonight, I am ranking my top 5 pizza places in Richmond.

1) Mamma Zu- They don’t advertise it. It takes forever to cook. It’s light, spicy and perfect.
2) Tarrantino’s- I am a huge fan of the char on the crust and the peppery sauce.
3) Mary Angela’s- This has been the standard. I adore the 18 inch pie. It’s perfect 30 minutes out of the oven.
4) Arianna’s- This is my neighborhood shop. The eggplant parm pie is ridiculous.
5) Cappriccio’s- Frank makes traveling to the West End worthwhile.

****8 1/2 has essentially the same pie as Mamma Zu except that it only comes in the small size. That doesn’t fly for me. I like large slices that I can cup.

Feel free to argue with me or supply me with your Top 5.

It is no secret that I like love Brazilian Churrascarias. So when I read about Dora’s Brazilian Grill, I knew I needed to visit.

Let me start by saying this is a brand new restaurant. I believe it has only been open a little over a week. That being said, the place was clean, the staff was friendly, and the service was professional.

This place is slightly different than Texas de Brazil and Ipanema Grill. Yes, they have the traditional rodizio (all you can eat meat-fest), but they also have other entrees in case someone in your party is not a true carnivore. Read more »

I was a vegetarian for 2 years, then I said “life is too short”. I realized I didn’t have a problem with meat, just the the way it was produced.

Those words were uttered from the person I commonly refer to as the “Sausage King of Richmond”. His name is Chris Mattera, and you can find him slinging a knife at Richmond’s own Belmont Butchery.

Artisanal gastronomy is something you think you might find in San Fransico, Seattle, or Brooklyn. We are extremely fortunate to have it here in Richmond with Chris. Chris was trained at Le Courdon Blue in Paris. He started to perfect his gastronomy training at an early age and honed his skills by working in a butcher shop, studying in Iowa and apprenticing in San Miniato, Italy. Whether it is curing salami, smoking bacon, forming rabbit terrine, grinding sausage, or breaking-down a side of beef, he can do it all and do it well.

Based on his unofficial title, it is safe to imagine that he makes some amazing sausages, whether they be fresh or dry cured. I remember first trying his Della Nonna (named for his grandmother) about 3 years ago and it changed my view of sausage. I also have a special place for the San Miniato (recipe from Italy), Brats (with their addictive seasoning), and the smoked beef hot dogs. What is fun about Chris, is that he will engage you about the sausages. He did a test batch of a buffalo chicken sausage, and we spent a good 45 minutes going back and forth about what would make it better. He is also willing to try new stuff. My current project is convincing him to try a Texas Rope Sausage.

What I think makes Chris unique is that he is on a mission.

I am personally invested into the whole local foods movement. [Food] is not just any commodity. its the only product that the consumer literally consumes into part of their bodies.

Chris spent some significant time this year helping a small eatery get off the ground in the East End of Richmond. He wants to see local, fresh, healthy food get into the hands of not only the wealthy but also the poor. In his mind, until the less fortunate are able to get better access to ethically raised food, factory farming will continue to flourish.

Chris is also letting his voice be heard. You can read his stuff on RVA News, the Edible Chesapeake, Richmond Magazine, and several newspapers.

In the end, Chris is just trying to make a difference whether its helping me enjoy the delights of cured meats or with the larger community and helping them understand the importance of responsible eating.

I have been to Can Can about 30 times over the past 2 years so it is a place that I have a bit a of familiarity. Most of these trips can be attributed to my friend Bookstore Piet persuading me to head on over to enjoy a late afternoon cocktail or two or three. Needless to say, I am comfortable with the place and, in fact, I really like it.

The trouble with Can Can is that grading it on value can be troublesome. I think in some ways, there is a whole lot of value to be found. Other times, the value is not as great. The difference is not due to inconsistency but instead the diversity of the menu. Read more »