The House of Marinara

• The lamb rib chops at Whole Foods are amazing when coated in salt & Greek oregano and quickly seared on the outside.
• Tipo 00 pizza flour can be found European Market for $4 a lb. I cheated this week by buying my dough from Arianna’s.
• Made Gravalax with wild king salmon. Tried using thyme and sage instead of dill. Not quite as good.
• I do love me some Ledo’s pizza. Don’t ask me why.
• Had a hell of a chicken fried steak at Weezie’s Kitchen.

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?

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 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.

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.

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.

I am running a survey out there based on the perfect grilled cheese. This all started because of recipe and article I found in December’s Saveur magazine. The recipe was a simple grilled cheese made out of sourdough bread, unsalted butter, and comte cheese. I cooked that sucker up and it was amazing. Then I realized there has to better combinations that I am missing. So here are some of the results I found on day 1. I hope to get another onslaught of responses so that I may post a follow-up.

Tanya at Belmont Butchery

If I’m eating a grilled cheese… ham and gruyere on brioche/or some soft egg bread… a skim coat of mayo on the bread, mayo down on the griddle, when brown pull off griddle. Top browned side of bread with grain mustard, good sweet ham, gruyere, top with bread – again browned side to food. Finish on a griddle, with a skim coat of mayo on the outside of the sandwich – cook until browned and cheese is melty.

Ben at Belmont Butchery

Grilled cheese shouldn’t be gussied-up. It’s american and it’s simple. In fact, it should be a rule that you can’t add any more than two toppings to it, anything beyond that is bullshit. SO, with that in mind…

• white or wheat (personal preference white)
• unsalted butter
• 2 slices kraft american cheese
• If I’m “Going Big” I’ll add one slice of tomato and chopped jalapeno. If I’m drunk I’ll sub the jalapeno for Texas Pete

Julia at River City Cellars

Mine is not so much the traditional, I prefer to call it the heart attack snack–it was my celebration for when I FINALLY got my cholesterol checked and found out it was absurdly low. I love genetics!

• Take a cakey bread like challah and slice off a 1.5-2″ chunk. slit the side open enough to stuff with salty ham or prosciutto. grate a meltable alpine cheese or combo (aged gruyere+appenzeller, or just comte) and stuff that in, too.
• heat a griddle or cast iron pan. add butter.
• in a shallow bowl beat an egg, a pinch each of salt and white pepper and a bit of milk (or if you’re really thumbing your nose at the gods, half and half) and coat the stuffed sammy like french toast. not so much it starts to fall apart but enough to soak in a bit.
• fry that 6,000 calorie delight until golden on both sides and melted inside.
• open a yummy white (Loire chenin or better yet, brut Champagne).
• cancel all plans for the rest of the evening because in 22 minutes you will have face-planted into a carb coma.

Sarah at River City Cellars

Crusty bread, butter, Meadowcreek Farms- Grayson, pickles

I wish I could cook

For me, thick, spongy bread, lots of butter, basic Cheddar-esque singles, tomato and sometimes ham when I’m feeling kinky.

In vino veritas

sourdough bread brushed with REAL unsalted butter grilled with swiss and tomatoes. and smushed. for some reason, i have to smash it with a spatula

RVA Foodie

Butter, bread and cheese.

• The bread should be thin sandwich style (white/wheat/whichever).
• The butter should be unsalted (Karen says to put it on both sides of each piece of bread! but I think that might be overkill).
• The cheese should include “american processed cheese food” and maybe one other variety from the fridge (but not too fancy).
• The sandwich should be pan fried until golden, then flipped and pressed flat with a saucer so that there’s a little circle in the middle of the bread. Both sides need to be crunchy and butter-logged.

variations:

• sauteed thinly sliced onions and fresh homegrown tomatoes
• sauteed apples and thinly sliced onions, and brie tween white bread
• nabulsi cheese. it stands alone
• fresh mozzarella, steamed greens lightly sauteed in garlic and butter or olive oil

Josh from Ch’ville

From the pan: butter, sweet potato bread, sharp honey mustard, fresh chopped basil, s & p, cheese blend (last time was chevre, sharp cheddar, havarti dill, smoked Gouda)

Carol from Cap1

Cooked in a frying pan, 2 pieces super thick white toast with butter, cream cheese and thickest velveeta slice ever with pepper sprinkled on top

Zuppa

Fresh basil pesto, tomato, mozzarella, dill havarti and prosciutto ham

Café Caturra

Sharp cheddar, provolone and vine ripe tomatoes grilled on panini bread