dim sum do's and don't

[Street decoration in Oakland's Chinatown]

As I've said before, I'm not much of a breakfast person (unless it is in art form.) Sure, I like hashbrowns since they are made of potatoes and I never say no to bacon, but eggs just don't do anything for me. If I'm headed out for my first meal of the day, I'm already thinking of lunch foods. It is no surprise then that I love dim sum brunches.

Partner-in-Crime and I have gone several times recently and this weekend I took a few pictures to share and thought I'd share the do's and don'ts of dim sum as I have learned them.

Do: Go with a group
Dim sum is a social meal and most of the tables are large round ones. Go with a group of four to eight is a great size.

Don't: Order individually 
This is why you want a crowd. Dim sum is meant to be eaten family style. Order dishes for the table. Each dish often has 3-6 small treats, such as dumplings. The server often snips larger items in half with scissors for sharing. Order 1-3 dishes from one cart and then see what the next cart brings. Even without a central ordering plan, if you order slowly you won't get too much on the table and you'll be able to sample many dishes.

[The sticky rice to the left is a favorite of mine.]

Do: Enjoy yourself slowly
Dim sum is the best kind of slow meal. As soon as you are seated, you can start ordering and your food is on the table immediately. But you also get to order slowly and can always decide to get more. We're often at dim sum between 1-2 hours.

[Basically Chinese doughnuts]

Don't: Be scared to try new things
Growing up I was a bit of a picky eater. I've found the best way to start liking foods you thought you didn't was to try them prepared a completely new way. I was leery of these coconut desserts because I'm not a fan of coconut pie, but instead they reminded me a sweet coconut milk and had a very milk taste. Delicious!

[So glad I tried these]

Do: Tip
You'll have a waiter (often in a vest) who brings you more tea, water (if you request it), and who will clear plates that are empty. Do tip. 

During your meal, you'll have a ticket like this one on your table. The servers will stamp a code for the dishes you bought (and that they sold it) so it's hard to keep track of how much exactly you are spending. Luckily, it's typically very reasonable. Our bill this weekend was just $12 each with tip. 

Do: Take some home!
After our meal, we went to stores in Chinatown that sell dim sum and barbecue to go and purchased our dinner. 

update from the road: new york bbq

[fette sau bbq in brooklyn]


[ordering by the pound.]

[split with a friend, though on a good night I could eat it all.]

[whiskey at the bar and beer sold by the gallon.]

restaurant review: six burner restaurant week

[Ed. note- meant to post this a while ago but had blogger issues]

Richmond just had Restaurant Week, having added a spring week to the annual fall Restaurant Week. Partner-in-crime and I headed to Six Burner. They had a larger menu, with five or six entree options and overall we were both quite pleased with our meals. I definitely want to go back here again, perhaps for their prix fixe menu Mondays-Thursdays before 7.

my heart goes boom boom

Let's get some things out of the way. I love burgers. I am a failed vegetarian. Very very failed. But I also work for a climate change non-profit and take sustainability pretty seriously. So any burger joint that sources all its ingredients locally is one I have to try. I've been watching the development of Boom Boom Burgers online and was excited on Monday to see an announcement about its soft opening for Tuesday. A coworker and I walked from our office down to 1703 E. Franklin St. to try it out.

[View from outside]

Walking in I immediately spotted a friend which added even more fun to the rare lunch out. As soon as I walked up to the counter, Boom Boom Burger owner Josh Eftekhari recognized me from my Twitter picture. I think it was the first time it ever happened to me and I was impressed. Boom Boom has a great Twitter presence, promoting information about their suppliers as well as discussing Richmond events.

[Front counter]

Boom Boom's interior reflects their brand with strong explosive graphic details and bright, fun colors permeating the space. The menu is written on a chalkboard so specials can be easily changed and seasonality is key. Currently the basic burger comes ketchup and pickles since tomatoes aren't in season. There is also a mushroom burger, a bacon bbq burger, and one with grilled ones and special sauce. I was bummed they were out of bacon when I arrived, because (we've been over this) I love bacon.

[The Ms. Boom]

So on to the most important part: the burger. Let's just say I'm glad this place isn't closer to my office because I would having burgers twice a week. Great meat, grass-fed from Polyface Farms cooked medium-rare. The bun was an unexpected treat. Buns are crucial to a good burger but I never sit down expecting to be raving about the shell of the burger. Could have used extra pickles, but it's the type of place I'm sure is amenable to that type of request. One note, all business transactions on done via iPad. Bring a debit/credit card as they don't bother with cash.

[Saving the world. One burger at a time.]

Posted inside the bathroom. I love the slight tongue-in-cheek nature of the sign. Certainly Boom Boom has a deep commitment to sustainability and local sourcing, but you can tell they don't take themselves too seriously. I don't go out in the Bottom, but if I did I'd want to end the night here having an impromptu dance party with the staff while eating delicious, delicious local burgers.

pretentious foodie post

I've been meaning to write this post since December, but every time I started it it just sounded like a dreaded foodie post. So now I'm just sucking it up and writing a foodie post.

But it really can't be too much of a foodie post because pretty much all I'm going to talk about is bacon. And I've loved bacon my entire life, even when I refused to eat most foods. Now, many kids don't eat their vegetables (and I didn't) but I also did not eat macaroni and cheese or most other forms of cheese, a childhood staple. I downed bacon, though. I didn't (and still don't really) eat eggs, so bacon and grits was my favorite breakfast. (Oh, hello. Forgot I'm from the South?)

So my love of bacon + increasing willingness to eat new foods= Husk, my new favorite restaurant. Anywhere. I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Charleston, SC, except maybe my vegetarian friends. There is too much bacon to leave still vegetarian.

Husk sources its ingredients locally and lists where each item is from on a large sign in the entrance, whether it's the bacon, benne seeds or clams. They say, "If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door." The focus is on Southern ingredients in Southern, particularly Low Country, recipes. All food is sourced fresh and the kitchen preserves, smokes and pickles the abundance. The menu changes daily. Sure, they list the source of most items on the menu, a common complaint of "foodie"-haters, but our waitress couldn't be described any way other than friendly and chill.

[Local food]

Our meal started with rolls with a bacon butter that I will never be able to recreate but somehow the smooth butter tasted like smoked bacon, perhaps due to bacon fat in the butter. To start we ordered a sampling of cured ham and housemade pickles, as well as fried chicken skins with a spicy honey dipping sauce, and wood fired clams with sausage, peppers and tomatoes and crispy bread.

[We ate every bit of the broth.]

[Due of pork. Pork belly and tenderloin, with parsnips, apples and granola.]

[Due of beef- filet mignon with bok choy and carrots.]

[Due of beef, other side. Ragu and mashed potatoes.]

Husk Restaurant, Charleston, SC.

dining locally at sprout

In honor of the Groupon for Sprout today, I wanted to post these pictures. The adorable little cafe sources locally and used many repurposed materials in renovating the restaurant. I went for the 'Grand Opening' a few months back (maybe June?) but then hadn't stopped by again. A few weeks ago I went in for lunch and had the best grilled cheese ever. And a pretty soup. But the best grilled cheese ever. I seriously regretted doing a half sandwich/ half soup combo because I wanted about 3 more sandwiches. (The soup was something with chicken and potatoes, and was very good.)

The sandwich was so good I let the owner talk me into ordering the last slice of the apple raspberry cheesecake. It was very good, there was a cheesecake layer, and some sort of apple compote layer, along with whipped cream and raspberry sauce.

I may use my Groupon solely on grilled cheese. Well, maybe one piece of cheesecake.

[Dried flowers in old soda bottles? Hand drawing signs? In love.]

[Cheesecake? In love.]

food on the road: charlottesville

My apologies for being away for so long. Work has kept me busy and on the road frequently so both posting and having something to post about has been difficult. But I have gotten to try some new restaurants, and revisit some of my favorite out of town spots. I was in Charlottesville at least once a week this month so here are some of my top picks for Charlottesville. They are mostly around campus and/or downtown, since that's where I was working and staying, and typically quick/cheap eats to get on the go. And because I compare everything Charlottesville to Ithaca, my comparisons are below as well. (Try it: Downtown Mall= The Commons; The Corner= Collegetown; Jefferson Theater= State Theater; UVA < Cornell.)

Bodo's Bagels. My hosts insisted we brunch at Bodos, which resulted in a dozen bagels coming back to my house. So fresh they refuse to toast them, every New Yorker I know who has eaten these agrees they rank among NYC's finest. Assemble your own cheap sandwich, just be ready to order when it's your turn in line. Three locations, including the Corner.
Bodo's Bagels= CTB minus beer.

Revolutionary Soup. Perfect soup/sandwich/salad place that places heavy emphasis on local sourcing. One exception is if you order the "Student Special" ($6) which is a choice of three soups with a grilled cheese sandwich. Your soup and bread may be local, but your cheese is classic Kraft slices. You can get the 'Gourmet Grilled Cheese' which delicious cheese options. I have fallen in love with their Rosemary Potato Soup and am determined to recreate it. There are locations downtown and on the Corner.
Rev Soup= ABC (RIP ABC.)

Zazu's. Zazu's does most of its options one of two ways- as a wrap, or as a 'bowl' over rice. I've only been by once as it's near campus but not quite walking distance (especially when I'm working.) The Thai bowl won me over due to copious amounts of fresh chopped basil on top and a peanut sauce with a touch of spice. I'm definitely hoping to be back by in the future.
This seems like a place that would be Ithaca, but I'm not sure there is an apt comparison.

Semolina: Gourmet pizza bakers, I ended up here on a Monday night. Located on the Corner, The downstairs pizza pickup was somewhat busy but the upstairs fine dining area was dead. I hadn't expected it to be quite so fancy but it had a good vibe, and the staff was nice enough to give me the wireless password so I could work and enjoy pizza at the same time. I ordered the wild boar sausage with pistachio, an amazing combinations of flavors.
My Ithaca comparison fails here, as this is nothing like The Nines.



Splendoras/ Chaps: There are two creamy frozen dessert options on the mall and like to frequent both. Splendoras offers gelato while Chaps is pure American ice cream. Both are made in store using fresh ingredients but the results are very different. Some of the gourmet flavors overlap (I've recently had pumpkin at both) but only at Splendoras will you find salted caramel, Stracciatella, or grapefruit. Splendoras also serves excellent coffee and espresso. Chaps serves food but I've never sampled it.
Chaps= Purity

Other Charlottesville favorites?

eat at edo's

I meant to share these yummy images from Edo's Squid, a great place on the second floor of 411 N Harrison St. Not a secret to Richmonders, but it definitely feels like a secret while you're trying to find it, either in person or on the web. (Anyone know if there is a website?) Once inside, it's not overly formal. Go on the early side and you'll see families. It's right in the midle of VCU, but you see lots of non-students here and far fewer obvious students (though if I were a grad student, this is where I'd take my dates.)

The food? Amazing. Super delicious pasta, nothing outrageous, but just solidly good. I hope to go back very soon. Roommate trip?

long live the queen

Last week I joined a wonderful friend at The Empress. My friend has a wheat allergy and we had heard that The Empress had gluten-free bread. What we hadn't realized is that one of the owners has Celiac's so the majority of the menu is actually wheat-free (including their French toast at brunch!) At the time, The Empress was facing the possibility of having to shut down (due to their landlord possibly going to jail) but since they've announced that they will be staying open, I want to share these drool-inducing photos. I had told myself I wasn't going to document the meal, until it came out and was just so adorable. We ordered several of the appetizer/ tapas and shared, eating our meal slowly over gossip. Our server was great and the owner came over to talk once she heard we had a wheat-allergy at the table. Now that they are sticking around, I'll officially recommend them.

[I believe this was an orange-and-honey soaked apricot with blue cheese, but it may not have been blue cheese. Either way, it was heavenly.]

[Our adorable glassware]

[Bacon-wrapped dates]

[Beef carpaccio. Note: this bread is gluten-free. And I loved it.]

[International meats and cheeses]

[Red pepper crème brulée]

This one was a risk. The Empress has constantly rotating crème brulée selection and the selection while we were there was red pepper. They were so fresh that ours was actually stuck in the freezer to cool before being brought out and it was still slightly warm when served. (We had been warned and, as I said, it was a risk.) It didn't quite work but I definitely want to try a slightly-more traditional version soon.

sister dinner date

Lately Richmond has exploded with woodfired pizza places. For the full breakdown, check out RVAFoodie's pizza quest. Of course, the day before he posts, I end up with my little sister at Stuzzi. Pizza just seemed like the perfect sisters meal and I wanted a place to sit down, relax and have a glass of wine. We split an appetizer, salad, pizza and dessert. Overall we had a great meal, though with the burst of new pizza joints Stuzzi will have to work to shine above the rest (and I do plan to visit the rest!)

[Potato and proscutto croquettes]
My sister decided it tasted like "fried mashed potatoes with proscutto" which is pretty accurate, and accurately describes the deliciousness. However, at $6 for 4, they are rather pricey and the proscutto is not well destributed. My first bite was full of a giant piece but the rest of the croquettes had only one or two very small pieces.

[Arugula with shaved Parmesan]
Solid salad, but missing something. It may have just been fresh ground pepper or a bit more balsamic in the dressing but lacked the pop of an excellent basic salad.

[Cotto ham pizza]
This is where Stuzzi shined. Great woodfired crust, excellent cheese. The ham was good though could have used a bit more (or maybe I was just sad not to have a spicy pepperoni.) The pizza is very soft on bottom so we sort of folded it in half, but perpendicular to New York syle.

[Tartufo]

Best Italian dessert ever? Possibly. This isn't the style of tartufo my grandmother insisted we eat in Rome, but it was quite tasty. My sister and I avoided the cherry and enjoyed the ice cream and chocolate crust.

salute to the white dog

I had never been to The White Dog, but when @RVAFoodie coordinated a Twitter meetup to support The White Dog in their last week of existance I knew I wanted to check it out. Jason (aka RVAFoodie) has made several great recommendations for me in the past and I knew this wouldn't disappoint. The White Dog did have a good casual vibe (minus one elderly man hitting on my baby sister) and I could see myself hanging out there with a friend or a group. We ended up with a free batch of catfish fingers that were quite tasty but I wasn't sad not to have discovered The White Dog earlier until my sister suggested we get dessert. Heaven!

[Bread pudding.]
The best I ever had.

[Chocolate ganache.]
As rich as the center of a truffle. With foamy whipped cream and hidden strawberry syrup.

Somehow despite the three of us at my table having eaten a full dinner and dessert prior to arrival then the catfish fingers, we managed to get through both desserts. We had been served an extra, unordered bread pudding but we gave it to Jason to return the favor.

The White Dog is open through Saturday so check it out!

two minute lunch: the village

I've been to The Village a few times but never for lunch before since I work downtown. A canceled event at VCU left me hungry before heading to the office so I decided to stop in and grab lunch.

The Village is a classic college restaurant/ diner. Sit at the bar or seat yourself, service has always been fairly fast and the giant 'boots' of soda mean I don't need constant refills. The Village has a full bar, which is nice, though I've never gotten a drink there. I was there at 11:15 but I saw a lot of folks ordering breakfast, which isn't really my thing. (My favorite breakfast foods? Hashbrowns and bacon.) The french toast with banana and peanut butter that went past after I ordered was really tasty looking and a future possibility.

Most of my meals at the Village have involved forms of cheese and potato. My first visit I got the potato skins with bacon, which were solid. Today I had the loaded baked potato with chicken and cheddar. (In my head, the chicken made it a healthy option.) This is the type of food that rarely is shocking but when it's good, it's oh-so-good.

Blackberry photo, apologies.

What has transcended from good to sublime at The Village is the "fried cheese," essentially balls of delicious mozzarella fried and served with marinara. My friends insisted we share these on our first visit and I find myself craving them at odd times. Just don't, as I tried to do, get them to go. Like most delicious fried items, being shoved in a box and being allowed to cool create unfortunate situations. So take the time and grab a booth. Enjoy.

weekend review: part one, the city

Wine dinner at Olio. $30 for four courses, each with a perfectly-paired half glass of wine. I had the pleasure of dining with RVAnews.com's own Holly Gordon and we were seated at the largest table, with six others. I believe, there were about four tables in all, most seating six though there was mention of other wine dinners being larger.

Course one, grilled vegetables and flatbread.
Paired with .A. Prum "Essence" Riesling, Germany
Possibly my favorite course because I had just not expected to love this course so much. The vegetables had a great smokey flavor that I don't think I've ever experienced with vegetables.
I loved this wine and bought a bottle for myself, along with the second course's wine. Partially due to the low cost of the dinner, it was nice to have such excellent wines to taste but to have those be ones that I could still afford to bring home.

Course two, Vegetable/Potato Samosa Dumpling and Tamarind Chutney Sauce
Paired with J. Lohr Vineyards "Wildflower" Monterey County, CA
While the puff pastry isn't 'traditional' the samosa was still delicious and the filling was very complex. I don't know much about wine, but the Valdiguie grape that composes most of this wine is apparently less common. I liked the 'softness' of this wine and am looking foward to sharing the bottle with friends tonight.

Course three, Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan
Paired with Edmeades Zinfandel, Mendocino County, CA
A great, flavorful dish with a good amount of spice but it didn't completely overpower the wine.

Course four, Green Tea Cheesecake with Fortune Cookie Crust
Paired with Michele Chiarlo "Nivole" Moscato d'Asti, Italy
Holly and I were relieved that fortunes did come with out fortune cookie crust and I loved my fortune. (Can you read it in the photo?) Moscato is definitely a dessert wine and I wouldn't drink it other times but this choice was the perfect way to finish our meal, particularly with the slightly-savory dessert.

After the dinner, we met up with more friends and did some bar hopping in the fan. This is how the night ended:

"Lime Birdies"

Makes a PBR taste like a Corona.
Whether that is good or bad depends on your feelings about PBR and Corona.

olios blogger meetup

I'm just getting into blogging and also still feeling really new to Richmond, so I was super thrilled and honored to be invited to a Richmond area food bloggers meetup. I had enjoyed checking out some of the blogs ahead of time but wasn't expecting anyone to have read mine. Embarrassing story: I had just gotten a beer (Olio comped our first drink, so nice of them!) and was pouring it into a frosty glass when a woman I introduced myself to said "oh! you're percentblog!" I was so shocked I didn't realize my beer was super foamy and spilling out of the glass. But I had a great time and met amazing people so you'll see the Richmond blogroll over to the right grow quickly.

But on to the food. Obviously the foodie who chose the place did so because of the wonderful food and atmosphere, but you would think that a room full of self-proclaimed foodies would have critiques. The whole evening I didn't hear one. What's not to love about a market that does food excellently and sells beer and wine at retail prices? I had the Sopresatta Suzanna Pizza with tomato vodka sauce, fortina and provolone, and sopresatta salami. A friend and I sat in wonder as we ate the salami. No full review here but go try Olio yourself.

weekend review

This weekend I was in Richmond all on my own since roomie was out of town. I was looking forward to kicking back as much as possible and for the beginning of the week that meant avoiding grocery shopping and cooking. I also wanted to get out and explore a little, even if it meant doing it by myself.

Wine Tasting
To kick off the weekend I stopped by two wine tastings that were Twitter recommended to me by RVA Foodie. I first stopped by Grape and Cheese in the Fan. Sadly, they weren't having a wine tasting this week but the owner did give me a taste of a bottle he had opened. I also found a red wine from my favorite label from the summer. I'd only had the white before so I bought it and am excited to taste it soon (before it gets too spring-like outside for me to ever want to drink red!) The owner seemed very knowledgeable and there were several other people browsing, but sadly the shelves seemed a little empty and dusty. I hope it isn't a sign that the shop is in trouble. I'll have to stop by next Friday as well.

Without my fill of free wine, I headed to River City Cellars. The shop was bustling. Sometimes I feel awkward asking for wine tastings when they are out but no one is really pouring. Here there were no feelings of awkwardness. Apparently the drill is you bring your own glass or else you are served in 'medicine cups' as the server called them, or small plastic condiment cups. This week's tasting was Austrian wines and we were given helpful sheets with information about each wine.

Moshi Moshi
After the wine tasting, I decided to get dinner at Moshi Moshi, a Carytown sushi restaurant. I had thought it would be a good place to eat alone since I could sit at the sushi bar, but it turns out they don't have a sushi bar so I sat at the normal bar. To start I wanted to get a cocktail. Despite being right in front of it, I failed to realize there was a full bar so I ordered one of their saketini specials listed on the menu. It was pear-melon which sounded amazing and I hoped for a clear mixture of vodka and sake. Instead, the addition of some kind of melon liquor turned the whole thing a bright green and I couldn't tell if it was the green liquor or the sake that gave the drink a strange taste. The bartender was teaching a fellow staff member how to make it, however, and she loved it so maybe it just wasn't to my taste.

As I was deciding on my rolls, I ordered a cucumber melon salad with cilantro. I love tart and vinegary, but sadly this salad was all tart and the melon pieces were diced cubes that didn't lend any juiciness to the salad. If they had been left off, it would have tasted the same. The cilantro didn't really come through either, so I was disappointed with the starter.

I also ordered a yellowfish roll and spicy tuna roll. The yellowfish roll was fine, but nothing special with perhaps too much rice. I should have ordered the yellowfish sashimi to enjoy the fish. The spicy tuna was much more delicious, with spicy tuna, avocado and cucumber.

It's hard to give a full review given that I ordered only two rolls and no speciality rolls. I like the vibe so I'd definitely come back here with a friend or two to give it a second try.

Total: $24ish + tip

Black Sheep
Saturday afternoon I slept late and at 1pm started to think about lunch. Lunch turned out to be the highlight of my weekend. I've been wanting to try The Black Sheep, which is near my house and I've heard is excellent.

The Black Sheep is known for it's huge sandwiches also known as 'Battleships' that are served on baguettes. I knew that was where I had to start. I ordered the CSS Virginia, substituting roasted chicken for the fried chicken livers (I just couldn't bring myself to order liver, sorry Daddy.) It came with shredded cabbage, green onions, granny smith apple & remoulade sauce. I ordered the half and still only managed to eat half of it.

I also ordered the Mason-Dixon which was half hard cider and half lager. It was tart but mellower than most hard cider and less sweet. Very good but I love cider so was sort of craving more of a punch. A few others were enjoying brunch drinks, but most folks were going for the Southern standby sweet tea (though several folks were getting their sugar rush from a Mexico-made sugar Coca-cola classic.)

Deciding to save half of my half-sandwich, I still had a little room for dessert. I ordered the banana pudding, described as lady fingers layered with a fluffy ripe banana & rum spiked pudding, nutmeg & sweet whipped cream. One bite and I was in love. The lady fingers made the dessert very light and the banana pudding is sweet but not cloying. I had made friends with table next to me and had to give them a bite as well. I think it convinced them to order dessert.

When I arrived at 2pm the small seating area was full, but I was seated within 5 minutes. The whole time I was there, folks kept arriving and there wasn't an empty table until 2:30. The hostess and two servers were super friendly and I loved the vibe the decor gave The Black Sheep. I'm already planning on bringing my Dad here because he loves good sandwiches and banana pudding. I'll also be back more afternoons on my own. I kept checking out the sides and other sandwiches other tables were eating, and I have to try the cauliflower, mac and cheese and the Miss "E".

Total: $18 + tip for sandwich, beer and dessert

Post lunch, I did some thrifting and will share the spoils later once they are re:purposed. I'd have to say though, even with my delicious meals and great finds, the best part of the weekend was the warm sunny weather!

urban farmhouse review

Since I've moved down to Richmond I've been intrigued by a storefront near my office at 1217 E. Cary St. For months coming soon was plastered in the window but slowly things were happening inside. Weeks before the opening, Urban Farmhouse established themselves on twitter, which only increased my interest in the restaurant that promised "locally sourced seasonal food and organic coffees & teas." Finally about a month ago, it opened! I checked it out on the first day it opened, stopping by as I walked past going to work.

Fresh bread and pastries.

I loved this container of animal crackers at the register.

Cozy couches and tables.

The market had a variety of food items, along with some lip balms and other simple beauty products. While small, you could theoretically come in and pick up everything you need for a simple meal from nonperishables. There are no produce, meat or dairy on sale, though the Farmhouse does sell fresh bread.


On to the food, for my first visit since it was morning I just grabbed a chai and the toast and jam option. There was an option of bread and I of course choose the delicious sourdough roll option. While delicious, it was extremely pricey for bread and jam. I did get about half a pear and a quarter of an apple in fruit slices, but the cost was high even for organic produce. I'm also doubtful of the local organic pear in January and wish Urban Farmhouse did a better job of listing where their food comes from. The chai was fine but I think if I'm just getting coffee or tea, I'll stick to Shockoe Espresso.

More food reviews and ethical debates after the jump.

About a week later I stopped by to get takeout for a lunch meeting. I was there before the lunch rush, ordering around 10:50 (for a 11am meeting!) and was hoping that I would be in an out in 5. Sadly, my order took a bit long than that (my bread and jam had taken 10 minutes but I gave them a first-day pass on that one.) The salad was solid, with good dressing. It was a lemon-cesar so less creamy than usual, perhaps due to being egg-less. (Thus possibly vegan if you don't order chicken.) The chicken was the biggest disappointment, it was dry and seemed less fresh than I expect from a local-food place. Without it, however, it wouldn't be a very satisfying meal. This was the least strong of the three meals.


This past week, I stopped in without planning ahead (thus the Blackberry picture.) I found myself very satisfied by this meal- a cuban and farmhouse salad. The cuban was great with a huge slice of pork and delicious Virginia ham. The pickles were delicious and added great flavor. The salad was also well done, with a good amount of orange pieces. My only complaint was that the dressing hadn't been tossed with the salad, instead it was just drizzled on top, which made it a bit hit or miss for having dressing on my lettuce.

Overall, I liked the meals I had there. The prices are high, which is largely due to the organic and local sourcing of food. I felt in some cases the prices could be slightly lower but I imagine the location is an expensive one as well (and likely low dinner crowds, though unlike a lot of nearby places, they are open for dinner.) Local Richmond blogger Babs Wilber felt the meals were small, finding herself hungry again 3 hours later, perhaps because she got the grilled cheese. She said she thought the chips were homemade, but I think they were salt and pepper Kettle Chips. I liked that I still got the chips with the combo deal, some places cheat you out of that. For more delectable images of their food, check out Farmhouse Goodies.

My favorite part was the beautiful design of the place and how the sustainable elements of the design were communicated.


Not so awesome was the prominence of bottled water. I understand that some people really want bottled water, and I don't really oppose selling seltzer or other bubbly water, but the bottled water was everywhere. Not cool, local sustainability place, not cool.


They won me back a bit on the beautiful bathroom, however. I kind of wished I could eat my meal in there (joking! Kind of.)


All in all, I'll be back but the high costs means it won't be as frequently as I'd like. I hope that they continue to improve the speed of service so they get heavy lunch traffic and they better convenience all of us of their sustainability and value. Twice when I've been in, the owner, Kathleen Richardson, was behind the counter and was incredibly friendly so I hope her passion for her business makes The Urban Farmhouse a success.