River City Food and Wine

$25 Credit at Fleming's

2009-11-09T18:26:00.003-05:00

Now until Dec 30, when you make dining reservations at Fleming's through the link on their site, they will give you a $25 credit automatically.

Here is a bit more of the fine print:

$25 Dining Credit must be redeemed using the specified reservation link between 11/1/09 and 12/30/09. Limit one $25 Dining Credit per check, per visit. The $25 Dining Credit is valid in the main dining room only. $25 Dining Credit is not valid for gift card purchases and cannot be combined with other promotions or applied towards special limited-time offers such as Fleming's Memorable Meals, Prix Fixe Menus, 5 for $6 'til 7 Bar Menu or Prime Burger Bar.

While a chain, they do cook a mean steak and offer a wine list that elicits a Pavlovian response.

Any Interesting Recipes for Butter Beans?

2009-11-08T10:25:00.003-05:00

At last our back yard garden produced a better-late-than-never crop of butter beans. While I use them in Brunswick stew and my hubby eats them plain or with corn, that's about it.

What else can one do with butter beans that's good?

A Most Excellent Thai Dinner

2009-11-07T07:42:00.008-05:00

A friend of mine is moving back to Thailand at the end of this year. Last night she invited us over for a most excellent dinner of traditional food that is usually not seen in a restaurant.

We discovered spicy eggplant:

Seafood soup with a lemongrass broth:

Braised tofu, chicken, and mushrooms:

Hard boiled eggs, deep fried, topped with fried shallots in a tamerind sauce:

To drink - 2008 Maude Pinot Gris from New Zealand:

Very unusual dishes for us, but very tasty. We particularly enjoyed the eggs. What an incredible amalgam of flavors. We were very honored to get a glimpse of real Thai cooking.

I Practice Plaqueusephilia

2009-11-06T17:35:00.002-05:00

My friend John who manages The Wine Cellar alerted me to this fact. And I have the picture to prove it.

Acacia Mid-Town Part 2

2009-11-05T18:34:00.006-05:00

We went to Acacia to participate in Richmond Restaurant Week and make a small contribution to the Central Virginia Foodbank. Last year we had a miserable experience at another establishment during restaurant week. Acacia restored our faith in restaurant week this year.

After we had exquisite drinks at the bar, we were seated in a modern grayed space with wisps of green for accent. We ordered wine - 2006 Domaine Berthet-Rayne Chateauneuf du Pape. Mmmm.

And then on to the difficult part - choosing what to eat. Acacia offered a great variety for the special menu. For an appetizer, my husband had Pan Seared Scallops/Cauliflower Puree/Brioche/Gremolata. He raved about the scallops! and wished it had been an entree selection. I ordered Curried Parsnip Pear Soup/Fresh Shrimp/Creme Fraiche. I raved about my soup! Continuing my exploration and budding romance with root veggies other than potatoes, I took a chance on the soup and was not disappointed. A great balance of flavors.

For the entree I went straight for the Duck Stuffed with Roasted Pears, Wrapped in Bacon, Carraway Gnocchi, Red Wine Braised Cabbage, Lingonberry Sauce. The duck carried a smokey flavor throughout and was oh-so-yummy. A delicious updated take on German-influenced cuisine. I could not have asked for anything better. And hubby stuck with seafood and selected Baked Crabcake, Cheddar Cheese Grits, Creamed Leeks, Greens, Herb Garlic Sauce. He also was well pleased with the flavors and tastes. And both entrees did not skimp on the food. While it was not an over-abundance, we were quite satisfied.

And then came dessert. A Parsnip Spice Cake/Fromage Blance Ice Cream/Pear Sauce for hubby. He was always a sucker for ice cream. This one was like a whipped cream ice cream and paired very well with the spice cake. I had the Vanilla Mascarpone Panna Cotta/Rich Chocolate Torte. I ordered it because of the chocolate (dense, intense dark chocolate), but the dessert was memorable because of the panna cotta. While not a usual panna cotta fan, this one rocked. It featured a grapefruity, puckery sauce that was out of this world.

We had a great dinner. We contributed to a worthy cause. Acacia gained two additional fans.

Bin 22 Hosts Bartholomew Broadbent Dinner Nov 10

2009-11-04T18:07:00.002-05:00

Bin 22 is hosting Bartholomew Broadbent from Broadbent Selections Tuesday November 10th at 7pm.

The menu sounds divine:

*Broadbent Vinho Verde Sunflower -- rockfish ceviche

*Ferreira Esteva Douro Red-- Belmont Butchery charcuterie sampler

*Bodega Weinert Malbec-- bourbon & peppercorn hangar steak with root vegetables

*Ferreira Dona Antonia Port-- chocolate & blue cheese plate

$40 per person by reservation 358-4501

Just to sit and chat with Mr. Broadbent would be cool and I really enjoy his Vinho Verde - very dry and sparkly. Of course, the charcuterie sampler should also be quite yummy.

Bin 22 3200 W Cary St Richmond Va 23221

Election Day in Virginia - GO VOTE!

2009-11-03T04:22:00.002-05:00

It is Election Day here in Virginia. If you are eligible to vote, please vote for the candidate of your choice.

And if you are so inclined, bring something yummy to share with the election officers...

Acacia Mid-Town Part 1

2009-11-02T18:33:00.005-05:00

On Halloween we spent a lovely evening at Acacia Mid-town. This post will concentrate on the bar and cocktails. The day before Halloween we had stopped by Once Upon a Vine (Northside) and sampled some offerings from Barboursville Vineyards - Octagon was very good. The ever charming Jason Tesauro performed the honors. As we chatted we mentioned dinner plans at Acacia. He immediately said we HAD to have a drink at the bar. Arthur (and later we discovered his unnamed bar mate) was a fine mixologist and made his own infusions and syrups. He also utilized a myriad of unusual liqueurs.

Well, get a load at part of the cocktail menu above. Green Chartreuese, Fernet (that hubby and I had just discovered), Absinthe, and Ramzotti Amaro. On Halloween we toasted each other with Pear Blossom and Last Word.

Unusual and tasty. And the other cool thing - both bartenders took great pains to make each cocktail right. No slinging crap around; this was a slow, meticulous application of fine spirits. It was a pleasure just to watch them at their craft.

Cheers!

The Calm Before the Halloween Storm at Can Can

2009-11-01T08:51:00.003-05:00

Can Can. Pre-Dinner lull. Halloween.

Fall at South of the James Market

2009-10-31T11:58:00.007-04:00

The South of the James Market gave us a drizzly welcome today, but a myriad of vendors continue to proffer their wares. Over the last few weeks we have enjoyed:

The return of red and oak leaf lettuce from Victory Farms (these guys have the best lettuce)

Cute little hedgehog gourds from a Chesterfiled County producer

Speckled turkey eggs from Empress Farm

Cinnamon-laced whipped butter from Alfredo's (think delectable Christmas presents!)

Golden Staymen apples from Walnut Creek Farm

Sausage-stuffed tortellini from Cavanna Pasta

Japanese white turnips from Victory Farms or Fertile Crescent Farm - let me expound on the turnips a bit. I have never liked turnips. My mom (who eats and likes way more veggies than I do) positively hates turnips. My hubby convinced me to try these. Miracles do happen. I like this variety. They are not bitter. I have used them in stews and have also made mashed potatoes and turnips. Next up, I will try roasting them. And, at last, I like a vegetable that my mother does not like (although, I think if a snuck some in her food she would be pleasantly surprised...)

An Exquisite Wine

2009-10-31T06:07:00.003-04:00

2005 La Reine Des Bois Domaine de la Mordoree from Lirac.

Available at J. Emerson.

Local Beef Sources

2009-10-31T05:39:00.003-04:00

The Vino Market is carrying Deb-Lyn Natural Beef from Dinwiddie. We picked up a thin cut rib eye for $13 a pound. Great price. Great taste. Locally grown.

The Belmont Butchery is carrying Beechwood Farm beef from Goochland. We had a bistro steak this past week pan seared in olive oil and butter. Also $13 a pound. Yummy.

Wild Ginger

2009-10-31T04:12:00.009-04:00

If you find yourself on the Southside of Richmond in need of dinner, head over to Wild Ginger. We found ourselves south of the river one Friday and headed over The Vino Market for their wine tasting (Dave, Hunter, and gang are always welcoming). We also browsed in the newly opened Bella Arte Gallery. Both establishments highly recommended Wild Ginger as THE place to dine.

So, we tried it. And if you find yourself dining at Wild Ginger, ask for Chris. This multi-pierced, yet clean-cut and sharp-pressed waiter will treat you right.

Wild Ginger featured Pan Asian cuisine and an extensive and decent-priced wine list. The atmosphere evoked a contemporary hipness. Were we really South of the James and bordering Powhatan?

As usual we slowly perused the menu and the wine list. Maki Rolls, small plates featuring Grilled Lamb Lollipops and Sashimi Napoleon cried out for us to try. Entrees of Sambal Shrimp and Pork Chops in a Malay Coffee Sauce seduced our tastebuds. Chris gave us a run down of the specials for the evening as well as the featured Italian wine. He ascertained that we were definitely going to order some wine. He then went on to tell us about his favorite wine on the list - Patricia Green Pinot Noir. We listened politely and asked for more time. He left us to make our decisions. And after about five minutes he returned with two sample glasses - one of the featured Italian red and one of the Patricia Green Pinot. Wow! This had never happened before where a waiter handed us wine to sample to assist in making our decision. And while we liked the Italian and would have considered ordering it any other time, the Patty G simply blew us away. I had always heard about this Oregon Pinot, but had never had it. With Chris' simple, yet generous gesture, I became a fan of both him and the wine and we ordered a bottle. And at $50 retail, it was extremely well-priced. As we saw Chris serve other tables he continued to use this selling technique to great advantage both for him and for his diners.

So, the tone was set. We luxuriated in our surprisingly hearty, yet silky smooth red and proceeded to order dinner. My spouse ordered the special Halloween Maki Roll featuring tuna and an eerie glow cube. Both fun and delicious. He also had an order of Wild Ginger Fried Rice with cashews, red peppers, raisins, pineapple, and edamame ($11). The rice was very interesting. My first thought was that the pineapple and raisins would dominate the dish and make it too sweet. This was not the case. All of the ingredients were subtle and added up to a wonderful taste experience.

I finally decided upon the Two88 Roll with shrimp tempura, avocado, spicy lump crab, and eel sauce ($14). I also ordered Yellowtail Sushi Nigiri ($5.25). I think this roll was the favorite for both of us. Great flavors with an added crunchy texture. The avocado was sliced thin (I have no idea how) and wrapped around the shrimp with the crab mixture on top. And, of course, the presentation also evoked oohs and aahs. Beauty to be savored by both the eye and the tongue.

A great evening. A new favorite dining spot. Remember, ask for Chris.

Happy Halloween Richmond!

2009-10-31T03:57:00.002-04:00

River City Supper Club #8 - Barrel Thief on Patterson

2009-10-29T18:27:00.004-04:00

River City Supper Club #8 convened at The Barrel Thief on Patterson on a Saturday evening. We arrived at 7 PM to a patron-free establishment. This was good in some ways – we had our pick of table location, we could peruse the wine selection at our leisure. In some ways it was not so good – staff was still not focused and neglected to tell us that us that there is no corkage fee on Saturdays.

Out of the featured red wines that we sampled, only one was truly kick-ass: 2007 Domaine des Hauts Chassis Crozes Hermitage. Hearty and priced right.

Our other selections were Patapon – an interesting non-conformist French red from Coteaux de Loir

And Travaglini Gattinara – nice Italian in the skewed bottle.

We ordered three small slates: Smoked Trout, Duck and Pheasant Pate, and Artichoke-Leek spread. We ate pate, the spread, and smoked salmon (another inattention to detail from the staff on a very unbusy night). My hubby and I are just getting into the enjoyment of pate and this one was good. And even though the salmon was a mistake, it tasted heavenly.

We then ordered cups of soup and most looked forward to the Tuscan white bean and bacon, only to be told after our order was taken that only three cups remained of the soup du jour. Butternut Squash Bisque became the substitute. The bean soup offered a lot of bacon flavor, but was distressingly short of beans. The bisque was decent, but laced with cinnamon and a bit too sweet.

Paninis rounded out the evening and were very satisfying.

As always, the company made the evening stellar, but The Barrel Thief was a bit off kilter.

Red Beans and Rice

2009-10-26T19:14:00.004-04:00

Unfortunately, I was under the weather for the Richmond Folk Festival. I did manage to catch Phil Wiggins and Corey Harris on Sunday. While I was soaking up the sun rays, I also consumed the meaty red beans and rice from Send-a-Chef. Great blues and fantastic food.

Send-a-Chef was impressive.

Unfortunately, just that activity tuckered me out and I had to go home.

Cape Cod

2009-10-25T17:20:00.017-04:00

Cape Cod in late September. And our first visit to the Cape. What a lovely time. We stayed at a sweet little cottage off of Main St. in Chatham for the week owned by a couple of artists. Perfect for two and within walking distance of Chatham Light and the quaint and upscale shops and restaurants in town. The weather maintained a breezy 65-70 degrees during the day, heaven. Of course, it had to pour one of those days, but we were able to get in our early morning beach stroll before the deluge.

We stuck to the exploration of the Lower and Outer Cape. While we ventured into Hyannis one day, we quickly retreated to the more natural landscape of the National Seashore. Highlights included visiting several light houses, experiencing the unique and festive Provincetown – right before the place closed up for the season, whale watching, climbing Pilgrim Monument, seal communing, wild turkey lurking, meandering rocky and eerie seascapes along the bay at Wellfleet, trekking tidal vistas that had previously captivated Edward Hopper, learning about natives and washashores, wine-tasting at Truro, and consuming a whole heap of incredibly delicious seafood!

Check out a few photos:

And now, on to the food. As stated earlier, we had seafood most lunches and dinners. A few so-so, most mouth-watering and delightful. I’ve listed all of them with a few comments about each. You’ll see where I waxed rhapsodic.

First up, the interesting food-related shops:

Chatham Cheese Company – good stuff, good variety

Gustare Oils and Vinegars – Probably some upscale chain, but all they feature are infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. All can be tasted before purchasing. We bought lavender infused balsamic vinegar.

Chatham Jam and Jelly Shop – An expanded salt box house where the living room is the shop. Featured jellies include rose hip, cranberry, and wild beach plum (from locally harvested wild plums). Once again a taste before you buy establishment. We bought several.

Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod – the cab franc grapes looked fantastic in the vineyard, but the wines left a lot to be desired, lighthouse wine bottles keep sales brisk as well as the cranberry wine. Except for the cab franc, all other grape varieties are trucked in from other places

Now the restaurants:

Seamen’s Inne at Mystic Seaport – on the way, decent fried shrimp, abysmal service . Next time if the weather is nice we will check out the seafood shacks we saw before we arrived at the historic area and eat outside

Vinings Bistro – housed over top of the Dunkin’ Donuts and sharing space on the second floor with the Town Hall. Looks great, but a bit sketchy on the hostess service. The spitted and roasted chicken was delightful – a perfect mix of smoked, grilled, and roastedness. Decent lobster and spinach soft taco. The scallops competed with too many flavors and were not enjoyable. Crusher Petite Sirah from Clarksburg, CA took the edge off

Chatham Village Café – locally roasted coffee, very expensive sandwiches – but open every day starting at 6 AM (so one can enjoy coffee during an early morning beach stroll)

Chatham Squire – so good we ate there twice, a list of mouth-watering daily specials including seafood (all sorts), other meats, and a pate of the day. We had shrimp scampi over spinach and pasta one night, excellent and succulent shrimp, and the best snapper ever. Our 2nd night was another scampi dish with gulf shrimp (Maine gulf), scallops, and big lobster chunks over lobster-stuffed ravioli, and get this – a bottle of Perrier- Jouet was only $45!! This is a must-eat place if you are ever in the neighborhood – relaxed, casual, reasonable bar drinks and a ditzy, yet friendly and fun waitress. They also have a great bar for four-legged companions

Pepe’s Wharf (Provincetown) – excellent view of the bay while we ate on the sheltered lower deck, waiters definitely paid more attention to my hubby than me, good lobster roll with a lot of the succulent white meat, decent margaritas, too

Wild Goose Tavern – Chatham clams (or steamers) and shrimp Caesar salad. The clams were good, but very gritty, they were served with broth, but I was not able to figure out how to use the broth to get rid of the grit (yeah – I’m such a tourist), Hitching Post Pinot Noir – yum

The Original Gourmet Brunch (Hyannis) – 50 different variations of omelets from this mom and pop place

Marley’s – we were suckered in by the cat, but this locals place had great fried shrimp and a waitress that kept our wine glasses full of Wolf Blass Yellow Label the entire evening, best wait service

Moby Dick’s (Wellfleet) – fantastic lobster shack. I took great delight in tackling a steamed lobster, yummy, yummy. Hubby tried the Wellfleet oysters and while he liked them, he prefers the Virginia variety. For lobster, a must-eat place

Impudent Oyster – very busy, even mid-week, very good filet and grilled lobster tail, delicious Seafood Putanesca, tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Moon Mountain Vineyard in Sonoma

Chatham Pier Fish Market – take out only with a large variety of seafood choices, we were thrilled with the fried shrimp and onion rings

Woody’s Lobster Pool (Eastham) – probably a real rocking place during the summer, order at the counter and enjoy the huge bar, really good fried clam strips

Chatham Bars Inn – our big splurge night, fantastic clam chowder, 2005 Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets from Rodolphe Demougeot (HUGE splurge, but very yummy), exquisite duck breast and leg confit, enjoyable tuna, very dark dining room, service was unfortunately second rate

Bottom line – if you go, devour the local seafood and enjoy the nature of the Cape.

River City Supper Club #7 – A Night in Argentina

2009-10-04T12:40:00.022-04:00

River City Supper Club #7 – A Night in Argentina

First of all, let’s talk about changes. One couple had to drop out due to unforeseen circumstances. They are still with us in spirit. And we welcomed a new couple to the fold. So, our food exploration continues…

Now, let’s talk about inspiration. My hubby and I hosted meeting #7 and we focused on Argentina. Why? Three reasons:

1 – Quite a few years ago we were fortunate enough to attend a real Argentinean grill fest in a lovely spot in the Virginia mountains. P is originally from Argentina and he and C had lived there for a while after they finished school. We had a fabulous time and wanted to evoke that feeling for the supper club.

2 – A blog entitled From Argentina with Love. A wonderful site written by a chef transplanted from Colorado to Argentina due to love. During our on-line search for recipes, we came up with the same old tired suggestions, until we ran across this site.

3 – Based on the blog, we discovered Seven Fires Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallmann with Peter Kaminsky. A great recipe and photography book. All of the menu except for the dessert and aperitif came from this book.

So, we had our inspiration. We now needed a bit of practice. My hubby dug fire pits in the back yard.

We grilled tri-tips and bratwurst, parrilla-style. Most excellent.

And treated ourselves to a 2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

For the big day, the weather gods favored us and we set up tables and chairs outside.

Take a look at the menu:

River City Supper Club - September 12, 2009

Fernet + Coke

Empanadas Mendocinas and Provoleta + Crusty Baguette

Salad: Grapefruit + Arugula + Toasted Hazelnuts

Parrilla: Strip Steak + Tri-Tip + Bratwurst + Chimichurri
Rescoldo: Potato + Onion + Bell Pepper + Sweet Dumpling Squash

Alfajores and Yerba Mate

Fernet is an Italian bitter liqueur that is apparently all the rage in Argentina according to From Argentina with Love. We began the evening with a toast to Argentina, the weather gods, and to intrepid food friends.

To follow the apperitif were empanadas filled with chopped tri-tip, seasoned with hot pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and cumin. To the beef I added chopped egg and green olives. I did cheat a bit and used wonton wrappers instead of making dough, but it was still a big hit. The tiny beef pockets were served with chimichurri sauce.

The Provoleta was basically an inch slice of provolone cheese, sprinkled with oregano and hot pepper flakes and placed in an extremely hot non-stick pan (Mallmann used a cast iron pan or a piece of metal over an open flame). The oil from the cheese leached out and served to brown it. After a couple of minutes I flipped it to brown the other side and then presented the melted gooeyness with crusty bread. Simple, yet yummy.

Next up was a grapefruit salad. The arugula came from Victory Farms. And I successfully roasted and peeled hazelnuts. The dressing consisted of lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and olive oil.

We finished the white wine while the men supervised the coals. For this night we had two fire pits. One for the parrilla or the open-flame grilling of the tri-tips, strip steaks, and bratwursts. The other pit was used for rescoldo: cooking/baking whole veggies in hot coals. All of the vegetables came from various vendors at the South of the James Market. The medium rare beef was divine and although the bratwursts were run-of-the-mill from The Fresh Market, the grilling turned these guys into something extraordinary. While Mallmann shoved veggies straight into the rescoldo, we wrapped them in foil and then shoved them into the coals. I really liked the onions and peppers; the squash was decent; the potatoes were too hard. More chimichurri sauce graced the table and was consumed with everything. Mallmann’s chimichurri sauce was interesting. He began with a salmuera which is salt dissolved into boiling water. This made the sauce a bit thinner than what I had been used to, but it was delicious. He also used equal parts of fresh oregano and parsley.

We ate, we talked, we drank, we conversed some more. Nothing was rushed and there were no lulls. As usual, wine accompanied the courses. Some we provided; others, our guests brought. All were good. The ones that stood out for me included the Trappiche Torrentes – a native white grape and most excellent with the grapefruit salad; Norton Malbec Reserva and Cruz Alta President’s Reserve – both hearty reds that paired well with the beef.

To end the evening we had Alfajores which were cornstarch-based cookies which could be used to make sandwich cookies filled with dulche de leche (thick caramel spread). We brewed Yerba Mate to drink instead of coffee.

A delicious late summer evening.

Rosemont of Virginia and Brian's Steak House

2009-09-07T09:30:00.007-04:00

A couple of weekends ago my husband and I trekked South to Mecklenburg County, Virginia to see family and visit Rosemont of Virginia Winery. The place is nestled among very gently rolling hills along a winding country road just beyond LaCrosse. A few miles further and you have crossed over into North Carolina. This area used to be solid tobacco growing country. It’s nice that this farm branched out into an alternative that turned out to be oh-so-delicious.

The tasting room was large and we were heartily greeted. A few local crafts were featured as well as artwork and wine paraphernalia.

The upstairs boasted a large open area – perfect for a wedding rehearsal dinner or reception. A few small rooms branched off of the open area which could serve as a great private party/sit-down dinner affair.

The winery also offered a downstairs dining room for lunchtime sandwiches/salads

and a patio overlooking the vines.

Two different tasting schemes were offered: 6 wines for $4 or 11 wines for $6. Guess which one we went for? (And I want to thank my aunt for taking us all in her van and for being the designated driver). Here was the line-up:

2007 Traminette – Dry with good floral tones. The best white we tasted

2008 Pinot Grigio – Refreshing, but a bit thin.

2007 Vidal Blanc – Off-dry with a hint of vanilla.

2007 Chambourcin – More like a very dark rose with bits of strawberry.

2006 Merlot – Not a typical Virginia style Merlot. Very quaffable.

2007 Syrah Vintner’s Reserve – Wow! A great tasting wine. We were surprised to find Syrah. These vines were planted in 2004.

2006 Cabernet Franc – Just a hint of green pepper. An excellent example of how good a Virgina Cab Franc can be.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon – Once again a solid red wine winner from Virginia. Both this and the Syrah were our favorites.

Lake Country Sunset – Sweet, white, popular for sipping on the nearby lake in your boat. While not a favorite, it was still drinkable.

2007 LaCrosse – A dessert wine made from LaCrosse grapes. This should be paired with strawberry shortcake.

2007 Blackridge Red – Sweet cherry-ness from Catawba grapes. Once again, not my preference, but drinkable. Probably a good wine for sangria.

I have to say that if I were served any of these wines, I would drink them. I was impressed with the consistent overall quality of the offerings. If you are heading in that direction, I recommend a little detour for a taste.

Upon leaving Rosemont of Virginia, we drove to Brodnax and stopped at Whitby’s Country Store, very quintessential, so my aunt could pick up some peaches.

And then we headed to South Hill and stopped at Brian’s Steak House for dinner.

Let’s see. I had not had a steak at Brian’s in about 25 years and then I could order a sirloin with house salad, baked potato, and Texas toast for $3.95. $3.95! The only real change to the place was the addition of a few more wood-paneled rooms to accommodate this still-popular local eating establishment. The place was packed and was hosting a 50th wedding anniversary dinner in one of the back rooms.

And, now they have at least decent red wine at $26.99 a bottle. We ordered the Kendall Jackson Merlot.

Steaks still featured prominently on the menu along with a host of seafood specials and prime rib. The fried shrimp looked very scrumptious. I stuck with my regular sirloin steak order, now $13.99. A typical pre-made house salad with a plastic cup of ranch dressing to start and then the real goods arrived - steak -

Still good. Cooked medium rare as ordered with an appropriate sized baked potato with both butter and chive-studded sour cream and don’t forget the irresistible Texas toast.

If you are on Interstate 85 and need to eat in South Hill, stop at the locally owned Brian’s. You’ll get a decent meal.

A good trip. Visited family. Tasted good Virginia wine. Experienced a bit of down home. Supported local establishments. Enjoyed good solid food at decent prices. And received a welcome taste of Southern hospitality.

Weekly Farmers Market Photos

2009-09-06T09:05:00.006-04:00

Butternut and Sweet Dumpling Squashes are making an appearance as well as some beautiful green and yellow broad beans. Red bell peppers looked gorgeous and irresistible. Corn was hard to come by and there were no black-eye peas to be had.

Kitchen Renovation Saga Part 11

2009-08-30T09:46:00.005-04:00

Wow. It's been over a year since we installed our cabinets. We finally installed counter tops! A hard decision, counter tops. I did not want granite or laminate or concrete. Corian and Silestone did not win me over either. And then we discovered Ecologic. We chose Virginia-quarried soapstone. I love the dark, dark chalkboard gray with white veins and matte-gold splotches throughout. Once the counter tops were installed, we put in our new sink - hammered copper and faucet - oil-rubbed bronze.

Still a lot to do - backsplash, ceiling, one more wall, lighting, etc., etc. Yeah, I could go on and on. But I'm glad we have real counter tops instead of plywood.

Farmers Market Photos

2009-08-29T13:29:00.004-04:00

The South of the James Market continues to be a highlight of my week. Faith Farm had fresh ducks (and are taking orders for suckling pig!). Sign up for their email list and get first dibs on fresh chickens and duck. So, we picked up a duck to roast tonight. Along with fingerling potatoes from Root Force Collective and Prima apples from Victory Farms.

Enjoy some more photos:

Thymed Potatoes

2009-08-29T07:33:00.003-04:00

You can probably use any kind of fresh herbs that you desire in this recipe. We had picked up some lemon and lime thyme at the Maymont Herbs Galore Festival and they do nicely in this recipe.

Thymed Potatoes

4 medium - large red skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut up into 1 inch chunks (skin still on)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon and lime thyme leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Boil the potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until soft. Drain potatoes and place them in a serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir until the butter has melted. Serve immediately.

We enjoyed the potatoes with a broiled bison flank steak and fresh green beans sauteed in a bit of butter.

River City Supper Club #6 - Cafe Caturra on Grove

2009-08-16T13:13:00.010-04:00

River City Supper Club #6. This month it was time to visit a restaurant. B and G chose Cafe Caturra on Grove Ave.

My hubby and I had visited the other two locations a while ago with mixed results (decent food, good wine, lousy service, no wine knowledge). I have to say that this Cafe Caturra was our best experience of the nation-wide wannabe to date. The staff encouraged us to taste the wines before we ordered and even though we ordered at the counter, they were able to keep a running tab. Quite a few folks were celebrating the end of the work week and in this cafe, the wine was the major focus.

To imbibe we ordered a 2007 Cline Cashmere from California and a 2005 Marco Real Tempranillo from Navarra. The first more berry-like; the latter, slightly smokey/earthy.

To eat we partook of a cheese plate - 5 selections including Saint Nectair, Pecorino Tosca, Drunken Goat, and Stilton (we also had an American selection that my brain refuses to remember). The cheeses were accompanied by dried cranberries, black olives, slivers or roasted peppers, and English walnuts.

We also ordered Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken, Roasted Pepper Soup, Cuban Pork Panini, and Cured Proscuitto Panini. All good. The Cuban could have been renamed The Intersection of Cuba and North Carolina - the pork really reminded us of barbeque.

Cafe Caturra on Grove offers inside seating, front patio seating, and back patio seating. They also serve specialty coffees and are open for breakfast and lunch as well as for dinner.

This Week at SOJ

2009-08-15T10:59:00.004-04:00

This week's wanderings and observations at South of the James Market:

Dogs, all sorts

Blues guitar playing the howling dog blues

Friendly folk music duo

Creative pottery and jewelry

The smell of smoked meat

Sold out eggs

Pecks of peppers, all sorts

Beautiful, fresh-cut flowers

The best chocolate chip cookies

Buying all of the black-eyed peas left

Sweet baby corn

Frog-skin melons

Tangerine tomatoes