brunch options

I must say that I am now spoiled for weekend brunch options. Within a 6 block area, I have my pick of Cafe Gutenberg, Millie's and now my latest option - Azziza's.
A couple of visits in to this latest entrant in my neighborhood have been quite pleasant. More of the ubiquitous brick decor of course but what I liked about the place was its rather unpretentious interior and friendly atmosphere. Got to chat with the co-owner Rusty for quite a long time. That kind of clarified why the place was ostensibly Lebanese (her mother was) and yet didnt have the usual suspects on the menu (missing some of my favorites like fattoush, kibbeh and shockingly shawarmas !). They did have a fairly decent selection of items from the cedar country coupled with fairly "generic" sandwiches and frittatas (some good vegetarian options). Rusty's son Billy (formerly of Billy Bread - a place that we had embarked on a futile attempt to find last year only to discover it was closed !!) was manning the kitchens and I was quite pleased that the bread (while not from Billy) was fresh and crisp !
I've tried a nice frittata (not Lebanese - served with greens and home fries) and the Koosa (Lebanese - stuffed squash which was quite good especially with a side of beans). They do state that they use only the finest olive oil from Lebanon which of course adds credence to their roots in the middle east :)....I think this place definitely has potential. Future visits are planned and more words shall be typed out in due course to supplement this sloppy review. Unfortunately, Azziza's is open only for br/l-unch and isnt serving dinner yet. It will be interesting to see if it does.

Update: While I thought that for once, I was possibly ahead of the 'curve' :), I just read the Style piece this week on the place !! I think this place will be busier in the coming days. I still feel though, that they do need to do some publicity and in particular, put up a sign or something (at least one thats not obscured by that huge awning !).

'Everyone’s a critic, and apparently it’s never too soon to start'. Wish I had a start like this kid who's off to the races at age 12!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/nyregion/17bigcity.html?ref=dining

Since everyone's a critic, I found this rather interesting, especially since its the guy who "inspired" the terrific movie "Ratatouille" !!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/dining/14simon.html?ref=dining

Squids and other sephalopods

Why is everyone in Richmond so in love with Edo's Squid? Now 3 visits in, I have yet to uncover what is so special about this place. And why do the people who work here have such an attitude?
A persistent thought was that this restaurant should have a tagline similar to Schlotzky's Deli - "Funny Name, Serious Italian"
The decor isnt pretentious at all and has the usual Richmond brick wall on the sides. Tends to get very packed - follows from the adoring public who flock to eat the ostensibly down-to-earth hearty Italian fare here !(which prompts me to add that a reservation is probably a good thing for prime time, unless you like being ignored in that cramped doorway for what might seem to be an interminably long time !). Once seated, you can pretty much share a conversation with your neighbors. I guess some people call that cozy (none of this really detracts from the um....experience).
I should elaborate on the food and I'll probably write more later, even though I was not impressed. Another persistent thought was that the food was not very well constructed (the lcd of which is plating). It is certainly very hearty. I'm just perplexed about the ink this place gets with such inconsistent food. I note that, even with my meager cooking talents, I was able to take my pasta leftovers from one dinner and jazz it up and taste better (to my palate of course but isnt that what this is all about !?). Conversely, the branzino (bass) that I had on another visit was very good. The tiramisu (usually the safest generic choice at an Italian place) was terrible - a sloppy mush that had too much alcohol. But what really stood out at Edo's each time was the shoddy service topped off with liberal doses of attitude. And that definitely detracts from the experience.
Price: I think Edo's is on the slightly expensive side. There are a couple of cheaper pasta dishes but the main entrees are all over $20...(a couple of dinners with shared appetizer, a glass of wine each and shared dessert + t&t came to around $80-$100. The portions are large and two leftovers could make for another meal. awkward math !!). Another slightly rushed dinner with shared appetizer and soup came to around $50.

Perusal of other blog postings on edo's have uncovered phrases like "heaven", "best food I've ever eaten", etc...really??
Should probably be starting 2009 with a more positive note. Maybe I'll find one and change this dispatch :)...