Keeping with the times, some more cheap eats....

Yearning for some "real" Lebanese food after some trips to Azizas on Main (recently a bit unsatisfactory but more on that later), made me think of yet another place that I feel is a bit of a hidden gem in RVA. More of a grocery store than a restaurant, it nonetheless has some of the simplest and tasty mediterranean (area) food around. The eponymous deli on meadow street just off broad street has long been a good place to get halal meat and well priced olives, dolmades, pickled vegetables and flat bread. But the deli is suprisingly good and strangely off the radar. No atmosphere to speak of (although they usually have a melodious muezzin on their speakers) and just a handful of chairs and tables but after trying some of the offerings here, I think its a terrific place to stop and get a quick bite of some authentic middle eastern food. I guess the best part of the falafel sandwich and the shawarmas has been the wonderful garlic sauce ! Very garlicky but not too overwhelming. And everything is well under $10...
A favorite is the freshly made 'pita chips'. Why waste money on processed factory varieties such as Stacy's Pita chips (which arent really bad :)) when one can get the wonderful packets of homemade chips for a dollar. A bit oily perhaps but crisp, fragrant, lightly spiced and just like home!! And a perfect accompaniment to fattoush...
There appears to be another place with the same name out in the west end (which seems to be more of a restaurant) but for now, this one is closer !

an elephantine task....

High on the list of frequented places in the VCU area is Elephant Thai. I might even venture to half-say that it is one of the better Thai places I've been to in Richmond so far among the half dozen or so places tried. Surprisingly it doesnt come up often in discussions of the same, playing second fiddle to Mom's Siam, Thai Diner (too), Beauregards and the like. I think ET is actually quite good...(admittedly, several 'other' factors are playing into this observation - price, convenience etc). but it is a very decent eat. A sparse, simple decor, no frills food, low prices, an authentic taste etc... Now, countless visits in (99% for lunch), I finally get around to writing about it.
Oddly enough, despite a previous post about soups deciding my ratings for Thai places, I have only tried the soups here once (the Tom Yum - decent). I guess I just havent been trying soups on mostly hurried lunches. Most of the curries and chicken/beef dishes are very generic and quite good (safe) choices. The chicken basil and cashew nut have been standouts. I've also liked the Vegetarian Fried Rice (which is a good meal just by itself). Similarly, the noodles - pad see ew and the pad thai. I've always made it a point to ask for extra lemon/lime with my pad thai which they do and it does help jazz up the rather standard pad thai. I'm still searching for that elusive stellar pad thai !
Of course, all the dishes havent been quite great. For one, the pepper steak was terrible and quite tasteless. The jasmine rice does tend to be a bit dry at times. Also the shrimp options have been far less satisfying than the chicken and beef.
An option that I found useful several times was to get the spice rack on the side with a mild order. That has saved quite a few dishes for me which have otherwise tended to be rather overwhelming (drunken noodle jae - a culprit). The (rather sweet) Thai Iced tea can be an added savior on occasions such as these.

Most lunch entrees are less than $8 and a typical checks have been around $10-12 pp (with t&t)...ET is always packed at lunchtime and service can be a little spotty. Two of the wait staff who know me by name now (and there are a lot of lunch regulars) have been a bit more efficient :)....

recession dining

The Times today had an interesting article about formerly snooty places finally shedding some of that attitude in these tough times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/dining/04note.html

I doubt that the diners at Masa or Per Se are making the shift the local diner anytime soon though.

I wonder what the situation is like in Richmond in general. Having a rather small sample size of the 'upper crust' of rva restaurants recently, I dont feel equipped to offer an informed opinion (I venture to say warily - the couple of such places I've been to in the last month have been a mixed bag - one good, one not so good !!). For one, I guess that while purchasing power has dropped, either in real terms or due to discretion, food prices dont seem to have followed suit (which in itself makes for an interesting multivariate economics problem).

Addendum: I found it rather amusing/ironic that on the day I mused about recession dining, I see my first Lamborghini in Richmond parked outside one of the 'fine dining' places in my neighborhood.

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 :)...

Wow ! I am not alone in my little corner of cyberspace it seems. Someone actually took the trouble to excoriate me on my um...lack of effort at reading a chalkboard menu and (apparent) lack of "appreciation" for eating local.
While the latter is something I can actually ponder with my anonymous friend (sic), this is even more of an interesting subject - "Your opinion that a rotating(seasonal) menu is something you're not a fan of is beyond ignorant...".
I tend to agree with the Gordon Ramsay view that restaurants should have a few core strengths supplemented by seasonal variants. In any event, having a daily/weekly menu printed isnt so difficult (again -ves on the wastage of paper :)).

Truly, the line that takes the burrito - "take your business to chipotle and save the room at the tables at Mezzanine for diners who will appreciate the experience (sic)"
How amusing :)....

mezzanine

A recent visit to Mezzanine in Cary town offered a glimpse that there continue to be some bright spots in the dining scene.
Talks of an economic downturn notwithstanding, this place was packed on a Thursday night.

I am not so sure I find the idea of a menu written on a centrally located board quite appealing. Sure, its a bit um..."quaint" and possibly environmentally friendly (if they change their menu often, again something I'm not a huge fan of). But the prospect of standing or craning one's neck to see the menu and/or hovering around the board is a tad bit annoying (not to mention amusing). And if one is slow to decide (as often happens) or has to pick among many options, this can get to be quite an ornery task. Easily done at Chipotle or the local deli but not at a sit-down restaurant, imho.

Overall grade: This will have to wait since I've only been here once. I can see this place hovering in the C+/B- range, which, given my generally poor ratings so far is quite good !

wrong entrees?

An interesting question pondered by Frank Bruni is The Diner's Journal today:
"What’s the protocol when the restaurant prepares the wrong entree for one of the diners? Everyone else at table has been served what they ordered; one person has been served the wrong and unacceptable dish".

I liked the comments more than the 'solution'. Other than food allergies and vegetarianism, I find it hard to believe that substitutes are so unpalatable.

Link.

Sushi downgrade

Niwano'hana' sushi definitely gets a downgrade and I'm not sure it merits another visit.
Earlier visits to Hana sushi had made it one of my favorites for sushi in Richmond. I guess I should have written up on some of the positives earlier but procrastination appears to have its rewards. A recent visit after a gap of a few months had such negative results that those +ves are all history quite literally.
This once favored location is on the avoid list till I get intimation from some other poor soul that it might be safe to venture there again.
The sushi was not fresh at all, the rice was terribly packed and had an after taste. A yellowtail handroll had the texture of rubber. The tuna roll was gritty. The sashimi tasted like catch from another month and a rainbow roll that should have been oh so good was terrible not just to look at but taste. The only kind of "non-traditional" roll that we had was a jalapeno roll and that made my stomach queasy. It was telling that we actually ended up not eating half of our sushi - an experience that was definitely a first for me. More often than not, we're wondering what more to order after the first round. What a colossal waste. The check came to over $60 including tax and tip. Trust me, you are better off anywhere else. I've had grocery store sushi (and we're not talking Whole Foods here) that was of better quality .

To add to the incredulity (along the lines of Hana sushi- that used to be so good), our waitress was completely oblivious to any discomfort on our part. On being asked "um....are you guys having an off day" AND "...did you guys change suppliers"....she cheerfully replied "NO" and walked away. Realizing that subtlety was not her forte, we even ventured to suggest that the sushi was subpar when she came to collect the check. "hmmm" was the response. THATS IT !! And they werent even busy. How can you be so out of tune with your customers ?
On the plus side, she was cheerful in her "NO".

Meanwhile, Akida continues to rule the roost (I hope and pray :)). A recent trip to Moshi Moshi definitely showed some potential there.