Croissants

If it was your first time in Paris, what would you have for breakfast? Before you answer that, coffee is out of the question and so is ham....now what would you have? If you said a croissant then keep reading. To be fair I never had an Almond Croissant and I am sad.

Pan du Chocolat and a Plain Croissant were just what the doctor ordered. Buttery, flakey and a touch of sweetness were the three things my lips, tongue and mouth told my brain. The pan du chocolat actually had a chocolate ganache in the center, not chocolate chips or a nasty chocolate mush! This was the real McCoy! After I inhaled both pieces I had the pure joy of licking my fingers; after all it was buttery, flakey and sweet.

No matter which boulangerie you get a croissant or pan du chocolat in Paris, it is bound to be delicious. Notice the crumbs on my shirt.

Nutella Crepes

I thought I knew what a crepe was before Paris, I certainly knew of Nutella. There is something about food being served from a street vendor that makes it taste so good. Could it have been I was in Paris or could it have been I was eating my first Nutella Crepe in Paris at Notre Dame? Honestly, it does not matter.

A crepe for better lack of a word is a really thin pancake, served with meat, cheese or something sweet; the fillings are endless. I prefer my crepe with Nutella and Banana.

Crepes are prepared on a large flat iron skillet in my estimation a diameter of 12", yes kind of large. A wooden hoe is used to spread the mixture around the skillet, it is then flipped to complete the cooking process. Be careful not to move your eye away for it only takes a few seconds to cook.

Once the crepe is flipped it is folded in half, the mixture is applied and then folded again. Think a stuffed ice cream cone. HEAVEN! It is served in a paper sleeve and VOILA, you are ready to walk and eat! The crepes are not served as they are in the USA, on a plate rolled up and stuffed.

Now, if only Richmond had a creperie.

Little Mexico

Many moons ago I was fortunate enough to spend seven weeks in Mexico; working, school, playing and of course eating. I had some of the best Mexican food, all prepared daily by the live in house keeper. It was from her cooking that I now judge the authenticity of Mexican food and if a restaurant here in the states can pass my three-rule test then I will return and tell everyone.
The three things are:

1. Chunky Guacamole
2. Refried Beans
3. Salsa.

Little Mexico did not meet my expectations on the Guacamole, it was only sufficient. There was a slight trace of avocado in what they call a Guacamole Salad, with tiny little pieces of this delicious fruit. However, it was superior to other places in Richmond where the avocado is bright green and almost a puree. I did eat most of it, so bravo to Little Mexico for placing high on my list.

I cannot count how many times I have been served refried beans that are soupy. Yes, soupy! They are almost impossible to eat with a fork; you need corn chips to pick them up. The beans are more like a bean dip. YUK! Well not at Little Mexico. I could actually see that these beans were made from pinto beans . They had a nice texture and had flavor. If I wasn't stuffed with my Chicken Quesadilla I could have finished the beans and believe me I tired. By the way, the quesadilla had lots of chicken in it, which I was very surprised. PASS.

Who likes Salsa flavored Water? Hmm? Anyone? Well that is what 9 out of 10 restaurants serve with the chips. Why? Do they think they are doing us a favor? It is red, it is served in a little carafe, but if you pour to quickly it rushes out like water. Well folks rest assured, Little Mexico actually has pieces of onion in it, and yes it is true onion does exist in salsa. I am not saying this salsa is extra chunky, but at least there is enough consistency on your chip. PASS.

I applaud Little Mexico. It is a nice addition to the fan; my only complaint is that as I was consuming all the food the Gold's Gym Sign across the street was giving me the evil eye. Oh well, next time I will face Cary Street, problem solved. Gracias.

Lindt Chocolate

I love dark chocolate, you can have milk chocolate and until recently I thought you could never feed me white chocolate. WOW! Run, please do not walk..RUN! Lindt International deserves an award for what they created. First, I think their packaging is superb. The first set is to open the outer paper. This is not light weight like some American chocolate, it has some bulk. To me, it signifies quality. The second step is to remove the shiny silver wrapping embossed with their logo. It is as though I am opening a prize, a prize wrapped just for me.

I am thankful that the silver lining is lightweight, it almost flakes off when I peel away at its layer. Starring me in my eyes is a large bar of chocolate embossed with the Lindt logo. It smells the way white chocolate should; creamy, light and sweet. In fact you can almost smell its sweetness.

Do not be scared with the combination of white chocolate and coconut, I was shy at first glance. When my teeth sunk into the creamy bar I instantly knew this was not biting chocolate. This chocolate was created to sit on your tongue and allow it to dissolve slowly so all of your buds could taste its goodness. Once dissolving has taken shape you begin to taste the coconut. It is as thought Lindt knew how to make an explosion of ecstasy in my mouth. I am a happy man after two pieces.

Millie's Diner

I have heard from many people that Millie's is a great place for dinner. Try the fish its fresh and delicious I was told. The prices are a little high for most grad students, but if the opportunity presents itself then GO!

On Sunday they open at 5:30, myself and two others were waiting at 5:25. The interior is very relaxed, old wooden booths and a somewhat open grill faces you at the entrance. I have never been one to be overly impressed with any restaurants decor, I am here to eat not look at a nice table. The food? My rockfish, cabbage and coconut soup had a Thai influence. It was delicious and extremely flavorful, just what I needed since it was raining and slightly chilly. My entree? Oh my entree. I did not go the fish route, I went the duck route. Duck served with Foie Gras Mac and Cheese and Grilled Asparagus. The spears of asparagus were small, I prefer the larger spears. Words cannot describe how succulent the duck tasted, it remined me of beef which was odd because I had not eaten red meat in eight years. The mac and cheese was some of the best I tasted.

My company had the Pork Shank which fell off the bone and was tasty, my other friend had the lamb which he said was great. The lamb came with cauliflower risotto which tasted like garlic risotto and was too mushy for my palate.

I would return, but not for their bread pudding (skip it). I would try the fish. Does anyone want to take me there?

Nicks on Broadway

This place is not in Richmond, it is in Providence. Providence, RI and if you ever get there make sure you get to Nicks. It is located in the Armory District; sure it may be a little less glamorous than the East Side of Providence. The prices were cheap and good, well for lunch. My friend told me that dinner was pricey, well for this grad student’s budget anyway (damn you mr. bush!).

Pulled Pork BBQ in New England? Isn't that like having New England Clam Chowder in Arizona? They have no idea how to make it; low and behold Nicks can make pulled pork BBQ sandwich like no ones business.

For you non-tomato based fans you may not like the sauce. It was flavorful like a delicious fresh Italian cannoli. Think manwich. When you bite into the side, pork slides out the other end. This is not a date sandwich and good thing too, for he would never see me again if he didn’t already know me. Also they have dark chocolate hot chocolate. HELLO! Can you say HMMMM HMMMM GOOD?

The best way to get there is fly via United Airlines to TF Green Airport. Head north on 95 and take the Broadway exit, take a right and Nicks is located 2 miles on the right. CHEERS!

Kuba Kuba

I am sad to say I live 2 1/2 blocks from Kuba Kuba and went their for the first time this week. I do not eat red meat and was told, I would not find anything there. LIARS! You all lied! There are so many options other than meat, they even have a veggie dish or two.

Fresh Seafood, tasty pressed sandwiches. You can go there and spend $10 on a meal or $20. Your choice. Just go already.

Bistro 104

Chicken Salad, you either love it or you hate it. I LOVE IT! Especially if it is made with white meat, lite mayo and celery. My chicken salad has very little mayo and to make up for the "dryness" I add whole grain or dijon mustard.

At Bisto 104 they did not add mustard, but they did grill my sourdough bread. There is nothing quite like the crunch of bread and something great in between to get your mouth watering. My sandwich came with a side of potato salad...this my friends had too much mayo for my taste, but at least the potatoes were firm. Why is it some potato salad is yellow, could it be yellow mustard? Hmmm.

Before my sandwich arrived I had bean empanada's. Lightly fried and filled with beans and cheese, topped with a nice portion of sour cream. Like ketchup another weakness as a topping is sour cream. If I was alone I would have eaten all of the sour cream.

I did enjoy this small place and I would go back. The down fault, it is only open for lunch.

Cafe Rustica

Finally a place in Richmond that serves delicious sandwiches and salads. The bread, oh the bread and it is homemade! The only fault? They are open for breakfast and lunch ONLY! Maybe soon they can bless me with dinner. I will go back as my wallet permits.

Mojo's

For $6.60 I expected a little more then Deli Turkey and a smidge of avacado. I would go back one more time, but not for an over priced sandwich I can make at home.

Si

If you blink you will miss this restaurant on Lombardy Street. Authentic Spanish Tapas, Wines and Sangria. If you sit upstairs it may be close quarters along the bar, there are one too many tables.

The food was great! Calamari, Salmon, Endive Salad, Manchengo Fries, Duck. All the dishes were great! The interesting thing was that all of the servers shake your hand when they approach the table. How personal is that?

Si, of course!

Honey Whyte's

Honey Whyte's I have heard makes great burgers and turkey burgers. One night before a meeting at school, I set out to try these great turkey burgers. The actual cafe is set aside from the bar so you have to walk through the bar to get a table. Lucky for me a very,very pleasant bartender asked "what can I get for you sweetie"; secretively I love it when women say this to me.

I asked for a menu and ordered a turkey burger with l,t,m,o and a pickle which also comes with beef-steak fries. In about 10 minutes I had my food and I was off to school. It was like a Christmas present, I was finally going to have a Honey Whyte's Turkey Burger. When I arrive at school I opened up the environmentally incorrect container (I knew I was not in SF.CA anymore) and immediately thought of Clara Peller from Wendy's; "yeah, where was my beef?"

Okay, although the burger was small it had better taste good and it did. It was quite delicious. The bun was soft, the lettuce, onion and tomato was fresh and there was no mayo shooting out the side of the bun. BIG PLUS! The fries were seasoned with salt and the Blue Cheese Dressing I dipped them in was chunky; I really asked for ranch.

I would go back, they had other food items I wanted to try and the bartender was nice enough for me to go back. This is not a fancy bar, but who cares!

Louisiana Flair

I am a fan of mom and pop places. The food is generally authentic and tastes really good. I look for food explosions to happen on my tongue and ladies and gents it did here. Since my step-mother was not around, I figured it was okay to eat my dessert first. My friend, well she had to be convinced it was okay. So a small piece of bread pudding with wiskey sauce arrived shortly after ordering. The sauce looked like melted butter and as long as it was butter I was a happy little boy.

It was yummy, the raisins were plump and the sauce did not taste overpowering. My friend? Well she thought it was tight, but not as in good; as in dense. We both prefer bread pudding that needs to be spooned out rather then cut. BUT! It still was very good.

The fries tasted like the oil was fresh. PLUS!!!! My catfish poyboy served with mayo, lettuce, tomato, grilled peppers and mushrooms was mouthwatering. The bread, was fresh with a crunch to the outside. The slaw was mayo based and fresh, who knew this damn yankee would love catfish. I thought this little place on Grace Street was a gold mine and I will be back with more friends.

Honestly, some of the best service I have experienced in Richmond.

Joes Inn - Bon Air

I realize that there are two locations for Joe's and I wonder if the menu's are the same. While reading this please keep in mind that this is for Joe's Inn - Bon Air. I hade baked feta, veggie lasagna and water. The only good thing about Joe's - Bon Air is the pizza. I have said my peace, goodnight!

Cielito Lindo

Guacamole, Margaritas and Salsa. Are these your favorite things at a Mexican Restaurant? Well they are mine. If you ever want delicious Mexican food then look no more because I found it. YES I DID and I am not telling anymore other then the name.

Relish

I do enjoy relish; it is good with tuna fish and on turkey burgers. However, this Relish is the little eatery in Shockoe Bottom. Tucked between the Wings Factory and the Pigeon Bar is a little oasis of good food, good drinks and a satisfactory salad bar.

My lunch today was a yummy homemade Turkey Burger, topped with melted Swiss cheese, tomato, red onion and lettuce. I would recommend getting the teriyaki sauce on the side; it is a little salty...good but salty.

I liken this restaurant to good quality fresh and healthy food.

Zuppa

I remember the last time I ate at Zuppa. The Thai Chicken Noodle Soup was sweet and spicy, a nice little combination. Last night I went back with two classmates for a meeting about Mini Cooper. The discussion went well, but the food discussion was GREAT! You see it was 8PM, kind of late for me to eat dinner since I already had a huge salad at 6. What would you eat?

That's right! The side of Baked Mac and Cheese and Homemade Bread Pudding with Homemade Coconut Brownie Ice Cream. The mac and cheese came first and it was to die for, even one of my classmates said this. WOW! This is the best mac and cheese I have had next to my grandmothers; yes it is true. Three minutes later my bread pudding came out and I said good bye mac and cheese hello dessert!

Bread Pudding to me should taste like, well bread and here it did; homemade bread. It had raisins in it and was sweet, but not overly. We were the only people in the restaurant, why? Did people think they only had soup? There is so much more now and yes I will be back.

Akida

I like Sushi, actually I just like Tuna. However, I do not like warm Sushi so I do not like Akida.

Southern Railway Deli

Do not be fooled by the name, there is nothing southern about this place and I am thankful for that everytime I go. There are a lot of options: sandwiches, salads, pasta, pizza, dessert. Walk up to the section you want, tell them what you want, how you want it and voila in 10 minutes or less you are walking to pay for your meal. I love the pasta options, always al dente. Talk about the salads, just like in NYC. Choose your base, and meat and then go for the rest. ENJOY!

It will not break the bank either. You can grab a seat and people watch if you like or take your food to go. I am so greatful that these people opened their doors and speaking of open, they stay open til midnight 3 nights a week. In Shockoe Slip? WHAT???

Weezies Kitchen

I was surprised to see a new place open on Cary Street, although the building is a little cave like no matter what color you paint the walls. The menu is small and I did have a hard time deciding what to eat. I wanted a salad, but the mac and cheese was calling my name as was the tuna melt and then I saw quesadilla's and nachos. OI VEY! So I decided to get the tuna melt. It was served open face on an English muffin. The tuna fish was good, not too much mayonnaise and flavorful with herbs. The tomato slice was HUGE, I loved it. The best part of the meal was the Soy-Ginger Dressing. I was dipping my tuna in the dressing, I was dipping the nachos in the dressing and I dipped my Mac and cheese there too. Yes, I got the nachos and the Mac and cheese. Ask for sour cream with the nachos!

The Mac and cheese, although it is not better then DeLessio it was nice. I tasted a little wine with the sharp cheddar. Well I approve of this new place. On to the next place. Oh yeah, the best is for last, Weezies stays open late until 1:30A.M...can't beat that!

CHEAP? Well stick to the lighter fair dishes and it is cheap.