2 for 1

I love a good sale as much as anyone, especially when it's a BOGO (an acronym I learned from my dear friend Shannon). And while I promise to never sell you anything from my blog, I would like to feature two separate culinary experiences to make up for last week's neglect.

The first, which actually happened second, involves late summer tomatoes from my parents' garden, CSA sweet and hot peppers, half an onion, the oven, and one of my favorite kitchen tools. I tossed the vegetables in olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roasted them at 450 for about twenty five minutes. When they were sufficiently browned and sizzling, they got a very quick immersion blend treatment, and I added fresh avocado and cilantro. 

There aren't any pictures because it's not pretty to look at, but the resulting salsa-type mixture is a compelling combination of summer and autumn that can be eaten in or on just about anything, including a spoon.

Earlier in the week, we tried 525 At the Berry Burk with a couple friends, and we were all very pleased with our meal. I started with the Four Mushroom Spinach Salad, which had a sufficient amount of mushrooms, fresh spinach and a lemon vinaigrette. The vinaigrette, while effectively tart, was somewhat creamier than I expected, but still satisfying.

Davy and I shared three small plates, and were thrilled with all of them. The seared scallops with sweet pea and lobster risotto may have been my favorite dish of the evening, though the ceviche and duck confit spring rolls were also beautifully prepared.

Our server was both attentive and well-versed in the history of the building and development of the restaurant, which set a very nice tone for the evening. 
My one concern with 525 at The Berry Burk is that it wasn't very crowded, so go see the newly renovated space for yourself sometime soon!

Dinner at Lunch

I was going to try to wait until next week, when I'm having a sandwich delivered, to post about Lunch, a new eatery in Scott's Addition, but I just looked at this picture of my meal again, drooled a little, and wanted to share a little bit about it. 

My cod "crowned with tomatoes" and served with mashed potatoes and a garnish of corn and soybeans was visually appealing, tasted wonderful, and was offered at the reasonable price of $12. In fact, the priciest item on the menu, a filet, was only $14. 

We managed to sneak in a few drinks before the end of happy hour, which meant our beverages ranged from $2.00 to $3.50. Davy and our friend, Leslie, both ordered the "Loaded Chicken," a chicken breast stuffed with pork, wrapped in bacon, and smothered in cheese and barbecue sauce. To soak it all up, the chicken is also balanced on a pile of mashed potatoes. 

None of us could think about dessert, a brownie a la mode, but considering how much we liked our meals, I'm sure it would have been just as flavorful and indulgent. 

With its cheery exterior and friendly service, not to mention the flexible breakfast hours (breakfast food is served every day until 3!), I know I'm going to make a point of trying every meal - including brunch - at Lunch. One down, three to go!

Tapas in NYC

A couple weeks ago, I celebrated the approaching marriage of one of my favorite people. Not only did we experience all of the ups and downs of college together, she has impeccable taste in food, and we've shared many great meals together over the eleven years that we've known each other.

It was only fitting that one of the highlights of Sarah's bachelorette weekend in New York City was a long, delicious dinner at a cozy Spanish tapas restaurant. The back corner booth at Boqueria Flatiron was the perfect setting for our festivities, and the service was fantastic. 

We all ordered a $40 fixed price menu, which was ultimately eleven or twelve courses, and all were beautifully presented. There were roasted padrones or shishito peppers (one of my favorites), asparagus with romesco sauce, dates stuffed with cheese and an almond and wrapped in bacon, sauteed spinach with chickpeas and raisins, patatas bravas, mushroom and ham croquettes, and crispy potatoes with a poached egg and ham on top. Everything was flavorful and seemed to be somewhat authentic.

I took a photo of the fried quail eggs and chorizo on toast, shown below, because they were so vibrant in both appearance and taste. Our server and the kitchen were extremely attentive to the vegetarian in our group. Her quail egg was complemented by a roasted red pepper instead of chorizo, and marked with a sprinkling of herbs.

Well into the meal, we thought we were almost finished, and then a plate with two golden soft shell crabs was delivered to our table. They were light, crispy, and tasted incredibly fresh.

Thinking that that had to be our final course, we were even more shocked at the arrival of a large dish of paella. Despite the fact that I was close to stuffed, I couldn't pass up the fragrant rice and abundance of seafood staring me in the face. The vegetarian plate with this course was a healthy wedge of Tortilla Espanola, along with an assortment of olives and cheese.

Dessert was also notable: two flans and two sets of churros with warm chocolate for dipping. I may or may not have participated in finishing the chocolate with a spoon.

Eating shared plates or family style with a group always generates conversation, and is a great way for people to get to know each other. It's also a fitting way to honor a close friend, which we certainly did at Boqueria. 

NYC Highlights

Last weekend I took a trip to NYC for a good friend's bachelorette party.  Aside from being tons of fun, she and her fiance have a deep appreciation for food, and I always eat well with them.  

The night before the festivities officially began, we ate pho and visited Ayza, a wine and chocolate bar.  Below is the spread of chocolates our table ordered, and I sampled all except the Lovebug (in the bottom left corner) because it's white chocolate with a key lime filling.  My favorite, without question, was the "King Tut."  The two pieces on our board are the only two in wrappers, and I'm happy the picture captured the shape of the chocolate.  The  "King Tuts" were filled with gianduja, the glorious combination of chocolate and hazelnut.

Our activities for the bachelorette party included a stop at Eataly, which was overwhelming in the most wonderful way.  Fortunately, after a bit of browsing, we scored a table in the middle of the establishment and selected a variety of food to nibble on while sipping some wine.  Fresh mozzarella, olives, a variety of cheeses and meats, razor clams, roasted calamari, and an endless supply of bread were almost too much for us to handle, but we left feeling sated and very happy.

We experienced our fair share of alcoholic indulgence, of course, and stopped at the scandalous Museum of Sex to try a cocktail from OralFix, the Aphrodisiac Bar in the museum's dungeon-like basement.  Most of us tried the "Hot Sex in the City," pictured below, which was made with "X-rated liqueur," Combier, lime juice, and jalapeno-infused vodka.  The drink was pleasantly tart and sweet, with the appropriate amount of spiciness.

I can't speak to the museum itself, because we didn't have the chance to tour it, but if you're in need of a treat, cocktail, or an edible oral fix, any of these venues are worth a try.

Sprout in the Spring

Today is the first day of the 2011 CSA, and as a warm up, Davy and I went to Sprout for dinner last night.  Actually, we had a Groupon that was going to expire, but it was a nice way to begin the CSA season.  The link to the specials for the day was titled "Nice Weather, Excellent Food," and neither description was misleading.  


I started with the soup of the day, which was mushroom stew, and it reminded me of hot and sour soup without a lot of heat.  It had a pleasant, earthy flavor and texture from the mushrooms and a sweet edge from a few soft chunks of sweet potato.


The local meat and cheese plate was hearty and delicious, consisting of pork sausage, chicken breast meat, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, mixed greens, caramelized onions and a spread that I think may have been a pimento aioli.  They were served on a wooden pizza board with a large basket of tasty Billy Bread, and the remaining goodies made a beautiful sandwich to take home.


Instead of sweet potato and caramelized onion on the pizzetta du jour, there were two kinds of cheese, bechamel and roasted tomatoes, plus fresh mixed greens to cut through the rich cheesy flavors.  I was pleased with my order, and Davy liked his fish soft tacos, which were prepared with trout.


Sprout is one of the most loyal local food venues that we have in Richmond, and is worth a trip, even if you aren't celebrating the start of a CSA.  In fact, it's a great place to console yourself if you aren't, because 90% of the food is produced in Virginia.  Happy CSA season!