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Second The Rogue Gentleman rec. It is better than Rose's Luxury in my opinion. Especially if you enjoy craft cocktails.

Thanks for the suggestion. We're probably going to do Rappahannock again, but the cocktails look great. Maybe post-show depending on how late they stay open mid week. I am going to a death metal show at the canal club actually. Hopefully I survive the experience.

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Thanks for the suggestion. We're probably going to do Rappahannock again, but the cocktails look great. Maybe post-show depending on how late they stay open mid week. I am going to a death metal show at the canal club actually. Hopefully I survive the experience.

Send Buz Grossberg (FlaySlayer) a PM.

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I was in the Glen Allen area on business the last couple of days and had take-away dinner last night from Cheng Du restaurant on West Broad Street in Henrico, out towards Short Pump (home of Peter Chang's restaurant, which people compare this place to). I just stumbled on it online, looking for sources of dinner, and started reading the menu, finding all these dishes that you just don't see on the typical lousy American-Sichuan restaurant menus. Then I looked at some Google and Yelp reviews, for what they're worth, but people were saying some really intriguing things, and posting some pretty alluring pictures (on Yelp). Most of the reviews were very strongly and plausibly favorable, and the unfavorable reviews mostly complained that the General Tsao's Chicken and the Fried Rice weren't up to par. Anyway, I placed an order on line for pickup. I ordered the spicy cucumber salad, the "Boiled Fish in Hot and Spicy Chili Sauce", and the "Chong Qing Spicy Chicken". I drove over to pick up the order, and the service was very strangely harried, especially given that the restaurant was at most half full at 8 pm on a Friday night. I ended up having to wait about ten minutes for my food, even though it was already packed up and ready to go. Anyway, I took it back to my hotel, and had a little feast. The cucumber salad was only so-so, but the other two dishes were superb. The chicken was a dry-fried dish, with morsels of chicken coated in rice flour or corn starch or something and fried till slightly crisp, and tossed with a prodigious amount of dried red chilies, plus garlic and sesame seeds and I don't know what else. Delicious. The boiled fish was soup-like, with lots of chunks of soft, moist, fresh-tasting fish of unknown type in an explosively tasty liquid, with various bits of vegetable. The food was nicely hot without being searingly so; I gather they'll tone the heat up or down on request. The three dishes came to about $42 including tax and tip, and could easily have served five people. I had a second dinner of it this evening, and there's still a lot more than half of it left. I'd love to return to this place, especially to dine in with several adventurous companions, but that would mean cultivating some adventurous companions and coaxing them all down to Richmond, which is unlikely to happen.
 

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I just a spent a night on a business trip in Richmond and wanted to leave two quick recommendations: the Quirk Hotel for an excellent and hip hotel stay, and The Lab by Alchemy for excellent coffee with a knowledgeable barista. They use a rotating variety of roasters; it was Philadelphia's Reanimator when I was there.

I'm not recommending you go out of your way for Pearl Raw Bar. We had a nice dinner in their outdoor space, but the bites of everyone's fish I tried were variously too sweetly sauced or subobtimally cooked. And when we ordered two oyster samplers, the waitress left without identifying which varieties were which--a service mistake anywhere, but particularly regrettable at a raw bar.

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Basically everything posted within the past year looks to still be valid except for Magpie. They closed towards the end of 2015, but Owen Lane opened Vagabond a few months ago, and won chef of the year at the local restaurant awards. L'Opossum was probably the best meal I've had this past year, but the acclaim it has gotten has made getting a reservation a little more difficult,

I'd be happy to help out if there's anything more specific you're looking for, gibmrm.

Here's the list of this year's winners

http://www.styleweekly.com/ShortOrderBlog/archives/2016/02/22/vagabonds-owen-lane-wins-chef-of-the-year-at-the-2016-elby-awards

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Basically everything posted within the past year looks to still be valid except for Magpie. They closed towards the end of 2015, but Owen Lane opened Vagabond a few months ago, and won chef of the year at the local restaurant awards. L'Opossum was probably the best meal I've had this past year, but the acclaim it has gotten has made getting a reservation a little more difficult,

I'd be happy to help out if there's anything more specific you're looking for, gibmrm.

Here's the list of this year's winners

http://www.styleweekly.com/ShortOrderBlog/archives/2016/02/22/vagabonds-owen-lane-wins-chef-of-the-year-at-the-2016-elby-awards

Many thanks. I will be in Richmond for 2 nights, so basically will be having 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners. I am particularly interested places that have/use local dishes, cuisines, products. Coming from Europe, I am less keen on going to 'European', 'French', 'Italian', and so on restaurants, even when they might be some of the best in town, just because I can eat those types of cuisines relatively easily. So with that in mind, if you have any other recommendations, let me know.

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On 4/6/2016 at 9:32 PM, gibmrm said:

Many thanks. I will be in Richmond for 2 nights, so basically will be having 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners. I am particularly interested places that have/use local dishes, cuisines, products. Coming from Europe, I am less keen on going to 'European', 'French', 'Italian', and so on restaurants, even when they might be some of the best in town, just because I can eat those types of cuisines relatively easily. So with that in mind, if you have any other recommendations, let me know.

I haven't been to Edo's Squid in about three years, but it was truly a wonderful experience when I went - the squid itself is wonderful (order off the chalkboard "specials" menu), and the atmosphere is just *fun*.

I prefer the newer Buz & Ned's Barbecue to the original, even though it's slightly away from downtown - plus, you'll get to see the largest ceiling fan you've ever seen.

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Killing some time before dinner we wandered into Once Upon a Vine (MacArthur Avenue location).  This store is bare bones but has a very nice beer selection and an aisle dedicated to Virginia wines.  Owner Bob Kocher claimed they carried the biggest selection of Virginia wines in the state, and it seemed like if a Virginia winery had a state distributor they carried it.  They had 6 or 7 different varieties from Barboursville, including Octagon 2013 ($56).  We picked up a bottle of their Viognier 2014 ($20) and a bottle of their Trummer's Chardonnay, which they produce for Trummer's on Main ($11).  If you are jetting through Richmond and like Virginia wines, then you should check out Once Upon a Vine, pretty easy off/on from I-95, no more than a 5 minute detour.

The Mill on MacArthur is a neighborhood restaurant that DC sorely lacks.  Nothing fancy, basically looked like a dressed up garage space, super kid friendly, very low-key restaurant.  The menu is your basic American fare: soups, salads, pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and selection of entrees and nothing over $20.  In fact you could get an app and a sandwich for under $20.  The food was solidly decent without being great.  Definitely one of those restaurants where you find a couple of items that you like and order them over and over again.  I enjoyed the Not My Job Brown Ale from Midnight Brewery in Rockville (although that appears to be Rockville in the Richmond area).    

 

 

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If you go to Metzger Bar and Butchery in Richmond (and I recommend that you do) you must try the pierogi. We enjoyed several wonderful dishes in this delightful little restaurant, but that one was hands-down the best. The eatery's tag line is "rustic, seasonal, German-influenced food, wine and cocktails." The best dishes we tried were German-influenced. One of my favorites was Mette, with Rugbrot, cherry and smoked paprika. This generous portion of well-seasoned, minced, raw meat served with Danish rye bread was fantastic.

The not-so-German dishes, like my halibut with fig, gnocchi and pistachio entree, were not nearly as good. The halibut was okay, but overcooked and dry. The gnocchi, which was fresh and fabulous, saved this dish for me. The next time I go to Metzger Bar and Butchery,  I will  try a German-influenced main dish.

The cocktails we ordered were interesting and delicious. I particularly enjoyed my refreshing "Maiden Voyage," made with gin, Riesling, Cappelletti, grapefruit and lime.

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44 minutes ago, DIShGo said:

If you go to Metzger Bar and Butchery in Richmond (and I recommend that you do) you must try the pierogi. We enjoyed several wonderful dishes in this delightful little restaurant, but that one was hands-down the best. The eatery's tag line is "rustic, seasonal, German-influenced food, wine and cocktails." The best dishes we tried were German-influenced. One of my favorites was Mette, with Rugbrot, cherry and smoked paprika. This generous portion of well-seasoned, minced, raw meat served with Danish rye bread was fantastic.

The not-so-German dishes, like my halibut with fig, gnocchi and pistachio entree, were not nearly as good. The halibut was okay, but overcooked and dry. The gnocchi, which was fresh and fabulous, saved this dish for me. The next time I go to Metzger Bar and Butchery,  I will  try a German-influenced main dish.

The cocktails we ordered were interesting and delicious. I particularly enjoyed my refreshing "Maiden Voyage," made with gin, Riesling, Cappelletti, grapefruit and lime.

Chef Brittanny Anderson was a 2017 Semifinalist for a Mid-Atlantic James Beard Award. Given that this was the only restaurant in Richmond up for a mid-Atlantic award in 2017, I have to gently disagree with the nomination. Don't get me wrong: Metzger Bar and Butchery is a *great* neighborhood restaurant - and it has absolutely broken ground in its Union Hill neighborhood - but I'm not quite comfortable with it being nominated for a Beard Award, and the halibut - which was brazenly overcooked - is as good a reason as any. I agree with DIShGo both about the German-oriented dishes, and also the cocktails - if I lived anywhere near here, I'd come often: It's worth a visit if you're in Richmond. Perhaps most significantly, the two Pierogies we had were the single finest Pierogies I've ever eaten, anywhere (I realize this may be considered more Polish than German, but it doesn't matter - they were sensational). The Schweinhaxe was, literally, a chicken-fried pork shank - the first I've ever seen.

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Looking back at these pictures, I'm remembering the dinner more fondly than I did after we left the restaurant - we should have quit before the entrees because we were *stuffed* - we over-ordered on purpose because neither of us had ever tried Metzger before. This restaurant has great potential, and if only the entrees could have been lightened somehow - and I'm not sure how - I'd already be itching to visit again (I'm not being critical of the entrees because we were full; they really were quite heavy, and the pork shank - good as it looks - was actually somewhat bland, albeit masterfully fried). The crudo was flat-out *beautiful*, but it, too, didn't come across as well on the palate as it did on the eye.

And yes, those gnocchi with the halibut were *great*.

Truth is, if the purpose of the nomination was to call attention to this little gem-of-a-restaurant, then I'm all for it. Metzger deserves your business.

Apr 11, 2016 - "Owners of Metzger Bar & Butchery Opening New Restaurant in Scott's Addition" by Karri Peifer on richmond.com

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We have terrible luck when we go to Richmond.  Part of this is our fault.  We a. don't get out much these days and b. tend to prefer sitting at the bar, sampling things rather than sitting down for dinner.  We also tend to be somewhat last minute travelers - making reservations weeks in advance often isn't possible.  This means we'll often try to get drinks and an appetizer at two or three places in an evening.  I think its time to finally accept that this dining scene isn't conducive to that style of eating.

This past week, after trying to go to East Coast Provisions for 6 months, we finally got smart and went for lunch.  Sushi was excellent, the wife's salmon was good but in desperate need of an acid on the plate.  I ordered badly - Avocado BLT.  Order a BLT in February and I don't feel like you have a right to complain, so I will leave it at that.  Note to anyone in Carytown - the RVA Draft Room across from ECP - 50 beers on tap machines, sample as little or much as you want.  This wouldn't be a place I'd go every week, but is a nice option to have.

I tried to get us out of the hotel early to get a bar seat at L'Oppossum, and failed.  Walking in at 6:30, there was one bar stool remaining, so asked my wife to have a seat while we figured out our next move.  What appeared to be a manager/bartender came over, holding an iphone up to his ear, and said they would 'prefer' I not stand.  They do have a couch in the dining room and the hostess offered us a cocktail, but with a babysitter and an estimated 30-45 minute wait, we couldn't stay.  On paper the restaurant handled this correctly, and I was not surprised at being asked to move.  But something about the way it was said and the phone left me feeling chided and slightly embarrassed.  Having said that, this was FAR better than how we were treated at Stella's last visit, but that is for another thread.

Time to regroup, we headed to Grandstaff and Stein for a cocktail.  Remember to look up the password on Facebook in advance, and this has some of the better cocktails in Richmond, I just wouldn't recommend staying for dinner.

After liquid fortification, we were close to the Roosevelt so drove up and parked around the back side of the restaurant.  Same situation - one bar stool.  Restaurant was much more accommodating but the space was small and we were losing steam.  I'll not go into details here, but on the way back to the car I'm 99.9% we were about to get mugged when a police car came down the street at JUST the right moment.  We'd looked seriously at buying a house on Church Hill last year - this experience made me glad we did not.  There was a police car watching the restaurant when we arrived, which made me wonder if this wasn't the first.  

So the night ended up where it almost always does.  An AleSmith My Bloody Valentine Amber at Mekong while waiting for above average vietnamese takeout, and a 6-pack of Inbev's finest from the Sheetz.

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One of the best places to eat without a reservation is the bar at Belmont Food Shop. It's a few blocks away from the VMFA in the museum District. It's a price fixe 3 course meal (I think $35 is still the going rate) and they probably can't seat more than 30 people at a time. The tables are for reservations, but since everyone going there basically has a reservation there's not a lot of patrons at the bar waiting for a table, like you'll find at Roosevelt or Heritage.

The relatively new Brenner Pass (which Don references above) also has a pretty big bar area for walk-ins, and they turnover their tables pretty fast there. Brenner Pass is in the Scott's Addition area, so you'd only really walk their if you were going to some breweries.

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On 1/29/2015 at 6:29 PM, astrid said:

L'Opossum - sorta French with a lot of flair and playfulness.  The lobster taco with chef's surprise (a big hunk of seared foie gras) was awesome, as were lots of other things.

On 4/6/2016 at 4:49 PM, PappyVanWise said:

L'Opossum was probably the best meal I've had this past year, but the acclaim it has gotten has made getting a reservation a little more difficult.

We spent a night in Richmond on the way down to Fla. from NYC and are now back in Richmond for a night while heading north.  We went to L’Opossum in Jan and had an interesting meal.  I say interesting because everything was, well, interesting.  The room, the menu language, the art work and the food were all quirky (in a good way for us - not too cutesy, as this could easily be).  Just look at the website and menu and you’ll see what you’ll get all the way through.  Not all of the food was something I’d eat again, but that’s more a question of tastebuds than the kitchen’s ability & creativity.  Ginny had the Snails w/Ham Biscuit for her app. & I had the 5 Spice (very rare, very thin sliced) Venison w/Lotus Chips & a little Chinese Mustard. Both were excellent and dishes that we’d eat again and again.  Her entree of Halibut w/Wild Rice, Greens & Corn was also quite good, but my boneless pork chop was not to my liking.  Whatever they brined it with ruined the texture for me and took away the porkiness I love as well.  Oh well.  Glasses of wine for each of us and one split dessert of Tarte Tatin & we spent $165 all in.  A fair price for the quality, quantity and skill.  We’d go back.

On 4/10/2016 at 12:57 PM, DonRocks said:

I haven't been to Edo's Squid in about three years, but it was truly a wonderful experience when I went - the squid itself is wonderful (order off the chalkboard "specials" menu), and the atmosphere is just *fun*.

Tonite’s meal at Edo’s Squid was just about perfect.  We shared 2 apps.  The Mozz., Roasted Peppers and Anchovies were the benchmark for this dish — nothing fancy, just solid, fresh food served well.  The fried oysters were plump, juicy, tasty and fried in a perfect light crispy batter that sealed in the flavor.  Entrees of Veal Piccata for her and Spag. Carbonara for me were huge and could feed 4.  Or the 2 of us.  Both were made exactly the right way — my Carbonara was egged and al dente as it should be.  A bottle of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Avignonesi 2013 - $40) was a good match for it all.  No chance at room for dessert.  $140 all in.  Highly recommended.  Wish it was nearer to me — well, actually, maybe not as I would gain too much weight eating here.

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Weekend in Richmond with BIL and SIL.  Friday night we got to have a nice dinner at their new house.  Saturday we got coffee at Chairlift, I got a cold brew with some almond milk, and I got to have a peak in Brenner Pass which looked cool.  We had lunch at Tazzo Kitchen.  I will never understand why the Arlandria outpost didn't survive.  I had a great sausage, black pepper and honey pizza with arugula.  It had a touch of spice, the crust was nicely made.  Hubby and SIL had a baja bowl, BIL got a hamburger, everyone liked what they got.  The restaurant is right near a bunch of breweries, and it is definitely good before, during or after drinking beer food.

We went to Vasen brewery afterwards and they had a Tart Lemon Saison, which might be my current favorite beer (I am not a big beer person)- it was light, but tart, kind of like a not as sweet shandy.  We got there before it was too crowded and snagged a couch which was nice.  We then went to Blue Bee Cider- the Ordinary and Arragon were our favorites, but the ciders here were for the most part good- lighter than many, Hubby and I shared a tasting.  we met up with some friends there and bought a couple bottles, and had some empanadas from the Happy empanada food truck- fine and good, but nothing special.

That night we went to East Coast Provisions- the menu here had a lot of things I wanted to try.  We started with an East and West Coast sushi roll for the table, both were good, well balanced.  I then had the scallops, which were very good, but I thought the grits they were served on would be creamier, they were good, but just a little more rice style grits than what I was hoping.  But the flavor combination was really good, and the scallops were perfect and not rubbery.

We then ended the night at The Jasper having cocktails- it was crowded, and the service was a little slow because of how crowded it was, but they had a fun cocktail menu, and we had a fun time, and the bouncer and waitress we had were very nice.

The next day we had brunch at Lucy, and shared the doughnuts, which were much more cake like than I was expecting, but good.  I had pulled pork with black beans and tomato over grit cake (still trying to get my fill) with over easy eggs on top.  Again, grits not as creamy as I was hoping, also not as fried patty like I was hoping either, but again good, and the pulled pork and eggs were excellent.  Their menu was kind of interesting for brunch, you could get biscuits and gravy, but a side biscuit wasn't on the menu.  I got a side of toast though.  The doughnuts while good, and I love cake doughnuts, just needed to be more one style or another, and for a place that is all about the meat, their brunch menu- and I get it, it's brunch just lacked some meat options that really made me want to commit.  I think their bread program could just use a little perfecting.

All in all though we had an awesome time just eating and drinking our way through Richmond.  The food scene there is really interesting in that I think it is still trying to figure out it's way and with all the people moving to Richmond, it is a real transition of food tastes, as well. 

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Ha - looks like we didn't run into each other at all this weekend in Richmond .. shows you just how many great options there are.

We started off at Buz and Ned's. I thought the ribs were a bit chewy, not as 'fall off the bone' as I like. Pork was great, though, as was the Mac and Cheese. Then the brewery tour began - we went to Triple Crossing, which was our least favorite of the bunch. After that was The Answer/Mekong, and we liked that place a lot. Had dumplings (not great, skin was way too thick) and chicken spring rolls (pretty good). Last brewery was Veil. That place continues to be awesome. SO MUCH HAZE. Super busy there, it's gotten quite a reputation and it's sort of a destination brewery.

Dinner was at Spoonbread Bistro. Elevated Southern food. To share, the group got the lobster pop tart, pork sriracha and collard green egg roll, and foie gras with spoonbread. Pop tart was flaky and pretty awesome. I don't know if I don't like foie gras or don't like their's. It was gelatinous and kind of boring. Lady and I shared the surf and surf - rockfish and poached lobster. Excellent! Everyone enjoyed themselves there. Then, a few bad decisions were made and instead of going home, we went out to a few bars. Richmond is a very, very young town, and we felt OLD.

Breakfast was at Union Market Cafe. That fried mortadella breakfast sandwich hit the spot after a day like Saturday, though lady didn't think much of the breakfast burrito.

Absolutely love Richmond. When I get sick of the ridiculous cost of living up here, wouldn't mind having a cool old house in the Fan with a great porch... 

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The service at Mekong has never been its selling point.  But man, had an experience on Saturday night that may bump this favorite of mine off the list. 

Posted hours until midnight.  9pm, the place is still busy but handwritten sign on door on a piece of torn notebook paper that said "Closed".  Seeing as the place is still busy, I thought maybe, just maybe, its an old sign, etc.  Hostess screamed at me and asked if I didn't read the sign.

The wife, knowing how badly I wanted some Mekong (this may have been toward the end of a long day of Richmond breweries), and being more persistent yet also more polite than I am, called to see if maybe the dining room was closed for a private event, but we could still get takeout.  She was also screamed at before the hostess hung up the phone.

It was the most bizarre, infuriating "service" experience I can remember.  I get that places close sometimes, that's ok, but whoa attitude.  Looking at some recent online postings, I'm not alone.  These days Richmond has a lot of really good beer options, and a lot of really solid food options.  No need for this.

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There's a new development on the James River called Rocketts Landing.  I thought I would have a leisurely lunch by the water so I went to Conch Republic.  I have to say the food's not very interesting and tastes pretty mediocre too, but you have a view of the river.

I had dinner at Metzger Bar & Butchery.  It was only half full on a Saturday night.  I had some potato chips with creme fraiche and trout roe - a decadent french onion dip!  I also had their wiener schnitzel - which was fine.

Sunday morning, I did some googling for places that open up early and found Perly's.  I had me some chopped chicken liver, kishka, and corned beef tongue.  The beef tongue was good, especially with the chimichurri that came with the kishka.  The kishka was decent - but not encased (which they told me up front).  Finally, the chicken liver was not very good - tasted too sour.

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Has anyone here been to ZZQ or heard anything about it?  Some non-foodie friends who live in Richmond have proposed meeting up here.  The place is billed as "Texas Craft Barbeque," and I'm thinking that any place with the audacity to make that claim has to be at least half-decent...?

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5 hours ago, silentbob said:

Has anyone here been to ZZQ or heard anything about it?  Some non-foodie friends who live in Richmond have proposed meeting up here.  The place is billed as "Texas Craft Barbeque," and I'm thinking that any place with the audacity to make that claim has to be at least half-decent...?

I have heard a lot of good things about it. Daniel Vaughn, the BBQ Editor for Texas Monthly, listed it as one of the places he is most anxious to try outside of Texas.

I also just listened to a recent podcast that interviewed the husband and wife who started it. You can find it here: https://kevinsbbqjoints.podbean.com/e/ep-16-chris-fultz-alex-graf-zzq-barbeque-richmond-virginia/  They seem like great people with a real appreciation for getting things right. I'm anxious to try it, but don't get down to Richmond very often.

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22 hours ago, JimCo said:

I have heard a lot of good things about it. Daniel Vaughn, the BBQ Editor for Texas Monthly, listed it as one of the places he is most anxious to try outside of Texas.

What a coincidence. Looks like he was there today. In a reply to this tweet, he said he would put in the Texas Monthly Top 50 if it was located there. That is high praise indeed.

 

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On 6/22/2018 at 4:57 PM, Steve R. said:

It was on our short list of places to try when we passed thru in Jan and in March, but we went elsewhere (see above post for those).  We'll probably go this Jan when we pass thru again.  Unless, of course, you hate it.

Not at all.  Hype was justified, plus the sides -- collards, potato salad, and jalapeño mac and cheese -- were surprisingly excellent.  Big winner was the beef rib, served only on Saturday.

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I don't think they take reservations, but we also got there before opening at 11 am.  When we left around 12:30, the place was close to full but I don't think there was a wait or anything like that.  Plus there's a huge outdoor seating area, so if you go when the weather is decent, it should be all good.

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Just looked at their hours (after your posting).  As we leave Brooklyn heading south on a weekday (Jan 2nd) & get to Richmond after 4pm, it does seem unlikely that we're going to get to try this place unless our return trip in late March brings us to Richmond on a weekend.  Oh well.

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After visiting Agecroft Hall (a Tudor mansion moved here from England), we visited ZZQ.  It's located in an industrial looking neighborhood devoid of trees.  After you walk in, you realize it's even less of a sit down restaurant than Hill Country.  At Hill Country, you sit, you order drinks and then you go fetch your own food.  At ZZQ, you go through a line and order your food cafeteria style.  First you order the meats, then the hot sides, then the cold sides, and then they have soft drinks and Lone Star beer.  If you want something boozy other Lone Star, you have to order your drink from the bar on the opposite side of the room.  And you have to get your own silverware.  They do bus your table after you eat. 

So we had moist brisket, pork ribs, and beef rib.  The best was the brisket, which was pretty good but I still don't think it's better than Texas Jack or Hill Country.  The pork ribs were sweet and I don't much care for them.  The beef rib was also pretty good and I'm just glad they have them, since it's hard to get them in DC.  Finally, they's charging DC prices.  I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to eat here again when I can get some damn good BBQ in Arlington.

We had dinner at Maple & Pine in the Quirk hotel.  It's located in the lobby of the hotel and I find that lack of privacy odd.  The food was pretty good and mildly creative.  

For breakfast, hit Perly's again.  It's apparently very popular with the goyim - who tend to order typical brunch dishes as opposed to tongue, kishka, knish, etc.  I like the option of being able to order just some meat for $4 per order.  Thought their corn beef, pastrami and roast beef were all pretty decent.  The latkes were bland though.  I don't know why they were not seasoned at all.  And this might be the only deli that doesn't give you a ton of cream cheese when you order a bagel with cream cheese.  

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On 4/10/2016 at 6:57 AM, DonRocks said:

I haven't been to Edo's Squid in about three years, but it was truly a wonderful experience when I went - the squid itself is wonderful (order off the chalkboard "specials" menu), and the atmosphere is just *fun*.

Patron Permanently Banned From Edo’s Squid for Requesting an Ingredient Substitution, September 3, 2017, on thepeedmont.com.

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Webster attempted to order a pasta dish with broccoli instead of the standard mushrooms. “Our server left immediately and then came back a few minutes later with a manager and two of the line cooks,” Webster said.

The staff brought her outside, suggested that she rethink her behavior when it comes to ordering food at restaurants, and then asked her to never return to Edo’s Squid again. One witness noted that the servers took Webster’s driver’s license and scanned it for their records.

Not sure why the server didn't just tell Webster that no substitution is allowed.  I assume there are other facts missing in this story.

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You all do realize that the article was published in a satire site, right?  Never happened.

 Not that, based on our 1 dinner there, it couldn't.  That's what makes the article good satire.

We'll be going back this winter on our way to or from Florida.  I'll let you know if they do a good pasta w/broccoli. 😇

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We went back to ZZQ for a late lunch the other day. Brisket was the same smoky goodness as always but the big winner was a caramelized onion pie, most likely a daily special that may not be there anymore. It was basically an oversized tart with rich onion filling. Our five year-old nearly finished a whole piece of brisket after not wanting any last time, so that’s gotta be a win.

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Spent a couple of days in Richmond between Christmas and New Year's. A late lunch at Edo's Squid was tremendous. I love the laid back vibe, and the place was nearly empty at 1:30 on a weekday afternoon. I started with the broccolini with garlic and red pepper. It was drowning in olive oil but remained crisp and spicy. For a main, I ordered the spaghetti with clams. This was also covered in olive oil and contained an absurd (but absurdly delicious) amount of garlic. I couldn't finish it but came close. On our way out, three servers were gathered around a table hand peeling hundreds of cloves of garlic which went into a giant basket. I wish we had a place like this in DC.

On our way out of town, we finally went to ZZQ. I wondered if this would live up to the hype, but they managed to surpass it. Their brisket is second only to Franklin's in terms of the best I've ever had. It has a perfect amount of smoke. The turkey was extremely juicy, and I also loved their house made sausages. We tried the hot guts sausage, and a queso fuego which was their daily special. Both were loosely packed but with a good amount of fat. This is a special place, and I suspect it will get even more attention and acclaim over the next couple of years. If you're near Richmond, you owe yourself a chance to try it. (Sorry, the picture is a little bigger than I intended.)

 

ZZQ.JPG

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[Belated post from a mid-October overnight visit]

Thank you thank you thank you all for this magnificent thread. Having only one day to try a sampling of spots, I pulled almost exclusively from here and it did not disappoint. We spent the afternoon cruising through a couple breweries and then did dinner and a couple drinks.

Breweries: Hardywood Brewery, Veil Brewing Co., The Answer Brewpub, Buskey Cider, Blue Bee Cider

Dinner: Brenner Pass

Lodging: Clarion Hotel Central (<-- decidedly NOT recommended)

 

I'm big on cider. Buskey's products are all fairly flavorless, and they seem averse to taking risks and embracing some of the funky, interesting heritage apples available -- though it is a cool space, pretty ideal for groups, and nearby other hangs. Blue Bee is decidedly a step up. Hardywood had my favorite beers of the day; Veil is seemingly the cool kids hang; Answer Brewpub isn't "pretty" but has the best selection. Brenner Pass was solid top-to-bottom (save a brief delay in taking our drink order after seating) and a remarkable value to boot...am I that jaded by DC prices?!

If we get back, definitely want to hit ZZQ (obviously), L'opossum, Edo's, Metzger Bar and maybe try one of the cocktail-focused spots like Rogue or The Jasper.

 

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Last week, we once again made Richmond our 1st stop on our way down to Florida.  On a recommendation from an eG member who lives there, we ate at Brenner Pass.  As I’ve already told her, everything we had was excellent.  I especially loved my pasta with a chicken liver mousse “sauce”, while my wife’s duck was similarly excellent.  Although I’m not particularly fond of the coldish industrial look & feel, the food more than made up for it.  So, I fully agree - this is definitely worth a visit.

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32 minutes ago, Steve R. said:

Last week, we once again made Richmond our 1st stop on our way down to Florida.  On a recommendation from an eG member who lives there, we ate at Brenner Pass.  As I’ve already told her, everything we had was excellent.  I especially loved my pasta with a chicken liver mousse “sauce”, while my wife’s duck was similarly excellent.  Although I’m not particularly fond of the coldish industrial look & feel, the food more than made up for it.  So, I fully agree - this is definitely worth a visit.

[Which do people prefer: a separate Richmond thread in Intrepid Traveler (like this), or individual Restaurant Threads in Washington, DC? I'd be happy to make threads for each restaurant, and have a beefier Richmond Index in the Virginia Dining Guide - it would be simple to find all the restaurants using the Dining Guide.]

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8 hours ago, DonRocks said:

[Which do people prefer: a separate Richmond thread in Intrepid Traveler (like this), or individual Restaurant Threads in Washington, DC? I'd be happy to make threads for each restaurant, and have a beefier Richmond Index in the Virginia Dining Guide - it would be simple to find all the restaurants using the Dining Guide.]

I kind of like it the way it is, because if I’m planning a trip to Richmond I prefer having access to an overview. Individual threads would make that slightly more difficult. But either way, I’ll be glad to have it. 😀

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10 minutes ago, JimCo said:

I kind of like it the way it is, because if I’m planning a trip to Richmond I prefer having access to an overview. Individual threads would make that slightly more difficult. But either way, I’ll be glad to have it. 😀

I agree.

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On 1/24/2019 at 10:26 AM, silentbob said:

In terms of places within reasonable driving distance of the DC area, ZZQ is best and it's not really close IMO.

Is driving 3 hours to Richmond for BBQ really reasonable, though?  If I'm ever down there or driving through, sure, but I can't see making a special trip that far for some brisket and pulled pork..... 

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On 1/25/2019 at 10:31 AM, DPop said:

Is driving 3 hours to Richmond for BBQ really reasonable, though?  If I'm ever down there or driving through, sure, but I can't see making a special trip that far for some brisket and pulled pork..... 

Round trip or one-way?  Depending on where and when you start, ZZQ is totally reachable in 90 minutes.  I've waited 3+ hours for Franklin, though we drive through Richmond enough to/from the in-laws in SC that a special trip isn't likely necessary.

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4 hours ago, silentbob said:

Round trip or one-way?  Depending on where and when you start, ZZQ is totally reachable in 90 minutes.  I've waited 3+ hours for Franklin, though we drive through Richmond enough to/from the in-laws in SC that a special trip isn't likely necessary.

My BIL who lives in Richmond swears it only takes 90 minutes to get there, or here, I have yet to make the trip down or back in less than 2 hours, and often 3, with completely stopped traffic around Fredericksburg.  I must perennially chose the wrong times.

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On 1/8/2019 at 11:57 PM, DonRocks said:

[Which do people prefer: a separate Richmond thread in Intrepid Traveler (like this), or individual Restaurant Threads in Washington, DC? I'd be happy to make threads for each restaurant, and have a beefier Richmond Index in the Virginia Dining Guide - it would be simple to find all the restaurants using the Dining Guide.]

On 1/9/2019 at 8:09 AM, JimCo said:

I kind of like it the way it is, because if I’m planning a trip to Richmond I prefer having access to an overview. Individual threads would make that slightly more difficult. But either way, I’ll be glad to have it. 😀

On 1/9/2019 at 8:20 AM, Steve R. said:

I agree.

On 1/9/2019 at 1:34 PM, ktmoomau said:

Agree, as well.

Taking this to an extreme, everything would be in one thread. :) Given the limited resources of this website, and that I'm currently maxed out (both in terms of working here, and also with personal stuff), what do I do? Posting is way down, and honestly, it's a relief right now.
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No one has put it this frankly so I will, ZZQ is one of the best barbecue restaurants in this country. I say that based on visits to Franklin’s, Lewis’ BBQ and Snow’s (currently Texas Monthly’s best bbq restaurant in Texas).

A field trip to Jamestown on Friday led me to my fourth visit. I ordered everything to go. Then traversed the 95 corridor late on a Friday afternoon returning to Alexandria. 

The staff couldn’t have been more thoughtful or helpful. I ordered a pound of turkey, and they made sure to package it with turkey fat and au jus to ensure it wouldn’t dry out. 

Two hours later, the brisket was still some of the best I’ve ever had. Their hot guts sausage is amazing. Turkey is fantastic. 

Your mileage may vary (literally). It can be a haul to get to Richmond. I know. But know if you do, one of the best BBQ experiences in America awaits you. 

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We ate very well in Richmond.  The entrees at Temple ( Laotian) were even better than the ones at Thip Khao, though I think Thip Khao has the better apps. Their sister thai place sabai was also very good. The green peppercorn biscuit at root stock provisions was one of the best biscuits I’ve ever had— great deep flavor and texture. And Sub Rosa bakery was excellent, the best bread I’ve had in a long time.  

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Quick report: ZZQ brisket *very* good (but the brisket I had at Hill Country a couple years back was its equal).  Hot guts sausage also tasty. Turkey nothing special.  Very fine place to hit if you're in Richmond (very friendly staff), but certainly not worth a special trip.

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I put myself on the wait list at Longoven a few weeks ago, and subsequently got a reservation for L'opossum, which I've been trying to get into for years (our trips to Richmond are usually last minute and on busy nights).  Of course Saturday afternoon Longoven called, but I chose to stick with L'opossum.  Side note - Longoven handled the wait list very professionally, sending me a personalized email confirmation, and then apologizing for the late notice Saturday afternoon (which was unnecessary) - if you can't get in via Resy, try the wait list.

Anywho, we weren't disappointed in our choice.  I started with a Dark and Stormy Daniels - a strong version of the cocktail that came with a tiny cornichon on the rim.  The pickle didn't fit in with the drink, but the restaurant left the meaning of the small member up to the drinker...  My wife is sans dairy for awhile, so she started with Vegan Orgy on Texas Beach ($11) which came with large crisps and five different vegan dips.  I went with the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras ($18).  Her Jumbo Lump Crab Cake ($34) with wilted spinach was good, but would have been better with the bernaise that had to be omitted by her request.  My Rack of Lamb (was a special, don't remember the price) with blackberry, grilled peaches, and succotash was delicious and cooked as ordered.  Shared the Composition of Seasonal Fruit with plums, sake, melon and finger lime for dessert ($9).

The wine list here is very approachable.  Glasses were in the $7-12 range, and many bottles available for $<50.  2 appetizers, 2 entrees, a shared dessert, a cocktail and quite a few glasses of wine, with tax and tip was ~$200.  Sure, next time I'll take the Longoven reservation, but we thoroughly enjoyed L'Opossum.

 

lambrva.jpg

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I was the first person in the door at ZZQ.  I got myself some moist brisket and pork spareribs.  The moist brisket was superb - fatty and tender, probably the best I've had this year (and I've been to Federalist Pig, Hill Country, Texas Jack, and Liberty).  The spareribs were just weird - there's lots of black pepper and a hint of sweetness.  Texture was fine but I don't get the flavor.  The slaw was mediocre.  

After getting the food, I sat at the bar and ordered a couple of beers.   Walked the beers off later at Maymont.

P.S. - I've lost 10 lbs since I stopped pigging out while I was in Spain.  So I only got 1 slice of brisket and I didn't eat the fat.  I ate two of ribs and maybe half the slaw (just the cabbage).

zzq.JPG

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