Foode

Well, we FINALLY made it.

Saturday, May 21st, 2011.

Let me start out by saying I love what these ladies are doing. Love love LOVE it. I love the "farm-to-table" concept and think it's one that more restaurants should adopt. I love the fact that smaller and/or local farmers and growers are being supported by local businesses. I especially love the fact that what is being served at Foode isn't anything that I wouldn't feed my family at home. It's natural. It's fresh. It doesn't come out of a can. There is no factory processed mystery behind a single ingredient. If I were to open a restaurant, this would be the route I took. It's win/win. Support your local eateries who support the local economy and enjoy eating real food. Oh! it's win/win/win. And, it's delicious. As usual... I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm pretty excited, but I'll try to stay on track.

Back to Saturday evening... We'd had an eventful, fun day in the area, what with the Renaissance Faire at Lake Anna Winery and then getting the Large One and his girlfriend off to prom. At around 7pm, we realized that we hadn't been caught up in any kind of apocalyptic chaos or The Rapture or anything, and we were child free. It seems I found myself alone with a man on a Saturday night, and I didn't have to work. You know what that means?

We get to EAT! We jumped into the car and headed downtown.

K parked us on a side street and we walked down Caroline until we saw the sign for Foode. I had hoped that there would be a bistro table available outside in the courtyard, but apparently all of Fredericksburg has discovered this new hidden treasure, and has welcomed them with open arms. Not a table in sight. We almost turned around when we saw the group of people standing in the doorway. I went to see how long the wait was.

We were greeted by a woman who told us there was no wait, that we could sit at one of two tables. We chose one by the wall, and were given water, menus and silverware. We were then told how the restaurant works: You order your food at the register and they bring it to you. Huh. This puzzled me a bit. Like Noodles and Co.? Yep. Order your food, take your seat and wait for the goodness. I have to stand up? I'm going to need a drink.

Thankfully, Foode has a lovely selection of beer and ridiculously reasonable prices on their bottles of wine. I think the most expensive bottle that day was $22. Yes, I said bottle. And it was $22 because it's organic. They also offer sodas and both sweet and unsweet tea, and some other choices. We decided on "The Margarita", which is described as an "organic agave wine margarita cocktail", and the pitcher was $15. I haven't a clue what was in it... but it was goooood. It was served in a small rocks glass over ice and garnished with a salted lime. I was pretty geeked about the lime and tossed it into my drink before I realized I really wanted a photo of it. Oh well. Next time. Take my word for it, the lime is pretty.

For our appetizers, I ordered two pimiento cheese toasts ($1 each) and the Rosemary Loaf, which is served with a dish of their housemade dipping oil. There was balsamic involved. I wanted to swim in it... Anyway, the bread... well... half of the bread... is pictured above. It was really really good. Warm, soft in the center, crusty on the outside, with just the right amount of rosemary. The loaf is huge, easily 8-9 inches in diameter, and plenty for a group of four. The portion of dipping oil is generous, too. The pimiento cheese toasts were thin slices of French bread which were spread with house made pimiento cheese and then presumably broiled. I think I'm going there to get some for lunch this weekend. Yum.

For our entrees, K chose the slow-roasted pork bowl, described as organic, vegetarian fed pork, slow-simmered and served in a clay crock filled with black beans, seasoned rice, spices tomato sauce, corn tortillas, house pickled slaw and crumbled queso fresco. I selected the pan-roasted chicken, which was 1/2 of an all natural, vegetarian-fed chicken, marinated then pan roasted with fresh herbs, served with creamy mashed potatoes with basil pistou butter and sauteed organic field greens from Blenheim Organic Gardens.

When the server brought our food, I was immediately jealous of what was placed in front of K. It looked and smelled incredible. This is not to say that my chicken was inferior by any means, the presentation was lovely, the greens were obviously fresh, the potatoes light and delicious. I just think there is some Central American blood in me somewhere. Those of you who know me are aware that in 2004, my family lived in Nicaragua. I love the people, the culture, the art, the food, the way restaurants smell there, the taste of fresh tortillas and the smell of beans and rice cooking on the stove.

We eat a LOT of Mexican and Central American food at my house... so much that K's son once asked if I was Mexican. At any rate, K must have seen the look on my face, because he loaded up a tortilla and handed it to me. If you've seen the movie Ratatouille, you'll remember the part where Anton Ego tries the dish at the end and the taste brings back memories of his childhood. This is what it was like. One bite and I was on the side of a volcano in Catarina. It was the most authentic tasting Central American fare I have had since our plane lifted off the ground in Managua. I hope Foode has something like this on their menu always. The only thing missing was fresh avocado. I might have had to wrestle the bowl away from K if there was avocado.

The chicken was beautiful, as I mentioned. As I write this, I'm still thinking about the stupid pork and I'm going to really try to be as descriptive with the chicken dish. It was excellent. The mashed potatoes were fresh and fluffy and comforting, the way potatoes should be. The greens, although we couldn't decide what they were, were delicious, slightly crisp and not bitter at all. The portion of chicken was large, and the meat was moist and flavorful.

Crap. I can't do it. All I can think about it the pork. There's a picture of the chicken up there. It really was good. 

For dessert, we were offered  home made chocolate chip cookies or a chocolate torte. We were too full to even think about dessert, but boxed up the rest of the giant rosemary loaf to take home for the after-prom snack attacks.

I should mention that I also had a Groupon that I had forgotten to use when we paid initially, but the woman at the register was so sweet that she made it work. What would have cost us just over $60 cost us around $20. I love me some Groupons.

My overall impression of Foode: Impressive. Really. Aside from a couple minor details, I was so impressed with what the owners have done. Read the blog at  http://thefirst365.wordpress.com/ and you'll come to appreciate all of the blood, sweat and tears they've put into this place. Being in the restaurant business myself for so long, I understand what it's like to start fresh with new ideas and it was encouraging to watch them succeed in this town. Again, the farm to table, organic, clean-eating concepts are ones I would love to see in more restaurants. An ever changing menu based on what is fresh and available, delicious food that won't break your budget or waistline. It's all there. The drawbacks were minor. The biggest was that I actually enjoy the interaction with a server and I missed that at Foode. We had different people deliver our food and I spoke to the women at the register, but I did miss having one person dedicated to ensuring our meal was everything we wanted it to be. Don't get me wrong, it was. It was great. Really. I just think I like messing with people and K has already heard all my jokes. The only other thing that was a little different was that the kitchen is upstairs, and the restaurant downstairs. The food comes from the kitchen, down an outside staircase and into the inside restaurant. That's all fine and good, because it wasn't raining, but when they bring the food into the restaurant, they yell your name. So, we would be in quiet conversation and then hear "MATT!" or we would be talking about one of the kids and "BOBBY!" or as I poured more margarita into my glass and "CHERYL!!!". I don't know how they could change that, and maybe I'm the only one that was jarred by the way that was done. Will it keep me from going back? Nope. I still love it. Should you go?

Yep!

But call me first. I want to go back... and I have another Groupon. :)

The details:
1006C Caroline Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
540.479.1370
http://www.foodeonline.com/
http://www.thefirst365.wordpress.com/

Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen

I finally got to Poppy Hill! And once again, it was not a Party of One. One of these days I'll go out alone maybe... but last night three friends and I decided to go out to dinner. It was last minute, and we were in downtown Fredericksburg. Perfect! We headed to Foode (because I had Groupons!) but by the time one member of our party took us on a 5K walk (and I was wearing heels) up and down the cobblestone and brick streets and sidewalks trying to find the place (and then I realized I had the address printed on the dang groupon) we made it there around 8:15. They closed at 8pm. We were hungry. Defeated. Disappointed.

I will say that Foode looks awesome. It's set back off the main street and has iron bistro chairs in a courtyard. I can't wait to go back... one night before 8pm. We headed back towards William Street and decided to pick a place. I didn't want pizza, and I've already blogged about Bistro Bethem and La Petite, but would have gone back to either in a heartbeat. Then S suggested Poppy Hill. I always forget it's there. I got excited. I'm starting to think there's something wrong with me because I get that excited about food...

We arrived at Poppy Hill a short time later. The restaurant is located in the basement of an old building at the corner of William and Charles Streets. There are bistro tables set up on the sidewalk at street level and heading down the old stairs into the restaurant in three and a half inch heels was interesting, but I made it. I had to duck my head to get into the room. The restaurant is small, but quaint. There are two levels inside as well, basement and what I would call "the pit". I wouldn't want to work the pit and have to navigate those stairs. Still, it was cozy and warm, original art graced the walls, linen napkins and table cloths on the tables. There was one other table when we walked in. Our server didn't seem overly excited to see us, probably because they closed at 9:00 and we rolled in about 8:30. We promised to be nice.

One thing I should mention about Poppy Hill is that the menu is small and changes daily, depending on what fresh ingredients are available. Their menu online is not indicitive of what is actually being served on any specific day. They are a farm-to-table type restaurant (a concept I absolutely LOVE) and clearly use quality ingredients. The wine list is very nice as well. I ordered a Montepulciano, which I've discovered I can't pronounce properly until I've had two glasses of it. As we sat down, our server brought us a basket of fresh bread, with plates and olive oil for dipping.

For starters, S ordered the bruschetta and I ordered the steamed mussels. Side note here: our server kept pronouncing it "BrooSKETTa" which bothered me enough to google the word this morning, only to find that I'm a dumb American who has been pronouncing the word improperly for a good portion of my life. So, S ordered the brooSKETTA. I was going to steer clear of it, because it was made with goat cheese, and generally I am not a fan of the goat. If we're grilling and chilling with some cabrito, I'm down... but I'm just not big goat cheese lover. The bruschetta was served with thinly sliced and toasted Italian bread, sweetened goat cheese and fresh tomato. I was told I had to try it... so I did. It was actually really good. The cheese was super creamy and not overly goat-y (as if that makes sense) and the tomatoes weren't overcooked. Lovely. Our mussels were steamed with white wine and garlic and were tasty. We also ordered house salads, which were a plate piled high with mixed greens (no iceberg lettuce here), some sliced carrots and an Italian toast point with some more creamy sweet goat spread on it. Yum. At this point in the evening, they'd run out of tomatoes and there were no candied pecans on our salads as the menu read... but the dressing was a semi-sweet poppy seed vinaigrette. It was delicious. We made do without the tomatoes and pecans.

For dinner, I chose salmon. K ordered salmon as well until I commanded him to get steak. I've decided that I'm overbearing and bossy. I felt bad for a second and told him to order whatever he wanted... but he stuck with the steak. I was going to share my salmon anyway... just wanted to try more than one dish. He's starting to figure out that it's all about me. Sometimes. S decided on the fettucini alfredo with grilled chicken and W went with one of the nightly specials: a cod filet served over shrimp risotto and topped with a mediterranean relish. Everything was beautifully presented and delicious. K's steak was medium and served with an espresso and mushroom sauce that was phenomenal. His sides were fresh asparagus and roasted potatoes. My salmon was crispy on the outside and juicy and tender inside, served over the shrimp risotto. Three asparagus spears laid over the salmon. There was a tapenade (which I probably misspelled) that was supposed to be served on the salmon, but I asked for it on the side. It was very good, but I generally don't like to cover the taste of salmon with a lot of sauces and extra flavorings, so I left it alone. S's bowl of fettucini alfredo was a good sized portion and was creamy and good (he said), and W's cod looked wonderful as well. The shrimp risotto was ok.. I felt like it needed a little more flavor and a lot more shrimp, but the white wine was evident, and it was a good consistency.

We were too full to think about dessert, but there was no tiramisu or creme brulee so we were safe. We chatted with our server a bit and asked for our checks. Ours was $76.31, for two glasses of Montepulciano, steamed mussels, a dinner salad, steak, salmon and iced tea. Overall, we spent probably a little over an hour at Poppy Hill talking and laughing and enjoying ourselves.

Will I go back? Yes. Should you try it? Absolutely. Although we came late, our server didn't rush us along so she could go home. She was sweet and gracious and attentive. The kitchen was quiet and didn't make any noise about us being there too long, and even offered to run across the street when they realized they were out of tomatoes so we could have some for our salad. The food was delicious and thoughtfully prepared, the restaurant was warm and cozy and felt a little like we were in someone's home. All in all, it was an unplanned, relaxing evening with great friends. I needed that, guys... and I'm so grateful to have each of you in my life. Best yet,  I now know how to properly pronounce the word "bruschetta". I'm probably going to still say it like a dumb cracker, though.

The details:
Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen
1000 Charles Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 373-2035
poppyhill@cox.net
http://www.ciaopoppyhill.com/main.html

Bistro Bethem

I am so late to post this review... but like everyone else, my life is crazy busy... one large hoodlum going to prom, the small hoodlum went to Orlando on a spring trip, daily chaos and drama of the life of a single mom and I work too much. Way too much. I don't even have time to go out to eat. At least not to the places I'd LIKE to eat.

So one Tuesday in April... or it may have been March (yikes, time flies) I called into the restaurant and begged for the night off. Then, I called Thing One and Thing Two to inform them that we had reservations and they needed to get dressed. Shirts with buttons. No holes in the pants. No ratty baseball caps. When I arrived at the house, the "pinkies up!" jokes started because we were headed to a "fancy" restaurant. I warned them that they couldn't get burgers. Or taco salad. There would likely be no french fries, but probably a lot of things we couldn't pronounce.

We pulled up to Bistro Bethem for our 7pm reservations. There was no street parking. Ok, there MAY have been a parallel spot, but I'm a girl. And it was raining. And... we rounded the block and parked at another restaurant (Shhhh don't tell. It was Renato's. There were signs threatening to tow me, but I parked there anyway).

We walked into the restaurant, were greeted immediately and taken to our seats. My wise acre kids walked to the table with their pinkies up. Tables around us asked to be seated elsewhere. Not really, but if I was them I would have... Anyway, we sat down and my son said "Hmmm fahn-ceh" and proceeded to drink water from a giant wine goblet. Yes, his pinkie was still up. There was some discussion about trying to get through the entire meal with ALL of our pinkies up, but thankfully the menus arrived to distract them. I saw their faces as they perused their menus with words like "aoili", "fennel", "organic" and "anchovy-infused". I saw the nervousness in my son's eyes over the $28 grass-fed wagyu sirloin, and my daughter's apprehension over the potato soup with pickled hops. Me? I dove right in. Bring the wine.

We started with the cheese board and Prince Edward Island Mussels. The cheeseboard was lovely, albeit very small for $12, but satisfying. The cheese was a selection of grass-fed cow's milk cheese, mild and creamy, but flavorful. There was a small portion of apricot jam, some fresh orange blossom honey, walnut brittle and lemon confit, which I had to convince my son was ok to eat. There were also a few foccacia toasts and I think, if memory serves, a bit of smoked gouda. The kids ate that up. I got a tiny taste. For my appetizer, I was feeling particularly brave, and having recently tried and enjoyed my first oyster EVER in my life a few days prior, I decided that shellfish would be a grand idea. At $12, the portion of mussels was insane. Huge. I could have split them with three people. What I found most interesting about these mussels was what it was cooked in: a ginger and fennel sauce. I'd never heard of preparing seafood this way, and it smelled amazing. Therapeutic even. The taste was even better. I knew there was a meal on the way though, so I ate about five mussels and packed the other twelve or so in a box to take home.

My kids still had their pinkies up. Bring me more wine.

For dinner, I knew the Large One was eyeballing the sirloin, so I told him to order it. We never go eat like that, just the three of us. Live a little. He jumped on that like a fat kid on a cupcake. The sirloin was served over fingerling potatoes, but he is decidedly anti-spud, so we asked for a substitition of some kind of vegetable. Turns out they had some unidentified greens that looked like the chef emptied the bag on his lawnmower into a bowl. The steak came medium rare only, with shitake and hedgehog mushrooms. My son LOVED it. The steak was perfectly cooked, he ate the yard clippings as if they were the best thing to cross his lips and his mushrooms didn't stand a chance.

The Small One decided on a bowl of cream of potato soup. Yes, the same soup that was garnished with pickled hops, and contained a little beer as well. She also had a side of sauteed mushrooms. I was able to taste a little soup, and it was very good. I think there may have been some cheese involved. The soup was rich and had a very slight beer flavor. Excellent. She ate it all, and as many mushrooms as she could. The remaining 'shrooms were donated to her starving brother, who had finished his steak minutes before and was threatening to lick his plate.

For my entree, I chose seared sea scallops, served with crispy fried sweetbreads and brussels sprouts. Scallops, I love. Sweetbreads, I knew they were something gross but didn't recall what they were, however I'd just watched Anthony Bourdaine over the weekend and was feeling kinda cocky. Brussels sprouts? Are you kidding me? Gross... but I'll choke them down because that's what comes with the scallops. And they're good for you. Well, when the server set my plate in front of me, honestly my first thought was "really? Three effin' scallops?" My son leaned over and said "How much was that plate?" because it sure didn't look like a lot of food. And I'm a big girl... I can eat. The sweetbreads were still thankfully unidentifiable, but I was relatively sure based on the size and texture I wasn't dealing with intestines or anything, so I dug in. They. Were. Delicious. Velvety texture, crispy on the outside, with a very mild beef flavor. Veal. I don't eat veal. Pictures of baby cows flashed in my head as I took another bite. And another. And another until the baby cow pictures in my head disappeared. My son kept asking "what IS that?" My response was "I don't remember, but I think it's something gross." That thought alone caused me to only finish about half of the sweetbreads. Moving on to the food that I'm familiar with... the sea scallops were large and cooked perfectly, very tender and flavorful. The biggest surprise of the evening were the brussels sprouts. I'm not sure what the chef did to them, but they were incredible. No bitter, cabbagey taste, no nasty steamed ball of vegetable wrong-ness to try to swallow whole before Dad caught me trying to feed it to the dog... (that never worked, by the way. Beagles don't like brussels sprouts) but I wanted more. They were slightly sweet, slightly crisp, not overly seasoned. I want some right now. And, what appeared to be not enough food turned out to be exactly the right amount.

The server came to ask us about dessert. Of course we will! My son and I had the creme brulee, and my daughter had a chocolate pot de creme. A discussion ensued over the proper pronunciation of "pot de creme" and surprise, she ordered with her pinkie up. The desserts were perfect. The creme brulee at Bistro is one of the best I've ever had, and the serving size is just right. It's paired with a little crisp gingerbread cookie. The pot de creme was incredible. I am still on the fence which dessert I liked better.

Overall, I spent $167 for three dinners, two appetizers, two glasses of wine, three desserts, a 20% tip and a great evening with my kids. We talked about school, about different kinds of food, about trying new things, about really enjoying a meal and I even gave them a little primer on wine. We joked around (quietly, because we were in a fahn-ceh restaurant) and spent some really good quality time together. At least, I think so.

Ok, the nitty gritty: Should you go? Not just yes. YES! The service is top notch, the wine list is extensive, the food is unique, presented beautifully and delicious. I love the decor of the restaurant as well... it's full of original art by local artists - all for sale, of course.

Bistro Bethem
309 William Street
Fredericksburg, Virginia
540-371-9999
bistro@bistrobethem.com
The evening's wine: it's on the fridge at home... will update asap.

Sully's Steak and Seafood

I know. I'm cheating. Sully's isn't in downtown Fredericksburg at all. It's in Spotsylvania. I took my daughter there for dinner tonight to celebrate Valentine's Day. And now, I feel like I ate a baby.

I should mention that Sully's has quickly become a favorite spot of mine. When the kids are with their dad and I don't feel like driving all the way downtown, I inevitably end up there. They have a small bar where I can sit and eat by myself, and the waitstaff is always friendly and funny. I enjoy talking to them during my dinner, and they have some great, inexpensive house wines. So, before I even begin, you should know that I'm biased. I already love this place.

We arrived around 5:15 on Valentine's night, with no reservations. The parking lot was nearly full, but we found a spot right away. After waiting a couple minutes inside, Mike (the owner) came to greet us at the door, explained the specials and then sat us in a nice quiet booth in the corner. Our server brought us a loaf of warm bread served with cinnamon butter and we snacked on that while we looked through the menu. Em wanted calimari as an appetizer, I ordered a bowl of cream of crab soup and a glass of Copperidge Merlot.

The calimari was exactly as it should be: thinly sliced, crispy, the coating flavorful. The marinara sauce is made in house, I believe. My crab soup was delicious, creamy and filled with lump crab meat.

For dinner, Em chose the firecracker shrimp, a baked potato and a dinner salad. I ordered the special... a New York strip steak topped with crab imperial, a baked potato and a caesar salad. And another Merlot. What? I was thirsty. The dinner salad was substantial, with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cheese and croutons. My caesar salad was a good size as well, and the dressing was peppery and tasty. By the time our meals arrived, we were pretty full. No one ever accused either of us of being quitters though... so knife and fork in hand, we carried on. My steak was huge. Thankfully, the crab imperial that covered it was a thin layer, and I scraped it off after determining that I am a steak purist... I love crab imperial, and I love steak. Separated. I'd ordered the steak medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. Charred grill marks on the outside, cool to warm bright pink center, great seasoning, excellent flavor. The crab imperial was super creamy and extremely rich, so I ate a few bites with a piece of bread. Emily's firecracker shrimp was out of control. It was easily 1lb of shelled and deveined shrimp that was breaded, fried, and then tossed in a mildly spicy sauce.  I was able to get about four bites of steak in before my stomach realized we were full. Em gave up after about three shrimp. Stuffed. Oh, and while it's difficult to screw up a baked potato, I feel the need to mention that they were awesome too.

Earlier in the evening, we had heard another table order a chocolate peanut butter pie, and prior to consuming the steak baby, it sounded like a grand idea. After we'd boxed up all of our uneaten food though, we decided that dessert would be best saved for another time.

Should you go? YES! They have a huge selection of seafood, steak, chicken, ribs... you name it. Bring along a non-seafood lover and they'll find something on the menu. Sully's does an awesome and affordable lunch as well. The servers have always been very friendly and attentive, the food has always been fresh and good, the prices are reasonable, especially for the amount of food they trot out of the kitchen. The total of our check was $63.29, plus a $14 tip. Because I like them, that's why. Go for lunch or dinner, soon. They'll treat you right. And tell Mike and Brenda I said hi. :)


The details:
Sully's Steak and Seafood
5442 Southpoint Plz Way
http://sullysseafoodandsteak.com/

Ristorante Renato

Friday, February 11th

I was in the mood for some really great Italian food. I wish I could report that it was great. I even wish I could say it was good. I can say that the Cono Sur Pinot Noir was good, and the unnamed cabernet was enjoyable enough, but let me start at the beginnning...

I was joined by friends, so once again, the whole "Party of One" thing is a big fat lie. But, I am very happy that I had witnesses to this epic culinary tragedy. It would have been far too depressing to have gone through alone.

We came two by two...Our reservations were for 7:30 but we were a few minutes late. I was afraid that Ristorante Renato wouldn't hold our reservations, but when we arrived, I was pleased to find that our friends had secured the table. We settled in at a very small, crowded booth, enjoyed some wine and conversation, we relaxed and I was looking forward to dinner. We were served a basket of bread and B was on it like he'd forgotten to eat all day long. Joy and bliss...there was real butter. That's nearly the only prop I'll give this place. The waiter came and I realized that I apparently have an addiction to calimari, so I ordered that. It was fresh and Renato's clearly breaded it there, but served it in thick rings. This is purely personal opinion, but I much prefer thinner, crispy calimari rings, as they seem to be more tender and less chewy than thicker pieces. Unlike La Petite Auberge, Renatos served the spidery tentacles. Sadly, they looked nice and crispy, but reminded me of deep fried baby tarantulas... so I just couldn't bring myself to eat them. The side of marinara sauce was unmemorable, and not flavorful enough to even add any taste to the calimari.

Our salads arrived a short time later. Now, when I say salads, what I MEAN to say is that we were served a few pieces of lettuce, a slice of tomato and some salad dressing. It wasn't a salad so much as a burger topping. No onion, no cucumber, no shredded carrots... not even a crouton. Can you toss me a crouton? B just ate all the bread. Work with me, people.

Dear Renatos: Lettuce and tomato a salad does not make. Work on that, please.

Now, a really good marsala sauce can perform miracles. It can make a bad day better, it can transform a boring piece of chicken or veal into a succulent, delicious, satisfying meal, and if prepared properly, it can even render me speechless for a short period of time. I'm telling you...Miracles. Thing is, marsala sauce isn't that difficult. A little butter, some good Marsala wine, a little cream. Done right, its the stuff dreams are made of. At Renatos? Not so much. The chicken was pounded thin, but the sauce was lacking. It was very sweet, and a little too thick as if it had been prepared and left sitting on a counter for a bit before it was brought to our table. I had a side of string beans, which were all right. Yes, I ate the chicken and whined a little with each bite, but mostly because I know I can do a much better marsala sauce at home. K ordered veal scaloppine. In case some of you aren't familiar with this dish, here's the wikipedia definition:  "(a small scallop, i.e. a thinly sliced cut of meat) Scallopine is an Italian dish consisting of thinly sliced meat (most often veal, although chicken may also be used) that is dredged in wheat flour, sautéed, then heated and served with a tomato-, or wine-sauce...."  Thinly sliced. Sauteed. Yum. Scaloppine is famous for being tender, thin and light. Well... my dining partner needed a steak knife. On the other side of the table, A ordered the server-recommended special, which was rockfish served with shrimp and scallops in some kind of sauce. We were all tempted by that option, but pretty thankful only one plate of it was delivered. It was a small portion of rockfish, served with two medium shrimp and two scallops. I tried a scallop... it was tender, but very fishy tasting. B ordered a trusty Italian standby: chicken parmesan. Again, it was a small portion, heavily sauced and although I didn't taste the sauce myself, was told it was reminescent of Prego. The presentation of all dishes (aside from the lack-luster salads) was pleasant although the portions were small, and we all agreed that the food was mediocre at best.

Our server was adequate. He was nice enough and seemed very busy, but we weren't in a rush, so it was ok. There was a table next to us that was louder and more obnoxious than we were, too. 

Overall, the evening was great because of the company. We laughed, caught up, drank wine and kvetched about my choice of restaurants. Although the creme caramel tempted me a little, we decided to pass on dessert.

Ok, so the bottom line: Should you go? No. I'm sorry. The total bill for our table of four was $145 and some change, which included four entrees, one order of calimari and six or seven glasses of wine. Or eight. I don't recall, really. Maybe it's just me, but when I think of Italian food, I think of fresh, ripe tomatoes, spicy garlic aromas filling the air, thick, fragrant sauces that are alive with flavor, crusty breads, perfect al dente pastas, and the cheese... oooooh the cheese. I'm sorry to say that we didn't get any of that at Ristorante Renato. What we had was bland, average and very disappointing.

That said, this evening was just more proof to me that it's not the little things (like overpriced, less than delicious food) that matter. It's the people you bring to the party that make all the difference. So, at the risk of sounding like a dollar store Valentine's card, on this Valentine's Day, remember to live your life to its fullest, laugh at all the things that don't matter, and love with all you have. To those who suffered through this experience with me, thank you so much for being in my life and joining me for dinner. I love y'all.

The Crabby Oyster

I'd heard great things. Great. Granted, the great things I heard were paid radio advertisements... so what are they going to say "come here! It sucks!"? Nope.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Crabby Oyster is located in King George, Virginia about 30 miles from Fredericksburg. I know, it's a little out of my restaurant zone, but I ate there and felt the need to share. Here goes:

King George happens to be right smack at the mid-point of my house and where a friend of mine lives. We decided to have lunch, so that location just made sense. Now for those of you who have never made it to the tourist mecca that is King George, Virginia, let me just tell you: There's Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center (and one would presume this would bring a plethora of sailors and eye candy, but one would be presuming incorrectly), a Burger King, a Wawa gas station, a Food Lion and the Crabby Oyster. And I think some Chinese place. At any rate, since there were no hot sailors around, and since Keith isn't really INTO hot sailors, we opted for the seafood.

The atmosphere is very casual, kinda cute... kinda cafeteria-y. They had some interesting t-shirts for sale, and the salad bar was large. The booths were comfortable and the bathrooms were clean.

We weren't drinking anything exciting, just tea and coffee. Refills were a little hard to come by.

Keith ordered oyster stew and a clam strip basket. I chose the fried scallops basket. We were one of two or three tables in the restaurant, and the food came quickly. The oyster stew was runny, and there was something not quite right about it. I think it was the 1/4 inch layer of what appeared to be butter or margarine or motor oil that covered it. One quarter of an inch. Hand to God. Keith fished through the oil slick and pulled a couple oysters out, and then pushed the bowl away. I didn't ask for a bite. About this time, our entrees arrived. Things were looking up... but I was still pretty grossed out by the exxon stew. When the server brought our entrees, she also had in her hand a cup of oyster stew for the table behind us. No butter. It looked like normal creamy tasty oyster stew. Curious. The baskets we'd ordered were served with a generous portion of french fries and a tiny to-go ramekin containing coleslaw. The scallops were tasty. The clams were a little overcooked.

Ok, so we stayed there for three hours. Clearly I've developed a habit of sitting at a restaurant for an exhorbitant amount of time... this time I wasn't there for the food or the wine list. I was there for the conversation. In this case, it worked out. It was quiet, we were able to talk without much interruption. That part was good. The food? eh.

So, the usual questions... will I go back? Probably not. I have no doubt that The Crabby Oyster occasionally turns out some pretty decent seafood... but based on the oyster stew alone, ain't no way this cracker is going back. The baskets were passable, but I can't believe the waitress had the balls to trot that mess out to a table. I refuse to serve something to a table that I wouldn't eat myself and there's no way I would have expected someone to either eat or pay for oyster stew with sludge. I was going to say something but I didn't want Keith to think I was a persnickety bossy beotch. (even though I am...) And he's just too nice.

Final cost for lunch was just over $34, and we left a $6 tip. As I said, we're nice.

Should you go? Eh... that's entirely up to you. If you're in town and feeling brave, go for it. As I said, they probably do ok sometimes. Try something broiled though... or maybe a dinner. If you really want seafood, Burger King's fish sandwich isn't half bad...

La Petite Auberge

As I contemplated where to go for dinner this past weekend, my phone rang. It was an old friend asking if I'd like to have dinner with her family and some other friends at La Petite that evening in honor of her birthday. I, of course, said yes. So, I'm already changing things up on you. It wasn't a 'Party of One'... it was a 'Party of Four'... but then it just turned into a party. I love my life... but I digress.

I arrived at La Petite Auberge (311 William Street, Fredericksburg, VA) around 6pm, a little early for our 6:30 reservations, so I walked into the bar and ordered a glass of Chilean cabernet. (Forgive me, I never saw the bottle) As I stood sipping and waiting for my friends, I recognized one of my bar customers as she walked in. We chatted, her boyfriend came in and suggested I sit with them and wait at their table. They ordered a bottle of Naked Mountain (the cork says "Drink Naked". Love it.) and an order of calimari. La Petite serves their calimari with an aioli sauce opposed to marinara, giving it a little different flavor. It was very good, crisp and fresh, not frozen and clearly battered there in the restaurant. And, they served the rings only, no tarantula-looking tentacle pieces (major bonus points there for LPA!!).

My dinner friends arrived and I thanked my Naked Mountain friends for the conversation and hospitality and walked into the bar area to meet the others. We sat and talked while we looked at the menus. I chose an apple and avocado vinaigrette for an appetizer, and rockfish with lump crab meat for dinner. The others at the table ordered steak, caesar salad, steamed clams and mussels and crab stuffed flounder. The restaurant was very full, so our appetizers took a while, but were well worth the wait. The avocado was perfectly ripe and neatly sliced on the left side of the plate. The apples were sliced and on the right, and the two fruits were separated by two slices of tomato. A creamy vinaigrette was served in a ramekin. The presentation was beautiful, the dressing was amazing, and I've been craving another plate since that night. More cabernet arrived, more conversation, and dinner was served. It was again beautifully presented, and the portions were generous. I would guestimate an 8-10oz piece of Rock, which was topped with deliciously sweet lump crab meat. The sides were scalloped potatoes and steamed carrots. I don't even want to talk about how many Weight Watcher's Points the bearnaise-esque sauce likely had in it, but I'll get over it. The rockfish was perfectly cooked, excellent and although I hate to admit it, I cleaned just about everything off of that plate. I considered taking the last roll and sopping up the remaining sauce, but I decided to pretend I had manners and let it go.

Our server came to ask about dessert, which I declined. There were fresh strawberries with Chantilly, Chocolate Gateau and Creme Brulee, among other things. Most days, I would sell a kidney for good creme brulee... but I passed it up. (If she'd have suggested more avocado and apple, I'd have probably jumped on it like a fat kid on a cupcake.) We paid our tabs and my dinner friends left, so I re-joined my Naked Mountain friends at the bar for a little more wine.

and that's when the party began...

Anyway, total time spent at La Petite was around four hours. Dinner took a long time. It would have been completely bearable had one of my table mates not been a semi-impatient six year old. My bill was just over $44.00 (for the avocado and apple, the rockfish and two glasses of wine) plus a $10 tip. The server was friendly and efficient, but the kitchen seemed a little slow. The restaurant was very busy and our server had tables in two different areas of the building, but I was extremely happy with the overall experience. Would I go back? In a heartbeat. Should you go? Definitely. But don't be in a rush. Enjoy. Relax. Pace yourself. Save room for dessert and tell me all about it. Stay away from the creme brulee though. That's all mine. :)

Reservations...

Here it is… my food blog. Try to contain your excitement please. It’s embarrassing.

 The idea for this blog came out of boredom, really. My two teenagers spend every other weekend with their father, and when they’re away things get slow around here. The dishes are done, the laundry is clean and I get tired of talking to whatever assorted animal has decided to make itself home in my home. I hate cooking for just myself. It’s boring. So, from now on… every Friday or Saturday that Thing One and Thing Two venture off to Casa de Papa, I’m taking myself out. Fer realz. And then I’m going to tell you all about it. The wines, the appetizers, the main course, dessert, the service. I’ll tell you where and when I went. I’ll tell you if it was horrible, just average, or if you need to find someone and go get you some. Dinner. Get some dinner. Stay on target, k? Most times I will be alone… but I’ll be just fine. I’m going to start in downtown Fredericksburg, VA but if I don’t get bored with this whole venture, I might skirt out into the surrounding area a bit. I might even throw some recipes at you… I’m kind of unpredictable like that. Seriously, sit back down. I’m not done yet.

I should tell you a little about myself.

No, I’m not a formally trained chef or someone who’s been highly educated in cultivating new varieties of plant life, or placing only heirloom and organically grown produce and free range, grass fed meats into my mouth. I’m not a food critic and no one is paying me to do this. I just like to eat.

Sadly, I have excellent taste. I hate mediocrity. I can’t stand chain restaurants and always getting exactly what I expect. The same “steak that’s almost cooked right, but not quite, just like last time… and the server is too busy to complain about it, just like last time… so just suck it up, pay the bill and let them flip the table quick so the cook can over-grill the next guy’s steak too” kind of meal. Makes me crazy. Really. This is where my excellent taste bites me in the butt. If and when I go out to eat, my expectations are high, particularly if I’m spending a fair amount of my hard earned money. I expect good, friendly service. I expect the food to look appetizing. I expect to find at least two wines on the wine list that don’t taste like dirty socks. And I expect that when I put that first forkful of the chef’s creation into my mouth, that my eyes close and it’s a “yesssss… that’s what I’m talking about” moment. Sounds a little perverted now that I’ve typed it. I don’t simply eat. I enjoy. I have a relationship with my food. I don’t eat for sustenance. I eat because I really, truly love really good food. I don’t want average. I expect excellence. Don’t disappoint me.

I’m pretty sure somewhere along the way, I missed my calling. I should be a chef. I love to cook for other people. I’m pretty frickin good at it. (Do you hear that? It’s me tootin’ my horn) I also love the restaurant industry, and so for the past twenty plus years, I’ve kept one foot in it. I’ve been a server, a bartender, a pastry 'chef' (trained only in grandma and mom’s kitchens). I love watching what comes out of the kitchen, seeing customers having a good time with their friends and family, watching special moments happen, and I love helping other people have that “yessss…” experience. Quiet.  I’m not the only one who does that. I’ve seen it. They close their eyes. They savor. They make a weird moaning noise, which is admittedly a little bizarre, but I’ve done that, too. Maybe I enjoy working in a restaurant because it’s helped me to realize that I am not the only one who actually has had a love affair with dinner. Maybe you have. Maybe you’re just afraid to admit it. Maybe we need to go to dinner together.

How’s seven o’clock? I’ll make the reservations.