I had a special celebration dinner at The Stables (with a gift card), and it was incredible. The food was amazing. Staff was friendly and attentive but not annoying. I keep thinking about when I can go back.

Went back to Perlys, its sooooo solid. New try there were the pierogis and those were delicious. Not a lot of pierogis around here to my knowledge & ive missed them

Tried Joeys hot dogs in short pump. They were just ok & the sides we ordered were busted. Would not return of my own volition

Lalos Cocina is pretty fancy texmex but it tastes great so its good. Just not all that much food compared to the lavishly full plates ive had at other texmex spots

Was excited to check out Black Lodge in scotts! Drinks were cheap & the atmosphere is a ton of fun, esp bc weve been watching Twin Peaks, but the service was so slow i actually had to flag the waiter down twice to order food & get the check. Maybe understaffed but not great. Also paid $12 for a (pretty good) patty melt but it didnt come w fries??? We had to order fries separate??? Who the HELL is just ordering a sandwich by itself. Wouldnt return here at all, despite the cool atmosphere & decent food/drinks. Just so much went wrong

Went to Adarra recently. Great experience. Staff was super friendly. It was pricey but one of the dishes I had was hands down the best thing I’ve eaten in a year.

Recently went back to Alewife and everything was perfect - especially loved a sunchoke bisque. Our waiter, who we’ve had before, was a delight as always. Props also to Alewife for great NA mocktails.

Had a pretty good brunch recently at Lillie Pearl, the fried chicken French toast was a good blend of savory/sweet - but I’m going back to try that short rib breakfast burrito. Pretty decent virgin Bloody Mary was imbibed, as well.

Went to Metzger’s over in Churchill. Great food. The schnitzel was good and the clams blew me away. The owner was a contestant in top chef. Didn’t disappoint.

Saheb Indian Bistro on Midlothian Tpk. has a buffet at lunch on Saturday and Sunday (and one day during the week), and it is so delicious. Great paneer, vegetarian options, adorable restaurant, highly recommend.

I've been sleeping on Continental Westhampton. I've been twice in the last two weeks and daydream about when I can go back. The salmon rueben was incredible! I'm also a fan of the breakfast of champions (breakfast nachos.) My kids got the dessert breakfasts (bananas foster waffles and french toast) and they were both so delicious and huge portions! The greek yogurt whipped cream is truly outstanding. On our next visit I'm super eager to try their Baked Alaska!

We also tried Hotpot 757 and I can't see I'll need to rush back. It was fun and the place was hopping, but I never really found anything that knocked my socks off. The sauce bar is intimidating and our server wasn't super helpful when I asked for sauce pairing recommendations. We ended up at Kuba Kuba Dos afterwards for their tres leches cake and an espresso which totally hit the spot!

Lunch/Supper gets a lot of flak lately for good reason, but I was starving one morning and wandered over to give it another shot for brunch. The bar setup is weird- you have go through the patio and into the restaurant and check to see if there is room at the bar, and if not, you do a walk of shame back out. BUT the jalapeno short rib cheese grit bowl was to die for, seriously. It was savory and delicious and slightly eclipsed some of the mediocre meals I've had there over the past few years.

Grisette gets a fair amount of love around here, but it's deserved. My wife and I went with no reservation on Friday and there was no space at the bar. They said they'd call us when it opened up (we live fairly close) and Donnie the owner called us about 30 minutes later. My wife had a cocktail and we split the 3 and 3 charcuterie. The rabbit one is unbelievably good, but everything was delicious. As always, the service was friendly and on point.

One quibble: I'm a beer drinker and they used to have Mind Haze on draft, but now carry only one beer, a canned lager. It's fine, but a better selection would be appreciated.

Big Chile’s fan location. The tacos were absolutely incredible, they came out HOT AND FRESH AF. The homemade sauces on every table are delicious. The $5 house margarita was the most balanced house margarita I’ve ever had. The staff were attentive and kind. I’m hoping they can end the curse and stay in that location for awhile.

Also don’t sleep on the smoky mug mac and cheese!

Went to chum chum onigiri for a snack. The onigiri was not as good as it was at their old location. Rice was dry,meat was sparse, the whole thing basically crumbled as you ate it. Chicken katsu onigiri wasn’t even chicken katsu, just some cooked chicken. New location is cute, but the onigiri isn’t worth the price ($5.25).

Edit:

Chao tian fu next to sushi king on broad street is great. They just opened and do hot pot and dry pot (by the pound?). Idk they have fixed menu sets but when I went, they charged by the pound, max of $18.99 I think. I think lunch is cheaper than dinner.

Only other place I’ve had dry pot around here is at cheng du, and this is just as good; can choose your own ingredients and spice level. 1 bowl of rice per dry pot. They charge for water because they only have bottles $1.50.

Bacchus:

I’ve been here plenty of times, so I know to always expect two things:

• You will always leave smelling like you’ve been working in the kitchen, so dress appropriately. I’m not sure why they can’t improve the exhaust system.
• The service can be slow at times.

Went last weekend, sat at the bar. It was full, so we expected things to take time. However, the bartender was simply not interested in engaging for almost 10 minutes after we sat down. He passed us by several times before he brought menus and asked us if we would like water. Not even an acknowledgement, no eye contact, nothing.

When he did engage, he didn’t allow us to order drinks, he just told us he would be back with water. He got the waters, dropped them off, then turned around immediately to leave and do other things such as putting clean glassware onto the shelves. It was almost as if he wanted us to walk out. After at least five more minutes, he finally came back to ask us if we wanted to order drinks. We didn’t waste time and ordered drinks and food at the same time. The food came quickly, but our beverages and water glasses sat empty while he passed back and forth right in front of us, never once looking our way to pre-bus or check in. Missed easy opportunities for revenue for Bacchus, and a very frustrating experience for us.

The food was good, as it almost always is. But I’ll probably just order take out from them from now on (if at all). I’ve regretted the decision to dine in at Bacchus the last three times (each time at the bar). There are plenty of choices with good food and much better service than this.

Went to McLean's for the first time recently for breakfast, no idea why it took us so long since it's a short walk away. It's basically a non-chain waffle house complete with coffee mugs that advertise land surveyors and personal injury lawyers, but honestly that's exactly what you want sometimes. Cheap, quick, and good. Surprised at how big it actually is once you're inside. Still haven't been to Moore St which is also a short walk away, someone convince me we still need to give it a shot.

Also went to El Pope again recently. The tortas and pupusas remain excellent, but I have a bad feeling that the place is maybe circling the drain since their beer taps haven't been functional for weeks, they only had a couple of incredibly bright lights on with a bunch of others off with no bulbs, the liquor bottles behind the bar all looked mostly empty... just had a "selling off what we have left" vibe, plus there was no music playing which is an odd thing in a mostly quiet restaurant. I hope I'm wrong and they are able to remain afloat.

Jardin: have gone here a couple of times recently, it's still surreal being in the old Baja space and not smelling vomit/spilled stale beer. They had a real jamon iberico leg for one of their charcuterie meats which is just about my favorite thing ever, bartender is a good dude after chatting with him for a while, patio is cozy... it's nice, just very much west end couples coming into the city for a date night vibes which some people may be put off by.

Got my hands on the chicken and waffles pizza from Zorch. I was surprised at how good it was, not because of Zorch, but because it’s a rather novel idea lol. Will be back whenever they make it again.

Had dinner at Longoven's new Italian concept, Lost Letter.
They're located in front of Longoven and, while I don't think the decor changed too much, it felt cozier for some reason.

The focaccia bread was unreal. We paired it with a few dips, but the bagna cauda was the standout. The stewed cabbage was also incredible and almost had a meat-like texture. We were unfortunately too full for dessert, but I heard their tiramisu is really good and I plan to go back for the spumone they serve on Sundays.

The drink menu is fairly limited, but the curation is spot on - all of the wines we tried were amazing. I wish they'd post specials and menu updates more often, but I get that it changes frequently enough that that's probably not sustainable. Overall, I'd give it a solid 8.75/10.

Went to Beijing on Grove a few years back, it was awesome! Returned a month later, it was not. After it closed and reopened for pandemic, we got some carryout which understandably was no better than our local Chinese joint.

Fortunately we gave it one more shot last Friday, and it is better than ever—the chicken broccoli, basil beef, dumplings, fried rice, all best in town to us. Seems like they got new chef.

Prices, though, won’t be a weekly thing like our now-substandard neighborhood spot.

Can can cafe in the Library of Va - 10/10. So Fresh and huge portions. Went for the soup bc I miss Pop’s creamy tomato (chef/owner at pops runs this kitchen) and it was Poifect with fontina cheesy bread. Also got pastries which were excellent - the almond croissant doesn’t skimp on the filling. They are Only open weekdays just fyi.

Peter changs lunch - food was not as good as it’s been in the past. Also the service was terrible, down to the server forgetting dishes altogether so we asked to cancel them, then they show up on the bill. Forgot anything we asked for the whole lunch. it was bizarre. Sad.

Lalos Cocina on broad was hands down the worst Mexican (“Mexican/American”) I’ve ever had. The beef was waterlogged with zero seasonings not even salt or pepper??? It had nothing making it Mexican food…the salsa was bad bc it had an abundant of old pre-ground pepper in it. Wondering why they didn’t sprinkle some on the beef. When the salsa is bad that’s when you know to not go back. Partner ordered a Chile relleno that had raw batter in it??? It was so so bad. Service was bad as well despite 25 people working here. Couldn’t recommend less.

Native Plate was good, first time going. Liked the apps we had, edamame, gochujang cauliflower and vegetable curry puffs. Our entrees were great too, for vegetarians the Indonesian fried rice is great, but their spice levels are either lackluster or tailored to people who think a dash of black pepper is spicy. I had level 3(highest level) and it wasn’t even as spicy as the gochugang cauliflower.

Regardless the food was great, the bar situation however, was so slow. There was 1 bartender on a Friday night during rush hour. Full bar, full restaurant minus 2 tables. Not exaggerating, our first drink order, which we ordered with apps, came after both our apps and dinner. I can’t even be mad at the bartender but dam management has to figure that balance out.

Brenner Pass: oysters, charcuterie, beet salad, were on point as usual, but the tartiflette (potato gratin) and mushroom risotto were truly amazing. If I wasn’t in public, I would have licked the plates clean!

Uliveto: calamari and strozzapreti were great, but the caprese was so-so. The tomatoes were shockingly good for this time of year, and the mozzarella was very generous in size but lacking in flavor.

Helen’s: the beet salad and the secret pork belly were fantastic, but the real star of the meal was the halibut with asparagus, artichokes, braised fennel, and artichoke mousseline!

I had dinner at celladora last week. Amazing food - fantastic dips and small plates, and the bahn mi fried rice was delicious, even with me avoiding the pork sausage.

Only criticism was that I didn’t like the wine, but I also don’t like wine, so joke’s on me.

Can't choose between Fat Rabbit, Sub Rosa, and Up All Night most of the time, so just been going to all of them regularly.

Otherwise, haven't been out to eat in the past 2 weeks, whoops.

Tried the mew Sidecar Cocktail Lounge off Winterfield and cocktails were not good at all. Hopefully it improves since they haven't been open long.

Had a major craving for Indian food this past month. We tried out Nama and Jannat. Neither disappointed. For the one visit each I gave Jannat the edge but will repeat either one

I stumbled upon Surrounding Counties Coffee Shop on Three Chopt, in the west end, was excited to find a local coffee spot with good coffee. My wife said their chai latte was the closest thing she’s had to what her mom makes at home (Her family is North Indian). Solid food with good variety, staff seem chill and really nice. They have an interesting dual turntable setup behind the counter that plays groovy tunes. I’ll likely be going back tomorrow.

Forgot dinamo is always a winner. Cocktails, red wine, calamari and Swiss chard, beet and fennel salad, affogato. Everything is always good. Perfect date night at the bar.

Wandered into Botanya the other night. Wine was good and so was our app, but it's definitely priced at a "special occasion" price point. The built in 18% tip was a surprise too. Very pretty inside, but being next door to an emergency vet can lead to some emotionally harrowing scenery outside.

Tried Bar West. Vibes were weird (way too bright inside?), drinks were pricey especially the beers. I regret to say, however, that they have the best $16 burger I've ever had. Too damn much for a burger, but at least it was good.

Not sure we'd go back to either place.

On a positive note, however, we went to Lakeside Loveshack last night for dinner and hung out in the parking lot for the music they had. Just a guy with a great voice playing his guitar, but it was wonderfully unpretentious and authentic after the weeks earlier dining out experiences.

Chicano Boy taco is the truth. Nice gringo style taco joint. Big Chile for traditional.

Osaka takeout always impresses. Perfect packaging. On point.

Bistro 804 is a solid neighborhood restaurant that does everything well.

Eazzy Burger-the Chile relleno burger was fantastic. Fries are solid too.

We’ve been going to Fuzzy Cactus for Friday dinner and for a couple of weeks in a row. I love that place. If you want a place that has all the charm of that dive/punk you remember living in your 20’s with actually good food and quality drinks this is your spot. I love the carnitas quesadilla, and If I’m feeling decadent I get the carnitas nachos(there’s a theme here). My partner swears by the chicken tenders and their ranch. Drinkwise- I love the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. I also love their Texas Two Step, which is just a shot of whisky and a Lone Star. Connie all this with watching old VHS movies at the bar and it is a great night

Unrelated. I’m out of town until March. I miss RVA food so much, you wouldn’t believe it

Lots of new places in the last few weeks:

Get Tight Lounge: had a pit beef and the turkey sandwich as takeout and it was … awful. I am not very picky but these were virtually inedible. Maybe better on site? But won’t be back. But their house made jerky was great. Expensive but great.

Scott’s Shawarma: Super solid takeout. Prices were good for the quality and portions.

El Pope: Not sure how it took me so long to get there but the food was awesome. Pupusas and shared a steak torta. Service was slow and bad but I wasn’t in a hurry. Tried a cocktail and it was lousy but they were out of most beer. Still, dirt cheap at like $30-ish for two people and we had leftovers.

Acacia Midtown: I moved here right when they closed so I can’t compare to the old locations. Food was really good (shrimp appetizer, fish tacos and crab cake) but the service was … weak. I know they are working out the kinks before full opening though.

Coopers Hawk Winery: I think this is a chain but I hadn’t been and went before a comedy show. The food was expensive but honestly fantastic. I had the tuna from their light calorie menu and it was awesome. I didn’t like the wine I tried from their in house barrel.

Hangry Joe’s: Chicken Sammy was yummy. Belly was happy. (I don’t like things too hot or spicy)

Mr. Submarine: First time there. Slow drive through but you can shovel those subs into my face hole any day of the week and I will be happy! Very tasty and good prices. Also, surprisingly good chicken tenders which were an impulse buy,

Is SBs Fan Loveshack serving dinner now? Sometimes it seems to be open, sometimes not

Recently got promoted and was gifted a very nice bottle of wine - any recs on where to celebrate with it? Lists of restaurants with corkage fees in Richmond online seem old/outdated.

Currently considering The Stables (per this thread!) and their corkage is $25, not horrible.

A round up of places the last few weeks:

Uliveto: Totally fine, almost exactly the same menu as Gersi. Wouldn’t go out of my way to go again but wouldn’t protest if someone suggested it. Like Gersi, the wine is awful and the food is forgettably OK.

Botanya: Hilariously bad. Price points are insane for what you get. If a restaurant has an entire wall made of fake plants, you’re gonna have a bad time.

Bacchus: I have such a soft spot for this place that I easily forgive the bar service, or lack there of. There are so many things they could do better but I don’t care and don’t want them to change, I love it.

Leja: First time back in a year or so, just as good as it always is. Sonny is a total sweetheart.

Big Chile: Didn’t expect much when we walked in but damn, it’s really as good as people rave about. Had a shrimp burrito the size of my forearm.

The Mill: Went twice after they announced they were closing. Such a bummer, the food was never anything to rave about but it’s such a great neighborhood spot.

Haven’t been out to eat much lately, mostly takeout from La Milpa which has been consistently great.

Received a gift card from Stella’s at Christmas so had that for dinner this week and it was fantastic as always. Planned on branching out but went with my usual, Lamb Shank, and it was incredible. Service was fantastic as well.

Lunch at Cappola’s has gotten pricy lately, but holy hell their sub rolls and that cheesesteak are so good, I don’t care.

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Haven't been to Roma's over on Staples Mill since...God 6 years maybe? still a solid environment, the mozzarella sticks, pizza, and tiramisu were all good.

And my family was able to order those half portions of the pastas, which was great since none left to worry about sitting in the fridge.

Triple Crossing Fulton still sucks.