What IS it with boys and bacon? I got to drink and judge all kinds of specialty espresso beverages this week, including those with goat cheese, chili, honey, and BACON. Here's my review below over at RVA News.
RVA Barista Jam Review
2 articles of mine were published today! I also wrote a review about Olio's wine dinner from last weekend. I enjoyed the experience, though the wine pours were a little scant, and the atmosphere and staff there never disappoint.
Olio Wine Dinner Review
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
April 16, 2010
February 11, 2010
Tarrant's
I was saving this review for a professional article, but that doesn't appear to be happening, so here it is.
A few weeks ago, I was itching to get out and have dinner. I had made plans to meet a friend at Tarrant's, one of my standbys, but he cancelled at the last minute as I was driving there, so I bravely went by myself. There are only a few places in town that I feel comfortable going alone and eating at the bar and it was a Sunday night, so I figured it would be fairly empty. I felt very much like Karen over at I Could Go On and On.
I sat at the first part of the L-shaped bar, right near the door. It was a cold, rainy, windy night when I arrived around 6:15 pm. While I was there, several parties of 6 or more came in, and the extended space next door definitely expanded their clientele. The phone rang steadily. There were 2-3 guys at the other end of the bar, who the cute, friendly red-headed bartender seemed to know. I enjoyed listening to their conversations.
An older gentleman came to the front of the restaurant and asked me if I'd mind if he talked on his cell phone. It was such a thoughtful gesture since I was sitting right there.
I got a glass of $6.50 Pinot Noir and settled in with my newspaper. I saw that a vegetable tart was on special ($8.95). It said it was layered with mushroom, goat cheese, olives, garlic, asparagus, and tomato, which I eagerly ordered. While I was waiting for my food, the bartender brought me a garlic bread "taco." Now normally I can't eat garlic because I can never get the taste/smell out of my system, but I figured I wasn't going to be making out with anyone that night, so I ate it.
I was hugely disappointed when my food came to find out that the vegetable tart I was promised was actually a flatbread pizza with veggies on it and a side salad. I know Tarrant's has recently gotten into the pizza business, but I did NOT order pizza. Tart implies something sophisticated, fluffy, layers, mostly vegetable. I love pizza, and it tasted good, but when you expect to get one thing, and something else comes out, well that's just frustrating.
My second wine pour was quite generous. After reading in Style Weekly that the 3rd Street Diner was thinking about starting a strip club in their upstairs (WTF?!), I shared this with the bartender, who had heard that news too. She mentioned she'd been there recently at 3AM and had a very pregnant server with her ta tas practically hanging out. Neither of us dared to imagine if she'd be one of the new "dancers" if the strip club opens.
The bartender and waitstaff alternated as front of house/hostess seamlessly. There was a good mix of old and young patrons, newbies and regulars. They offer free parking at Jim's parking lot on Grace & Foushee, but that's across the street from the lot where my friend Kevin got car-jacked at gunpoint a few years ago at First Fridays. Since then, I only park on well-lit streets.
Ellen turned out to be the bartenders name, and one of the guys at the bar was her roommate. He noted that one of her friends had frequently tried to take him home, and another staff member, possibly the owner, Ted Santarella, remarked that perhaps that friend could get a job as a stripper at the new 3rd Street. Ellen and I exchanged knowing smiles.
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Tarrant's Cafe
1 W Broad St
Richmond, VA 23220-4212
(804) 225-0035
Red Wines are $6-$7.50 a glass. Bottles are $20-$85 with most in the $20 range
White Wines are $6-$7 a glass. Bottles $20-$59.
$9.50 martinis, and champagne, port, and spiked coffee offerings as well.
Beer bottles are $3.50-$4.75 but fancy ones go up to $8.
Drafts $5ish
A few weeks ago, I was itching to get out and have dinner. I had made plans to meet a friend at Tarrant's, one of my standbys, but he cancelled at the last minute as I was driving there, so I bravely went by myself. There are only a few places in town that I feel comfortable going alone and eating at the bar and it was a Sunday night, so I figured it would be fairly empty. I felt very much like Karen over at I Could Go On and On.
I sat at the first part of the L-shaped bar, right near the door. It was a cold, rainy, windy night when I arrived around 6:15 pm. While I was there, several parties of 6 or more came in, and the extended space next door definitely expanded their clientele. The phone rang steadily. There were 2-3 guys at the other end of the bar, who the cute, friendly red-headed bartender seemed to know. I enjoyed listening to their conversations.
An older gentleman came to the front of the restaurant and asked me if I'd mind if he talked on his cell phone. It was such a thoughtful gesture since I was sitting right there.
I got a glass of $6.50 Pinot Noir and settled in with my newspaper. I saw that a vegetable tart was on special ($8.95). It said it was layered with mushroom, goat cheese, olives, garlic, asparagus, and tomato, which I eagerly ordered. While I was waiting for my food, the bartender brought me a garlic bread "taco." Now normally I can't eat garlic because I can never get the taste/smell out of my system, but I figured I wasn't going to be making out with anyone that night, so I ate it.
I was hugely disappointed when my food came to find out that the vegetable tart I was promised was actually a flatbread pizza with veggies on it and a side salad. I know Tarrant's has recently gotten into the pizza business, but I did NOT order pizza. Tart implies something sophisticated, fluffy, layers, mostly vegetable. I love pizza, and it tasted good, but when you expect to get one thing, and something else comes out, well that's just frustrating.
My second wine pour was quite generous. After reading in Style Weekly that the 3rd Street Diner was thinking about starting a strip club in their upstairs (WTF?!), I shared this with the bartender, who had heard that news too. She mentioned she'd been there recently at 3AM and had a very pregnant server with her ta tas practically hanging out. Neither of us dared to imagine if she'd be one of the new "dancers" if the strip club opens.
The bartender and waitstaff alternated as front of house/hostess seamlessly. There was a good mix of old and young patrons, newbies and regulars. They offer free parking at Jim's parking lot on Grace & Foushee, but that's across the street from the lot where my friend Kevin got car-jacked at gunpoint a few years ago at First Fridays. Since then, I only park on well-lit streets.
Ellen turned out to be the bartenders name, and one of the guys at the bar was her roommate. He noted that one of her friends had frequently tried to take him home, and another staff member, possibly the owner, Ted Santarella, remarked that perhaps that friend could get a job as a stripper at the new 3rd Street. Ellen and I exchanged knowing smiles.
----------------------------------------------------------
Tarrant's Cafe
1 W Broad St
Richmond, VA 23220-4212
(804) 225-0035
Red Wines are $6-$7.50 a glass. Bottles are $20-$85 with most in the $20 range
White Wines are $6-$7 a glass. Bottles $20-$59.
$9.50 martinis, and champagne, port, and spiked coffee offerings as well.
Beer bottles are $3.50-$4.75 but fancy ones go up to $8.
Drafts $5ish
September 12, 2009
Rehoboth in September (the food)
It was mostly cold and cloudy the whole time we were in Rehoboth but we had fun anyway. Lots of good food and drink (my favorite part of trips!). More photos and updates to come in another post.
Had a fancy dinner at Pig+Fish. I'd been there once before for appetizers and happy hour and liked the atmosphere.
This was the best salad I've had in a long time. Asian Bistro-$6.95 for small- julienne napa + bok choy cabbages, iceberg, cilantro, shredded carrots, sesame seeds, wonton crisps, spicy ginger vinaigrette. I got the small one, but wished I'd just ordered this large one instead of my flatbread pizza.
My companion enjoyed the Caesar-$6.95 for a small.
This was one of their specialty cocktails, the Prickly Pear-$7. Absolut pear vodka, triple sec, blue curacao, pineapple and a splash of sour. It's a shame it had the blue curacao, because it takes over everything in a drink. I was also majorly disappointed that it came in a boring old water glass with a thick water straw. If you are going to have a specialty named cocktail, it needs to come in a pretty glass.
To the right of my blue drink was my date's Passion lemonade - $7.50 -Smirnoff passion fruit vodka, lemonade, and splash of sprite and club soda
This was my flatbread, the Fresca- $9.95 - plum tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, red onions, garlic, balsamic glaze.
It was not good. Looked like they just dumped a can of tomatoes and mozzarella on it. I could have made something like this myself. And I'm def not a cook. There was a sweet glaze that didn't go with the other flavors. I was really disappointed, and that says a lot, because I love Pizza.
My date got the Shrimp lejon - $11.95 - bacon, horseradish cream, scallions, monterey jack, cheddar cheeses
He loved it. I tasted part of the pizza without the shrimp on it (I don't eat seafood) and the flavors were much more complex than mine.
Overall it was a very affordable, good dinner. It was nice to get dressed up and go out to eat and not pay $35/plate like some of the fine-dining restaurants in Rehoboth were charging. Hello, recession?
Had a fancy dinner at Pig+Fish. I'd been there once before for appetizers and happy hour and liked the atmosphere.
This was the best salad I've had in a long time. Asian Bistro-$6.95 for small- julienne napa + bok choy cabbages, iceberg, cilantro, shredded carrots, sesame seeds, wonton crisps, spicy ginger vinaigrette. I got the small one, but wished I'd just ordered this large one instead of my flatbread pizza.
My companion enjoyed the Caesar-$6.95 for a small.
This was one of their specialty cocktails, the Prickly Pear-$7. Absolut pear vodka, triple sec, blue curacao, pineapple and a splash of sour. It's a shame it had the blue curacao, because it takes over everything in a drink. I was also majorly disappointed that it came in a boring old water glass with a thick water straw. If you are going to have a specialty named cocktail, it needs to come in a pretty glass.
To the right of my blue drink was my date's Passion lemonade - $7.50 -Smirnoff passion fruit vodka, lemonade, and splash of sprite and club soda
This was my flatbread, the Fresca- $9.95 - plum tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, red onions, garlic, balsamic glaze.
It was not good. Looked like they just dumped a can of tomatoes and mozzarella on it. I could have made something like this myself. And I'm def not a cook. There was a sweet glaze that didn't go with the other flavors. I was really disappointed, and that says a lot, because I love Pizza.
My date got the Shrimp lejon - $11.95 - bacon, horseradish cream, scallions, monterey jack, cheddar cheeses
He loved it. I tasted part of the pizza without the shrimp on it (I don't eat seafood) and the flavors were much more complex than mine.
Overall it was a very affordable, good dinner. It was nice to get dressed up and go out to eat and not pay $35/plate like some of the fine-dining restaurants in Rehoboth were charging. Hello, recession?
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