LuLu's is One

Everyone told me that LuLu’s was one of the new hot spots in Richmond, so I decided to check it out. Located in trendy Shockoe Bottom, LuLu’s is modeled after the hip, martini-crowd restaurants in New York with industrial piping on the ceiling and modern art on the walls.

The food is upscale, urban comfort food so I decided to try their spin on one of my favorites, mac and cheese. Called High-Falootin’ Mac and Cheese With Grilled Shrimp, the dish was very disappointing. Five very small (and most likely frozen) shrimp sat atop a mountain of penne pasta tossed with white cheddar, gruyère, and gorgonzola cheese.

The cheese wasn’t totally melted and had been nowhere near an oven, so my favorite part of mac and cheese, the slightly burnt cheesy crust on top, was missing. Had it been a homerun, the $18 price tag wouldn’t have bothered me, but I was wincing over dropping almost $20 on this bland entrée. Fortunately, my appetizer of Fried Green Tomatoes with a spicy remoulade had been really wonderful and filled me up.


One glass of wine, one appetizer, and one entrée totaled $38, so this is not an inexpensive nosh. Service was so-so…my waiter was efficient, if not friendly, although the cute young hostess was a sweetheart.

With prices at an all time high, I would expect more from an eatery in this price range. www.lu-lusrichmond.com

Visiting the Farmer's Market

One of my favorite things about European cities are the bounty of outdoor food markets. I got up early on Saturday to visit my local market, just down the hill from my house at 17th Street near Richmond’s old train station. This area is called Shockoe Bottom and is a foodie destination, as there are several cool restaurants lining either side of the Farmer's Market. A few years ago, this whole low-lying neighborhood flooded badly, but now it's back and better than ever.

It’s a fairly small market, and it’s early in the season, so not all of the booths were filled. In addition to freshly picked strawberries, tomatoes and squash, there were several vintage dealers with treasures from the past to peruse. I bought my veggies for the week, some of the sweet strawberries to make that Southern classic…strawberry shortcake...and also scored a great deal on a 9 x 12 Karastan rug. Forget going to the M-A-U-L, I was in shopping heaven!

FInding Europe in Richmond

It’s always exciting when you find a really wonderful restaurant, and even more so, when that place brings back memories of the food you’ve had on your travels. I never expected to find such a gem in Richmond, Virginia but the tiny Café Rustica on Main Street in the heart of downtown is a treasure.

Chef /owner Andy Howell spent several years living in Germany, which must be where the large, chalet-style cuckoo clock over the bar comes from, so I decided to try one of my favorites from that region, Schwieneschnitzel. It was really crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and came with a great, tangy red cabbage. You have to eat schnitzel while it’s really hot, so I gobbled it down and barely had room for dessert, but what self-avowed chocoholic can resist something called “Chocolate Paté?”

My friend had the rosemary oven-roasted chicken (Pollo Asado) which was delivered on a hot skillet with roasted potatoes and fresh asparagus. I had a taste (or three) of that as well, and it was wonderful. In fact, I’ll have to go back as everything on the menu sounded wonderful. Described as “European Comfort Food”, Café Rustica is definitely going to be a favorite of mine.

I overheard several locals at the bar chatting, and one had been a patron of Chef Andy since his first venture in Richmond almost 20 years ago. That kind of loyalty is the best kind of compliment, and I’m eager to join the fan club. (414 E. Main Street, (804) 225-8811)

Virginia is For Lovers

This is my new home in historic Church Hill in Richmond. Just a few blocks from my house, Patrick Henry gave a rousing speech at St. John’s Church during the Revolutionary War, and this city is loaded with Civil War historical sites as well. I’m excited to be spending the summer in my home state, and have unearthed my original Virginia is for Lovers t-shirt to celebrate my homecoming.

Also right down the street from house is the 17th Street Farmers Market, which I plan to explore this weekend and a ton of trendy eateries in Shockoe Bottom near the old red brick train depot. Virginia food is about a lot more than peanuts, so look for some more Richmond dining spots soon.