Gimme Shelter: A Year End Round Up

So, if I had to think of a word that best sums up 2007 for me, it would be "shelter". But, as I look over the year with respect to art, entertainment, and food, you could say for much of Richmond, shelter, more like shelter stability, has been hard to find. So, here's a rundown
If I were a matchmaker- Yes, I, like you, read the Back Page of Style about Jumpin' J's, and it was sad indeed. The story left me with a lot of questions- mostly about what really happened, but then I started thinking about a perfect little place for J's to relocate. Well, perfect is very subjective since I know this suggestions will make my city slicker friends groan. But, for those of us on the Southside, this could be a great opportunity.

Chester Perk at Chester Village Green is "For Rent". Now frankly, I am not sure what that means since the building looks like it is owned by the development company. Nevertheless, "for rent" is our opportunity. If I could force an arranged marriage, this would be the one. Yes, I know, the funky, hip Church Hillness of Jumpin' J's would be gone and this would likely be a shotgun wedding. But, Richmond city's loss should be Chesterfield's gain. Look, I've dealt with local government in Chesterfield. Heck, I've rolled up into an office at 4:45pm looking for plats, and every time, I've been greeted with warmth and kindness. So, come on J, jump across the river. You will be taken care of.

The House of Sand and Fog- Some of you might remember all my blubbering about Jack's and my wanting it to be something special. Well, it looks like it's "Goodnight, Irene" for ole' Jack's. I don't know what happened, but it is gone. So, gone. Maybe someone will come along and open something cool there. But, the Sonic next door with all it's glowing neon and drive-thru glam tells me otherwise.

Go west, young man!- Last year, Cafe Caturra (Part 2), lived way up 360, and this year it has moved to Midlothian. That was so smart.

When I think of Home- I know Style gave, Living Word (now The African American Repertory Theater) mixed reviews, but from where I stand, the organization has come a long way. You've heard me swoon over "Joe Turner". So, you know where I stand. For me, the greatest accomplishment this group has made this year is deciding to establish itself as the area's leading African-American Theater venue. In many ways, this is extremely important and what I hope will be the first step in a prosperous future. As a community, we need this company to succeed, and this company needs the community to stand behind it.

So, in summary 2007 has been an interesting year, indeed. Hope you have a happy new year and here's to good stuff in '08.

While You Were Out.. . .

Wow! It has been such a long time. . . Funny thing, when things take a long time there is usually a reason why. For me, it's been a series of transitions, both professionally and personally, that have just kept me too tied up to post anything. Maybe it was the job, or the new hobbies, or the dastardly carpal tunnel. . . All in all, life has been pretty busy and full. While I was a way, I did get a chance to have some memorable and some not so memorable meals, theater, etc. So, since brevity is the key to wit, here is the quick and dirty. . .

Closings- Remember my hopes for Jack's on Hull St. Well, despite my prayers, Jack's has become a victim to restaurant closure. Maybe the new Arby's on Hull Street will fill the void (insert loud sigh here). Seriously, Jack's wreaked of death and possible failure. So, it wasn't a shock to find the lights dimmed and the sign removed. In many ways, I feel like the spray paint artist who runs around the city leaving suggestions on what shuttered locations should be turned into. My message to Jack's would be, "A small bistro/dinner should be here. Please, keep your chains. We have enough."

On the Side of the Road- My new favorite family Italian restaurants is actually way on the other side of town. If you want the feeling of stepping into a Jersey eatery but in rural Virginia, you need to go to Dinwidee- right off Rt. 1- to Giuseppe's. The service is wonderful. The marinara is mean, and the staff seems to care if you liked your meal. Yes, this place feels like it straight out of Friday-night football but don't sleep on the pasta.

Out of Towners- In August, we spent a few days in D.C. which is a whole other story in and of itself. While in D.C. we met friends at a great fusion restaurant in Chinatown called Zengo. If you are ever headed up for a concert or game at the Verizon Center, this is worth a stop. We could have sufficed on appetizers and drinks alone. . . Try the mojito with cucumber- truly a great summer drink.

Sycamore Rougue- Yes, I know, I should move to P-burg since all my talk about the place is bordering on fetish. Month's ago, I got a chance to see "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill". For the final time, people, "SUPPORT THIS THEATER COMPANY". We bought a subscription this year, and honestly, it is the best local arts investment we've made all year. SR is getting ready to begin a run of Six Degrees. So, get on down to P-burg.

The Thing I Hate About Musicals. . . - It's the damn singing. Ok, all jokes aside, this summer, I got a chance to see "Into the Woods" at Barksdale. Barksdale doesn't have a warm vibe, per se, but the production was great. I was impressed with the stagging and how every inch of space was so well used. If only they could do something about all those songs. . . Damn you , Sondheim!

Upcoming- One of the things that has taken up a lot of my time are the classes that I've been taking. I am taking my second floral design class, and having a blast. All that said, I have to plug an event. . .October 11th is the first day of Flowers and Art at VAMA. This is like garden club ladies gone wild. Basically, the designers will create a floral interpretation of select pieces in the VAMA collection. Look, if you like Project Runway, think of this as Project Runway with Flowers. "Make it work, people!"

Aww, so that's the quick. For those of you who have posted stuff recently, thanks for still reading. Let me know you're out there, and let's keep the conversation going.

Best!

Lift Every Voice- Why the Blogger Who Dines Matters

For an nice commentary on why posting your own food reviews isn't just chest thumping. .

---

Any questions? Get answers on any topic at Yahoo! Answers. Try it now.

Oh Please, Just Help Yourself. My Wallet Is Open.

Perhaps I am the only one this has been happening to lately, but I've been to Cafe Gutenburg on two occasions, once for lunch and another for a quick cup of coffee and have had something odd happen when it came time to pay. During my first visit, which at the time seemed completely benign, I had lunch and upon paying realized my change was incorrect. Incorrect to the point of being a tip. I mentioned it to my server by saying, "Oh, I assume you've taken your tip out already." and the response was, "Oh, yeah. Thanks." Honestly, this wasn't a big deal, and I really thought nothing of it until a fews weeks ago when I stopped in for a quick cup of coffee.

This time, I paid with a card and left thinking nothing of it until I checked my account and realized my bill had been rounded up for a tip that I didn't recall leaving. Since the amount is about 80 cent, I am not really pressed about calling to complain. It really is negligible. The part that bothers me the most is that it's now the second time around. Unless everyone is just getting crappy at math, this just doesn't feel right.

Grrrr, I really do love their coffee, and it is often worth the tip. I'd just like to be the one who decides to leave it.

An Aroma of Honey-do: Wine Notes from Erika Jones' Husband

"She's the foodie; I'm the wine guy."

Those were some infamous almost-last words from the "blog-that-must-not-be-named," and now my lovely wife has this novel idea about me coming over to her blog for some targeted guest-posting on occasion. Basically, she wants me to provide infotainment to her 7 loyal readers about my forays into the mundane and magnificent world of wine.

Turns out, she actually liked what I had to say about wine, and seeing how she already entrusts me with making the right choices when we go to dinner, she figures that I can add some spice to her food/culture/random stuff postings in this corner of the universe. The thing is that I'm not sure if I can actually sustain enough regular postings to satisfy her grape expectations. So, let's call this an experiment for now, a test-plot so to speak.

Please note that my time on this blog will be spent on an all-wine gig and nothing else.

Seeing as how it's her blog, and seeing how much she's fancied-up the decor, I can surely be dismissed at any time. So, from time to time, I may take a moment to share a thought or two about the Nectar of the Gods for the readers of GOTR. At the very least, I can get her to stop twisting my arm about popping the corks to give my views on the interesting bottles we picked up in Asheville.

Travelogue: A Western Retreat to Asheville

2007 is shaping-up to be the "Year of the South" in terms of travel for me. Last week, I had a chance to visit Asheville, a place that I some how avoided for two years while living in Chapel Hill. It was quite a charming trip and was very appropriate given the blog murder I witnessed last week. For those of you who read SOTJ, you know of which I speak. Anyway, after Conaway killed the blog, we headed for the hills for a nice winter respite in Asheville.

First, I should tell you a little about where we stayed. Somehow, we stumbled upon what had to be the absolutely most quirky accommodations that I've ever experienced. Our hotel was a former sanitarium/hotel for families with relatives at local TB clinics/apartment building/psychiatric hospital/facility for the Maharajis. So, needless to say, it had an interesting vibe. Actually, the hotel - the Princess Anne Hotel - is on the national historic register and has recently been renovated by a preservationist. It has been restored to it's original state - hotel for relatives of TB patients- and was warm and inviting. For those of you who know me, you are probably shocked since I am severe germophobe and the TB was definitely a struggle. Fortunately, I was able to tame my Monk-like OCD to enjoy the stay.

Aside from our accommodations, we had some pretty damn awesome food. Asheville is quite a progressive little southern outpost, and it lives up to a lot of stereotypes of hippies in the mountains. One of the outgrowths of that mentality is the use of organic foods by local restaurants. I can't say I had a meal that made me want to leave the bubbling metropolis of Chesterfield, but it was all around well prepared and did not leave you with vacation gut - that feeling you get when you come home from vacay and feel that you need to scrub your colon with fiber. Two standouts from our dining experiences include Salsa - a Mexican/Caribbean - themed restaurant that serves a mean mojito and wonderful fish, and the City Bakery- a nice little place with a the absolute best whole grain baguette I have ever tasted in my life. And no, I am not comparing this to a baguette from Panera. City Bakery uses pumpkin seeds on the exterior of its baguettes and for those you whole love real baguette, they have the right mix of crusty and chewy.

One problem I did find in Asheville were all the damn nuts in the food. Being that I have a nut allergy, it was a little scary to find waitstaff that failed to mention that the mystery ingredients were nuts. Strangely enough, most people treated my aversion as a matter of preference and not a potential medical problem. But, this is something that I think is becoming more commonplace since I've been to restaurants locally where the waitstaff and/or menus fail to acknowledge nut flowers or nuts in general as ingredients. It's nice to see chefs trying new things, but for some people, we just need to know what's in the food for our own health.

Ok, that was a long tangent. To sum it up- if you visit Asheville, take some Benadryl because you never know what may be in store.

Aside from eating, I did have a chance to visit the vaunted Biltmore Estates and experience a wonderful little surprise. No, not the Christmas decorations. It was the wine that made the experience memorable. Apparently, the Biltmore Winery has dramatically stepped up its game and is making some pretty nice stuff...with imported California grapes. Perhaps I can cajole a certain guest blogger (ahem) to explain the details since the profundity of my comments will be, "their reds didn't taste like dirt." Keep your fingers crossed. . . Anyway, while at the Biltmore, I discovered a very nice Sangiovese that was quite drinkable and very enjoyable.

All in all, it was a fine holiday indeed- a wonderful road trip, good conversation, and anticipation of an exciting 2007.

Happy New Year, All!

In the Heart of Dixie: A Year in Review in Petersburg

Unlike the Crater, Petersburg seems to be on the rise and dining is leading the way. As Style Weekly noted last week, Petersburg is the home to another culinary upstart with the opening of Old Towne Marketplace in Historic Petersburg. This past weekend I had the chance to stop by for a quick visit, and the friendly owners were more than eager to share their wares and assist. For those of you who know Old Towne, this is great news since it means not always having to schlep to Richmond to purchase good meats and cheeses.

Another, re-newed, addition to the Petersburg area is the Dixie Diner which is on the corner of Bank and Sycamore, also in the heart of Old Towne. The Dixie Diner is a bit of a remix replacing the Old Dixie Restaurant that really evoked a real sense of being in Dixie- and not in a good way. We stopped in Sunday for a late brunch and all around it was nice experience. The sweet tea was awesome and the biscuits were a nice balance of flaky and buttery. My omelette was somewhat over-done being that it was slightly rubbery. But, this is a problem that can be worked out over time. Look Dixie is basic diner food, but for those in Peterburg, it's great just to have another option to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon.

As for the old favorites, if you haven't been to Petersburg in a while, don't just stick with the new shinies like Wabi Sabi, The Bistro at Market and Grove, or even Andrade's. Try an oldie but goodie that I absolutely adore for the incredibly friendly waitstaff and food that is reminiscent of a time when Greek/Italian diners served quality meals at reasonable prices. The place I like for that type of experience is Alexander's on Bank St. in Old Towne. It's not swanky or posh, but the service is always polite and the Kota Plate (Imagine a more flavorful Chicken Cacciatore with raisins and served over rice) is just good comfort food. And, when you're done, you must try the baklava. It's caused quite a hefty dry cleaning bill in my home, long story- let's just say there was honey everywhere, but it was all worth it.

As Petersburg continues to transform itself into a quirky southern outpost, keep an eye out for new places to visit. Something new seems to sprout up every week, and the people are nothing short of fascinating.

So, as another year comes to a close, think back fondly on your dining memories and let your heart be merry and light.

Merry Christmas and Happy Eating!

At Long Last...Applecake

Hi all.

So as I promised earlier, here is the long awaited apple cake recipe. I wanted to make it first before putting it out there on the blogs, just to see how it turned out. Mine was not as good as the one from my memory, but I also made some significant alterations that might have influenced the outcome a bit. Feel free to chime in on those alteration if you like.

Here's what I did:

1. I substituted the whole wheat flour for white. This obviously sucked up a lot of my liquid, thus making the cake drier that usual. The texture of my cake was much more like crumb cake than an apple bar.
2. I used Granny Smith apples only. I suspect that with my substitution, a juicier apple that holds its texture under heat would have been more suitable. The main problem with the cake was that my original version was drier that I liked.
3. After the fact, I added a 1/4 cup of brandy to address the dryness. Actually, I've had a few people sample the brandied version and all around, it was a hit. If you like a good moist fruitcake, use the wheat flour and add the brandy. This will yield the same consistency.
   

What I'd Do Differently: As you will see, this recipe calls for a glaze which in my opinion, should be doubled. I think the glaze is the hit-maker. So, next time around, I will be doubling my glaze since the recipe amount doesn't quite do it for a 9x13 pan.

Ok, enough of my analysis. Below you will find the recipe. Enjoy and please report back.

++++++++++

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze
by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock
from The Gift of Southern Cooking
(Alfred A. Knopf, 2003)
Serves 12

When apples are in season, there's nothing finer than a simple apple cake. Although easy to make, this cake is anything but ordinary. It's bursting with fresh apple flavor and spices, while the crunch of pecan, which places the cake unmistakably in Southern territory, adds just the right bite. And, well, the coat of rich caramel makes this an over-the-moon dessert.

Ingredients

CAKE

1 cup light-brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

3 large eggs

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground Ceylon cinnamon (see Note)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 fresh apples (such as Winesap or Granny Smith), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/4 cups not-too-finely chopped pecans

2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

GLAZE

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light-brown sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

Method

MAKE THE CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

2. Put the sugars and vegetable oil in a mixing bowl, and beat until very well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and gradually add to the sugar and eggs, mixing just until well blended.

3. Stir in the apples, pecans, and vanilla, and pour into a buttered and 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours (begin checking after 50 minutes). Remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the pan while you prepare the caramel glaze.

MAKE THE GLAZE
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add both the sugars and the salt. Stir until blended, and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

2. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the cake, and pour the warm glaze over the surface. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: The quality of cinnamon can vary greatly, and most that you find on supermarket shelves is harsh and hot in flavor. Ceylon cinnamon is the exception and we use it a lot in our recipes. Ceylon cinnamon is best purchased in stick form, kept tightly covered away from sunlight, and ground in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle for each recipe (we keep a small electric coffee grinder that we use only for sweet spices like cinnamon and clove). Unlike common cinnamon, which is thick, hard and brittle, Ceylon cinnamon is paper thin and crumbles easily in the hand. It is complexly smooth and sweet, and very refined, both in aroma and flavor. We recommend seeking it out, as it makes all the difference in a dish. If, however, for some reason you simply cannot find Ceylon cinnamon, reduce the amount called for in our recipe by half if you are using an ordinary supermarket brand.

Recipe © 2003 Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. All rights reserved.