Lamplighter Roasting Company, Richmond, VA

What gets you mentally and physically going in the morning? For some, it's coffee. For some, it's bikes. If you happen to bike to get coffee, so much the better, and if you happen to bike to get coffee at Lamplighter in Richmond, well then it sounds like your day is off to a good start! The eternally-vacant gas station fell into disrepair long before I breezed through River City, but it's finally gone to great use as Richmond's newest revamped coffee shop/roaster/cafe/hangout of hipsters and hoboes alike. Catering to a quirky and hugely varied clientele, the things that keep people coming back in droves are the coffee and eats. Despite having become a permanent West Coaster pre-opening, I had the opportunity to stop by Lamplighter due to countless word-of-mouth praises and now every time I'm back in Richmond I make it a point to stop by; we've even been able to spread the tall bike coffee love in San Diego, bringing back pounds of various roasts to distribute amongst like-minded coffee aficionados (while keeping a few for ourselves).




One of the especially great things is their policy of giving a free iced coffee if you buy a pound of beans (any roast). I'm not exactly how stringent this policy is (the entire staff seems to be in their early to mid twenties and nary a tattoo-free employee is to be found), but it seems consistent enough to pass along as gospel. Their menu is large without being overwhelming or even too varied; lots of the breakfast basics are covered, along with plenty of animal-free dishes as well. Kitschy touches abound, and DIY details lend a complete air of freedom without becoming sloppy; despite being run by a young group of bike hooligans, professionalism is not compromised with comfort and a cozy repertoire. Feel free to bring your mom along with your dog, and if possible squeeze outside on the covered patio to avoid the slightly claustrophobic dining space (it's a bit too small to even really be called a room). Coffee is a must, and while the food isn't to die for, it's yet to prove to be a disappointment.



Richmond continues to undergo various facelifts in sections of the city, and with Acacia Midtown just around the corner and new condos springing up all along Cary Street, Lamplighter is another welcome addition to the neighborhood. Recommended for ages 1-100, animals welcomed, biking is encouraged.


Lamplighter
116 S. Addison Street (corner of Parkwood and Addison)
RVA 23220

Pescado

Fresh? Sustainable? Farm-raised? Affordable? The worldwide seafood debate rages on and it's never a concrete battle with black-and-white sides drawn as no sea creature has yet proven its value and ability for a clean death without natural disruption or the lack of hormones pumped into its meaty flesh. The James River in Virginia hardly lends itself as an optimal source for fresh, clean, healthy fish, and yet Richmond continuously seems to offer a better stream of fresh AND affordable catches than the ocean-sided San Diego. While overall San Diego dominates in quality, Richmond remains solidly blue-collar in attitude and prices, especially in the notoriously salty Oregon Hill neighborhood, home to some of the grimiest and grittiest restaurants around- all of which have superior cuisine to even haunts of New York and Los Angeles. Mamma Zu remains one of my favorite restaurants of all time, and 821 is still a biking hipster's paradise with solid grub and cold grog.

On our last visit back to Richmond, I had hoped to satiate my omnipresent longing for brisque lack-of service with a bowl of Mamma's noodles, but Ashton's dad assured us that a new restaurant was a contender for our affections and its Latin-infused seafood couldn't be beat. Pescado now resides in the old Hollywood Grill location on China Street, and while the decor is an odd mix of eclectic hippie paintings with bright splashy walls and an upscale-feeling bar, it was packed from wall-to-wall with an equally eclectic mix normally found in O-Hill, from college crowds to bangled socialites. One glance at the menu and it quickly became obvious we were dealing with major contenders in the seafood arena.

Grilled caesars seem to be one of the trends in the late 2000's in hip eateries, and Pescado proved to be no exception; however, I must admit I'm a sucker for the lightly toasted lettuce plate. Hands down, I can attest that the greatest grilled caesar that Richmond had to offer could be found at Dogwood Grill on Main Street in the Fan (along with some of the best fare in Virginia as far as I'm concerned), but when the restaurant closed a few years back it left a gaping hole in the Virginia culinary forum. Pescado stepped up to the plate with their caesar and since their Latin-fusion brought an entirely different view to the plate I can safely say it's one of the best in town. Lightly drizzled with a spiced dressing, freshness exploded in each bite and while the cornbread served with it was slightly dry, the massive flavors wove themselves into a symphony of balance and offered a pleasant take on the old classic. Even the butter had a twist- a cucumber-infused smear lent itself refreshingly to the spices echoed in each dish and I found it to be a unique detail that spoke highly to the attention spent in all aspects of the meal.



It's a certain caliber of restaurant where one can depend on the night's special actually being 'special', straight from the heart and imagination of the chef and not just scrappled leftovers headed for the waste bin at the end of the evening. Pescado instantly struck me as that caliber. Happily, the special happened to be a favorite fish of mine, the ever-present rare seared tuna, with accent bolsters of pureed carrots served with a raisin compote and flash friend arugula and a citrus glaze. The textures were top-notch; crunchy greens the likes of which I have not experienced outside of notebook paper surprisingly blended with the giving flesh of the fish and soft purees to all build each other up in support of an overall wonderful dish.



Ashton got the triggerfish plate, and I can't pretend to know much about the creature; based on the plate he received, I can guarantee I'll be ordering it again. Curry and okra blanketed a starchy corn mountain in a wonderful blend of seafood, Spain, and the South. Maybe not Spain exactly, but I appreciate a good trifecta of alliteration and it's pretty close! Again, fresh was the emphasis and believe me, it spoke volumes.



I often skip dessert, opting for a savory starter in lieu of a sweet ending, but currently hailing from California, home to the freshest avocados the world has to offer, I found myself tempted by the avocado tart just to see if they would throw a wrench in the works of a to-date excellent meal. Rimmed with an appropriate amount of a red-wine sweet drizzle over an almond cup, they maintained a high ranking in my estimation by echoing shades of key lime pie (which I happen to detest) and removing the over-tartness by using a smooth fruit still proving to be freshly picked and prepared. Kudos, Pescado. We'll be back.

Grill 'Em All

The gods of metal are surely smiling upon the latest trumpeteers of delicious glory on four wheels! Never has there been such an homage to all things delicious and devilish all wrapped upon in a mobile unit, thrashing their way into our hearts, minds, and stomachs. Grill 'Em All is a newcomer in the recent food truck explosion based in L.A., but with a solid menu and unapologetic culinary offerings they've already smashed their way into the highly competitive market and destroyed all that stand in their way. The duo of Ryan Harkins and Matthew Chernus paired up with a wild vision and have already landed a spot on the Travel Channel's "Food Wars", which followed the unholy pair as they blazed through California preaching their ideals of metal and BURGER.





Luckily, through mutal foodie fanatic and metal maniac Dave Witte I was able to catch these guys as they served up their goods boardwalk-side in Mission Beach, under the shadow of mighty Belmont Park. Unfortunately, a gloomy sky deterred many a regular Saturday beachgoer and potential slaves to the newly introduced Witte Burger, namesake of the very man above! I didn't need to ask what the Witte contained because to bear such a proud name means only one thing- A GLORIOUS EXPERIENCE. However, for the benefit of you mere mortals who haven't yet experienced the madness that is Witte, it's a burger on a homemade bun, slathered in California cream cheese, beer-fried bacon, Sriacha soaked grilled onions, and a roasted garlic aioli to make your arteries beg for mercy. Since the boys were on a roll filming for Food Wars, a malt vinegar aioli served as a delightful substitute in the garlic's stead. Not a disappointing choice. The film crew recognized the tunnel vision of food fanatics that have just been handed something that can't possibly exist outside the realm of awesome, and took the opportunity to ask us a few questions. I'm sure our close ups of sriacha-stained blood drool and flecks of juicy meat torn apart will look just greeeaaattt on all those HD-TVs. Hello America! This is Beth and Ashton and we're disgustingly enthusiastic! Join us in our revelry!





Only those who are from the South understand the automatic connection when you come face to face with one of your Rebel kin elsewhere in the nation. An immediate bond is formed for life once the name "Richmond" is invoked in conversation, and an instant friendship cements itself usually over a beer. Since the City of San Diego generally frowns upon public displays of drunkeness, we had to make do with gorging ourselves with meat rather than hops and yeast. The boys took to us instantly once we spoke the name Witte, and we didn't even need to ask- within minutes we were handed two dripped, glorious, thundering, mighty burgers, a side of truffle fries to boot!



The trumpeteers of Viking lore ten thousand strong could not have blasted more thunderingly into your face than this burger. I felt as though I was balancing on a pitchfork of insanity simply attempting to comprehend the madness of this gluttonous treasure. Mighty Thor himself would smite a legion of warriors to feast upon the Witte at his victory table, and sacrifice a thousand virgins to appease the demons swarming in his head with which the absence of burger would appear.



These preachers of metal and munchin' remain tadpoles in the food arena, but with a solid menu of absolutely phenomenal offerings and a schtick to rival any major stationary restaurant, I can't fathom that these crazy metal apostles won't achieve immortality through food.

The Black Sheep

Awesome weekend 2K9! I could go into all of the amazing details of this incredible weekend, but I'll save that for another blog. Brunch, however, only increased the awesome of the weekend when a crowd of some of my favorite people descended upon The Black Sheep in Richmond, Virginia. I've been here a few times before, and it has NEVER disappointed. We called ahead to make sure this lil' place could handle a party of 9 (Myself, Andy, Annie, Flza, Beth DD, Mike D, Lil Joe, Amy McFadden, and Dave Witte) and only had to wait in the rain for about 10 minutes. We took up a large portion of the corner, but they seemed to have the rhythm of the place down and we snuggled in very comfortably. Most of us were pretty severely hungover, so their Community Coffee from New Orleans hit the spot in a BIG way. Andy, being my partner in culinary crime, recommended the Grillades and Grits (pork cutlets pounded thin and simmered in a rich gravy, served over creamy yellow cheese grits with buttered toast), so after contemplating between the rest of the incredible menu, I went for it. It was fantastic. My only qualm was I had to cut the port cutlets with great care since they covered the plate and the gravy seemed to have maximum splashing potential. However, the grits were cheesy and unbelievable- the perfect addition to my stomach. I got 2 over medium eggs on the side as well, and with the toast and pork it was a delectable delight to start my day.


Andy got the Barn and Bay Breakfast Sandwich (Scrambled eggs mixed with crabmeat, country ham, green onions, and swiss cheese on buttered and grilled texas toast) which I have had and moaned over every dripping-with-perfection bite. He also got the cool skull mug and everyone was jealous.


Annie and I look a little haggard from the rain + boozin from the previous night, but their coffee perked us right up!


Annie decided on the Black Sheep French Toast, which looked/smelled/tasted INCREDIBLE. Chocolate hazelnut spread sandwiched between two slices of french bread, battered, griddled, and then served with a warm orange syrup. There's also an option to add vanilla ice cream for $1 or sliced banana also for $1. Dessert for breakfast, yes please!


This was MY meal, and even though bacon is my pig-of-choice in the morning, there was nothing depressing about putting this in my mouth.


Lil' Joe got the Huevos Nuevos, and I have to admit that the ones at Kuba Kuba look a little better to me. Black Sheep has definitely got the handle on Southern cooking, but I'd leave the international flair to the Cubans. Still, I can't imagine anything but delicious from this dish. Two eggs served over black beans and creamy yellow cheese grits with queso blanco, mole verde, pineapple salsa fresca and jalapeno sour cream, served with buttered toast and an option for guacamole for $2.

All in all, I can't recommend this place highly enough. The fact that they've barely been around a year and have already established themselves as a serious contender in the Richmond restaurant scene is no small feat. I have a feeling this little nook is in for some great things.

Sticky Rice DC

Sticky Rice on Main Street in Richmond is a total Fan staple, especially anyone with hipster-ish tendencies and the desire to see and be seen in a hip location. Considering their sushi is new-school with 90% innovative flair and 10% tradition, it's a great bar spot that happened to be 3 blocks away from my old apartment. (sigh) They've got great events like karaoke, 1/2 price sushi Mondays, and trivia nights that are always guaranteed to be jam packed.

Within the last year, they've opened the 2nd Sticky Rice in the H District in Washington, D.C. I'm sure it will attract the same group of 20somethings who long for tater tots and cheap PBR with a California roll on the side. I would love to see the new location's design and layout; the interior and exterior of the original was kitschy and bright while just grimey enough to entice bike punks and young professionals alike. Even Sticky to Go Go across the street was a wild success. All best wishes for their old and new ventures alike!

Recommended for people who want a cool sushi "experience" rather than expecting the most traditional of dishes.