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Photo by Adam Ewing
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A margherita pizza at Anthony's on the Hill Photo by James Dickinson
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Grilled calamari at Deco Ristorante Photo by Isaac Harrell
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Sliced hanger steak at On the Rox Photo by James Dickinson
The past year's top-of-the-crop restaurants show evidence of some of the best dining trends: menus that highlight chefs' creative talent, high-quality ingredients with an emphasis on local sourcing, and the rediscovery and enhancement of authentic cooking traditions. What's also been exciting to see is how restaurants have taken the lead in bringing new life to neighborhoods where first-rate, locally owned and operated establishments have been lacking.
The Pinnacle of Locavore: Heritage
1627 W. Main St., 353-4060
Locavore dining has been a food trend for a few years. It hasn't, however, reached a peak of truly fine and exquisite dining until now. At Heritage, you can find more than just your typical rustic ingredients from local farms. Take, for example, the Charcuterie Plate. Elsewhere, such plates can look little different than what you might get at a deli counter. Here, in addition to some fine house-pickled vegetables, you will find thin slices of ham from Mangalitsa pigs, a Hungarian heritage breed, raised and cured at musician Dave Matthews' farm outside of Charlottesville. But the high point is the lardo, fatback from the Mangalitsas that has been cured for more than a year and quite literally melts in your mouth. If you try nothing else new this year, you must taste this. —PEJ
Suburban Comfort: Bell Café
8319 Bell Creek Road, Suite B; 746-4647
Honest-to-goodness cooking talent, well-priced fare and attentive yet laid-back service are the inviting name(s) of the game at Bell Café, Danny and Tiffany Ingram's Mechanicsville-based coffee-shop-turned-full-service eatery. Folks come to imbibe the cool craft beers and various coffee creations, but will want to stay for the comfy urban vibe, one that belies the place's shopping center environs. Killer nightly specials are a big draw; $5 turkey burgers (plus half-price beer and wine) on Tuesdays and $5 crab cake sandwiches on Wednesdays beckon hungry diners aplenty. But the Thursday date-night special has to take the cake. For $40, couples are treated to either a soup or salad each, two entrées (like lobster ravioli or meatloaf with beef, pork and veal) and a shared dessert plus a bottle of house wine. —MG
Neighborhood Italian: Anthony's on the Hill
2824 E. Broad St., 344-3374
Who hasn't wanted to live someplace like New York City and be within walking distance of a small, family-owned Italian restaurant? A friendly place with red-checked tablecloths where you can pick up a pizza to take home or stop in with the family for a plate of pasta or some great eggplant Parmesan. Those who live in Church Hill (or who don't mind hopping in the car) now have that place. Anthony's on the Hill has that feel and the food to back it up. From excellent pizza pies, with the dough and sauce made daily, to a truly authentic Tuscan Bolognese over pasta, Anthony's has all the elements of a neighborhood Italian hot spot. Well, except for the red-checked tablecloths, but that's OK, it's still all good. —PEJ
A Chef in his Element: Camden's Dogtown Market
201 W. Seventh St., 745-6488
There is nothing better than an up-and-coming historic neighborhood like Manchester, except a great chef with his own kitchen, having way more fun than should be legally allowed in a comfortable, friendly environment. That's exactly what you have at Camden's. Andy Howell, a longtime veteran of the Richmond restaurant scene, is turning out amazing sandwiches, a fascinating Sunday brunch and house-made pastrami — I repeat, house-made pastrami! Howell's wine list is thorough, but accessible and affordable. He uses local products, makes a lot of things from scratch and handles ingredients with creativity and respect. Whether it's fresh soup, creative pasta, or some of the best lasagna in the city, Camden's is not to be missed. It's quickly accessed from downtown, and there's plenty of parking and a small selection of gourmet groceries if you need to grab something for dinner at home. —HL
Mexican Food, Redefined: Tio Pablo
1703 E. Franklin St., 643-4828
Simplicity is key at Tio Pablo. A small menu of mostly meat and vegetable combinations is served in a cozy, colorful space. Standouts include the tacos or tostadas al pastor, a tasty blend of sautéed achiote-marinated pork and pineapple, and de lengua, stewed beef tongue that's tender and flavorful. Daily specials incorporate meats you won't find at many other Richmond restaurants, such as cow lips and pork cheeks, both slow-cooked and full of spices. Side dish options include guacamole that's bright and packed with lime juice; nopales, a cactus salad featuring tangy, pickled flavors and Oaxacan cheese; and frijoles charros, slow-cooked pinto beans with plenty of bacon. Make sure to request house-made hot sauce and you'll get one blend that's smoky and rich and one that's light and spicy. Another must-try is the house margarita on the rocks, fresh and perfectly blended. —MM
Keeping it Real: Deco Ristorante
2901 Park Ave., 342-4278
Much of what we think of as Italian-American food has its roots in Sicily. The real stuff is far more complex. There are sweet-and-sour flavors with the addition of vinegars and currants. There are olives from the Spaniards, spices from trade routes of bygone eras and some of the best street food the ancient world ever could have given us. It's unusual to find this cuisine outside of a home kitchen – so for many folks who grew up in the Northeast, Deco Ristorante will seem like Sunday dinner at your best friend's house. But here, the chef, owner Giuseppe Scafidi, is your best friend. The attention to details on the small meatballs, the perfectly cooked seafood, the different sauces enrobing the dishes, and a casual, friendly atmosphere make Deco a welcome addition to the Richmond restaurant scene. —HL
Table for Two: Belmont Food Shop
27 N. Belmont Ave., 358-7467
When 1 North Belmont closed, there was definitely a hole left in the RVA dining scene for a quiet, intimate date-night spot. That void can now be filled just a block away at Belmont Food Shop. It's small and rustic, with a short menu on the blackboard that changes frequently to ensure that only the freshest and best quality ingredients are being used. You could start with a small plate of elegant butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter or indulge in a rich mushroom soup flavored with tarragon and tamarind, perhaps followed by an entrée of roasted rockfish, lightly caramelized outside and flaky and moist within. Even the soft drinks here are extraordinary — the "Sprite," actually a house-made lemon grass soda, is excellent. It doesn't matter what you choose. Grab a special friend and snag a table. —PEJ
A Cut Above: Burger Bach
10 S. Thompson St., 359-1305
With numerous burger places in town, why go to Burger Bach? Attention to details and some mighty fine ingredients. A 6-ounce New Zealand Angus grass-fed beef patty ordered pink or not pink starts the building of an incredibly tasty meal. The Basics Burger adds organic mustard and ketchup, dill pickle and onion. Freshly baked buns from Ellwood Thompson's Local Market complete the offering. The flavors are well-balanced and meld beautifully. Additional accompaniments include New Zealand blue cheese, a fried egg or sautéed wild mushrooms. If beef seems old hat, try the ground lamb. All burgers are served with mixed green lettuce. The Bach (pronounced "batch") also features freshly cut fries cooked in peanut oil with a dozen tempting sauces, including Manuka honey mustard and cilantro. Get your burger on, RVA! —PM
Game On: On the Rox
119 N. 18 St., 303-9444
Here's my recommendation during football season, if you want a relatively calm dining experience: Visit On the Rox right before the Sunday afternoon games or for an early dinner on Wednesday. Yes, this a Shockoe Bottom sports bar with the requisite woody setting and televisions, but the food is definitely Division 1. Don't miss the sliced hanger steak, prepared to a perfect medium, which artfully surrounds a creamy carrot-and-turnip purée. Also satisfying is a bowl of gnocchi with roasted chicken, arugula and oyster mushrooms. For lunch or brunch, try chef/co-owner Mike Pendergrast's braised beef brisket panini, served with onion marmalade and a side of crispy, hand-cut, herbed fries cooked in duck fat. Servers are helpful, and there's solid list of beers and cider, including Bold Rock cider and many Virginia microbrews. —SW
Worth the Hype: Peter Chang China Café
11424 W. Broad St., 364-1688
When we heard he was coming, no one believed it. The elusive Peter Chang had always been a mystery chef at the center of swirling rumors and intrigue, but when he arrived in Richmond and opened his Short Pump restaurant last February, all of those stories were put to rest. And his food was just as good as writers like Calvin Trillin and Todd Kliman claimed it was — fragrant cumin lamb and fried duck are taken to the very edge of where spiciness is bearable and where the heat overwhelms. His dry-fried eggplant begins with a soft crispiness and melts into creamy heat, while the scallion bubble-cake, so large and round that it looks like it needs a string to hold it down, takes the opposite tack to a deceptively savory mildness. —BF
Crowd Pleaser: Fat Dragon Chinese Kitchen and Bar
1200 N. Boulevard, 354-9888
Chris Tsui's latest hit, the Fat Dragon, has the signature elements of Eat Restaurant Partners: an attractive and personable staff, a large and communal bar area balanced by an almost equally large, striking piece of artwork (in this case, a dragon-tattooed woman in repose) and reasonably priced, delicious and beautifully presented food in a stylish atmosphere. Tsui might love sushi, but he's actually from Taiwan. Stir fry his heritage with a farm-to-table sensibility, add some Sex — it's on tap in the form of a bubbly rosé for $8 a glass — and you've got a killer date-night place that is casual enough for the family as well. The smoked duck is crispy on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth tender, with delicious green tea and coffee flavors and pairs well with a glass of pinot noir (you could also choose one of the 24-some draft beers available, including Richmond's own Hardywood Gingerbread Stout). A starter of five-spice chicken and asparagus wrapped in tofu skin, as well as the sizeable, pleasantly sweet "Ancient Secret BBQ Pork Fried Rice" and the Mexican Cokes, made my daughters very happy. —KCM
An Oasis of Taste: Patina Restaurant and Bar
3416 Lauderdale Drive, 360-8500
Typically, I avoid the Far West End when it comes to dining. You can find good food, but the prevalent taste is that of upscale chains with little creativity and dishes that you could get in a thousand other malls across the country. Reopened recently with a new owner, new chef and new menu, Patina breaks that mold in a big way. When I cut into my butter-poached monkfish, I thought at first it was undercooked. Nope, it was just prepared so gently and beautifully that it still had the translucent interior despite being fully cooked. The turmeric emulsion with it was sublime, perfect for a spice that so easily can be overdone. It was an amazing dish, still memorable after being eclipsed by the restaurant's panna cotta, as visually stunning as it was tasty. —PEJ
Global Mix: C&M Galley Kitchen
2805 Hathaway Road, 323-1117
Veteran chefs and restaurateurs Manny Mendez (Kuba Kuba) and Chris DiLauro (Bacchus) have paired up for an intimate, bustling South Side eatery serving everything from huevos rancheros, subs, salads and burgers to seafood paella and fried Cuban-style ground chicken croquettes. Come early and hungry, as the place is often packed with a wait list by 7 p.m. and the portions are generous. Pasta with white clam sauce arrives steaming and expertly al dente, boasting mounds of chopped clams and enough freshly minced garlic to have you breathing fire into the next day. A half-roasted chicken is crispy-skinned on the outside, yet tender and juicy throughout, and redolent of thyme along with just the right amount of butter. The Cuban roast pork, bearing Mendez' culinary stamp, is not to be missed. Slow-cooked, citrus-scented pork is shredded and served alongside black beans and brown rice. Mahi mahi fish tacos served in fresh corn tortillas and topped with apple-fennel slaw get a kick from Oaxacan hot sauce. For dessert, try the white Italian wedding cake; spread with cream cheese icing and nuts, it's vaguely reminiscent of a traditional carrot cake. —KBM
