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Photo by Sarah Walor
Two farm eggs with house-made corned beef hash, potatoes, celery root and onions
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Photo by Sarah Walor
Amanda Lucy shows off a grilled ribeye with rosemary potatoes au gratin and grilled zucchini.
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Photo by Sarah Walor
Artichoke, spinach and avocado “meatballs” over sautéed spaghetti squash with caramelized onion pomodoro sauce
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Photo by Sarah Walor
Lucy’s, in a nutshell, is a neighborhood go-to that transcends neighborhood go-to mundanity. It’s not a diner, but it’s casual. It’s not fine dining, but there are lots of creative gems on the menu. A hefty redesign of the original space rendered it into the bright, textural brick-and-wood sanctuary that it is today — it’s small enough to feel cozy (they even call it “quaint” on their Facebook page), but it’s big enough to get a seat at lunch, dinner or brunch on Sunday.
Let me clear my throat here: Lucy’s brunch is a standout. A beacon. A narwhal in a sea of codfish. No matter what you order, you’re going to get a massive amount of painstakingly prepared food for $10 or less; bonuses like pan-seared tomatoes and house-made biscuits crowd their way onto many of the already generous plates. The Witte’s Huevos, featuring a bean and edamame mix with house-made mesa chips, cheddar, salsa and big chunks of avocado, perfectly rides the line between rich flavor and hunger-sating breakfast-ability. A few things are unique to Lucy’s menu: I haven’t seen a local beef brunch stew over duchess potatoes (remember those?) or cast-iron-baked eggs with spinach and Parmesan anywhere else.
Lunch is lunch. Salads, sandwiches, nothing eye-popping, but hearty and healthy nonetheless — vegetarians will go nuts over the artichoke/spinach/avocado “meatballs.” The salad ingredients could make better marriages, though. One came out scantily clad in a too-mild vinaigrette, and another had far too many unseasoned cold beans weighing down its fresh lightness. But the mistake was clearly mine for not ordering the shrimp po’ boy salad with creamy ten thousand island dressing. I did make quick work of my lunch date’s hand-cut fries, though — they were fantastically skinny, salty and deep-gold.
A few days later, as I sat down to dinner with friends, I noticed how the space is transformed from bright and energetic to coppery and intimate when the sun goes down. It always feels really good in there, and that’s the hallmark of a thoughtfully built space. More points for never being too loud, something that shouldn’t be a restaurant rarity but somehow occurs nearly across the board in Richmond. (Is it our architectural acoustics? Too many tables crowded into small rooms? Are Richmonders just endowed with profound vocal gifts? I can’t figure it out, but I’m slowly going deaf.) The calm quiet kept our fighting over the first appetizer, pan-seared corned beef over polenta with whole grain mustard and pickled onions, to a polite minimum. Especially after I positioned the whole plate directly under my face. Sorry, friends, it was too good.
Co-owner Amanda Lucy attended our table. Her family farm, Monrovia, supplies the restaurant with grass-fed beef for tender steaks and flavorful burgers, and her eyes light up when she mentions the beef specials — she knows they’re going to be good, and she’s right. Though my spring chicken, succulent and crisp in its sweet/salty barbecued skin and accompanied by childhood-daydream-evoking creamed corn, delivered pretty much the whole package as well.
It’s a $20-tops dinner menu, so get some appetizers. There’s always a meat and cheese board, and it’s no tiny, delicate pile of dried pork, either. Offered to us were a little slab of grilled skirt steak, a wedge of Taleggio, crostini and pickled radishes.
One truly striking thing about the Lucy’s experience is the slice-of-life clientele that I think owes to its friendly, neighborhood feel. There are business lunchers, college students, moms and kids, politicians, and folks who’ve wandered in on their midday walk through Jackson Ward. It’s a catch-all in a landscape of places specifically geared toward either the in-and-out downtown work crowd or the after-work craft cocktail lover.
Simply put, it’s a lovely spot run by lovely people, recommendable over pretty much any restaurant in the American lunch/dinner class because of the local ingredients and subtle, refreshing atmosphere. You can walk in and talk to the owners about how their family raised the food you’re about to eat — a perk that’s becoming a priority as modern food culture and food education coalesce.
Lucy’s Restaurant
404 N. Second St., 562-1444 or lucys2st.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.; brunch, Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Prices: Small plates $6 to $12; entrées $10 to $20; lunch $8 to $12; brunch $3 to $10.
