Editor's note: Gersi is currently offering curbside pickup and delivery service Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram for updates.
Tagliatelle Bolognese
The menu at Richmond’s Gersi is almost identical to the dishes at its Brooklyn outpost, and once you start ordering, it’s clear that this is a good thing: Since its first inception, Gersi has had ample time to figure out what it does well, and perfect it. Dishes are simple: classic, grilled polenta with prosciutto and fennel, chicken with roasted tomatoes and rosemary, ragu with rigatoni.
The bar at Gersi
Inside, the vibe is laid-back and casual, a cozy room with soft lights. Not quite so dim that you need a flashlight passed around with the menu, but dim in a romantic way. The space, housed in a building dating to the 1930s and accented with dark wood and damask wallpaper, fosters a sort of warm informality; you can hear the music from the kitchen occasionally intermingling with the more considered playlist intended for customers, and the napkins are paper, not cloth. I enjoyed the relaxed feel, although if you’re looking for a more ceremonious white-tablecloth experience, this is not it.
There is a small but solid cocktail menu to start the evening. Spring weather calls for one of the restaurant’s giant Aperol spritzes, a fizzy, light refresher made with Aperol, prosecco and soda, served in a comically large goblet over ice. Or try the Gersi Manhattan, their version of a Black Manhattan with bourbon, amaro and orange bitters. There is a varied list of mostly Italian wines, too, with 14 of them available by the glass, as well as a few options for beer lovers — when we were there, Brooklyn Lager, the Italian lager Peroni and Alewerks’ Superb IPA. You’ll definitely want something to sip alongside the ramekin of garlicky cannellini beans and crusty bread that arrives at the beginning of every meal. Flecked with Italian parsley and red pepper flakes and swimming in golden olive oil, this starter is somehow delicate, spicy and rich all at the same time.
Fennel and citrus salad with bread and cannellini beans
The classic bruschetta we ordered as an appetizer was satisfying, but it was our least favorite of the dishes we tried; if it calls to you, skip the tomato and basil option until the start of tomato season and try the mushroom, garlic or pate-laden versions on lightly grilled bread. But for my money, I’d save room for the other offerings on the menu.
By way of example, the fennel and citrus salad is a tangle of paper-thin fennel slices, pomegranate seeds and juicy segments of grapefruit and orange. So fresh and bright, it almost eclipsed the rest of the meal — almost.
Spaghetti al limone
At least one diner at your table must try one of the housemade pastas, such as spaghetti al limone with fresh lemon and Parmesan, tagliatelle Bolognese, or the classic penne pomodoro, along with occasional specials like orecchiette with broccoli rabe and Italian sausage. The orecchiette was our choice on a recent dinner visit, the hint of bitterness from the broccoli rabe playing perfectly off the rich sausage, everything melding together into a creamy, savory winner of an entree.
The chicken parmigiana — also a special — was the Platonic ideal of the classic: tender chicken and crisp breading laden with melty cheese and plenty of tangy tomato sauce, served with spaghetti pomodoro. Here’s hoping it makes regular appearances.
For dessert, the panna cotta was sweet, smooth and luscious, barely held together by gelatin. It was diminished by the thick glop of chocolate sauce that arrived to top it tableside, which I found to be overkill, but I acknowledge that there are some people for whom dessert is not dessert without chocolate. (My dining companion is one of them.)
Panna cotta
Brunch is good but not particularly notable; dinner is where Gersi really shines. Nevertheless, if you’ve got a hankering for their food on a Sunday morning, you’ll find a menu of sturdy classics and good coffee. They do a fine eggs Benedict with perfectly runny eggs, a slice of salty prosciutto and a toasty English muffin, while their saucy, tomato-y baked eggs ragu comes with plenty of meatballs and sausage.
Service at Gersi can vary from extraordinary to a little forgetful; I’m not sure at this point that it would deliver on a special-night-out kind of experience. But if what you’re seeking is a casual date night, a place to meet with friends or simply a solid plate of pasta, you’ll leave Gersi happy.
4 out of 5 stars
805 N. Davis Ave.
804-358-0181
$3.50 to $23.95
