If someone asked me to name my top three favorite restaurants in Richmond, one of them would definitely be Edo's Squid, or Mama Zu, both owned by Ed Vasaio.
Edo's Quid is located at 411 N. Harrison St., near the intersection of Grace & Harrison streets, in the heart of VCU. Over the years I have been to Edo's at least a dozen times, and I would say 98% of the time I have walked away from my table a very satisfied customer. The ambiance is fantastic, the food is excellent, the "feel" of Edo's is without a doubt electrifying, and even though the noise level is high, it is one of Richmond's premier restaurant's. Enough accolades. Let's move on to the review.
I arrived at 12:27 on a Wednesday afternoon, and was seated promptly by a very pleasant waitress who asked for my drink order, and within a few minutes returned with my iced tea and a basket of fresh bread. The bread was exactly how I like it, with a crunchy crust and a nice softness to the bread itself. At 12:33 I placed my order for the "Spaghetti and Clams" ( Linguine is not served) which is priced very reasonably at $10.00, and continued to look over their menu and munch on the great bread. At 12:45 my bowl of Spaghetti and Clams arrived and I was immediately taken by surprise by the amount of broth in my bowl. The broth was heavy on clam juice and oil , as opposed to an oil, butter mixture. There must have been at least three cups, maybe four, of garlic infused broth. I am a large fan of garlic, and I know from previous experience's that Edo's is heavy on the garlic, but this broth was just way too much liquid for the amount of spaghetti that was served. The amount of spaghetti was fine for a lunch portion, but proportionally the broth vs. spaghetti was out of whack. On the positive side, the clams were cooked perfectly, as was the spaghetti, and I counted 10 clams(all in their shells) total in my bowl. The broth did have a nice flavor to it, and I definitely tasted the red pepper flakes, which I thought added to this dish. I would like to know how many garlic cloves are diced into each bowl of Spaghetti and Clams, because it seemed with every bite of pasta I twisted around my fork, there must have been five pieces of garlic.
My overall experience having Spaghetti and Clams at Edo's was fine, but not the "wow" experience I would have expected from this establishment. I would say the best part of the meal was the crunchy bread dipping into the garlic infused broth, and savoring the flavor of the entire mixture in my bowl. What threw me off was not the flavor of the broth, which I thought was very tasty, (albeit too watery), but the amount of the broth.
My search contiunes to find the very best Linguine and Clams in Richmond. Next week I will be visiting La Grotta in Shockoe Slip, to find out if they have what it takes to have the very best Linguine and Clams in Richmond.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Maldini's
The first restaurant I chose to find the very best Linguine and Clams in Richmond was Maldini's, located at 4811 Forest Hill Ave., near the intersection of Forest Hill Ave. and Westover Hills Boulevard, and across the street from O'Toole's restaurant.
Linguine and Clams is one of my all time favorite dishes. As usual, good Linguine and Clams can be found in many places, but great Linguine and Clams are very difficult to find. Many restaurants use canned clams, which in my opinion is a complete cop out, and then you have some places that use entirely too much oil, and not enough fish stock or clam juice. The basic ingredients for Linguine and Clams are, linguine, clams in their shells, butter, oil, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Some people add clam juice, some a little white wine, but the aforementioned ingredients are the most widely used.
Maldini's is owned by the same people that also have Mary Angela's, Prontos's, Mediterraneo's, and maybe a few more I'm missing. But the point is, they should have their Italian cooking down to a science. I went to Maldini's on a Monday afternoon, and with very few patrons present, was seated by a very nice waiter who asked for my drink order and within a few minutes, arrived with my iced tea and a basket of nicely warmed bread with butter, and a sun dried tomato sauce for dipping. The bread was very fresh, and the sun dried tomato sauce went excellent with the warm bread. After 5 minutes or so, my waiter came over and asked for my order, and I told him I would be having the Linguine and Clams. My order went in at 12:05. The cost for the clam dish is $14.95, which comes with bread, iced tea, and a salad, but if you do not want a salad, the price is dropped to $13.95. At that price for lunch, I was really hoping for a spectacular meal.
At 12:41 I saw my waiter coming towards me with my order, and was thrilled to see in front of me a beautiful bowl of linguine, with 18, I kid you not,(I counted them), beautiful little neck clams placed around the edges of the bowl and around the linguine. It was a very nice presentation. More than half of the clams were still in their shell, with the remaining ones mixed in with the linguine and the butter and oil. The linguine was cooked perfectly( al dente) and the clams were not over cooked, which can easily be done with this dish. My complaint, if any at all, was with the amount of oil that was gathered in the bottom of my bowl. Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite things to do, is to take a nice piece of crunchy bread and dip it in the broth mixture at the botton of the bowl, but this was just too much oil, butter combo, and not enough clam juice,broth combo. I also felt there was not nearly enough garlic with this dish. I don't really recall seeing or smelling any garlic, at all. There just needs to be garlic in a dish like this, and if I cannot even smell it, much less taste it,then there needs to be more. The amount of pasta was perfect for lunch, not too much, but just enough to fill you up. I thought this dish could have had a few more pepper flakes included, to notch it up a bit, but that could be a personnel preference.
All in all, a nice bowl of Linguine and Clams. I will definiely go back to Maldini's and try a few of there other dishes. Maldini's has the strong potential of being a very good restaurant, and with this being my first installment to find the very best Linguine and Clams in Richmond, Maldini's started this month off with a bang. Bring on the other restaurants!
I
Linguine and Clams is one of my all time favorite dishes. As usual, good Linguine and Clams can be found in many places, but great Linguine and Clams are very difficult to find. Many restaurants use canned clams, which in my opinion is a complete cop out, and then you have some places that use entirely too much oil, and not enough fish stock or clam juice. The basic ingredients for Linguine and Clams are, linguine, clams in their shells, butter, oil, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Some people add clam juice, some a little white wine, but the aforementioned ingredients are the most widely used.
Maldini's is owned by the same people that also have Mary Angela's, Prontos's, Mediterraneo's, and maybe a few more I'm missing. But the point is, they should have their Italian cooking down to a science. I went to Maldini's on a Monday afternoon, and with very few patrons present, was seated by a very nice waiter who asked for my drink order and within a few minutes, arrived with my iced tea and a basket of nicely warmed bread with butter, and a sun dried tomato sauce for dipping. The bread was very fresh, and the sun dried tomato sauce went excellent with the warm bread. After 5 minutes or so, my waiter came over and asked for my order, and I told him I would be having the Linguine and Clams. My order went in at 12:05. The cost for the clam dish is $14.95, which comes with bread, iced tea, and a salad, but if you do not want a salad, the price is dropped to $13.95. At that price for lunch, I was really hoping for a spectacular meal.
At 12:41 I saw my waiter coming towards me with my order, and was thrilled to see in front of me a beautiful bowl of linguine, with 18, I kid you not,(I counted them), beautiful little neck clams placed around the edges of the bowl and around the linguine. It was a very nice presentation. More than half of the clams were still in their shell, with the remaining ones mixed in with the linguine and the butter and oil. The linguine was cooked perfectly( al dente) and the clams were not over cooked, which can easily be done with this dish. My complaint, if any at all, was with the amount of oil that was gathered in the bottom of my bowl. Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite things to do, is to take a nice piece of crunchy bread and dip it in the broth mixture at the botton of the bowl, but this was just too much oil, butter combo, and not enough clam juice,broth combo. I also felt there was not nearly enough garlic with this dish. I don't really recall seeing or smelling any garlic, at all. There just needs to be garlic in a dish like this, and if I cannot even smell it, much less taste it,then there needs to be more. The amount of pasta was perfect for lunch, not too much, but just enough to fill you up. I thought this dish could have had a few more pepper flakes included, to notch it up a bit, but that could be a personnel preference.
All in all, a nice bowl of Linguine and Clams. I will definiely go back to Maldini's and try a few of there other dishes. Maldini's has the strong potential of being a very good restaurant, and with this being my first installment to find the very best Linguine and Clams in Richmond, Maldini's started this month off with a bang. Bring on the other restaurants!
I
Monday, October 10, 2011
October; Linguine & Clams
The four restaurants I have chosen this month to find the very best Linguine and Clams in Richmond are;
1) Edo's Squid / Mamma 'Zu
2) Maldini's
3) La Grotta
4) Angela's Ristorante
1) Edo's Squid / Mamma 'Zu
2) Maldini's
3) La Grotta
4) Angela's Ristorante
Friday, October 7, 2011
Boychik's Deli
My fourth and final restaurant to find the very best Reuben sandwich in Richmond was Boychik's Deli, located at 4024 Cox Rd. in Glen Allen.
Never having been to Boychik"s, I had no idea what to expect from this long time Glen Allen restaurant. I was greeted by a friendly face at the door who lead me to my table and handed me their menu. Shortly thereafter a very pleasant waitress came over and asked if I was ready to order, which I was, and told her I would be having the Reuben sandwich with an iced tea. She responded that their Reuben was the best in Richmond, to which I said, I am looking forward to finding out. My order was put in at 11:58 AM.
Before I could finish reading the "obits" my Reuben arrived at 12:06. Someone please tell me how a Reuben sandwich can arrive from time of order, to delivery of plate in eight minutes? Having said that, the Reuben placed in front of me was a very nice looking sandwich. The corned beef was piled high to around an inch and a half, and the swiss cheese was nicely melted over the entire sandwich. The sauerkraut had a very nice flavor and was the perfect amount so as not to overload the Reuben. The rye bread was toasted to just the right crunch, and the Russiaan dressing was conservatively added to the sandwich. This sandwich comes with chips and a dill pickle, and is priced at $8.50.
What set this Reuben apart from all the others was how lean Boychik's Deli corned beef was. It literally melted in your mouth. I have never tasted such wonderful corned beef. Not only was this a very nice looking sandwich, but if you couple that with how lean the corned beef was, and add the flavor of the sauerkrat, the swiss cheese and the dressing, all on a nicely toasted piece of rye bread, this Reuben is hard to beat.
After having been to four restaurants in the Richmond area trying to find the very best Reuben sandwich, in my opinion the best one was from Boychik's Deli. When I took into account the amount of corned beef on each sandwich, and the other ingredents invovled in making a Reuben, and of course the taste of each, the winner was Boychik's. I would recommend this Reuben to my friends from up north. The second best was Chiocca's, which I beleive if they had any consistency in making there sandwich's, could be a strong contender as the very best in Richmond. My third choice was The NewYork Deli, who made a good sandwich, but just lacked that special something that makes some sandwiches better than others. My least favorite was Coppola's. With maybe two piece's of corned beef on their sandwich, it was an easy decision to have them at the bottom of my list.
Well Ricmond, there you have it. In my opinion the best Reuben goes to Boychik's Deli. Visit us in October to find out who has the very best Linguine and clams.
Never having been to Boychik"s, I had no idea what to expect from this long time Glen Allen restaurant. I was greeted by a friendly face at the door who lead me to my table and handed me their menu. Shortly thereafter a very pleasant waitress came over and asked if I was ready to order, which I was, and told her I would be having the Reuben sandwich with an iced tea. She responded that their Reuben was the best in Richmond, to which I said, I am looking forward to finding out. My order was put in at 11:58 AM.
Before I could finish reading the "obits" my Reuben arrived at 12:06. Someone please tell me how a Reuben sandwich can arrive from time of order, to delivery of plate in eight minutes? Having said that, the Reuben placed in front of me was a very nice looking sandwich. The corned beef was piled high to around an inch and a half, and the swiss cheese was nicely melted over the entire sandwich. The sauerkraut had a very nice flavor and was the perfect amount so as not to overload the Reuben. The rye bread was toasted to just the right crunch, and the Russiaan dressing was conservatively added to the sandwich. This sandwich comes with chips and a dill pickle, and is priced at $8.50.
What set this Reuben apart from all the others was how lean Boychik's Deli corned beef was. It literally melted in your mouth. I have never tasted such wonderful corned beef. Not only was this a very nice looking sandwich, but if you couple that with how lean the corned beef was, and add the flavor of the sauerkrat, the swiss cheese and the dressing, all on a nicely toasted piece of rye bread, this Reuben is hard to beat.
After having been to four restaurants in the Richmond area trying to find the very best Reuben sandwich, in my opinion the best one was from Boychik's Deli. When I took into account the amount of corned beef on each sandwich, and the other ingredents invovled in making a Reuben, and of course the taste of each, the winner was Boychik's. I would recommend this Reuben to my friends from up north. The second best was Chiocca's, which I beleive if they had any consistency in making there sandwich's, could be a strong contender as the very best in Richmond. My third choice was The NewYork Deli, who made a good sandwich, but just lacked that special something that makes some sandwiches better than others. My least favorite was Coppola's. With maybe two piece's of corned beef on their sandwich, it was an easy decision to have them at the bottom of my list.
Well Ricmond, there you have it. In my opinion the best Reuben goes to Boychik's Deli. Visit us in October to find out who has the very best Linguine and clams.
Chiocca's
The third restaurant I chose to find the very best Reuben sandwich in Richmond was Chiocca's, located at 425 N. Belmont Ave., near Benedictine High School.
Although I have been to Chiocca's many times over the past 20 -30 years, I had never ordered a Reuben sandwich, mostly because my sandwich of choice there has always been the Pastrimi and cheese. One thing I do know about Chiocca's, is that while the wait staff is good, the time it takes to receive your sandwich can easily be 30 - 45 minutes. And one other thing I've learned over the years about this restaurant, is whoever is making the sandwiches that particular day, plays an extremly important role. I have ordered a Pastrimi and cheese from one sandwich maker and it is piled " 2" high with beautiful pastrimi and the next time I go, a different sandwich maker is there and my pastrimi is maybe "1/2" high. Not alot of consistency.
At exactly 12:32 PM, I order my Reuben and ice tea from a very pleasant waitress, and begin my expected wait of 30 minutes for my sandwich. Waiting at Chiocca's is not at all painful for me, because i enjoy the character of this place tremendously, and do not find the wait unbearable. I normally bring a book or the morning paper with me to pass the time, or just watch the real characters that flow through this retro throw back deli.
They were rather busy for a Tuesday afternoon, so I was surprised when my Reuben was placed in front of me at 12: 55, not the 30 -40 minute wait I expected. At first glance this sandwich looks absolutlely great. The bread was nicely toasted with a bit of char around the edges, and the swiss cheese was oozing out of the sandwich which also had a few burnt marks on the sides. This sandwich is served with chips, a kosher dill spear, and a few sweet pickles, and is priced at $9.50. The thickness of this Reuben was around 1 inch, maybe "1 1/4" inchs, if I'm being generous. I was somewhat disappointed in the toughness of the corned beef. I must say it was not as lean as I would have liked it, but it did have a nice texture to it, and the sauerkraut was a big winner. The russian dressing was tasty, with just the right amount added.
As I mentioned earlier, it can be a hit or miss situation with whomever the sandwich maker is. On this particular afternoon, I think whoever was behind the counter making the sandwiches was the sandwich maker who makes them alittle less thick than his cohort. Don't get me wrong, it was a good sandwich, and I would definitly go back to Chiocca's, but I really want to go when the "stack'em high" sandwich maker is making them. I guess I need to start paying more attention to who is making the sandwich's. There also seems to be a link between the thickness of the Reuben and how well the entire sandwich is prepared. If it comes out "2" inches thick, then I know the sandwich placed in front of me will have the swiss cheese melted perfectly, and the bread nice and toasted.
I would say my Reuben at Chiocca's was a good sandwich, not great, but certainly good enough too warrent another visit. I would give this Reuben a B, maybe a B+. My search continues for the very best Reuben sandwich in Richmond.
Although I have been to Chiocca's many times over the past 20 -30 years, I had never ordered a Reuben sandwich, mostly because my sandwich of choice there has always been the Pastrimi and cheese. One thing I do know about Chiocca's, is that while the wait staff is good, the time it takes to receive your sandwich can easily be 30 - 45 minutes. And one other thing I've learned over the years about this restaurant, is whoever is making the sandwiches that particular day, plays an extremly important role. I have ordered a Pastrimi and cheese from one sandwich maker and it is piled " 2" high with beautiful pastrimi and the next time I go, a different sandwich maker is there and my pastrimi is maybe "1/2" high. Not alot of consistency.
At exactly 12:32 PM, I order my Reuben and ice tea from a very pleasant waitress, and begin my expected wait of 30 minutes for my sandwich. Waiting at Chiocca's is not at all painful for me, because i enjoy the character of this place tremendously, and do not find the wait unbearable. I normally bring a book or the morning paper with me to pass the time, or just watch the real characters that flow through this retro throw back deli.
They were rather busy for a Tuesday afternoon, so I was surprised when my Reuben was placed in front of me at 12: 55, not the 30 -40 minute wait I expected. At first glance this sandwich looks absolutlely great. The bread was nicely toasted with a bit of char around the edges, and the swiss cheese was oozing out of the sandwich which also had a few burnt marks on the sides. This sandwich is served with chips, a kosher dill spear, and a few sweet pickles, and is priced at $9.50. The thickness of this Reuben was around 1 inch, maybe "1 1/4" inchs, if I'm being generous. I was somewhat disappointed in the toughness of the corned beef. I must say it was not as lean as I would have liked it, but it did have a nice texture to it, and the sauerkraut was a big winner. The russian dressing was tasty, with just the right amount added.
As I mentioned earlier, it can be a hit or miss situation with whomever the sandwich maker is. On this particular afternoon, I think whoever was behind the counter making the sandwiches was the sandwich maker who makes them alittle less thick than his cohort. Don't get me wrong, it was a good sandwich, and I would definitly go back to Chiocca's, but I really want to go when the "stack'em high" sandwich maker is making them. I guess I need to start paying more attention to who is making the sandwich's. There also seems to be a link between the thickness of the Reuben and how well the entire sandwich is prepared. If it comes out "2" inches thick, then I know the sandwich placed in front of me will have the swiss cheese melted perfectly, and the bread nice and toasted.
I would say my Reuben at Chiocca's was a good sandwich, not great, but certainly good enough too warrent another visit. I would give this Reuben a B, maybe a B+. My search continues for the very best Reuben sandwich in Richmond.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The New York Deli
My second restaurant to try and find the very best Reuben sandwich in Richmond was The New York Deli.
I arrived at noon on a very rainy Tuesday to an almost empty restaurant, with the exception of one two top.
Upon inspection of the menu(even though I already know I'm ordering the Reuben, I pretend to scan the menu), my very responsive waiter asked for my drink order. Within a few minutes he returns with my water and I order my Reuben.
New York Deli's Reuben(NYDR) is priced at $9.50 and comes with a choice of sides ranging from cole slaw to french fries. My Reuben arrived in under ten minutes(I always become suspicious when something I ordered is prepared and served so quickly), and I was happy to see a great looking sandwich placed in front of me. NYDR is comprised of pastrami, corned beef, swiss cheese,chedder cheese,and sauerkraut, all on rye bread, with Russian dressing served on the side. I ordered the cole slaw as my side which was very good, with just the right amount of crunch to the cabbage and not to much mayo. The pastrami and corned beef were piled high to around an inch, inch and a half, with the swiss cheese nicely melted and oozing from the bread. I chose to hold the chedder from my sandwich so I can evenly compare the four Reuben's I will be tasting, and to have some form of consistency. The rye bread was nicely toasted and the sauerkraut added a nice balance to the whole sandwich. Not a tremendous amount of flavor to the sauerkraut, but it did help lift the sandwich abit. I felt the Russian dressing was to thin and very bland, and needed alittle "kick" in it to put this sandwich a step closer to making it better.
All in all, the sandwich looked great, the meat was piled fairly high, the bread was toasted well ,but still not toasted enough for me, the cheese was melted nicely, the sauerkraut and dressing could have been more tasty, but their was just that "something" that was missing. After considerable thought, i finally put my finger on why this Reuben was not doing it for me. It was just another regular sandwich on a plate. It looked good, it tasted fine, but fine is not what I'm after. I am in search of the very best Reuben in Richmond. And I just don't think this is it. I feel I'm getting closer to finding it, but I think their's room for improvement.
My search continues for the very best Reuben sandwich in Richmond.
I arrived at noon on a very rainy Tuesday to an almost empty restaurant, with the exception of one two top.
Upon inspection of the menu(even though I already know I'm ordering the Reuben, I pretend to scan the menu), my very responsive waiter asked for my drink order. Within a few minutes he returns with my water and I order my Reuben.
New York Deli's Reuben(NYDR) is priced at $9.50 and comes with a choice of sides ranging from cole slaw to french fries. My Reuben arrived in under ten minutes(I always become suspicious when something I ordered is prepared and served so quickly), and I was happy to see a great looking sandwich placed in front of me. NYDR is comprised of pastrami, corned beef, swiss cheese,chedder cheese,and sauerkraut, all on rye bread, with Russian dressing served on the side. I ordered the cole slaw as my side which was very good, with just the right amount of crunch to the cabbage and not to much mayo. The pastrami and corned beef were piled high to around an inch, inch and a half, with the swiss cheese nicely melted and oozing from the bread. I chose to hold the chedder from my sandwich so I can evenly compare the four Reuben's I will be tasting, and to have some form of consistency. The rye bread was nicely toasted and the sauerkraut added a nice balance to the whole sandwich. Not a tremendous amount of flavor to the sauerkraut, but it did help lift the sandwich abit. I felt the Russian dressing was to thin and very bland, and needed alittle "kick" in it to put this sandwich a step closer to making it better.
All in all, the sandwich looked great, the meat was piled fairly high, the bread was toasted well ,but still not toasted enough for me, the cheese was melted nicely, the sauerkraut and dressing could have been more tasty, but their was just that "something" that was missing. After considerable thought, i finally put my finger on why this Reuben was not doing it for me. It was just another regular sandwich on a plate. It looked good, it tasted fine, but fine is not what I'm after. I am in search of the very best Reuben in Richmond. And I just don't think this is it. I feel I'm getting closer to finding it, but I think their's room for improvement.
My search continues for the very best Reuben sandwich in Richmond.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Coppola's
The first restaurant I chose on my list to find the best Reuben sandwich in Richmond was Coppola's.
Having been to Coppola's many times to eat their fantastic hero sandwich, I was looking very forward to trying their Reuben.
I arrived for lunch around noon on a Wednesday, and without any wait, ordered my Reuben, pulled a root beer from the cooler, and grabbed a table outside. In twelve minutes my Reuben arrived. My first impression was that the rye bread had not been grilled anywhere close to the Reuben's I've had over the years. As I picked up my Reuben, I immediately noticed the corned beef, or lack their of I should say, on my sandwich. Maybe, just maybe, their were three pieces of corned beef between the bread. I was tremendously disappointed in the thickness of this Reuben, and the bread. The bread became alittle soggy after a few minutes because their was too much dressing near the bread, and not enough crunch to the bread.
What I can say good about Copploa's Reuben is that their sauerkraut was very tasty, with an after bite of sweetness, and their russian dressing had a nice flavor to it, but too much of it was spread. My visit to Coppola's to eat their Reuben I must say was a disappointment.
My opinion on Coppola's Reuben sandwich is that they need to increase the amount of corned beef to their sandwich by triple at the very least, and grill the rye bread for several more minutes. For $7.50, this sandwich is just not the worth the price. I think their customers would be willing to pay an exrta few bucks to have a better Reuben. Next time I go to Coppola's, I'm sticking to their hero's.
Having been to Coppola's many times to eat their fantastic hero sandwich, I was looking very forward to trying their Reuben.
I arrived for lunch around noon on a Wednesday, and without any wait, ordered my Reuben, pulled a root beer from the cooler, and grabbed a table outside. In twelve minutes my Reuben arrived. My first impression was that the rye bread had not been grilled anywhere close to the Reuben's I've had over the years. As I picked up my Reuben, I immediately noticed the corned beef, or lack their of I should say, on my sandwich. Maybe, just maybe, their were three pieces of corned beef between the bread. I was tremendously disappointed in the thickness of this Reuben, and the bread. The bread became alittle soggy after a few minutes because their was too much dressing near the bread, and not enough crunch to the bread.
What I can say good about Copploa's Reuben is that their sauerkraut was very tasty, with an after bite of sweetness, and their russian dressing had a nice flavor to it, but too much of it was spread. My visit to Coppola's to eat their Reuben I must say was a disappointment.
My opinion on Coppola's Reuben sandwich is that they need to increase the amount of corned beef to their sandwich by triple at the very least, and grill the rye bread for several more minutes. For $7.50, this sandwich is just not the worth the price. I think their customers would be willing to pay an exrta few bucks to have a better Reuben. Next time I go to Coppola's, I'm sticking to their hero's.
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