If I have any regrets about quitting this blog (there are lots, actually), one of them would be that I haven’t yet been to Selba, Enoteca Sogno, lunch at The Citizen, Lehja or Mama J’s with Karen, Asian Galaxy, Mas Tapas in CVille, Mediterranean Brick Oven, or Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Noodle Soup House on Brook Road. I still hope to try those places (if we can find a sitter) but I’m gonna miss the show and tell experience that blogging and tweeting afforded me.

I never meant for my blog to be about restaurants, and maybe wishful thinking here, but I hope it ultimately wasn’t. It’s like that saying, “Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people.” Philosophically, I wanted to talk about ideas, but I often settled for ‘things,’ like new places to buy food. The people and their businesses usually weren’t really what I wanted to be involved with. Except, I often liked restaurants (and sometimes the people too) and wanted to spread the word (failing to articulately split hairs here). And in the case of those places listed above, I’ve got a good feeling, or feel some affinity, and I’m sad I won’t get a chance to send the 15 Caramelized OpiNIONS readers out there to follow up on my recommendations.

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Go.

Jenna Sneed says she sees a growing number of customers coming to her restaurant, Fresca on Addison, looking for lunch or dinner that won’t kill them. Never mind that Sneed’s focus is on a cuisine that hasn’t killed any animals, she’s witnessing a growing demand comprised of health consciousness customers who’re following their doctor’s orders. Often, they’ve just read because they’ve read the Dr. Caldwell’s bestselling Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and they’re agreeing to eliminate animal products from their diet. Making dietary choices on the advice of their doctors, isn’t new, but now more than ever, cardiologists are contributing to a critical reevaluation of our personal and collective consumption.

The message of a plant-based diet is echoed elsewhere in mainstream media and the marketplace. Healthy, local, and sustainable are all over the media and on everyone’s lips, giving the impression of a paradigm shifting popularity level and a change in society’s consciousness. But part of that new analysis isn’t getting adopted: The specific conclusion that many of our best and brightest food thinkers seem to have reached is that we need to eat less meat, if not abandon animal products all together. The arguments they make are increasingly sane and reasonable, and the prescription is often delicious. And yet, it doesn’t seem like that message has broken the habits of your average diner (or you reading this, or me writing this) and certainly not the food industry which seems to be responding with a rebellious middle finger. (more…)

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I find Sebadoh’s ballad’s more beautiful than sad, though Lou Barlow can come across as a self-obsessed drama queen. This song isn’t exactly my story, but I might occasionally identify with a line or two in there. If you do find the song morose (I don’t), try this one on for size to cleanse your palate.

When one of Karen’s upcycled furniture customers gave her a gift certificate for The Empress, I crossed my fingers that she’d take me with her for dinner.  I’ve come a long way in my regard for The Empress. Hearing numerous friends rave about the food, the service, the coffee and the specialty lemon-aides definitely made me curious.  Seeing them opening early and staying that way until late, it seemed pretty clear that they’re working hard to take advantage of every opportunity to earn customers’ repeat business.  It was tough to reconcile The Empress’ image from the one I’d constructed in my mind while trying to tell the story of developer and fraud, Justin French, pushing Enoteca Sogno out of his rental property where you now find The Empress.  And, when I finally did see The Empress for myself, I found a romantic restaurant with conscientious cuisine, and a genuinely warm and welcoming owner in Melissa Barlow.

Of the two starters, or small plates, the scallops were possibly too delicious.  The bed of sauteed leeks, along with the well seared and slightly sweet scallops, set such a high bar.  I mean, where could the meal go from here?  It even compelled me to email the man who cooked it, Aaron Hoskins, asking him to confess to putting some kind of bacon in the pan before serving it (ok. I did email him. (more…)

For those of you who missed the Portuguese wine tasting at The Empress, there’s still time to play along at home (and Genevelyn will likely have more, maybe at C’est La Vin in Shockoe Bottom). If you’re looking to pick up bottles from that event, The Empress has got’em.  But, for big box shoppers, there’s not really a great selection at Total Wine. If you’re a Kroger grocery person, you’re out of luck for Portugal’s wine. The wine guy in Carytown’s store says they only have Vinho Verde, no reds (and that I’m the second person to ask him in seven years). He also added that River City Cellars would surely have Portuguese Reds, and shop owner, Julia, confirms it.

Across the fan, in Strawberry Town, that one block of boutiques Strawberry Street Vineyards are a good source for Portuguese bottles. If you don’t see the right away, check the end of the Spanish section (probably the case with a lot of wine shops).  These range from $10-15.  Not the bargain basement buys that drew me to Portuguese wines, but well within most casual drinkers’ range.

In the wooden boxes on the ground on the right side of the store, Strawberry Street Vineyard shows off the bottles that they believe are great values.  This bottle has a nice looking label and the tasting notes/hype are appealing.  They’re almost out. Any of you tried it?

On the $6.99 rack (or 3/$20, I think), SSV carries a few from Portugal.  If you’re gambling on bargain bottles, these probably won’t be a complete waste of money. I would have bought one of each, but I need to make room in my wine rack to accommodate them (damn sober January).  Any pals wanna help me with this? Come over and distract the kids while I make dinner, and I’ll pour the wine.

While on Strawberry Street, pop into 8.5 and pick up some Caputo’s double-zero flour for your pizza dough, some plum tomatoes for your sauce (yes, they have San Marzano’s too), and a bag of Blanchard’s MammaZu blend coffee. It says “the one and only,” which seems like a backhanded reference to Rostov’s Mamma Zu coffee, which I’m assuming isn’t available anymore, or maybe not Ed Vassaio endorsed? I dunno. This stuff is muy fuerte.  Kinda like asking Ed a dumb question when he’s working: Not for the timid.

Back to Kroger… Despite not having any Portugues red wine, they were flush with Chilean stuff, another area known for its quality price ratio. Santa Rita is a brand name I hear a lot, but haven’t tried. Their entry level stuff, 120s, was on sale when I passed through. Though I didn’t pick up any bottles, it was tempting. The reviews online aren’t great or terrible. Any of you tried these?

I didn’t mean to upload this picture to the blog, but here it is. Maybe this unrelated item would actually make a good pairing, and thus it’s a happy accident. On my first trip to the Big Apple Supermercado way out on Jeff Davis Hwy, I spied cans of tomatillos. Immediately, I thought of a green pizza sauce. Next thing you know, I’ve got the can along with Queso de Oaxaca (aka: Mexican mozzarella), and some cilantro for the sauce. Back home, I whipped up a salsa verde, spread it on pizza dough, topped it with way too much of the queso, some Trader Joe’s soy chorizo, some frijoles negros for color contrast and to proclaim “pizza latina,” and lastly a bit of pineapple so I’d be able to call this monster Pizza al Pastor.  I thought it was delicious.

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Sorry this post is extra sloppy, without hot links, and less than cohesive. Just getting things out of the draft folder before closing up the blog for good.

Lunch special at The Phoenician: Falafel, spinach and feta fatayer (pie), fattoush salad, and a great lemon tahini sauce (not pictured).

Before eating at Rocoto Chicken in El Jardin Market on W. Broad, you are presented with a serving of fried cracked corn kernels.  Stay for the… everything else.

These two bottles of wine were given to Karen as a Christmas bonus. We’re assuming they’re beyond our usual spending limit. Looking forward to a night when we have dinner after the kids are asleep and we can kick back and enjoy the juice.

I couldn’t convince Jasper that he looks extremely handsome in the hat I’d just bought him on clearance for $0.97.

These fishes jockied for my attention on Christmas Eve. The bug-eyed guy and one of his friends came home with me and were turned into pescada Veracruzana. They’re “pink snappers” from a sea-food shop on Belt Boulevard.

Snazzy labels could be just the enticement you need to start using Kecap Manis sweet soy sauce. Tan-A has the un-snazzy bottles, but these were on a shelf in the little Asian store by Maldini’s on Forrest Hill Ave.

I forgive Family Thrift Center for their unsafe carts, since they’ve provided Emerson with a light-saber and me with a 1972 cookbook by Diane Kennedy.

Our pug, Frankie, loves to bask in the sun on this glider. Occasionally, he falls asleep. Even less frequently, there’s a pillow handy. (not a full-sized basketball, by the way)

IThis is the best tres leche cake I’ve ever had. My coworker lived in Mexico for 25 years and now she brings one of these to every party the office throws. Actually, I just left that job. The cake might be the thing I’ll miss the most.

Feel free to pretend that Jasper is connecting with Picasso in this picture. I asked him to look at it. He did. I asked him what he sees in the picture. “Nothing.”

The Family Peace Festival took place in Byrd Park this past year. I’d always wondered what the event was like. Turns out, it’s awesome. The music, the food vendors, the kids activities and crafts. Don’t miss it next year, Richmond.

I wanted to conclude with a picture of my beautiful wife, but they’ve all got kids stealing the scene. There’s a new priority for me: take more pictures of Karen.  This one captures her ascending the steps of the National Museum of Art with Jasper in tow.