The Best of RVA...According to Jules - Part 1

Hello and happy Friday, y'all! :)  In light of Style Weekly's Best of Richmond Readers' Poll 2013 coming out this week (you should totally follow the link and cast your votes, btw), I decided it would be fun to start my own "The Best of RVA...According to Jules" series.  With Valentine's Day on the horizon, I figured it would be appropriate to start off with The Best Date Night Spots/Romantic Restaurants in RVA...According to Jules.  However, if you have been procrastinating and haven't made your Valentine's Day dinner reservations yet, you better head straight over to Open Table and snatch up the best one you can find...You'll be lucky to find many options before 8:30 at this point, and many of the popular restaurants are already booked solid for the entire evening, so don't delay another minute!

So, here are my absolute favorite Richmond date night spots to enjoy with that very special someone, a potential special someone, or even a girls night out with your besties!  In no particular order, because they're all at the top of my list and I'm much too indecisive to actually be able to rank them...

1. Can Can Brasserie - Carytown
2. Bistro Bobette - Shockoe Slip
3. The Tobacco Company Restaurant - Shockoe Slip
4. Julep's New Southern Cuisine - Shockoe Bottom
5. Portico - Far West End
6. Stella's - West End
7. The Melting Pot - Far West End
8. Enoteca Sogno - Northside
9. Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel - Downtown
10. The Water Grill - Carytown
11. Umi Sushi Bistro - Short Pump
12. Ginger Thai Taste - Carytown
13. The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing - Rocketts Landing (imagine that!)
14. Selba - The Fan
15. Bonvenu - Carytown

And if you manage to save room for dessert after a delicious dinner at one of the above establishments, but would prefer to enjoy a sweet treat with your sweetie at a different venue, let me recommend my favorite dessert shops:

• Shyndigz - This is not your typical bakery...it's a "cake cafe."  What's not to love about that?!  They sell cake and other desserts by the slice, but the slices are massive, so plan to share (which makes it that much more romantic anyway, right? ;)  My personal favorite menu item is the Abbey's Crack Pie...let's just say it lives up to its name...each bite makes you crave another and another! Sooo yummy! And as the polka-dotted facade of the shop should imply, the inside is also absolutely adorable and a perfect setting for a cozy date :)
• Boyer's Ice Cream & Coffee - Just a few doors over from Shyndigz, if you are craving ice cream or milkshakes, go here! Order the Salted Caramel Milkshake....don't ask questions, just do it. You will not be disappointed (unless you don't like caramel or something, then I suggest going for Cake Batter. Heck, you really can't go wrong with any flavor you choose here!
• Sweet Frog - As if you didn't see that one coming...I mean, really :P  Everyone's favorite fro-yo shop...okay, more specifically my favorite fro-yo shop...and by favorite what I really mean is I'm addicted to it...

Of course, as much as I enjoy eating out and trying new restaurants, there are still plenty of Richmond establishments that I have not yet experienced.  Based on rave reviews from others, as well as their upstanding reputations among Richmonders in general, here are some restaurants that I cannot personally vouch for yet, but are on my list of restaurants to try:

• Acacia
• Arcadia
• Avalon
• Avenue 805
• Azzurro
• Bistro 27
• Eurasia Cafe & Wine Bar
• Heritage (formerly Six Burner)
• 525 at the Berry Burk
• Mansion Five26
• Tastebuds American Bistro

This is by no means a complete list, so if I inadvertently missed your fave date-night spot, please feel free to share your recommendation(s) below in the comment section!  Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next segment of "The Best of RVA...According to Jules!"  Next topic is still TBD, but requests/suggestions are welcomed! :)

Have a fabulous weekend, y'all!

Mashed "Cauli-tatoes"

In light of the impending "snow storm" last evening, we cancelled our weekly Young Professionals LIFE Group/Bible Study.  So, not wanting to be out in the yucky weather with a less than reliable car, I went straight home after work (a very rare occurrence for me!), and thus actually had time to cook for the 2nd night in a row! I honestly don't remember the last time that happened...

Anyway, for dinner on Wednesday, I tried a new recipe that I found online for my favorite Indian dish, Navrattan Korma....I was super excited about it, but as with many cooking experiments, it failed to meet my high expectations and turned out just "meh" instead of knock-your-socks-off delicious. So, it was edible, but not worthy of a blog post until I do some serious tweaking...stay tuned for that new and improved recipe at a later date. :)

However, all was not lost, as that experiment left me with extra ingredients that needed to be used, including half a head of cauliflower, gold potatoes, and half & half (fat-free, of course ;)  I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of eating raw cauliflower...even drenched in hummus, ranch dressing, or the like, there's just something about the texture that I don't enjoy. However, cooked cauliflower, in the right dish, is a different story. Thus, I decided to create my own version of mashed cauliflower that would use up some of my leftover ingredients....ladies and gents, I present to you my recipe for "Mashed Cauli-Tatoes!" :)

Mashed Cauli-Tatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large head of cauliflower, broken into small florets (You can totally use an entire head of cauliflower for this recipe and omit the potatoes OR use both and wind up with extra servings of Cauli-Tatoes :)...I will most likely go that route the next time I make this, but again, I was just using up the ingredients that I had on hand)
• 2 large gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tsp. crushed garlic (I was lazy and used the kind from a jar, which works totally fine...however, if you use roasted garlic, I'm sure that would make this dish even better!)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper (To be honest, I never actually measure out pepper...I just grind it directly into the mixing bowl and stop when I think I've added enough. I accidentally went a little crazy with the white pepper, but I am a huge fan of pepper in general, so it just added extra deliciousness in my opinion :)  So, the 1/2 tsp is just a guesstimate of what I think would probably be ideal...but I'm pretty sure I used more than that)
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1-2 shakes Butter Buds sprinkles
• 1/4 cup (fat-free) Half & Half
• 2/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (reduced-fat)
• 2 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream (if desired)

Directions:
Pour veggie broth into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add cauliflower florets and potatoes. Cook on medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, or until tender.

Remove from heat and drain off 1/4 cup of the veggie broth and disgard (unless you used a full head of cauliflower AND the potatoes, in which case you can ignore this step).

Add garlic, black pepper, white pepper, parsley, Butter Buds, and half & half.

Blend on medium speed with a hand mixer until smooth.

Purple nail polish is optional, although I highly recommend it! ;)

Add cheddar and parmesan cheeses. Blend on low speed until cheese is incorporated.

And voila!!! Yummy, creamy, cheesy CAULI-TATOES!!!! :D

I know, I know...the idea that I'm wearing a Harvard shirt is laughable...however,  I bought it as a souvenir when my close friend Avie, her fiance Brian, and I visited Boston and walked around the campus one afternoon last spring. I thought the irony of it would make for a fun conversation starter :)

Taste testing...

...and it meets the chef's approval!

Hope some of you will try out my Cauli-Tatoes recipe and share your results and tweaks with me!  Have a wonderful and sun-shiney weekend, y'all! :)

Snowed/Iced In After Christmas

Hello friends!  I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!  I have finally returned from my 4 month sabbatical from blogging!  It's about time, huh?!  Yes, I have been a total slacker when it comes to taking time to post about my dining/cooking experiences, but I can assure you that my absence certainly did not stem from any lack of eating out! (Sorry Mom! Hahaha :P).  Life has been super busy, but mostly a good kind of busy!  And now a snow/ice/wintry mix storm has forced me to cancel breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans with good friends today, so alas I am stuck inside with no place to go...so, what better time to catch up on my blogging?  There's no better time than the present, I suppose!

So, let's start with a recap of some of the awesome meals/restaurants that I've experienced over the past 4 months since my last post...

DECO Ristorante in the Fan, Richmond, VA
Sept. 17, 2012

Vegetarian lentil dish over injera - Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant, Harrisonburg, VA
October 12, 2012

Appetizer: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup w/ gingersnap
Julep's New Southern Cuisine, Richmond, VA
October 23, 2012

Entree: Pimiento Mac & Cheese w/ mushrooms, asparagus, & spinach
Julep's New Southern Cuisine, Richmond, VA
October 23, 2012

As if the soup and mac & cheese weren't already filling enough...delicious White and Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Anglaise for dessert! :)
Julep's New Southern Cuisine, Richmond, VA
October 23, 2012

Penne a la Vodka - Portico Restaurant & Bar, Richmond, VA
November 2, 2012

Veggie Lasagna entree w/ Housemade Guacamole appetizer
Toast New American Gastropub, Richmond, VA
December 7, 2012

Local Wheatberry & Couscous Cakes w/ basil aioli, Sweet Potato Risotto, and the infamously delicious Chevre Mac & Cheese
LOCAL Chop & Grill House, Harrisonburg, VA
Belated Birthday Dinner with the Fam - December 8, 2012

Okay, I suppose that's enough torture for right now, seeing as how most of you are probably in the same boat as me...snowed in without the ability to go order these yummy meals after the photos likely made you want to take a bite out of your computer screen.  Of course, there's always the option of making them at home, but again, like me, you probably didn't think to go grocery shopping for ingredients beyond what you needed for Christmas dinner, right?  Or maybe you're much more prepared than I am and you're whipping up an amazing meal right now!  Props to you if that is indeed the case!

In the meantime, I'm off to browse through my new Vegetarian Pleasures cookbook (many thanks for such a fantastic and appropriate gift Aunt Suzanne! :)  Hopefully I will find time in the new year to try out lots of the awesome recipes, and then actually remember to take pics and post them here.  Maybe that should be one of my new year's resolutions, since my gym going ones usually seem to fizzle out by mid-February. Haha.

Take care and Happy New Year!!!

Delicious Meals Captured in Photos

As many of my friends can certainly attest to, I am that annoying dining partner who tends to take a picture of my food when dining out. Always feeling a need to validate my reason for doing so (wouldn't want anyone thinking that I'm one of those people who takes pictures of my food just to post on Facebook or Instagram :P), I usually preface the photos with something along the lines of: "Sorry! I'm such a dork, but I want to take a picture in case I decide to write a blog post about this place!"  My friends usually laugh or nod approvingly and offer to let me snap a shot of their plate, as well.

However, despite taking so many food pictures recently, I've been too busy and/or lazy to actually sit down and take the time to write about my recent dining experiences. Since I feel that the best dining reviews need to be written soon after dining out in order to capture the true experience and my opinion/thoughts on the food and restaurant while they are still fresh in my mind, it's kind of too late for me to go back and blog about each of those meals. However, it would be a shame to let my mouth-watering photos go to waste....therefore, I present to you: Delicious Meals Captured in Photos...No Words Necessary (although I may include captions just in case you're unsure of what exactly is on the plate :P). Hope you're hungry! Enjoy! :)

Tofu Scramble w/ Guacamole, Pico, Black Bean & Tomato Salsa (Clementine's - Downtown Harrisonburg)

Vegetarian Buddha Bowl (Mezzanine - Carytown)

Asparagus Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini (Kona Grill - Short Pump)

Pad Thai w/ Tofu (Kona Grill - Short Pump)

Veggie Tacos, Black Beans & Rice (Nacho Mama's - Carytown)

Crab Cakes w/ Asparagus & Red-skin Mashed Potatoes (Water Grill - Taste of Carytown Restaurant Week)

Green bell peppers stuffed with tofu, cranberries, pecans, & served over coconut rice with marinara sauce
(Xtra's Cafe - Carytown)

Hopefully going forward I'll actually get my act together and take the time to write reviews to go along with my food pics!

Have a great weekend, y'all! :)

Need a fresh & simple recipe for zucchini & summer squash? Make a casserole!

Last weekend when I went home to the Valley to visit the fam and some friends, Mom sent me back with some zucchini, squash, and cucumbers from her garden. I always love it when she shares her garden veggies with me, and I very much appreciate all of the effort that she puts into tending her garden...I can't even manage to keep house plants and herbs alive, so goodness knows even if I didn't live in a city apartment and actually had a backyard, any attempt on my part to have a garden would be doomed. Not to mention the fact that I very much dislike pulling weeds, fending off bugs, and working in the dirt. So, despite being a tree-hugging "greenie," I definitely don't have a green thumb. All that to say, thanks a bunch Mom, for working hard on your garden and for sharing your veggies with me! :)

So, when I got back to RVA last Sunday evening, I sautéed some zucchini in olive oil with minced garlic and onion, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Then, I sprinkled some grated parmesan and shredded swiss/gruyere on top (b/c cheese makes everything better, right? ;)

All week since then, the rest of the zucchini and squash had been staring me down every time I walked through the kitchen...I knew I needed to use it, but I had dinner plans with friends and other things going on after work every night, so I either wasn't home to make dinner, or I only had time to scarf down something quick like a bowl of Special K. So, the veggies continued to sit on my kitchen counter, and I continued to feel guilty for not using them yet.

After spending most of today in Williamsburg visiting my dear friend Leanna, my plans to visit another great friend in Yorktown afterward fell through, so I headed back to RVA. Coming back early meant that I no longer had any Saturday night dinner plans...which doesn't happen very often, haha. I realized this meant that I finally had an opportunity to use the zucchini and squash! Woo-hoo!  But I also didn't feel like going out to the grocery store, so I consulted my trusty cookbook that I began compiling in college, and perused my squash/zucchini recipes for something that only required ingredients that I already had on-hand.

Sure enough, I came across a simple Summer Squash, Zucchini & Rice Casserole recipe that I don't think I had made in at least 2 years, maybe longer. So, what better time to break it out again!

Summer Squash, Zucchini & Rice Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded (reduced-fat) Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup reserved
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1/8 tsp. parsley
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Dice zucchini and squash.

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, mix well.

Pour into 9-inch square baking dish (greased with baking spray).

Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and middle is set.

Hope some of you might find this helpful if you are also looking for ways to use your garden veggies. Next time, I want to try swapping out the cheddar for some type of gourmet cheese, but cheddar is what I happened to have on hand today.

Okay, I was out late last night yacht rockin' with some good friends at Tobacco Company for the Three Sheets to the Wind show, so I'm turning in early tonight....early for me being midnight haha.

Night y'all and keep cool! :)

Another culinary experiment...veggie lasagna in a slow cooker?

So, I've officially been at my new job for over a month now! Having read my blog and hearing me discuss how much I enjoy trying out new recipes when I have time, my boss mentioned to me the other day that I could feel free to bring my cooking/baking experiments into the office anytime. Hint hint! Hehe :)  So, last Tuesday, I brought in a batch of homemade peanut butter balls (which I chose mostly b/c they are usually a hit when I bring them to parties/events and they don't take very long to make)...turned out to be a bad idea, as half of our office seems to be on a diet. Most of my coworkers were good sports and "splurged" by eating just one, but my fellow JMU alums ended up being the beneficiaries of the leftover PB balls when I brought them to our RVA Dukes chapter meeting that evening. So, note to self...avoid bringing in baked goods until everyone is finished with dieting...although I guess bringing them in after the fact would counteract the progress they already made...hmmm.

Anyway, I decided to embrace my veggie-ness and introduce them to my vegetarian cuisine. The first idea that came to mind was veggie lasagna, so I conducted an office poll to see which veggies were favorites or dealbreakers. After compiling that imperative information, I started making my grocery list, then realized I couldn't exactly bake the lasagna at the office (no oven, obviously), and baking it ahead of time then reheating it in the microwave would be totally unacceptable, as that method would detract from the quality of the finished dish. Thus, I figured I should plan to make something that I could assemble the night before and then cook in a crock pot at work so it would be ready in time for lunch. Having never tried to make lasagna in a slow cooker, I wasn't entirely sure it would work, but a quick google search convinced me that it would. Thus, here's the recipe that I concocted (as well as I remember it, at least :P)

Veggie Crock-Pot Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles (uncooked)
• 1 large jar of tomato sauce (I use Prego Light Smart and doctor it up with some additional spices)
• 1 small jar light alfredo sauce (or make your own)
• 2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese (or Italian blend), shredded
• 1/4 cup, plus 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 - 15 oz. containers low-fat ricotta
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• Chopped veggies of choice (I used carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, fresh spinach, & onions based on my co-workers' likes/dislikes, but other veggies that I like to add include bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, & tomatoes
• Black peppercorns, parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and garlic (adjust amounts to your liking)

Directions:

1. Coat slow cooker with non-stick spray to save yourself some scrubbing later ;)
2. Chop veggies and season with your favorite spices. Set aside.
3. Cover bottom of crock-pot with tomato sauce.
4. Place a layer of dried lasagna noodles over the sauce (break noodles until they fit.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1/4 cup of parmesan, egg substitute, black pepper, parsley, and garlic.
6. Spread one layer of ricotta mixture over the noodles.
   
   



7. Layer 1/3 of veggies over the ricotta layer.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Cover veggies with alfredo sauce.
   
   



9. Then, sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese over the alfredo sauce, followed by another layer of tomato sauce.
10. Continue layering noodles, ricotta, veggies, alfredo sauce, mozzarella, and tomato sauce until the crock pot is full (or until you run out of ingredients), ending with a final layer of noodles, topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
    





I ran out of alfredo sauce for my last layer, but no worries! This recipe is totally flexible, so I just topped the last veggie layer with mozzarella, followed by tomato sauce, noodles, ricotta, tomato sauce, and more mozzarella.

11. If prepping ahead, remove interior crock, cover, and place in the refrigerator. Remove 30 minutes prior to cooking, in order to allow the crock to return to room temperature.
12. Cook on low setting for 4-5 hours, or until noodles are soft and veggies are tender. Feel free to add extra mozzarella 30 minutes prior to serving.

Bon appetit! :)

Another fave restaurant to add to the list...Stella's!

Oh, brunch...that amazing dining option that combines two meals into one, is usually only served on weekends, and allows you to sleep-in or otherwise go about your morning and still be able to enjoy scrumptious breakfast food late into the afternoon.

Anyone who knows me very well (or who has read almost any of my blog posts), is probably well aware that brunch is my absolute fave meal, hands down! I just love going out for brunch with family and/or friends on the weekend!  Especially in the spring and summertime!  As if I didn't already have enough fave brunch places in Richmond (Selba, Can Can, Bonvenu, and Mimi's Cafe, just to name a few :), one more was added to my list this weekend! This morning, I had plans to meet one of my best friends and fellow foodies (who just so happens to write a fantastic food blog, appropriately named The Richmond Foodie), for brunch at Stella's.  She had been there for dinner, but not for brunch, and I hadn't been there at all, but I was eager to try it out after hearing rave reviews from several friends.  We met there at 10:00 am, right when the restaurant opened, and were immediately seated at a table by the front window, which provided a lovely view of Lafayette Street for our dining pleasure. As usual, I did my homework and perused Stella's Sunday brunch menu ahead of time, so I was already pretty sure that I was going to order the Tsoureki Vyssino. (No worries, I didn't even attempt to butcher the pronunciation). What is that? You may ask. Well, it's a ridiculously delicious and extravagant version of french toast....but calling it french toast doesn't even begin to do it justice. The menu description reads "Greek Easter bread french toast with almond, topped with sour cherries, toasted pistachio, & whipped Greek yogurt."  It was also served with a side of maple syrup, but the abundance of toppings basically rendered the syrup unnecessary (and this is coming from someone who tends to drown her waffles/pancakes/french toast with syrup!). Okay, if your mouth isn't watering yet, I must not be doing an effective job of describing this delectable brunch creation...and since a picture is worth a thousand words, take a look for yourself! :)

Stella's Tsoureki Vyssino

Amy ordered the Stella's Crab Benedict - jumbo lump crabmeat, Artisan rolls, asparagus, and topped with sundried tomato hollandaise. I didn't get a picture of her meal, but she said it was excellent. 

So, take it from two, mid-twenty something, Richmond foodie blogger friends - Stella's Sunday brunch is fantastic! The food is high quality, the atmosphere is charming, and the servers are friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Also, Amy and I had A LOT of catching up to do, as we hadn't seen each other since her wedding 2 weeks ago. So we ended up sitting there gabbing for nearly two and a half hours! (no worries, there were a few empty tables available or else we definitely wouldn't have taken up a table for that long). Yet, our server never once tried to rush us out or make us feel like we had overstayed our welcome. 

In short, if you haven't yet been to Stella's, you are missing out and need to make it happen ASAP! (And if you need someone to go with, give me a call and I'll be happy to accompany you! :)

Oh, and in case any fellow vegetarians out there were wondering, Stella's brunch and dinner menus are both definitely veg-friendly! Can't wait to go back for dinner!

Have a great week, y'all! :)