September 9, 2011
I was excited to try out Richmond’s new "Gastropub" and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. (Though, as is often the case with much-hyped venues, delivery was slightly short of expectation.) Definitely trendy- upscale but not fussy, airy feel, semi-private room overlooking kitchen, a little loud (but it was packed). Kind of a see-and-be-seen kind of place for the upper-middle set of Richmond. Service was friendly and efficient, and the server seemed knowledgeable. Beer selection small but well-rounded. I think something for everyone except the Bud Light set- which isn’t you anyway. I have had a lot of what was on the menu but not all- and a lot of it I don’t see regularly around the Richmond restaurants. Food was good- also trendy- small plates, local sourcing, "nose to tail" concept (which means using the whole animal), and European "style." Refreshing that it is meat-centric and not veggie-centric. The pork dust fries and goat cheese croquettes were delicious. The white gazpacho was good (a little oniony- which I like- but would have been bland otherwise). The arugula salad was missing something, but I don’t think the salad crowd is their prime target. Definitely not cheap. Worth a visit if you’re also a foodie.