The Hill Cafe – A Cool Place in A Cool Neighborhood

I’ve been spending Tuesday evenings in Church Hill.  That’s it.  I’ve confessed.  The neighborhood is my favorite – I rue the day I bought a house in the West End – and in the short time I lived in Church Hill (2001-ish?) I grew to love, love, love The Hill Cafe.  So, with my Tuesday night class getting relocated to Libby Terrace, I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to reconnect with the seared ahi tuna appetizer.  And I was right.

In the name of “research” I have returned to The Hill Cafe every week in order to offer you, Gentle Readers, a very good idea of what they have to offer in terms of food, ambiance, and libation.  I’ll get to the food in a moment.  As for ambiance, it’s a neighborhood restaurant/bar in a great historic neighborhood.  People are walking their dogs outside.  The houses are cool.  The people who work there are calm, and aloof, but still friendly.  At least the people who work on Tuesdays are.  I’ve been sitting at the bar, and the Tuesday bartender (hi Bobby!) is courteous and prompt.  That’s a big deal when you’re trying to have some “me time” and then rush to class.

The Hill Cafe is part of the Richmond Restaurant Group.  Other members of the group are Water Grill, Delux, Europa, and The Hard Shell.  I’ve been to Europa and The Hard Shell and have no complaints whatsoever on the food or the service.  Of course, it might take another visit to be able to really establish an opinion….

Anywhoo.  The Hill Cafe.  I had heard that the fried chicken was the best in town (even better than Lee’s) so of course I got that one night.  I’m sad to report that I wasn’t able to photograph it, because I was far too hungry and it was far too delicious.  I don’t know how they get white meat, skinless chicken to stay that juicy, but…whoa.  It’s juicy and seasoned just right and I could probably eat about four servings of it at one sitting, though you might find me crying in shame later.

One night I got the filet mignon.  It came with some yummy taters, a green vegetable, and these crispy onion rings.  Again, I dug in before I remembered to take a photo.  I guess that’s why we have a proper Richmond food site – I am too eager of an eater.  I’m sure David Mattera (blog and foodmaster extraordinaire) remembers to photograph food before he starts eating it.

Other favorites (according to the people hanging out inside and people I randomly quizzed on my way to and from the ladies room) are the shoestring french fries (crispy and delicious), the BBQ sandwich, the meatloaf (fried with seasoning), and pretty much anything on the Sunday brunch menu.  Get thee to The Hill Cafe, and make sure you go hungry.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Barbecue: A Journey Through the South for Your Mouth (eatinginrichmond.com)
• How to Make or Find the Best Barbequed Food (ihowtovideos.com)
• Steak-Eating Challenges (drivinganddining.com)

Get your Richmond business or service reviewed on RichmondVAPresents.com. Email us at marketing (at) richmondvapresents dot com
–
Contact Big Oak SEO, a Richmond SEO company, to help your website get found in Google’s search results.

Becky’s – A Richmond Institution

About a hundred years ago (OK, more like 10 years ago) I worked at the corner of 1st and Cary Streets.  Across the street (on the north side of the street) was a breakfast and lunch place called Becky’s.  I had a fabulous metabolism back then, so I ate breakfast there almost every day.

Becky’s has been around forever – long before I worked across the street from it.  It has seen many different owners, operations, and managers, but the name has been the same, and the fare is consistently delicious diner food.

I wish I could tell you who the original Becky was, and what year the place opened the first time, but there is surprising little information out there on the internet.  I suppose I could go talk to Julia, who has worked at the tiny diner for 42 years.  She’s still there, and she remembered me when I walked through the door this past Friday for a nostalgic Becky’s breakfast.

The interior has changed quite a bit since the last time I was there, and they now serve cocktails, if you want to get a nice bloody mary or mimosa with your brunch.  I heard that they tried opening in the evenings for a while, but during these winter months not enough people make it to that part of town.

I ordered a cheese omelet with hasbrowns, a side of bacon, and toast.  My dad got a western omelet, hashbrowns, and rye toast.  Everything was tasty.  So tasty, in fact, that I neglected to take a picture of our food right away, and by the time I thought of it there was nothing left to photograph.  I detected bits of bacon in the homefries (a nice touch) and my omelet was cooked perfectly and was delightfully cheesy.  Dad’s omelet was likewise cooked perfectly, and his rye toast was buttered and golden crispy.  We both had tea, and Alfred kept the refills coming.

Becky’s is once again under new management, and Laura (a recent transplant from Connecticut who thinks our winters are downright balmy, thank you) is working hard to figure out the best business model and plan for Becky’s.  There might be some evening hours in the future, and look out for a website in the near future.  For myself, I believe I will have to go back to try the salmon cakes, because I bet they are awesome.

Get your Richmond business or service reviewed on RichmondVAPresents.com. Email us at marketing (at) richmondvapresents dot com
–
Contact Big Oak SEO, a Richmond SEO company, to help your website get found in Google’s search results.

Umi Sushi Bistro – More Like Yummy Sushi Bistro

image borrowed from Insider’s Passport

I am not what you would call a sushi aficionado.  I have had what I would consider to be good sushi, and I have had what I would consider to be bad sushi (so bad that I was sick for three days bad, that’s how bad).  Umi Sushi Bistro sushi is very good sushi.  Being a not-expert on sushi, I can’t vouch for Umi’s superiority over other sushi places in terms of the quality or taste, although sushi-freak friends of mine have told me that it is excellent.

I can, however, talk about what I do know, which is all the stuff Umi serves that is not sushi – because I’ve tried most of it and everything I’ve tasted has been delicious.

I crave the Chicken Teriyaki pretty often.  It’s a huge meal, with the teriyaki chicken (tender and savory with sauteed onions), shumai (these delicious airy light puffy things), a salad with ginger dressing, four California rolls, and a lump of fluffy, light white rice.  You get a bowl of miso soup to start (perfectly seasoned and delicious), and if you’re one to imbibe, they have an impressive selection of Japanese liquers and sakes.

Every single appetizer offered is delicious.  The atmosphere is very dim – good for a romantic meal or just a place to get out of the brightness and busyness of Short Pump, and they play some pretty interesting music.  Umi is an experience.  I say go for it.

Get your Richmond business or service reviewed on RichmondVAPresents.com. Email us at marketing (at) richmondvapresents dot com
–
Contact Big Oak SEO, a Richmond SEO company, to help your website get found in Google’s search results.

Next Page »