Bacon Festival

6/9/13:

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Beer, Vendors, Food

Cons: Parking, Venue, Crowd

     The headline read “Richmond Announces First Bacon Festival”. Those few words and my heart was already fit to burst with joy. Then I saw the date just so happened to be my birthday. My first birthday here in Richmond and the city throws me a bacon festival? It must be a sign that my being here was destined. That Richmond and I have a bond deeper then most people. We will merge to become an all powerful force of greatness!!! Or, it was an amazing coincidence. I'm still torn as both seem plausible. But, I digress... Back to the festival!

     I have learned one thing in my brief time on the Richmond festival scene; go early cause people will show up in droves. That being said, I made sure my party (BN and JT) left the house no later then 11:30 for the noon festival. We got to Shockoe Bottom around 7:40ish and promptly began the painful search for parking. The event had limited parking at best. It was a game of "where can I jam a car without getting a ticket". Never a fun game to play. Now, we got very lucky and found a place 1 block away, but I talked to some folks how parked beyond deep and had to walk in the extreme heat to get to the festival. Next year, some dedicated lots couldn't hurt things a little. Even ones a ways away that maybe had a shuttle. Just a thought.

     The festival was held at the 17th St. Farmers Market. In theory, this is a great venue if you aren't expecting many people to attend. But for the crowd that showed up this place was a tragic location. Lines bunched into each other. There wasn't a lot of room for walking around. You couldn't wander from vendor to vendor easily to scope out their offerings so you just ended up picking a line and hoping for the best. The beer tent was well placed, but the layout of everything else caused chaos. No bueno.

     BN, JT and I got there early, like I said. This allowed us to get our drinking wristbands and our beer tickets within 10 minutes of arrival. Once we acquired the necessary tools we got in line to get beer. The event was partially hosted by Devils Backbone Brewing Company (Devils Backbone) which meant that the beer selection was amazing Virginia craft beers. All of their beers were on tap and all listed alphabetically on a giant sign. There were a ton of people working the beer tent so the line moved very quickly. JT and BN both started out with Bold Rock Cider (Bold Rock), another host, while I started with the Devils Backbone Beggars & Thieves. It was an excellent beer. Not much foam and ice cold, which was great on a hot day. We cursed our lack of planning for not bringing koozeys to keep our beer chilled, but quickly found the Local Suds tent which was giving them away if you downloaded their app and registered. We jumped on this deal with the kind of zeal one only sees from a fat kid on a bakery shopping spree. It was a game changer.

     After we secured our beer we decided to make a loop to see if there was one bacon dish we wanted to try above the others. This hurt us a little bit as the people kept coming as we wandered which mad the lines very long (we waited 45 minutes). I finally spotted a booth that was offering deep fried slab bacon. Let that heart attack sink in for just a second… DEEP FRIED SLAB BACON!!! The slabs were probably 10 inches long and about ¾’s of an inch thick when they were put in the fryer basket. After they had been fried the guy then diced the slabs into bite-sized pieces. They served it with what I believe was a Siracha mayo dipping sauce. It was fantastic for only $3. Some of the pieces had a nice crunch to them while some were a little chewier. None of it was dripping with grease either. When dipped in the sauce, these bites were a party. If a restaurant offered these as an appetizer, I would probably order double batches several times a week. The other thing that we got at that stand was a 1/4lb burger made with half ground slab bacon and half ground Angus beef. BM got this instead of the fried bacon. He said it was very good, nice and flavorful. The bacon added nice fat content to the burger without making it heavy. All around an excellent first taste from the festival.

     As the day progressed the crowd showed up. And they showed up in droves. Apparently by the end of the day the crowd all told was 17,000 strong. They expected 6,000. This, in my opinion, was an terrible estimation for a BACON festival. You could hold a bacon festival in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness and get more then 6,000 attendees. This, of course, led to a few problems. People, either out of confusion or rudeness, tried cutting lines. Thankfully there were lots of vigilant people who didn't allow that to happen. The biggest problem I had with the crowd was the complaining. You chose to show up late to a bacon festival at the 17 St. Market and you feel that you need to complain about the lines and the crowd? Not ok. Get there early. Then you're allowed to whine. That's just science.

     We got ourselves a second beer and then met up with JK, MK and the boys for a minute. The boys had a talking bacon with them. They are pretty much the bomb. Sadly, they didn't stay long as it was hot and crowded. When they left we decided we would need something else to fill our stomachs. All day I had seen people wandering around with Chinese food containers of lo mein. A personal favorite and a must have so we set out to find the source. Turns out the source was the Fat Dragon (Fat Dragon) stand. They were serving up a massive serving of bacon & shrimp lo mein for just $3. And when we got there they had just arrived from the restaurant with a fresh made batch. Wins for everybody! The lo mein was excellent, in my opinion. There was plenty of shrimp and several big chunks of salty bacon. I added a little hot sauce because, well it's never wrong to add hot sauce. All three of us housed our dishes with wanton disregard for the safety of those around us. Kudos to Fat Dragon.

     There were plenty of excellent vendors there offering lots of great dishes. There was oysters, avocados  ice creams, popsicles and burgers. The food masters took bacon and turned it into... well, what's better then gold? Can you change gold into something better then gold? Like a diamond dipped in gold? These people did great work. My thanks to all of them for using an already great product to create great $3 dishes. I'm looking forward to next years creations.

     For my birthday, I couldn't have asked for a better gift from the city of Richmond. I was glad we got there early and I think all 3 of us really had a great time. I also think if we had gotten there a half hour later, it would have been a whole different festival. I hope the organizers learned if you bacon it, they will come. I know I will be there again next year.

Mekong Revisited

6/3/13:

Stars: 4.5 out of 5

Pros: Beer menu/Beer, Food

Cons: Our waitress

     Mondays are, for a lot of people, a long hard day. For me, working nights, it’s just another day that has blended in with the one before it and the one before that. For my friend BA, who works 10 hour days, it’s the beginning of 5 days of crap. What a tragic thing to look forward too. What does one do to put a positive note on Monday? What possible thing can make a MONDAY better? According to Mekong, beer is the answer. And they are the folks that would know. So, BA and I decided to meet at the undisputed champ of bars for happy hour. I have been here before (Mekong Post 1) and hoped my return trip would be just as good.

     Mekong (Mekong) has possibly the largest selection of drafts anywhere in Richmond at any given time. Their slogan “Mekong is for Beer Lovers” is no joke. You can find almost any style, any color, any section of the country or world and any taste you could possibly think of. They have a good section of their menu devoted to Virginia beers, which I wholly endorse. They even have Blue Bee Cider on tap. Their beer selections change as kegs are kicked and taps are taken over so there is a good chance there will be something new even if you went every week. The selection alone makes it ideal for a happy hour get together.

     As we were really there for the beer, we decided to stick with the appetizers for our food. BA was insistent on getting the dumplings and I can’t say I blame them. They are pan fried perfectly every time. The meat inside is flavorful and zesty. That’s right, I said zesty. We also went with crispy pork rolls. Because, why not? They did not fail to deliver the promised crispy porkyness I needed. BA was brave and went for the Hardywood Bourbon Cru for his first beer. It’s good, but you can taste that bourbon like whoa. I went with the new Strangeways Belgian style brown called Woodbooger. Certainly a winner in my book. As we finished up our first beers I realized I would need a second beer and a touch more food. So I ordered more dumplings and the appetizer sampler. This came with a variety of things on it, including a fried crab sandwich and a wrapped shrimp. It was all very good and came with a variety of sauces for dipping. As usual, Mekong nailed the food portion of this endeavor as well.

     My only issue with the night was that our waitress was a bit unfriendly. She brought an attitude to the table that, after some discussion, BA and I determined was one of her feeling inconvenienced by us. As if by us being there, we were hindering some life goal of hers. All I ask from my waiter or waitress is a smile and just fake it for the 2 minutes you need to interact with me. I know your job is difficult. I’ve worked in a restaurant and a lot of my friends were or have been servers. It’s a hard job where you are generally underappreciated. But none the less, it’s your job. I will go ahead a chalk this servers moment to her just having an off day. I’m sure she came back the next day and tried twice as hard to make up for the day before. Still, I had to dock .5 stars as to me, service is a big portion of the meal. My apologies Mekong, I hope you understand.

     My second trip to Mekong was just as wonderful as my first. I left with a stomach full of good food and amazing beer. So, next time you are at the office and the email about happy hour goes out, don’t rack your brain too hard. Go to Mekong and always remember, “Beer IS the answer”. The question isn’t important.

RVA Street Foodies Court

5/23/13:

Stars: 4.9 out of 5

Pros: Layout, Beer, Food

Cons: Parking

     The weather on Thursdays seems to be cursed. Everytime my neighbor, BN, my buddy JT and I all want to go to Hardywood for their food truck court, the sky just seems to open up and pour down rain. Now, that doesn't stop us because if Hardywood is serving their beer and the trucks are serving their food, I can muster the courage to stand in a little rain. I am some sort of man after all. The RVA Street Foodies Court (RVA Street Foodies Court) happens every Thursday night and features a wide selection of trucks serving a variety of food. It has become sort of just a Thursday ritual for us now. Allow me to explain why.

     When you arrive at Hardywood the first thing you will notice is that their parking lot is completely blocked off. Makes sense right, gotta put those trucks somewhere. This leads to my only con though, parking. Unless you get there early parking can get a little tough. You have to really pay attention to where you park on the street. Everything is pretty clearly marked, but watch out for fire hydrants. The later you arrive, the further away you need to park. And police presence is fairly consistent over here so you will get a ticket if you aren't careful. Now, I am aware there is nothing Hardywood can do to solve this issue; hence I only deducted .1 stars. Its life in Richmond, but it doesn't mean I can't whine.

     The setup of the actual court is very well done. All of the trucks ring the outside edge of the parking lot facing inward. They are well spaced apart which helps keeps lines from forming into giant blobs. In the center of the parking lot you will find picnic tables. Either get there early to stake a claim on one or learn to share them with strangers because there aren't many and they go fast. Hardywood opens their big bay doors which allows for the party to extend inward if need be. With 2 bars, it doesn't take very long to get served either, which is very nice. It’s an accommodating set-up all around and truly allows for good movement and excellent people watching. I’m a fan.

     One of the best parts of the RVA Street Foodies Court is really Hardywood Craft Brewery itself. I appreciate the very knowledgeable and friendly staff that Hardywood has. They take the time to answer questions, give suggestions and nicely admonish those of us who don’t wait to get our growlers home before we drink them (sorry guys!). The beer itself is not anything to be overlooked either. Hardywood consistently puts out a quality product for a respectable price ( a 64oz. growler and a filling is $24). I am a big fan of the Hoplar and the Sidamo Coffee Stout, while BN LOVES the Bourbon Cru and JT just seems to love them all. If you haven’t had the chance to try a Hardywood beer yet I suggest you email me immediately so we can take care of that (goingoutinrichmond@gmail.com). 

     I have eaten at two of the food trucks during my trips to the RVA Street Foodies Court. Both times the experience was fantastic. The first one I ate at was Thai Cabin (Thai Cabin Twitter). This little green school bus turned food truck caught my attention by offering lettuce wraps with a variety of fillings for pretty cheap. I ended up getting 2 wraps, one with coconut curry chicken and one with peanut chicken, for $5 plus I added a pork spring roll for $1.59 more. It was a lot of food for $6.50, I can tell you that. The wraps are made with fresh romaine lettuce which is super crunchy and firm enough to hold all the chickeny-goodness on top. The coconut curry is super flavorful and the peanut chicken has lots of crunch. The spring roll was fried perfectly so as not to be greasy. It was an excellent meal. I am certainly a Thai Cabin fan.

     The next visit to the Court meant that I had to try a new truck. I went with Chupacabra (Chupacabra Twitter Page) the brightly painted Tex-Mex box truck of goodness. With so many choices, it took me a minute to decide what I wanted. I finally decided on a torta, which is a Mexican sandwich, that i filled with chicken, lettuce, jalapenos, black beans, cheese, rice and sour cream. The bread was big, fluffy and flavorful. It held all of the contents of the sandwich perfectly. The chicken was juicy, the rice had nice lime flavor and the jalapenos provided a nice bite. I can always do more jalapenos of course. When I order from Chupacabra in the future, I will have to try a burrito or some of their tacos. How can you go wrong?

     So, like I said, the RVA Street Foodies Court has become a Thursday night staple for us. It's just one of those events that you just can't beat. Great food, amazing beers and a perfect setting. I know I suggest you try things all the time. GO OUT AND TRY THE FOOD TRUCK COURT!!! If you want to meet us there, email me or tweet me (@goingoutinrva). It's almost certain that if it's Thursday, we have a table.

Cheese Roll Bake Shop

5/17/13:

Stars: 3.8 out of 5

Pros: Price, Out-of-the-boxness, Taste

Cons: Location, Variety

     Nowhere in this town is it possible to find a step-down adaptor for a camera lens. I would know because I looked everywhere. So, fueled by disappointment and the knowledge that many more errands lay ahead of me I decided to find myself a quick snack. It just so happened as I wandered to my car I saw a sign for the Cheese Roll Bake Shop (Cheese Roll Bake Shop) that directed me down the alley a little bit. A bake shop in an alley… what could possibly go wrong? I plunged ahead with thoughts of muffins and Danish dancing in my head.

     The Cheese Roll Bake Shop is very unassuming. It is tucked deep in the back of a strip mall with no gaudy advertisements proclaiming its greatness. Instead it has a modest sign that sits atop a green canopy. I will be honest; it’s not a great location. There are no stores next to it or past it that would draw foot traffic. If you weren't paying attention as you walked along the sidewalk of the main plaza you would easily miss the signs. I’m sure the rent is cheap, but aside from that I can’t see the positive to the location. That being said, I was still eager to step inside.

     The inside is very small with a counter directly in front of you when you enter. I was greeted right away by a young man who was standing at the counter. He was very friendly and allowed me a moment to look around before asking if he could help me. I told him I had never been here before and was a little unsure what a cheese roll was. And seeing as that was really the only product on their menu, I awaited his explanation. He told me that cheese rolls were also known as pao de queijo, which is Brazilian. He explained that all of the rolls are made with tapioca flour, which makes them gluten free. As it was my first time there, he offered me one to try for free. Never one to turn down a sample I gratefully accepted.

     It was delicious folks. They aren’t very big, maybe the size of a standard biscuit. The outside bakes up crisp and golden brown. The inside is fluffy and light. The cheese flavor is not overpowering, instead making its presence know and then wandering around unobtrusively as it greets the other flavors, like butter. It was fresh out of the oven so it was steaming hot. Truly, I can imagine no other temperature at which these should be enjoyed. It is truly unlike any type of roll I have had before. It’s out-of-the-box concept works so incredibly that you will question many bread-related choices up to now.

     I promptly ordered 4 more in a variety of flavors. I got jalapeno, garlic, black olive and onion. Each one was just as delicious as the last in its own unique way. When he rang me up my total was just under $3. $3 for a filling meal people!!! That’s hard to beat for a quick snack. The guy at the counter also told me that the sell them frozen to take home and bake in your oven. That would be an excellent addition to any meal. One thing that did disappoint me was that the Cheese Roll Bake Shop has such a limited variety of products for sale. I can easily see them branching out into different baked goods. If you read this and you either work there or own the place, try your hand at Danish. I beg you.

     If you find yourself in the West End hungry for a quick nosh, consider stopping over at the Cheese Roll Bake Shop. Grab yourself a quick sixer of rolls and some for the freezer. You will be so happy you branched out and let a bit of Brazilian baked goods into your life. I know I am.

Lebanese Food Festival

5/18/13:

Stars: 4.7 out of 5

Pros: Attendance, Set-up, Food

Cons: Drivers/Parking

     If Richmond does one thing right (it does lots of things right actually) it knows how to put on a festival. So, I was excited to be able to attend the Lebanese Food Festival. A group of friends of mine planned to go on Saturday morning, which worked out perfect because I could go with them before work. Sadly, the day dawned gray and raining. We would not be turned back by a touch of weather though, for there was delightful food on the line. So, like warriors heading into battle, we left for the festival.

     I will voice my complaint early and I'm very torn if this complaint is actually the fault of the organizers. I am heavily leaning towards it is not. I think the blame for this complaint rests solely in the hands of stupid people. That being said, let me get to it. Parking at the Lebanese Food Festival is less then ideal. And not because there is a lack of parking. As a matter of fact, there was ample parking spots. People apparently don't understand how cars work... One woman, for example, held up the entire line of traffic on the street for several minutes as she tried to turn into the VERY well marked exit. She then got upset when that couldn't happen due to the cars EXITING! She finally moved along. People in the parking lots also had some struggles, which I won't list here. I know that this is truly not the fault of the event organizers, but it negatively effected me, hence I noted it.

     Once we got in and parked we all walked across the soggy lawn to the food tents. The first thing that struck me, aside from tiny drops of precipitation, was the size of the crowd. There were a TON of people there, rain be damned! That says to me 2 things, the event is consistently good year after year and Richmond is not scared to turn out for things. That should be taken as a giant compliment not only to the Lebanese Food Festival people, but also to all Richmonders. We appreciate a good time and will go out in almost any weather to have one.

     The girls decided that the first order of business was a glass or 3 of wine. So, a glasses and then a bottle were purchased. While we stood there drinking, those without cash went to the conveniently located ATM. While we waited I took a moment to appreciate the set-up of the festival. All of the food was contained under one very large tent  along the sides which left plenty of room for walking around. The wine was in a separate tent with other cold beverages near it. That helped keep the crowd of people needing drinks from hindering the flow of the food-getters. There were several large covered seating areas which were invaluable in the rain, but would have proven to be just as needed had it been sunny.

      It was finally food time. Now, I will freely admit that I know about as much about Lebanese food as the next non-Lebanese American (that's pretty much 0). That being said, I didn't know what I wanted to try or even what was offered. This led to my customary wandering around and buying things on impulse. The girls all seemed to have a plan, so we all decided to just meet up at the end of the tent and find a seat. The smells coming from the booths were amazing. I literally wanted to eat everything. But I didn't, due to self control and a limited budget. I loaded my tray with a few choice items then headed to meet the girls. On my way to our seat I saw this older gentleman cooking over a grill. It just stands to show that no matter how old us men get, we demand to be king of the fire. It's a sight I personally trust to mean good food.

     As we sat down, I tried to get pictures of everyone's trays. The variety of food was stunning, from stuffed grape-leaves to shrimp & rice to shawarma. We all swapped a few things around, but I'm really going to focus on what I got. I started out with stuffed squash. This is basically skinned and cored summer squash that is then stuffed with a meat and rice mixture. It is cooked in a thin tomato-based broth. II really liked it because the squash was well cooked and the stuffing was quite flavorful. I could have done with a thicker broth or even no broth. The thinness of it just led it to be unnecessary to me. I also got meat pies (I have no idea what they are really called). These were little flakey pastry dough crescents filled with ground beef and spices. They were warm and crunchy, with a ton of flavor. They weren't overly greasy either, which was a plus. I got a chicken shawarma as my "main course" because I love almost anything wrapped in a warm pita. The first thing I noticed when I bit into the shawarma was the garlic, but not in a displeasing way. It is heavy and well bonded with the chicken. The pita was soft and warm. It helped sop up the immense amount of juice from the meat. It was excellent. I finished the meal with what we at the table decided was almost a deep-fried doughnut. It was dough that had been fried in balls and covered in a glaze. Amazing! All in all, an excellent meal.

     The Lebanese Food Festival was a very pleasant trip away from the ordinary. Kudos to the organizers for planning well. I truly appreciated the variety and flavors of the food on display there. I will certainly try very hard to get back there next year in hopes of finding something new for me to eat. I suggest that you do as well, broaden your horizons.

Blue Bee Cider

5/13/13:

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Location, Product, Staff

Cons:

     I had the opportunity to visit Blue Bee Cider's magnificent location on two seperate occasions in May. The first was as a customer, trying glasses of their Aragon 1904 cider. The second was for a private tour of the back to write an article for Richmond.com. Both experiences were amazing and truly blog-worthy by themselves. But that is a lot of redundency that can be condensed into just one post. I will also link to the article somewhere in this post. Like, right here: Blue Bee Cider Article

     Blue Bee Cider is located in Manchester, which is South Side. It is on West 7th in the old Aragon Coffee building. Blue Bee secured themselves the bottom of the building facing the river. This is an excellent location because the parking lot offers plenty spots, all of which have a great view of the river. So you can sit on the tailgate of your car, glass of cider in hand and gaze out upon the beauty of the James & the Richmond skyline. Their location is also prime for those who want to put in a quick trot along the flood wall, but thats a different post.

     You walk right into Blue Bee's tasting room upon entering the building. It's not a big room by any strech. Well, not compared to some of the other tasting rooms in the area at least. It's very long, which allows for people to really spread out. The "bar" is not so much a bar as it is a counter, which fits into the room perfectly. When I went, with MF and NK, the owner Courtney was pouring for us. We went on a Friday afternoon on a beautiful day. There wasn't anyone else there when we got there at 4, but by 5 it was packed. Thankfully we were told that ABC had cleared Blue Bee to use their parking lot as part of the tasting room. So we took our cider out into the beautiful sunny afternoon.

     We all pondered doing the taste, which is $1 for a mouthful. But then Courtney showed us how much we would get in a glass for $6. Done and DONE. All 3 of us got glasses of the cider that was out at the time, the Aragon 1904. This is a very crisp cider that almost has a champagne feel to it. It is an off dry, which means it has a little bit of sugar in it. It was perfect for the sunshine as it didn't sit heavy in the mouth or in the stomach. I could have easily had way more then the 2 glasses I did and still felt ok. MF and NK both agreed with me. I am looking forward to their newest release, the Charred Ordinary. I hope to get a chance to try it soon.

     Courtney Mailey, the cidermaker/owner, was kind enough to allow me to come back for a tour when I explained to her that I was doing an article on them. She is a very pleasent and smart woman with a pasiion for her craft. And the operation that she leads is pretty intense. The fall is an insane time for them with all of the sorting, pressing and fermenting happening over a very short period. Not only that, but Courtney has to take the time to plan ahead and figure out which heirloom apples she needs and what ciders she wants to make. It's very impressive stuff. And she works with a small, but fun staff who are just as passionate about their work as she is. It really shows in the product.

     One thing that Courtney showed me while I was there was the 5 casks currently holding and aging their apple brandy that will be used in their third release of the year, Harvest Ration. While I was there she told me that this brandy was currently sitting at 140 proof, which is INSANE. But she said that once it was mixed into the cider, it would mellow out a little. I can't wait to try it.

     Blue Bee Cider is legit. They are here to stay and are bringing the noise with some serious ciders. I suggest you find an afternoon to get down to see them. Your mouth will not only thank you, but it might just take you out to dinner.