St. Benedict's Oktoberfest

9/21/13:

Stars: 4.6 out of 5

Pros: Smart Layout, Huge Beer Selection, Quality Food

Cons: 

     The dictionary defines an Oktoberfest as "an autumn festival that involves merrymaking and drinking beer." Well if that doesn't make you want to participate, what possibly would? BN, MD and myself braved a misting rain on a day that hovered in the 60's in pursuit of just such a fest. We found it at St. Benedicts annual Oktoberfest (St. Benedict Oktoberfest) and right away, I could tell that we had found merrymaking in spades.

     St. Benedict's has been holding this event annually since 2005 with all of the proceeds going to help fund the schools associated with the parish. It is held in the parking lot of the church, which means there is plenty of space for everything. The way the beer trucks were set, the placement of the food & the wine area, the offset entrance and the centering of the main seating area were all very conducive to the movement of a large group of people. It allowed for good flow to and from the drinks and food. I send kudos to the event organizers for the smart set-up.

     We got our steins as we walked through the entrance and headed immediately for the beer truck. The selection available was impressive and immense. There were 35 beers available at the truck plus Lickinghole Creek was there pouring for the very first time in a separate tent. That is a lot of choices. The giant banner hung on the truck listed all available choices and a number which you could use to order them. It was a quick and efficient system that allowed the 3 of us to get several beers without hassle over the time we were there.

     I knew that part of any good Oktoberfest is the food. Sausages and sauerkraut, a tasty combination. BN went simple with a single sausage on a roll and a GIANT pretzel. I had some of the pretzel and it was delicious. Soft on the inside and chewy on the outside, like a good pretzel should be. With a little spicy brown mustard, it was stunningly good. MD and I went a bit more complex with a wurst platter. This was a bratwurst, knockwurst, weisswurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad and a dinner roll. It was a big platter for $8 and very filling. All of the wurst's were boiled in beer and very flavorful. The potato salad was warm and vineragry which made it extra delicious. And the sauerkraut brought a wonderful tang to the bites of sausage. It was an excellent meal and helped keep me on an even keel.

     While we sat under the main tent we had the pleasure of listening to the Elbe-musikanten band (Elbe-musikanten) play some traditional German music. They were very good and brought a lively air to the fest. They even were successful in getting some people up in the front dancing. They really helped add to the overall feeling of the festival.

     By the time we left, we were all feeling very merry. St. Benedict throws a wonderful Oktoberfest. It clicks successfully on all cylinders. I am already planning to attend next year (I'll be going 9/20) and it is something you should ll consider doing as well. We can Oompah together or maybe just share a stein. Either way, it should be on any Richmonders to do list.

New York Deli

9/21/13:

Stars: 4.8 out of 5

Pros: Beer Selection, Simple Menu Offerings, Quality Food

Cons: 

     It was the morning of one of the several Oktoberfest celebrations being held in Richmond. BN and I knew that before we went out to enjoy several steins of beer we needed to get a little base in our stomachs. As we were going to be close to Carytown, we decided that New York Deli would be the best place to go for a little breakfast and light libations. It's already a favorite of mine for their mug night and the $0.35 wings, so I was stoked to see what they offered for breakfast.

     New York Deli (NY Deli) is located on W. Cary St. right next to the Byrd theater. It is a fairly decent sized restaurant that is composed of a bar area, inside dining area and an outside patio. The exposed brick and subtle walls colors that roam the inside bring a charming air to the place. We chose to sit at the broad darkly stained bar. The laid back neighborhood feel of the bar provides a pleasing atmosphere, even in cases where the restaurant is slightly crowded. It was fairly quiet on this particular morning.

     It only took a second or two after we sat down for our very pretty bartender to warmly greet us. I will note here that I have found that New York Deli seems to have a habit of hiring very attractive staff. I would go just for the bartenders, if that wasn't creepy. Which it kinda is. Moving on.... The beer selection at New York Deli is a tasty smattering of offerings that change often. Every time I go in it seems there are new things on tap. I appreciate the variety as it is the spice of life. To start out I went with a personal favorite, the Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager. It's always a winner and a great way to start out a day.

     The breakfast menu at New York Deli is magnificent in it's simplicity. It is one page of basic, wholesome offerings. The menu is heavily egg based, by which I mean there are more egg dishes then anything else. But it covers a variety of styles including several variations of eggs benedict and omelettes. You can also get pancakes or french toast. I went simple with 2 eggs over easy with cheddar cheese and rye toast. A simple basic foundation upon which I could lay the bricks of Oktoberfest drinking on.

     As we waited for our breakfast to arrive from the kitchen, somehow BN convinced me to get some whiskey to sip on. I am NOT a whiskey guy at all, but he tricked me into it. I think the conversation went like this:  BN: "Hey, want to sip on some whiskey?"  Me: "Sure."  Did you see the trickery? Devious. I also treated myself to a second beer because it was a Saturday. That logic works, right? I ordered up a fine Parkway Brewing Company Get Bent IPA to accompany my breakfast.

     Breakfast arrived in short order and it looked tasty. My eggs were nice and runny as I love. The toast was toasted solidly and accompanied with the perfect amount of butter. I quickly slid my cheese covered eggs up onto my toast and attacked my plate. I know that this meal, compared to others I've had, is basic. But to see a restaurant nail the basics so marvelously is refreshing & reassuring. It gives me reason to try all the rest of the things they offer.

     We finished up our breakfast, sipped the last of our whiskey and polished off the remainder of our beers. We paid our tabs and headed out into the great unknown in pursuit of an Oktoberfest celebration. But have no fear New York Deli, I shall return. You are too rapturous for me not to.

Nacho Mama's

9/18/13:

Stars: 4.7 out of 5.0

Pros: Outside Seating, Menu Selections, Quality Food

Cons: Lack of Spicy Heat

     SB is back in Richmond after 2 years in Madagascar with the Peace Corp. I would be lying if I didn't say I was very excited about it. It's great to see her and hear all about her trip. While she doesn't think she made a huge impact, she did some amazingly big things over there. I'm very proud of her and her accomplishments. That being said, it's nice to have her back in town. I appreciate having a new dining partner. So, we decided  to go get lunch at Nacho Mama's (Nacho Mama's). Mexican beers and Mexican food at 1pm on a Wednesday. That's adultish right?

     Nacho Mama's is located on Cary St. among a strip of shops. Street parking is touch and go, but the side streets around there usually have positive results. Nacho Mama's has a wonderfully bright exterior with a nice little front deck so it's very difficult to miss. We chose to sit outside because it was a nice day. The waitress met us at the front door and accommodated us. There were 2 other occupied tables aside from ours which is pretty much the full compliment of seating on the deck. If you can get out there on a nice day, well worth it.

     We sat down and the waitress brought out some chips & salsa. She then explained the menu to us. She pointed out the "Local Favorites" section and explained how a portion of every menu item purchased from that section gets donated back to the community. Nice to see a community restaurant giving back to the community that supports it. The menu provides a wide range of options that would suit almost any preferences. There are vegetarian and gluten free options for those that prefer (or need) to go that route. I always find myself torn at Mexican restaurants more then any other place. I am aware that most plates contain the same base ingredients, but I get stuck trying to decide how I wish to have them presented. On this day, we both decided to go with burritos. SB went with the Southwestern Chicken burrito (grilled chicken, peppers, rice, cheese and a few other things). I went with the Macho Man burrito (chicken, rice, beans and chipotle sauce) because I am all about the hot sauce. I requested it extra hot. The waitress told me she would let the kitchen know.

     As we sat talking I couldn't help but laugh at the pair of brass ones on the flock of sparrows that attacked a basket of chips that the waitress had not picked up yet from a table that had just left. These little buggers would perch on the edge of the basket and flick chips out to the ones waiting on the ground before grabbing a hunk for themselves. I, at least, found it pretty entertaining.

      Our food came out looking delicious, but with a saddening statement attached. My food was "hot" but it wasn't "HOT HOT HOT". Apparently Nacho Mama's is more about flavor then burning a persons face off. While I can appreciate that, when I go out for Mexican, I want a little scorch to my food. I think that is perfectly reasonable. Still, the food was very good. I won't say as if I felt I had crossed the border, but this is Mexican food in Richmond. And for that, I feel it represented well. And the burrito was filling. Both of us had remains on our plate when we were done.

     Overall, Nacho Mama's provides a nice touch of color and flair to Carytown. It's a wonderful place to stop in for lunch on a nice day. The staff is friendly and the menu vast. I will be back for dinner in the future.