A new direction

When I first began this blog a few weeks ago, my initial intention was simple: tell you readers where to get the best cheap eats and drinks around Richmond, preferably around VCU. However, that idea has been done to death and I’m thinking you all have heard it before or know where else to look to find out where the best specials are.

So, I’m going to be shifting my focus to “must-try” locations that have something unique or special about them that I think needs to be highlighted. I’ll be reviewing specific dishes, craft beers and the like. The opening of a few new restaurants around town has inspired this change, and I think it will take this blog in a better direction than before.

So, be on the look out for new posts coming soon. Like I stated in my blog last week, my next review will feature Carytown’s new Burger Bach. Other places I plan to review in the coming weeks include: 2113, S@mple, and a few others yet to be determined.

Something new: Burger Bach (teaser)

If you have visited the west end of Carytown recently, you may have noticed a change. The building previously occupied by Ellwood Cafe is home to a new joint now: Burger Bach (pronounced “batch”).

Burger Bach calls itself a ” New Zealand inspired gastropub.” They specialize in gourmet burgers (including lamb and chicken, and they are currently working on a veggie burger.) The recipe is their own and all their meat comes from Silver Fern Farms in New Zealand.

A quote from the restaurant’s menu:

There, our Angus steers and our lamb are sustain-ably raised on plentiful natural grasses, under beautiful blue skies, and treated with the kindest and gentlest care. The fowl in our “other significant burgers” is free to roam with no added hormones, antibiotics or steroids and the fish is caught in the wild – not artificially “farm raised.”

Last week, we met with the manager of the restaurant to establish a social media campaign as they prepare to fully launch the business in the coming months. The concept of the restaurant is inspired by a New Zealand “bach”. The term was originally short for bachelor pad, but they are typically a small beach house or vacation home as popular in the country.

The restaurant opened just two weeks ago, but the team is taking it slow so they can get any and all kinks out before trying to appeal to the masses. They are serving a limited menu and are only on dinner hours, but in the next few weeks they will be launching new items and eventually will be open for lunch.

Next week, I will feature a full review of the restaurant, so be on the look out for that. In the meantime, check out Burger Bach on Facebook.

Late night spots: the first findings

If you ask any VCU student what Richmond is missing, one of the most common answers you will receive is late night eateries. Sure, Chanello’s and Assante’s Pizza deliver pizza until 3 a.m., sure Qdoba and Bodillaz have caught on and stay open until 3 a.m. on the weekends, and sure if you feel like driving a couple miles, you can get the ever-magnificent Cook-Out. But what these establishments are lacking is a truly late-night dining experience. Don’t get me wrong, I have spent many late nights (especially after a few drinks) devouring Chanello’s pizza or venturing to Cook-Out (of course, I haven’t been the driver), but sometimes those places don’t satisfy the need.

We start the search for late-night eateries just a few blocks past VCU, where at the corner of 3rd and Main streets, you will find 3rd Street Diner, a 24-hour diner that serves breakfast all day (and we all know how great brinner is). My first experience with 3rd Street Diner occurred a few years back, my freshman year at VCU. Since then, I have passed by it many times, always telling myself I would go back in again.

Well, this weekend I finally lived up to my word. The evening began at a small get together at a friend’s apartment, followed shortly after by a trip to my usual stomping grounds, Baja Bean. Upon the screams of “last call” filling the bar and the pouring of drunk people back into the streets, one question remained in our minds: “what are we going to eat?”

The usual dance occurred, debating of ordering pizza, driving to Cook-Out, until we then realized: 3rd Street Diner. We arrived to a room full of groups of friends sitting together, all most likely intoxicated. The servers were dressed rather scantily clad, and there was a general quickness to everything happening.

The menu is pretty typical diner food with many breakfast offerings, sandwiches, burgers and the like. My friend decided on a breakfast plate, but something caught my eye that I had not enjoyed in a while: a gyro.

Gyros became a favorite of mine a few years back when my at the time girlfriend’s mother made them one night. I fell in love instantly and have since never tried one I did not enjoy.

I opted for the chicken this time, rather than the traditional lamb. Now, granted I was a few drinks in at this point and it was close to 3 a.m., so I am sure I would have liked nearly anything at this point. However, I was quite pleased with what was presented to me. The meat was properly prepared, not overly cooked to the point of losing its flavor, the tzatziki sauce  had a good consistency and flavor, and the vegetables were nice and crisp. The fries could have been better. I’m not usually a fan of crinkle-cut fries, but even still they were a bit soggy for my taste.

The average dish on the menu will run about $8-12, so expect to drop close to $15 with tip if you head to 3rd Street Diner. However, the atmosphere was fun as it was humorous to watch the drunken shenanigans of the patrons as the night winds down. I will be back to 3rd Street pretty soon.

City Dogs dollar dog night

City Dogs is located on W. Main St. in the Fan District (Photo courtesy City Dogs on Facebook)

City Dogs, located at 1309 W. Main St. in the Fan District (and 1316 E. Cary St. in Shockoe Slip) offers a variety of specialty hot dogs, as well as sandwiches, burgers and other common American fare. The kitchen is open until 1 a.m. daily.

City Dogs’ best deal of the week falls on Tuesday night, when the restaurant offers $1 “Richmond Original” hot dogs. The Richmond Original is a Thumann’s all-beef, marinated hot dog topped with chili, mustard and onions.

The best part about City Dogs’ hot dogs are the “pop” you get when biting into them. Paired with the warm, soft bun and meaty chili, it’s a real delight for a great price. I like mine topped with a little Sriracha and a side of honey mustard. Just thinking about them now, I wish today were a Tuesday.

City Dogs also has many great beer specials throughout the week. Tall-boy cans of Bud Light and Coors Light are only $3 on Tuesday (until 9 p.m.). My usual go-to cheap drink at City Dogs would have to be their $5 pitcher of Gennessee Cream Ale. Brewed in Rochester, it is their equivalent of PBR in Richmond. (Only Gennessee, while not a great beer, beats PBR by a long-shot. Come on, Richmond, stop drinking that trash).

The corn dog nuggets (Photo courtesy City Dogs on Facebook)

When not attending dollar dog night, I have enjoyed many other menu options from City Dogs. One of my favorites being the corn dog nuggets. You can get an order of six or 12 nuggets topped with cheese and served with a side of honey mustard.

So if you’re in the Fan and are looking for a good hot dog or burger, stop by City Dogs for a quick eat.

Baja Bean does dollar night right

Today, Mexican restaurants are on nearly every corner, taco carts have become the norm and nearly every chain restaurant serves up some “Mexican inspired” dish. So how do you decide where to go when you have a craving for something south of the border?

Baja Bean Co, located at 1520 W. Main St in the Fan District, serves up “Southern California style Mexican dishes”  and is a popular place for both college students and locals. They offer a slew of food and drink specials throughout the week, which keeps the place moderately busy even on weeknights.

I won’t review all the specials in this post, but I want to talk about two of my favorite: dollar enchilada night and dollar taco night.

On Sundays, Baja offers $1 enchiladas all day (the kitchen is open until 1am daily). Customers can choose from:

• cheese
• ground beef
• shredded beef
• carne asada
• shredded pork
• jerk chicken
• shredded chicken
• grilled chicken.

The enchiladas are topped with a traditional red sauce and customers can choose a side of hot verde, salsa, or diablo sauce for free. For a small additional fee, you can also get sour cream or guacamole.

Of course, such as at any Mexican restaurant, chips and salsa are free. The average person can get out of Baja on Sundays for about $4-5 (before tip) and leave with a full stomach. It’s a great way to get out on what would be a typically lazy Sunday. Pair it with one of the many great beers they have on draft and you have the makings for a great Sunday afternoon. And if the weather is nice enough, ask for a table on the patio.

Tuesdays are much of the same, only with tacos instead of enchiladas. The filling options are the same as above, but you have a choice of crunchy or soft tortilla shells. Lettuce and tomato are free with your choice of traditional red salsa, hot verde or diablo, and again, guacamole and sour cream are extra.

Tuesdays have an extra advantage: pool is only $1/hour and you can add Red Bull to any drink for only $1.

The tacos are easily my favorite in town, with my two favorite meats being carne asada and jerk chicken with a side of hot verde salsa. Lately, I’ve been pairing my food with whatever beer they have on special (I am a broke college student, after all). Right now, Legend Oktoberfest is $1.75 (until they run out). Sure, it’s slightly out of season, but who cares at that price?

If you haven’t taken the time to try Baja Bean Co. in Richmond, make your next Sunday or Tuesday the time to try. And if you want a place to watch the Super Bowl, they still have tickets available for their Super Bowl party. For $25 you get all-you-can-eat pulled pork as well as six drink tickets (for limited selection of premium drinks – no “rail” drinks here).

Some of Baja’s other weekly specials include:

• Monday: $2 nachos/$4 burgers
• Wednesday: Half off all quesadillas
• Thursday: Half off all appetizers until 7pm, then $2 off all appetizers after 7pm