Well here we are again at what used to be Pomme.  Restaurant Rochambeau a beautiful French bistro. It is our 11th anniversary and what better reason to try Rochambeau: It has a nice story featured below

They are Focused on authentic French cuisine, and they partner with local/regional farmers and fishermen, shaping its seasonally-driven menu around the finest natural/organic ingredients. Also, we are currently preparing our own herb and vegetable garden. The restaurant is named in honor of Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, who was appointed by Louis XVI as leader of the 5,500-person French military force sent to help the American Continentals win independence from British rule. A veteran of a number of sieges in Europe, he provided valuable expertise that helped ensure victory in the Battle of Yorktown in August 1781.

It was all that I expected.  Great French wines, many of which we tried while we were in France just a few years ago.  So of course we selected something we had tasted in France.  The table was perfect, out of the way and tucked in the corner window.  We had a Birdseye view of the entire restaurant.  While enjoying our wine we ordered “Around of Tomatoes”; while enjoying this very nice but simple appetizer the chef - Chef Guillot joined for a lengthy chat and a bit of wine, I guess he approved of our selection.  For our main meal we ordered the Angus Beef Rib for two that came with a very nicely done Béarnaise sauce and season vegetables that were grown on property.  For dessert we had the Declination around Chocolate, it was a crunchy Mousse.  Very lovely meal to celebrate our anniversary.  The only hiccup was that the wait staff entered our main course incorrectly – Filet Mignon and not the Rib Eye which caused a bit of a delay.  The staff acknowledged the error quickly and offered another bottle of wine… Well that was nice and generous only if we did not have to drive.  We love these types of small of the path restaurants and surely will visit again.

I think lunch will be our next visit there as I remembered Pomme for lunch it was so delightful, I am sure that Rochambeau will be too.  I really want to try their French onion soup I am sure it can’t be beat.

Try it you won’t be disappointed.

The Daily Kitchen & Bar - Organic, Local Neighborhood

The Daily Kitchen & Bar is located in the Carytown District of Richmond, Virginia on the corner of Cary and Sheppard streets. They strive to serve foods that are not only delicious but also health conscious, environmentally friendly and socially responsible. This is a farm to table restaurant. It  is all  organic, all
natural, local and sustainable ingredients. They also offer and extensive selection of Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free and Paleo options.  

It has great outside seating that gives you a Birdseye view of passerby's. People watching is a favorite pastime so this is a great place to enjoy great clean food and a nice adult beverage, many of which are organic.

I have only eaten breakfast/Brunch and lunch.  I can only imagine dinner would be wonderful.

On the menu they have the wonderfully crispy Brussels sprouts.  This side dish is large enough to share. I typically will get the White cheddar Avocado BLT which is can be GFO for those that are gluten free.  They clearly label all items so that you understand your options;DIETARY GUIDE: V – Vegan / VO – Vegan Optional / GF – Gluten Free / GFO – Gluten Free Optional / N – Contains Nuts / PO – Paleo Optional.  PERFECT.....

My family and I went for mothers day this past spring; 6 adults 3 children, we had plenty of space and the service was wonderful.  They has specialty drinks for everyone and we did try several.  They even made sure the children were entertained and served promptly. 

What I can say about the Daily is that whenever I have the opportunity to eat in Carytown (I live 100 miles away) this is where I want to go.  And while for the most part I do usually get the same thing I have never been disappointed and always look forward to my next time in Carytown for some great food and great company with family and friends.  

I highly recommend the Daily- I hear they recently opened a second location in Short Pump.  I look forward to a visit there as well.

The Homestead and Sam Snead’s Tavern

I had the great fortune to spend a weekend at the Homestead, Hot Springs Virginia, with my husband and some of our great friends.  If you can manage take the drive (the roads are narrow and curvy) to the Homestead it is magnificent.

We began our stay with Skeet shooting and Target practice.  The guys Jeff and Rodney tried their hands at skeet shooting and they did great.  Marcia and I were handed a 22 gauge rifle and sent down to the range.  I looked at Marcia just a bit incredulous thinking, OMG are they expecting us to do this on our own?  We made it down to the range; put the targets up….. loaded the clips and proceeded to aim at the targets. I let Marcia load first as I was scared to death that I would load them backwards, I am sure there is little chance of that actually happening but I tend to worry about everything.  Much to my amazement we actually hit the targets and were right in the bull’s-eye.  I do have the targets to prove it.  Now I am not saying I could actually hit anything that was moving because I am pretty sure that they would move before I ever got them sighted in…. They guys finished skeet shooting and joined us on the range, being the good sports we are we let them have a turn… at the stationary targets as well,  UM, they weren’t quite as accurate as we ladies were. The homestead features many other outside activities as well such as Skiing, snowmobiling, skating and carriage rides to name just a few.  They also have an amazing spa facility which they use the hot springs mineral water for the tubs and pools.

Back to the Homestead for high tea and little finger sandwiches in the Main hall which boasts at least three crackling fires in Grand fireplaces.  My first experience with High Tea, yes I was sure to hold my pinky finger up.  They also had hot chocolate for those that did not enjoy tea.  Well, me I enjoyed both.  We then took a tour of the incredible historic hotel.  They have a bar called the Presidents Lounge aptly named for the 22 of the 45 presidents that have stayed at the Homestead.  They hang the portrait of the presidents that have stayed at the Homestead.  Very impressive and great Bloody Mary’s as well.

The weekend we were there was a bitter cold one and the nights only got colder.  Of course those of you that know me well know that practicality is not always a strong suit of mine, it is all about the fashion even when it is 10 degrees out.  I did wear those opened toes shoes because DAMN they looked amazing and I was sporting a fresh pedicure.  I never complained once that my feet were freezing.  I will say that I was happy to be able to be seated next to the crackling fireplace at Sam Snead’s Tavern for dinner. 

Dinner was no disappointment either.  We all had some sort of BEEF! I had the rib eye which was cooked exactly like I like it.  Others had Filet Mignon and I think one had a Seafood dish (it has been a while since the trip to the Homestead).  We had a great bottle of wine.  I was so proud of my husband Jeff, when we met he was not as much of a wine drinker as myself, I know again shocking.  The reason I mention this is that Rodney, Marcia and I were trying to discern what we were tasting in the wine and Jeff pops out with Vanilla.  We are all scratching our heads thinking really vanilla and wow Jeff knows that.  We gave him crap of course thinking we would know if it was vanilla but none of us came up with that.  So thank goodness for smart phones we were able to Google the wine and find out what the flavors in the wine were…… OK YES it was Vanilla.  Jeff you are my new favorite sommelier. The walk back did not get any warmer but the lobby of the hotel again boasted a crackling fire where we could warm up. 

The weekend albeit brief was great.  I recommend everything about the Homestead, well with the exception of the ride out there.   Don’t forget to try the Main dining room for Brunch, again excellent.  Also check out the two story wine cellar, yes that was two stories.  I of course did try to get in to check it out but the maitre’de was not having any of that. 

Make the time to treat yourself to a fantastic spot for R&R

360 Wine Bistro, Need I say more!!

We had the opportunity to buy a Groupon for a restaurant on route 100 S Nashville Tn., called 360 Wine Bistro.  We wanted to see what this was all about as the place is actually attached to a grocery store. We checked out their website which does a fantastic job featuring both their menu and wine selections. The menu looked fantastic so we purchased the Groupon.  When we arrived we were promptly seated on the enclosed patio.  We knew one for the wait staff so we requested that he be our waiter.  Plus he has a great knowledge of wine as well, always bonus in my book.

So the beginning of our experience consisted of a wine list that touts more than 700 wines, let's just say I was in wine heaven.  The choices were too great, thankfully Justin our waiter assisted in selecting what I would say is one of the best bottles of wine I have ever had.  The bottle was a 2007 Efeste Creighleigh, all that needs to be said is WOW!  It paired excellent with our selections.

The appetizers; pork belly and the other one were hen of the woods mushrooms.... both excellent but I show favorites to the pork belly.  While I can say that is not typically in my food groupings, it was excellent, crispy yet tender where it should have been.  Next, the main course beef tenderloin for me, mine over mini carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. They asked me how I wanted my beef cooked and I said just barely medium, that is if there is such a thing.  My point is not really medium but not rare either.  Let's say it was more medium, still good.  Jeff had the New York Strip over garlic mashed potatoes.  He said it was excellent.  For dessert we had what they called a hot skillet brownie, which you must order at the beginning of the meal as all of made to order.   As most probably know brownies are my favorite thing. With that being said the Brownie and the wine were the highlights for me!!  Shocking I know!!!!!

The place is very quaint and the food was really very good, I will know next time to make my order of tenderloin rare but other than that the prices were very good for the quality and quantity of the meal. 

The wine list was expansive but after checking out prices of the wines listed at the bistro compared to those same fines sold in a wine shop, I felt we were fairly charged.  I never like felling like I have spent 4 times the cost of the retail price of wine in a restaurant, UGH right!

This is the sort of place that you could easily find yourself sitting at the bar asking for a wine recommendation and being amazed by both the wine itself and the price.  I recommend this place to everyone and anyone that wants a nice dining experience without breaking the bank.   Oh and ask for Justin, you won't go wrong.   

I am looking forward to our next experience.   And hopefully taking some of our Charlottesville friends too,,,,, uhem you know who you are.  Just in case you are wondering Marcia and Rodney we might be taking about you.  Though I do know that Tricia and Bob were just here as well, I hope they made time for the recommendation.

Pomme…… EVERYTHING French

It is the little touches in life that make you smile and that make this place amazing.  This is a little French bistro tucked away in, of all places, Gordonsville, VA.  It is in the historical section of Main street and you could possibly miss if you weren't looking for it.  You must be on the look out for the Big Yellow Apple that says its name Pomme :)

I have been there four times now and have never been disappointed.  I think you could actually pluck this place right out of a picture from a little French bistro in France’s country side. 

My husband asked me where I wanted to dine for my birthday this past December and I said someplace French.  We had been to most of the French restaurants in Charlottesville area recently so we thought of POMME in Gordonsville.  It was an evening of calamities; we had to change the reservation from 7:30pm to 8:15pm, when I made the call for the change they indicated they were waiting for us right then, which gave me pause, since it was only 7:00.  The Maitre d’ informed me that he needed to ask the Chef! Thankfully they are able to accommodate our change.  I might add that it was due to a hair cut that ran late and me getting home to change that made me change the time.  Which alone can easily stress me out.  My husband was beginning to worry as I had not called to let him know I was running late because at that point I didn’t even realize.  When I did actually get home my husband had a bouquet of flowers waiting for me for my birthday and off we went to Pomme.  When we got there, to our surprise, we were the only ones in the restaurant (which actually makes me a bit nervous, which if you really know me you will know that I was worrying to death about that). I was worried that we would feel rushed.  I could not have been more wrong. I felt like we were in our own little part of France enjoying an amazing dinner together.  

This is a father / son operation.  They were great! I never felt pressured or rushed.  The Chef (and father) came out to check on our meals, which were incidentally AMAZING.   We had the rib eye with fresh vegetables with fun potatoes.  The picture is actually our meal and NO, I was not able to finish it.  As an appetizer we had this crab crepe, and WOW is all I can say. Dessert was this double chocolate mousse with a chocolate crush.  I am a chocolate lover so this was absolutely divine. The son and Maitre d’ is also a sommelier which made the experience even more fun for me.  The wine selection was excellent and prices were excellent as well.  It was a perfect birthday both company and food.  I will say this is not a place for someone on a diet as these dishes were not light on the calories.  Every now and then though you should indulge yourself and eat what ever you want and when that time is at hand I recommend Pomme.  This also may not be the French cuisine most are familiar with.  This is French country cooking rather than nouvel cuisine, by which I mean that you do not go home and have another meal because what was on your plate was just not enough to make a dent in your hunger. 

The last time I was there was New Year’s Eve and it was still decorated for the holidays (beautiful).  There was a fire in the fire place and luckily we were seated very close to it as NYE here was very cold.  The great thing about this place was when I called for the NYE reservation he remembered me; of course that could be because we were the only ones there on our last visit!  At any rate he asked me what I like to eat and of course I told him Rib Eye steak and then he went on to describe the meal for the evening which would be Filet Migon and the Champagne.  Well, the end to this story is that there this is an amazing place to dine, probably one of the best places I have EVER eaten in and it doesn’t break the bank.

 But of course, I do love everything French and am currently planning a trip to France in the Fall of 2011. While that will give me true country experience to compare to this little gem in Virginia, I suspect I will still feel as strongly about Pomme. 

Cupcakes Cupcakes Everywhere Cupcakes!!!!!!!

Cupcakes Cupcakes Everywhere Cupcakes!

I have recently been intrigued by cupcakes.  I don’t really know why because I really don’t enjoy cake at all.  However, for some reason cupcakes have a hold on me.  Perhaps it is the size or the new craze that is happening around the world with these small works of art. 

The Food Network has begun the show called Cupcake Wars wherein four cupcake makers are in a competition for the coveted spot of making 1000 cupcakes for an event that evening.  WOW! Seems impossible but the show is good and light on the mind.  But this is not about the show; this is about my new fascination with cupcakes.

My first experience with the small little cakes was in Georgetown at none other than Georgetown Cupcakes 3301 M Street NW (corner of 33rd & M) Washington, DC 20007 .  I had the dark chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting.  My husband had the key lime cupcake that had a crystallized lime slice on the top.   The selections were endless and the size was perfect, not too big but not too small. Price was about right for the quality and size.  They were amazing and I can’t wait until my next trip to Georgetown.  I think I could have eaten probably three of the little delights.  You must have stamina if you plan to visit Georgetown Cupcakes, as there was a line and it took about an hour to be served I’ve got to say, however, it is well worth the wait.  While we were there we also bought our friends two chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and chocolate ganache filling.  Somehow, only one actually made it back to them…. yikes.  (Good thing I run!)

My second cupcake experience was in Richmond at a place called Two Sweet Cupcakes 3422 Lauderdale Drive Henrico, VA 23233.  I again tried the chocolate cake; this time it was filled with peanut butter and had a peanut butter frosting.  Very tasty, a little dry, and a bit big to eat in the car while you are driving down the road so don’t try that.  My youngest daughter had the pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting which she said was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS (surprising especially since she does not like frosting).  She thought and I agree it was the just right amount of sweet, and not the kind of sweet  that stabs the back of your throat and makes you super thirsty  .My Father had the Chocolate with the Vanilla Bean filling with Chocolate frosting (Chocolate, chocolate, we might be related J)

My third cupcake experience was at the Piedmont Wine Festival in Orange VA and was provided by ; Sweet Reason, 4290 Germanna Highway in Locust Grove Va.  In keeping with the theme of chocolate and peanut, that’s what I tried, and this outfit’s cupcake, I think, tops Two Sweet.  They actually had chocolate peanut clusters on top of the cupcake which was infused with a peanut butter filling and had peanut butter frosting.  It was a little pricey compared to the other two.  The cupcake it self was a bit bigger and a little more difficult to manage, evidenced by the fact that my husband dropped half of it on the ground trying to take a bite…… UGHHHHHHHHHHH, other than that it was very good!

My fourth and now latest was cupcake experience was at Cappellino’s Crazy Cakes right here in our own Charlottesville.  They have a small shop on the Downtown Mall on 3rd Street.  I had been trying to stick with the chocolate peanut butter theme but that was not one of the offerings the day I visited.    So I tried the Chocolate Mocha Wake Me Up and my husband had the New York white pound cake.  They were both very good.  They were the right size to eat with out forks.  They were both very moist and the price was excellent.  Not sure what all of the sparkles are about but every one of their little cakes had sparkles, which I tends to be a fan of, so no problem for me.  I hear tell that their Lemon Drop will induce labor and that they have had 4 ladies have babies that day after eating the Lemon Drop cupcake delight.  I must tell all of the pregnant ladies I know.  The folks there were very nice and even gave me a couple extras to try….. Totally not disappointed.  Please note that if cupcakes aren’t your thing this place has delicious oversized cookies as well.

Last but not least my oldest daughter now inspired by the little delights is making her own cupcakes.  She brings them to show case at the UVA home football games.

I highly recommend these sweet treats at all four of these locations even for the non-cake eaters because you may just find out that you love them!  And by all means, check out the Food Network for the Cupcake Wars on Tuesday nights  at 9pm EST.

Bodo's Bagels

It is Saturday and fall is in the air, I have come in to Charlottesville for an 8-10 mile training run.  It is pretty out, so around the UVA grounds and to the downtown mall I head.  I have only eaten a banana and had a cup of coffee because my treat to myself will be a breakfast bagel sandwich from Bodo’s Bagels.  After nine and a half miles I will have earned the carbohydrate load…..I can hardly concentrate on anything else during my run except the garlic bagel with cheddar cheese, eggs and sausage that awaits me at the end.

Bodo’s is a Charlottesville icon.  There are three locations and honestly I have never been into any of the locations when it wasn’t jam packed with people; students at The Corner spot, families at the 29 north location and town’s people at the Preston Avenue store.

Bodo’s is a legendary bagelry that has become a Charlottesville institution.  It is the number one thing people miss when they move away from Charlottesville.  I have known of people that have actually had friends ship them a box of Bodo’s bagels to their new homes.

You might ask what sets Bodo’s apart from other bagel shops…….. Everything.  The staff is always cheery and polite.  They are constantly re-cleaning tables so the next customers can sit and enjoy the long awaited bagel.  The food is always fresh and tasty.  They have something for everyone: the famous Caesar salad, shrimp salad and many unique spreads that include this amazing olive spread and they also have many vegan selections.  All very delicious!

Bodo’s is a must when in Charlottesville. You will know when you have arrived at Bodo’s because the door handles are shaped like an over sized bagel… Wow, I wish they really came that big! 

I like to call this place BODOLICIOUS.