Akida - 814 North Robinson Street Richmond, VA 23220

Just like how Friday night was pizza night when I was a kid, Friday night used to be sushi night for us in Boston. Over the last couple of years we got away from our ritual, but decided to bring it back this past Friday.

After seeing a lot of 5 star Yelp-ings, we decided to venture down West Broad to Akida. With a dining room roughly the size of a sardine can, it was no surprise that two couples were ahead of us waiting for a table. However, the line did move faster than I anticipated and we were seated within about 15 minutes.

Two waitresses buzzed through the tiny dining room, efficiently taking orders, delivering plates, and busing tables. We quickly received our drinks and (not so quickly) looked through the menu. What you have to know about my husband and me when we go out for sushi is that we have a routine. I take care of the apps, he takes care of the rolls. My job is usually pretty straightforward. Miso soup for him, salad for me, shrimp shumai to share. While admittedly a little on the boring and painfully predictable side, we know what we like and it does give us a way to easily compare restaurants. All of our appetizers hit the table at almost lightning speed and, we both agreed, they all scored high on the sushi restaurant relativity scale. The miso soup was much richer than the normal watered-down versions. I opted for the seaweed salad and it too had great, consistent (but not overwhelming) flavor. Finally, even more rarely, we could actually tasted the shrimp in the steamed shumai! That always gets bonus points in my book.

Moving onto the main event- sushi rolls. Where my job was easy, my husbands was not. Akida's roll menu is quite extensive. It took a while to get through and even longer to decide. Somewhat amusingly, when our order came out it was apparent that 3 out of the 4 rolls he chose were different variations of the same thing. One plain spicy tuna, one shrimp tempura with spicy tuna on top, and one spicy tuna with tempura flake on top! Needless to say, we did enjoy all forms of spicy tuna. The tempura was even still a little warm from just being fried- a first for me. Our order was topped off with something completely different- the green monster roll (funny enough, probably not named after Fenway Park like those of the same name in Boston). I should have asked to see the menu to figure out what exactly was in it, but it was delicious and had a really light taste which was a great counterbalance to our tempura-spicy tuna bonanza. All of the rolls tasted really fresh which is definitely what I want, especially when it comes to raw fish!

Akida was a great way to get us back into the swing of Friday night sushi!

Kuba Kuba - 1601 Park Avenue Richmond, VA 23220

I've seen it on Food Network, I've heard about it from friends, I had to try Kuba Kuba for myself. Let me say this- it did not disappoint!

There was a brief wait for a table during the dinner rush on Wednesday night in the small, no frills dining room. Well, to be totally honest, I was a few minutes late meeting my dinner buddy... so I think it was brief (still working on the whole punctuality thing). Once seated, I immediately knew I was going to order a Cuban cuisine staple, the Cuban sandwich. I really haven't experienced authentic Cuban recipes before, so I figured I should start with the basics. My friend ordered another well-known Cuban dish and one of the specials for the evening, Ropa Vieja. Our server took our order shortly after we decided and it was not too long before we received our food.

I absolutely loved my sandwich. One thing you need to know to fully appreciate my favorable review is that I am not a huge pork fan. I have never enjoyed the taste of ham and I went for the better part of my high school career not eating any pig products. I'd say it's because I was respecting my half-Jewish heritage, but really it was biology class. I have since worked pork back into my diet, but have never really gotten fully on-board with the "everything's better with bacon" philosophy. That being said, Kuba Kuba Cuban sandwich=delicious. The main ingredient was roast pork, accented with ham, swiss cheese, pickle, and mustard. All of the components combined in the pressed Kuban bread to make one cohesive, savory, satisfying flavor. The sandwich was served with tostones (fried plantains) and brightened on the plate with a garnish of diced peppers and red onion. Not one to miss out on anything, I tried a fork full of my friend's Ropa Vieja. Again, a wonderfully savory dish. Certainly a must-order for anyone who likes pulled beef as much as I do.

I've talked about my love of Top Chef on the blog before, but the channel on loop at my house most of the day and night is the Food Network. I can't tell you how many times I've been in the kitchen and know how to do something I've never done before or react to fix something I've never encountered because I've seen it on FN. I couldn't tell you what show it was or when I saw it, but the information somehow emerges when I need it. One of the more recent shows to hit Food Network is Best Thing I Ever Ate. After we decided to make the move to Richmond, there was an episode of Best Thing where Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes) highlighted Kuba Kuba's Tres Leche Cake. Again, not what I would typically order. But, if Duff came all the way to Richmond to have it, I'll try it. Boy am I glad I did! The cake was moist, but not soaked and the marshmallow-like frosting was to die for. It was a perfect way to end the meal and certainly not something I would have thought to try on my own.

An avid fan of both the Cuban sandwich and paella, I can't wait to bring my husband to Kuba Kuba... and I will definitely save room for dessert!

Zeus Gallery - 201 North Belmont Avenue Richmond, VA 23221

Last week I visited Zeus Gallery. Well, actually, it was me aaand a pretty large party of ladies. The small restaurant had an instantly cozy feel to it when I walked in and they were nice (and smart) enough to put our big group in a second, semi-private room.

There is one unique feature about Zeus Gallery that still leaves me undecided. There are no menus… at least not in the traditional sense. The dinner menu for the evening is written on a child-sized chalkboard and placed at the end of the table for all to view. The wine list is on a large wall-mounted chalkboard, intended to be seen by the entire room. While I applaud the intimate rustic feel the restaurant seems to be going for, the practicality and ease-of-use just isn’t there. Fortunately, our group had pretty good eyesight, but I could imagine the set-up being incredibly difficult for those who struggle with reading menus. Even with good eyes, we had to pass the somewhat clumsy dinner menu board around the table, which made for a funny, if not mildly awkward, experience. As for the wine menu, it was on the wall behind my head… so I could not see all but the bottom right corner. So as not to make a fuss, I ordered a generic “sauvignon blanc” and called it a day. All this as a long way of saying loose the chalkboards- or make cheap printouts that are easier to pass around and see along with the cutesy boards.

But, I digress… on to the food. I was lucky enough to steal a bite of salad from one of my fellow guests and it was really quite good. A special that evening, it was an arugula-based salad with marinated tomatoes, homemade croutons, and a charred tomato vinaigrette. The dressing really had a great punch to it that elevated the appetizer from just another ordinary salad to something special.

After tasting the salad and smelling all of the great smells floating around the restaurant, I had high hopes for my entrée. I was having a difficult time deciding between shrimp and grits, scallops over white bean puree, and a homemade pasta (as noted in the Enoteca Sogno review, I am a total sucker for homemade pasta in any form). Based on our waitress’ recommendation, I went with the scallop dish. However, I must admit I was a bit disappointed when it arrived at the table. I am sure plating 15 dishes at the same time is no small task, so it’s not that I was expecting mine to be perfect. The scallops were definitely a little overdone, with one seared side and one “gently kissed” side. I found the white bean puree and the collared greens to be overly salty and overpowering to the dish. And, although the bacon in the greens could have been a nice touch to enhance the dish, it just seemed to be rather aggressive for a plate that seemed like it lent itself to a bit more finesse.

Our server went completely out of her way to accommodate us, from separate checks to splitting the cost of a bottle of wine 4 ways on said checks. She definitely put more work on herself to make it easier for us and I totally appreciated the gesture.

I do plan to go back and try Zeus Gallery again… this time, maybe with a slightly smaller crowd.

Westhampton Pastry Shop: Doughnuts - 5728 Patterson Avenue Richmond, VA 23226

Since I made the move to Richmond, I've heard about the Westhampton Pastry Shop and their doughnuts. The "doughnut squad headquarters" sign in the window actually made me chuckle at first, but after hearing such good things I thought I'd see for myself if there was any truth to the statement.

Late one weekday morning I walked into the bakery and ordered my single glazed doughnut. The total came to 87 cents and I was already pleased! To me, glazed doughnuts are usually fine... unremarkable, really. This was different. I can best describe the Westhampton doughnut as a cross between a glazed doughnut and a cider doughnut- combining the best components of each. The glaze was nicely sweet and evenly coated the pastry. The doughnut itself was substantial, but not overly dense, and had a lovely hint of fall spice. Overall, it was well-balanced and satisfying.

Westhampton makes an otherwise unmemorable snack a stand-out. I even convinced my husband (who is not a fan of the doughnut) to try one next time I visit the shop!