tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.comments2023-09-10T07:39:59.348-04:00Caramelized OpiNIONS (aka RVA Foodie)RVA Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16214920696412259243noreply@blogger.comBlogger1120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-73801149530476269472009-02-21T21:20:00.000-05:002009-02-21T21:20:00.000-05:00We used to call this 'creecy salad'; it's also cal...We used to call this 'creecy salad'; it's also called garden cress. It's only in season (and even remotely edible) in late winter and very early spring. It's not related to watercress, which is nothing like you described in the first sentence. Real watercress in your soup sounds like it would be delicious. Creecy greens are best boiled and served with hot chili vinegar to cut the bitterness.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-30420714325457245082009-02-21T01:48:00.000-05:002009-02-21T01:48:00.000-05:00You don’t want to extra expense for dining then yo...You don’t want to extra expense for dining then you use free restaurant coupon at www.clickmycoupon.com.Jack Glenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14016978637956537414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-52293077240393846632009-02-21T00:02:00.000-05:002009-02-21T00:02:00.000-05:00I call it the dysfunction diet. On again, off aga...I call it the dysfunction diet. On again, off again... repeat. Okay, I turned in one paper and I'm procrastinating on another. But, I'm approaching lift-off once again.RVA Foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214920696412259243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-24105833328367150202009-02-20T21:03:00.000-05:002009-02-20T21:03:00.000-05:00We went to lunch buffet at Ruchee on Midlothian le...We went to lunch buffet at Ruchee on Midlothian less than a month ago and found it up to par, based on past visits. I still think it has the best and most interesting Indian buffet in Richmond. (I would like to be able to partake as often as poster Tom.) While I'm not a vegetarian the vegetable dishes are my main target at Indian buffets; if they ditched the ubiquitous Tandoori chicken and curries made from the TC leftovers and served goat curry I could be tempted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-85417926128472711662009-02-20T20:56:00.000-05:002009-02-20T20:56:00.000-05:00Umm... weren't you going to go on a blogging diet,...Umm... weren't you going to go on a blogging diet, or is this it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-54484004879016580142009-02-20T20:37:00.000-05:002009-02-20T20:37:00.000-05:00Great topic and I love the maps. I live in Peters...Great topic and I love the maps. I live in Petersburg (80% black) and while we have plenty of racial division and interracial tension, there are no huge chunks of land that are 3% or less black like you see in Richmond. My neighborhood, which is comparable to the middle class parts of Ginter Park, fluctuates between 1/3 to 1/2 black population (in the old "Petuhhsbuhhg" days it was assuredly all white). I do think because this place is considered so declasse by many Richmonders we take a scrappy pride in being tolerant of, even friendly with, neighbors who are of different race, ethnicity, and life style. For the most part, the old white aristocracy who couldn't deal with integration have moved out of this city (and good riddance). As for food, there have been some successful black-owned and operated restaurants that drew a mixed crowd; I'd like to see more of this in the growth of Olde Town P'burg (which seems to be spearheaded primarily by whites).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-80838640242921694142009-02-20T19:55:00.000-05:002009-02-20T19:55:00.000-05:00I came to your blog to read about food, but love t...I came to your blog to read about food, but love the pug content (we have four, had five before one died, so that should tell you we're fans and irrational). They have a very communal nature with each other which encourages "collecting". We also bred pugs for awhile and oh my, that is such a way to spread happiness! Our black pug is very willful and naughty but that just endears her to me more. To me the biggest pluses are they're great with kids and all people, and they get along well with cats, i.e. they're not hard-wired to be predatory (we have four indoor cats). The biggest minus is eye problems -- the protruding eyes are prone to physiological problems and injuries and this is very costly stuff to treat. The latter may put us off of pugs when the time comes for a new dog family.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-57379669511657367732009-02-20T15:47:00.000-05:002009-02-20T15:47:00.000-05:00Well, Diego made weight. He burned off all of his...Well, Diego made weight. He burned off all of his fat and then sweated out all of his water. Follow that link to see "Skeletor"<BR/><BR/>http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/2/20/765348/ufc-95-sanchez-vs-stevensoRVA Foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214920696412259243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-32226990505343272642009-02-20T13:34:00.000-05:002009-02-20T13:34:00.000-05:00A guy I know in King and Queen says dairymen there...A guy I know in King and Queen says dairymen there don't want creesy greens in the pastures because they make the milk taste off.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02638837037048573708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-77812423321673966492009-02-20T13:14:00.000-05:002009-02-20T13:14:00.000-05:00This may be a stretch, but I wonder if the vendor ...This may be a stretch, but I wonder if the vendor calls the stuff watercress or creecy greens depending on the customer. I just went and changed the title of this post, so it's now more accurate and less "gourmet."RVA Foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214920696412259243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-52148640497659802002009-02-20T13:05:00.000-05:002009-02-20T13:05:00.000-05:00These pics look even yummier than the usual food p...These pics look even yummier than the usual food pics :]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-43326617267653916082009-02-20T12:32:00.000-05:002009-02-20T12:32:00.000-05:00That's not traditional watercress. I think what yo...That's not traditional watercress. I think what you have is known locally as "creesy greens" (Barbarea vulgaris). I tried them several times when I moved here 20 years ago and they can be pretty damn rank. I think they have a lot of oxalic acid in them..<BR/><BR/>Traditional watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is quite delicate compared to "creasy greens" (also known as yellow rocket).Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02638837037048573708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-42434815113637218322009-02-19T13:38:00.000-05:002009-02-19T13:38:00.000-05:00The nice Black sheep waitress mentioned roasting o...The nice Black sheep waitress mentioned roasting or grilling things - peppers?to get that smoky gumbo goodness (no fake smoke in a bottle) she also admitted to kale but implied greens change and is always a mix. She did mention thyme. I can't figure it out - the flavor is so complex. I guess at $4/bowl I'll just have to go more often.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-19435189908080547532009-02-18T22:21:00.000-05:002009-02-18T22:21:00.000-05:00Hey, the readers poll showed that people wanted to...Hey, the readers poll showed that people wanted to hear about "cheap restaurants" and this one turned out to be pretty cheap. (?!?!?!) Okay, a little levity. Not pressing my luck.RVA Foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214920696412259243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-59418288240591060242009-02-18T22:12:00.000-05:002009-02-18T22:12:00.000-05:00I guess as long as were talking about you, that's ...I guess as long as were talking about you, that's a good thing right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-85675243588154195332009-02-18T21:06:00.000-05:002009-02-18T21:06:00.000-05:00Holy crap, the "Gumbo Z" soup at Black Sheep is am...Holy crap, the "Gumbo Z" soup at Black Sheep is amazing. The menu's description says something about it being made with lots of greens. Well, tonight, I made the water cress soup that was linked earlier (look for a post about it in a bit). Now, I feel like I have the inside scoop on that soup. <BR/><BR/>Back to the tipping thing. This isn't really an issue I have a lot of energy for, but it sure seems to trigger those who do. There are a number of commenters advocating for 25%, 30%, up to 50%. They might be right, morally, and/or professionally. But, I don't think they're representative of reality. I believe that standard tipping practice still trends toward 15-20% on average and I also believe that this is generally what servers use to predict their take home pay. Of course, there are the Steve Buscemi's of the world (again with the Reservoir Dogs) and these commenters (some of my favorite bloggers) are doing their best to offset the rogue outliers. That's how I see it and 20% is my minimum, median, and mode. <BR/><BR/>For those that want to learn more about the strange, highwire-act/caught in the middle predicament of restaurant servers who routinely go to work without any assurance of getting paid, you can read more about that here:<BR/><BR/>http://readdrinkandbemerry.blogspot.com/2009/02/tip-your-god-damn-waiter.htmlRVA Foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214920696412259243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-69746022706235196692009-02-18T17:37:00.000-05:002009-02-18T17:37:00.000-05:00We walked into Lulu's for Monday lunch and it was ...We walked into Lulu's for Monday lunch and it was so noisy we left. Black Sheep was closed - have you had their vegan gumbo? amazing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-65609362598962539782009-02-18T17:34:00.000-05:002009-02-18T17:34:00.000-05:00soupsoupAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-79297377788526766032009-02-18T15:10:00.000-05:002009-02-18T15:10:00.000-05:00well, your situation was unusual so i sympathize w...well, your situation was unusual so i sympathize with your dilemma...but i agree with janet and piet here. i have worked in the service industry, and feel pretty strongly that the MINIMUM tip should always be 25% and in instances where a server has done everything in his/her power to make a decidedly bad experience better, the tip should be higher than 30%. <BR/><BR/>i am sure lulu's isn't the sort of place to penalize a server for a comped meal, but that does happen in corporate restaurants on occasion, and if a server goes that extra mile i think it's best to err on the side of grace/generosity. <BR/><BR/>-BBriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02855824948620700797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-83625855788454505702009-02-18T12:41:00.000-05:002009-02-18T12:41:00.000-05:00M: I turned your tip into a tweet.M: I turned your tip into a tweet.RVA Foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214920696412259243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-66661042281679021432009-02-18T12:05:00.000-05:002009-02-18T12:05:00.000-05:00http://teach77.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/watercress...http://teach77.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/watercress/<BR/><BR/>-MAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-59682240182825938142009-02-18T10:38:00.000-05:002009-02-18T10:38:00.000-05:00Wow. So I should have offered my credit card. I ...Wow. So I should have offered my credit card. I had no idea that was an option. That would have saved me a post meal sprint on cobblestones, and $3+ in ATM fees, and a 2 lb bag of watercress (seriously, where are my recipe suggestions?). I wonder how the server would have responded. It seems like it would be pretty awkward. As much as I feel regret about the way things went, I don't really feel like I owe anyone. Sure, I was stuck between tipping $5 and $10 and I made a choice based on the experience we'd just been thru. That said, I don't wanna put this instance under a microscope. We should really be speaking in generalities (as Janet and Piet have demonstrated). I want to preserve my still relatively positive image of Lulu's, cuz I fully intend to go back there sometime, and over tip - hoping I get the same server.RVA Foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214920696412259243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-84455731513366251382009-02-18T09:41:00.000-05:002009-02-18T09:41:00.000-05:00I will remember the $1 credit card charge if I'm e...I will remember the $1 credit card charge if I'm ever in that situation....good advice. I have more grace with an incompetent server than I do with a rude server....rudeness is the one thing I have a hard time dealing with. If someone is doing their best and they are simply clueless or in over their head, I generally allow for that when determining my tip.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08365844972341172951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-26152482278393536322009-02-18T09:17:00.000-05:002009-02-18T09:17:00.000-05:00I've left what I consider crappy tips when the ser...I've left what I consider crappy tips when the server was incapable or incompetent. This sounds more of an issue with the restaurant then the server. I've had meals comped before leaving me wondering how to tip as I rarely carry cash. I offer a credit card and ask them to open a check. They run it for $1 (cheaper than a bank ATM fee) and then I tip. I've also had the server decline saying they couldn't accept after such a bad experience - releasing me from my obligation.<BR/><BR/>You should have tipped $5 a head. I'd go back and make this right.Bookstore Piethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16229389993923004442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35720139.post-38760820438572618112009-02-18T09:09:00.000-05:002009-02-18T09:09:00.000-05:00I'm a good tipper...and I have never worked in the...I'm a good tipper...and I have never worked in the restaurant industry. And I have always tipped well no matter my level of income at that time (not saying that's a factor for you but just clarifying). And it has always come back to me ten fold...if not today, it will tomorrow or next week. In the case of what happened with you, I'd probably left the $20...not saying that is what you should have done, but I think a minimum of $10 was in order since she had the entire bill deducted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com