Restaurant Suggestion (Richmond, Floyd, Short Pump: home, to buy, restaurants)

[rosette8]

We are moving this summer to Richmond and my husband has to go down next week for some meetings. I decided to leave the kids home and bring a girlfriend to help me do some furniture shopping.

On Monday night my husband is busy and my friend and I would like a great dinner with fun atmosphere. My friend has never been to Richmond and I have only spent limited time. We are staying in the Board St. West area.

Any ideas??

[richmondpics]

Where will you be shopping for furniture?

[richmondpics]

The reason I ask is because there are a few Furniture/Furnishings stores in Shockoe Slip worth checking out...

La Difference, These Four Walls, and RV Cole Furniture are all located in the Slip, close to some good restaurants as well.

What kind of food are you looking for?

[richmondpics]

Also, make sure the restaurant you choose is open on Monday... some restaurants are closed on Mondays.

[rosette8]

I will take suggestions on cool furniture places as well. I only want to check out one piece at Crate and Barrel. I was going to go to Green Front, but think I will wait on that until I get down there.

Restaurants: we would like cool, trendy, nice bar for a drink before (not pick up place) No chains or place I would take my kids. Maybe somewhere you would go before a play or out to dinner with friends on Sat. I don't have an issue driving...downtown is fine.

thanks!!

PS- I checked out both website for the furniture stores.....exactly what I am looking for! Any other stores?

[richmondpics]

Those are two of the better local furniture stores.

Is price range not too big of a deal? I'm thinking places like Can Can Brasserie in Carytown, DeLux in Uptown, Bank downtown, I've heard ravings about LuLu's, etc etc. Karsen's is also supposed to be terrific. I'll try to come up with other suggestions for you.

[rosette8]

Price is not an issue for dinner....furniture, well I would rather not break the bank! We have lots of furniture to buy so it can't all be high end. Some where in the middle for most pieces.

Thanks for all of your help!

[richmondpics]

Also a newish restaurant, Verbena (located at the corner of Robinson and Floyd) has received rave reviews from just about everyone.

A few good sources for info on Richmond's vast variety of non-chain restaurants:
Style Weekly and more specifically their annual State of the Plate '08

Restaurants & Dining - inRich.com
Dana has pretty thorough and balanced reviews at inrich.

A great local foodie blog where you can find links to other local foodie blogs:
Brandon Eats

[braveheartwendy]

Millie's is our all time favorite restaurant in Richmond, fun, funky, awesome food. A Richmond landmark. Second favorite is Comfort, ditto fun, funky, awesome food. Recently read that Comfort is the favorite restaurant of the owner of Millie's. I think he owns Lulu's too, if I am not mixing up names.

Can Can is fun, and so is Carytown, so that might be a good choice!

[whynot?]

Depending on how far out Broad Street you are, Patina Grill is a great spot near Short Pump Mall. (About a half mile down Lauderdale -- which feeds into the mall parking lot -- in the strip center on the right.) It's been here for 10 years+, and has great salads and generous small plates in addition to their excellent entrees. Good bar and wine, too. We go there all the time. (And I don't work there, in case this sounds suspicious.)

Almost all of the other places listed above are more downtown, about 15-25 minutes away. I heartily second Carsen's (Carytown). Si is a newish tapas bar in the Fan, and Verbena is near there. (I was there last night. Excellent.) Also if you're in Carytown, Can-Can is good for a busy, loudish brasserie. (Lunch?) I am also fond of Zeus Gallery Cafe near Carytown. (Sort of a Carsen's forerunner.)

I liked LuLu's (related to Millie's), but it's a bit more bar/less restaurant, if I could judge by the one time I went. Millie's isn't far from there, and it's great, but there's a really long wait sometimes and you have to really dig the "funky" to make it worth all that. (It's definitely worth a visit, but I wouldn't plan my trip around it.)

The furniture stores listed above are great. Enjoy your trip!