The Patio

3601-A Cox Road

Richmond, Virginia 23233

The Shoppes at Twin Oaks

(Off of Broad Street/Innsbrook Area)

The Patio

Atmosphere/Decor:

When you walk into The Patio you can still see the upscale Asian decor (ceiling, carpet, chairs, plates, bowls, silverware) which were obviously leftover from the Dd33 restaurant, which the same owner closed a few months prior to our visit. To save expenses he kept a lot of the same items from his "asian-fusion" creation, but David Du has now turned Dd33 into an upscale Sports Bar. As I stare at the 12 huge flat screen TVs, a game machine on the bar, and all the sports memorabilia hanging on the walls, you can easily see that they have tried hard to change the decor. (But, you have to wonder why they changed it to a sports bar only steps away from Big Al's Sports Bar & Grill? How many sports bars does one little shopping center need?)

Food: 

It was still Happy Hour when we arrived, so I felt the need to participate, and I am glad that I did! Their $5.00 Mojito was the best Mojito I had ever tasted and the price was right for such a tall beverage full of fresh mint! Props to the bartender! I'm glad the waitress mentioned the Happy Hour Specials (they also had 6 beers in a bucket for $10, which is a great deal) 

We started with the Zucchini Spears ($6.99) as an appetizer. Which arrived with two dipping sauces, a marinara and a pesto-mayo-herb sauce. I could easily tell that the marinara sauce was a store bought, watery, flavorless slop - just gross (I could not take another dip in this sauce) So, for me, I was hooked on the pesto-mayo-herb sauce, which was extremely fatty, but so darn delicious! Tommy ordered their signature burger, "The Patio Burger"($9.99), with spinach, tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese, and balsamic vinegar and a side of fries. Tommy was extremely pleased with the way it was cooked and served. He agreed it was a good "speciality" burger. I ordered the chicken sliders with coleslaw and fries ($6.99). The chicken sandwiches were dry and bland, thank goodness I still had some pesto-mayo-herb sauce to add to the bun. The coleslaw was fresh, crunchy, and had a touch of ginger/asian kick to it. I thoroughly enjoyed their french fries, which seemed to be hand cut, and sprinkled with a unique seasoning with little red flakes for a little spice, but not too much heat. My fries were served in a separate white, slanted, oblong asian bowl and my two chicken sliders were served on a rectangle sushi dish, which seemed odd, but it worked! 

Service: 

Our waitress was cute and courteous, she filled our drinks without asking and checked on us frequently and was prompt with the check at the end.  Our appetizer came quickly and there was enough time to enjoy it before our entrees arrived. (I hate it when everything comes to the table at once) The only distraction was the really creepy manager guy walking around the restaurant stopping to stare at the TVs and watch the customers eat. His huge jingling key chain on his hip with 100 keys was extremely annoying. He could of at least walked up to the tables to check on customers and look like he was busy or helping out in some way. (I'll send him my "to do list" later)

Other Distractions: 

The lighting was horrendous! I found myself squinting to read the menu. The overhead lights were so harsh I had to read their menu at an angle. The lights were reflecting off my husbands watch and on the silverware. I highly recommend they dim the lights!

Bathroom Report:

Somewhat clean...both mirrors were dirty and the paper towels were a scattered mess. The faucets were cool, black and chrome with a waterfall feature, too bad the sink area was boring. I suggest a little housekeeping.  (I'll add that to the manager's "to do list")

Side Note:

They have a huge covered patio, hence the new name, "The Patio". With a large black canopy, ceiling fans, outdoor speakers pumping out hit music and plenty of seating, this looks like a great spot for a fun Happy Hour gathering!

Total Price: $32.00 (1 hh drink, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees)

Rating: 3 stars

Overall Suggestion: I would considering going again to meet some friends and watch a game or chill out and relax on "The Patio". (Although there are no TVs on the patio, so I'll have to pick one or the other) 

Resturant picked by Tommy Joyner

Cafe Caturra

Cafe Caturra

3332 Pump Road

Richmond, Virginia 23233

804-360-3377

http://www.cafecaturra.com

(Short Pump Crossing Center)

Atmosphere/Decor:

Between Summer Vacations and Thunderstorms we scrambled around to find a quick spot to eat last night and we found the perfect spot! After we sat down, we realized that there were 3 Cafe Caturra's in the Richmond area, and 2 in the Raleigh, NC area. Which might bend the rules of being a "chain" restaurant to some degree. Once we looked over the menu we decided to take full advantage of their "Happy Hour" specials, which they like to call "Social Hours" (which I thought was cute) Because, this is a fantastic place for a "social" event. There is a fireplace outside on the patio with sofas and chairs and comfy leather couches inside scattered with other tables and chairs. Nice color scheme, calming neutrals on the walls, tables, and chairs. I especially liked the artwork on the walls by a local artist. These beautiful watercolor paintings were all for sale. Although very pricey, I love to see area restaurants supporting local artists and revolving their decor on the walls. The trendy music in the background was a nice compliment to this hip social setting. I noticed that all the blinds on the windows were drawn close, which was actually nice, it made you forget that you were sitting in a strip-mall shopping center. Overall, I was impressed with the layout of this cute cafe!

Food:

Well, once we saw the "3-4-5" Social Hours Specials menu, we decided to take full advantage! $3 beer, $4 food, $5 wine! Tommy ordered a Bitburger Premium Lager Beer and I ordered a glass of Sauvignon (Entre-Deux-Mers) Then, we ordered two different Crostinis, Tommy ordered the Braised Beef Short Ribs (braised boneless short ribs, sweet caramelized onions and Gorgonzola cheese sprinkled with scallions) and I selected the Goat Cheese (herbed goat cheese, fire roasted red peppers, with sweet balsamic glaze and fresh basil). The crostinis arrived on beautiful rectangle glass plates. Plate presentation was perfectly arranged with six crostinis on each plate lined up at a slight angle. We both agreed that both crostinis were absolutely delicious! We highly recommend that you try them! 

We decided to finish dinner at home (which is rare for us, but we wanted to rate a full meal)

So, we got the Vegetable Panini (crisp cucumbers, carrots, Roma tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, aged provolone cheese, hummus and balsamic vinaigrette dressing) and Gazpacho to go, and I am glad we did! The sandwich was fantastic! The soup on the other hand was a slight disappointment, I prefer my gazpacho a little thicker/chunkier with cucumber, onions, peppers and a hint of spice. Their soup was extremely thin and lacked vegetables, all I tasted was tomato. 

Service:

Our waitress was brief and did not describe anything to us, thankfully, the manager came by and explained the "Cafe Caturra" concept and showed us the specials on the chalkboard and urged us to take advantage of the Social Hour Specials. He was very energetic and nice. Our waitress on the other hand seemed slack. Although, this also seems like a setting were you could walk up to the counter and get better service. But, If I was relaxing on one of their nice, comfy couches with a group of friends, the last thing I want to do is keep getting up for a fresh drink. But, for a quick bit to eat, the service was fine.

Bathroom Report: I forgot! Although, I walked around the entire restaurant to look at the artwork, huge coffee machine, and other decor. I can't believe I completely I forgot the bathrooms! Sorry.

Side Note: Take Advantage of the "Social Hours Specials" $3, $4, $5. Also, the fireplace patio outside seems like it would be a lot of fun! (It was raining when we went, so our next trip will be outside)

Total Price: $24.00 (1 Beer, 1 Wine, 2 Appetizers, 1 Panini, 1 Soup)

Rating: 4 stars

Overall Suggestion: We recommend this spot for a quick stop, or a fun social setting with friends. Not sure kids would have fun in this wine bar setting. Although, it would be fine during lunch or ordering take out. 

Another Side Note: They also cater! The Midlothian location offers breakfast (Libbie location use to, but only has lunch and dinner now) The Short Pump location only offers Lunch & Dinner. But, I could see a wonderful weekend brunch working out at the Short Pump location, since their neighboring restaurants both have breakfast, but we shall see...

Restaurant Picked by Mary Beth Joyner

 

Anokha

Anokha (Unique Cuisine of India)
4015 Lauderdale Drive
Henrico, Virginia 23233
http://www.anokha.us
(Short Pump Area)

Atmosphere/Decor:

Anokha means "unique" in Indian. The decor was definitely "unique", beautiful curtains, large art pieces on the wall, bright (zig-zag) tiles on the floors, and jazzy Indian music in the background.

Food: 

We started off with the Anokha Tandoori Sampler ($9), which included the lamb kebab, chicken tikka kabab and a mint chicken kabab, there were 2 pieces of each to share, and a few mixed vegetables sprinkled on top. It was a great way to start off the evening. Tommy really enjoyed the lamb. Tommy ordered the Cumin-Chili Prawns ($16) which came with 6 jumbo shrimp, vegetables and rice. I ordered the Baingan Bahaar ($12) which was large portion of eggplant that was cooked in a zesty tomato glaze with rice. We also had an order of Garlic Naan ($3) which is a flat garlic bread (I personally feel in love with this bread!)

Service:

Service overall was "good", there were times when the table could have been cleared and they could have brought us the check at the end of the night, we had to go to the counter at the door to pay for our meal rather than wait any longer for our waiter to come back. (they were extremely crowded for a random Tuesday night at 7pm, which is good for them!) Our waters were always filled without asking, which is good in a spicy Indian restaurant!

Distractions:

Nothing 

Bathroom Report: 

Very Clean and Cool Orange Glass Sink!

Side Note:

They have recently added a large patio area out front, which I would like to try when we go back. 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Overall Suggestion: Pleasantly Pleased. We would return to explore other options on the menu. 

Total: $47.25 (1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 1 side, 1 beer) Plenty of leftover food for a take-out box

Restaurant picked by Tommy Joyner