Secco's Brand New Menu: Here's What You're In For

Squid ink bucatini with baby shrimp, red chili pepper,  pistachio and shrimp head sauce

Full Disclaimer: My husband Tim and I are regulars at Secco Wine Bar, and I've been pals with owner Julia Battaglini since we were English majors way back when at VCU, so when she asked me to help spread the word on Secco's new menu as well as their chalkboard-only wine and beer menu (a.k.a Hayyy Chardonnay!) I didn't hesitate because a.) that's what friends are for, and b.) I love my hometown of RVA. So here goes a little unfettered promotion all in the name of showcasing the awesomeness that is Richmond, Virginia's ever-changing restaurant scene.

To start.

That wildly colorful dish posted above is a house-made squid ink pasta with baby shrimp, red chili's and pistachio, and it is just one of the many new dishes featured on Secco Wine Bar's brand spanking new menu. It's no shocker that Executive Chef Tim Bereika has mastered the art of making fresh pasta, but Secco's new menu also boasts many familiar items like those addictive fried chickpeas with aleppo pepper, fried Castelvetrano olives and a house-made charcuterie board along with some reasonably priced larger plates like whole fried branzino with roasted potatoes and salsa verde as well as an herb crusted sirloin steak with arugula salad, pecorino toscano and lemon oil (all of the meats come from Virginia native Dave Matthews' grass-fed beef farm, Best of What's Around FYI). Secco continues to offer their 5-course chefs tasting menu (available Sunday-Wednesday) which is a steal for $28 bucks. Throw in a stellar rotating wine and beer (and sherry) list and there's no reason you shouldn't eat here at least once.

To help usher you folks in the door with even more gusto, I've created a little photo essay of some of the dishes I've sampled at Secco over the years. Note: many of these dishes remain on the new menu in some seasonal incarnation since Chef Bereika often culls locally from regional farms and producers. All of these pics were taken with my iPhone 4 which can rock some food photos.

Fresh burrata cheese with heirloom cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Foie pot de creme with kirschwasser jelly.

Ricotta and Tuscan kale filled pasta with toasted almonds, citrus butter and fennel pollen.

Panna cotta with orange zest, smoked walnuts and bourbon soaked raisins.

House made pumpkin ravioli with amaretti cookies and sage.

Had enough yet? Just go there people. For real.

All photos and text ©2013 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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The Friendliest Little Restaurant on Earth

Hometown Restaurant Peterstown, WV

Sometimes you've just got to go back to the basics, to those warm and familiar places that bring you comfort, especially in times of need. Recently, I lost my youngest cousin, Evan. He passed away tragically and far too young. The emptiness that is left inside my heart still resonates with each heavy breath, so much so that I wish I could sigh the sadness right out of me, but I can't. Instead, like the rest of my family I'm filled with a constant dull ache and an insatiable yearning for him to return to us.

It's times like these that I eye my surroundings with a keener vision. Perhaps I'm just seeking that proverbial pat on the back from a stranger which will remind me that yes, there is still plenty right with this world (don't we all seek this to some extent?) or maybe I'm simply craving an earnest, "How ya'll doing today?" from a total stranger so I'll be reminded of home. These minute gestures magically seem to fill the void, or at least a little part of it and that's enough for now.

Hometown Restaurant, located in the quaint mountain town of Peterstown, West Virginia which sits right along the Virginia/West Virginia line, fills my void.

Serving up good old country cooking with a decidedly West Virginia mountain flair (think brown beans and cornbread and my personal food addiction, the West Virginia slaw dog), Hometown is a no-frills, come-on-in-and-grab-yourself-a-seat spot located on the main road in town. There's a nice, little salad bar with all the usuals, including a particularly good homemade potato salad, along with a hot bar of rotating lunch specials that are appropriately doused in some kind of gravy.

Hometown's real-deal slaw dog with homemade chili sauce on a buttered New England split bun

There's an a la carte menu available offering up an array of tasty, home cooked goodies, ranging from Texas toast hamburgers (another West Virginia tradition) and country ham dinners to vegetable plates and fried fish meals that are all VERY reasonably priced.

Nearly everything at this 26 year old restaurant is made from scratch and it's pure grandma's cooking, especially the homemade cakes, pies and rolls. We sampled a coconut cream pie that boasted the tallest, most perfect meringue I've ever seen. It was so good we devoured it before I could even get a snapshot, so I guess you'll have to get your own slice to really see what I mean.

While the food is undoubtedly good, it's the company that makes this place so special. We weren't at our table all of five minutes before an older gentleman on the other side of the room got up from his table, walked over to us, shook our hands and simply said "Welcome". He then returned to his table and quietly finished his meal. Who does this anymore? He wasn't an employee, and as far as I know not affiliated with the restaurant other than being a patron, yet he took the time to make us feel special in a place where everyone knows everyone, but no one knew us.

As we worked through our meal of slaw dogs, beans and cornbread and blackberry cobbler, nearly everyone who walked by our table took a moment to wave a kind hello along with a quick "how ya'll doing?" From local farmers still in their overalls to a large group of dust-covered men coming in from a nearby construction site to the restaurant's seasoned servers, many of whom have been working here for 20-plus years, it was as if the whole place had invited us into their private dining room.

I can think of no better way to welcome your guests than to create an atmosphere where food, fellowship and good old-fashioned mountain-style hospitality is all that matters.

And, if you feel like you might need an extra prayer or two said on your behalf, Hometown's got you covered. Just fill out this form with any prayer requests and drop it in the box on your way out. It sure beats just grabbing a mint.

What Hometown Restaurant offers its diners is not unique. No one's claiming to reinvent the wheel when it comes to the soul-satisfying, stick-to-your-guts, home-cooked food they serve each week. What makes Hometown so special in my book are the little things-- the way a stranger shakes your hand with purpose, how a waitress beams with pride as she lays down that piece of towering homemade coconut cream pie, and how a passer-by who you've never met takes the time to stop by your table just to offer a "glad you're here" as if somehow he magically knows your heart is heavy.

Hometown Restaurant
Route 219
Peterstown, West Virginia
No booze
No bad language

©2012 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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5 Great Places to Eat and Drink in Vancouver

The Maignan's Muse from Chambar

So, my latest contribution to Food Republic featuring five of the best spots to eat and drink in food city extraordinaire, Vancouver, is up and running. Check it out. Go there if you can. In the meantime, please enjoy a few photos that didn't make the cut in the original article.

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A Little Preview of Selba Richmond

So, I'm kinda digging Richmond's latest dining addition Selba housed in the old Cliff's Honda space on West Cary. Owner Todd Boyd, a dear friend of mine from back in my Cafines days, invited me and Tim to a little shindig last night to show off his latest pride and joy, and who are we to pass up a perfectly decent party on earthquake day?

After a glass of Champagne, we decided to check out the new digs, which include several separate dining areas (this place is big), a bar, and this super cool atrium-type spot with hanging Tiffany lamps and a lush indoor garden.

This room is simply made for brunch, and according to Selba's menu that's exactly what's on tap complete with live piano music and a Bloody Mary menu. Omelets with Sausage Craft Chorizo, lemon ricotta honey pancakes with local honey, house smoked bacon and homemade granola are some of goods that will be offered.

Looks like dinner will consist of an array of small plates as well as full entrees and definitely reflect the fresh/local approach-- summer corn soup with VA lump crab, Buffalo Creek beef brisket with tamarind glaze, "Airline" [sic] chicken breast with roasted apples, squash casserole with local veggies...you get the idea. The wine list is definitely well-thought out and the elongated bar will prove to be a fun spot late night.

The party itself was a good time, and steamship round was particularly tasty and meaty as were the housemade crackers.

All in all, the addition of Selba to the revitalization of this section of Cary Street is nothing but a positive for Richmond. Hopefully, future restauranteurs will follow suit to help get this area up and running.  Pin It Now!

Sweet As Sugar and Ugly As a Toad

Fried Sugar Toads from Arnest Seafood

Sugar toads.  They're not what you think, so put those images of deep fried frog outta your head.  Sugar toads are what we coastal Virginia folk call the Northern Puffer fish, which is a seasonal bottom-dwelling fish unique to the Chesapeake Bay.  Sugar toads primarily feed on shellfish, and have earned their nickname due their less than Vogue-worthy appearance.  For many years, puffers were considered as nothing more than an annoyance that needed to be thrown back until several well-known (and high-end) restaurants began serving this sweet, flaky fish with the unusual name to rave reviews.

Sugar toads, like all puffer fish, have ability to fill their stomachs with water as a defense and puff up, making them a not-so-easy to digest prey.  From a culinary standpoint, it must also be noted that Chesapeake Bay puffers are completely non-poisonous, and unlike their Fugu brethren, pose no threat to those who eat them.  As a result, if you can get your hands on a platter of these fried delicacies, it's a prized meal indeed.

So, last weekend when the hubby and I took a jaunt to one of our favorite seafood dives, we were thrilled when the special of the day was fried sugar toads.  Sugar toads, when lightly battered and deep-fried maintain just a hint of crunch to offset the soft, sweet meat inside.  Most often, they are deep-fried whole (sans head and skin).  Also, because the spine of the puffer is still intact once prepared, they're an excellent eat-with-your-hands kinda snack, much like a fried chicken leg.  Give your toad a little spritz of fresh lemon juice while dipping it into a plastic tub of homemade tartar and you won't care that you're dining alfresco with a view of a strip mall parking lot.

Arnest is about as no-frills as you can get.  Not only is it in a half-vacant strip mall right smack in the middle of nowhere (a.k.a. Manquin, Virginia, about halfway to Tappahannock out Route 360) but it sits right next to a hunting and fishing shop complete with a giant outdoor statue of a galloping seven-point buck for your viewing pleasure.  Part seafood store (you can get anything to go) and part dine-in, Arnest is the kinda place you visit to get a taste of the Bay without the waterfront price.

A specialty of the house are their steamed local blue crabs, and Arnest sells nothing but number one males, otherwise known as "jimmies", for a mere $24 a dozen.  Jimmies are well-known to be the largest and meatiest of blue crabs and can command upwards of $65 a dozen at a tourist-ridden waterfront seafood establishment.  When I asked about females, which some folks prefer due the substantial price difference, our server replied, "Here, it's males only."  My kinda place.

As the saying goes, when the work is hard, the rewards taste that much sweeter.  Such is the case for picking crabs, so plan on staying a while.  We picked for two hours and still had four large crabs leftover for dinner the next night.  

All of your accouterments, including melted butter, Tabasco, Old Bay and, my personal fave, cider vinegar for dipping that precious jumbo lump, come out with your crabs which are gloriously presented on a plastic tray.  Crab picking is messy business, and while there are plenty of paper towels, I recommend bringing your own bib.  Either that, or I dare you to wear white.

If crabs, or heaven forbid, fried sugar toads just ain't your thing, no worries.  You can get most any seafood goody, either fried or steamed at Arnest.  For the fried seafood junkie, Arnest offers up a selection of "Straight-Up" platters, where diners can get a plastic basket full of fried oysters, scallops, jumbo shrimp, fish of the day or frog legs, sold by the pound, and ranging in price from $9.99 .lb (frog legs) to $18.99 .lb (shrimp).  

Steamed options include Rappahannock oysters (also on the half shell), local clams and shrimp. When it comes to fried dinners with sides, crab cakes, scallop cakes, fish of the day, soft shells and various combinations thereof are served with two sides and homemade hush puppies without a single platter costing over $19.00.

Standout sides included Arnest's vinegar braised collard greens, housemade flash-fried crab chips dusted in Old Bay and creamy deviled eggs. If you're looking for fine wine, you're in the wrong place, and same goes for cocktails, since Arnest sells neither, but you can get an ice cold Corona or Budweiser, which to me, suits fried seafood and crab picking just fine.

Who: Arnest Seafood Where: 109 Commerce Park, Manquin, Virginia (804) 769-3315 When: Wed., Thurs. and Sunday 11:30-9pm and Fri. and Sat. 11:30-10pm

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