We had two free night certificates expiring at the end of March that prompted a quick trip to Richmond, Virginia. Instead of using both nights we invited our friends to go with us. Altogether we were in town for about 26 hours.
Our first stop was lunch at Ugly Dumpling. The chicken soup dumplings were very nice, just the right thickness and flavor, and the pork soup dumplings were also great. We also tried the BBQ buns which were soft and pillowy with a nice smoky sweetness, plus the chicken dumplings which were fine, the soup dumplings were better. There was a wait of over 20 minutes mid-day on Saturday.
Our second stop was Brambly Park, on the edge of Scott’s Addition, where we met Leandra’s cousin and family. This is almost a private park, with lots of families and outdoor tables, and reservations are highly recommended. We ordered a carafe of their rose which was fine, though unmemorable.
Since we had a good parking spot we walked a few blocks down to The Veil Brewing. They are in a new space since our last visit, and the new spot seems less inviting and more sterile. After a 20 minute wait in line for the bar we ordered a Never Aloha beer (a tropical sour that was not too sweet) and Leandra got the Shadow, a barrel-aged Porter. It was pretty packed but we did manage to find some seats inside.
After a brief rest at our hotel (Candlewood Suites Glen Allen – Short Pump) we went to dinner at Lola’s Farmhouse Bistro. Their interior charmed us during our November weekend visit, and this time we were seated outside in one of their igloos / plastic tents. We had a portable heater set up about an hour after we sat down, which heated the dome nicely. Like last time I ordered the double pork chops (pork was good, potato a little under seasoned, veg were fine) with the Virginia viognier. Leandra ordered the ribeye and split a bottle of a California red blend with our friends. Her ribeye was a bit too done for her liking (ordered rare) but had good flavor. Instead of dessert I went for the chocolate martini, and I was quite pleased with my choice!
The next morning we went for breakfast at Westwood Fountain, which shares a space with a pharmacy!? My cheese and ham omelet was good, though the potatoes were just OK. Leandra got the avocado toast with two sunny side up eggs. Everything was fine but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. At the moment they are charging an additional $1 per any dish with eggs (so almost everything).
It was a lovely spring morning, so our next stop was Maymont park where we could walk around. The gardens were quite nice with lots of daffodils and flowering trees in bloom. It is probably even better in May/June when their water features are running, and seems like a great place to picnic. Would definitely return on a later trip.
Before leaving town we had to stop at out one of our favorites, Garden Grove Brewing, in Carytown. I ordered the Red Synthesis – an aged (4 yr old) sour, quite strong, that was great. Leandra got the Famine, a Belgian Dubbel. Our friends got a flight and liked all options. The bartender was friendly as usual and the space was not busy at all mid-day on Sunday. We did notice that they had replaced our preferred couches with tables and chairs, so we sat at the bar.
And as is now our custom, we walked to For the Love of Chocolate to bring back some of their chocolates. The chewy coconut and cherry cordials remain my favorites!
