Snowski

It snowed on the east coast today. For us here in Chesterfield, it was just under an hour of wet, huge snowflakes. But, it was very beautiful to watch. I know, I am a self proclaimed hater of snow. But look at it. It really is beautiful in small bursts. This video is of Mamaw watching the snow fall.

Comfort

One more restaurant off the list today.

I knocked out Comfort today for a pre-run lunch with some friends and running buddies. "What was had?" you ask. It started off with some sweet tea.

A note: Thank you, the south, for bringing us yet another thing that is good. I know you've had some bad moments with slavery and everything, but you've gone above and beyond with both fried foods and sweet tea.

Next we got into entrees and sandwiches. I picked an entree because I wanted two sides (I really wanted only sides and would have appreciated a  combo side plate option). My friends had respectively, blackened chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes, and a country ham sandwich with potato salad. I personally had meat loaf with squash casserole and french fries. Give me the option and I will always get french fries. That may be something that I need to change, but I deeply love the ol' frenchies, especially with some pesto mayo. But, I digress...

Everyone seemed to enjoy their own meals. I, personally, was not disappointing by mine but I also did not fall in love. Maybe, meatloaf isn't for me. I really don't have much experience with the stuff and in the process of giving something new a chance, I may have found that thing that I don't really like. The squash casserole was cheesy and off the hook and the aforementioned frenchies were classic, salty fried potatoes. Who can complain about that?

Dessert was a caramelized banana topped banana pudding which was plenty rich and would probably overwhelm the individual but we shared. So, it was all good. As it was a dessert, I enjoyed it a whole bunch but it didn't blow me out of the water. I still favor both the tiny pecan pie of Pasture and the appropriately sized tres leches cake of Kuba Kuba. I can't wait to get some pie at Ipanema later.

I've got to step up my running game to deal with all of this eating out. On a pro exercise note, I did get my bike into Richmond today and it is near being completely put together. So, then, I'll be biking everywhere I go in town. I can not wait.

There's my review take it or leave it. Also, if you don't favor being uncomfortably full during your bout of exercise, try to not eat at comfort on the day of exercise.

Restauranteer

I love the restaurants of Richmond and their underpaid service people. As a homage to the wonderful food of this beautiful city I am eating at as many of these delightful eateries as I can afford whilst I'm in town.
Sometimes, I don't even have to worry about if I can afford it or not. In my one week of Richmond time, I've already been treated to one tasty meal and a beer or two by the generous personalities in my life.

I'm compiling a richmond list of places that I would like to eat at, some for the first time and some as a loving, returning customer. It's a work in progress, but here's what I have so far.

Places to eat in Richmond, VA


1) The Franklin Inn Tuesday was my  first time at this tiny cafe and I found it has loads of character and some pretty dank fried zucchini, all beer battered with local beer from 2) Legend Brewery. I've never eaten here at the first brewpub that I ever even heard of and I think it is high time to remedy that.

3) Kuba Kuba Classic Fan deliciousness. Who doesn't like Kuba Kuba? Crazies, that's who. Three words. Tres Leches Cake. Take that crazies.

4) Comfort: Down home southern comfort food. I've pretty much only heard good things. Before, I was deterred by price, but now I know of something I didn't know before. Lunch menu. I'll be seeing you soon Comfort.

5) The Black Sheep: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. I want everything that The Black Sheep has to offer. EVERYTHING. I love this place with the hopeless devotion that a puppy dog reserves for the one member of the household that gives them people food. I could write a whole post about The Black Sheep on its own.

6) Mekong: A few years ago when everyone was tripping over themselves to get some Pho. Mekong was the place to be. I'm not sure why, but up until recently I had no interest. Now, Mekong is on my radar and I will go there before I leave town.

7) Thai Diner: is on the list. But, let's face it, I eat Thai food all the time in Portland from Authentic Thai so I might not make it. However, if I get to a Thai Diner, it'll probably be Thai Diner Too in Carytown because of their proxemity to 8)Bev's: I'm lactose intolerant but I will risk violent illness to eat a little bit of Bev's Ginger ice cream.

9) Pasture: Brand new, and still working out the kinks in a couple of places, Pasture is operated by those that bring us Comfort. Offering beers brewed from the very under appreciated breweries of the mid Atlantic, small plates of southern food, and a starkly handsome space. This hip dining establishment is open now, but is a place that I would go back to in four months. By that time it will, probably, be fully, and deliciously operational.

10) Pearly's Restaurant: My friends love it and I trust them. It also, seems to be a hit among the Richmond Marathon crowd for which I've always had a special place in my heart.

11) I tried to stop at 10 but Ipanema  ruined my plan. I just love it too much with it's delicious pies, $2 draft beers on Monday nights and otherwise charming basement decor.

12) Bottoms Up Pizza A pizza joint I still haven't tried, despite the fact that my college boyfriend's modelishous, freshman year roomie worked there, I never brought myself to head downtown for this highly recommended pizza. What can I say? The world of a college freshman is small and there is a certain lack of expendable income during this part of our lives. Nevertheless, I don't know of any other gourmet style pizza places in the area, so this seems like a place to hit up.

That's the list as of right now. Certainly, places were forgotten, Balliceaux for instance. I am open to new possibilities and if I happen to eat somewhere else while I'm here, that's okay. However, these are the mainstay of my Richmond restaurant to do list. I don't want to miss out on more than 20% of these places while I'm here. So, gear up Richmond. I will be eating with you. (Restaurants that weren't mentioned because the list was getting out of hand, but are on my extended list are: 821 Cafe, Mamma Zu's, Edo's Squid, 8 and 1/2)

On a related note: http://thisiswhyyourefat.tumblr.com/

I've gotta go eat lunch.

Frost

9:15a.m. February, 6th, 2012

Chesterfield, VA 23834

Frost [frawst, frost]

Definition: extreme cold

Synonyms: Jack Frost, blight, dip, drop, freeze, hoarfrost, ice rime

Antonyms: Heat 

Train Fat

I went for a 15 minute run today and it was one of the hardest runs that I've done in a good long while. I see you, thinking "15 minutes, that's nothing". and not even a week ago, I would have agreed. That was before I gained all of this train fat from sitting on the train for just over three days in a row. That's over 72 hours of straight sitting people. My body is not used to moving anymore. Fortunately, I'll be hitting up a "Poor Man's Yoga" class this evening as well. So, hopefully we can get things back into working order. 

This train ride was a strange'un. In some ways I expect a cross country train to be filled with antiquity loving, beautiful hipsters, all wearing retro shoes and sunglasses. Besides followers of the scene, I expected patient, elderly travelers who drink their fill of overpriced wine in their sleeper cars and romance one another like they've just fallen in love. Suffice to say, my expectations were not met. 

This cross country train was all business. At least on the first leg of my journey, most of the people that I encountered were either coming or going to Wilson, ND. There were men going there with guaranteed jobs working where the oil is being drilled. There were people rushing there in hopes of getting jobs pertaining to the oil boom and there was at least one person who was commuting to Wilson to work as a waitress. Word on the tracks is, there's so much money to be had in North Dakota that people can afford to buy cars after working for only a few months. People are getting jobs as drivers, station builders, and  pipe layers. even gas station workers are supposedly getting about $18.oo an hour in Wilson. 

It's a strange thing to become an accidental part of a migrating flock. I felt like we were doing something that Americans have been doing forever. In the past we were going to pan gold, or to pick fruit. Instead, of heading west, Now we were heading to the center to drill oil. Luckily, the first leg of the train wasn't overly crowded so it wasn't hard to come by sleep and a good stretch during this bit of migration.

The second leg, from Chicago. was far more crowded and less migratory. By that leg, I was over trains and ready to get home and take a shower. Now, if you read my last post, you know that I am home with Mamaw and my older sister, clean showered and ready to do some yoga.

Here are a few pictures from the journey.

We actually did get to leave the train sometimes. Here on layover in Chicago 

Blue skies and sunshine are a magical thing coming from Portland in the winter 

 A bit of fencing at the Milwaukee station.

In the flat brown stretch. There was a lot of this. 

Frozen River

Every once and a while the flat lands gave us some busted dumpsters, buildings, and cars.

Snow in a way that we never see it in Portland.

Home. Sweet, sweet home.

I'm at home or I'm at a home of sorts. I'm at my grandmom's, Mamaw's, home.

I'm home but she's away in the hospital. I should be getting things set up for her to come home but thanks to my treacherous west coast inner clock I am just waking up.

Thought I should let you all know, the trip went basically well. Things are starting to happen here this morning. So, I've got to go.

A better update from this home, later.

Slipped Through Your Fingers

Suck it up Portland boys. You should have acted sooner. No worries, I'll be back in a couple of months. 

When I heard that you were leaving town