Photos by Aleena Inthaly and Noelani Martin

With oft-dreaded, much clichéd V-Day upon us, the least we at Shafer Bird can do for you is to provide you with a list of the five WORST places you could possibly contrive to take your date near campus. With our list and a little effort, you may just survive this heart-break holiday and even gain some good favor with someone special.

5) Chiocca’s

The food itself at Chiocca’s, a small sandwich shop at the corner of Belmont and Kensington, is wonderful. The wait times and somewhat dingy atmosphere, not so much. Unless the sound of your date impatiently tapping her fingers on an empty table as you struggle to engage her in even the most mundane conversation is music to your ears – it would be better to just stay at home.

4) The Camel

One-half restaurant, the other a music venue; one wonders why The Camel even bothers. Located just a short trip down Broad Street, the food at best is mediocre. And if you’re taking your date to a concert this Valentine’s Day that isn’t Michael Buble, The Camel isn’t exactly the next best thing, no matter how hard you try to sell it.

3) City Dogs

Unless your date scoffing down hot dogs is an allusion of things to come, City Dogs – a beer and hotdog joint just a short trip down Main Street – is close to one of the worst places to go on campus this Valentine’s Day. It’s an overgrown hot dog stand for crying out loud!

2) NY Pizza and Subs

A date at NY Pizza and Subs promises excitement and adventure for all involved! However, if your date would prefer not to be hassled or stared at by (in growing magnitude of danger) bus patrons, homeless men, or random men, then stay away. On a personal note however, I have a friend who swears he saw a girl enter and then not leave… at all.

1) Shafer Court Dining Center

The school’s finest and also Valentine’s worst – enough said. Also, that’s your date walking out the door. Good luck next year!

It is that time of year where romance is in full bloom in the lovely River City as Valentine’s Day is before us. Richmond is a candle-lit, sweethearted getaway in its own way with numerous places to impress that special someone. There is a variety of amorously delicious spots for students around the VCU Monroe Park campus. For Shafer Bird’s Top Five Valentine’s Day Special, I have gathered together the culinary best for this special occasion.

5) Edo’s Squid

There’s nothing more romantic than a place hidden away from the city in a dimly lit upstairs space. Above the old Stuffy’s sub shop there’s Edo’s Squid, a low-key Italian restaurant right next to the heart of the Monroe Park campus. They have pasta cooked perfectly every time and luxurious white table cloths to set the mood. The prices are fair and the portions are perfectly formed to satisfy the stomach without discomfort so that no food is wasted. It is a great destination for a first date and will guarantee smiles for italian food lovers.

Pros: Wide range of seafood, vegetarian options, good presentations

Cons: Pricy, very dark lighting, and high noise level

4) Kuba Kuba

Kuba Kuba is the place to take your date away from the city for a day and into a beautiful street cafe in Havana. The moment you walk into Kuba Kuba, the aromas of spices and plantains diffuse through the air to satisfy your senses. What is even more fantastic is that their decor is just as wonderful as their food. Kuba Kuba is the place to try something new. The entrees are definitely worth the price of $5-$20. With a filling meal, dessert and coffee is an absolute must to put the cherry on top of the cake.

Pros: Colorful cuisine and great presentation, the cafe con leche is to die for, beautiful decor, casual atmosphere, excellent service

Cons: Long wait for food sometimes, noise level can be loud, food preparation varies

                                                           http://kubakuba.info/

3) The Belvidere at Broad

The cozy corner cafe is The Belvidere at Broad located exactly where the name suggests. The Belvidere at Broad serves up some impressive contemporary American cuisine with the touch of southern soul. A bit underrated, Belvidere at Broad seats only a limited number of customers and can fill up fast on the weekends, but it is the food that counts. With fair prices ranging from $10-$20, there is a vast variety of both vegan and meat lover options. The service is exceptional and inviting as well as the wine and beverage list. Instead of a dark restaurant, the restaurant is lit by the city lights of Broad giving off an exquisite street view. The cafe serves up homey comfort food with a fine dining twist. It is a comfort for the soul as well as the heart which is why is a great place to bring someone to fall in love with.

Pros: The innovative menu, atmosphere, service, street view, beverage menu

Cons: Loud noise level, small space, long wait

http://www.thebelvidere.com/

2) Tarrants

Tarrant’s Cafe is an old downtown favorite with historic value for the city of Richmond and is the second best place to take someone on a date. Tarrant’s is an old drug store turned into an American restaurant with the decor still leaving evidence of its past. The aromas in the restaurant tease your taste buds with a tingle of deliciousness leaving you to ponder what exactly is being cooked in the kitchen. Tarrant’s is a great place because there is a wide range of dishes of all different prices which will not leave you broke by the end of the night. I recommend any of the seafood dishes as entrees paired with their famous risotto – it is mouth watering! It is also a very humble space that is far from intimidating, which is a plus for a fine dining restaurant.

Pros: Risotto with shitake mushrooms is exceptional, exciting menu, unique atmosphere, full bar, friendly service, pretty presentation

Cons: Small space, long wait

http://www.tarrantscaferva.com/

1) Strawberry Street Cafe

To top off this countdown at number one, the best place to take a Valentine’s Day date is hands down Strawberry Street Cafe, located in the heart of the Fan district. The cafe is decorated with a bright red awning with a large open window display. Strawberry Street is known to be inviting, simple and chic, and it’s home to artisan shops and restaurants. Currently, the cafe is beautifully decorated with Valentine’s Day themed hearts, inviting the public to join them from their holiday special. It is a fantastic place to invite a vegetarian date since the restaurant offers a wide range of salads including their all you can eat soup and salad bar. The atmosphere is cozily intimate and it’s far enough from campus to be secluded from noise. Strawberry Street Cafe is the best place to take a special someone because it has an intimate atmosphere, low prices, exceptional food and amicable servers.

Pros: Romantic atmosphere, low noise, wine selection, friendly servers, cute decorations, salad selection, well executed menu

Cons: Far from campus

http://strawberrystcafe.com/

Near the corner of Grace and Harrison Streets is a mom and pop run restaurant that blends in with its surroundings. With a plain white brick exterior and a bright red door, Mama’s Kitchen looks like just another mediocre Asian eatery. It is the food though that sets it apart and raises the bar in terms of flavor and quality.

The restaurant is not pretentious, it doesn’t pretend to be any more than it is, and the menu doesn’t claim to serve anything super fancy either. The selection is simple, moderately priced Korean comfort food.

Walking into Mama’s Kitchen, there are a few wooden tables and some small nondescript art on the wall. At the back of the small restaurant space is a menu board above the cash register and a clear case with containers of miso soup and kimchi. Next to that is a drink case and a white board with the day’s specials on it.

Customers can dine in or get their order to go (which is what I did this time, though I have eaten in the little dining area before).

The man at the register, who seems to be the owner, is friendly and nice, and offered help with deciding what to order. The menu offers a variety of semi-traditional Korean meat, seafood, vegetarian and noodle dishes.

Staring up at the menu board, I decide to get the sweet and spicy shrimp combo that comes with mandoo (dumplings), kimbap (kind of like a vegetable sushi roll), miso soup, rice, and kimchi.

The shrimp are breaded, fried, then tossed in a thick sauce that has a sweet honey taste with a slight peppery kick to it. The shrimp are cooked well and the natural shrimp flavor is not lost in the sauce and breading – they complement each other well.

The mandoo are softly steamed dumplings filled with vegetables and shredded chicken. Though they tasted fine, the mandoo are lacking some flavor, as it all seems very one note and bland.

Filled with pickled and fresh thinly sliced vegetables, the kimbap has a nice balance of acidity and crunch with the rest of the meal. The miso is also pretty good, with a salty, well-seasoned broth and bits of carrots and cabbage in it.

The kimchi is a nice end to the meal. Though it lacks the heat that traditional kimchi has, the marinated cabbage has a good but strong vinegar flavor and a spicy kick from the red pepper flakes that give the dish it’s signature red coloring.

My friends ordered the ramen combo and the beef bulgogi combo that both come with the same sides as mine. The ramen is delicious with a complex and flavorful broth that makes the noodles.

As for the beef bulgogi, the grilled meat has a tangy soy sauce, sesame and garlic flavor to it, and it’s mixed with stir-fried green peppers, onions and lettuce. Overall, the amount of food that each “combo” meal comes with for $10 is unbeatable given the freshness and quality of the ingredients.

Final Vedict: Though it may not be “traditional” Koran flavors, the food is pretty good and very filling for a great price.

A sandwich is easy to make, but hard to master. Sure, anyone can throw together something at home, but there is something special about sitting down and ordering a well thought out and put together sandwich. Located in the heart of the fan at Park and Meadow, Garnett’s Cafe has indeed mastered the art of the sandwich.

As I walked in, the first thing I notices was the size of the place. It is extremely cozy with roughly 20-25 seats. The walls are covered with eclectic artwork that reminded me of the kitchen back at my parents house. The size and decor really made me feel at home and that is what this restaurant is all about.

Our waitress pleasantly brought us our drinks and menus as we chose our seats. The wait staff here is always on point and accommodating, providing great service and menu knowledge. They also seemed to have a perfect knack for when to refill our drinks.

The menu at Garnett’s consist of a soup of the day, a handful of salads and appetizers, and an extensive selection of sandwiches. Every sandwich on the menu is very fairly priced from about seven to nine dollars. The menu consists of the perfect blend of familiarity and originality. The classics are all there, but there are a lot of choices and unique combinations available too. They also have a few nice selections for vegetarians as well as offering tofurkey as an option. Each sandwich comes with choice of a side of chips, potato salad, coleslaw, or a black eye pea salad.

I ordered the grilled ham and gouda which also came with pickles, mayo, and dijon mustard on rye and potato salad as my side. My friend ordered the grilled cheddar with mustard and red onions and chips.  After a brief wait the sandwiches came. They looked incredible and I was very excited to take my first bite.

I was not disappointed. All of the ingredients were pretty basic, but combined, they worked really well to create a great sandwich. The pickles really made it great.  I don’t know where they get their pickles from, but I wish I could buy them by the jar.

After I finished my sandwich, I decided to splurge and ordered pie to go. I am going to go ahead and say ordering a dessert here should be mandatory. The pie of the day was pecan, and it was incredibly good.

Garnett’s is a great place to sit down with a friend or date for a delicious and reasonably priced meal. It is very warm and inviting. Not to mention, a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of campus.  Though, I would not recommend showing up with a large group due to limited seating. It is very accessible to fan tenants and a quick bike ride from campus. By foot it is a roughly 15-20 minute walk. For information on their hours and menu check out: http://garnettscafe.com.

Final Verdict: Garnett’s Cafe offers fantastic service and sandwiches.

Words and Photos by Tommy McPhail (with guest Pizza-Purveyor Kevin Hill)

Fellow Pizza-Pirates, it has indeed been ages since I’ve graced the digital landscape with lavish tales of the succulent, curious and (in some cases) downright questionable dish we all know and love. But have no fear! By The Slice is back with a vengeance and, much like Alec Baldwin’s obnoxious Twitter whining, won’t be going anywhere. This month’s guest Pizza-Purveyor is none other than The Sultan of Sauce himself, Mr. Kevin Hill! Kevin and I made the balmy trek to the heart of the Fan where we uncovered quite possibly one of the most legendary deals pizza-dom has ever known.

In this segment, we tackle Arianna’s Grill, home of the 1/2 Price 16” Cheese Tuesdays (SAY WHAT?!)

Arianna’s Grill is, first and foremost, is quite the jaunt from VCU. Though my secret source (and by secret, I mean Google Maps) informs me that the restaurant is nearly 2 miles from the Monroe Park campus (which means an even more-strenuous trek for MCV folks), but salivating ricotta-ravers throughout Richmond can rest easy: every single step is worth it. I’ve yet to undercover a pie-joint in town as satisfying as Arianna’s, though I hear Piccola may give them a run for their money. But I digress…

Upon arrival, Arianna’s was quaint, cozy and, not surprisingly, rather empty. However, when I caught wind that I could get a sixteen-inch NY style pie for less than a typical medium at Domino’s, my curiosity was piqued. Naturally, we went all in with gusto and got two (one cheese, one pepperoni, to shake things up). When our waitress arrived with our treasure trove, the sheer amount of pizza we received was staggering. The challenge before us was almost Man vs. Food-worthy.

First impressions can be hard to erase. Thankfully, this one measured up. Blended together, the cheese and thick sauce melded in perfect mozzarella matrimony. A true Italian recipe, this ‘za was the stuff of NY-style perfection. The crust was a bit bi-polar: flaky and awesome on some slices, sturdy and cardboard-esque in on others. The addition of pepperoni was the perfect accent to the deal, but the real game changer was the parmesan cheese. Kevin was thoroughly perplexed with its quality (after all, who expects the condiments to outshine the main course? That’s like going to Wendy’s for the ketchup). If that cheese came from some off-brand generic grocery store bottle, we were sufficiently fooled. Combine that with a stellar final bill (our receipt was quite the surprise) and top-notch service (we got a smiley face on said receipt), and you have one successful meal on your hands.

To be fair, the classic pizza joint was never intended to be fancy or decadent. Though lacking a bustling clientele, Arianna’s knows its niche and plays it up well, offering exactly what one would expect from a bungalow tucked away within the depths of the Fan. A college town main staple to say the least, it’s a wonder how the larger chains thrive in RVA with places like these lurking just around the bend!

THE VERDICT:

Crustability: 1/4

Sauciness: 2/4

Cheeseification: 3/4

Dining Experience: 2.5/4 (Props to the waitresses!)

Overall Deliciousness Index: 2.5/4 stars.

File Under: Post-Party Hangout Spot, Most Bang for Your Buck

Until next time, pizza pirates!

Whether you’re a Richmond resident, student, or newcomer it’s not hard to notice how many diverse backgrounds are present in the community. Established in Richmond 1994, Jamaica House – or as many regulars will call it, “Jam House,” – became a “home away from home for the island people residing in Richmond.”

If you’re looking for a notably different kind of cuisine with a little spice and authentic taste, Jam House has got it. As you walk in the doors, vibrant colors and creative illustrations occupy all the surrounding walls. A wonderful aroma of island flavor gives you a homey and comfy impression as you make your way to the counter to place an order.

The restaurant doesn’t offer much space for accommodating dine-in customers and usually there is only one waiter on duty. However, it is perfect for those who favor an on-the go take-out service. While the lines can get hectic during lunch hours, the wait-time has never been a disappointment any time I’ve visited.

I’m a bit stubborn when it comes to trying new dishes (my favorite had always been the Jerk Chicken- $7). But this time I decided to try the Curry Chicken ($6.50) and I was pleasantly surprised. The portions are generous, definitely a nice offer for what you pay for. The dish included a bounteous assortment of vegetables, rice, chicken, and potatoes and was seasoned with an outstanding combination of curry sauce and other Jamaican flavors. Needless to say, I was gifted with plenty of leftovers for dinner later on.

Depending on your mood, the prices remain moderately affordable. The Patties (your choice of beef, chicken, or vegetable) are as affordable as only $2.10, and are perfect for a morning snack or afternoon munch especially if you’re in a hurry.

Customers unfamiliar with island or foreign foods take note: not everything that appears unappealing, will be. The sauce mixtures often result in undesirable yellow or red soupy image – but if your willing to risk your danger senses, you might find your taste buds to find the food absolutely delicious!

The menu is pretty standard and includes delicious traditional dishes like curry, goat, chicken, oxtail stew and fried dumplings. The staff was also very laid-back and helpful, the business is family-owned as well as run by true Caribbean natives, so you can trust that these people know what they’re talking about!

Final Verdict: Delicious and affordable! An exotic atmosphere for great in-and-out service, but if you’re looking for a comfortable and spacy dine-in area – I wouldn’t suggest it.

Words and Photos Cory Johnson

A sudden roar can be heard from half a block away on Main Street, and I realize that I won’t be able to get a seat inside.

On a Saturday afternoon in mid-October, Home Team Grill is packed with sports fan. Rainbows of sweatshirts, hoodies, and hats in team colors litter the inside of the restaurant. The bar area only has standing room and every table and booth is filled with fans, watching one of many games playing around the bar.

But while people typically come to the sports bar to socialize over a game, I come for the food.

Since I arrived in the heat of game time, I was seated outside– a retractable glass partition that separates the inside and outside space was opened to give great view of the games inside.

The wait staff is spread thin as only four waiters circulate the entire outdoor and indoor areas and one hostess seats incoming patrons. Since the wait staff is sparse, the time it takes to order and get service is a bit long. But at a sports bar, service isn’t typically a priority.

In the 10 minutes it takes for me to order and receive my water and coffee, I look over the menu.

Prices are on the high side, with no main dishes (including some sandwiches and salads) being priced under $10. This may not be the place for students on a budget, but one of the staples of Home Team Grill is their burgers. Where a burger and fries on a regular night will run about $11, the bar offers half price burgers Tuesday nights from 4 p.m. to 11p.m.

There is a burger for everyone on this menu. Each one a half-pound of beef (or a veggie patty) and having a style and taste to them not only communicated in their names but also in their taste.

For this review I had the Cowboy Burger– cooked medium-rare and topped with A-1 Sauce, blue cheese crumble, onion straws and chipotle ranch dressing on a kaiser roll.

A-1 sauce and blue cheese is a sinful combination that compliments each other sensually. The taste roles over the tongue as the crunch of the onion straws and juiciness of the burger create an immaculate eating experience. The ranch dressing and seasoning of the meat are the icing of a wonderful sandwich.

The fries that come with the burger are also well seasoned, especially if you love salt.

Though the service may be spread thin, and it took a bit too long to get my check, that’s not a reason to avoid this place.

If the Cowboy Burger is any indicator of the quality of the rest of the menu, Home Team Grill is worth the $11 to eat there. The atmosphere is lively filled with the camaraderie that is found in the sports broadcast around the restaurant with every group cheer or groan.

Final Verdict: At the crux of everything, that’s a sports bar’s job: provide great food and atmosphere for watching a game.

Words and Photos by Amanda Campbell  

The name of the restaurant itself is unique enough. But when looking at the menu and seeing American classics with Greek, Italian and Asian inspired flavors added in, you know this place will serve a meal to remember.

Walking into the deceivingly small restaurant on the corner Main and Robinson in the Fan district, there is a certain feeling of comfort and hominess to the place. With a light, airy and covered patio and a long and narrow interior dining area filled with comfortable dark wooden booths and a softly lit bar, there is a variety of seating options to suit your mood and dining atmosphere desires.

The inside of the restaurant has subdued neon green and golden mustard yellow walls and a chalkboard marked with the days specials next to the bar along with a mixture of classic yet cheeky posters.

Taking a seat in one of the booths with a group of friends, we look over the menu and notice that our Sunday lunchtime visit to the Three Monkeys gives us not only the regular menu to choose from but also an extensive brunch menu.

My friends decided to first start with the Baked Goat Cheese as an appetizer. When the plate arrived with a huge portion of baked roasted red peppers stuffed with rich and tangy goat cheese topped with freshly shredded basil and roasted garlic, everyone’s mouth begins to water. Quickly digging into the dish, the beautiful presentation didn’t disappoint. The peppers are sweet and slightly acidic with a bit of a bite, making them contrast perfectly with the super soft and smooth goat cheese and the hint of pepper from the basil balances it all out to be a perfect taste.

I chose to start with the soup of the day: a crab, artichoke and mushroom bisque. The richness from the slightly bitter artichoke and the robust mushrooms mixed with the sweet flavor of the crab, and the perfectly salty cream base of the soup is a surprisingly distinctive flavor unlike any soup that I’ve had before. Still there was something missing. A kick of heat or dash of spice might have helped the dish to shine to it’s full potential.

For my main course, I got the Asian Grilled Chicken Salad – a large plate of crisp and fresh romaine lettuce topped with simple grilled chicken, rice noodles, crunchy Asian slaw, grape tomatoes, mandarin oranges, red onion and toasted almonds with ginger chili dressing. The overall salad worked well with each component, complementing each other without overpowering any one ingredient. The dressing had a nice sweet heat to it that’s just hot enough and works especially well with the rice noodles and the chicken. I would go out on a limb and say that it’s one of the best salads I’ve had in a long time.

My friends ordered the Three Cheese Grilled Cheese and the Chesapeake Omelet (the latter is from the brunch menu served only Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30a.m.-2:30p.m.). The grilled cheese is a thick sandwich with brie, swiss and monterey jack, topped with lots of bacon and fresh tomato slices on marbled rye bread. The flavors are simple but done impeccably. The bread is perfectly crunchy on the outside and the cheeses inside are wonderfully gooey and marry well with the heaviness of the bacon and the acidity from the tomato. As for the omelet, there was a nice amount of lump crab, onions, cheese, tomatoes and potatoes in the mix to make each bite different. The flavors worked well creating a savory and light yet filling meal along with a fruit salad, toast and hash browns.

3 Monkey’s Bar and Grill is open 11a.m.-2a.m. Monday through Friday, 9:30a.m.-2:30 Saturday and Sunday, and is located at 2525 W. Main St.

Words and Photos by Kiara Moore

Edo’s Squid is located on top of another restaurant on North Harrison Street. The outer appearance does not suggest the promise of delicious Italian cuisine that awaits hungry diners.

When I opened the door, I was faced with a narrow staircase; after I finished my short, but steep, trek up the stairs, I was immediately hit with the delicious smell of food and the loud din of the dimly-lit restaurant. I was surprised by the fine dining experience that appeared before me. The low light created an intimate atmosphere; the dining tables made for a classy setting with candles on the tables. It was a Saturday night, so it was incredibly busy, and made the already small space seem cramped.

The busy night was epitomized by the crowd of people eagerly waiting by the door waiting for their reservations. After I got the attention of a server, since I did not have a reservation, I was put on the waiting list to wait for 40 minutes.

After the waiting period was over, a server retrieved my companion and me to be seated. Our waitress provided us with complimentary bread that could be eaten with olive oil. The options were presented on a two-sided menu featuring the food on one side and beverages on the other. The food was separated into antipasti and pasta. From the antipasti, I decided that it was absolutely necessary and appropriate for me to try a dish that contained squid, since it was in the restaurant’s name. So, I ordered the squid, white bean, and arugula dish ($8), and I ordered the Shrimp Fra Diavolo for a main entrée. My waitress returned and informed me that they ran out of shrimp, so I reordered the Red Mussels ($12).

After a while, my squid, white bean, and arugula arrived. My first bite was filled with a delicious blend of flavor. The dish was very oily, but the flavor was superb. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the squid. The main attraction of the evening, the red mussels, arrived in its steaming hot glory. Our waitress set the huge dish which was share portion. The mussels lay on top of the pasta in a soup of red marinara sauce. I enjoyed the bit of spiciness in the red sauce. Also, the noodles were cooked al dente, so there was a bit of sturdiness to them, which I surprisingly liked.

Although, the food was incredibly delicious, the service was lacking…in manners. Our waitress could be amicable at times, but she did not emit warmth. I asked her an innocuous question about the difference between the menu on the wall and the menu I had, and she answered with extreme condescension. This wouldn’t be the first time that my table would be met with a derisive attitude. It certainly did put a sour note, on the otherwise, enjoyable dining experience. When my companion addressed the waitress’s inappropriate attitude, the manager basically verbally shrugged his shoulders.

Final Verdict: The food was incredibly delicious, but this experience was overshadowed by the less than hospital treatment while dining. I am hesitant to go back, but if do decide to go back and I am met with the same service, I would rather go in the kitchen myself and retrieve my food. 

The lights are dimmed at The Hill Café in the heart of Church Hill as I entered with excitement. It is not often I venture to Church Hill since I live so close to campus and there are a lot of food options close by. However, it is always nice to expand my food horizons.

Prior to making the trek to The Hill Café, I made sure there was a vegetarian alternative on their Restaurant Week menu. The menu was divided into three courses. For the first course the options were two types of Caesar salads, a house salad, or a cup of New England Clam Chowder.

I went with the simpler of choices: the House Salad. The only thing that made it stand out from other salads was that the cucumbers were shredded like a sushi salad. The portion was pretty large for a starter dish.

Then there was about five or so options for entrees on the special menu. Out of the five dishes, only one was vegetarian; which was a Sundried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta. Luckily, it sounded delicious and it was. The goat cheese sauce was flavorful and creamy and made my mouth water for more. My main bone to pick with the dish was the portion size. A smaller salad and larger entrée would have been preferred.

The last course was the most anticipated of the three – dessert. There were three choices for desserts: Apple pie, Pecan pie, and Key Lime pie. I decided to end my meal with their Apple pie. I was hoping for a decent sized slice heated up with a nice scoop of ice cream on top but that was just wishful thinking. The slice of Apple Pie was covered in a lot of cinnamon and a few squirts of whipped cream. The crust is usually one of my favorite parts of Apple Pie, but it was barely noticeable.

The staff seemed pretty nice but they had a weird system. Rather than just having one waitress, we had three different people waiting on us. The atmosphere is dark and quaint and provides a romantic setting when the lights go down.

This was my first experience at Richmond’s Restaurant Week. It sounds like a decent idea, but for a college student it is not exactly the best financial decision. The three-course meal costs $25.11.

Overall, I was not incredibly satisfied with my Restaurant Week experience at the Hill Café. The three-course meal was not worth the $25 I had to dish out. Though I recommend paying this establishment a visit any other time because the food was good and on a normal day it isn’t that pricy.

The Hill Café can be found at 2800 Broad Street which is a 20-minute bike ride from campus, but I recommend getting some friends, dress up, and hop in the car for the 12 minute drive from campus.