Eric’s Family BBQ - @@@@

West side phoenix bbq spot that I was by and have wanted to try out. Pretty good even though had eaten recently. Moist brisket with 80s soul music playing. Solid. Didn't try any sides, just brisket. The fries smelled quite good. Couldn't get myself to order beef rib

Line wasn't that long although I visited a touch after lunch hour. Would definitely come back if in the area

Eric's Family BBQ
12345 W Indian School Rd
Avondale, AZ 85392

Pagliacci Pizza - @@@

Ordered this pizza while in Seattle and was surprisingly good, especially given the circumstances. Got delivery to the hotel

This is the PSR Combo which is pepperoni, sausage, and ricotta. Plenty of toppings and the crust was the traditional style that was not overly doughy. Slightly spicy as well which I enjoy. Would order again and imagine it is even better at the restaurant

15238 NE Bel-Red Rd
Bellevue, WA 98007

Satay in Singapore

Another item I had multiple times was satay. I wouldn't even call this a meal rather just quick eats. Generally costing about S$1 per stick, this again seems cheap. One interesting thing to note is that the translations are not necessarily very descriptive other than type of protein for an American. You get things like "stringy beef", "chicken waist", "flavor mutton" and stuff like that

Again it seems like these places are everywhere and easy to find. My experience was not any better than the others as they all had a good amount of red pepper and cumin seasoning. First picture was by my hotel in chinatown and were all good. There were 2 chicken, 2 beef, and 1 lamb. Second picture was by the Old Airport road hawker center and I had 2 pork, 2 pork belly, 2 beef, and 2 lamb. I didn't think the pork ones were great and actually didn't finish all of the pork belly ones. Maybe got some weird cuts unintentionally. Also not pictured was another street place where I had chicken and green beans. Both were good there

For sure would repeat getting these whenever possible. Just get a stack and call it a day. Very good and most places open late!

Chicken rice in Singapore

Had the iconic chicken rice twice while in Singapore - again both from hawker stands specifically Maxwell center in Chinatown

First was when I landed and was pretty late. Wanted to see if Tian Tian was open (famous, check google) but was too late when I got there maybe around 9pm. This other spot was open so got their set since I figured vegetables would be good. Not bad for S$4.50 - good portion of rice, veg, and chicken. As mentioned before, I think the rice is the best part of the dish. Capturing the chicken flavor is quite amazing and I still remember the first time I had the dish in Vegas of all places. I could eat bowls of that rice. Chicken was decent, slightly dry but they try to enhance that with a little soy sauce. Think this place was called Maxwell or something like that (across the seating area from Tian Tian and closer to the front)

A few days later based on conversations and reviews, I visited Tian Tian's again, this time actually arriving early so not to miss it. Heard the lines can be up to 2 hours and wanted no part of that. Unlike Hawker Chan, this place didn't even really have people roaming around it until 5-10 mins before it opened. I didn't want to be first so just sat at a table as people came by. Ultimately was about 15th in line and easily got through it with the medium order for S$5. Again loved the rice and the chicken was better than day one. Juicier and they also put a sweeter, slightly thicker sauce on it that I think actually does enhance the flavor. Worth the quick wait here? I would say so. Worth 2 hour wait? Probably not

Overall impressions of the dish were basically the same as when I got there. Rice is great, chicken is chicken. Perhaps Tian Tian would shine more if I had different places side by side like when I had chick-fil-a and another chicken sandwich together and could really tell the difference. But measured independently I wouldn't necessarily know the difference from one to the other. I wonder if others could tell...my guess is not and are more focused on the name brand. So for sure try this which is easy cause there are so many places that make it and determine for yourself.

Lunch in Singapore

Not even sure if this would be considered lunch but rather a second breakfast?? Quite thirsty so I decided to go to the Chinatown hawker center to grab a sugarcane drink. And of course check out some food. Walking around I notice there is a preliminary queue setting up for this one stand that opened at 10:30 (note the time which is why it could be second breakfast)

I grab a sugarcane drink S$1.80 with "less ice" and it is pretty good. Sweet as you may imagine but not sugary. More syrupy. And the ice thing is weird, it costs more for less ice. Which makes sense because more raw product used, but I think the opposite of the milk tea which was more for the ice. Weird but we are talking 30 cents here. Me personally would probably take more ice and get it cold, but good either way

By this time, the line has actually formed for the stand (Hawker Chan) rather than people just standing around. I may as well join and see what this place is. I am like the 20th person in line. A guy joins the line behind me and is clearly not local (non-Asian) and starts taking pictures. So I ask him what's up with this place. Well it is the worlds cheapest Michelin star restaurant. Who knew! So while we are waiting we are talking about random stuff and he is from Czech Republic covering the WTA matches for the week. Turns out he is a big Red Wings fan due to Hasek, Hudler, etc. So that's cool, helps the 20 min wait fly by

As far as the food itself, yes it was S$2 which is incredibly cheap. Drink cost the same amount which is pretty funny. But the soya sauce chicken with rice was just that...soya sauce chicken with white rice. Not chicken rice, but white rice. Didn't really love it, skin was pretty good but as I have discovered eating another round of chicken rice that is that I do not like chicken on the bone unless it is fried chicken. Had decent flavor I guess but wasn't anything special. Certainly wouldn't wait an hour for that plate unless I really only had $2. I thought maybe I was just being too critical but Miroslav (the sports reporter) said the same thing. Then another non-Asian couple that was in line in front of us were leaving and I flagged them down for their opinion. Same thing. Maybe I should ask more Asian people I guess...

Anyways the stall is in the Chinatown hawker market. If you go in the main entrance, go up the escalators (I didn't realize the food stalls were upstairs since all there was on the main floor was textiles) and it's basically in the middle left of the layout. Not great instructions but just find the line and you're there. Try it for the experience I guess

Breakfast in Singapore

Jet lag so was up early (relative for me) but it was already light out. Figured i should hit the number 1 photo op early so headed out to the Merlion. Interesting. Not surprisingly there were others out already and got to check out the sunrise over the Marina Bay Sands. Pretty cool. Hung out there just checking out the people; there was an audible gasp when the fountain went on and then another mad scramble for photo ops

Then headed into the downtown area which is a short walk away. Not sure if I lucked out or what, but I was in some building that had a bunch of food stalls. It seems at least in this area the common breakfast items are noodles with various sides (chicken balls, fish cakes, eggs to name a few). So tried all 3 noodle varieties - one soft rice which is basically like pancit, one chueng fun style, and one chow mein style. All were good, I preferred the cheung fun then chow mein I think due to the grease. Quite a bit as well, actually didn't finish all of it but in my mind there are many other foods to try during the day. Also had a chicken ball in a wonton wrapper (didn't love, was ground chicken I guess??) and a fried pork-ish product that was basically spam with a little more sautéed-ness. Also fried egg. Not a bad breakfast - quite inexpensive as well at S$3.80. Literally the cold honey milk tea that I had to buy at another stall for S$2 was almost as much. However not sure if influenced by the humid conditions, but have rarely had a milk tea quite so good. Very tasty and see myself having a few more before I leave. Refreshingly sweet and savory together, however I do think the weather conditions played a part

Overall not bad. No idea what the stand was called or even the building I am in right now but it's attached to the Que Link coming from the water. Also leaving now as the place is getting busy and people are sitting typical Asia style all over the place

Rheinfelder Bierhalle - @@@

Food was good, World Cup experience was even better. Went here for the final France vs Croatia more like found this place. Was walking around Zurich looking for a large outdoor watch party but by the time I got to the place (it was an Island) the place was packed. So walked around and ducked in here. Got really lucky because as soon as the match started it rained really hard. Great choice

I had been looking for some schnitzel the whole trip so went with the pork schnitzel with rösti, even though their specialty was cordon blue. I just like how the meat is still tender but crispy on the outside - I literally had schnitzel for 3 straight dinners when I got back to the states! This one was good as well. Crispy yet tender and reasonably juicy still with a touch of lemon as well. Solid. The rösti was essentially hash browns even more so this time as they were not in a patty. Oh well I like fried potatoes so no problem there. Also had a local beer which was great during the game

Again found this place just walking around old town. The prices were actually really reasonable for Zurich and can imagine this place is usually busy. Couldn't really tell since there were so many people watching the match; there was also an outside seating area but no TVs so no one was out there once it stopped raining. I would for sure get the jumbo cordon blue next time I'm there as that also looked really good. I guess Swiss food can be categorized as fried meat/potato and I don't mind at all!

Niederdorfstrasse 76,
8001 Zurich, Switzerland

Zeughauskeller - @@@

Finally getting a chance to catch up on some reviews from the Europe trip a little while ago. Went to this place that is reasonably famous in a touristy part of the city. This place is in an armory which is pretty cool. Eating lunch with swords, poles, crossbows, and assorted other memorabilia shows how old some of the sites are - supposedly the building was built in 1487!

I read in Zurich they have a local dish called Kalbsgeschnetzeltes nach Zürcher Art - which is basically pan fried sliced veal and mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce. Zurich specialty supposedly. Served with a side of rösti. So the dish was pretty good, tasted and reminded me a little like stroganoff without noodles. That type of consistency, a bit creamier rather than tangy. Wanted to remove the mushrooms but figured it was authentic. It did come with additional portion as well which is the pan on the top left which was kept warm with a burner underneath, a good bonus. Veal was good, but in sauce so couldn't tell the actual quality. Slices were kind of skinny for me but in general was tasty. The rösti was basically a giant hash brown so if you like fried potatoes then you will enjoy. Note it is pretty big and filling. One thing I didn't love was that the two items didn't really mix well (such as if I had rice with it instead). Individually they were pretty good; there was no enhancement for eating together

Overall cool place that served decent food. Would recommend checking it out, it does for sure cater to tourists as the menu is in like 10 different languages. I was also interested in the pork shank and beef that came out on a sword. It is in one of the main areas so very easy to find.

Bahnhofstrasse 28A
8001 Zurich, Switzerland

Sternen Grill - @@@

So this is an interesting review. The sausage here was ok, but am actually giving it more credit due to the history than the outright food. Just the sausage was ok, honestly would probably give it a 2 however the numerous "best of" lists artificially has me give it a 3. I will explain

Still recovering from jet lag, I was a bit groggy as I headed out to this place. Was a quick tram ride from the hotel on the 4 line; it is right at the Bellevue station where many trams stop. I was prepared to do take away, but also noticed many self seating areas outside which was great cause it was nice out.

Their most popular is this St Galler bratwurst with spicy mustard which I promptly ordered. This is the left kind of sausage on the grill. Took that and a beer to the outdoor area where there was plenty of space. So what they do is just give you the sausage, I think you could get some bread for an extra €1 but noticed most people just ate the meat. The meat itself is interesting in that the consistency is smooth rather than sausage in the US that can tell is ground. It is like all mixed up in one consistency vs the noticeable fat/meat ratio in the US. I don't like this style as much but think it is normal here (breakfast sausage similar) so this not knocking it that much. It is definitely leaner/more lean tasting than US. Also I think flavor is more mellow than I am used to with a certain spice I can't detect (maybe sage??). But this is where the mustard comes in. As not as strong as the sausage is, the mustard definitely is. Heavy amounts of horseradish, it definitely hits you in the nose. Notice in the picture they only fill the cup maybe a fourth of the way, this is absolutely enough.

So there you go, dipping sausage in mustard as dinner/snack in the comfortable Zurich night. Again couple influences skewed higher - good rankings by guessing people more familiar with this type of meat, condiments unique flavor, and foreign conditions. I would not say do not try because I think this is a place that is accurate with local food. I would try the red sausage next time as it looks to be kielbasa style, but cannot be sure. There also appeared to be a few other kinds on the grill but at ~€7.50 per link they can add up quick!

Theaterstrasse 22
8001 Zürich, Switzerland

The Palms Cafe - @@@

As I am writing this its a 3 but definitely could be adjusted to a 4. Overall good, solid breakfast spot with all of the classics. Does breakfast warrant a 4??

Long story short I stayed overnight in Palm Desert last night. While exploring the city, the next morning I wanted to oddly enough get some breakfast. Fired up some apps and saw this place was close and had good reviews. Local place too which is cool. Guessing this area is a lot of retirees just by looking around

In addition to wanting chicken fried steak, the reviews also highlighted it. Did not disappoint. Deceptively large, the meat was very tender and gravy super hot. Much appreciated. Tasted homemade, crust was good, gravy purportedly made daily. Could eat a few slabs of these. Eggs were eggs and no complaints. Home fries were ok, not amazing. Think they had some fried onions in it which seemed sort of dry. Also oddly got a pancake instead of the usual toast but allegedly the pancake mix is a well-regarded secret recipe. Good but I literally haven't had a pancake in years so have no basis to compare it to. For what it's worth I did think it was very good - fluffy, light, and hot.

So again, think it is quite good. Tables are somewhat close and one set of neighbors ordered the chicken fried steak (sauce on side?!?) as well. "Best chicken fried steak" I heard her say. Other orders around me included turkey sandwiches, huevos rancheros, and pumpkin pancakes...everyone was happy. So would recommend if around and want solid breakfast portions. Think they are only open until 2pm

44150 Town Center Way, B5-B6
Palm Desert, CA. 92260

Las Delicias Colombianans 2 - @@@

I wanted to check out more Latin American food last night and remembered this place looked interesting when going to the Dominican restaurant. Evidently this is a new place and I thought was quite clean so that was a positive right off the bat.

Ordered the bandeja paisa per usual which to refresh is beans, rice, steak, chicharron, egg, maduros, arepa and I added an avocado. The avocado was really good, hadn't had one in a while and mixed well with the rice, egg, and beans. Arepa was again dry and the only item not eaten but that's not just this place. Chicharron was good and was quite tender compared to other places. Fried pork...how can it be bad?? Either I was extra hungry or the beans were better than usual but finished those too. Maduros were good, interesting that they were not sliced in advance. I could take it or leave it - they are always good. The most disappointing was the steak - it was thin and not tender at all. It was marinated I think but I was not thrilled with the cut. I did get another piece of chicharron cause I thought that was quite good and to my surprise it was even meatier and larger than the picture. So back in the good graces

I would definitely go back to this neighborhood restaurant. Can't get any colombian in Michigan let alone with it being freshly cooked/fried. Service was helpful too and spoke fluent English and Spanish. Decor was sparse but was new as well but just coming for the food was good. Would try the thicker cut steak or pot roast next time mixed with some fried pork.

1231 River St
Boston, MA 02136

Rincon Caribeño Restaurant - @@@

I was talking to a friend about mofongo this weekend and I heard "Despacito" when I left work so that pretty much solidified my decision to get some Latin food. Looked this place up on Yelp and noticed it was open to 1am. No problem there

This is a Dominican restaurant as confirmed by the bartender as the waitress literally spoke no English. I wasn't mad at that though and figured it adds authenticity. My remedial spanish was no match for a loud restaurant that seemed to double as a cocktail bar and rapidly speaking Spanish waitress. I did get the order in alright cause I know food and it was translated. Knew I wanted the mofongo and also ordered this "appetizer" plate that basically was a fried item sampler. In short, compared to my mainstay of Carolina in Providence, it wasn't as good. The mofongo was kind of dry and didn't taste the pernil (roast pork) very much. I did have to request a side of mojo (oil, garlic, citrus mixture which is just flavorful and tasty) which added good flavor but not quite as good as Carolina. The fried sampler included chicharron, fried chicken, sausage, fried yuca, fries, and tostones. By the way anyone that thinks tostones are better then maduros is crazy. The chicharron was good - freshly fried and meaty but not that meaty if you count the skin and fat. Fried chicken was alright - typical in that no batter Latin style rather than a Popeyes type skin. Sausage was ok - could go without it. Fries, yuca, tostones were what I would expect.

Overall not bad especially for an actual sit down restaurant with pulsing spanish music going. Definitely not the cafeteria style of other Caribbean places I have been to out east. To me this is in a somewhat wasteland between Dedham and Boston so if you are traveling around south of Boston it is worth a try if you want what seems to be authentic Dominican food. I will probably be back to get some more pork and rice next time.

18 Fairmont Ave
Hyde Park, MA 02136

Gyro & Kabob House - @@@

A big sign right by my hotel had me intrigued every day going home so I made it a point to stop in tonight. This is a family run, authentic place that is just a casual place to get some good (though I have nothing to compare it to) Turkish food.

Now while I can't compare this to other Turkish food, I can roughly equate it to the middle eastern food back in Michigan. Not knowing what to get, I went with the mixed grill which had lots of recognizable items. It had lamb adana, lamb gyro, chicken kabob, lamb kabob, and kafte (Turkish meatballs). The only really new thing to me was the adana which is ground lamb (but not as ground as kafte aka kafta) that is mixed with red peppers and some light glaze. That was my second favorite. The best to me was the gyro meat which was well seasoned. The chicken kabob was good (also glazed-ish) and better than the lamb kabob which I thought was overcooked. Per usual the ground meat kafte was my least favorite but was still very edible. What really surprised me was the bed of bulgur wheat that it was served on. It was slightly red so maybe a hint of tomato but it picked up a bunch of flavor from the meat. Great alternative to rice for me just to throw something different on there. I thought it was really good. The side "shepherds salad" was finely chopped cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and parsley dressed with oil which was ok. The bread was hot and good, more like a naan then pita obviously. Went well with the meat and what I liken a taziki sauce (yogurt, cucumber, garlic). There was also a hot sauce which reminded me of a thinner sambal with the red pepper flakes.

All in all I thought a good meal and introduction to Turkish cuisine. Funny enough I hear Spanish coming from the kitchen; the front end speaks what I believe to be Turkish so authentic nonetheless. Perhaps of my bias, I still prefer the middle eastern in Michigan with the more juicy chicken shwarma, rice with pine nuts, and pure garlic spread. However I would not hesitate to stop by and pick up a gyro dinner over the next few weeks.

1275 Boston Providence Hwy Rt 1
Norwood, MA 02062

Hutch Bar & Eatery - @@@@

Picked this place on a whim tonight because I was in the area. Actually I missed out on a Peruvian place since they were closed for cleaning. Disappointed I searched for another place to eat and am glad I found this.

I ordered the fried chicken dinner which came with either a spicy or sweet option. I opted for the spicy and it had a chili oil, mashed potatoes, and brussels. In short all of it was really good - potatoes creamy, brussels fried and not bitter, and the oil giving it a bit of spice. The chicken was really good - traditionalists may scoff at the boneless chicken breast but I liked it.

In fact I liked it so much I ordered the fried chicken sliders app after the main! What was good about the sliders were that they were a twist on the sweet version of the fried chicken dinner in that they had the maple butter spread atop the biscuit sliders. Again a non-traditional take on the food which I really liked. The little biscuits also had a spicy mayo on the bottom giving it a nice contrast. Chicken was super hot and tasty as well.

This seemed like a hidden gem to me as it was in a part of town that I am not too familiar with. I would not have found it without Yelp so props to them for that. Good service too with a full carafe of water which was great. If you can find it, I suggest you try it out (the sandwich selection looked strong too - I wish I was closer for lunch!)

1308 Gaskins Rd
Henrico, VA 23238

Can Can Brasserie - @@@

Great day outside today so I went walking down Cary St in the somewhat famous Carytown area of Richmond. It is an eclectic street with plenty of vintage stuff, glass shops and restaurants.

I was happily surprised when I saw a French bistro restaurant on the street and knew I would walk back for dinner there. It was average for my tastes - not great or horrible. First off, the bread and butter which is a French staple was not as good as at other restaurants. I do think the butter was rich however the bread was flavored somewhat like the which masked the flavor of the butter. For the meal, I started with the French onion soup of course and it was pretty sweet. In fact almost too sweet. I have had it similar to that before, it's like they put some apple cider in it as well. Cheese was good, somewhat light compared to the Yelp pictures. For my main, I again had the steak frites and they give you a choice of 4 sauces to select. Maitre d' butter, red wine shallot, red wine blue cheese, and brandy peppercorn were the choices. I probably should've just got it plain but went with the butter. I promptly moved most of the butter off of the steak. The steak itself was cooked good, medium rare was actually red in the middle. The NY strip was tender and the butter did make it more flavorful. The fries were good, on par with other French places I have gone to.

Overall cool decor, service, and atmosphere for this restaurant in Carytown. I don't think I have had French in Richmond and would say it is worth trying. I do like the place in Providence better in terms of steak and soup but this is good for the city. Definitely a locals place; not too many corporate types here. Worthwhile to check out.

3120 W Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221

Millie's Diner - @@@

By all accounts this was a good meal. I tried some new items such as pork cheeks and chess pie. The main I had was a grilled sirloin which was cooked great. The cheesy potatoes were also really good. The pork cheeks tasted like very tender pork chops - just a chunk of meat that was super tender. The pie was pretty sweet, probably too sweet for my taste.

However this was a textbook case of why I don't love restaurant weeks as much as others. They said they only had half of the regular menu and then the 3 course fixed price menu which I guess was ok since it is a small spot, but still somewhat leaving you wondering what else they had. Then I thought the portion was smaller than normal, although I have no comparison. But they have to make money somehow right? Then I got the desert but I would clearly prefer more main. Let alone it's amazing sweetness which I could've done without. Clearly i like savory food more but may just be an outlier.

Anyways the place was pretty good. Small local vibe was cool. Exposed kitchen area and everybody seemed pretty cool. Someplace to check out - perhaps next time with the whole menu.

2603 E Main St
Richmond, VA 23223

La Estancia - @@@

Very close to a 4. Very good, just a touch below Tango in Boston that I really liked. This is a local Argentine restaurant that I really enjoyed. Quite a bit of food too for under $30 so the value is good for the metro DC region.

I ordered the short ribs or asado tira medium rare. They are not melt in your mouth, but rather a bit of chew to them. If you are expecting filet like tenderness, I would not get these. Instead I like them because they taste like beef, are flavorful, and juicy. Served on a scalding hot iron plate, I actually removed one because they were still cooking quickly on the plate. Ate all of them and love the contrast with the large boneless pieces and then the bones individually. Much better than the boneless short ribs I head earlier this week where they were braised. I just like the bone-in grilled flavor better. Sadly forgot to ask for chimichurri but they were good enough that I didn't think of needing it. Would've been interesting to compare though. Also comes with 2 sides which I upgraded to 3 cause I have a problem. "Salad bar" had iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, cucumbers, and onions but also had brocolli (helpful) and a great potato salad which no one could explain what it was called (ensalada Russa aka Russian salad is the best I got from the employees). Cubed potatoes, cubed carrots, and peas in a sweet creamy sauce. Really good. Better than my mashed potatoes which were ordinary. Also fried plantains but not super fried and much more similar to the caramelized plantains that I like. Soft and sweet rather than thin and crispy. I think they call them maduros. Really good and still eating them as my dessert.

All in all really good. Very helpful staff with constant water with lime refills. Soccer reruns playing on tv with El Clasico in 3 days. Try it out if you are in the NoVa area. It's in a strip mall, you will not be sorry.

7810 Lee Hwy, Suite F
Falls Church, VA 22042

Hattie Mae's - @@@@

I tried out another southern restaurant tonight to good results. As luck had it, it was all you can eat fried chicken night. I had to show restraint on ordering

First I did order the cornbread if for nothing else it was $5. That seemed high and was good but not that good. The dark gravy was potlicker gravy which was a thin, runny salty sauce that was slightly flavored and not favored. The real honey in butter was the complete opposite - really good, thick, and flavorful. But then again butter is usually good.

Next got the fried chicken because of course. It was really juicy and the skin was flavored with pepper, pretty crispy and really good to eat. Freshly fried and hot, it was some of the best fried chicken I can remember. The fries were coated so some might now prefer. They were fresh and hot but I thought just ok. The cole slaw was creamy and more minced than usual but still not bad. A little sweet like I like it. The hush puppies were really good but I haven't had hush puppies in years so lack of overall comparison.

I thought the chicken was really good and would get it again. The location is in a cool planned mixed use shopping venue with retail/commercial stuff and is really inviting. Large tvs at the bar and comfortable seating in the dining room. Service was friendly as well. I really enjoyed it and would recommend. Plenty of seating on a Wednesday at 7 pm made it easy to get in and linger in the booths (and eat more chicken)!

1601 Willow Lawn Dr, suite 840
Richmond, VA 23230

Family Secrets - @@@

Super hard to give Family Secrets (FS) a 3 rating cause I thought it was quite good. Just with being at Croakers Spot (CS) yesterday it was pretty easy to compare head to head.

I will type this out quick as I am waiting for a few fried chicken wings. Cornbread - FS. I liked how it was more dense and a bit sweeter taste. Then with the butter I thought it was better rather than the sweet syrup at CS. Cabbage - CS. Better flavor, consistency, and texture. I enjoyed the peppery-ness at CS and was seasoned better. Rice - CS. The rice was slightly watery at FS which detracted from the tasty gravy. The rice/gravy combo at CS was great. Main - toss up. Really liked the smothered pork chops tonight at FS, slightly sautéed then covered with tasty brown onion gravy. Similar to the chicken at CS. I usually prefer pork over chicken but CS was really good too.

I would happily return to both. There is more meat choices at FS which is a plus. Much less busy and also much more hole-in-the-wall. It is in a strip mall but it had a constant stream of diners and take out even past 9 pm. Good helpful service. All good signs. Happy to dine at either.

5310 Chamberlayne Rd
Richmond, VA 23227

Croakers Spot - @@@@

Asked for recommendations for southern food from the coworkers and they did not let me down. The place is pretty small it seems - I had to sit at the bar which had 1 seat left. There also was a band coming in to play so I started out with my two favorite things!

I had a recommendation on the meal as well but took a while to look through the menu anyways. I guess their thing is seafood - their slogan may be "the soul of seafood"?? Also making the choice even more interesting. But I did get the recommended southern smothered chicken which was extremely good. Huge portions and could've had another piece of chicken. It was a semi fried chicken breast smothered in brown, onion gravy all over white rice with a side of cabbage and cornbread. I'll start with the cornbread and side sauce which actually was my least favorite. The sauce was described as very addicting which ended up being pretty good. It was sweet and syrupy and definitely had a unique flavor. I still prefer butter with cornbread which was good here but still not my favorite. Then the cabbage which was really good. Tender, sautéed, and super peppery - I definitely enjoyed it. Then the chicken over rice with gravy was just solid. The chicken tasted almost fried prior to being smothered but I am guessing it was pan seared briefly. The skin seemed on as well but was able to cut everything with just my fork. The gravy mixed with the rice made the dish. I could eat multiple servings of it.

Couple of other odd things included me ordering a side of fish just to try. Note - I ordered one piece and three came out. The filets were not boneless so it was kind of a pain to eat...needless to say I didn't eat it all. The flavor itself was pretty mild but I wouldn't get it again. I also don't like seafood much but then again had a cup of the chowder. It was an interesting take in that it had some parmesan cheese on it, croutons and old bay. It still was creamy and had a bunch of seafood and potatoes and to me was a very mid-atlantic take on the soup. Another was the band. They played at reasonable levels to me but I was on the other and not really needing to talk to anyone. They also played Michael Jackson, CeeLo, and Chris Brown rather than rock music so more enjoyable than normal. Another was the guy sitting next to me who was selling cell phones and was trying to connect service to someone who didn't have a SSN or TIN. Boost Mobile and Metro PCS. All sorts of things going on. Great vibe to the place - was like a barbershop that sold good food. Really good service by the bartender too - kept the water full.

Would definitely recommend coming to try especially if you like seafood. Or southern. Or just good food. I'm not sure if it is always this busy or not, but you may want to prepare to have some wait as I got there at 7:30 and there were no tables to be found. There is a dedicated carry-out entrance so that also may be an option. I feel my dish would be good after transit still so can see why people take advantage of that. Come check it out.

1020 Hull St
Richmond, VA 23224