Small Bites for Big Appetites: The Richmond

Sunday, June 07, 2009

The Richmond

Restaurant Review of The Richmond

I recently ventured out late on a Friday night to check out the highly praised restaurant emphatically known as the "The Richmond" The restaurant is fairly isolated from the busy city and resides in none other than the Inner Richmond in San Francisco. The chef is from New York and prides himself on making euro influenced, organic California cuisine

When you enter there is a bit of formality and stuffiness to the place. The walls have neutral colors with, maroon curtains to balance the effect. There is nothing to excite the eye everything is prim and proper which makes you feel that this restaurant means business.

As we waited for appetizers we were served bread which came in 3 types of butter olive spreads, chive and sweet cream. The bread was warm and moist with the olive spread being the definite winner.

Then came a sampling of famous potato leak soup which was excellent. A great composition rich in flavor that disappeared as quickly as it came to the table.

Things looked promising but it turned out to be a hit or miss night for the reset of the dishes

The Flat Bread Sloppy Joe, a flat bread with whipped goat cheese, Italian Sausage, & watercress salad was a very mediocre dish. It fell apart before even reaching my plate and just did not have the zing I was hoping for. Although it was a creative idea on paper it did not come out so well on the plate. The ingredients were a mish-mash with not discernible flavor.

Then came our entrees.

The Roast Pork Tenderloin with Macaroni & Gruyere Cheese was another poorly executed dish. I had high hopes for a gourmet mac and cheese but it turned out to be very bland. What made it worse was the pork was placed on top of the mac and cheese and smothered in gravy. Everything mixed to together and became soggy leaving and unsatsifed taste in my mouth.

The Seared Alaskan Halibut with shrimp, butter, lemon & dill was the dish of the night. The fish was fresh with a subtle hint of seasoning and thin layer butter that just worked. I would highly recommend this dish.

Overall I had expected a lot more from this classy establishment. The dishes were just too ordinary and unflavorful for the price. The menu does change and there were other dishes that might have been better, however the consistency of dishes is something that will probably make me wait several months before I return here again.

Ambiance: 3.5 bites
Service: 3.5 bites
Appetizers: 3.1 bites
Entrees: 3.2 bites
Overall: 3.3 bites