Food Around Richmond, Virginia

Belle Vie European Bistro
1244 Alverser Plaza
Midlothian, VA 23113
804-379-3338

We arrived at Belle Vie on a Friday at about 7:00 PM. We were greeted warmly by two staff members upon entry. We were seated moments later.

We had been inside this building in the past when it was the Bookbinders restaurant. We thought the new look was well executed given the previous buildings cosmetic limitations. They did a good job giving the place a European flare with simple fabric, lighting, and miscellaneous decor.

We opened with Tomato Basil soup. It was good but definently different then we are accustomed to around the city. For me it was really thin. It tasted like it was diluted heavily with water. As a result I felt as if the taste was diluted as well. Rhonda enjoyed it.

I ordered the Orange Glazed Duck with potatoes au gratin and veggies. I chose the duck because there was not a chicken entree on the menu. Rhonda suggested I be a bit adventurous so I went for it! I liked the orange glaze more so than the duck. To be fair I’m not really a duck fan. I did have several bites and despite not really caring for the dish, I have to say that had a been more of a duck person, I think I would have really enjoyed it. Our waiter said it was one of their most popular dishes. The potatoes were VERY hot but also very bland for my tastes. I asked for sour cream but was told they didn’t have any. The veggies were mixed and had more onion than anything else. They were also cut in thin strips making it hard to get a bite without all the over powering onion. The salad however was extremely tasty. The mixture of greens and the special house dressing was an excellent combination. I really enjoyed it.

Rhonda had the Pork Tenderlin with Belgian mustard sauce. She said it was nicely balanced and seasoned well. It was light but very tasty. We shared the veggies and potatoes. Rhonda enjoyed the potatoes but agreed with me on the veggies. We both enjoyed the bread as well.

We enjoyed this restaurant and will return in the future. We recommend it. The menu is diverse. They offer unique entrees and multiple deserts. A full bar and ample seating inside as well as a patio outside make this an interesting place worth a look. Our meal was $72.22 and we rate ir 3.75 out of 5 stars. When you go be sure to come back to this blog and let us know how you liked it!

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Brickhouse Diner
13520 Midlothian Turnpike
Midlothian, VA 23113
804-794-8798

On April 3, 2009 we entered Brickhouse Diner at 8:39am. We were kindly greeted, seated, and given a menu.

A short time later our order was taken. It was really interesting because we were told we can’t order a country ham biscuit. They sell country ham and they also sell biscuits. I guess they draw the line at selling country ham biscuits! This was sort of weird we thought but we rolled with it simply looking for a good breakfast. We ordered some country ham. We also ordered a biscuit to go with it. We weren’t in the cooking mood and wanted something simple and easy. Hey they are located near by so we thought what the heck let’s give them a try. We have been there a few times before and to go again based on previous experience was being kind.

In addition to the country ham and the biscuit, we ordered eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast. The food was delivered very quickly. The ham was pink and in our view could have been cooked a bit more. We’ve noticed this to be how they consistently deliver it. Our preference is to have our country ham cooked until the pinkness is gone.

The tea was sour and the waitress acted like she was on roller skates when taking our order and interacting with us the two times we asked for anything. We felt as if we were being rushed which was weird since there was only two other tables of people in the whole establishment. It’s been much busier on previous occasions and yet they still have seemed as if they were in a hurry to move us in and back out. The food was okay. It wasn’t bad but it certainly wasn’t spectacular. It is what it is.

Our meal was $17.28 and it’s tough to argue with the price. We rate this restaurant 2 out of 5 stars.

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