Nate’s return to taco-slinging at Don’t Look Back
Words by Sabrina Barekzai:
Just across the street from The Byrd Theater sits the newly opened Don’t Look Back. The brainchild of New York Deli co-owner Hamooda Shami and Nate Gutierrez of Nate’s Taco Truck fame, this is Richmond’s new taco hotspot. Don’t Look Back (which takes it’s name from a Belle & Sebastian song), marks Nate’s return to taco-slinging after closing up his Truck Stop last year.
The menu of this laid-back taco bar boasts most of same mouthwatering selections from Nate’s cart, like the TVP tacos. Taquitos and tostadas are relatively new to the menu and all done a la Nate, so they’re guaranteed to be delicious! We opted for a black bean taco done “traditional” (cilantro, lime and onion) and done “gringo” (salsa, lettuce, sour cream, cheese) as well as taquito and tostada (yeah, we were hungry!).
It was fantastic to once again enjoy Nate’s tacos on a weekday afternoon! Don’t Look Back is located at 2929 W. Cary St and currently only open for lunch hours, check their Facebook page for more details.
Located downtown, Pasture is a southern small plates restaurant with a focus on local ingredients. The wood plank paneled walls, open space, and light food helped make Pasture a welcomed lunch dining experience.
Allison’s tea smoked trout.
Tea sandwich sampler with a side of fries.
Pasture is located on 416 E. Grace Street and is open for lunch and dinner.
Rooster Cart chorizo and avocado tacos
Words by Sabrina Barekzai:
Having an outdoor lunch at one of Richmond’s many food carts seemed like the perfect way to take advantage of this year’s spring-like winter afternoons. Brian, Devon, and I decided to try Rooster Cart. The all-vegetarian cart was the creation of siblings Luke and Jen Mindell, who previously lent their culinary flair at the now closed Cafe Gutenberg.
The cart plans to have a rotating menu of things like Oysterish Po Boy, vegan mac and cheese, and tofu banh mi to name a few. The creativity and unique flavors offered on their menu is worth checking out alone. All three of us opted for the soy chorizo tacos, made on corn tortillas with avocados, greens, and a flavorful jade, parsley and sesame sauce.
One of the reasons food carts must be so popular is that it’s essentially gourmet food on-the-go. The best part has to be passionate chefs, like Jen, who love to talk about what they’re making for you as they’re making it. The Rooster Cart is currently located at 2906 Patterson Ave, just behind Bandito’s. Follow the cart on Twitter for updates.
Unpublished: Summer 2011, Nate’s Taco Truck outside of Cous Cous
Since opening at the edge of an unassuming street in Richmond’s historic Church Hill neighborhood, The Roosevelt has quickly become a welcomed and popular addition to the cities vibrant restaurant scene. What is great about the Roosevelt is that the elegance of the large open dining room and the 1800s era map of Richmond that serves as the center piece of the framed pictures that decorate the interior walls makes a person feel like they were transported to a time of distant memory when the city was bustling and a destination to be traveled to for an entire nation. Consistent to most nights, seating was limited so we opted to sit at the bar for dinner.
The Roosevelt is located at 623 N. 25th Street and is open for dinner and Sunday brunch.
Nate recently announced that he would soon be closing the doors of Nate’s Taco Truck Stop in order to spend more time with his family; therefore last weeks lunch get together at the 2nd street eatery was bittersweet to say the least. Serving arguably the best tacos in Richmond, the shop was packed with people on its last open day. We both opted on stuffing ourselves with vegan burritos and TVP tacos. Fortunately, this will not be the end-all be-all for Richmond’s best tacos, Nate’s Taco Truck still plans to operate on VCU’s campus with limited hours next year.
For more information about Nate’s decision to close as well as for the future of the best Tacos in Richmond read this article from RVANews.
*Words by Sabrina Barekzai
Last night over 200 people packed into Sprout to help give a final farewell to a much loved Richmond localvore restaurant and venue. It is always sad to see any restaurant go, especially one that presented a fresh dining experience and reflected the honorable values of its owners. Over the weekend I enjoyed one last delicious meal at Sprout, a restaurant that will surely be missed.
For a good read about Sprout, check out this article from rvafoodie.com.
Addis Ethiopian Restaurant
Words By: Sabrina Barekzai
Having never had Ethiopian food before, I was excited to go out for dinner at Addis. New and foreign cuisines can seem scary, but I found that once learning a little bit about Ethiopian culture, the adjustment was easy and also delicious.
At first, the environment of Addis resembles any other eatery in the Bottom, with the exception of being one of only two Richmond restaurants specializing in traditional Ethiopian foods.
Brian and I started out with a sweet honey white wine imported from Ethiopia, which restaurant manager Alexandra Mossa told us helps to bring out the rich spices of many of the different entrees. Alexandra also informed us of the wide range of Ethiopian beers and wines that Addis serves in addition to full bar service.
One of the appetizers we tried after a glass of wine was tomato fit-fit, which is a blend of tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cut-up pieces of injera bread.
The entrée consisted of an assortment of colorful dishes ranging from chicken tibs to yeabesha gomen collard greens to misirwot, extremely spicy red lentils cooked in a red pepper Bebere sauce.
While trying new cuisines seems risky, I was really struck by how dining is viewed in Ethiopian culture. Ethiopian cuisine is a prime example of the slow-dining movement. Think the opposite of a fast-food drive thru, where family and friends gather to unwind, share a meal together, and really enjoy one another’s company.
Addis upholds the traditional Ethiopian dining experience by serving all meals family-style, which means everyone at the table eats from one large plate, with a plate of injera bread. We were told of the Ethiopian saying, “no boarders to any plate.” Ethiopian food allows you to use the flat, crepe-like injera bread as a utensil to scoop food up. It goes without saying, that Brian and I really got a kick out of eating an entire meal with our hands!
Addis has been open since 2008 and Ethiopian-born owner Dilnesaw Bitew, prides his restaurant to serve only organic, grass-fed meats. Often traveling to Washington, DC multiple times per week to acquire the freshest ingredients.
Addis is located in Shockoe Bottom at 9 N. 17th St., across from the farmer’s market stalls; lunch specials are offered from 11 am to 2 pm, Thursday through Sunday and happy hour on weekdays from 5-9 pm.
