Saturday, April 18, 2009

Zed Cafe

Saturday found the hubs and I out and about, running errands. Starting at Short Pump (to turn in my busted iPod), working our way into the city, it dawned on me that Zed was on our way. This has been on my list for a long time and it seemed a good a time as any to dive right in.

From the Zed website:
ZED brings a unique flavor to the Richmond culinary environment serving fresh,responsibly sourced meats and local products. Come by and check us out for delicious modern cuisine, our extraordinary and ever-changing wine menu, and our highly acclaimed guest service and personal attention.

BEGINNING TUESDAY, MARCH 24TH we will open our doors at 9:00 a.m. and invite you to experience Zed morning, noon and night.

Coffee & Tea Bar Tuesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Lunch - Tuesday - Friday 11:00 a.m.m - 2:30 p.m .
Wine Bar & Light Lunch Tuesday - Friday 2:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Brunch - Saturday 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Dinner - Wednesday - Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Open for Mother's Day Brunch, Sunday May 10th 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
___________________________________________

Lunch/Brunch was wonderful. I ordered the "French Press" - baguette with black forest ham, dijon mustard, brie and cornichons (I pulled these off, a little too much salt) and a side of sweet potato fries. It's truly lovely to be offered either the sweet potato fries or green salad in place of the requisite french fry. Overall, my plate was a great balance of sweet and salty. The bread/baguette was fantastically crunchy & chewy at the same time.

Hubs got choc. chip pancakes, applewood smoked bacon and the scallion cheese grits. Now, he's pretty picky about his pankcakes, I wasn't expecting this to end well. But, my head snapped up in surprise when he said, "Mmm, these are good." Hubs is a man of few words, so that means they were pretty darn delicious. I tried a bit of his grits and they were phenomenal. Creamy, hot and cheesy, I could've eaten a huge bowl of just the cheese grits and been satisfied.

The interior of the place is very mod "Zen Garden" and the new age instrumental music reminded me of being in a spa. No surprise, since there's a spa attached. They are definitely health conscious, as even the "sugar" on the table is Xylitol. Lots of local art scattered on the walls and a helpful and kind staff. Hubs and I both agreed this is one to come back to as the sum of all Zed's parts made for a pleasant experience. I could actually see going here on a weeknite w/friends to get a foot massage (reflexology)/pedi in the spa and then popping into Zed for dinner.

Richmond Food Collective has a great backstory on the previous chef and his philosophies here. (I've kept this in here to pay homage to Zed's origins).

Zed Cafe
http://www.zedcafeonline.com/

5109 Lakeside Ave
Richmond, VA 23228
(804) 261-5656

5 comments:

Lauren said...

I may be wrong but I believe that Bill Foster is no longer at Zed's.

GregP said...

Bill Foster bolted from Zed a while back. I believe he is at Cafe Rustica with Chef Andy Howell, and the Yellow Umbrella.

bellalately said...

Good to know, thanks guys!

Anonymous said...

No one else was bothered by the salon smell drifting into the restaurant? I felt like I was getting highlights the whole time I had lunch there. The fumes make the food pretty unappetizing.

bellalately said...

Hey anon- I could see how that could happen b/c the kitchen to the right is open and separated by what i would call a "floating wall." There must not have been any salmon on special, b/c I did not smell it the day we were there. There was something roasting and it smelled divine! :)