I’ve heard that the new “Growlers to go” on Boulevard is looking to open 3 additional locations in Richmond, one being opened in 2015. This would be an amazing addition to the neighborhood!
Tacos! And soup, too. I’d love a good spot where one could grab an inexpensive taco or burrito to go, but could also pop in for a taco and a beer. The Hill needs good Mexican food. (This is not a slight to Alamo. I think of them as a different type of establishment than what I’m proposing here.)
I’ll second the Moore Street idea…but with much longer hours since there is not as much of a lunch crowd in Church Hill since many go elsewhere for lunch.
Church Hill could use a good diner like this. Actually Richmond as a whole could. The diners we have are an embarrassment to the concept of the great American diner.
YYeah…a good diner…with breakfast all day…with pie. Has to have a variety of pie and chocolate cake for dessert. In one of those glass cases that spins. You can’t find a place with a selection of good dessert pies by the slice in this town and no, Proper Pie, is not the answer in this regard. A place where you can get a grilled ham and cheese made with normal white bread, normal ham and normal cheese with a side of fries. Good shakes. Slice of meatloaf for a special one day. Pork chops another. Good gravy is always available because the owners understand everything is better with gravy. A good cup of coffee. Not a latte. Not a cappuccino, but a mug of good normal coffee.
Normal food. Not frou frou. Not grown on a rarified patch fertilized by goats blessed blessed by the deity of your choice to poop gold fertilizer. No micro greens. Food that no one cares which farm it came from. Just normal good-quality working class food that sticks to your ribs, tastes good, doesn’t cost much and is served quickly. The kind of place you might grab a quick breakfast before work everyday because it has a reasonable 2 eggs/toast/bacon/juice/coffee deal Monday through Friday. A place to get a good cheeseburger cooked on the grill. They serve brunch by virtue of being open during brunch hours, but the word brunch isn’t on the menu since no one who eats there cares about brunch. Most of it is made to order. No steam tables. No microwaves. A grill, a fryer, a waffle iron and a milkshake machine.
Other words that do not appear on the menu in addition to brunch: quinoa, heirloom, organic, vegan, fusion, EVOO and artisan. Plenty of other places for that. Words that do appear on the menu: macaroni, cheese, roast beef, cheese, hash browns, cheese, mashed potatoes, cheese, niblet corn, cheese and cheese.
Maybe it serves beer. In bottles with a glass upon request. And if someone asks to fill a growler, the counterman (who is CLEARLY wearing a paper hat) asks the patron why he wants to feed his ex.
The downtown area could use a Carytown Burger and Fries… (Provided they find parking) they have a sincerely loyal fan base and it’d be a nightmare…. Or a nail salon … Tired of driving for my Pedicure lol
I’m telling you, this is what we need. Just some plain eats in a clean, well-lit place that can make a decent tuna melt with tuna that wasn’t so humanely raised and captured that we put it through prep school to meet the standard. Bumble Bee will be A-OK for this joint. Land O’ Lakes ‘murcan cheese. Plain ‘ol white bread. Real butter–or better, bacon fat–to grease up the griddle. Some good fried chicken too. Food real people eat everyday.
I feel your pain. I really do. I do eat the sorts of stuff you’ve described, but only occasionally, and often at home. I think you’re right that we’ve lost something or are missing something or that something is off about the way we eat (moreso, the socioeconomics of the way we eat). But I think that’s a societal problem, more than a neighborhood problem. Also, not sure everything up here is as “artisan” as you make it out to be. Regardless, I think when it comes to the kind of food your describing, frozen food, fast food and perhaps some societal problems have made the sort of place you’re describing obsolete. Please don’t misunderstand me: I am not saying this is a good thing.
We have enough places that serve burgers nearby: The Hill, Patrick Henry’s, Poe’s, Station 2, Twenty-third and Main, The Luncheonette, Five Guys downtown & White Oak, Camden’s Dogtown on Seventh St, Honey Whites, Conch Republic, and probably The Boathouse during lunch. Let’s have some real Mexican or something different than what already exists nearby. The windows and door definitely deter business and need to go.
The only places in Church Hill/Union Hill/Shockoe Bottom that I’m aware that do what I’m suggesting are the Luncheonette, which I thought was dreadful (especially given how long it took to open), and River City which isn’t really all that great. We NEED this.
Hey @BAF — I hear you saying River City Diner isn’t “all that great” but it does seem to offer an awful lot of what you crave, and you can walk down there in like 10 or 15 minutes. Just sayin’.
I would like to see a neighborhood drug store. There’s one in Charlottesville called “Timberlake’s” on the downtown mall. It’s like you’ve stepped back in time. AND..it has a soda fountain, lunch menu and the cakes and pies are homemade. In addition to comfort food, we really need a pharmacy. Sarahfran’s location would be perfect.
@28 — I wonder if that’s what the Aziza folks had in mind when they bought those two buildings on Main Street. It’s a family operation — or it was anyway — where there’s a pharmacy on one side that’s connected to the restaurant. As I recall it was the brother who is the pharmacist and the sister (and her son) who started the restaurant. It might even be in the same building where a mother or grandmother had previously had a restaurant. Not really the model you talk about though. Also, do folks just not consider CVS to be in our neighborhood?
I’m with @BAF…I’ve said it before and will say it again; while families with kids will occasionally go to the swanky restaurants in the area, it isn’t something that we do often. A place where we could get a plain burger (no bacon infused marmalade with chutney)with american cheese (your average 11 year old is just going to pick at that gorgonzola) for 5 or 6 bucks can be put into our dining budget quite easily. And a place where bacon and eggs can be grabbed, or god-forbid, that plain cup of coffee and a doughnut?
@Guilty Mom — I am with all of you on the quick bacon and egg breakfast thing. Maybe Dog and Pig Show has that in its future plans? Or maybe I dreamed that because I want it too. WPA has regular coffee — no espresso drinks at all — and regular muffins and sometimes doughnuts too I think. The Hill Cafe has burgers but may be slightly pricier than $6. This thread is super-fun — it’s good to hear what folks want in a positive way. Thanks, John!
Many moons ago, there used to be a small, family-owned restaurant on the Southside called “Nick’s Famous Franks.” Variety of different hot dogs, sides, soft drinks, and then a rootbeer float, ice cream cone, or a funnel cake for dessert. Family-oriented, quick service, nothing fancy. It was awesome.
I think, in the retail landscape, we have enough food. I would vote for more goods and services like a shoe store, a dress shop. Legal, clerical, a CPA…a printer/stationery/Hallmark store. A florist. A bookseller. Imagine all the tourist dollars that get back on that James River Bus that could be spent right here.
River City does have some of what I crave. The problem is a) it isn’t especially good and b) from my house, it is over a 20 minute walk. Now I could use the steps for exercise, but not to get mediocre food in a place I don’t find especially clean. And I doubt they bake their pies fresh. Could be wrong, but this place needs fresh pie. And yes, WPA has coffee (but no bacon eggs, etc.) and the Hill has burgers (but try and find a grilled cheese), but I want them in one place in my neighborhood–and the Farmers Market is not my neighborhood, sorry.
Not every egg needs to be crusted in rye. I don’t know what rooster sauce is. I’m not sure why the chicken needs to be Amish–I didn’t even know chickens had varying theological views. And it is a sign of the Apocalypse when you put kimchi on a pastrami sandwich–that’s just not right. Sometimes, you just want a simple meal of the basics, served with good fresh fries or side, with a Coke or a cup of coffee. Maybe a cup of normal chicken noodle soup on the side. You can’t get that up here. If I had the money and restaurant knowledge, I would have tried to do it myself already.
The only place in town I know of that does a half-decent job of this is the Village by VCU. Bring the Village (without the full bar) to the Sarahfran’s location, put some welcoming windows in, take some pride in the product, and it will be a home run. Locals will be in and out of constantly.
Good idea on the diner BAF. The building does need work. Thats half the problem. What about a nice ice cream shop similar to Karls in Fredericksburg. No artisan flavors or imported toppings. Just good basic ingredients ice cream. Something the family can walk to one evening or on the weekend after church. Maybe a book shop. Or maybe an arts center. Something for us up and coming Church Hill artists. Get some more foot traffic in the area…
Small retail businesses are more successful when they’re clustered together. We’ve had two florists/gift shops on 25th Street and they closed, so did the mail and fax service on Franklin. Online shopping chips away at local profits and small retail shops need lots of foot traffic to be profitable. If not a restaurant or office, perhaps a dentist….
I would also love an old fashioned hardware store. I absolutely loathe the big places like Lowes or Home Depot. It could have seasonal stuff for gardening as well as bird feeders and wind chimes 🙂 I’m a diy type and love browsing hardware stores.
@29: I went to Farm Fresh and CVS today. I agree with John, getting back up the hill is a killer. I made it though even with my loaded shopping buggy lol From N.31st where I live, the CVS is not that close. I’m always scouring the map for short cuts whenever possible.
I know what I want, but since I have neither the skill or the talent to do it myself, I am hoping my enthusiasm inspires someone who has those things. !
The choice for this location is obvious. There is not one decent strip club on the hill. Rouge sucks, plus it’s to far away. We need cute dancers, with local farm-to-table organic food, and quality local craft beers.
Plus, they wouldn’t have to change the look of the building at all. It’s perfect for a strip joint. 😉
@G, it hasn’t been done with good windows, with good breakfast, and with good pie. And screw Cracker Barrel. That’s not a diner for anyone who has ventured north of Washington. Not only is the menu wrong, it is all pre-made crap. No real diner that plans to stay in business would stand for that.
Diners/lunch counters work well anywhere where there is a population of people who want a basic meal served fast at a fair price.
Look, I’ve already made up my mind on this so everyone else just needs to come along, OK? 🙂
And there is no way that pho should come to Church Hill before there is a place to get a tuna melt, some fries and a shake. You can get ramen at Grace Noodle down the Hill. It’s close enough for horseshoe to pho until I can get some bacon and eggs up here on a weekday.
Actually BAF you are taking it back to what it was back in the late 70s/early 80s. I had a friend who swore they had the best butter beans there. It was called Buskey’s. My friend was the only person I knew who went in there, but then he also liked the bologna burgers at the Triangle Inn back then, too…
65 comments
We need a sweet bagel shop!
I’ve heard that the new “Growlers to go” on Boulevard is looking to open 3 additional locations in Richmond, one being opened in 2015. This would be an amazing addition to the neighborhood!
What would work? New, larger windows before the next tenant takes possession would work….
If nothing is done about the scary windows, the business won’t last.
BAF is right: Picture windows are needed; the current ones look like they belong in a dumpy tavern.
Dave: Any carryout would be nice, but only if there’s some place to park.
Tery: Sounds good to me (but with picture windows).
Y’all know Moore Street Cafe? I’d think something similar would do really well.
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If Buzzy’s is really going out of business a coffee shop would be nice…
Tacos! And soup, too. I’d love a good spot where one could grab an inexpensive taco or burrito to go, but could also pop in for a taco and a beer. The Hill needs good Mexican food. (This is not a slight to Alamo. I think of them as a different type of establishment than what I’m proposing here.)
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I’ve got an idea…
Indian
@Frank – We have a fantasy where Mel from Curry Craft puts a take-out joint in that spot behind Anthony’s 🙂
I’ll second the Moore Street idea…but with much longer hours since there is not as much of a lunch crowd in Church Hill since many go elsewhere for lunch.
Church Hill could use a good diner like this. Actually Richmond as a whole could. The diners we have are an embarrassment to the concept of the great American diner.
A curry place would be AMAZING.
My wife always thought a Sticky Rice to go would be great in Church Hill.
Cheap Mexican food!
YYeah…a good diner…with breakfast all day…with pie. Has to have a variety of pie and chocolate cake for dessert. In one of those glass cases that spins. You can’t find a place with a selection of good dessert pies by the slice in this town and no, Proper Pie, is not the answer in this regard. A place where you can get a grilled ham and cheese made with normal white bread, normal ham and normal cheese with a side of fries. Good shakes. Slice of meatloaf for a special one day. Pork chops another. Good gravy is always available because the owners understand everything is better with gravy. A good cup of coffee. Not a latte. Not a cappuccino, but a mug of good normal coffee.
Normal food. Not frou frou. Not grown on a rarified patch fertilized by goats blessed blessed by the deity of your choice to poop gold fertilizer. No micro greens. Food that no one cares which farm it came from. Just normal good-quality working class food that sticks to your ribs, tastes good, doesn’t cost much and is served quickly. The kind of place you might grab a quick breakfast before work everyday because it has a reasonable 2 eggs/toast/bacon/juice/coffee deal Monday through Friday. A place to get a good cheeseburger cooked on the grill. They serve brunch by virtue of being open during brunch hours, but the word brunch isn’t on the menu since no one who eats there cares about brunch. Most of it is made to order. No steam tables. No microwaves. A grill, a fryer, a waffle iron and a milkshake machine.
Other words that do not appear on the menu in addition to brunch: quinoa, heirloom, organic, vegan, fusion, EVOO and artisan. Plenty of other places for that. Words that do appear on the menu: macaroni, cheese, roast beef, cheese, hash browns, cheese, mashed potatoes, cheese, niblet corn, cheese and cheese.
Maybe it serves beer. In bottles with a glass upon request. And if someone asks to fill a growler, the counterman (who is CLEARLY wearing a paper hat) asks the patron why he wants to feed his ex.
Do that and the place will make a mint.
The downtown area could use a Carytown Burger and Fries… (Provided they find parking) they have a sincerely loyal fan base and it’d be a nightmare…. Or a nail salon … Tired of driving for my Pedicure lol
Whatever goes in, as mentioned above and in years past, there needs to be a facelift with more open windows installed to get past the stigma and blasé look of the building to make a go of it.
BAF #16:
Love it! You are a visionary!!!.
Ray:
I’m telling you, this is what we need. Just some plain eats in a clean, well-lit place that can make a decent tuna melt with tuna that wasn’t so humanely raised and captured that we put it through prep school to meet the standard. Bumble Bee will be A-OK for this joint. Land O’ Lakes ‘murcan cheese. Plain ‘ol white bread. Real butter–or better, bacon fat–to grease up the griddle. Some good fried chicken too. Food real people eat everyday.
@BAF
I feel your pain. I really do. I do eat the sorts of stuff you’ve described, but only occasionally, and often at home. I think you’re right that we’ve lost something or are missing something or that something is off about the way we eat (moreso, the socioeconomics of the way we eat). But I think that’s a societal problem, more than a neighborhood problem. Also, not sure everything up here is as “artisan” as you make it out to be. Regardless, I think when it comes to the kind of food your describing, frozen food, fast food and perhaps some societal problems have made the sort of place you’re describing obsolete. Please don’t misunderstand me: I am not saying this is a good thing.
We have enough places that serve burgers nearby: The Hill, Patrick Henry’s, Poe’s, Station 2, Twenty-third and Main, The Luncheonette, Five Guys downtown & White Oak, Camden’s Dogtown on Seventh St, Honey Whites, Conch Republic, and probably The Boathouse during lunch. Let’s have some real Mexican or something different than what already exists nearby. The windows and door definitely deter business and need to go.
Windows
@22
The only places in Church Hill/Union Hill/Shockoe Bottom that I’m aware that do what I’m suggesting are the Luncheonette, which I thought was dreadful (especially given how long it took to open), and River City which isn’t really all that great. We NEED this.
Shhhhhh
Hey @BAF — I hear you saying River City Diner isn’t “all that great” but it does seem to offer an awful lot of what you crave, and you can walk down there in like 10 or 15 minutes. Just sayin’.
Know what I think would be perfect? A UPS Store. That’s right. Next to the P.O.
I would like to see a neighborhood drug store. There’s one in Charlottesville called “Timberlake’s” on the downtown mall. It’s like you’ve stepped back in time. AND..it has a soda fountain, lunch menu and the cakes and pies are homemade. In addition to comfort food, we really need a pharmacy. Sarahfran’s location would be perfect.
@28 — I wonder if that’s what the Aziza folks had in mind when they bought those two buildings on Main Street. It’s a family operation — or it was anyway — where there’s a pharmacy on one side that’s connected to the restaurant. As I recall it was the brother who is the pharmacist and the sister (and her son) who started the restaurant. It might even be in the same building where a mother or grandmother had previously had a restaurant. Not really the model you talk about though. Also, do folks just not consider CVS to be in our neighborhood?
@Alli – I only give 1/2 credit to stuff down the hill (except for Poe’s, somehow).
@John — because of distance?
The getting up the hill afterward, if walking or on a bike or with a stroller.
I’m with @BAF…I’ve said it before and will say it again; while families with kids will occasionally go to the swanky restaurants in the area, it isn’t something that we do often. A place where we could get a plain burger (no bacon infused marmalade with chutney)with american cheese (your average 11 year old is just going to pick at that gorgonzola) for 5 or 6 bucks can be put into our dining budget quite easily. And a place where bacon and eggs can be grabbed, or god-forbid, that plain cup of coffee and a doughnut?
@Guilty Mom — I am with all of you on the quick bacon and egg breakfast thing. Maybe Dog and Pig Show has that in its future plans? Or maybe I dreamed that because I want it too. WPA has regular coffee — no espresso drinks at all — and regular muffins and sometimes doughnuts too I think. The Hill Cafe has burgers but may be slightly pricier than $6. This thread is super-fun — it’s good to hear what folks want in a positive way. Thanks, John!
Many moons ago, there used to be a small, family-owned restaurant on the Southside called “Nick’s Famous Franks.” Variety of different hot dogs, sides, soft drinks, and then a rootbeer float, ice cream cone, or a funnel cake for dessert. Family-oriented, quick service, nothing fancy. It was awesome.
I think, in the retail landscape, we have enough food. I would vote for more goods and services like a shoe store, a dress shop. Legal, clerical, a CPA…a printer/stationery/Hallmark store. A florist. A bookseller. Imagine all the tourist dollars that get back on that James River Bus that could be spent right here.
@26/Alli:
River City does have some of what I crave. The problem is a) it isn’t especially good and b) from my house, it is over a 20 minute walk. Now I could use the steps for exercise, but not to get mediocre food in a place I don’t find especially clean. And I doubt they bake their pies fresh. Could be wrong, but this place needs fresh pie. And yes, WPA has coffee (but no bacon eggs, etc.) and the Hill has burgers (but try and find a grilled cheese), but I want them in one place in my neighborhood–and the Farmers Market is not my neighborhood, sorry.
Not every egg needs to be crusted in rye. I don’t know what rooster sauce is. I’m not sure why the chicken needs to be Amish–I didn’t even know chickens had varying theological views. And it is a sign of the Apocalypse when you put kimchi on a pastrami sandwich–that’s just not right. Sometimes, you just want a simple meal of the basics, served with good fresh fries or side, with a Coke or a cup of coffee. Maybe a cup of normal chicken noodle soup on the side. You can’t get that up here. If I had the money and restaurant knowledge, I would have tried to do it myself already.
The only place in town I know of that does a half-decent job of this is the Village by VCU. Bring the Village (without the full bar) to the Sarahfran’s location, put some welcoming windows in, take some pride in the product, and it will be a home run. Locals will be in and out of constantly.
I want a “Mongrel”, too. It would be nice to buy a good card or some cute wrapping paper. Anybody wanna back me….? LOL
Good idea on the diner BAF. The building does need work. Thats half the problem. What about a nice ice cream shop similar to Karls in Fredericksburg. No artisan flavors or imported toppings. Just good basic ingredients ice cream. Something the family can walk to one evening or on the weekend after church. Maybe a book shop. Or maybe an arts center. Something for us up and coming Church Hill artists. Get some more foot traffic in the area…
Small retail businesses are more successful when they’re clustered together. We’ve had two florists/gift shops on 25th Street and they closed, so did the mail and fax service on Franklin. Online shopping chips away at local profits and small retail shops need lots of foot traffic to be profitable. If not a restaurant or office, perhaps a dentist….
Tacos.
Anybody been to Roanoke?
A Texas Tavern would be awesome there.
I would also love an old fashioned hardware store. I absolutely loathe the big places like Lowes or Home Depot. It could have seasonal stuff for gardening as well as bird feeders and wind chimes 🙂 I’m a diy type and love browsing hardware stores.
@29: I went to Farm Fresh and CVS today. I agree with John, getting back up the hill is a killer. I made it though even with my loaded shopping buggy lol From N.31st where I live, the CVS is not that close. I’m always scouring the map for short cuts whenever possible.
Sushi grab and go would be divine!
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Sushi? They don’t serve sushi in diners. This idea has momentum. It just needs someone to do it.
@Rachel Woolwine Davis – they have sushi grab and go (*sometimes* ? *always* ? I don’t know) at Union Market.
@BAF – you’ve decided it’s going to be a diner? Or do you know something we don’t? )either way, I admire your enthusiasm!)
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@Lee
I know what I want, but since I have neither the skill or the talent to do it myself, I am hoping my enthusiasm inspires someone who has those things. !
The choice for this location is obvious. There is not one decent strip club on the hill. Rouge sucks, plus it’s to far away. We need cute dancers, with local farm-to-table organic food, and quality local craft beers.
Plus, they wouldn’t have to change the look of the building at all. It’s perfect for a strip joint. 😉
Real People Eat Dosa. Everyday.
I vote for pho.
Wait, we’re voting?! Well, I vote for pho, too.
@ Lora
That is so pho-king brilliant! Pure genius!! My vote is cast.
Sorry BAF – Your “petite Cracker Barrel” aka “diner” proposal just wouldn’t work well in that space…umm, been there, done that (there)?
@G, it hasn’t been done with good windows, with good breakfast, and with good pie. And screw Cracker Barrel. That’s not a diner for anyone who has ventured north of Washington. Not only is the menu wrong, it is all pre-made crap. No real diner that plans to stay in business would stand for that.
Diners/lunch counters work well anywhere where there is a population of people who want a basic meal served fast at a fair price.
Look, I’ve already made up my mind on this so everyone else just needs to come along, OK? 🙂
And there is no way that pho should come to Church Hill before there is a place to get a tuna melt, some fries and a shake. You can get ramen at Grace Noodle down the Hill. It’s close enough for horseshoe to pho until I can get some bacon and eggs up here on a weekday.
@BAF: build it and we will come..seriously, BAF’s CH Diner. Has a ring to it 🙂
Actually BAF you are taking it back to what it was back in the late 70s/early 80s. I had a friend who swore they had the best butter beans there. It was called Buskey’s. My friend was the only person I knew who went in there, but then he also liked the bologna burgers at the Triangle Inn back then, too…
@crd
But the neighborhood has changed so much. Now is the time.
A good breakfast place would be lovely… there isn’t nearly enough of those around here.
I like the idea of a “mongrel-esque” gift shop. But if it’s food, I like indian, or a Mediterranean type place offering falafal, gyros etc.