I went to Ginger Thai in Carytown recently, food was fantastic, fast service, good prices.

Cary and McCloy. I've wanted to try there. Thanks for the heads up.

Monica and I had dinner in Carytown last Saturday. We ate at Mezzanine. While a bit on the pricey side the food was great. The entire menu is up on a chalkboard and changes regularly. They make use of a lot of local produce and ingredients. The food can best be described as "new American". Nice atmosphere and very good service. A good "date night" place and worth going to.

It appears they have closed.
Jean and I went there today, in hopes of Sushi...found out they are no longer open.
They still have stuff inside, but its dark. BOO.

It's been like that for a couple of months. There was a sign that said something like "close for remodel". This was a week after I went there to eat.

When I saw the sign, my boss said "Did it look like it needed a remodel? It looks like they went out of business"

Bummer too. It was my favorite Sushi place.

If you're looking for a momy and daddy night out for sushi I suggest Osaka on River Rd.

Yeah, good choice. Great sushi and great selection. They are normally pretty packed though.

Thank you - I'll add that to my list for the "next time" date!

I mentioned Tenjinmura earlier. But it has closed down. Sushi-go-Around also closed down.

A comparable restaurant is Osaka. There are two locations (one in Short Pump on Broad and one in Bon Air on Huguenot). I prefe the Bon Air location. Better atmosphere and food quality. It could be in my head though.

http://osakasushiva.com/

Osaka in southside actually carries a River Rd. address and it's a River Rd. Shopping Center. Very nice place.

Can Can in Cary Town, Mamma Zu in Oregon Hill, Edo Squid on the VCU campus, Millie's Diner in Shockoe Bottom and The Hill Cafe in Church Hill are my favorite restuarants.

Edo's Squid @ 411 N Harrison St.

Aimee and I recently went there for our 4th year wedding anniversary. We celebrated our 1 year anniversary there when we were dating, but that was 10 years ago. Then it was called Mussel Ducks.

Honestly, I am not sure what the hype is all about (online reviews). We were a bit confused if we were even in the right place. It's on the second floor over top of a Stuffy's. The door had no signage and the stairway up was tiny. The door at the top of the stairs was closed and had brooms hanging on it.

It was a Thursday night, and this place was packed. It's a tiny venue to begin with, and the tables are stacked on top of each other. I was lucky to make a reservation. When we got to the table we were stuck in a corner. The back of my chair was touch the back of the chair of the table behind us. It was quite a tight fit. With it being so tiny and packed it was terribly noisy. I could hardly hear Aimee or our waiter.

While the menu had a number of choices, nothing was explained. Literally this was part of one section:

10
con ricotta
sausage
sausage, mushroom

What does that even mean? That's three seperate dishes. Pasta dishes! It doesn't tell you sauce or anything - just has a price and then lists 5 or 6 food items.

There were more menu items listed on the other side of the restaurant on the wall. Again, it told you want the main portion was, but not sides or anything else.

I decided to go with Duck. It's a safe choice. I was a bit confused when the waiter then asked, "How would you like that cooked; rare or medium rare?"

So I said Medium rare...??? I was confused. It was duck, there is only one way to cook it -- done -- done enough to not give me Salmonella.

Aimee ordered the Chicken Cacciatore.

The only think positive I can say about this place would be the food. Whatever I had...which I think was veal (still not sure veal and duck sound alike...again, probably the terribly noisy atmosphere). The portions were very large. Aimee's chicken was enough for two people. I was quite shocked to see an entire chicken on her plate...in a tomato sauce. I thought there was more too it.

I'm willing to give it another shot, I guess, but not anytime soon.

Holy crap! You actually went into downtown? By yourself?

Seriously, Edo's is an excellent spot. One of the best in the city.

I've gotten over my phobia of Downtown all thanks to riding my bike by myself around there for a few weeks.

I still don't understand how Edo's is excellent.

Your mistake for not trying the pasta. Seriously, it's considered one of the best restaurants in the city. Like any good restaurant ask if you have a question. I guarentee they would have explained it. The guy that owns the place also owns Mamma Zu's which is excellent. He's just know for his eclectic atmosphere and presentation.

1) I don't like pasta.
2) I did ask, he wasn't very helpful.

Since many of you Southsiders were upset to hear about Tenjinmura closing, I have a second option.

Sushi-O
1228 Alverser Plaza
Midlothian, Va 23113
Phone 804.897.9878

This place is located off Courthouse and Huguenot. Near DSW (other side of the road from the mall and Hooters). The decor of this place is very nice. The menu selection was pretty large. And the staff was very friendly. I don't really have any complaints about this place at all; other than the specialty rolls are a bit pricey.

We went on (I think) a Sunday and they had half off on certain specialty rolls (about $7 after the discount). Yep, the regular price for specialty rolls are about $14. There full menu can be downloaded from their website.

This is a great substitue for Tenjinmura. The food quality and selection is pretty much the same.

I've heard very good things about it but haven't been there yet. Those proces are a bit high for specialty rolls. Most places I think are about $4-6 less, but if you got what you paid for then...

Joe, how was Grandpa Eddie's Barbecue? Personally I think it is a great place, we've gotten carry out a few times from there while I'm not a barbecue connoisseur (yet) I find the meat and sauce to be excellent at this West End restaurant.

http://www.grandpaeddiesbbq.com/

I LOVE Grandpa Eddies. It always smells delicious, and can't beat their Saturday happy hour 12-6pm. I really enjoy their fried okra appetizer. The first two times it came with a yummy sauce, but the last time it didn't. Not sure if that was a menu change or just an oversight. I thoroughly enjoy their food, so far I have had the Miss Mare and the Brisket, both were delicious. I plan to check out some of their live music at some point in time. The place really starts to fill up Saturday evenings.