If you are following Richmond food news, you may have read
here or here that deLux Diner and Lounge is closed. The Richmond Restaurant
Group issued a statement saying that they will be opening another restaurant in
the same space in the fall, and according to Richmond.com they are working to
open a raw bar.
I immediately thought of the Sex & the City episode
where Samantha beats out all the other ladies in the place that only serves raw food and takes home the
smoking hot server that we all come to know and love, Smith Jared.
My guess is that the raw bar going in
the deLux space is not going to be quite like the one in that episode, but wouldn't that be a hoot?
Most likely it is another seafood concept similar to Water Grill and Hard Shell, the other members of the Richmond Restaurant Group
family, serving raw oysters, clams and mussels with a lobster special of some
sort. Perhaps Ceviche Saturdays?
The concept of raw seafood must be in demand considering
that Rappahannock River Oysters is also looking to open a restaurant in town
and Richmond staples like Can Can Brasserie and Old Original Bookbinders have
been serving raw bar items for years.
That got me thinking, how do I feel about a restaurant that
is conceptualized around the idea of a raw bar? To be honest, I am not overly excited about it. It doesn't help that a review over at www.foodrva.com just totally slammed Water Grill for serving bummer oysters.
Not sad to see DeLux go; I think a raw bar is interesting for Richmond, I don't really know of any others in our area. I do love some good oysters on the half shell, and the Chesapeake provides great oysters for our area! Love that episode of Sex and the City, btw...
ReplyDeleteMy husband LOVESSS oysters, so we will end up checking it out for sure.
DeleteRaw done right is amazing! I have asked for a raw bar for years in rva and finally I hope it is coming true. When visiting New York I always sit down at several sampling oysters from all over the continent.
ReplyDeleteIt really is in my opinion clean eating if that makes since.
Raw bars done wrong are a disaster as you mentioned above and I can also name a few others that claim to have a raw bar but never give the proper training to the person shucking shell fish. This in and of itself is most important to the success of any raw bar.
OK, I ranted. Nice post and hope to slurp back a few with your husband when the time comes. As the french poet said eating oysters raw is like kissing the ocean on the lips.
Seriously, Tim, I live for your rants! Agree that a raw bar done right and one done terribly wrong are very different things. I did grow up in Annapolis, MD. We will just have to wait and see...
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