LampLighter roasting company

Lamplighter roasting company located at 116 South Addison offers a great cup of Joe! And if you cannot get enough of it Lamplighter will bring it to you (by bike of course)!!! For a single delivery you will receive a pound of coffee for $12.00. Or you can pay $40.00 for the whole month and get a pound of your favorite coffee each week! With so many flavors to choose from you may have trouble choosing which one to order. So I suggest popping in an ordering their brew of the day! When I went in I choose a light roast Guatemalan brew and it was lovely. It is a small space with a few tables but looks like it will prove a great outside coffee drinking venue in the spring, summer and fall (some people were outside enjoying the coffee but below 30 is just too cold for outside chillin' for me). However, inside there is an array of coffee and espresso drinks they also serve hot chocolate, tea and chilled drinks such as water and sodas. Eats include breakfast, paninis, sandwiches, salads, soups, sides and sweet-tooth sammies (sandwiches with fun names and sweet toppings, like Space Cake which is a Nutella, peanut butter, and banana sandwich).

Residents of Byrd Park just take a walk over the foot bridge and pop out at Lamplighter. Its a win win for locals of the area!

www.tallbikecoffee.com

The Republic

Ode to the Republic. 2053 W. Broad St.
The Black and Red clad restaurant is a signature of Richmond flare, creating a dinning experience when The Republic really is just a bar. A packed bar at that! Even on a Saturday afternoon bar crawlers just couldn't keep themselves away as a steady flow Richmonder’s came to eat and drink.

Unlike a run of the mill bar in Richmond, The Republic plays no favorite to beer or liquor but also offers a decent wine list.

The menu is equipped with small plates, soups, salads and sandwiches. We began our Republic adventure ordering two small plates; the Tuna Ceviche, and the Pierogi’s. The Ceviche was served with a wasabi spread and flat bread and proved to be a flattering way to begin a meal. The Pierogi was a ravioli crescent dumpling filled with mashed potatoes. Which were packed with heavy flavor but light on the tummy! Both small plates proved to go above and beyond the mundane bar food that is so often advertised as the best.

The steak sub was unfortunately overshadowed by the small plates; however the onion rings were well worth the disappointing entree. Though onion rings are staples in most bars around town these could be the best onion rings in Richmond! You can not order just a side of onion rings, so if you want to taste them for yourself you’re going to have to order the mediocre sub.

Overall; the staff was attentive and lacked the glorified attitude that most Richmond wait staff seems to get away with. The Republic offers a casual restaurant and bar experience and one hell of a good time!

The Black Sheep

The moon rose on a crisp on autumn evening and I had the pleasure to gaze at the beautiful display in the comfort of Black Sheep at 901 W. Marshall st. I have heard the buzz for quite a bit and decided I wanted to know what the fuss was all about.

An eclectic little place with lots of art and simple architecture. We sat by the window but had no idea that Black Sheep offered such a wonderful view of the moon. We began our evening with a reasonably priced Pinot Gris and the Indian Tomato Soup. The wine was lovely but the soup was great. This chunky version of tomato soup was top with a dill sour cream which totally made the dish pop. The soup was served with warm grilled bread that was buttered to perfection.

Our entrees arrived pretty quickly and they were also pretty tasty. My date ordered Chicken and Dumplings (Roasted chicken pulled from the bone & homemade herb dumplings in a creamy sauce) and I ordered the Tacos al Pescador (grilled fresh mahi mahi flaked over grilled corn tortillas topped with mole verde, cilantro & pineapple salsa) with a side of broccolini. Both dishes were aesthetically pleasing and decadence for the soul. Both entrees are simple in taste but offer just enough of that Richmond flare to go back for more. The broccolini was crisp and not too oily, topped with crushed red pepper, really turned up the heat on the meal.

I would have to put this establishment on the same shelf as Cafe Rustica, Mamma Zu and Comfort. Which I happen to think is a pretty awesome shelf!

Overall; I had a very nice evening. Dining at the Black Sheep is not as much of a dining out experience as it is dinning in tranquility because the interior feels so comfortable you could be in anyone’s home or even your own. We intend to revisit this Richmond treasure.