Searching for the Best Indian Food In Richmond

Anokha in Short Pump is one of my friend's favorite restaurants. And since I'd been craving Indian for the past, oh, 3 months or so, she planned a little outing to Short Pump. It happened to be on the rainiest day I've ever experienced in Richmond, but that didn't stop us. A packed restaurant full of kids and family gatherings? Didn't stop us either. So the four of us arrived hungry and from my end, excited to find an Indian place in Richmond which matches the caliber of Shalimar in Ann Arbor.

For $9 (the lunch special) we got a starter of soup or salad, an entree, and a dessert. I chose the daal which I highly enjoyed. The flavor was great and the lentils weren't chunky, but nice and smooth.

I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, apparently their most popular dish. It was very tasty - the sauce was great and perfect for dipping naan into - which, but the way, they also add at no extra cost. I had heard the heat scale was a little high, so I ordered mild - next time I'll go for medium. Apparently I can handle my heat better than I thought :) The chicken was tender, too, and the flavor had gotten into the meat. It was sooo good - I could go for a few extra pieces, in fact. I bet the dinner portions are larger. One of the nice things about Anokha is that they'll refill your rice, too - which was really great since I like a high rice-to-sauce ratio. Oh! and the $9 includes a side dish Chef's special - our day was okra and sauteed onions. It was amazing and probably my favorite thing of the meal. Nice and spicy - I snagged Emilija's since she wasn't planning on taking it home and I knew a good place for it...my tummy.

For dessert we had a mango pudding which I didn't like very much - I am not a pudding person in general. But one of the girls who came is in LOVE with it, so it didn't go to waste!

If you have a Richmond Indian favorite, pass it along because I'd love to taste around!

Giovanni's: Good Times, Good Pizza

My search for the best pizza Richmond is over...I think.

For the past 2 months I have been craving pizza. Pizza with cheese and tons of topping and good flavor and a crispy crust and flavorful sauce. Yes, it's a tall order. Too tall, so I thought. But as you know by now, Weston came in last weekend to surprise me for Valentine's Day. And I was getting ready to "go out with a friend" who had put me in charge of finding a good pizza place. After flipping through a Richmond magazine I have been saving since the summer, I decided the picture from Giovanni's looked most like what I had been craving. Since the dinner was actually a made-up story meant to lure me outside, I didn't go with my friend, but Weston and I went there for dinner that evening, instead. (Next time, Sharon, I am taking you to Kuba Kuba)

Here's me holding my new best friend: the enormo Meat Lover's pizza. The owner, John, was the nicest ever and kept asking if I was sure I wanted to order this giant pie. When I told him how badly and how long I'd looked for a pizza like the one in the picture I saw, he personally started ours. The Meat Lovers, as shown at the top, feeds probably 6 people: the slices are big and there are 12 pieces. The price is unbelievably fair: $20 when rounding UP.

Weston ordered their Sweet Tea and I got to sip a little, too - it was delish. The perfect way to wash down all the cheese and toppings. Be prepared because there's a lot of them. The crust held up nicely and the sauce had some spice to it. Now, I like my pizzas sauced lightly and Weston likes his a little heavier and we were both very happy. Our waitress was so sweet and very friendly - she asked if we wanted an edge or a middle or a bit of both - it's that kind of care that makes me know I'm going back.

The entire pie fed us for 3 meals together and two separately (I sent some home with Weston to Michigan). I was also incredibly pleased with how little oil seeped out during the reheating process - considering all the cheese. For a perfectly heated slice, preheat the oven to 350, line a pan with aluminum foil, cut your slice into dipper-sized pieces (3 inches across) and heat for about 10 minutes.

My new mission is to try as many pizza places as I can in this great city. But Giovanni's will always hold a special memory: the experience was wonderful; I just felt so happy the entire time I was there and every time I reheat a slice I get to relive an amazing evening all over again.

27 Reasons to Skip Bistro 27

Okay, maybe I am exaggerating...I couldn't think of a whole 27 without nit-picking but there were a few very important things which turned me off from this restaurant.

Let's just set the mood, shall we? With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I was pretty sad to learn that Weston definitely couldn't make it down to Richmond due to work conflicts. I mean, I am kind of in love with all things pink and red and heart shaped...especially edible things (like cupcakes!!!)...I digress. Anyway, a friend of mine asked me out for dinner Saturday night so I slapped on a smile and got ready to go. I walked outside the apartment building because she was picking me up, looked left, look right - saw my boyfriend!!! He drove 10 hours just to ask me to be his Valentine. How's that for surprise. The whole day he'd been telling me about his "trip to the grocery store" and "the bank" and it was all a rouse... sneaky sneaky. But I loved it because oh how much I missed him.

I had wanted to go to Tastebuds for Valentine's Day, before I discovered he couldn't make it, but Weston always plans his surprises to a tee and had already made reservations at a place which I was not allowed to know the name of until we got there. I was super psyched when I turned the corner and saw that we'd be trying Bistro 27.

Lo and behold, Bistro 27 is about 3 blocks from my apartment. It's pretty tiny, as are most restaurants in Richmond (except Can Can) and it was packed. I was extremely excited...to start. The restaurant is set up with tables near windows and near a mid-line divider and then there are a couple teeny tables in the center of the two - right in the aisleway , basically. These table are narrower and quite awkward. Guess where they put us. Even though there were 3 other open tables in nice locations. Weston, a former waiter, made the astute observation that all the young couples, the ones who probably wouldn't be drinking or paying top dollar, were seated in the bad seats. I'm sorry, but they really were bad - by the restrooms, in the aisle way - these seats do not a romantic evening make. But we were resigned to having a good time, especially considering the crazy-high priced menu. But we'll get there.

Let's talk about service. Insert here all synonyms for "dismissive" and "condescending." We were seated with no introduction, water was plopped in front of us, the dip on the table was not mentioned or explained, and then we waited...and waited. Finally, a sullen looking waitress stopped by and threw the menus down on the table. When I asked about cocktails, she said they didn't have any specials and walked away. I think we saw her about 3 times during the entire meal. We were never asked how the food was, never offered extra utensils when we transitioned to dessert, and never smiled at when some random guy arrived with our food, set it in front of us, and - surprise, surprise - walked away without saying anything. My lasting impressions of service: I think this about sums it up. Our waiter told us at the end of the meal, "Look at yooooou, you've cleaned your plates. Now you can have dessert." Seriously? Seriously. Yes, we are young. But we're also paying customers and deserve a little respect.

Ok, food. It was good. Didn't blow me away by any means. The bread on the table was cold and hard which meant they hadn't made it in-house or it was stale - maybe both. I ordered lobster ravioli which had a good amount of stuffing and the proportion was nice: 6 ravioli. The pricing was not: $25. Weston got scallops and shrimp with saffron ink noodles. The noodles were very good, I will say. They were cold by the time we found the waitress to ask for a spoon, though. I do need to mention that although the saffron sauce had a lot of saffron threads, it didn't taste much like saffron - I think they might have been going for quantity rather than quality of that particular ingredient. Switching gears, the shrimp were cooked well, as were the scallops, and his portion was a good sized one. The orchids on the plate were a little much...flowers drooping with cream sauce are not the most appetizing. Dessert was pleasant: cheesecake with a hint of rosewater. Although, they advertised it as having a layer of pound cake, which it did not. When I asked if it was served with ice cream, I was told we'd be charged an extra dessert for changing the menu so we did without.

I am sorry to say that I have found the first restaurant in Richmond that I really did not fall in love with. I wanted to, I really did. But I suppose it is a testament to how comfortable our relationship has become that Weston and I both had an amazing time anyway. Somehow the contradiction of Bistro 27's grandiose reputation and the actual experience was comical. And a special thanks to the undergraduate couple next to us for providing the entertainment for the evening: I don't think I've ever seen such ill-mannered people in a restaurant ever.

All in all, we left full but unsatisfied. The next day, we headed straight over to Tastebuds and, as usual, had an amazing meal. Oh! And they made me that Valentine's Day cocktail, compliments of the owners.

The Black Sheep: through the eyes of a first-timer

My class schedule this term is, well, insane as usual. Except now, two days a week, I get out of class at 7pm instead of 2pm. Just imagine how it feels to be learning biomedical topics for 8 hours in a row- or maybe don't...The point is, a friend of mine suggested we go out for dinner after our night exam the other day and I was very excited at the prospect of spending my first school night trying the local cuisine. We decided on Black Sheep since I've been hearing left and right how good it is. I know the standard is to go there for brunch, but their dinner menu looked delicious as well, so off we went.

Let me just say, I was not exactly prepared for how cozy it was. I kind of imagined a more mainstream restaurant vibe, not a little nook with dimmed lighting and wooded benches. It was very sweet and I'd definitely suggest it as a date night spot. I was also unprepared for how small it was. Just us opening the door made the whole place cold for a few minutes. The waitresses were pretty laid back and - oh! can't forget: the salt and pepper shakers are THE CUTEST things ever.

But on to the food. I wasn't in the mood for a sandwich - I wanted something hearty and comfy...so I suppose the atmosphere whet my appetite because my stomach was telling my brain to ignore the prices and go with whatever I wanted. We started by sharing the sweet potato samosas and I will say that the pastry dough was perfectly flaky and amazing. The filling had a good flavor, but I like my samosas spicy, which these were not. The kicker, though, was the apple chutney. It was like a curried applesauce and I could it it straight up any day. My friend was going to ask if we could buy it to go.

For my main course I was debating between the focaccia with goat cheese and the pot roast - until the waitress told us the special for the evening: pork chop with pumpkin and artichoke heart orzo. At $13, it really was a steal. The flavors were wonderful - the chop had an apple smoked flavor to it and the orzo, although a tad over-cooked, was sauced nicely. The pumpkin added a certain richness to it and I very much enjoyed the fact that they didn't skimp on the artichoke hearts and had taken the time to de-brine them a bit. I also ordered a side of their corn pudding. A little on the sweet side for me, and the custard had broken because there was too much liquid. I should probably mention, also, that the chop was cooked perfectly! It was still juicy and succulent, which isn't easy with pork. And the cut was nice and large with a gorgeous frenched bone.





While dining we saw one of the infamous "battleships" the place is known for. If you are unfamiliar, they are basically enormo subs. I am going back for sure to try one of those - but I need some people to join me; if interested, just write me a comment! The gentleman seated next to us ordered the pot roast so I was able to see that it looked rich and delicious with a nice hearty sauce. Their banana pudding also seemed to be quite popular, so I'll have to try that as well.


All in all, the ambiance was excellent and the food did not disappoint in neither its flavor nor its creativity. I left Black Sheep with yet another excellent restaurant to recommend to others and, for the first time since I've moved here, feeling like a local.

Louisiana Flair - Great Food, Better Company

Every day - and I do mean every day since I moved here in August - on my way to school, I passed by a little restaurant called Louisiana Flair. At first I was a bit scared of the place because right near the window stood a mannequin and as many of you know, I am terrified of those things. Then, over time, I grew more and more intrigued. Every morning at 7am, right when I walk over for classes, I saw a man at the stove smiling and laughing with his customers. One day we made eye contact and I couldn't help myself - I smiled and waved - like we were old chums. Except we'd never actually met. Imagine my extreme happiness when he returned the favor. In a program like mine, you learn to find happiness in any place and my morning walks and waves became something I looked forward to. Every day I saw him working and every day I promised myself that one day, I'd pop in and meet him.

That day came - today. Nate, as I learned, is the owner of this special place. People come from all over Richmond to try his family's recipe for gumbo and his delish catfish po' boy. Every day the specials stand, on a chalkboard outside the restaurant, ready to be devoured by his loyal customers. Heck, on a plane to Atlanta I heard people from Louisiana commenting on how good the jambalaya is. And aren't I lucky to be living so close by? The service was wonderful - fast and friendly and so warm and comfortable. I was also able to sample some original sausage from New Orleans and it was amazing - hot a spicy and perfect for sandwiches.

I hear breakfast is pretty awesome too, so I'll have to go back. In the meantime, I'll keep myself happy grinning and waving to the kind man at the stove: my new Richmond friend, Nate.

Eating Out: Part Three - Tastebuds American Bistro

Dear Tastebuds,

I am in love with you. From your tiny tasters which pack a punch to your ooey-gooey bread pudding which coats my stomach with creaminess to your chocolate cake which deserves some made-up name to capture the reality of its deliciousness.

So, obviously this is not going to be the most impartial review but I can't help it, because I am in LOVE with their chef. Next time I go here, maybe I can meet him...hint hint.

Ok, thinking cap on. Review. Go.

Atmosphere: I am torn because the decor of this restaurant did not do homage to the heaven coming out of the kitchen. I think it would really do them well to add some hardwood in the eating area but overall, the place is quite welcoming - the walls are a nice red, the tablecloths white with black accents... then there's this vinyl black and white tile that just seems a little out of place. But you know what, at the end of the night I was feeling quite at home and cozy, so perhaps it's all part of a grander plan. Also, don't be discouraged by the...um, desolate location across from a creepy looking motel and next to a liquor store. Maybe this place looks different in the daytime???

Service: I make a point to mention this because it was exceptional. Our waiter was so knowledgeable and attentive. Multiple times I noticed him wait until there was a lull in the conversation before he came over to speak with us. I never felt pushed to decide quickly and he humored me like no other when I asked for a complete run-down of the dessert menu. A group of regulars came in and it was clear they were regulars because the owner greeted them with a hearty smile and a bottle of wine. It was a tad weird since we were seated behind them and the owner never came over to ask us how the meal was...just saying.

Menu

First Course:
Acorn Squash & Goat Cheese Brulee with Salad of WheatBerries, Pears, Dried Cranberries, and Baby Greens
Duck Leek spring roll with Ginger Pear Dipping Sauce

Are you drooling yet? After reading another review of Tastebuds which tooted the duck roll, we had to try it and it was wonderful, just not for me - I can't handle deep fried. But it wasn't oily and it was definitely served to order. The dipping sauce didn't do much in my opinion, but the flavor of the roll was awesome. As a goat cheese lover, I was over-the-moon for small plate #1. I've never had wheat berry to be honest but I think I am going to start experimenting. The vinaigrette had a lovely delicate flavor with the right about of sweetness and acidity. The squash was buttery and creamy and you could tell it was a seasonal ingredient, another thing Tastebuds is known for. If this is served year-round, it's my new staple.

Second Course:
Shrimp and chili rubbed sirloin kabobs, squash with hominy, and coleslaw
Sirloin with squash risotto and green beans

Looking back, I think it would have done our pocketbooks a great deal if we had skipped the entree because we were both pretty full from the "small" plates. Ok, maybe I should just speak for myself because my babe has got about 4 stomachs. His shrimp was cooked perfectly and was a tad spicy which added some extra flavor. I think we did a trade so I could finish his leftovers of that. As for the beef, also cooked perfectly and spiced nicely. The risotto didn't knock my socks off and neither did the coleslaw for Weston. But he was in love with their hominy side dish and you really can tell that the chef uses local ingredients.

Third Course:
Dessert time!!! If you live close by, I'd say come here whenever you are craving anything particular because chances are, they've got it covered: fruit, chocolate, ice cream, etc. Tastebuds is known for their bread pudding and after sampling it for myself, I can honestly say it is the best I've ever had. Nice and crunchy on the outside and creamy and luscious on the inside - I could taste the butter. Up until this point I'd say the best bread pudding I've had was in Chicago at the Grand Luxe Cafe, if that gives you any comparison. This version was a tad more sophisticated. The other dessert we tried was their chocolate cake which was a nice large portion of basically, pure chocolate. But it didn't get old bite after bite which was a pleasant surprise.

So service and atmosphere aside (which weren't bad to begin with), Tastebuds offers superb cuisine at an affordable price, it'd say. Tips from me would be to just order small plates and if you're really eying an entree, order one and split it. Split everything. Except maybe the bread pudding. Because that, my dears, is just too good to share.

Eating Out: Part Two - Ginger Thai

Since moving to Richmond I have been on a quest to find some amazing Thai food. Unfortunately, after reading over a dozen reviews on over a dozen restaurants, there were no agreements on the "best" Thai place. So when Weston came in a few weeks ago, we did some research of our own and after much contemplation, settled on Ginger Thai in Carytown.

No pictures so sorry about that - but I promise, here is a very detailed review for you.

Atmosphere: BUSY BUSY We were waiting in the "foyer" for a good while. But the smell was awesome. If you're claustrophobic this might not be so good for you because we could literally bump elbows with the couple next to us and I definitely heard a possibly illegal conversation going on at the table to my right.

First Course:

We ordered their spring roll - not fried. It was alright - not worth $7 in my opinion, even if it came with a side of some pretty good peanut sauce. The filling was lackluster: a few mint leaves, some noodles, cabbage, and about 5 slivers of carrot. But it was enough for 2 to share.

Second Course:

Dish A - Yellow Curry:

This was wonderful, in my opinion. Chicken cooked in chili infused coconut sauce - you can't go wrong with that. The curry also had pieces of potato and carrot in it. The carrot tasted a bit off - acid-like almost and the potato seemed like it had been baked and then put in the curry, so it had a slightly hard crust on it. But the chicken was cooked well and the flavor of the sauce was very good.

Dish B - Pad Thai:

Initially I thought this was very good, too, but then I spotted a flaw that I couldn't get over... The flavor was nice - on the spicy side which both Weston and I enjoy. And I loooove it when they serve that little wedge of lime because I think it adds so much flavor. There wasn't a puddle of oil under the noodles either, which I was grateful for. So what ruined the memory? The noodles. They were brittle. I don't know if it was because they weren't cooked through all the way or maybe that was how the restaurant intended to serve them. It just didn't do it for me. But I will say this: although the ingredient usage is not perfect, Ginger Thai does deliver on flavor.

I suggest you order the Thai tea because it is really wonderful - not too sweet and not orange. The bill cost about $50 which seemed a tad high- but each entree was enough to share and we had a lot of leftovers. If you do decide to go, I'd stick to one appetizer and one entree. Then hop down the street to Bev's for a nice ice cream nightcap.

For your enjoyment and a little added extra review - earlier in the day we tried that little bakery in the Carytown shopping center near CanCan - Jean Jacques, I believe it is called. AMAZING!!! I ordered a lemon poppy seed muffin and it was perfect - I have been dreaming about them since. Just enough fat to hold a nice crumb, lemon zest throughout, and the occasional pocket of baking soda so you know it's homemade. The way people were googling over their tiramisu, I am guessing this bakery has quite the following. Weston got a strawberry danish and since he didn't offer me any I'm guessing it too, was very good. In his defense, I don't think I shared my muffin either ;) Love you, sweetie! If you're looking for a cute place for breakfast tasties or entertaining delights, I suggest you give this bakery a try.

Eating Out: Part One-Acacia MidTown

Alright, y'all, I have decided to try my hand at restaurant reviewing. After all, I have been eating at some very lovely restaurants and it would be improper for me to withhold my findings from you.

It being restaurant week, a friend from my program suggested a few of us - as in 10 of us! - try someplace on the list. We picked Acacia - which I was very excited about because so many people recommend this place when I first moved here. Now, many people stay out of restaurants on Restaurant Week, but I don't particularly agree with that. If a restaurant can pull out a great menu on a super busy night, then I know it'll be even better on a low-key one. And that's a handy thing to know.

So, the decor. I must mention this because it confused me... like a rustic home/underground nightspot. There were wooden kitchen tables for large groups, and booths by a colorful bar, and then in the back a curtained area for parties. The lighting was low - very low, but I didn't mind that so much. The waitress greeted us with a smile and we were given the cocktail menu. It looked delish - but I just couldn't drop $10 on a drink. I'd go back exclusively for that, however.

The variety of course offerings was quite impressive. For my first course, I decided on the homemade gnocchi with duck confit and cranberry sauce. In a word: divine. I have never, ever - not even in Italy - had gnocchi that good. They had been flash fried before service, giving a lovely little crunch and they weren't sticky or gluten-y at all. I was extremely impressed. The portion size was good, too - piled high with sauteed chard and duck, covered with the right amount of cranberry sauce.

For my main course, I had to decide between the ribeye with bone marrow pancake and the duck breast wrapped in bacon with mashed sweet potatoes. My overall impression on this: 7. While my duck was cooked, my friend's was almost raw in places. And while I do think bacon is delicious, I thought they had over-wrapped the meat. Also, they stuffed it with pineapple which I didn't particularly enjoy - apple might have been better. I would have liked more spice and texture to the sweet potatoes, but the broccoli rabe was cooked perfectly. I took some of the duck home and ate it the day after and was very happy to find it tasted almost better than the day it was served - that's when I realized, they had served it lukewarm. I'll attribute this to the fact that there were 10 people in our group and everyone was served at once. The service was impeccable, can't forget that detail. Oh! and the duck in the picture below looks much larger than it actually was :) At any rate, the portion here was much better compared to the size of what we were served for dessert...

For my last course I chose the apple ginger mouse cake with caramel mouse and creme fraiche sorbet. Faaaancy, eh? It was very good. The mouse had a wonderful flavor - like the burnt caramel part of creme brulee. The ginger apple layer was also very good - the constancy of apple butter. The cake part I could go without, personally - it was squeaky and tough to chew. The sorbet was nice, but let's face it - it was more like vanilla ice cream. Again, this is not to scale.

Now, hilarity ensued when the following was placed in front of two guys at the table. Yes, this is what was marketed as "black forest cake with cherry sorbet." Where is the cake, you ask - oh it's there - those two crumbs. Seriously, Acacia? We were one of the last groups of costumers of the night so I doubt they had run THAT low on cake.

Overall, I am glad I tried this restaurant. Their menu was seasonal and the ingredients were fresh and well prepared, for the most part. Acacia fell short on dessert and side dishes, but the gnocchi alone made the $25 worth it - they were THAT good.

Five Guys Newbie No More

Well, I think the title says it all, hmm? I'd never heard of Five Guys until a couple years ago when I visited Weston in Baltimore. He had planned an amazing dinner evening for us, so we elected not to get hamburgers and instead had the french fries. Lovely memories: munching on fries while looking out onto the Chesapeake Bay...

And now I find myself in Virginia with a Five Guys right down the street and today for dinner I decided to finally see what the buzz is all about.

Now, disclaimer that I arrived way too hungry than I should have. I ordered a burger AND fries which was not smart because I had no idea that a "small" meant 2 heaping cup-fulls. I mean, the fries were delicious because most of them were the wiggly kind that I love oh so much. But really, I'd recommend sharing, especially if you are going to eat an entire burger. Luckily, one of my friends I was with, a native Virginian, wisely advised me to order the burger with only one patty.

I shall save my comparison to Blimpy Burger, an Ann Arbor favorite of mine, for another day however. No need to start a crazy rivalry. Contact me if you'd like a breakdown - if I get enough requests, then I'll write a follow-up ;)

All in all, it was a wonderful experience and one I shall never forget. As I sit here in my pjs because my tummy needs some recovery room I find myself more full than I have been in weeks. And that, dear readers, is a wonderful thing.

Every Block Is Different

In my short time living in this city, the most surprising thing has been how each block has a different flavor. Within four blocks of my apartment - in each of the four directions - I've seen Cuban food, American food, Indian Food, and Pub food. How glorious!

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A couple days ago I visited Cary Town and ventured over to a lovely French bistro called CanCan to meet with a friend for drinks. I was blown away, to say the least. I tried the Mumbai Cooler, simply because of the sugar/cardamon rim, which I had never seen before. I am now inspired to crush any Indian spice, mix it with salt/sugar and take my own cocktails to a totally new level of YUM. Check out their cocktail menu and go try one for yourself.

After drinks, we parted ways with our new Richmond friends, and it was off for dinner. We had originally planned on visiting a diner featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, but were told of a splendid Cuban locale which peaked my interest. It's called Kuba Kuba. Is it possible for me to say I was blown away yet again? Because I was. From the moment we walked in, we just knew this place was going to be good. What I love about it is that it doesn't try to be anything it's not. Kuba Kuba serves amazing Cuban food, it doesn't try to woe you with fancy-schmancy decor and it doesn't need to because that in itself leads to a chaotic environment reminiscent of the country it's named after.

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The fried plantains made my mouth water - the texture was pretty much spot on for each one I tried: golden crispy on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside. The sprinkling of salt on top brought out the gentler notes of the fruit. I ordered Ropa Vieja and my boyfriend had the Cuban Sandwich. Both were quite tasty. He, being half Cuban, assured me that the flavors in the Ropa were spot on. I myself could have used a tad less juice over mine, but I'm a curry-girl and am used to a thicker texture on sauces.

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It was my boyfriend's last night in Richmond, so we weren't ready to leave yet. It was about, oh, 8pm at this point. We were both stuffed, but still wanted dessert. Story of my life. So we headed back to the main strip of Cary Town and thought we could find one of those romantic, chi-chi restaurants and split something. Long story short, I stopped a Richmond local in the street and asked where the best dessert place was. "Bev's" she told me, "It's an ice cream parlor." Can this town be any more perfect? Ice cream is Weston's favorite thing in the world - I never touched the stuff before I met him, for fear of blowing up to a size 18 again.

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The ice cream here is divine. I think I tried every flavor before deciding on a special, Rum Raisin. You wouldn't think it, but being Persian, I do know how to make a good ice cream. We make this saffron, pistachio one at home for special occasions. The key to telling a good ice cream from a bad one is the elasticity. When you dip your spoon in, you should find some resistance and then if you beat it a little, the cream should get a little stringy. That's exactly how this ice cream was. I was highly impressed. And the little ice crystals around the raisins told me they'd been added in my hand. Oh-Oh! And did I mention the homemade whipped cream!!!! When I saw the server pull a KitchenAid bowl out of the freezer, my eyes lit up with joy. And the hot fudge. Don't get me started...If you don't believe me, see their reviews.