Triple D's in the Old Dominion

Prior to Thanksgiving I had some free days before heading for a family gathering in Lynchburg, so I decided to try a few places (sort of) along the way.

I headed south from home to Richmond.  I arrived in area near Virginia Commonwealth University.

"Soul Taco" is a small place in the middle of a neighborhood with several restaurants and ethnic stores.  I was the first one to enter after they opened.  Soul's episode had yet to air but the "Guy Ate Here" stencil was already on display.  I met, Trey, Soul's owner as I entered and told him why I had stopped in and he showed me the menu (which they display on colored clipboards) and the items they featured on their episode.

Soul Taco in Richmond, VA

Small storefront of Soul

Inside the dining area of Soul Taco

Soul's "Guy Ate Here" Stencil

I chose two of their signature street taco's along with a fountain drink.  The Oxtail Taco was featured on their episode and the Fred Chicken Taco is the most popular on their menu.  After a few minutes my tacos were delivered.  Both were really good, the chicken was crispy with a nice fried batter.  The Oxtail (a first for me) as very tasty and very thinly sliced, with small pieces of fried pork cracklings' on top, both tacos had a spicy bite.

My Soul Taco's meal; Fried chicken on the left and Oxtail on the right

Trey, Soul Taco's owner signing my book

Me and Trey

As I was finishing, Trey came over to sign my book and we talked about my travels and Guy's visit.  He told me that he was surprised when he got the call to be on the show, it was one of his professional dreams!  If you are in Richmond a visit to Soul Taco is something you should plan.  One last thing, their home made Limeade is probably the best lime drink I have ever had (and it mixes perfectly with their Agave sweetened Iced Tea), if I lived close by I'd probably go and get some everyday!

I headed out to my next stop arriving at "ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue". They were doing a booming business!  I had to wait a few minutes to order at the counter.  They sell sandwiches and the meats are also sold by the pound. While I waited one of the counter guys let me try one of their burnt ends and it was delicious!  I decided to try the Sliced Prime Rib sandwich.  Just before paying I saw they had home made pecan pie tarts and couldn't pass that up.  Since there were very few tables I took a seat at the bar.

ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue in Richmond

ZZQ's dining area, very busy!

Well stocked and very busy bar area

My sandwich was piled high with prime rib meat and topped with a slightly spicy green sauce and picked white onions.  The sandwich also included marinated purple onion slices and bread and butter pickles.   I'm not sure if I can put into words how awesome the sandwich was, delicious might not be a fair description!  While I was eating the bar tender mixed some really interesting drinks, one he took a torch and fired up some of the wood they smoke the meats with then captured the smoke in the glass which was then used for the drink, seemed like a lot of work for a mixed drink the but the customer really enjoyed it!  The pecan tart was awesome, you could tasted the bourbon in he pecan filling.   One of the owners came over to ask how I enjoyed everything and I told how much I did and about my travels and got her to sign my book.  She goes by the name "Orange" and one of the neon signs then made sense to me.  I warned her about the Triple D effect, that when their episode airs to be ready for crazies like me coming to visit!

Neon sign homage to the owners

My ZZQ meal

Sliced Prime Rib Sandwich

Real Deal Delicious

Delicious Pecan Tart

ZZQ is another place I can highly recommend, I don't think this will be my only visit to ZZQ!

After a short break I headed to my next stop for dinner and meet up with a friend that lives in the area. I have know John since the third grade!  "Carena's Jamaican Grille" is off the Midlothian Turnpike southwest of the city.  Carena's is nicely adorned wit paintings of Jamaican themes and sights.  John and I were seated in a booth by the friendly staff and they told us the different items Guy had tried on their episode which had yet to air.  John decided to try a Jerk Chicken Burrito and I chose the Jamaican Fried Chicken.  The menu was pretty diverse and very reasonably priced.

Carena's Jamaican Grille in Richmond, VA

Inside Carena's

Carena's "Guy Ate Here" stencil

Our food came out pretty quickly.  My meal was a quarter chicken in a brown sauce with a side of cabbage and the Jamaican staple Rice and Peas (black beans).  John's burrito was huge and came with French fries along with salsa and sour cream.  My meal was very tasty and filling.  John enjoyed his meal, too.  We spent a couple of hours enjoying the food and catching up on old times.  This is one of my favorite parts of my Triple D travels, seeing old friends and making new ones!

My Carena's meal - Jamaican Fried Chicken with Cabbage and Rice and Peas

John's Jerk Chicken Burrito meal

Just before leaving we met the manager and we talked about Guy's visit and she signed my book.  John and I said our goodbyes and my travels continued.

The next morning I headed into downtown Richmond.  "Perly's Café and Delicatessen" had just been featured on the show, so I was glad that I got there early because the fans would be visiting.  I was there on a quiet Monday morning.  I took a seat at the bar and was quickly greeted by two members of the wait staff.  Perly's heart beats to Jewish heritage and their tag line is "It's Yiddish for Delicious".

Perly's - A Jewish Café in the heart of Richmond

Perly's mantra

Perly's dining area and open kitchen

Perly's bar area

I decided to try the Bagel fish platter and would soon realize that there are questions and answers to getting the platter you want! I chose an everything bagel with plain cream cheese and smoked trout.  I was able watch my platter getting prepared.  the chef sliced the trout directly from the fish.  The toasted bagel came with the fish on the side along with cream cheese and microgreens, sliced purple onions, tomatoes and capers.  I really enjoyed the bagel and I think the trout must have been salt cured as it was very salty, but the veggies and cream cheese cut down on the saltiness.

My Bagel Fish platter

As I finished I was able to meet Nicole, who was one of the featured crew members on their episode.  As she signed my book she told me that during the shoot, a Richmond meter maid tried to ticket Guy's Red Camaro!  That might be a first!  I thanked Nicole and headed out, my next few places would be in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach area.

Nicole signing my book

I headed out for the 90 minute drive to Norfolk.  If you're into history the drive passes through the historic area of Virginia where the history of your nation began, Williamsburg and Jamestown.

I reached "Jessy's Taqueria" which is both a Latin American grocery store and restaurant.   I was seated in a small booth and met the manager.  He showed me the items that Guy tried in their episode  and I looked over the huge menu, eight pages!

Jessy's Taqueria in Norfolk, VA

Inside the dining area

Jessy's huge menu!

I chose the steak sandwich, which is called a Torta.  The soft roll, baked in the on site bakery is topped with a thin breaded steak with lettuce, mayonnaise and a huge slice of creamy avocado.  The sandwich was brought out quickly and it was really good.  The creaminess of the avocado was a bit surprising, I have never ha anything like that before and it was good.  The best part was the roll, baked on the premises, it really made the sandwich!

My Jessy's Taqueria Torta

Inside the Torta

After I finished the manager came back to sign my book, and we took a few pictures.  As I left I walked around the small store where they a full service bakery for sweet and savory bread products.

Jessy's owner and I

Inside Jessy's store

Jessy's self serve bakery featuring sweet and savory breads

After a quiet afternoon I headed back out for dinner.  Just a few miles away was "The Dirty Buffalo", a sports bar that celebrates Buffalo, New York along with it's iconic dish, the Buffalo Chicken Wing.  The menu also features other upstate New York dishes.  The dining room borders the bar and has several large TV's which featured numerous sporting events.  I was seated at a small two seat high top facing the bar.

The Dirty Buffalo, an Upstate New York themed sports bar in Norfolk

The large bar area with several TVs featuring different sporting events

The Dirty Buffalo dining room area

After several minutes perusing the menu I decided on the 5 chicken wings with a side platter, but before they brought a couple of sauces (Sweet BBQ and Garlic Parmesan) for me to try.  In the end I decided to get the dry rub Old Bay wings with a side of Sweet BBQ sauce, Bleu Cheese dressing with carrots and a side of home fries.  The food came out after just a few minutes.  The wings were large and nicely coated with Old Bay seasoning.  The side of home fries was pretty large.

My Dirty Buffalo Old Bay coated chicken wings

Basket of home fries

Sweet BBQ sauce and Bleu Cheese dressing

The wings were very good with the Old Bay not being too over bearing.  The home fries were nice and tender.  As I finished, Melissa the Dirty Buffalo manager came over to sign my book.

The next morning I headed out to my last stop in the Norfolk area before heading back to Richmond.  "Carib Shack" is in a small strip mall in Virginia Beach and is run by a husband and wife team and has a big menu of specialties from many Caribbean islands.  The menu is displayed on huge chalk boards.  The "Guy Ate Here" stencil is in the center of the board and shows the items that they made for Guy on his visit.  They have a small seating area with 3 or 4 booths.

Carib Shack, an island restaurant in Virginia Beach

They display their poster in the front window

Ordering area and the kitchen area

Carib Shack's specialty

The stencil and what Guy tried on his visit

I was served by one of the owners and I decided to try the Mama's Beef meal.  She told me she would put a small sampling of the their Jerk sauce on the side so I could try what Guy had tasted on his visit.  After a short wait my meal was brought to me and it smelled and tasted rea!  Beef in a thick brown sauce atop a serving of rice and peas. The sauce was perfectly spice for me, just a small bite.  The jerk sauce was very spicy, but incredibly tasty, if you like spice and flavor you'd love their Jerk foods!

Mama's Beef meal

The beef served over rice and peas

After I finished the chef and owner came to meet me and sign my book, we also took some pictures together.

Carib Shack's owner signing my book

Posing with the "Guy Ate Here" stencil in the background

After saying my goodbyes I headed out for the 90 minute drive back to Richmond.

I arrived into the downtown area to try my next stop.  "The Fancy Biscuit" is a small café that features everything biscuits.  Th restaurant has a sister restaurant next door called Shyndigz, which is a market, dessert restaurant and bakery.  I entered the Fancy Biscuit and took a menu to a nearby booth before returning to the counter to order.

The two places in one - The Fancy Biscuit and Shyndigz

The Fancy Biscuit in Richmond 

The Fancy Biscuit's front counter and ordering area

Inside the café area and kitchen

I decided on a half order of their classic meal called "B & G".  Maple sausage gravy served over a buttermilk biscuit.  They delivered it very quickly.  Sausage gravy is one of my favorite breakfast foods and this was really good, there was a bit of a spice bite to it and biscuit was fluffy and delicious!

The Fancy Biscuit's classic called "The B & G"

As I finished I met several of the staff including William the chef who cooked for Guy on their yet to be shown episode.  William signed my book and then told me a little bit about Guy's visit.  He showed me the stencil and then brought me out back to their box truck that Guy also signed.  They have out back a sign that lists cities close to the heart of the staff, they presented Guy with a Flavortown sign.

The "Guy Ate Here" stencil at The Fancy Biscuit

Guy's signature on their box truck delivery van

The city sign out back, they presented Guy with a Flavortown themed sign

If you are in the Richmond downtown area I would highly recommend The Fancy Biscuit for breakfast or lunch, delicious food, reasonable prices and great people!

After a short break I headed back into the downtown area very near Perly's where I had been the day before.  "Pop's Market on Grace" is an eclectic restaurant with a small market featuring wines and foods from all over the world.  The menu is listed on boards behind the counter where orders are taken.  All of their food is made fresh after ordering, they also have a small bakery on site for beads and dessert pastries.  Pop's has a very homey with a small living room area on one end of the dining area.

Pop's on Grace in downtown Richmond

Pop's open kitchen

Inside the homey Pop's

Comfortable Living Room area of Pop's

Pop's dining area

I decided to try the special which was Risotto cakes topped with shrimp and scallops. A few minutes later I was informed that they had run out of the scallops so I changed my order to Lamb and Kale Gnocchi. As I waited the chef came out to apologize and sign my book.  He also brought an order of the risotto cakes for me to sample.  They were really good!  I wish I could have had that meal!  Soon my meal was delivered and the portion was huge!  Pan friend gnocchi with huge chunks of lamb in a heavy soup with kale and other veggies.  It was very good and very filling!  Gnocchi is one of my favorite pasta's and I savored each bite.

Pop's Risotto cakes which they gave me to sample

My Lamb and Kale Gnocchi 

Pan Fried Gnocchi 

Large chunks of lamb

Before leaving I took a picture of the "Guy Ate Here" stencil right next to the front entrance to the restaurant.

Pop's "Guy Ate Here" stencil

I left my last stop in Richmond and can recommend all of the places Guy visited there.  As I headed home my Triple D count stood at 735!