Weekend on Floyd

Domestic bliss with Kid 9 independently preparing scrambled egg, step one of brunch, and an excellent place to start. Meanwhile Kid 5 is mindfully living in the moment, sorting out her chakras with neatly square slippers.

Harvest 1, Urban Street

... and so to work, picking veggies in Tricycle Gardens' urban farm, overlooking McDonalds.

Okra, peppers, aubergine aka eggplant and amazingly curvy squashes were on the menu at local restaurants and for sale through local stores in Richmond's East End.

For me the task of working in multiples of 16, as I got my head around imperial aka standard measures, was enough to occupy my time.

Valentine's Weekend, RVA

You've got to embrace the crazy that is Valentine's Day USA. We exchanged family cards this year, with our own bagfulls and then P whipped up the ultimate romantic toast for four plus the odd strip of carnivorous-lover's bacon encased in Billy's bread.

Little Italy, Northbeach

There's the famous Mama's on Washington Square but we didn't queue, as Tony's Pizza opposite was more our style. We took to the sidewalk seating for a Californian (ricotta) and a New York (cheese) slices followed by a second trip to Alimento Deli for gelato - caramel, lemon and raspberry sorbet... The servings were stalled for the final, intense moments of European Cup football. Someone got promoted!

Bluebottle, SFMoMA

It's all about the cake! Can you spot your source works of art? We were here thanks to this book and a desire to combine the best coffee in town with the ultimate ganache. Sculpture courtyard lovely too.

Mondrian Cake
White Velvet Cake, red, yellow, blue velvet cake, chocolate ganache
“Composition in Red, Blue, and Yellow,” 1930

Albers Cracker + Cheese

Buttermilk cracker, Vella Daisy cheddar, parmesan cream wafer, Lambchopper goat Gouda
“Homage to the Square: Starting,” 1968

Thiebaud Layer Cake
Butter cake, strawberry buttercream, lemon curd
“Display Cakes”, 1971

Buon Anno 2013

A day of fantastically home-made fare - according to our Italian hosts, it's soup for health (butternut n carrot); pasta for happiness (tortellini as seen) and puy lentils for money, plus we added in a good dash of Prosecco for joy.  Such a satisfying start to 2013, under grey skies with the promise of rain and possibly snow...

French toast for breakfast too with great coffee.

Floyd Fuddle

The neighbours pooled courses and in Jason's outdoor kitchen we got to huddle between the patio heater and grill for a spring evening of salmon, steak/black bean burgers and meringues. The latter the product of some romantic, late night baking under Delia's strict instructions. With a dollop of cream, plump raspberries, sweet blueberries and a dusting of powdered sugar - as whimsically described by Nigella - we did them both credit.

Pho Tây Dô, off Horsepen Road, Richmond

So the hairdresser of a friend, who we coincidently met in a park we'd ended up in, recommended this Vietnamese blue shed for lunch. We joined them in a convoy that involved finding an ATM, then rejoining the dual carriageway before turning and spotting a little Vietnames place in a strip mall, but they didn't turn off; then we saw a strange cluster of Far Eastern cafes and mini markets, with stooped men on porches smoking, which looked interesting but we still didn't stop; we turned up a residential back street and saw a regular house that was indeed blue, with Vietnamese folk just leaving and we parked.

Inside it was awesome - murals of Vietnam, with cut outs of Erin Brockovitch and airline stewardesses and seating that was functional '50s with red plastic coverings. I went for something on the bottom of page 3 and the fried tofu in rice paper was pretty and great with chilli and peanut sauce. The soup involved adding fresh bean sprouts, basil and pak choi so that it wilted amidst the noodles - definitely the best 'hidden' diner in town.

Nile Ethiopian Restaurant, Richmond

Food Photographer of the Year - NOT! Despite appearances this was incredible Ethiopian fare. Yellow split peas and goats cheese won the youth vote, though the salicylate content (ginger!) was nightmarish and we had to deal with a heart-breaking two hour tantrum afterwards and screaming dreams all through the night.  Gluten free and mainly vegetarian - so awesome for others we know with dietary challenges.

A lovely place to eat and the kindest staff. When crayons weren't enough for pre-supper entertainment, they supplied the most enormous pair of scissors, much to M's delight. We'll be returning for an adult date with some heat, of the spice variety, and plenty of the offending ginger.

http://nilerichmond.com/

Billy's Bread

I love my bread and have become addicted to what turns out to be a Fan area legendary loaf.

The loaf is the size of a large bloomer, pointy-ended and crusty. Inside it is firm and chewey and not too white, not at all sweetened and something between ciabatta and a French baguette. The ingredients printed on the paper bag list Rye Flour, but not yeast.

Apparently Billy, or his partner, bakes the bread. He learned his craft from a Vermont based Frenchman in 1999, but there's no bakery. I think the bread comes from a Wonka style facility somewhere.

La Milpa & Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield

Our first Bank Holiday after the critical transition administration has been done, and after Christmas, was Martin Luther King Jr's birthday (and Nottingham's own Sarah Clark). It was sunny but cold, we climbed into the Subaru and went on a road trip; first we found a random Mexican restaurant come grocery store - it looked down at heal but we are trying hard to avoid the chains. A well-stocked grocery section had all the variants of beans and refried beans a Mexophile could ever desire, flour and corn tortilla and more chilli peppers than I've seen in a single day, tinned, frozen, pickled and dried.

Through the shop is a servery countertop with a worryingly faded menu display of dishes in Spanish and lacking detail (we found an English translation menu) and ordered a Fajitas, Tacos and Green Salsa. I had a protracted conversation with a non-english speaking cook to ensure the refried beans contained no lard, they normally do in the USA. We really need to step-up our Spanish learning, M is most proficient, however counting to twelve only gets one so far in a conversation. We've also identified our source of Pinatas for J's third birthday and we'll be sending M to buy, "Uno Pinata".

After lunch we drove on to Pocahontas State Park. M knows the movie and had high expectations, including possibly meeting the legendary heroine. The walk we took lead to an ice covered lake and all fancy commercialism was forgotten with the simple joy of throwing twigs and then logs (!) onto the frozen surface, breaking ice with a large stick and finally a mini picnic on a pontoon built for boat rental in the months when our family, a jogger and a cyclist aren't the only visitors to the park.

Home surprisingly in just 20 minutes, less of a road trip than it felt.

La Milpa (the corn)

Pocahontas State Park

8 1/2, Strawberry Street, Richmond

A small and focussed Italian deli offering sundries such as puy lentils and panettone, great take-out pizza and spectacularly curt service. No chit-chat.


Take-us-as-you-find-us: no web site.

https://foursquare.com/v/8-12/4adf1b78f964a5209f7721e3

The Highline, New York

Prairie planting in style - a walkway above the city streets on railway tracks now bedecked with wooden slatted sun loungers, a toe-dipping water sheet, wafting auburn-leafed trees, purple Michaelmas daisies amidst the long grasses and just so much more more... stunningly simple detailing and concrete that has never looked so good. A 70's hotel that one moves beneath that feels like the set of a sci-fi movie and the essential naked man post-shower in a window. Just beneath us the Chelsea Market and all that is great about American food - from Amy's Bread to insane cup cakes and then the lovely gluten-free burgers and beers of Friedmans.

The Highline

Friedmans

Blue Ridge Parkway, Waynesboro, VA

Ninety minutes west of Richmond is, so we are told, a beautiful route - the Skyline Drive, along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. If you intend to enjoy the drive and see the lovely autumn colours but find the road is closed due to inclement weather, there can be no better alternative than French Toast at Weasie's Kitchen and a walk along the temporarily pedestrianised Blue Ridge Parkway with plenty of tarmac for picnics.

Weasie's Kitchen

Blue Ridge Parkway

Goochland Drive-In, Hadensville VA

Happy staff in great T-shirts lined up the trucks and saloons amidst a camping-cinema atmosphere. End of season vegetarian food option was yellow! Fighting robots and Hugh Jackman, toned and under the stars proved the perfect combination for a chilly night out.

Goochland Drive-In