Dutch & Company is nestled in a wonderful block in Church Hill. Church Hill is by far my favorite neighborhood in Richmond--it has the best view of the James River and the city; is full of eccentric individuals; the homes are absolutely beautiful; the brick sidewalks are charming; and the gas lamps are magical. There are some down sides to Church Hill, mostly some robberies that occur, but if you can look past that and embrace the wonderful community, it is hard to beat.
There are many pockets that are absolutely lovely within a few block's radius; however, just beyond those areas, maybe just a few 100 yards away, there can be some serious sketchiness. The block of E. Marshall St. and N. 27th Street is on the edge of the "okay" part of Church Hill. The people I know who live on that block are some of the most charming, beautiful, and wonderful people I know (shout-out to Kristen, Mike, Kelly, Jim, and Eric). My friends have a lot of pride in their little part of Church Hill and it shows in how they support their "Dutch".
Dutch & Company is located at the corner of E. Marshall and N. 27th St. On the 27th St. side there is a long expanse of windows, with the busy galley kitchen visible for passersbys Inside, the decor is perfect Richmond--dark bluish-grey walls, antique mirrors and frames holding drawings, and industrial lighting with Edison Bulbs. The bar is small yet unique with reclaimed wood, the cork floors cushion your steps, and the daily food and drink specials are written large on a giant chalkboard wall. You instantly feel cozy.
My friends frequent the restaurant, well, quite frequently. They enter into the place and the servers, bartenders, and owners know them by name and often have their favorite cocktail of choice ready within seconds of them crossing threshold. This is the kind of true neighborhood place that really sees itself as a fellow neighbor rather than a face-less business. Heck, one of them once brought a little dessert to Mike as he saw him toil in the front yard!
Dutch & Company recently won the 2014 Elby's Award for "Best Beverage Program" and you can see why once you get there. They have an innovative cocktail list that is small yet very focused. The chalkboard sign also has at least two special cocktails you can order, in addition to anything else your mind can conjure. When I was there most recently, there was a cocktail that involved burning some type of garnish--the embers jumped from the leaves and the room smelled like incense. Very nifty.
Many of the dishes are fairly unique with unusual ingredient combinations. Their current menu can be found here. Dutch has one of the better deals around--their $28 prix-fixe menu. For that price you get any appetizer, any entree, and any dessert. When you look at it, for only a couple of more bucks than you would pay for an entree alone, you get a lot of bang for your buck. The only draw-back is that if you choose the prix-fixe menu, everyone at your table most utilize that option.
When it comes to appetizers my friends are huge fans of the Cheese plate. Dutch rotates out several artisan cheese combinations a year. This week my friends had the cheese plate and absolutely loved it. I don't personally care for bleu cheeses so I abstained.
The rolled up things were figs turned into Fruit Roll-Ups and filled with cheese
I ordered the steak. It came perfectly cooked, well seasoned and tender. It was seriously one of the best steaks I have had in a while. It was served with spinach and sweet potatoes. The flavors went together perfectly and it was a very enjoyable meal.
Although a decent portion, it was so good I could have eaten two
Since I am trying to lose weight I didn't partake of any of the apps or the desserts this time around. I appreciate how stupid this is for someone who is just starting up a food and drink blog. Kristen ordered a duck breast and she said it was fabulous.
Quack
In addition to their wonderful dinner menu, it is my understanding that they have other events going on like wine events and random Saturday morning/afternoon events.
I highly recommend Dutch & Company and hope that you will check it out.
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