May I start off by saying, what a pleasant surprise! Although it probably shouldn’t be.
Europa Italian Cafe and Tapas Bar is nestled in…actually a
pretty decent sized space (since it has an upstairs and downstairs) at 1409 E.
Cary St. in Shockoe Bottom. I ate there
for the first time probably 5 or 6 years ago.
I remember that it was a great meal, with the only bad thing being there
were so many things to choose from, my group had trouble deciding what to
get! But the wine was good, the food was
good, and we were coincidentally there the same night that DJ Williams and The
Bricks were scheduled to play, so we got treated to a convenient post-dinner
show (and it was my first time getting to see DJ Williams, who at the time was
relatively unknown but now is pretty much a bonafide star in the Richmond music
scene).
But somewhere between that first experience years ago and my
experience last week, I began to think of Europa as just a bar/club. On weekends Europa opens up its downstairs bar/lounge
area (sometimes with a DJ, sometimes just blasting music). The few times I’ve been there just to drink,
it’s been fun, but it’s kind of like a middle ground between a club and just a bar/lounge. So you have a crowded area where some people are
standing and talking, some are dancing, and some are sitting at a table area that’s
usually always full. So I stopped seeing
Europa as a restaurant and started seeing it as a place to go once in awhile
when I was willing to deal with a club atmosphere (which is getting rarer in my
old age ;)).
So imagine my surprise when my friends and I stroll into
Europa on a Wednesday evening and am able to get four chairs together at the
bar (we were using two Living Social deals and, long story short, we needed to
sit at the bar in order to use both – yaaaay loopholes). We were able to pick our wines and beer
within 5 minutes, but then had the same problem as my group did the first time
and took about 15 minutes to pick what plates to share. Two of my friends are gluten-free and one is
also lactose intolerant. Luckily, Europa
has a gluten-free menu that highlights everything that is already gluten-free
as well as dishes that can be made gluten-free upon request. Many of their dishes are lactose-free, but
you’ll have to spot those on your own ;).
We ended up ordering their small Signature Starter Platter (which
serves 2-3 and comes with an assortment of Spanish meats and cheeses, olives,
pecans, and hummus) to hold us over until we made up our minds. Even though it says “Serves 2-3”, four of us
shared it just fine. The pecans were
particularly good, which surprised me because they were COVERED in spices which
usually means it’s going to be too much for me.
But no, they were sweet with just a little kick and it’s my new favorite
snack there.
Then for the main courses we ordered the Seared Rare Tuna,
Pan Roasted Mussels and Clams, Baked Artichoke and Lump Crab, Wild Mushrooms
and Soft Polenta, and Parmesan Grilled Asparagus. Now I’m not a huge fan of raw fish (unless it’s
in sushi) so I can’t say too much about the tuna. I tried an end piece that was more seared
than other pieces, and it tasted good, but I just can’t get over that texture
and rawness I guess. The mussels and
clams were good, but my very first bite had something really crunchy in it (was
it that anyway?! Sand??) so that was a deal-breaker for me. The asparagus was pretty much just my attempt
at getting a healthy vegetable side dish (luckily for me they put a good amount
of cheese over the middle though!) so it was good, but nothing amazing. Hands down, my 2 favorite dishes were the Artichoke
and Lump Crab and Wild Mushrooms with Soft Polenta. For some reason when I ordered the artichoke
dish, I pictured crab meat wrapped in artichoke leaves or something. Instead what came out was a dip…an amaaaazing
dip. It was so cheesy and delicious and
rich! I’d eat again in a heartbeat any
time… as long as I had a friend around to help me eat it. And I didn’t even think I was going to like
the polenta dish that much, I just agreed to order it because I’m a big fan of
mushrooms. But turns out it was
unquestionably my favorite dish of the night!
I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Europa and not order it. The sauce was perfect, the polenta was so flavorful,
and the mushrooms are just a perfectly sautéed (I assume) tasty bonus.
All the small plates are $6-$15, so depending on what kind
of dinner or date you’re planning, it could be pricey or it could be pretty
cheap. If you’re going the expensive
route, the small starter platter is $22 and I do think it’s worth starting your
meal out with (especially if you’re drinking wine).
We were too full to get dessert (which if you’ve read my
previous blogs, you know that’s a big deal lol) so I can’t help you out there
this time, but rest assured, I’ll be going back soon!
