Rappahannock Restaurant - Richmond's Best Kept Secret (Kinda)

When I first began writing this blog (months ago) Rappahannock might not have caught on yet, but I think it's certainly more well known by now...or at least it'd better be.

Owned by Ryan and Travis Croxton, the same guys who run Rappahannock River Oysters (which are served in several Richmond restaurants) and Merroir Tasting Room (in Topping, VA over an hour away), it opened its doors in Dec. 2012 at 320-322 E. Grace St. at the corner of Grace and 4th St. to a reservation list of about 75 (according to Richmond.com.)

Boasting an impressive staff, including Dylan Fultineer from L.A. as Executive Chef and Katie Fulton from D.C. in charge of the bar, Rappahannock delivers with an impressive array of seafood cuisine, great wine, good beer, and fancy cocktails.

We went on a Wednesday with a rather large group, and we ended up having 3 people sit on one side of the bar, 3 people sit on the other side of the bar, and about 4 people eventually sit at a table.  Whether there at two or 10 people in your party, I highly recommend you make a reservation (see bottom for Open Table link).

What they're best known for, oysters, are available on the half shell for $2 each.  I had my first raw oyster! Go me for trying new things (I'm a veerry picky eater and don't get adventurous too often...but that's changing).  Eating it was different, as for the first time ever I was told not to chew food.  Even the bartender had fun with it.  It was eventually explained to me that I should look at the oyster as a palette for whatever sauces were being served with it, which luckily were both really good (although I’m not a fan of horseradish so I probably won’t be using that sauce again).

Entrees vary from around $15 to the mid and upper $20’s.  I forget what my dish was called (they don’t really give names to their entrees – just descriptions) but I’m pretty sure it was their fish du jour floating in a brother with veggies, bits of scallops and potatoes, and topped off with a poached egg and a piece of bread.  It sounded so good and random I had to try it, and it was VERY good (*whew* the food chances I take don’t usually turn out so well).  It had to be served with a spoon because the fish would just fall apart as soon as you touched it, and it was more like eating the chunkiest soup ever versus eating a fish main course.

Definitely one of the coolest bars (if not the coolest) I’ve seen in Richmond.

Rappahanock is closed on Mondays, but open from 11:30 am to 10:00 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 am until 11:00 pm on Friday, dinner only on Saturdays from 5:00 until 11:00 pm, and Sundays from 10:30 am until 9:00 pm.  For more information give them a call at 804-545-0565 or make a reservation at their Open Table site.