Northside vs. Southside

You might not know it, but Richmond is in the middle of restaurant war. Northside is winning, but Southside's not going down without a fight.

There is a generation of Richmonders who came of adulthood in the 90s, give or take, in the Fan District.

We spent our 20s (give or take) renting un-renovated apartments in the lower and upper Fan (read: regular Fan and Museum District). We dangled ancient window units over alleys, threw parties on structurally unsound balconies, tried and failed to clean hundred-year-old hardwood floors, and killed enough cockroaches to wipe out a species.

But by the time we were ready to stop renting and invest in real estate, a wave of renovations had swept through the Fan, turning our beloved, affordable little apartments into shiny, new 200k-plus condos, and pricing most of us out of our neighborhood in the process.

And so we left.

Some went east, to Church Hill and Jackson Ward, some went to the Near West End, but for the most part, this generation of Richmonders went north and south, to the bungalows, cape cods, and ranchers that made up the World War II and 1950s-era suburbs of the Northside and Southside. Then we dedicated the next decade of our lives to trying to convince the rest of the city that our adopted neighborhood really was The Coolest.

I went south, because that's where most of my friends went and because that's where I found a house I could afford on a street that didn't completely scare the life out of me. I could have just as easily gone north; it didn't really make a difference.

At least not at first.

Both North and Southside were roughly five minutes from downtown; both areas had a handful of restaurants, a few shops, great parks, and a relatively convenient Target and Ukrop's. Granted, Southsiders had to cross a bridge, which no Richmonder wants to do, but we had Crossroads, so it evened things out.

Then the restaurant wars started, which is how I like to think of them in my own private delusion of Northside vs. Southside.

First Kitchen 64 opened on the Northside, then Northside Grill, Zed Café, New India and Stir Crazy Café, to name a few. Sure, Cielito Lindo and Maldini's opened at some point on the Southside, but it seemed like for every rumor of a new restaurant south of the river, the Northside got three actually opened.

And it keeps on. Enoteca Sogno is supposed to open this summer and Dos Amigos, a burrito and taco spot, is now open at 4023 MacArthur Ave.

Meanwhile, yesterday I spotted a Craigslist ad telling me that Cielito Lindo is for sale and word on the street is that Benny's BBQ in Stratford Hills is getting the boot.

Sometimes it's a sad, sad life for those of us south of the river.

Of course, there is one glimmer of hope for a new restaurant on Southside, and it's one we've been waiting on for almost a year now. Parkside Café, in the former Seven Hills Market space, is still in the works and co-owner Travis Milton tells me that they could be open by the end of June, though July might be more likely.

I went by and got a peek at the place, and it looks like, city inspections notwithstanding, they can actually do it.

It's still a shell, but there's enough bones to see that when you walk in (to the door that used to be closed when it was Seven Hills), you'll be greeted by a hostess stand and lounge area. Four six-top booths round out the room before you head over to the main dining room of more booths and banquette seating. All and all, they should be able to serve 40-50.

Sure, the floor's not there yet, but the walls are, and they're painted a fabulous green.

The menu's not done yet either, but Milton promises it will be an eclectic mix, drawing on his passion for South American cuisine (think taco plates) and his significant experience in Italian cooking. He also plans to grow and use as many of his own ingredients as possible. There's already a garden in back, ripe and ready with herbs and, in a few weeks, 15 different types of tomatoes.

Since both Milton and co-owner Brian Munford are still involved in Patina Grill, they plan to make use of Patina's homemade pasta at Parkside as well.

But there's no plan for Parkside Café to be a mini-Patina Grill. Both Milton and Munford live on Southside and they understand the 'hood. They're looking to create an affordable neighborhood place (entrees in the $10-$15 range with sandwiches at lunch, plus weekend brunch) that's perfect for families to grab dinner or friends to meet for food and wine.

According to Milton, the neighborhood is already getting involved. People are stopping by to check on the progress, drop off flowers and even offering to help.

And if it speeds things along, all this Southsider has to say is, just tell us where to sign up.