5 Questions with a Foodie: Richmond.com Reviewers Jon and Leah Nelson

"5 Questions with a Foodie" is our new column in which we chat with a local foodie. This time: Richmond.com Reviewers Jon and Leah Nelson.

About Jon and Leah Nelson:

We met while waiting tables at a typical chain restaurant in Midlothian. We were both at one time extremely picky eaters, but once we got together, we encouraged each other to give up on the pickiness and try new things (or, rather, Anthony Bourdain encouraged us). While we both love RVA and plan to never leave for any extended amount of time, we like to travel, especially to places with good food—we hit both Charleston and Barcelona this year. We’ve been writing restaurant reviews for Richmond.com since September.

How do you define the term foodie and do you consider yourself one?

Leah: I don’t think the word foodie has quite the negative connotation as some might believe. I appreciate a good barbecue place just as much as an upscale restaurant. But, I do put a lot of thought into what I eat and where I eat and like to share with others. Some people can go a little overboard with the passion, which may give the rest of us a bad name but, in it’s purest sense, yes, I’m a foodie.

Jon: To me, the term foodie can be a little derogatory. It’s sometimes used to describe a know-it-all who shares way too much about their hobby. Like with fantasy football, some people get really into it, but someone who doesn’t quite share your passion (e.g. my wife) really wishes you would stop talking about it. So yes, I am a foodie and wish I could shut up about it sometimes.

If you could pick the best components of a few Richmond restaurants to create one super fabulous restaurant, what would they be?

Leah: The high ceiling and ambiance of Can Can, but with a more homey feel like Zeus Gallery Café. We would definitely need the osso bucco from Mamma Zu and the venison from Comfort. Everything would come with a side of saffron potato cakes from Pescado’s. Each dish would be expertly paired with wine as at Amour Wine Bistro and desserts would have the whimsy of those at Black Sheep (love the crème brulee with animal crackers!).

Jon: I would name it Comfort—it’s such a smart name, how could you not want to eat there? It would have the outdoor seating and view of Legends, but the inside would mimic Can Can. Todd Manley of Pescado’s would be the chef, as his specials are always worth ordering. The bartenders would be from Morton’s—they always have a great sense of humor and are really friendly. I’m tempted to say the waitstaff would be from Hooters, but then my wife wouldn’t let me go.

How did you get into food and/or cooking?

Leah: I grew up frequenting places like Shoney’s and Pizza Hut, so it wasn’t until I graduated from college that I discovered eating out. Our eating out obsession really started with Al Dente, which was an Italian restaurant run by Todd Manley, now of Pescado’s fame. We were living together in Midlothian, and used to go there for cheap date nights on Mondays; the food was fantastic, so we got to the point where we had to force ourselves not to go. Then, we eventually got into Anthony Bourdain and the travel and cultural aspects of food became really interesting to me.

Jon: My mom always tried to make family dinner interesting, much to my dismay as a finicky kid. But, I ended up with the same traits. Cooking is more fun when you are trying something new. Cooking dinner at home is one of the few things that really relaxes me and I’m always trying to impress people with my creations.

If I were to ask your significant other or best friend what your worst “foodie” trait is, what would they say?

Leah on Jon: He has an obsession with presentation, even if the only person who’s going to see the dish is me. He will spend so much time slicing lemons just so or drizzling a sauce in an elaborate pattern, when all I want to do is eat. We have so many pictures of dishes we’ve eaten at home because they’re just too pretty not to memorialize.

Jon on Leah: Leah is fascinating to watch eat something she doesn’t think she will like. It is like watching the five stages of death in one bite. She refuses to believe that the majority of food tastes good if it is made properly. She also pretends aioli is not mayonnaise, because she told people she was allergic to mayonnaise her whole life to avoid having to eat it. Yet, she loves crab cakes.

Describe your perfect meals for one full day.

Leah:
Breakfast: A caramel flavored coffee and blueberry pancakes.

Lunch: The Industrial from Coppolla's with an IBC root beer.

Appetizer: Some variation on a starchy soup. Leeks or pumpkin would be perfect.

Dinner: There are so many options, but lightly breaded and flash-fried crab cakes paired with perfectly seared and buttery scallops sounds pretty good. Perhaps some Brussels sprouts on the side would be yummy. Pair it with a nice, dry rose, and I’m in heaven.

Dessert: Any cheesecake that has chocolate and caramel or Oreos.

Jon:
My day starts on Friday at 5 p.m. We hit Once Upon a Vine South for wine and beer tasting—it is the second most fun 15 minutes of the weekend and we never leave empty-handed.  Saturday morning, after a pot of cheap black coffee, we visit the South of the James farmer’s market for fresh veggies and herbs.

Then I am off to the Yellow Umbrella for some seafood. I get something different all the time.  I always thought I wasn’t good at cooking fish until we started shopping there; it is amazing how good you look when you prepare quality seafood. Lastly, I hit the Belmont Butchery for a Porterhouse that I cook on my Big Green Egg. There is nothing better than a great steak cooked on a super hot grill. 

Somehow, during the day, I would sneak some McDonald’s fries—I have been addicted since I was a little kid.