A Taste of Grace

Not very long ago, Richmond’s downtown shopping district was a vibrant retail quarter bustling with activity. The polished revolving doors of upscale boutiques went round and round, reeling in money spenders from far and wide, and turning them out with a little bit of flash and glamour for the road.

The vital artery of this legendary district was East Grace Street, the nine blocks stretching from North Foushee to Capitol Square. Everything you could ask for was found on Grace: chic clothing and merchandise, live entertainment, and — of course — fine dining.

The East Grace of today is, to put it mildly, not what it used to be. The once elegant street would be completely unrecognizable but for the fading signs and rusted awning frames that still adorn many of the storefronts. Once a live-for-the-moment kind of place, Grace Street now is a version of memory lane, and strolling down it, you’ll quickly find yourself steeped in the debris of a bygone boom. Our erstwhile Champs Élysées, you might say. Alas, our onetime Fifth Avenue.

Recently, however, things have been looking up for old East Grace. It’s more reincarnation than resurrection, but life is life after all. You still won’t find the latest fashions here, but you can catch some live shows at the CenterStage, which always live up to billing, as do the Sunday brunch shows at Godfrey’s.

And fine dining? Well, nothing here even approaches the likes of the high society Richmond Room in the old Thalhimers, but there are several decent and unpretentious places to eat with more rumored to be on the way. Aurora is no longer the newest restaurant on the street. Kenn-Tico, a delightful Cuban restaurant just opened up a couple of months ago — trust me: try the Pan con Lechon ($6.50) — and a Tea Room-like establishment called Pasture is in the works at the old Montaldo’s clothing shop.

Below is a list of five restaurants that have claimed an address on East Grace for many years. Though none of them can really be considered "fine dining" on par with some of their ghostly neighbors and predecessors, each is charming in its own way — and graceful, perhaps, in their modesty and reasonableness, which, to me, is more than fine. The street’s steadfast pillars, they’ve endured the dark days of Grace’s slumber and here’s hoping for continued success amid Grace’s inevitable rise.

Barcode

6 E. Grace St.

For me, Barcode is the sweet-potato-fry place. They have really good sweet potato fries ($3.75 per basket). They’re huge, for one, and they’re always sprinkled with the right amount of brown sugar and cinnamon to accentuate, rather than smother away, the natural sweetness of the sweet potato. And that’s just a side item. You can have it on the side of one of their classic burgers ($6), which are consistently made with fresh quality ingredients, but you can’t go wrong with any of their ever-changing daily specials. The last special I tried was their Minced BBQ Sandwich ($6.50) and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

Perly’s

111 E. Grace St.

They’ve been here for over 40 years, so they must be doing something right. Maybe my favorite place to eat breakfast on the planet, Perly’s is a wholesome little place with friendly service and a down home ambience. I’ve spent many a morning craving any one of their breakfast sandwiches, which start at $2.95 and are made with fresh-baked muffins or biscuits, and I’ve actually had dreams at night about some of their off-the-menu treats: fresh-baked donuts ($1) and chocolate croissants ($1). For lunch, try the Perly’s Famous Chili Dog ($3.95). It may be the best chili dog you’ll ever have.

Valentino’s

223 E. Grace St.

It’s greasy and it’s classless — but it’s intended to be, which makes each faux pas, in a strange way, forgivable. So what there’s only two stools to sit on and barely any elbow room? The grease from your pizza can drip down the sidewalks of East Grace while you’re eating outside, but you’ll still enjoy the pizza if you’re into authentic New York style slices ($2.99 starting). Their Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($4.99) isn’t bad either and their New York Style Cheesecake ($2.99) holds its own, in taste and in quality, against any other restaurant’s, upscale or otherwise.

Red Door

314 E. Grace St.

You can get ice cream here. Need I say more? I still scream for that stuff every now and then, and a Red Door scoop or two ($1.50) always hits the spot. Red Door stands out because of its diverse menu. In addition to their classic American subs and deli sandwiches, they offer many Greek, Tex-Mex and Italian entrees. Their recent renovation establishes a better, cozier atmosphere than they’ve had in years past — but their food has always been consistently decent and reasonably priced. I can’t go for too long without one of their Steak and Cheese Subs ($6.95) and, once in a blue, I’ll indulge in their renowned Super Nachos ($11.75) and have never brought myself to regret it afterwards. 

Louisiana Flair

322 E. Grace St.

The only place on the planet that’ll make me second-guess my choice of breakfast at Perly’s. Luckily, this only happens on Wednesday mornings, which is beignet day at Louisiana Flair. A serving of beignets only costs $2.75 and they’re so good that you’ll almost feel like you’re stealing something. For lunch, I haven’t yet had a po’boy from here that disappointed me. I must warn you, though: The po’boys are huge, so come hungry. I always struggle to eat an entire po’boy in one sitting and I’m generally known for being a hungry person. After all these years, I still can’t decide which is my favorite: the Oyster Po’boy ($8.79) or the Shrimp ($7.79).

Alvin Malpaya is a freelance writer. He likes food. Cheap food.