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Ipanema on the Cheap

Vegetarian fare in the heart of VCU

Ipanema on the Cheap
E.Hurley / Richmond.com
 Marinated baked tofu over Thai curried rice and vegetables (carrots, asparagus, scallions).

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Colleen Curran
Richmond.com
Tuesday, April 02, 2002

Hemingway and the Lost Generation had the cafés of Paris. And Fitzgerald got to hang out at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. But VCU students have Ipanema Cafe.

Grad school nightlife began and ended for me at Ipanema. I was broke, unemployed and semi-studious. Ipanema had the perfect solution: a great glass of wine and gourmet sandwiches on the cheap.

That was grad school. Then I got the j-o-b. No more time for slumming it at Ipanema with the ladies. No more lazy late nights for a bottle of Ipanema's spectacular Shiraz or the garlicky hummus sandwich with sweet potato fries on the side.

Until now. Richmond.com said, "Let's do Restaurant Reviews. Go anywhere you want." In two seconds flat, I was standing outside Ipanema's basement door, my tastebuds literally vibrating with anticipation. I was ready to make like The Jeffersons and move on up the Ipanema chalkboard menu. Bypass the hummus sandwich and head straight for the entrees. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200 and charge it to Richmond.com.

"Shiraz, please!," I practically sang as I settled into one of Ipanema's cozy hardwood booths. "Me, too!" said the friend I snagged along for the ride.

"Which one?" The waitress immediately asked, concern on her face. "Our wine list just changed. We have a new Shiraz, Breakneck Creek. It's pretty good. But I recommend the new red table wine. It's organic," she added. For a minute, I felt like one of those poor boobs who camped out three months for The Phantom Menace premiere. You know, the ones who slept on the sidewalk in the rain -- that kind of over-excited obsessive. But I ordered a glass of the new wine, Terrasana ($4 per glass, $12.95 per bottle), and it was fantastic, just as fresh and sharp as the Shiraz.

My friend and I relaxed. We sat back in the booth and surveyed the scene. It had been a while, but Ipanema still had the same slacker chic that attracts a diverse clientele: from urban professionals settling in for a dinner of fine vegetarian fare to the downtown scenesters who saddle up to the bar past 10 p.m. The music on the stereo was solid, shuffling through everything from the breezy sounds of Air to the catchy riffs of Neutral Milk Hotel.

Kendra Feather, owner of the basement hipster den, says, "I just wanted a place that had everything I wanted. I really like fresh vegetables and it was really hard for me to find a place with fresh veggies unless it was a really expensive place." Feather actually worked at Ipanema's predecessor, The Bidder's Suite, as an undergrad at VCU. "I used to think, 'Man, if this were my restaurant, I'd do this and I'd do that,'" Feather laughs, remembering her waitressing days. When Bidder's Suite went under, the space came up for rent and Feather went for it. She'd never owned a restaurant before, but now, three and a half years later, Ipanema has earned a popular reputation as both a funky watering hole and as a haven for flavorful veggie-friendly dishes. Although the menu weighs heavy on the vegetarian side, there are often fish dishes and an occasional meat entree. "I always joke, 'We're not anti-meat, we're pro-vegetable," Feather says.

Finally, it was time for the serious work: ordering anything our hearts desired. We ordered the foccacia appetizer ($3.50) to start. A huge platter piled high with homemade, warm foccacia showed up with three dipping sauces on the side: a tart marinara, balsamic vinaigrette and a spicy olive oil. We dug in.

We each giddily ordered an entree: seared salmon over sauteed fennel with mashed potatoes and spinach ($17.95) for my friend and marinated, baked tofu over Thai curried rice with vegetables ($13.95) for myself. My friend's salmon was incredible, light, juicy and melt-in-your-mouth good. Both the mashed potatoes and the spinach had garlic swirled into the mix, which gave them a definite kick.

The Thai curried rice I ordered was a mix of basmati rice, carrots and asparagus topped with a spicy coconut sauce. It was delicious on the most part, although the marinated, baked tofu was a touch dry and flavorless. I'm not vegetarian or vegan, so I don't need to go the tofu route often. Still -- it was an entree -- I shoveled away the rice and veggies.

For dessert, we ordered the caramel cheesecake, which was rich and creamy with a chocolate graham cracker crust. By the time we were done, our stomachs were stuffed and we were exhausted. It was absolutely fan-freaking-tastic.

But, it's funny. I would have been just as happy with the cheaper fare at Ipanema: the hummus sandwich on rustic country bread ($6.95) or the leafy side salad with walnut viniagrette ($3.95). But who's complaining? To me, that's the mark of a great restaurant, where everything, from the most expensive entree to the thrifty cup of soup, is a rare treat.

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