There are a handful of restaurants that almost every Richmonder has tried. It doesn't matter which section of town you live in or what your dietary preferences are, these are the restaurants that everyone has heard of and likely celebrated at least one special occasion inside.

These are the places that I think of as gateway restaurants.

Then there are the other Richmond restaurants … the ones that only hard-core foodies or local restaurant frequenters know about. Chez Foushee is one of those restaurants.

Perhaps it's the downtown / Monroe Ward district neighborhood or the fact that Chez Foushee almost exclusively serves lunch, but for some reason this fabulous restaurant specializing in Mediterranean fare has always been off the radar for the masses. And the loyal regulars may like it that way, but the whole of Richmond is missing out on a delicious local treat.

Owner Andrew Hardie and his silent partner opened Chez Foushee almost 20 years ago as a small deli and catering operation. Over the years they expanded it by adding boxed lunches and full-serving lunchtime dining. In the process they created one of the most beautiful and unique private dining spaces in the city.

Now Chez Foushee is expanding again … sort of. A little over a year ago Hardie and company started a monthly dinner service held during Curated Culture's First Friday Artwalk. The First Friday dinners allow Richmonders to experience the flavors of this fantastic local restaurant after dark.

And with new head chef Matt Greene at the helm there's never been a better time to try it.

Greene's restaurant resume reads like a who's who of Richmond restaurants: Helen's, Franco's, Racine (the original French version), 1 North Belmont, Stella's and Graffiti Grille are just a few of the places this French cuisine-trained chef honed his skills. At Chez Foushee, Greene takes on his first lead chef role.

He started at Chez Foushee just two months ago but his style of French technique applied to global flavors and ingredients is already evident in the menu. His recipe for poached halibut over a fava bean puree is featured as a special on the First Fridays menu. Greene uses halibut because it's an eco-friendly sustainable fish and selected this recipe because it covers "most branches of texture -- soft, crunchy, hot, cold, sour and sweet."

But to taste it for yourself you just have to head down to Chez Foushee this Friday for First Fridays dinner. If you miss it, you'll have to wait a whole other month.

Poached Halibut over Fava Bean Puree

For Slaw:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
3 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together and let sit at least an hour before serving.

Fava bean puree

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds fava beans
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup water
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Blanch and peel the fava beans completely. Finishing cooking the beans in white wine, olive oil and water in a medium sauce pan. Places beans in a bowl and add liquid as blending until you achieve desired consistency. Add salt and pepper.

Poaching Liquid

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups water
2 cups white wine
1/4 pound butter
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt (Kosher)

DIRECTIONS:
Add all ingredients together in medium sauce pan and bring to a rolling simmer.

6 6-ounce cuts of halibut (skin on)

DIRECTIONS:
Place fish in poaching liquid 2 at a time and poach until tender and starting to flake. Peel off skin before serving.