When I first moved to the Museum District in 1997 I refused to admit that I left the Fan. If pressed for an exact address, the most I was willing to admit was that I lived in the "Upper Fan," a fictitious neighborhood that was supposed to encompass the area north of the Boulevard to Thompson Street. 

At the time, the Museum District just wasn't that cool.

The Fan had blocks and blocks of Main Street restaurants, the Robinson strip of bars and an odd assortment of funky Grace Street shops. Carytown aside, the Museum District had Devil's Triangle which, back in the '90s, featured biker bars, convenience stores and rows and rows of vacant storefronts.

Fast forward a decade or so and the Museum District is now a hip, trendy neighborhood in its own right, thanks in large part to Devil's Triangle. The area once named for its high crime rate is now known for its dining options. Bandito's, Arianna's, Caliente and Café Diem have helped make this neighborhood a dining destination. And with the recent opening of Cucina, it's sealed the deal.

Native Richmonder Diane Fraser took over the former Food Fanatics location a few months ago, opening her own takeout and catering spot. She renovated the Park Avenue space, adding warm colors, plenty of deli case displays and a browseable gourmet section. Her goal, and Cucina's tagline, is to offer "a taste of the Mediterranean in the heart of Richmond."

"We're not just presenting great food," Fraser says, "but hospitality and generosity. Food is a happy thing."

And Diane Fraser certainly knows her way around food. She got into cooking in what is quickly becoming the new-fashion way … she realized that a degree in English literature wasn't exactly the ticket into any sort of dream job, even if it was from the University of Virginia. So she fell back on her second great love, cooking. She spent a decade running a successful Mediterranean restaurant in Annapolis, Maryland before family called her home to Richmond.

Once back in Richmond, Fraser knew she didn't want to run a full-scale restaurant again, but she wasn't ready to abandon her love of cooking. She also knew that she wanted to continue to cook and serve the naturally healthy food of the Mediterranean. And with that, Cucina was born.

Cucina offers more than just a great catering and boxed lunch menu … way more. Its selection of sandwiches and salads, like grilled chicken with red peppers and walnuts on field greens ($6.95), Greek salad ($6.50) and a roast beef and cheddar sandwich ($7.95), plus plenty of paninis and soups, make it a terrific place to stop in and grab lunch.

But the real treat is its dinner and sides. Cucina offers a diverse selection of pre-made, fresh entrees that can be picked up on the way home from work and reheated in time for dinner. A pizza or calzone of the day ($10.95 / lb.), shrimp Dijon skewers ($3.25 each), vegetarian lasagna ($6.95 / lb.) and penne with three cheese ($5.25 / lb.) are just a few of the options that can be ordered by the pound and therefore customized to feed two people or 20. You can call ahead and your order will be ready or just pop in on your way home. Fraser's recipe for Spanish Chicken with Cinnamon and Almonds comes straight from her takeout dinner menu and it perfect example of Cucina's flavorful, naturally healthy and delicious menu.

Cucina also serves a rotating selection of freshly baked breads, cakes, tarts and cookies and plans to add wine and beer in a few weeks.

Spanish Chicken with Cinnamon and Almonds

"An aromatic dish from Northern Spain redolent with white wine, cumin and cinnamon."

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into halves

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup ground cinnamon

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon (dried or fresh)

2 tbsp good quality olive oil

Sauce

Half stick butter (melted)

3 cups chicken stock

1/2  cup white wine

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp ground cumin

salt and pepper

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1.5 cups coarsely chopped or slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS:

Combine flour, cinnamon, salt and pepper and tarragon in shallow mixing bowl. Lightly dredge each chicken breast, set aside for five minutes. Heat olive oil in large sauté pan until quite hot. Sear each chicken breast on both sides until light brown (cinnamon will create relatively dark brown shade).

Sauce Preparation:

Over medium heat, melt butter in saucepan, adding garlic, cinnamon, cumin and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken stock, wine and almonds and simmer for five minutes. Pour sauce into shallow baking pan and place seared chicken in liquid. It will be approximately half immersed.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Sauce will have thickened slightly but should still be fairly light.

Serve atop a combination of rice pilaf and cous cous, and accompany with asparagus, sugar snap peas or your favorite summer vegetables.

Cucina is open from in 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday

2901 Park Ave.

(804) 355-0965

cucinarichmond.com