A taste of what's coming

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Last week I chatted with the restaurateur who will open Rocketts’ first eatery. This week I went to his current location in Midlothian.

Eating raw oysters on a deck surrounded by Virginia pines and waterfront views made me think summer was here. To sample the menu and ambience, (and hopefully glean some details on what we might expect) owner Kevin Healy invited me and a friend to the original Boathouse Restaurant at Brandermill (located on the Swiftcreek Reservoir in Chesterfield).  Healy has owned The Boathouse for 21 years and told me that the Rocketts Landing restaurant will have similar table fare, waterfront outdoor seating and décor. He said it will also have the same selection of Chesapeake and Bluepoint oysters - Crassostrea Virginica.

 To my satisfaction, The Boathouse oysters were about as fresh and juicy as could be. For an appetizer, my friend and I ordered half-a-dozen oysters Rockefeller and half-a-dozen raw Chesapeake oysters, which according to our waitress are saltier than the Blue Point oysters. The shallot vinaigrette accompanying the raw Chesapeake oysters was superb, and the Dijon spinach, Parmesan bread crumb and bacon combination of the oysters Rockefeller was cooked to a creamy perfection.

As my friend and I savored each morsel of the tasty mollusks, the sun set over the Swift Creek reservoir.  A diverse and lively crowd that ranged from business men to couples and families gathered around the surrounding tables and outdoor bar. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the warm Sunday afternoon.

Chef Wood and Kevin Healy have been working together for the past 30 years, and they share ownership of The Baker’s Crust at Short Pump. Chef Wood will help Healy select the sous-chef to be in charge of The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing.  He is known in some gourmet circles as the “The Architect of Food” for constructing such alternative appetizers as the Chicken and Avocado Egg Rolls my friend and I ordered after we finished our oysters. The egg rolls were fried to a flaky crispiness and came with excellent soy and apricot dipping sauces.

For the entree, I ordered the Daily Wood Grilled Mahi Mahi with mango pineapple salsa and Tillamook mashed potatoes. A large portion of filleted Mahi filled my plate and the tender, white fish was grilled to a medium temperature—just the way I like it. The mashed potatoes were also as smooth and silky as could be; however, the mango salsa could have been sweeter and didn’t compliment the potato side well.

My friend had the Crab Louis Salad which was large enough for two people and for $12 came with a hefty portion of Lump Crab meat. I would have preferred the asparagus in the salad to be grilled or sautéed instead of blanched, but all the remainder of the greenery was garden-fresh, and the Louis dressing was mixed with just the right amount of chili sauce.
We opted out of dessert. But, if we had any more room in our stomachs, we would have definitely chosen to finish the meal off with the Chocolate Mouse and Cheesecake Martini with raspberries, whipped cream and caramel.  

Seeing as how it is much closer to the city, The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing should a perfect place for Richmonders to wind down the workweek along the water with a glass of wine or beer. My very premature recommendation: the seafood – especially the oysters.