-- Reviews & Press --

 

So take time out for a real lunch at Chez Foushee

Richmond Times-Dispatch
October 15, 1998

BY: Jody Rathgeb
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

Remember lunch?

No, not what you ate yesterday. I mean lunch as it used to be, leisurely and relaxing. Gossiping and laughing over a large salad or quiche. Joking about the boss while tackling a big sandwich. Treating yourself to dessert just because it's cloudy and you feel like it.

Not takeout, picked at between keystrokes.

Not drive-thru food. I'm talking about a meal, not just grabbing a bite.

At Chez Foushee, you can still have that meal. You can sit in a pleasant Old World Mediterranean atmosphere, eat tasty foods, relax and chat. Granted, you have to provide the time. And it costs a bit more than fast food. But it's oh-so-much nicer.

Despite its rather jumbled compression of the Mediterranean coast (French name plus such Italian-Mideastern combos as Cannellini Hummus), the downtown restaurant offers lots of excellent lunch choices that don't involve fried potatoes.

Sandwiches ($4-$5.35) include Tarragon Chicken Salad, Smoked Gouda Cheese, Grilled London Broil and Albacore Tuna Salad. Among the diverse salads and side dishes ($1.05-$3.25) are Feta Green Beans, Chicken Primavera, Fresh Fruit Cup and Curried Bean Salad. Mediterranean plates ($4.25-$$6.50) and specials offer a more substantial meal. Chez Foushee's soups ($2.75) and desserts ($1.15-$3.25) have a reputation that's well-deserved.

Takeout is definitely a big part of the scene here; all menu items are available at a deli section of the restaurant, and there are boxed lunches that include sandwich/side salad/shortbread ($6.30-$7.65) or salad plate/fresh fruit/bread sticks ($6.45-$7.95). Dining in, however, is the nicest way to enjoy a Chez Foushee lunch.

My friend and I were celebrating completion of a big project, so we didn't skimp when it came to ordering. She ordered one of the day's soups, Cauliflower-Blue Cheese, and a pasta special; I asked for the House Pimiento Cheese Sandwich ($4.15) and the other featured soup, Tomato Florentine. Unfortunately, the restaurant was out of the chicken-pasta dish she ordered, so she chose an alternate special, Chez Foushee's lasagna ($5.95).

We were pleased with nearly everything. My friend's cauliflower soup was puréed and creamy and of just the right thickness; it was neither baby food nor a vegetable-flavored broth. There was blue cheese flavor, but it was subdued and did not overtake the cauliflower.

My soup was spicy and flavorful with a nice balance of tomato and spinach. I have had a number of Chez Foushee soups (this friend treats me to it whenever I have a cold), and I have not been disappointed by any of them.

The phrase "cheese sandwich" often brings up an image of the boring, but the one I had at Chez Foushee was anything but boring. The tangy Cheddar-pimiento mix was spread thickly onto rye bread (my choice) and given some crunch with lettuce and onion. It was rich and wonderful.

My friend's lasagna was not the heavy, tomato-y type but a lighter version featuring a more broth-based sauce with the layered meat, pasta and cheese. There was plenty of it, and the special came with a side of lightly dressed mixed greens with a shade more of the "curly, bitter stuff" than my friend would have liked.

Since this was a celebration we of course saved room for dessert, ordering both Lemon Butter Cake ($2.95) and Chocolate Truffle Torte ($2.50). The torte was quite good -- heavy and strong on chocolate flavor -- but it was the Lemon Butter Cake that stole my heart. "Cake" may be a misnomer here; this is a rich, creamy treat, in texture more like a key lime pie than any cake. "Must be the butter," my friend commented guiltily . . . but there was plenty of lemon flavor as well. The two desserts, by the way, complemented each other beautifully; I recommend the pair, shared, if there are two of you for lunch.

For the most part, we enjoyed a relaxed lunch of foods that offered interest and excitement. A real lunch.

Remember lunch?