The Daily Kitchen & Bar

Carytown has seen a bevy of restaurants come and go from its eclectic streets. The Daily Kitchen & Bar opened up on Cary and Sheppard Streets in July, and I hope this is one's here to stay.

I slipped in with two girlfriends on a weeknight and put my name down for a table outside. The two large garage-like doors at the front of the restaurant open almost completely to a lovely patio with green umbrellas, where diners can watch the Cary Street shoppers stroll by.

The restaurant serves unique, fresh, organic, healthy food that you can eat at all hours of the day (re: the daily). The menu pleases everyone - carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. One big happy family, right? Their perception of the food they serve carries through to the decor - airy, exposed duct work, bare tree branches, and rich green moss give off an upbeat, simple vibe.

We sat at the bar and for happy hour after taking advantage of their text reservations system. Yes, I got a text 20 feet away at the bar when my table was ready. It was nice to not have to keep running up to the hostess or have a small scale panic attack that I wasn't going to hear my name called (and not land that awesome table outside).

If you know me, I'm not order dinner without a few appetizers first. I'm fairly certain this is an unwritten rule of dining out. We started with Edamame Crostinis, topped with sweet corn, feta, roasted peppers, and balsamic reduction, and the assorted cheese plate, complete with pickled watermelon, fig jam, mustard, and crackers. Interesting twists on classic appetizers is always a win in my book.

In terms of entrees, there's lots of options. I had to choose between many of my favorite things - seafood, pizza, meats, and sandwiches - but I landed on the Blackened Mahi with mashed potatoes (originally paired with roasted sweet potatoes), asparagus, pineapple relish, and spicy mango puree. The fish was nicely seasoned and cooked. The tropical flavors were something to remember, but the mashed potatoes and asparagus were fairly ordinary. For some reason that week I had eaten lots of sweet potatoes and decided to sub in mashed potatoes at the last minute.

One friend got the chicken panini with smoked gouda, roasted peppers, and arugula pesto with salted sweet potato fries. The bread was perfectly pressed, the cheese was melty, the sweet potato fries were on point. Really...when are sweet potato fries not on point?

My other friend enjoyed a nice seared salmon with a unique orange ginger glaze, mashed potatoes, corn, edamame, and smoked cippolini onions. This dish originally comes with crispy quinoa cakes, which definitely sound intriguing for our next visit. Note: pairs well with a bourbon and blackberry cocktail. Cheers!

With a four page menu, including over 10 sides to choose from, there's something delicious for everyone at The Daily. With a space and atmosphere unlike any other Richmond restaurant, add it to your list of must-visits!

The Daily Kitchen & Bar | Lunch/Dinner, Monday - Saturday 11am - 2am | Sunday Brunch/Lunch/Dinner 10:30am - 2am | 2934 W. Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia 23221 | 804-342-8990