Hey Bartender

Located where Semmes Avenue and Forest Hill Avenue merge near Third Street and Dundee Avenue on the southside of Richmond is Crossroads Coffee & Ice Cream. It and its sister location near VCU are both locally owned and independently operated. When I envision a coffee shop, places like Crossroads are what come to mind. I felt at home immediately. The staff is friendly, the food is delicious, and the atmosphere is cozy. It doesn't have that wreak of corporate structure. Not only is Crossroads locally owned, but they support the local area by offering quite a few local products: teas from Tammy Rostov, desserts from Quality Bakery, and Bev's Homemade Ice Cream.

The food is not your normal coffee shop fare. If you must have pastries with your coffee, there is a wide variety of home-made and locally-created delights available, but there is so much more. For those who are awake at the wee hours of the morning, there is French toast, Breakfast Burritos and Build-Your-Own scrambled eggs. There is also cereal, oatmeal, and a quiche of the day. If you're like me, then you'll arrive at lunch time, which is the perfect time for a wrap, panini, sandwich, soup or salad. The list includes a B. L. T. sandwich, Blackened Caesar Wrap, and The Club Panini. There are also quite a few side dishes. Pasta salad, fruit salad, hummus and tofu highlight that list as the menu includes vegetarian options as well. The soft drink selection covers the entire spectrum: smoothies, milkshakes, iced tea, fruit juice and soda. As I mentioned earlier, Crossroads proudly serves Rostov's Coffee & Tea. Rostov's has been a part of the Richmond community since 1979. Coffee drinkers rave about how great it is, so I will defer to their expert opinion on this matter.

If you've been reading Hey Bartender over the years, then you know that a coffee shop wouldn't be one of my favorite hangouts unless.....they served beer. Crossroads has one of the best selections of beer that I've seen outside the chain restaurant world. What I like most is that their beer list does not contain any of the commercially popular beers. Their taps include selections from local favorite Legend Brewery, as well as Ommegang Brewery, Bell's Brewery, and Dogfish Head. The bottle selection is also amazing. One of the bottles I tried recently is the reason that I will probably always hangout there.

As you may recall from a previous post, Dogfish Head once partnered with Sony records to brew a beer to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the critically acclaimed Bitches Brew album by Miles Davis. While relaxing at Crossroads the other day, I spotted the second of what I hope are many collaborations between Sony and Dogfish Head. The latest is called Hellhound on My Ale and it was brewed to mark the 100th birthday of famed blues-man Robert Johnson. Legend has it that Johnson sold his soul in a midnight bargain that supposedly has haunted the music world for decades. The legendary deal gave Johnson a unique playing style and a string of hit records which became the cornerstone of Columbia Records' identity and influenced a number of artists over the years.

The beer's official name is Robert Johnson's Hellhound on My Ale, which is a tribute to one of Johnson's hits, Hellhound on my Trail. Like Bitches Brew, Hellhound is packaged in a 750 ml bottle. The liquid inside is an orange to copper color with a nice eggshell white head that leaves thick curtains of lace on the glass. The nose has light floral and citrus notes with a little caramel up front. The taste is bitter, but nice. There is quite a bit of hoppiness on the palate with plenty of lemons and orange. The lemon is a tribute to Johnson's mentor, Blind Lemon Jefferson. Overall, this beer is nicely balanced and definitely worth giving a try. Just be careful. It's 750ml of liquid goodness at 10% ABV.

So, there you have it, Crossroads and Hellhound -- uncovered. Whether you're a coffee aficionado or a beer connoisseur, chances are you'll find what you're looking for at this hidden gem. It's a great place to sit and relax with friends, a good book, or your laptop. Free wi-fi allows you to socialize with friends no matter where they are. If you're ever on the south side of Richmond, pay Crossroads a visit. You won't be disappointed. As always, whether you're enjoying a triple grande latte with soy milk or a fine Belgian Ale, please do so responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!

To create link towards this article on your website,
copy and paste the text below in your page.

<style type="text/css"><!--.quote {width:350px; padding: 6px; border: solid 1px #456B8F; font: 10px helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; color: #222222; background-color: #ffffff}.quote a {font: 13px arial, serif; color: #003399; text-decoration: underline}.quote a:hover {color: #FF9900; }//--></style><div style="float:left;padding:5px;"><img src="/images/crossroads-coffee-richmond.jpg" width="120" alt="" /></div><div class="quote"><a href="http://insiderspassport.com/brian-doesnt-do-coffee-but" target="_blank">Brian Doesn't Do Coffee, but....</a><div align="right" style="width:350px"><p style="text-align:right;"><a href="http://insiderspassport.com/" target="_blank">Insider's Passport</a></p></div></div>

Preview :

Brian Doesn't Do Coffee, but....

Insider's Passport

Powered by QuoteThis © 2008