Editor’s Note: RVA Magazine is partnering with Harry’s at The Hof on coverage related to the Hofheimer Building’s 10th anniversary celebration and Harry’s new menu. We stopped by to see what was new, eat some good food, enjoy a few cocktails and report back.
Richmond, we blew up our own spot. Or, we are in the middle of a Richmond Renaissance. You choose. I’m not here to argue.
Whichever way you look at it, if you’ve been in the city for a couple of decades, there’s no denying that the rate of change (growth?) in Richmond has increased to speeds unseen in any reader’s lifetime. On one hand, entire neighborhoods that have lain fallow for nearly a century are now popping with new businesses, renovated housing, and new cultural notoriety. On the other, a lot of our little secret alleyways and underground “fight clubs” have been illuminated or talked about into dissolution. Arguably, chief amongst these is Scotts Addition.
Back in 2015, Carter Snipes recognized the potential of the Hofheimer building, the Exotic Revival-style, multi-story gem with the weird turrets/bell towers (?) on Broad at Arthur Ashe. It had been a rug company in its past life, having been built in 1928 and renovated in 1937 to include a rooftop space for drying said rugs.
Snipes Realty had a vision, and that vision centered around conjuring a space to celebrate, to dance, flirt, drink, laugh, and get loose in. Richmond got its first rooftop bar out of that exploration. Think about that. They’re everywhere now.
Maybe we were late to the party, because these have existed in pretty much every other city I can think of for a long time. Richmond has never been exactly cutting edge in the “zoning for entertainment” business. But somehow, around this time, we crossed the Rubicon and haven’t looked back since.
A flood of similar spaces, or similar vibes, have emerged in the same neighborhood, but also all over the city. Entire blighted areas have become corridors with their own feel, their own sauce. It’s about time we recognized one of the OGs in that game.
The Hofheimer Building is coming up on its 100-year anniversary and has refined its focus as the anchor of Scotts Addition, the legacy spot with all the vibes. It has transitioned over the last decade, trying to find its sweet spot. Snipes debuted the Hofgarden (a Bavarian-style beer garden with distinct local flair) in 2017, the Dark Room (an old-school venue space that deserved more love than it got) in 2018, and most recently Harry’s at the Hof, a concept that Carter Snipes brought on with his new-at-the-time partner, Natalie McNamara. Also, do not sleep on the recently added Soho House-ish Library Room they debuted this year.
Harry’s, the restaurant inhabiting the ground floor, has tinkered with a menu focus for the last few years, recently betting it all on New Southern Cuisine, something the very young Head Chef, James Albiston, considers an underrepresented category in Richmond. The cocktails have always been strong and are the domain of Bar Manager Cullen Edmunds. I’m looking forward to putting their creations to the (taste) test for sure.
Harry’s has a Nouveau Riche(mond) sexiness equally derived from the Art Deco period the building was built in and a post-modern contemporary insouciance. It embraces the humor that an overtly sexy space can lose the plot in without. The artwork is deceivingly dour, but kinda silly when you look at it closely. The neon palm tree accents serve as counterpoint to the concealed, or “cove lighting,” that gives “patent leather pump sliding up your pant leg under the table” a smirk.
The library walls are filled with books containing bookmarks guests have personalized and hidden for funsies, like carving your initials in a tree. It is the little details like this that turn the place from just another new space, soon to be turned over into a different one, to a spot where cute memories are made and first dates turn into mornings in an Uber.
It is with all of this preamble that I set out to see what is new at Harry’s and let you know what’s worth keeping. We (once again, me and my forever date Melissa Detres) were informed that we would be trying four different meal courses and five cocktails.
First, we were presented with a Caprese Salad. The simplicity of this dish offers few opportunities for variation, but Harry’s found a way to tweak it without derailing it. Most obviously, instead of the common mozzarella slices and whole-leaf basil one would expect, we were given fresh burrata on top of julienned, basil-covered tomatoes, drizzled in a thick balsamic reduction and olive oil.
The tomatoes were a bit pale for my taste, but were defiantly firm and full of flavor. The texture qualities the burrata brought were delightful, its cream mixing with the reduction, creating an unexpected sauce to drag the tomato and basil through.
Our first cocktail arrived with the salad. The Affair. I’m not much of a Cosmo girl, and I can’t stand Sex and the City. However, my inner Miranda turned into a Samantha upon first taste. They’ve taken this pretty simple cocktail and given it delicate accessories. Vodka was enhanced by an orange liqueur, a rosemary sprig, lime, and a very curious (and quite satisfying) cranberry reduction sporting a fringe of cinnamon.
It was excellent. If you ARE a Cosmo girl (slay), this is a must-try.
Next, we were delivered a plate of Shrimp and Grits. This is where my nose usually turns up because this is my favorite dish to cook at home. I was prepared to be a bit of a snob here. Rarely is this done with enough panache to live up to the potential inherent in this Southern staple. Which is a goddamn shame considering how transcendent it CAN be.
What I was expecting was laughed at by what I received. Four jumbo shrimp poised on top of two deep-fried pillows of savory grits, baptized by a damn-near-perfect Cajun cream sauce, expanded my idea of what this could be. The sauce specifically brought me back to the Merigny and the alligator I had there on my last visit. It was pure sense memory, which is high praise for a restaurant one thousand and one miles away from the bayou.
The presentation makes it perfect for sharing, too. It was served with a cube of perfectly toasted and lightly sweet cornbread and honey butter. That thing lasted like four seconds.
The pair of drinks we were presented with at this course were no slouches either. The Peachy Keen drove the Southern flair home. It’s a white suit and lazy drawl version of an Old Fashioned. The whiskey was infused with peaches and included a black tea syrup punched up by peach bitters. It was as sweet as it sounds, but loosened its tie as the large ice cube melted. It became more refreshing as each minute passed. If we were on the rooftop on a Summer day at the time, this is what I would have ordered.
In direct opposition to that “Belle of the Ball” was the spicy Fire Keeper. It starts with a Fresno chili-infused mezcal (made in-house) and continues with tequila, mint, soda, and honey, which I found interesting considering the common urge to include agave syrup instead. I was intrigued by the choice, and it worked much better than I would have thought.
I am a bit gun-shy of spicy cocktails, as I have previously been stuck with a glass of fire on a hot day when I was too damn thirsty for that nonsense. I don’t need my drink to need a drink. This one was kind enough to not be overbearing. Not saying I can’t handle the heat, but I usually like it far away from my ice. This time, it wasn’t an issue. So high five on that.
Next was my favorite dish of the day. The braised short ribs over mashed potatoes and collard greens, with roasted vegetables under a demi-glace reduction, was a thorough tour of Southern traditional flavors. When done right, this plate should harmonize like a great band. The collards had the tang and the bottom, the veggies a smoky and earthy root, the mash a quietude that spoke to its role as flavor sponge and texture-bringer, and the braised beef to fall apart under a thick blanket of its own juices en réduction.
You could build a bite from all the regions of the plate, or three, or just two, and get a different experience each time. All were complementary and all were distinct. Double high five emoji.
Fourth in the cocktail parade was the Birds of Paradise. There was a vodka base colored by a pineapple-lavender shrub (a syrup made with sugar and vinegar), dialed up by Génépi (a sweeter Green Chartreuse), lemon, and sugar. This was tart like a kombucha, and as refreshing. Despite the ingredient list that conjures ideas of diabeetus, I did not taste the sugar content as much as I did the citrus. This was also a perfect Summer rooftop cocktail.
We loosened our belts and geared up for the final course, dessert. After being offered a choice, I did the diplomatic thing and requested the chef choose for me. It was a bit of a surprise that he went with Deep Dish Cookie, but I ain’t hatin’. It was served in a cute oval skillet and is exactly what it sounds like.
Here’s the thing. It was delicious, true, but it felt a little out of place in relation to the incredible meal we just had. It was just, I don’t know, simple. There was a drizzle of ‘meh’ chocolate sauce (imho) over a pretty decent cookie, but I kinda wish I had ordered the creme brulee. I hadn’t even asked what today’s flavor was. That’s on me.
As I was pondering this, Melissa devoured the cookie and snarled as I went in for another bite. Not really, but it felt like she was about to. She thinks I’m crazy for my opinion, but I’m used to that.
Photo by Ryan Neff
As she finished the cookie, I was saved by a really interesting take on the Espresso Martini. First of all, the presentation of the cocktail gets very high marks. It was just as sexy as the room it was served in. Again, a vodka base, with Borghetti espresso liqueur and Afterglow cold brew.
I often see Espresso Martinis shaken with some creamy liqueur, which the nerd in me wants to point out is technically a macchiato (pushes glasses up nose). The difference is not subtle, but is arbitrary to most. To me, it meant that I got exactly what I was promised, and the cocktail stood in for the espresso with lemon twist one would get after a meal this good. Except with alcohol. Which makes it better.
That’s it.
Oh wait, actually, here’s some inside-track info. Next month, the Hofheimer Building (including Harry’s) will begin celebrating the ten years since its renovation with a Summer-long series of parties and experiences in collaboration with their community partners. Put July 18th on your calendars. That’s when it all kicks off.
We will see you there, a peachy Old Fashioned in one hand, frilly little hand fan in the other. Y’all come back now, y’hear!
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