The Story Cafe

Now this post has been a long time coming...  I've actually visited The Story Cafe on 3 occasions (once I had to leave because they were only serving happy hour) but never got a chance to blog about it.  I guess I'll just amalgamate everything into one post.  For those who are unfamiliar, The Story Cafe is located in Richmond amongst a sea of Asian restaurants.  Nice to see something a bit different featuring brunch and also casual-fine dining dishes to boot.

On my first visit, it was actually to try their Fried Chicken Burger with coleslaw, jalapeño aioli and a side of truffle fries.  I would say this was pretty solid overall where the chicken breast was large with a crunchy seasoned coating.  I thought the chicken could've been a bit juicier, but it was far from dry.  I liked the aioli as it provided a creamy tang and some spice.  I could've done with some more coleslaw but it wasn't a deal-breaker.  The bun was not dense, yet not airy either.  As for the side of fries, they were crispy with plenty of tender potato texture inside.  Good amount of inherent seasoning.

Of course we had to try other things including the Fried Chicken Bennies on a toasted English muffin with a large piece of fried chicken, poached egg, arugula, Hollandaise and fresh fruit.  Boy this was hearty and filling.  Crunchy and fairly moist, the fried chicken was topped with a soft poached egg with runny yolk.  The restrained amount of Hollandaise was creamy, yet not overly heavy.  There was a good balanced to it with a hint of acidity.

Then we move onto the Beef Pappardelle with 7 hour braised short rib, grape tomatoes, arugula and demi cream sauce topped with goat cheese.  I enjoyed this as the pasta was al dente while coated in a delicious sauce that was creamy with umaminess from the meat juices.  There was plenty of tender short rib and the tomatoes added a bright pop of tanginess. Only thing that I would do is to have a bit less sauce.

On another visit, I decided on the Fried Chicken & Waffles.  Okay, I know I'm a bit obsessed with ordering their fried chicken, but it really is good!  The buttermilk marinated chicken was tender and juicy with a crunchy batter on the outside.  However, the star of the plate was the outrageously airy waffles.  They were super crispy with literally air in the middle.  So easy to eat and a textural delight.

Also featuring the same awesome waffles, the My Way Breakfast including choice of meat, smashed potatoes and 2 eggs (only one in this picture).  Potatoes were crispy on the outside while the bacon was lean and crispy (but not too crispy).  Yes, most of the food I have tried so far has been brunch.  I really need to come back to try the other stuff too.  Seeing how solid the food has been, I will be returning for sure.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Nice people
- Indeed casual

The Bad:
- Pricing is actually fine (in my opinion), but it is moving towards the higher end and there are many choices at that price point