Manakin Grill (Revisited)
I recently returned to the Goochland restaurant, Manakin Grill, located off the Rockville exit on I-64. For a Friday night, it was not crowded, but it appeared that enough regulars were there to slow down service just a bit.
We ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer, a Cobb salad, and their Asian-spiced giant pork chop. The pork chop was the dish that put this place on the map for me, 4 years ago.
The shrimp was not over-cooked, and the sauce that came along was interesting, but the coating was too thick. Fried shrimp shouldn’t be so heavy; it’s about the seafood, not the coating.
My small salad was good; but not likely worth the price paid.
The Cobb salad was large, and came in a well-sized bowl.
This was no “true” Cobb, but came with some typical ingredients, such as the egg, chicken, and blue cheese. Where was the avocado? Instead, there were plenty of mushrooms and Kalamata olives. It was a large dinner salad that we could not unfortunately finish.
The pork chop was the third I’ve had. It was not up to its former glory, but it was well-cooked. The sauce atop the chop was too… little and dry… my first chop years ago was saucier, and the sauce was looser. It made for a wetter bite, each time. The flavors were good, and I’d still recommend it. I too couldn’t finish it all, and their mashed potatoes helped make that so.
They were creamy and garlic-spiced.
This time around, no dessert. The dining room looks more formal than anyone appears who shows up. You can still find a good meal here, but imperfections hold it back from first in class.
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