Waters Edge Winery & Bistro - Richmond
"I came here for a birthday celebration for a friend on a Saturday evening. She held her party in the private room. But there appeared to be ample seating inside and on the patio. They had just started the live music for the night. Playing lively old school hits for the grown & sexy, lol.Service- I think our server, Jasmine, was overwhelmed by the large group. She started out attentive with a smile, and then the smile faded by the end. It may have been too much. I expected service to be slow with a big party, but it was disjointed. Half of the guests had finished their meals by the time the other half had just gotten theirs to take a first bite. She didn't have any help, and it was a lot of food and drinks, so I get it. This likely was out of Jasmines hands. We just had to ask multiple times for a lot of things. Drinks - I had a glass of the "Sparking Almond" for $13. I liked it. But I wish I had just done the wine tasting so I could try a bit of everything. I bought a glass of "Fight like a Girl" for $12, there pink Moscato for the birthday girl. She liked it. So I decided to buy her a bottle of "Fight like a Girl" as a bday gift, for my friend as well for $40. And to support this Black Owned business. It's cool because some of the proceeds go towards breast cancer. Great cause to drink!Food - I ordered the mushroom risotto appitizer. I liked that they had an appetizer portion of this as well as an entree to give a chance to sample it instead of making it a whole meal. I also ordered the cheese flat bread. Both were ok. I wanted it to be delicious. The risotta, while cooked properly, did not have the depth of richness needed to pull off the creamy unami expectation of a risotta. But risotto is hard to pull off in general, so I understand. The cheese flat bread looked different than previous reviews on here. The bread itself almost seemed like a cauliflower or gluten-free like crust. Vibes - The live band began to play Louisiana style music and entered the private room, and we really had a good time.I love supporting black owned businesses. Our server said the owners would come say hello, but they didn't arrive. The live music is nice to enjoy while eating, and I am guessing the $5.00 band fee we were charged, covers the band cost, which makes sense. Overall, the place has good vibes! So I would actually give this another chance if in the area. I hope service is great in their regular dining section as opposed to their private party room. Some of the guests said they had been here for brunch, and it was good."
Gadela Winery
"Wow! What a find! We were in Spring and looked up wineries and Gadela was listed. The wine tasting is extensive, 8 pours, and filled with so many interesting flavors and varietals. And if you think the fabulous wines are the best part, the people are even better! The owner takes time to speak with all the guests and answer any questions you may have.The true rock star of the day however was Luis! We could have spend a whole day there drinking wine and talking to him. A truly great way to spend my birthday!"
