Millie’s: I Get Up Far Too Late For Real Breakfast (Richmond, VA)

Hey, Ol’ Chicken Pot here.  Its been a bit since I updated everyone on what I’ve been eating.  This is 100% due to my own laziness.  I think I need an assistant.  They could take down notes and such for me.  If they just followed me around, they could take note of all the various witty things I say.  A lot of times, I say hilarious things, but I’m by myself.  Sometimes I try to tell my humorous observation to a stranger.  This usually does not go well.  So, my assistant would be able to compile my musings into some sort of compendium of my thoughts.  Can you imagine?  Me, with a compendium?  That sounds classy as shit.  My assistant would do more things though, I’m not just paying them to enjoy my jokes (which they would).  They would also be required to go through my mail and sort out all the best credit card offers.  Cleaning, laundry, pillow fluffing, story time reading, and garbage handling would also be required.  Its best they would be able to handle all this in the morning, as not to disturb me during the day.  My assistant would have plenty of time though, as I am not an early riser.  In fact, morning to me is essentially 11amish, just in time for brunch.  There are quite a few good brunch places in Richmond.  One of the hottest brunch places nowadays is Millie’s, there’s always a line there every weekend.  I’ve been there quite a few times, and its pretty damn good.

I guess the area is considered Shockoe Bottom, there are a bunch of night clubs and stuff near by, but Saturday and Sunday morning, it seems like Millie’s is the only place in town.  There is always a crowd of people outside waiting for a table.  To be fair, the place is pretty small, probably about 40 seats total.  Even so, expect to wait at least 30 minutes, usually more.  Once inside, the decor is very much like an old style diner, but not in that campy over done way.  Its a decent looking atmosphere with a relaxing vibe.  The wait staff is friendly and efficient, with no real complaints I can think of.

The food is pretty good, with traditional breakfast items tweeked just a little bit to give it a more unique flavor.  My favorite there by far is the Huevos Rancheros.  I get this dish at different places all the time to determine a chef’s muster, and here I wasn’t disappointed.  There were a variety of ingredients in this dish and they all came together well in a nicely portioned mix.  Also, a good choice, is the breakfast burrito.  Featuring potatoes, cheese, and chorizo, this tortilla wrapped dish is as flavorful as it is filling.

Millie’s also has tasty choices for dinner as well.  Again I’ve been there a few times, but frankly I found the dinner prices to be too much to justify the price.  The ambiance for a $15 a plate brunch feels right, but suddenly feels inadequate for a $25 a plate dinner.  To be fair, the dinner options, featuring such things as Seared Scallops, NY Strip, Duck Breast, and Crabs, aren’t at all disappointing.  They maybe just felt a bit too high end considering the location.

Apparently, I might be the only one who thinks that though, as like I said, Millie’s is always busy.  I usually seek elsewhere for dinner, but for brunch, its always a good option.  If you go there, there will be a wait, but if you have a special guest in town, go there and have a good time.  If you got nothing special going on, and just want a bite to eat, its probably not worth the hassle.