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The Latest Review of Europa Mediterranean Cafe
Sent on the 25th of July, 2011
Very disappointing! I took my son to downtown Richmond on 7/24/2011 for a good meal. It had been awhile since I was in the Shockoe Slip area so we poked around looking for something that caught our eye. The diverse menu and enticing smell coming out the door tempted us to give Europa a try. The staff was pleasant and the entry level dining area was appealing. Being Sunday night, all tapas were price, so we got busy selecting six tapas to share while the staff brought us water, two sodas that we ordered, and some bread. Both sodas arrived dead flat. I sent them back, suggesting that their carbon dioxide tank was empty and needed changing. We ordered our tapas and while waiting for fresh sodas, we tried the bread. It was focaccia with a great texture but was strongly infused with rosemary and too salty. The result was that all we could taste was salt and rosemary the flavor of the yeast and wheat was lost. The second round of sodas arrived as flat as the first. I sent mine back and requested sangria instead, suspecting that I might need wine before the meal was over. The sangria was tasty and refreshing, and helped wash away the lingering saltiness of the bread. Of the six tapas that we ordered, all but one was of poor quality. Here is what we ordered and our thoughts Lamb Lollipops Three lamb ribs seared on a grill. The meat was still pink in the center and tender. The problem is that the lamb lacked any flavor other than bitterness from the searing. Garlic would have helped tremendously, as would cooking a little longer to better develop the flavor of this delicate meat. The sauce under the meat imparted little but a greasy feeling to the lamb. Pan Seared Diver Scallops Three sea scallops that were cooked to perfection (just enough to cook yet be tender), but their flavor was completely overpowering, being excessively salty and overwhelming smoky. More sangria, please! Fried Calamari Tough and salty. My son rated these very low on his calamari scale. Fried Oysters Cooked a little too lightly, and way too heavy on the salt. Pan Roasted Mussels Pitiful dried-up remnants in shells. Positively the worst mussels I have ever seen served. Garlic Shrimp This was pretty good. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the flavors were strong but not overpowering. Europa has tried too hard and missed the mark for Mediterranean flavors. Their use of salt and flavorings is heavy-handed, and overpowering. They should back off some and let the flavor of the food have a say in what dinner tastes like.

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