Before digging into Gather & Hem, there’s some housekeeping to get out of the way.
First, it’s a natty lounge in the front left lobby corner of the recently renovated (to the tune of millions of dollars) downtown Hilton, inside the old Miller & Rhoads department store. Second, neither the plush gray booths and comfy high-backed chairs, nor the pithy menu with larger, seasonal app-ish offerings emit traditional supper joint. These things make some parts spectacular. Is this the best shrimp dish in Richmond? While some others could use a little shine. But the genuine, familial service and the people-watching is exceptional.
Upon entering, especially in daylight, it’s a little clubby, an effect from the lighting of the multi-neon pendant lights and/or the flashes of the same hues jetting from the top corners of the room. (Note: No one is saying a club can’t have good food, I just haven’t met a lot that do.) Conversely, the breadth of menu offerings from Spanish rock octopus, Waygu poutine and Kennebec fries flares like a serious foodie bat signal.
Even the cocktails and mocktails play bon viveur ball with seasonality and have names like Fresno She Better Don’t, a mildly spiced, punchy bourbon concoction of Fresno chilis, strawberry, Elijah Craig 12, and ginger. There’s also the Fashionably Late, a unique pineapple, mole and cherrywood perspective on an Old Fashioned with Sazerac rye or for the non-alcohol set, and the 1607, a fresh rebrand of pink lemonade with blueberry and Mexican Sprite (think if Snapple had a Chanel bag). Dishes are served on East Fork-like trending and maximally-minimal pottery in muted pinks, aquas and blues.
Dinner seesaws.
The ups: A thin wreath of hummus layered with super-salty, chopped, boiled peanuts and full of tiny surprises like a shred of piquancy from red pepper and a fruity punch of olive oil. The entire dish is gorgeous in presentation but could benefit from a little more garlicky hummus to balance out the boiled peanut relish.
A bowl of Brussels sprouts given an oven roast, a quick sauté and a drizzle of tomato jam and garlic mayonnaise. Instead of the usual overdone fried b.s., these ‘tiny cabbages’ are tender, toothy and have crisp edges in tandem with the rich tomato.
Barely coated, plump shrimp is flash-fried and stacked sporadically with rings of pickled cherry peppers, then tossed with Alabama white barbecue. There’s a welcome lightness even with the unctuous nature of the mayonnaise-based sauce.
A hockey puck-sized mound of filet mignon tartare striped with the ‘gram viral shredded egg whites, yolks and green onions. It makes a gorgeous photo served with house-made potato chips, just needs a touch more salinity, a smidge more acidity and a pinch more caper.
The downs: Four substantial lamb chops tangled over a generous plop of austere goat cheese. These shrivel with a tremendous overcook. Literal dots of bold Romesco and a nutty red pepper sauce add necessary livening to an otherwise unadorned and under-seasoned plate.
Three tenderloin sliders are lined up like soldiers on soft pretzel buns, sloppily swiped with tomato jam and smoky pepper hollandaise. The mix of tenderloin, brisket and chuck should have big meaty energy but is cooked till impossibly rigid and visually unappetizing.
It’s not your white tablecloth, wine presentation, bread crumber place. Instead, the service lives in the middle of formal and informal with a notable and refreshing lack of pretense but an abundance of care; comfortable and easy. One sweet server, after taking orders, hot-steps back to the table to ask for confirming nods that the beef tartare is, in fact, coming to the table raw.
There aren’t many hotel restaurants in the Richmond area to get excited about. Most, and reasonably so, get lost in the hustle of providing for overnight guests whose business is coming and going. Gather & Hem isn’t a to-and-fro place. It’s a sit-and-stay spot.
Just a last bit of housekeeping before you go: Yes, there’s parking. A valet, even.
Gather & Hem lounge and eatery is located at 501 E Broad St. Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. They can be reached at 804-344-4300.
