My personal favorite for food is mama zu's. It is a total dump from the outside but it is one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to. They don't take small-party reservations and the waits can be horribly long (up to 90 minutes). If you want to go, get in early, and they only take American Express or cash. Prices can run high by the end of the night. It's very dark and the menu is on a chalk board, so the ambience is either romantic or dark and crowded depending on your outlook. But having lived in Richmond, i think most of the restaurants that are high on atmosphere are overrated. Lots of overcooked meat and boring, unoriginal stuff. Frog and the Redneck was good but it is long gone, I hear.