My 2 cents...
Edo's Squid and Mama Zu- as have been mentioned- are virtually the same menu. You won't find- the world's best- sweetbreads at Edo's but its a little more "normal" in that it has a bar and taxes visa and mastercard in addition to Amex. Honestly, in the same company as The French Laundry, Citronell, Tetsuya and Taka Sushi, Mama Zu is in my top 5 list.
However, that being said (and I know you've made your choice) neither sounds like the upscale kinda place you are looking for.
In Richmond the only real choices are
-Lemare at the Jefferson Hotel- its come a long way! I love the food but the wine service needs work (the list is exceptional)
-La Petite France on Thalboro Rd.- its off the beaten path in a building without much curbside appeal, but its wonderful food... maybe a tad stuffy
-Francos - west end shopping center - a lot of fanfare but honestly as Italian food goes, its disappointing as is the setting.
-Chez Max- I know nothing! I only hear good things though
Edited to include: I guess these are not the ONLY choices... I'm sure I'm missing some other people's favorites.
regarding some other places:
-Can Can, I was there the night they opened and was blown away. As someone who lived in Paris for a while, it really reminded me of a classic brasserie like Balzar (in the 6th) but the service needs serious work. Its extremely popular right now and until they learn to deal with that its hard to enjoy a great meal there. I've been there about 5 times, with in about 6 weeks, and still couldn't get any recognition. Last time we sat for 30 minutes with out any service. The worst part was that we were 4 feet from the owner. All in all, this will be a great place if they start appreciating regulars and step up the service. Food is spot on french as the the atmosphere.
Tobacco Company- no chef, mass produced "blah" food for business travelers. Stay Away!
Hana Zushi- best (and only really authentic sushi) in town. Sit at the bar on the right most end. Satcha is the "master" chef and is excellent if you engage him. Ordering off the menu from a table is unexceptional and just average. Ordering right from Satcha (though it befuddles the waitresses, who are very nice despite) is a fantastic experience.
Sticky Rice- SCARY SCARY SCARY... i mean, for a cold beer and some keroke, its great, but please don't eat there. I know people who work in medicine here and they don't need that... (we had some smelly smelly salmon and some grey tuna... I saw the uni in a puddle 'melted' and thats when we ran) Sorry Rives
!
Other favs:
Indochine - carry town, Carry St. - French / Vietnamese ... lots of great vegetarian stuff too. Small, intimate and wonderful food. The seafood stands out in particular.
Lumani- Carry Town, Carry St. - very simple seafood. Just fish, grilled on wood planks with a little olive oil. Always fresh, AMAZING service and the nicest staff. Really the best place for cooked fish that I know of.
Full Kee- Horsepin Rd. west end- Authentic Chinese- I think they have general Tso's chicken, but their focus is on the real deal... crispy whole fish in black bean sauce, amazing stir-fried oysters, and some damn good soft-shells with chilis when in season.
This got rather long, but I'm a foodie, 100%. In fact, I just called an order into Edo's (some brocolitti, baked cabbage, and liver and onions!). We love the Richmond food scene, but I often find myself hyping places like Lumani over red lobster or Lemare of Ruth's Chris to no avail.
I cannot wait to hear what the OP chose and hope this helps future visitors.
Again, its jut my 2 cents and there are a lot of great other opinions/reviews out there!
-N
p.s. if you had the last order of sweetbreads at Mama's last weekend, watch out, I'm gunning for you
Edited to include:
Charlottesville - about 50 minutes away- has some amazing places... too many to list here. However, I cannot talk about food around central Va with out mentioning the C&O cafe. Think old shack along the railroad tracks for workers coming through town, then add modern, clean, innovative food, white table clothes and an amazing wine list. Its a great juxtaposition. A lot of reviews call it some of the best food near DC, and thats a 2.5 hour drive.