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11:00 am – 11:00 pm
11:00 am– 12:00 am
11:00 am– 9:00 pm
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When I first moved to the Richmond area—in the not-too-distant early 1990s— Short Pump was mostly woods and farmland. A small manual-pump gas station did a leisurely business at the crossroads, a couple of modest residential developments were going up nearby, and a new, stand-alone Wal-Mart enjoyed pride of place. Short Pump spelled potential.
What a difference a decade makes. Short Pump is now home to Central Virginia’s largest open-air shopping mall. New residential and mixed-use developments—experiments in the new urbanism—are heading skyward. And what some might once have considered a gastronomic wasteland is now home to dozens of restaurants. Among the latest: Kona Grill.
The chain hails from land-locked Scottsdale, Arizona, but the name and much of the menu bear the suggestion of a more tropical worldview. Pineapple shows up here and there among the entrees, and there’s even sushi designed for “sushi newbies”—nothing too exotic, and cut smaller than usual. But things vaguely Hawaiian or Asian aren’t really the theme of the place, and nothing on the menu demands too much or requires esoteric knowledge of food and its origins beyond the four corners of the menu. In other words, it’s reassuringly easy. And because Kona caters to a wide array of tastes, it draws in crowds of diners. So if you’re planning dinner with a group or need a two-top, make a reservation.
When our party of six arrived on a routine Wednesday evening, the place was packed. Fortunately, we had called ahead, and, to our pleasant surprise, our 7:30 table was ready early. Others weren’t so fortunate, but the bar was jammed with a cheerful crowd of wait-listed diners holding those ubiquitous vibrating discs and waiting for their number to come up.
The menu—both lunch and dinner—is divided into eight sections: apps, salads, soups, surf, turf, noodles, pizza and dessert. A separate item, sushi constitutes a realm unto itself. You’ll want to be sure to try the fish tacos, not so much for the fish tacos themselves (which are quite good, spicy and more wrap than taco) but for the rice that comes mounded underneath: sushi rice, nicely seasoned with soy sauce, red peppers and sweet ham. This remarkable side appears with several other dishes and is to be sought.
The ahi tuna salad, while a ubiquitous staple of restaurants everywhere, here receives a nudge ahead for the high-quality greens and delicious peanut and sesame seed vinaigrette, a perfectly acidic foil to the meltingly soft tuna.
If dining light is not your thing, steak, ribs and macadamia nut chicken are worth a taste, but the king of comfort on this menu is the Big Island Meatloaf: sweet Italian and Andouille sausage ground up with bread-crumbs, baked and served with a hefty soy- flavored cream sauce and perched atop a mountain of chunky cheddar mashed potatoes and a side of wok-tossed vegetables. This is not light stuff. And if you manage to save enough room for dessert, the white chocolate cheesecake topped with a tangy raspberry sauce is fabulous and sized for sharing.
Now a land of plenty, Short Pump offers visitors and residents a broad range of activities, shopping and dining options. And Kona Grill, with its no-nonsense formula designed to appeal to a broad range of appetites and tastes, stands ready to satisfy all comers. Be sure to call ahead.—Noel Patrick
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