There, Acacia Midtown’s doors swing freely at night as patrons quietly stream in and out. They have their reasons. For one, Acacia offers complimentary valet parking. Cost: In the Fan? Priceless. Secondly, it has an intriguing menu created by (reason number three) a celebrity chef.

Richmond doesn’t have many celebrity chefs, loosely defined as those who have garnered notice not just locally but from afar as well. First and foremost, Chef Paul Elbling, with wife Marie Antoinette, brought French cuisine to Richmond in the early ’70s. That in itself was cause for celebrity status. Jimmy Sneed was the mouth of the second generation (until the night he stunned staff with the announcement that the Redneck was officially gone for good).  Between Sneed’s gift for self-promotion and the increase in food-related television programming, Richmond got hip to chefs whose names are more recognized than their restaurants.

Now we have Dale Reitzer. In 1999, Food and Wine magazine proclaimed Reitzer one of America’s Best New Chefs. At the time, Reitzer’s first venture, also named Acacia, was in its second year and doing well. Located in an imposing renovated church on Cary Street, a seemingly endless string of stairs stood between Acacia and a hungry public. Additionally, the layout inside was choppy, an obstacle for servers.
Reitzer left the space and dabbled in more casual cuisine for a couple of years, buying, then selling, the old Lighthouse on Main Street. Then he found the quiet little corner of the Fan. “We were trying to do something different than the first Acacia. We made our name on that,” he said, sitting in the dining room a couple of hours before opening. Reitzer and wife Aline wanted this new venture to be “more approachable” definitely more accessible, than the first Acacia. Hence, the spot at the corner of Robinson and Cary streets. “We get much more attention from the street,” he says.

The second Acacia Midtown was mature when it opened less than two months ago with a seasoned chef who was looking for a challenge. And when the chef is challenged, so is the line. “I keep my cooks energized by changing dishes,” said Reitzer. The change in menu not only energizes his line; it keeps things fresh for frequenters. A recent menu included rockfish, sautéed and served with broccolini, applewood bacon, cippolini, and red wine onion marmalade; and roasted chicken breast with macaroni and cheese, smoked bacon and mustard sauce.

Prices are reasonable for an upscale restaurant. Entrees begin around $20. “We’re not the cheapest,” said Reitzer, “but we’re no more expensive than 70 percent of other restaurants.” The prix fixe, available from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., is an especially good value at $23 for three courses. The bar scene, in Reitzer’s words, is “getting there.” “We don’t want to become the late night Fan bar,” he said, adding that Acacia Midtown’s bar is the perfect place for drinks and small plates.

Opening in the midst of the economic downturn has its blights and its benefits. An established reputation creates big expectations. “If that weren’t the case, it’d be easier to blow them out of the water.”
On the other hand, Reitzer said, “When you’re new, everybody wants to come check you out.”

Acacia
Mid-Town
2601 W. Cary St.
Richmond
804.562.0138
http://www.acaciarestaurant.com

This was my favorite restaurant before they closed the Carytown location.  I’m happy they are back.  We went to the new location once and loved it.  The setup is really cool.