The Black Sheep, at the corner of Marshall and Goshen streets, in the Carver neighborhood near VCU, is destined to become an area favorite. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant is small but doesn’t feel crowded; it’s friendly, with pleasant service; and the food, with its Southern and Cajun flavors, is familiar, comforting and a notch above what is expected, with some new twists.

Owners Kevin Roberts and Amy Hess met in New Orleans, while Roberts was working with celebrated chef Frank Brigtsen and Hess was employed at the Palace Cafe, owned by the famous Brennan family of restaurateurs. At The Black Sheep, Roberts, who spent time as the executive chef for governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, prepares the food, and Hess takes care of the customers and acts as wait staff in the evenings and on weekends.

A friend and I arrived on a Sunday morning a little after 9 a.m. to find a few families with small children awaiting their meals. Within an hour, every table was filled with groups of friends, more families and couples — testament to the inviting atmosphere created by The Black Sheep’s décor, from its green wall of eclectic art (all belonging to the owners or their family and friends) to the restaurant’s whimsical salt and pepper shakers (green tractors, little mice).

I love breakfast — the smell of coffee and the promise of a new day — and you need not be an early riser to enjoy it here, since it’s served until 2 p.m. I settled on the grillades and grits, a dish widely served for breakfast or brunch in New Orleans. Pounded thin and simmered in a rich brown gravy, two tender pork cutlets were topped with fresh parsley and small diced tomatoes then served over a mound of pale-yellow, creamy cheddar-cheese grits. My friend ordered the Tam frittata with mixed mushrooms, Parmesan potatoes, spinach and green onions. The frittata was nicely browned on the outside, the eggs just set, with veggies and cheese in every bite. We didn’t leave hungry.

I had heard about the large sandwiches on The Black Sheep’s lunch menu, called battleships instead of submarines, from several friends. Although they all sounded tempting — Swedish meatballs, fried chicken livers, grilled eggplant — I chose the USS Congress. Featuring grilled slices of mahi mahi and pineapple on 18 inches of crusty baguette with guacamole, topped with thin slices of red onion and shredded lettuce coated with a jalapeño mayonnaise, it was delicious — sweet and spicy flavors blending with the meatiness of the fish. I also couldn’t resist trying the South Indian Tomato Lentil Soup. The consistency of a gazpacho, it was served warm, which helped the spiciness come through, cooled by a dollop of raita (a sauce made with plain yogurt). My friend tried the Bridge Club, a double-decker combination of homemade pimento cheese on toasted rye with lettuce, tomato and onion. It was a nice melding of textures, from the crunchy onions to the crisp lettuce and the creamy pimento cheese, which has a slight kick. We chose to take half our sandwiches home so we could try a couple of desserts, Upside Down Pineapple Cake and the Black Sheep Banana Pudding. The pineapple cake is cooked in a skillet with the requisite pineapple along with cherries and pecans. The yellow sponge cake was moist, and the topping was sweet and sticky, reminding us of similar desserts from our childhoods. We found the banana pudding less successful: The bananas were brown, and the rum flavor was overpowering.

Dinner again showcased Roberts’ blending of Southern and New Orleans cuisines. A memorable nod to tradition was chicken and dumplings: Think real white-meat chicken nestled in a creamy sauce along with soft pillows of dumplings laced with green flecks of herbs, all served over a bed of wide egg noodles, peas and carrots. The Blue Ribbon Pork evokes New Orleans in the preparation of the pork cutlets, which are pounded thin and panéed (lightly breaded and fried). These are then topped with Virginia ham and Swiss cheese, again served on a bed of egg noodles, peas and carrots. The saltiness of the ham, the nuttiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the tender pork melted together in my mouth.

All dinners come with a choice of sides. The deviled eggs were traditionally Southern and creamy, with bits of sweet pickle. The orzo salad was good, but compared to the rest of the food on the table, not a standout. And again, dessert fell short; the White Russian Brownie was too cold and dense. 

With the exception of these occasional dessert hiccups, the value of the food, in both quantity and quality, makes The Black Sheep worth the trip. Whether you want breakfast, lunch or dinner, you won’t be disappointed, and you won’t leave hungry.

901 W. Marshall St., 648-1300

Prices
Breakfast $4 to $8. Soups, salads and sandwiches $4 to $12. Entrées $8 to $13. Desserts $2 to $5.

Hours
Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.