As well as being the largest Kroger in Virginia at approximately 92,000 square feet, the store has bells and whistles that make it a showcase in the company’s Mid-Atlantic division, company officials say. It replaces another Short Pump-area Kroger, a 52,000-square-foot store that was scheduled to close at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The new store increases the number of employees to 300, up from 120 at the former store. The 
upgrade appears to be aimed at helping Kroger stand out in Short Pump's competitive grocery market.
Inside, the first stop is a floral shop that offers FTD service and is staffed by a floral designer with 25 years of experience, Kroger officials said. Next to that, a produce department that is the company’s largest in the Richmond area spotlights the names of Virginia and North Carolina farms that supply the store with fruit and vegetables. Among those are Turkey Knob Growers in Timberville, Hanover Plant and Vegetable Farm in Ashland and Crown Orchard Co. in Albemarle County.
The store is also the first Richmond-area Kroger to offer a Seattle’s Best Coffee kiosk, along with café seating, WiFi access and a 55-inch, flat-screen TV. Beside the café area, there’s a Chef On The Run station with a salad 
bar and hot bar. The store’s chef, Leslie Moyers (shown at right with district manager Joe Antolini), says the hot bar will serve three meals a day of comfort food such as mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and various soups. Depending on the day of the week, you might find Italian-themed dishes, Mexican fare or barbecue, says Moyers, a former head chef at VCU Medical Center who has also worked at Virginia State University and on the NASCAR circuit. The same station includes a section with Asian food that will vary from day to day, he says.
Gourmet meals can be found in the store’s Bistro section, where Moyers plans to serve entrées such as braised oxtail, veal osso buco and wasabi panko-encrusted frog legs. A gelato bar in that section offers 20 flavors of gelato and sorbet (we sampled fat-free blood-orange as well as coconut sorbet).
At the deli department, cheese expert Dan Svoboda tells us that fresh mozzarella will be made on site daily, along with cheese dips including pimiento, applewood smoked cheddar and Buffalo wing dip. Store officials also point out that the deli’s 16-foot-long display of Boar’s Head-brand meats and cheeses.
As we pass the bakery, a group of employees is learning how to use the hot-doughnut-glazing equipment. Tim Lucci, who is in charge of deli and bakery sections for Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic region, explains that the dough, which arrives frozen, is put through a 400-degree oven and glazed. (My editor, who lags behind, is offered one of the “practice” doughnuts). As elsewhere, explanatory videos are available at the bakery.
The new Kroger’s natural/organic section also offers a self-serve bulk nutrition center with nuts, grains and seeds — the first in the company’s Mid-Atlantic division. There, nutrition clerk Marcia Kiah (left) demonstrates how customers can use machines to make their own almond, cashew or peanut butter.
In the wine and beer shop, staffed by two wine consultants, customers will be able to order wine, choosing from among 24 varieties available by the glass. The wine consultants explain that the bottles are kept in temperature-controlled coolers that dispense the wine a customer selects. Above the coolers, small screens allow customers to place an order for a taste (which costs around $1, depending on the wine), a half glass or a full glass. Informational wine videos instruct viewers on how to pair food with wine as well as how to know which wine to buy. The shop contains more than 3,000 bottles of wine, along with a large selection of beers.
On the opposite side of the store, Jenkins tells us that the frozen-foods aisles contain 186 freezer doors. And placed throughout the store are scanners to allow customers to check prices.
“We’re trying to put on a show with products and sampling,” says Lucci of the deli and bakery division. “I call it the theater. We want your shopping experience to be exciting.”
"It’s our second try at lunch, and we cut the prices and we were offering what I thought was a really good menu," Jeff Baird says. "We had a loyal clientele from the DMV and the Science Museum ... but without parking and major businesses around, it's a hard sell."
Sarah will return to her teaching job at The Cedarhouse School, he says, and Jeff will concentrate on the dinner menu. "We're making fresh pastas every day," he says, and the menu has been slimmed down for summertime, changing every three or four days to include seasonal items.
Brunch will also continue on Sundays, he says.The festival will have more than 50 vendors, most of them dealing in food. Samples will be available for $3 each. “There’s always a surprise around each corner at the tomato festival," says George Bolos, manager of the 17th Street Farmers’ Market. “You never know what you’re going to find as far as a culinary experience goes.”
Like tomato fudge? Naturally.
Slow-roasted, marinated, Peruvian-style chicken will be a cornerstone of the menu, says Kevin Wilson, a managing partner at Sticky Togogo and former sushi chef at Sticky Rice. Very popular in the Washington, D.C., area, Peruvian chicken is “super flavorful and super tender … and has crispiness on the outside,” he says.
Wilson will be Cellar Door’s head chef; his partner in the new venture is Justin Adly, a Sticky Rice alum who has been working as bar manager at Nile Ethiopian Restaurant.
“Hopefully we’re the ones to break the curse of that building,” Wilson jokes, referring to the recent restaurant turnover at the Stuart Court Apartments building. He adds, “It’s a great spot, and we’re happy to have gotten in there.”
Wilson says that Cellar Door likely will open the first week of August and will serve lunch and dinner. Lunchtime fare will include sandwiches, soups and salads, he says, adding that “all the soups will be made from scratch, in house.”
At night, the restaurant will serve tapas dishes and shift to a more “speakeasy feel,” Wilson says.
Wright Harrison, a 2006 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, currently works as food and beverage manager for SMG Richmond, which manages the Richmond Coliseum, the Landmark Theater and Richmond CenterStage. He has also worked as a line cook at Lemaire and as sous chef at The Compound Restaurant in Santa Fe, N.M.
The Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge invited Culinary Institute alumni to create an original recipe that could be featured at the ship’s restaurant, 150 Central Park.
From now through Sunday (July 18), supporters of the finalists can cast votes online for the chef they think should win. The person with the highest number of votes will be named the “fan favorite” and will be awarded additional points to his or her overall score.
Harrison’s recipe is a new interpretation of cioppino, a classic Italian fish stew. His version has fire-roasted tomato coulis, diver scallops, clams, mussels and sourdough crostini with olive relish and basil oil. You can watch the video of his presentation and vote at the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge website. If you vote, you are also entered to win a trip for two on the ship.
Each of the finalists will participate in one last challenge at the Culinary Institute’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus on Aug. 5 and 6.
