It came, it saw, it conquered our stomachs. Fire, Flour & Fork returned last weekend and brought with it a new set of dinners, classes, tours, excursions and brunches all focused on food, the tie that binds — especially here in Richmond, where new restaurants and interests in the culinary scene seem to grow daily.
This year's event brought a handful of fresh out-of-town guests and speakers to the city, offering a Shagbark wine lunch with chef Vivian Howard, host of "A Chef's Life"; a Longoven collaborative dinner with chef Ryan Smith of Staplehouse, which was recently named Bon Appétit's best new restaurant in the country; and a class taught by David Wondrich, one of the world's preeminent beverage historians. Of course, these were just a few of more than 40 events ranging from tours of Rappahannock Oyster Co.'s shores to a how-to on pairing wine with craft beer. Many of the festivities sold out, some within minutes (ahem, L'Opossum's "BEARD NOM seeks same 4 HOT Chef on Chef Action" dinner) and, as is always the case with this event, there's never a way to be everywhere at once, no matter how many times you wish you could be.
One would think that the organizers' cutting a day of classes and demos would only ease that longing to do it all, but I found myself missing the extra day of knowledge and running back and forth between discussions. Maybe next year the organizers — which include Richmond magazine Associate Publisher and Editorial Director Susan Winiecki — will bring back that second day of talks, for those who like to get a bit geeky about what's in their cup or on their plate. Noticed and largely appreciated by many were the additions of a few more affordable events, such as the Pie in the Sky sweets smorgasbord ($25) and the $12 tasting-tent-only pass, though I heard more than a few grumblings about the price-accessibility of seated dinners. From an outsider's perspective, one of the most captivating aspects of any new annual event is watching it grow, and I've certainly enjoyed seeing FFF expand, experiment and imagine new and better ways to offer the city a thoughtful, food-focused festival and symposium. I cannot wait to see what next year brings, and hope to see it accessible for all, in some way or another.
Without further ado, here's just a glimpse of Fire, Flour & Fork 2016.
Cornucopia at The John Marshall Ballrooms — Thursday, Nov. 17
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Dylan Fultineer of Rappahannock Oysters layered Virginia-grown Bloody Butcher polenta, braised Harmony Hill beef shank, and sorrel chimichurri. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Megan Fitzroy Phelan of Longoven prepared apple and candied-fennel tarts. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Chef Michael Hall of Spoonbread Bistro frying up scallop-mousse jumbo lump crab cakes, to be served with spoonbread and lemon hollandaise (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Mean Bird food truck served up its vegan fried "chicken" with microgreens and pickled carrots. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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The Mean Bird food truck crew serving up a mean plate of vegan fried chicken (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Lee Gregory of The Roosevelt and Southbound plates spicy sausage with chow chow and a red pea salad. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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The Roosevelt and Southbound's chef Lee Gregory, right, takes a quick break. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Beau Cribbs, host of RVA Tonight — Richmond's only live late-night monthly talk show — emcees the evening. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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This is the facial expression of a woman who just imitated a turkey's gobble in front of a ballroom full of people. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
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Saison chef Adam Hall ladled out pork pozole. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Jannequin Bennett and Ellie Basch of Everyday Gourmet prepared both a Powhatan squash and corn soup with cornbread croutons and a drizzle of walnut milk, and sumac-crusted beef tenderloin with wild rice and pine nut salad. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Over at The Blue Goat's table, chef Paul Kostandin served up Virginia-corn polenta with oregano pork sausage, strained yogurt and sautéd onions. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Ipanema Café's Will Wienckowski served a corn and squash mofongo with smoked shiitake mushrooms and a cream of peanut and sweet potato. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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One of the first dishes to go was Patrick Willis of Lemaire's Edwards Ham on buttermilk biscuits with a grilled scallion benedictine spread, house-made hot sauce, Casselmonte Farm honey, Manakintowne Specialty Growers' arugula, and pickles. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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You know it's a great event when a canoe of White Stone Oysters shows up. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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La Milpa's Daniela de la Llave and Joseé Sanchez unwrapped some succulent pork, chicken, and sweet corn tamales. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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One roasted-pork tamale from La Milpa, please. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
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Belle Isle Craft Spirits' shiners pouring out some cold-brew-tinged goodness. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Star Hill Brewery's Kelley Deegan, center, with the best photobomb of the weekend. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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From left: Keith Roberts of Edwards Ham with Lemaire chefs Patrick Willis and Brad Slemaker. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
While there were a number of ways to kick off this year's Fire, Flour & Fork, I couldn't resist the draw of Cornucopia, a gourmet spin on "friendsgiving." More than a dozen Richmond-area restaurants dished up small plates while local beverage outfits such as Buskey Cider, Belle Isle Craft Spirits and Early Mountain Vineyards poured the libations. RVA Tonight host and occasional Rmag contributor Beau Cribbs emceed the evening's festivities, which included a gobble-like-a-turkey contest and a draw-a-hand-turkey contest. While there was a turkey focus in the entertainment, there certainly wasn't in the spread: Cornucopia's tables were filled with spoonbread, sweet-corn tamales, oysters, braised beef shank, ham biscuits and mofongo, and that's just a sampling of what could be found in the John Marshall Ballrooms last Thursday.
Smoke on the Water at Upper Shirley Vineyards — Friday, Nov. 18
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The Local Craft Food & Drink, visiting from Coral Gables, Florida, dished out smoked Autumn Olive Farms pork shoulder over Charleston rice congee with peanut xo sauce. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Carena Ives and Randolph Ives repping Carena's Jamaican Grille. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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A collaboration between Autumn Olive Farms and Nota Bene's Randall Doetzer piled smoked pork onto Nota Bene bread and topped it all with barbecue and herb sauces. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Visiting chefs Phil Bryant and Veronica Valdivia of The Local Craft Food & Drink. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Throughout the evening, bottles from Upper Shirley Vineyards and Michael Shaps Wineworks flowed freely. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Nota Bene's Randall Doetzer, hands-deep in Autumn Olive pork. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
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Upper Shirley Vineyards' own kitchen served up porchetta, along with a few other treats. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Throughout the tasting and the riverside relaxation, Richmond-based Sturgeon City filled the air with bluegrass. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
I'm not sure about you, but whenever I've heard the words "smoke on the water," the first place my mind has always gone is to a thundering guitar riff. After Friday night's event, things might be different for me. Hosted by Shalom Farms, Smoke on the Water presented an evening of barbecue, wine, beer, oysters and live music, all on Upper Shirley Vineyards' pleasant riverside lawn along the James. A number of restaurants served up smoked, pork-focused dishes, including locals ZZQ and Tazza Kitchen as well as Husk's Travis Grimes. Guests warmed up by the fire pit while sipping wine from Upper Shirley or Michael Shaps Wineworks and beer from Duvel, and enjoyed White Stone Oysters to the bluegrass of local band Sturgeon City.
Panels and Tasting Tent at The Valentine — Saturday, Nov. 19
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A bag of Einkorn flour, milled by Sub Rosa Bakery, atop Chris Bianco's station after his demo. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Hannah Pollack hands out her beloved Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Author and cocktail historian David Wondrich leads a course on the julep and its past, in all its variations. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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In the tasting garden, guests found meats, eats, treats and greets from the JM Stock Provisions team. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Pizzeria Bianco's Chris Bianco leads a class on making pasta during the morning's Flour Track. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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The fruits of Chris Bianco's demo labor? Handmade pasta with radish, herb and onion in vinaigrette. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Stephen Robertson of Blanchard's Coffee Roasting Co. pours some of the roastery's new holiday blend. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Caramont Farm served up tastes of its goats' milk cheese. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Historian and author Robert Moss punched things up with his course on militia punches. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Joshua James Franklin, left, and James Lum of JM Stock Provisions. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Over in the tasting tent, Crunch Dynasty was spicing things up. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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During Wondrich's course, Mattias Hägglund serves up cups of one the julep's original iterations. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
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Austin Green, left, and Greg White shaking up morning and afternoon libations made with Texas Beach Bloody Mary mix in the tasting tent. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Tasting the sweeter things in life at the Gearharts Fine Chocolates booth. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Cavalier Produce displayed its autumn bounty in the tent. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Ryan O'Rourke and Mike Jarrett pouring out samples of Ironclad Coffee Roasters' brew. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Brian Mercury, executive pastry chef of Boston's Oak + Rowan, led an Indian-pudding demo for those looking to try their hand at something different this Thanksgiving. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
A bit smaller than previous' years tents and a day shy of prior years' class schedules, Fire, Flour & Fork's seminars, demos and tastings still packed in food in its various forms: solid, liquid, frozen, historical, tasteable, tangible. This year, the event's courses were limited to one day and took place on the patio and in the meeting rooms of The Valentine, downtown's gem of a museum preserving our city's history. As always, those holding a class pass could sit in on demos and seminars led by top talent from across the country, and this year saw beverage historians and authors David Wondrich and Robert Moss discussing the julep ("the first American drink") and militia punches, respectively, in addition to other speakers' talks on culinary appropriation, how to pep up your holidays and some well-attended Cheese Knowledge 101. While Pizzeria Bianco's Chris Bianco enlightened a crowd about the importance of flour — and how one shouldn't be wary of mixing different varieties of flour when making pasta — another visiting chef, Phil Bryant of The Local Craft Food & Drink, talked curing, canning and preserving food, no matter the season.
Some of the state's finest purveyors, shops, food organizations and beverage companies were also out in full force, offering samples of their locally made artisanal chocolates, honey, cheese and sausage. One could easily bounce between a cup of Confluence Coffee Co.'s cold brew and a freshly shucked White Stone Oyster in the garden, while Milton's Local, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches, Texas Beach Bloody Mary mix and many others awaited in the larger tasting tent near The Valentine's entrance.
For those who missed the day's classes, or those who specifically couldn't catch Moss' talk on the history of militia punches — after all, there were demos on holiday treats and desserts to be had and tasted during that time slot — here's a punch recipe from Moss' course to replicate at home:
Steep 5 lemons in 750 milliliters of brandy. Combine with 1 pineapple (sliced), 1 1/4 pounds of sugar, 3 cups of green tea, 375 milliliters of Jamaican rum, 750 milliliters of peach brandy, 3 liters of Champagne and 1.5 liters of carbonated water. Enjoy.
John Dabney Dinner at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia — Saturday, Nov. 19
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Mint juleps kicked off the evening, a nod to Dabney's cocktail specialty. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Guests were free to explore the museum prior to the dinner. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Fire, Flour & Fork co-founder and organizer — and Richmond magazine editorial director and associate publisher — Susan Winiecki introducing the evening's event. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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The meal began with a rich and creamy peanut bisque with white peach coulis. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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A massaged kale salad with Mandarin oranges, apples, candied walnuts and mango-ginger Stilton. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Author Robert Moss discusses the significance of Dabney's legacy. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Richmond magazine's Samantha Willis speaking passionately about Jackson Ward's identity and preserving its history. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Succulent beef tips atop rosemary grits. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Molasses Canvasback duck breast served with fried spoonbread and Mama J’s collards. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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For dessert, Velma Johnson whipped up a chocolate cake with a layer of sweet mint jelly and a creamy mint frosting. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Jennifer Dabney Jackson Hardy, the great-great granddaughter of John Dabney, was the guest of honor at this year's dinner. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
As an event, one of Fire, Flour & Fork's most admirable qualities is its ability not only to offer stellar coursed dinners, but also information about the history and individuals that made these meals possible. This year, FFF held its second John Dabney Dinner honoring the legacy of one of Richmond's most prominent yet little-known beverage figures. An esteemed caterer and bartender, Dabney worked his way through the city's ranks, eventually garnering a reputation as the man behind one of the country's finest mint juleps. So it was of little surprise that this was the drink that greeted guests at the door of Jackson Ward's beautiful new Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia on Saturday night. Little is known about Dabney's menus, but Michael Hall of Spoonbread Bistro and Velma Johnson of Mama J's crafted one inspired by our region's own; duck, for instance, was one of his specialties.
The evening was punctuated by thoughtful words from visiting beverage historian and author Robert Moss, who had written an article inspiring these Dabney dinners, and Richmond magazine's own Samantha Willis, who spoke with weight and reverence for Jackson Ward, past and present (a topic she's well versed on, considering her three-part series on the neighborhood and its community, wrapping up in our December issue), But the biggest surprise of all was served with dessert, when Dabney's own great-great-granddaughter — doggedly tracked down by FFF organizers through ancestry.com — stood and spoke about her family's lineage, and the holes recently filled and the questions newly answered by this event. There couldn't have been a more perfect close to the night, nor a more perfect location for this year's Dabney dinner.
Autumn Harvest Wine Dinner at The Robins Tea House at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden — Sunday, Nov. 20
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Pulled mushroom with roasted and grated chestnut, cured scallop paste, cured egg, bone marrow emulsion, herbs and bitter greens, paired with a 2015 Badenhorst Secateurs Rosé. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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A thin wedge of chicken liver tart with persimmon fluid gel, puffed corn nuts, preserved roselle buds and hibiscus leaves. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Raw, sliced cobia with benne oil, benne seed, benne crisp, preserved lemon verbena and thinly shaved sour green tomato. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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In the kitchen, Longoven chef Andrew Manning finishes plating the mushroom, scallop and egg dish. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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The meal began with a snack plate of fermented capocollo; a ginger chip with fennel powder; cabbage chip with whipped pork tongue; sunchoke with trout and egg yolk; young cauliflower. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Longoven chef Patrick Phelan, left, with Staplehouse's Ryan Smith. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Leeks cooked in barley koji milk and served with puffed barley, fermented barley koji powder, anise hyssop and grilled and dried radicchio, paired with a 2014 Broadbent Gruner Veltliner. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Cabbage stuffed with shrimp mousse, black rice, pickled shrimp and roe, in fermented cabbage jus and topped with broccoli flower and roe. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Sautéed tatsoi atop seed "risotto" with fontina fonduta and tatsoi jus. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Chris Ilias, left, and Patrick Phelan finishing a dish in the kitchen. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Grilled duck with duck jus, black bean miso, fermented aji dulce pepper purée, pumpkin sous vide and sorrel. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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Wine authority and Broadbent Selections vintner Bartholomew Broadbent paired wines for each course. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
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This dessert of parsnip cake with caramelized apple, fresh apple, yogurt ice cream and parsnip sous vide was also accompanied by mignardises of tahini truffle and cauliflower-and-white-chocolate bon bon. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
"I don't really drink a lot of water," Bartholomew Broadbent told a captive crowd on Sunday evening. "That's more for washing hands." The charming and humorous vintner behind Broadbent Selections was one of the first voices we heard at the Autumn Harvest Wine Dinner, an evening of Broadbent's wine paired with fanciful, seasonal and intricate dishes prepared by Richmond's Longoven and Atlanta's Ryan Smith. The visiting chef flew in from Staplehouse, the Georgia restaurant recently named Bon Appétit's best new restaurant in the country. Longoven, by the way — still a pop-up series — also found its way to that list, albeit without a brick-and-mortar spot to call its own. Over the weekend, Smith and Longoven's trio of Andrew Manning, Patrick Phelan and Megan Fitzroy Phelan worked tirelessly to prep fermented cabbage, harvest greens and smoke aged duck breast, layering that complex and silky chicken-liver tart with care and sprinkling grated chestnut atop scallops, mushroom and cured egg with intensity. Through it all, Lewis Ginter's holiday lights sparkled around the trees flanking the windows of The Robins Tea House, a picturesque end to this year's event.
