Another fall, another Richmond Folk Festival, and thankfully, for the last three years, this also means another Folk Feast: the annual Folk Fest kickoff event featuring an incredible array of food from some of the city's top restaurants, plus beer, wine and live music at Tredegar Iron Works. Last night, this year's sold-out event saw six new restaurants, a larger tent, better lighting and signage, no rain (!!!), plus increased attendance. Roughly 400 guests enjoyed live music from The Whiskey Rebellion and ate and drank from more than 20 local restaurants and vendors.
"We couldn't be more thrilled with the attendees and the restaurants," says Stephen Lecky, festival manager for Venture Richmond, the organization that produces both annual events. He adds, "I just think it's turned into one of the better food events in the city, and it all benefits the Folk Festival, which is great."
Rappahannock, Comfort, Pasture, Metzger Bar & Butchery, Shoryuken Ramen, The Daily Kitchen & Bar, The Hard Shell The Roosevelt, Saison, Mama J's, Dinner in the Field, Carena's Jamaican Grille, WPA Bakery, Southbound, Lucy's, Talley's Meat & Three, Coriander, Al's Truck, Pizza Tonight Restaurant & Bar, Wild Wolf Brewing Co. and Tap 26 all served up delicious fare as the sun set over Tredegar.
Check out our slideshow, below, and see photos of fanfare and dishes from one of the city's best new food events.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Representing The Roosevelt, Chef Lee Gregory served up a childhood memory: smoky catfish stew with Surry sausage and cornbread.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Mike Ledesma, corporate executive chef for Richmond Restaurant Group, offering blackened mahi mahi tacos from The Daily Kitchen & Bar.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Pizza Tonight Restaurant & Bar, coming soon to Shockoe Bottom, served wood-fired baby octopus with smashed roasted potatoes, Sausage Craft Italian sausage, parsley, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and Sicilian anchovies.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Metzger Bar & Butchery's Chef Brittanny Anderson handing off a bite of pork belly confit with caramelized figs in a reduced Gueuze beer sauce.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Comfort brought stewed soup beans with cornbread, bread-and-buttered pickled chiles and bacon jam.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
WPA Bakery brought a sea of profiteroles to the table.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Stephen Tuzeneu letting the wine flow freely at the Tap 26 truck.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Southbound's Chef Joe Sparatta served a vegetarian Reuben pasta with vegetable pastrami, crispy sauerkraut and rye noodles.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Shoryuken Ramen served a chasu chicken steamed bun with house-made pickles.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Coriander served its beef lahmajun with roasted beets and kale and grape salad.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Lucy's served local Monrovia Farm braised short ribs with pickled shallots and horseradish cream atop Byrd Mill grits.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Guests sampled small plates and enjoyed live music under the enormous tent at this year's Folk Feast.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Talley's Meat & Three brought smoked turkey with tomato-braised kale.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Pasture and Comfort, side by side.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Dishes from Carena's Jamaican Grille included this drunken rice pudding with fresh berries.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Saison served grilled baby back ribs in a red mole sauce, with Alabama white sauce potato salad.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Josh and Jessica Bufford, owners of Talley's Meat & Three, serving that smoked-turkey realness.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
The roast pork with red beans, rice and mango salsa by way of Carena's Jamaican Grille.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
The Hard Shell's lobster and lump crab cake with house-made tartar sauce
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
The Shoryuken team takes a break from serving up their bao Buns of Steam.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Pasture's creamed Carolina Gold rice grits with fennel sausage, goat cheese and pear
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Emanuela Louis (left) and Emma Davis of Mama J's serving up a variety of cakes, plus fried catfish, greens, mac 'n' cheese and candied yams.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Chefs Paige Healy and Gregorio Spinzo of Dinner in the Field served Maiale Ripieno: stuffed pork loin with wild mushrooms, Parmesan and onions.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Rappahannock kept guests warm with this oyster chowder.
