Fresh mixed fruit juice at Ummah Market (Photo by Ryan Rich)
Beef Brisket Sandwich
$15 at The Fishin’ Pig, 4028 Cox Road, Glen Allen
The Richmond outpost of Farmville-based mini chain The Fishin’ Pig opened earlier this year, serving up Memphis-style barbecue and fresh seafood. As a fan of brisket, I recently tried the beef brisket sandwich. The sliced-to-order meat was so tender it melted in my mouth. I paired it with the housemade Carolina Vinegar sauce, but for anyone in the mood for a little more kick, the eatery’s Spicy Texas or Death Wish sauces will fit the bill. —Nicole Cohen
Mamaliga
$12 at Morty’s, 305 W. Brookland Park Blvd.
One of my signature dishes: meatballs. I can make a mean batch, and because of my Italian American upbringing and Philly-born parents (go, Birds!), I have been whipping them up every year for the holidays for as long as I’ve been able to reach the counter. Morty’s mamaliga is the closest re-creation of those familiar, soul-soothing flavors I’ve found outside my family’s kitchen. Two cevapi (rolled balls of ground beef and pork) arrive atop a warm bed of polenta and a luscious scoop of Sunday gravy. Comfort food at its finest. —Eileen Mellon
Fresh Mixed Fruit Juice
$7.99 at Ummah Market, 9864 W. Broad St.
As we pulled out of the Dollar Tree parking lot, giant plastic spiders in hand, I turned to my wife, equally fatigued by the unseasonable October heat, and asked, “Where can we get a cold drink?” Not five seconds later, she excitedly pointed to a vibrant produce stand outside neighboring Ummah Market. We were drawn in by rows upon rows of fresh fruit, a signal of the refreshment that awaited us. The mixed juice — mango, watermelon, lemon and orange, blended to perfection — was the oasis we were searching for. —Ryan Rich
