The latest batch of Food News is ready for pickup below. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Remember That Place?
Restaurants with staying power deserve a shout-out, which is why we highlight a longstanding local favorite every month. This time around, we visit Africanne on Main, the vegetarian-friendly, pay-by-the-pound eatery led by chef Ida Mamusu and serving cuisine from the West African diaspora. (Richmond magazine)
Best Bites
Seeking a sweet something, sizzling seafood or just a nice slice? Our latest roundup of Best Bites features craveworthy offerings from a restaurant helmed by L’Opossum alums, mother-daughter confectioners in Mechanicsville and a pint-sized pizza shop. (Richmond magazine)
Dine and Donate
Feast at over 50 participating eateries during the third annual Chesterfield Restaurant Week, April 3-12. Since its inception, the number of participating restaurants in the event — which supports the Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center — has nearly doubled.
Softie Sightings
Calling all foodies who seek fleeting spring treasures: The first batch of soft-shell crabs has hit local restaurant menus, and the time of year for crisp battered delicacies is officially upon us. Italian eatery Dinamo has them covered in shreds of fresh basil, Yellow Umbrella Provisions has them in stock to take home, French bistro Beaucoup is serving them with clams and a smoked green onion broth, and Tuckahoe Seafood is boasting “fat, super soft, and nice and lively” softies from North Carolina.
ICYMI
The return of Sub Rosa Bakery following a fire marks a new chapter for the beloved business. P.S.: The shop’s panettone — the labor-intensive, lovingly prepared Italian treat laced with gianduja (chocolate and hazelnut) and candied orange — will make an appearance this weekend on a special holiday menu, along with the adorable Easter Egg Croissant, filled with Earl Grey cream and Cara Cara orange marmalade. (Richmond magazine)
Mobile barista Pi’s Coffee will introduce an Indian cafe downtown. (Richmond magazine)
A Venezuela native from a family of farmers has launched CheezTito, a local cheesemaking business specializing in South American staples. (Richmond magazine)
Check out the behind-the-scenes process of how oyster bar Birdie’s creates its cocktail menu. (Richmond magazine)
Her Honor: The James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for its restaurant and chef awards, the Oscars of the food world, this week. Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic nominee Leah Branch of The Roosevelt did not make it to the final round, but her nomination was a welcome dose of recognition for the Richmond food scene after a multiyear drought.
Fry-Day: On April 3, Good Friday, Jackson Ward’s Odd Bird is bringing pal Carlos Ordaz-Nunez, chef-owner of TBT El Gallo, to the home goods shop for a fish fry. Fun fact: TBT is introducing white sauce — the zippy, creamy, very Virginia, IYKYK ideal condiment for chips — at its Carytown taqueria.
Legends Never Die: A restaurant legend who touched the lives of Richmonders through her years at The Village Cafe and her namesake Greek restaurant and markets is being celebrated at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Visitors can find a section dedicated to the late Stella Dikos in the “We the People” exhibit, which shares stories of immigrants in the commonwealth (and even includes her signature bandana).
Seismic Shakeup: Sysco, aka the Amazon of food and beverage supply, is set to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot, the Brooklyn, New York-born, family-owned cash-and-carry wholesaler, in a $29.1 billion deal. The industry is bracing for change and what this deal, if approved, means for the fate of their businesses, particularly the country’s more than 250,000 independent, locally owned establishments. (Forbes)
Pie Pivot: Pastor turned pitmaster John Vest is pulling the plug on his barbecue business. He launched Redemption BBQ as a food truck in 2018 and operated a Henrico restaurant since late 2021, continually celebrating top-notch meat purveyors. In the meantime, he gained a reputation for a “secret” menu item: Chicago deep-dish pizza. Vest says he plans to step away from his ’cue venture due to rising meat prices and delayed expansion plans and will focus on increasing frozen pizza production.
Kitchen Collab: The Mayor owner and butcher Kyle Morse, Santana Hem of Hem and Her, and pastry chef Michal Shelkowitz are joining forces for a Chef Friends Spring Collab Dinner at The Mayor on April 14. Dishes include a spring onion steamed bun, shrimp salad with lemongrass vinaigrette and spring peas, and strawberry shortcake semifreddo with rhubarb. Tickets are $95.
Chicken Ranch: Richmond rotisserie royalty Chicken Fiesta is leveling up with a 114-acre ranch-restaurant-event space in Varina. (Richmond BizSense)
Little Bites
- The Latino Farmers Market, one of the only farmers markets where you can score Central and South American delicacies along with top-notch produce, is making its annual comeback. The market is kicking off the season in a new location at the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center, Hull campus, Saturday, April 4, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Breakfast pizza is a rarely spotted, highly coveted find. Rest Pizza, the forthcoming Jackson Ward concept, is a unicorn in the mix, serving up carbonara, chorizo hash and toasted strudel breakfast pies at the Saturday RVA Big Market in Bryan Park.
- Community-driven art space Studio Two Three in Manchester will soon host a new RVA Community Fridges location, complete with freezer and pantry, all housed in its own enclosed, protected structure.
- Cat cafe The Purrfect Bean has shared a six-month recap offering an inside look at its operations, chronicling everything from seasonal drinks made to kitties adopted (more than 200!).
- Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., a cafe chain with over three dozen locations, debuted a Richmond outpost at 9669 W. Broad St. last weekend.
Upcoming Events
- Sourdough 101 Workshop, Lakeside Farmers Market (April 3): Twisted Carrot Farm leads a beginner-level class on sourdough.
- Silent Dinner, Mekong (April 3): A gathering over Vietnamese for the deaf, deafblind, hard-of-hearing, CODA and ASL communities
- Sunday Picnic Spring Cake Decorating Workshop, Les Sardines Studio (April 4): Learn how to make floral-topped 4-inch cakes during the hands-on workshop.
- A Breakfast Plethora, Paix (April 4): TBT El Gallo will be on-site at the cafe serving breakfast burritos.
- Sunday Bagel Pop-up, Giorno Market (April 4): Sourdough bagels, loosies and housemade schmears
- Seafood Feast, Bar Buoy (April 5): The waterside-inspired restaurant is serving a four-person shareable seafood dinner.
- Bubbles & Blooms, Agecroft Hall (April 8): Walk among the nearly 5,000 tulips while sipping Champagne and noshing on wood-fired pizza.
- Beyond Rioja: Spain's Hidden Wine Region, Echelon Wine Bar (April 8): A guided tasting of six wines
- All About Garlic, The Kitchen Classroom (April 9): Celebrate the pungent clove and create everything from black garlic vinaigrette to spaghetti aglio e olio.
