Richmond Food News: Dec. 19-25

Adarra in Oregon Hill, New Year’s nosh and more

A Sequel and a Statement 

Randall and Lyne Doetzer, owners of Spanish-inspired restaurant Adarra, recently reintroduced their magnum opus in its forever home, a deeply personal project 2 1/2 years in the making. Leaving their original location in Jackson Ward, the duo have taken over the former site of Mamma Zu in Oregon Hill, breathing new life into one of the city’s most iconic restaurant spaces. (Richmond magazine)

Party Like It’s 2025

Whether you prefer to be cozy on the couch when the clock strikes midnight, are looking for a nice meal and an early exit, or prefer to release your inner party animal, a wealth of year-end edible adventures await this New Year’s Eve in Richmond. (Richmond magazine)

Spotlight: Leah Branch 

In our latest Spotlight feature, we caught up with a Chesterfield native who continually brings playful touches to the plate: Leah Branch, executive chef at Church Hill’s The Roosevelt. Learn more about the Southern food queen, from her adoration for Australian punk rock to bathtub reading essentials and a dish she simply can’t stand. (Richmond magazine) 

The Finishing Touch 

If there is one ingredient most home cooks rely on every day, it’s olive oil. Luckily for us, Robert Granados, one of just 200 olive oil sommeliers in the country, calls RVA home. Helming specialty store Richmond Olive Oil Co. in Carytown, Granados will happily get nerdy and discuss the ins and outs of his well-stocked collection of oils (and vinegars, too), from growing regions to cultivars. (Richmond magazine)

ICYMI 

With a focus on low-and-slow cooking, a crew that earned their chops at L’Opossum, Pinky’s and Edo’s Squid plan to open Brazen in the coming weeks. (Richmond magazine)

Hit the slopes at Hotel Greene, which has undergone an apres-ski transformation for the holidays, bevvies included. (Richmond magazine)

Get cozy with a roundup of seasonal sippers in Richmond, from a dairy-free pecan-maple latte to a sugar cookie eggnog smash. (Richmond magazine)

Richmond Times-Dispatch food critic Justin Lo offered a bit of intel online over the weekend, sharing a post from the longstanding family-owned Seoul Restaurant that noted its plans to shutter. Located at 9900 Midlothian Turnpike, the Korean eatery will close its doors Dec. 22.

Embracing seasonality, shucking and the spirit of secrecy, Petersburg’s tongue-and-cheek dining destination Oyster Society has announced that its last day of service is Dec. 29.

Things are getting a little weird in Stockholm, where Omnipollo brewery has released an exclusive Triple Amun Oat Milk Triple IPA inspired by friends from across the pond: The Veil Brewing Co.

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for the baker in your life, your search is over: James Beard Award-nominated Sub Rosa Bakery in Church Hill, which remains closed due to a fire at the end of November, is now selling bags of its sifted wheat flour at Yellow Umbrella Provisions (also available at Second Bottle Wine and Snack Shop), with all proceeds benefiting the bakery. 

In the new year, Whisk bakery plans to introduce a cafe in the Library of Virginia at 800 E. Broad St. The space was previously occupied by Can Can Cafe, which closed after The Housepitality Group purchased the business along with Can Can Brasserie in Carytown; the latter remains open. (Richmond BizSense) 

Born from a Los Angeles pop-up and catapulting to crispy, crunchy success, Dave’s Hot Chicken — known for its Nashville-style hot sandwich and lineup of celeb investors — is now open at 11525 W. Broad St. in Short Pump. (News release)

After two years of planning and plotting, Parousia Coffee is now pouring coffee at its new brick-and-mortar cafe in Scott’s Addition. Originally pulling into the RVA Big Market with a mobile venture, Parousia debuted earlier this week at 2900 W. Clay St. Fun fact: They make all their syrups in-house and list ingredients on the menu.

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