
After debuting in October, Memi’s, an Egyptian-inspired restaurant in the Fan, has officially opened its upstairs cocktail lounge, dubbed Amar. Head below for more of the week’s Food News. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Opening (Again) Soon: Surrounding Counties
A month after closing its doors and shutting down Henrico’s unofficial kolache headquarters, specialty coffee shop Surrounding Counties is being resurrected. In March, the business will reopen as a takeout-only eatery with a new set of owners, same menu and a familiar face behind the counter. (Richmond magazine)
Tales From the Cart
Grocery shopping is a deeply personal affair, a blend of spontaneity and purpose. If your dopamine levels spike and your eyes go wide when stepping into international supermarket wonderland Lotte Plaza Market, keep reading for a little shop-and-tell. We quizzed a crew of locals from a food scientist to a chef and cooking instructor about the items that always land in their carts, fave impulse purchases, unexpected finds and more. (Richmond magazine)
Spotlight: Carlos Ordaz-Nunez
In our latest Spotlight feature, we check in with Carlos Ordaz-Nunez. The owner of Cary Street taqueria TBT El Gallo talks about his adoration for ink, soft spot for sitcoms and the bygone RVA sandwich that lives rent free in his brain. (Richmond magazine)
ICYMI
Carytown is now home to Ripple Ray’s, a tie-dye-heavy dive bar, restaurant and music venue dedicated to the Grateful Dead. (Richmond magazine)
Chicago-style deep dish pizza is on the menu in Richmond at Redemption BBQ and Market. (Richmond magazine)
Starting in May, the Richmond Grower’s Market will be held every Saturday at Legend Brewing Co. in Manchester. (Richmond magazine)
Check out KavaClub, Richmond’s sober bar and gathering place. (Richmond magazine)
Ice Cream Royalty: Cue a celebratory come-up song and raise a Chomp ice cream sandwich to Hannah Pollack and Xavier Meers. The spouses and founders of Richmond-based Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches have landed four-packs of the hand-held treats in 2,000 Kroger stores nationwide.
Vegan Strong: A supersized, plant-based dining tour de force, Vegan 72x2 kicked off earlier this week and continues through Jan. 26. Offering everything from vegan riffs on Ukrop’s rainbow cookies to crunchy butter “chicken” and dosa waffles, dozens of area restaurants are serving up vegan food and drink specials for the eighth annual event.
Soft Reopening: On Jan. 24, Tokyo Market will reopen its doors for the first time following the loss of the store’s dedicated owner, Chong Akiba, at the end of December. For feel-good scrolling, check out the shop’s Instagram, which is flooded with comments and touching stories from community members expressing their gratitude for Akiba and support for her family.
Mix It Up: While Davvero Gelato owner Layne Montgomery is abroad scheming up new flavors to bring back to her Lakeside ice cream shop, Mix Mix is holding it down on-site with a mini-residency. The pop-up draws influences from its founder’s Filipino and Puerto Rican heritage and is stocking tubs of black sesame coconut, ube, brownie batter and calamansi lemon in the freezer case. For a nostalgic trip back to childhood moments of being face-deep in a bowl of Lucky Charms, double down and order the ube with ube whipped cream.
Feast of Fortune: The forthcoming Lunar New Year (kicking off the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac) starts Wednesday, Jan. 29, and continues through Feb. 12. Looking to make the most of this new beginning? We have a few suggestions.
- Mr. Noodle for hand-pulled cumin lamb noodles and a side of soup dumplings (one of the only places in town to secure them)
- Chile oil grilled fish at Cheng Du (Bring a squad of friends for this one.)
- Weekend dim sum at Cantonese Kitchen
- Decadent Peking duck followed by sweet soft tofu at Full Kee
Got the Beet: Cary Street juice bar and smoothie spot The Beet Box is spreading its fresh-squeezed fruity goodness eastward. Planning for a February opening, the new outpost will take over the recently shuttered North End Juice Co. location in Union Hill. (Richmond BizSense)
Corner the Market: With a few dozen locations in the U.S., Emmy Squared Pizza, a Detroit-style ’za chain born in Brooklyn, New York, is coming to Short Pump. (Richmond BizSense)
RVA Love
Known for keep-it-coming naan and giving Short Pump dining some serious clout, Lehja and its 2,200-plus bottle collection recently landed a spot on a list of 13 Indian Restaurants Where Wines Take the Spotlight from Wine Spectator magazine.
Upcoming Events
- Queer Craft Pot Luck, Stir Crazy Cafe (Jan. 23): Bring a dish to the community potluck and craft hour.
- Night of the Cockatrice, Cobra Burger (Jan. 26): Sammies and spuds, plus cocktails from Nightcrawler out of Asheville, North Carolina
- Burns Night, Reservoir Distillery (Jan. 26): Belmont Butchery joins the Scott’s Addition distillery for a special evening dedicated to the great Scottish poet.
- Richmond Cheesesteak Factory Pop-up, Benchtop Brewing Co. (Jan. 26): A clash of NFC Conference-inspired cheesesteaks
- Snake Love: Lunar New Year Tea + Surprises, Quarry (Jan. 29): Tea sampling, art making and more