A fresh batch of Food News awaits below. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Meals for Miles
One of my top joys in life is plotting a trip: figuring out where I’m headed and, more importantly, what I’m going to eat. Fellow writer and food friend Stephanie Ganz and I teamed up to share vacation destinations in Virginia and beyond that boast plenty of edible moments and other adventures. From a direct flight to a Southern charmer to a small riverside town a short drive away, be prepared to feel the itch to travel. (Richmond magazine)
Remember That Place?
In our latest ode to restaurants with longevity, we take diners outside of the city to the bucolic town of Maidens. There, Tanglewood Ordinary stands as a nearly century-old Southern landmark rooted in country cooking, where servers treat guests like family and fried chicken and fixings are served atop gingham tablecloths. (Richmond magazine)
Best Bites
Each month, we reflect on our favorite meals and sips and deliver them to you in the form of Best Bites. This edition features a menu staple at a neighborhood mainstay known for hefty portions, a summery vegan dish that speaks to diners of all kinds and a memorable breakfast moment. (Richmond magazine)
Holiday Weekend
It is officially that time of year where summer is sweltering, I’m waiting for pool invites, and restaurants workers are taking a little time off. Before you get excited about a specific meal or satisfying a particular craving, make sure to check businesses’ Instagram accounts or websites for the most up-to-date hours. Some of the places that are off the clock at some point this weekend and even into next: 8 1/2, Dot’s Back Inn, Edo’s Squid, Grace, Janet’s Cafe & Bakery, L’Opossum, Perk! Coffee & Lunchbox, Second Bottle Wine and Snack Shop, Shagbark, and Slack Tide Fish Co.
Cook (or Eat) Out
- Summer feels incomplete without crab picking and throwing back briny ones, so gather the crew and navigate to Bar Buoy. The Scott’s Addition seafood restaurant has preorders open for steamed blue crabs by the dozen, along with Matheson Oyster Wavelengths. There’s also a Riptide Rager Brunch on Sunday.
- Belmont Butchery is always stocked with the goods, from wagyu dogs to brats and bacon (BLTs!).
- Too many people skimp on a sweet something when it comes to a barbecue. Luckily, Union Market stocks quarts of Mod Macaron Studio’s banana pudding, and the salted caramel version is a game-changer.
- If summer fruit is more your style, Agriberry Farms is selling red, white and fruit specials at all markets this weekend that feature a pint of strawberries, peaches and two boxes of blueberries.
- Jane Dough, the pop-up and forthcoming Bellevue bakery, is boasting a tomato-centric menu July 4 at Celladora Wines and Dorey Park Farmers Market.
- Leave the hot dogs and hot bottles up to the wine pros at Jardin. They’re throwing a cookout on the patio on July 4 and offering wine packs to go.
Mark Those Calendars
Positively Delicious, the tasting event and fundraising bash from RVADine OGs Michele Jones and Jason Alley is back on July 11, and this year brings a beachy theme. On the lineup: Stanley’s, Shyndigz and Yellow Umbrella; drinks from Salt & Acid; and appearances and bites from Christine Wansleben of Mise en Place, Mike Lindsey of Lindsey Food Group and Sunny Baweja of Lehja, along with out-of-town chefs Nicholas Steffanelli of Masseris DC, and Darryl Boyd of Midnight Shift in Lubbock, Texas.
ICYMI
East End Fish Co. aims to put sustainable seafood on the plate. (Richmond magazine)
Go bananas with the tropical fruit in refreshing summer cocktails. (Richmond magazine)
A trio of local cheesemongers spent the weekend competing at the annual Cheesemonger Invitational in New York. (Richmond magazine)
New Laws: July 1 brings with it a new set of legislation. Restaurants will no longer be able to use styrofoam containers; cottage bakers can now sell their food online direct to consumers, allowing them to ship within the state; and delivery and carryout food must clearly state if it has been altered due to a food allergy or sensitivity.
Little Bites
- After a year, butchery and restaurant The Mayor is shutting the doors of its Carytown brick-and-mortar eatery on July 4. Owner Kyle Morse says that he plans to continue to pop up at events, be a weekly fixture at local farmers markets and sell his products on the retail circuit.
- Following 30-plus years of fufu and pepper soup and curry wings that spoke to the African diaspora, chef Ida MaMusu has closed the doors of her namesake restaurant and announced retirement and a return to Liberia. Africanne on Main closed on June 27.
- Secrets Cocktail Garden, a multilevel Southern-inspired restaurant and cocktail lounge is now open in Jackson Ward.
- In the East End, Sarah & Co. Cafe, a coffee shop from Urban Hang Suite owner Kelli Lemon in partnership with Bon Secours, is officially open.
- Indie favorite Fountain Bookstore is launching a cookbook and supper club. Once a month they’ll dive into a cookbook, and first up is “Let’s Party” from internet sensation Grossy Pelosi (known on his birth certificate as Dan Pelosi) on July 19.
- According to Food & Wine’s recent article “Bottles That Changed American Vines,” Virginia’s moment in our nation’s 250 years came into play in 1976, when Italian Gianni Zonin founded Barboursville Vineyards. (Food & Wine)
Upcoming Events
- 93 Million Takeover, Blanchard’s Coffee Morris Street (July 3-5): Ninety Three Million coffee, known for offbeat beans and co-ferments will be offered exclusively.
- Sourdough 101 Workshop, Lakeside Farmers Market (July 3): Learn the ins and outs of sourdough baking and caring for a starter.
- First Friday, Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe (July 3): Beer and wine, Ethiopian food, and a live DJ
- Red, White and Blue Bee, Blue Bee Cider (July 4): Stoking the grill, rocket pop slushies and tie-dye are on the itinerary
- Queer Vegan Cook Out, Gold Lion Community Cafe (July 4): A donation-based event to help benefit Gold Lion Community Cafe during a slow season
- Grisette Presents Lunch, Grisette (July 4): Catch lunch before the restaurant takes a few days off.
- Latino Farmers Market, 13900 Hull Street Road (July 4): Shop Latin-owned purveyors, farmers and food vendors.
- Summer Supper Somm, Daisy’s at Tredegar (July 8): The tour de tomato begins with a reservation-only dinner.
