Order up: a savory stack of the latest Food News (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Passport on a Plate
Ethiopian breakfast plates, slow-stewed flavors of Venezuela, Mexican tacos and aguas frescas, and a fiery pillar of southern Thai cuisine — Richmond is booming with a bounty of international dining options that traverse the globe. If you’re craving an edible adventure and don’t want to go far, we’ve got a list of local stops that transport diners abroad. (Richmond magazine)
Dinner at Leni’s
Leni Sorensen is an OG chef and culinary historian — and she lives right here in Virginia. A fierce advocate of preservation, Sorensen keeps a massive cookbook collection, a fridge lined with ferments and, most importantly, an eagerness to pass on her knowledge. The 84-year-old chef and teacher is inviting guests onto her Blue Ridge property in Crozet for her ongoing history dinner series and cooking classes. (Richmond magazine)
Purveyor: Annette’s Vegan Bakery
The owner of Annette’s Vegan Bakery has embraced his mother’s “do what makes you happy” philosophy, which for him translates to making cookies. The dairy-free treats in classic and fun flavors can be spotted everywhere from plant-based standby 821 Cafe to the recently opened Yummvees. (Richmond magazine)
ICYMI
Jackson Ward Jamaican takeout spot Liddy’s Kitchen will evolve into a full-scale restaurant with dine-in service in the coming weeks. (Richmond magazine)
Fan wine bar Jardin is now operating as an all-day cafe, fueled in the morning by Afterglow espresso and pastries and bread from in-house bakery Petit Four. (Richmond magazine)
Get acquainted with the South Side bar gaining a loyal following for its expertly crafted cocktails. (Richmond magazine)
Keera Mason of The Roosevelt shares her journey to line cook at one of the city’s buzziest restaurants. (Richmond magazine)
Make a Fuss: Psst, there’s a new speakeasy in town, and it opens next week. Slack Tide Fish Co. is unveiling the latest addition to the Ballast development: Fuss & Feathers, a cocktail lounge dripping in moody, apothecary-meets-hunting-lodge vibes. The name nods to Winfield Scott — namesake of Scott’s Addition and a presidential hopeful in the 1850s — while the menu leans “garden-to-bar” on the cocktail side and French farmhouse in the kitchen.
Sweet Moment: Tina Chan is the matriarch and owner behind the Museum District’s longstanding China Panda restaurant. While she’s shared her Chinese sweets with family and fellow churchgoers, this week marks a special occasion: her first pop-up baking event. Through May 23, China Panda is hosting a morning bakery dubbed Sons of China Panda, featuring Tina’s “church famous” egg tarts, “not-too-sweet” sticky rice cakes, rotating flavors of roll cakes, fresh mochi and pourover coffee. Chan’s son Michael Chen says, “If we get enough momentum, we might convince Tina to keep some of her bakery items on the menu year-round.” (Style Weekly)
Rabble On: Partners in life and sandwich making, Mira Anniballi and Micah Head are hosting their inaugural Rabble pop-up May 31 at Beaucoup. Both hold down industry gigs, with Micah on the line at Slack Tide Fish Co. and Mira working as a server and dishwasher at Beaucoup (soon moving to Grisette). Their debut menu ricochets among Filipino, New Orleans, Mexican and Korean flavors, from a longganisa sausage po’boy with punchy housemade atchara pickles to a Korean barbecue sando with kimchi pickles and a quesabirria French dip built for dunking. Wash it down with The Bend and (Ginger) Snap, housemade Dreamsicle soda and cold PBRs. “Both Mira and I see food service as a means of bringing folks together and wanted the name to reflect that,” Head says. “Traditionally, ‘rabble’ has been used to refer to the lower/working classes, which encompasses so many of us in the service industry. Rabble is for the community.”
Setting Sail: After a six-year run in the kitchen at Alewife, chef Matt Brusca has bid the Church Hill seafood restaurant farewell. If you find yourself in the Deep South and craving his cooking, Brusca is headed to Parish Restaurant & Bar in Monroe, Louisiana.
The Georgians Are Coming: Calling all natural wine enthusiasts: On Tuesday, May 26, Celladora Wines is hosting a double-header of events, kicking off at 5:15 p.m. with a seated, resos-only tasting of seven wines. At 7 p.m., owner Megan Hopkins will be popping bottles from four visiting Georgian winemakers while chef Ben Burakoff and Sub Rosa Bakery owner Evrim Dogu collaborate in the kitchen.
Mark That Calendar: If you are counting down the days until Oro opens, fueling the in-between time with their freshmade pasta, chef Laine Myers is offering patrons a peek of what’s to come at the new restaurant with a multicourse dinner June 7 at Sub Rosa Bakery.
RVADine Debuts
- With over 300 locations in the country, and over a dozen in Virginia, global bakery chain Paris Baguette entered the Richmond region last week with an outpost at 3524 Pump Road. PB is known for bringing French techniques to Japanese- and South Korean-style pastries from sticky milk buns and mochi doughnuts to fruit tarts and soft cream cakes.
- Roots Natural Kitchen is introducing its fourth area restaurant at 4101 Dominion Blvd. on June 6. Fun fact: The Charlottesville-born salad and grain bowl chain was the creation of a UVA economics grad, with locations in college towns along the East Coast. (News release)
- The ridiculously popular — or “viral,” as the kids say — food truck Flavor Hive has built a nest in Glen Allen. The walking tacos concept, where you bring your own bag of chips and they load them with toppings, opens today at 1080 Virginia Center Parkway. This marks their first brick-and-mortar space in the area, with many more in the DMV.
Upcoming Events
- Art of Wine, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (May 22): A gathering inspired by the latest exhibit on the Mughal Empire, featuring opulent vintages and bites from Lehja
- Tea and Herb Blending Workshop, Lakeside Farmers Market (May 23): Twisted Carrot Farm and Market hosts a guided session on the art of tea.
- Indian & Sri Lankan Food Festival, Tabernacle Pentecostal Church (May 23): Celebrate the cuisine of South Asia.
- Profs & Pints: Life Hacks for Distracted Brains, Triple Crossing Beer Fulton (May 27): Dive into the world of distractions and learn how to stay focused, brew in hand.
- Sauvignon Blanc Around the World, Echelon Wine Bar (May 27): A guided tasting exploring the white grape and its terroir
- 48th Annual Greek Festival, Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral (May 28-31): Festivities kick off next Thursday for the very Richmond tradition featuring Greek fare and baked goods.
- Minusculo Mercado, Giorno Market (May 29): Special appearances vintage purveyors, Davvero Gelato and more
