Soft-shell season is in full swing at area restaurants; head below for details and all of the week’s Food News. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Seconda Famiglia
Spouses Peter and Georgia Riccobono were born and raised in New York. They both come from big, proud Italian families, and they have a vision of bringing a taste of their heritage to Richmond. This week, the couple introduced a second location of their Italian market and deli, Polpetti, on Harrison Street near Virginia Commonwealth University. The new space is currently open for breakfast and lunch, slinging bagel sandwiches, hefty hoagies and locally made Italian-style gelato. (Richmond magazine)
Matcha Madness
Matcha, the finely ground Japanese green tea, is having a mainstream moment. Popping up on food and drink menus all over, it adds a lovely earthiness to everything it encounters. In our latest roundup of 5 Faves, we celebrate the ingredient in a variety of local creations, including a boozy daiquiri, a cool treat and Asian-inspired baked goods. (Richmond magazine)
Roam if You Want To
With the sunny days and impending summertime comes an innate desire to get outside and live a little. If you’re like me, the destination is often determined by the possibility of discovering top eats. From an Airstream trailer cranking out chef-driven fare in the foothills of the Alleghenies to a coastal gem promising oysters and orange crushes, Stephanie Ganz and I map out seven delicious day trip destinations. (Richmond magazine)
Back in the Nest
For market-goers in search of a no-frills, weekday, producer-heavy shopping experience, the in-person edition of the small but mighty Birdhouse Farmers Market has made its seasonal return. Experiencing a bountiful boom in recent years, the Tuesday lineup has grown from longtime purveyors including Tomten Farm and Amy’s Garden to newer additions such as Indian-influenced coffee pop-up Pi’s and jam and spread vendor VegTable. Bonus: This year there’s a dedicated bread aisle, featuring phenomenal producers from Sunday Bagel (Is this the low-key, no-line chance to secure them?) to Sub Rosa Bakery, RVA Bakehouse and Europa Crust.
ICYMI
Bagel fans have a new shop to visit in town: Julio’s Bagels is officially serving up boiled and baked sourdough rounds in North Side. (Richmond magazine)
Domesticity maven Martha Stewart regales Richmond Forum guests with stories from her life. (Richmond magazine)
Catch our latest edition of Best Bites, featuring my favorite falafel in the city and other dishes we can’t stop dreaming about. (Richmond magazine)
Cocktail consultant and beverage ace Beth Dixon spills the deets on everything from her ingredients of choice to favorite nights out in our interview. (Richmond magazine)
A.M. Addition: Fuel the day ahead with a visit to Yellow Umbrella Provisions’ walk-up window, which is now adding brekkie to the mix. The original location on Patterson Avenue is now serving morning meals from its outside counter Tuesday through Saturday from 8 to 10 a.m. with a menu that includes acai bowls, a breakfast burrito, and egg and cheese sandos.
A Slice and a Song: Carver bakery Pies and Cakes is partnering with Virginia Repertory Theatre in a dramatically tasty matchup. For the upcoming run of “Waitress,” a musical that chronicles a server and baker who enters a life-changing pie contest, the Virginia Rep concession stand will offer a local choice: mini pies whipped up by Pies and Cakes owner Chastity Hise.
Live From Richmond: The high-intensity Gordon Ramsay-produced cooking competition “MasterChef” is hitting the road. On Sept. 24, the show will host a live all-stars edition at Dominion Energy Center. The premise: Amateur and home chefs compete to win the title of MasterChef. Tickets are currently on sale. (News release)
On the Hunt: For all you soft-shell fiends, the tender crabs are popping up everywhere in Richmond right now. I had my first at Lillian a few weeks ago and have since spotted them on the specials board at Dinamo, Dot’s Back Inn, The Emerald Lounge, The Lilly Pad and more area eateries.
The Wish List
Three local places on my radar:
- Tamale Factory: I’m originally from Philly, so whenever I see “factory” in a name, my mind goes to the Philly Pretzel Factory, the carb-y chain with over 150 outposts. But mass consumption is not the name of the game at Chesterfield’s Tamale Factory. Located at 10094 Midlothian Turnpike, this family-owned Mexican restaurant helmed by a Monterrey, Mexico, native is just over a month old, specializing in fresh tortillas, authentic tamales, hefty burritos and housemade agua frescas.
- Mama Luisa: These chicharrones look insane, and I feel like I’ve found a new crispy, crunchy supplier. Find the Mama Luisa food truck parked each week at the Latino Farmers Market, which made its debut last year and runs until Nov. 1. Mama Luisa is helmed by a Dominican Republic native who makes Latin-influenced food ranging from bollitos de yuca (a fried cheese ball made with the starchy root vegetable) to stuffed sweet plantains. P.S.: Speaking of the market, La Sabrosita Bakery will give free bread to the first 300 moms in attendance this Saturday.
- Yak Yai Thai: Shockoe Bottom is now home to Yak Yai Thai, opened at the end of March at 1703 E. Franklin St.
In Other Food News
The New York Times just released a look at 25 Years of Dining in New York City, and it’s a flavorful foray down memory lane, analyzing the first quarter century of the current millennium and the evolution of food. While NYC is the focus, the mentions of Bourdain-isms, the rise of Yelp and pandemic pivots are worth a read.
Upcoming Events
- Nomad Coffee Pop-up, Various locations (May 8-12): A traveling coffee truck with sights on Richmond is in town for a mini residency.
- Coffee and a Cocktail, Le Cache Dulcet (May 9): A coffee tasting from Coffee Liberated plus a lesson on (and tasting of) espresso martinis.
- Seashell Pop-up, Brenner Pass (May 10): The patio transforms into a Tidewater-themed seafood party every other Saturday. This week: Virginia oysters, blue crabs and tuna.
- Scott’s Shawarma Grand Opening, Scott’s Shawarma (May 10): The new Jackson Ward outpost is hosting a grand-opening party with 50% off the entire menu.
- Final Pop-up, Sugar & Salt (May 10): Say farewell to the Jackson Ward treat shop during its last hurrah.
- To Dye For - An Introduction to Tie Dye, Black Heath Meadery (May 10): Sip on mead as owner and tie-dye expert Bill Cavender hosts a session on the art of colorful clothing.
- Sunday Bagel Pop-up, Field (May 11): Place a preorder or pop by for loose bagels, sandwiches and flowers from Field.
- Mother’s Day at Blue Bee Cider, Blue Bee Cider (May 11): Package deals for $40 including a pizza, or charcuterie, cider or wine, and dessert
- The Art of the Cocktail, Virago Spirits (May 13): An exploration of Prohibition-era cocktails with tastings and demos
- Rosé Crawl, Libbie Mill-Midtown (May 15): A self-guided crawl with participants including Acacia Midtown, Crafted, Shagbark and Yellow Umbrella Provisions pouring glasses of the unofficial wine of summer
