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A taste of the 2022 Folk Feast: Roasted autumn butternut squash bisque with duck confit, Shenandoah apples and a drizzle of Virginia maple syrup from Shagbark. The dish was a favorite, offering a well-balanced and comforting fall dish on a cool and gusty evening.
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Cauliflower, smoked gouda, pickled red onion, fried quinoa and herbs from Jackson Ward’s Saison
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Shuttered Second Street restaurant Lucy’s has reintroduced itself as Lucy’s Reserve, offering homey private dining experiences. For the Folk Feast, they served Monrovia Farm dry-aged and grilled beef with horseradish mashed potatoes.
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Prahok ktiss, a heat-kissed and flavor-packed pork belly dip with kaffir lime, turmeric, lemongrass, coconut milk, fish sauce, chiles, cucumber and radish from the Cambodian-inspired Royal Pig
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Gomen (slow-cooked collard greens) and misir wat (red lentil stew) served with injera flatbread and a side of azifa (zesty lentils with diced onions, jalapenos, mustard and lemon juice) from Nile
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A spaghetti slider from The Lobby Bar at Quirk Hotel with bucatini mezze pasta, amatriciana sauce, aged Parmesan and arugula on a housemade roll
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An arepa with black beans, pico de gallo, avocado crema and cotija cheese from Blue Atlas
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The Roosevelt showcased a crawfish roll with Hatch pepper remoulade and finger lime topped with malt vinegar popcorn.
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Fried duck confit rillette from EAT Restaurant Partners with poblano romesco, baby Yukon Gold potatoes, chile-garlic crisp and micro cilantro
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A char siu barbecue chicken steamed bun from Kudzu RVA with bourbon hoisin sauce, amazu pickle, slaw, scallion and savory granola
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The quintessential Mama J’s platter: collard greens, fried catfish nuggets, and mac and cheese
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Braised beef with polenta, collards, pickled pepper and chile oil from Common House
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The Drop Off Chef offered wings and cauliwings with over 30 sauces and dry rubs.
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Lehja served its celebrated chaat with a local twist. The crunchy Indian street snack of puffed rice featured Virginia corn and peanuts, onion, tomatoes, mint-mango-lime chutney, and date-tamarind chutney.
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Strawberry crunch cake bite and a chocolate blackout bite from River City Chocolate
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The event on Oct. 3 marked the return of the event following a pandemic hiatus.
Folk It Up
A true sign of fall in the city, the annual Richmond Folk Festival is a jam-packed weekend of music on and around Brown’s Island with thousands of attendees. Prior to the tunes, however, another yearly tradition is the Folk Feast, the unofficial pre-party and edible fundraiser for the festival featuring bites from chefs across the region. Nearly 500 people savored small plates at the sold-out event on Monday, Oct. 3, including a butternut squash bisque from Shagbark that I would purchase by the vat, a comforting turmeric- and kaffir lime-spiked pork belly dip from Royal Pig, and much more. Take a trip through our photo gallery above for a taste of the festivities. (Richmond magazine)
The Jewel on the Hill
Known for its “full pours and honest prices,” The Jasper is doubling down on a new cocktail concept in Union Hill. The crew behind the Carytown watering hole have unveiled details for The Emerald Lounge, a swanky, retro, island-esque venture inspired by the bars of 1920s Cuba and 1970s Los Angeles. Neighboring their forthcoming noodle project, Slurp Ramen, the cocktail lair will begin serving spiked slushies and more early next year. (Richmond magazine)
‘Let’s Meet, Let’s Eat’
Richmond loves its food, and in turn, we are home to a community of culinarily-minded humans. A bit like Airbnb, but for food and food-adjacent experiences, the new platform FoodiePath offers interactive dining events hosted by locals, many of them in a home setting, from blending your own tea to creating an eye-catching charcuterie board. (Richmond magazine)
Neat Pour
A onetime whiskey hater turned connoisseur of the spirit, Reservoir Distillery’s Shelly Sackier is an encyclopedia of whiskey knowledge, and her gig as director of distillery education for Reservoir allows her to share it. We caught up with the Wisconsin native, who has an innate curiosity and a serious bottle collection, to talk about her new book and the sip that sparked it all. (Richmond magazine)
RVADine Additions
Another downtown food business has plans to cross Nickel Bridge to the South Side, this time health-friendly Goatocado. The future fast-casual eatery owned by Ian Newell — who also scooped up the suite next door for a to-be-determined concept — is located at 1205 Westover Hills Blvd. (Richmond BizSense)
Lindsey Food Group, the burgeoning hospitality biz from the husband-and-wife team Mike Lindsey and Kimberly Love-Lindsey (Lillie Pearl, Buttermilk and Honey, Jubilee) has done it again. ML Steak opened on Wednesday at 328 E. Broad St., taking over the shuttered Fatty Smokes space. Patrons can find modern takes on steakhouse classics on the menu, including a filet medallion flight, bone-in rib-eye and a number of smoked meats.
Speaking of husband-and-wife teams, Carlos and Adrienne Londoño — owners of La Bodega, Papi’s, Casa Fiesta Mexican Kitchen & Cantina, and Margarita’s Cantina — have added to their growing portfolio with the introduction of Besos Mexican Kitchen and Cantina, which took over the Bombay Co. at Rocketts Landing. (Richmond BizSense)
ICYMI
Coffee service, croissants and a serious book collection await guests at Can Can Cafe, a breakfast and lunch spot from the Carytown French brasserie coming soon to the Library of Virginia. (Richmond magazine)
A juicy sign of fall, Concord grapes are officially in season, and we have all the deets you need on the vibrant fruit. (Richmond magazine)
Disco, dancing and dim sum collide in the story of DJ pop-up Love Club. (Richmond magazine)
The Indian holiday Diwali is approaching, and baker Keya Wingfield shares a recipe for super stackable and sweet coconut-cheesecake laddoos. (Richmond magazine)
Got a hot date with “Hocus Pocus 2” and a cozy blanket this weekend? Take things up a notch with a handful of seriously unusual and scary-good libations from Fat Dragon, L’Opossum, Jubilee and Sabai. Speaking of “Hocus Pocus,” I had to share this amazing creation from Layers Cake Studio. (Richmond magazine)
Longstanding Henrico restaurant India K’ Raja was vandalized with vulgar and racist graffiti last weekend. The hate crime coincided with the 27th anniversary of the family-owned eatery. Owner Tony Sappal says, “Nobody has ever displayed that kind of anger or hate to us.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
From the nation’s capitol to the capital of Virginia, Richmond is slowly becoming a hub for D.C.-based restaurants. In the coming months, Casta’s Rum Bar plans to roll out a second location at 700 E. Main St. The space will feature a 31-foot bar, over 125 rums and Cuban-inspired cuisine. On the flip side, restaurateur Peter Chang, whose namesake eatery is a Richmond favorite, will debut his first-ever D.C. outpost, Chang Chang, on Oct. 8. (WRIC, Eater DC)
After putting its Scott’s Addition taproom and production facility on the market in August, Blue Bee Cider is under contract to be sold. Details surrounding the fate of the cidery, including the property’s new owners, have not been disclosed. (Richmond BizSense)
One of Richmond’s longest-running food celebrations, Richmond Restaurant Week, is around the bend — mark those calendars for Oct. 24-30.
RVA Love
With its decadent fried chicken, sweet corn muffins and must-order rum cake, Mama J’s knows a thing or two about food for the soul. In a 25-list roundup of “25 Outstanding Restaurants Worth the Drive,” Garden & Gun recently showed the Jackson Ward staple some love.
Upcoming Events
- Olivia Wilson Pop-up, Boketto Wellness (Oct. 7): The former Brenner Pass pastry chef introduces a menu of mini cakes, late-summer slices, dark chocolate and doenjang cookies, and milk bread.
- Carnival-themed Pop-up, Sweet Fix (Oct. 7-8): Carnival-inspired baked goods, including vegan and gluten-free options
- U.S. Coffee Championships Prelims, Blanchard’s Coffee (Oct. 7-9): A buzzy competition featuring premier producers during one of coffee’s biggest annual events
- Pop-up, Recluse Roasting Project (Oct. 8): The alleyway cafe returns for a Saturday morning of coffee, Monte Cristos and brunch treats from 1115 Mobile Kitchen.
- Agriberry Farm Visit Day, Agriberry Farm (Oct. 8): Check out the Hanover farm in person and pick yourself some raspberries.
- Sprezza Pop-up, Helen’s (Oct. 9): A fall-inspired sneak peek at the forthcoming Shockoe Bottom Italian restaurant
- Oro Pop-up, The Jasper (Oct. 9): Fall squash, wagyu sirloin tartare, 100-layer lasagna and more
- Chile Chill Out, Cocodrilo (Oct. 10): A spicy, multicourse evening and local kickoff of the ongoing chile-centric dinner series
- Two Technique Tuesday, Mise en Place (Oct. 11): Brush up on your cast iron and roasting skills during the in-person class.
- Young Mother Pop-up, Restaurant Adarra (Oct. 11): An intimate evening of dishes that draw influences from Japan and Korea
