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Cocodrilo’s oak-grilled lamb ribs with guajillo barbecue and chile crunch (Photo by Justin Chesney)
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(From left) Brandon MacConnell, Tara Schleinkofer and Brad Slemaker stand in front of a mural in the Cocodrilo dining room by local artist Nils Westergard. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
Cocodrilo
5811 Grove Ave., cocodrilorva.com
Three of the four leaders of Cocodrilo, coming soon to the Grove Avenue corridor, built their restaurant chops through stints at The Jefferson Hotel’s white-tableclothed, Southern-tinged Lemaire.
At the forefront of the venture are executive chefs and co-owners Brad Slemaker, current chef of River City Roll, and Brandon MacConnell, most notably of Walter Bundy’s Shagbark, along with General Manager Tara Schleinkofer, who spent almost a decade at Lemaire.
Slemaker and MacConnell were originally approached about the project in late 2020 by River City Roll owner and Libbie-Grove resident Rob Long, the final partner in the project.
Taking over the shuttered Cafe Caturra space, the restaurant serves as a metaphor for the team of owners: a reintroduction to the dining community following major career changes in the hospitality world — a fresh chapter.
“This is a new beginning, a new vision for us,” MacConnell says. “It will be the same caliber of stuff we’ve done at other places.”
While the Latin-inspired menu is yet to be finalized, MacConnell explains, “You may see fried chicken or you may see lobster roll, but with Latin American influences.”
Though tortillas served at the restaurant will be made in house, both chefs note that “traditional” and “authentic” aren’t words necessarily associated with their establishment. The goal instead is to present fun, playful twists that channel regional flavors and employ a focal point of the kitchen: a stone hearth oven.
All wines offered by the glass will be from Latin America, and Schleinkofer says the cocktail menu will have a focus on after-dinner libations, along with “lots of margaritas.”
“There’s a certain level of quality [customers] expect that we’re bringing, and [Cocodrilo] is just a more relaxed feel,” Slemaker says.
Ashley Cricchio, owner of Chewy’s Bagels (Photo by Justin Chesney)
Photo by Justin Chesney
Chewy’s Bagels
3138 W. Cary St., chewysbagelsrva.com
Ashley Cricchio has spent the past three years honing her handmade bagel business, Chewy’s, simultaneously building a faithful following. She first began slinging the sourdough varieties as a side hustle, announcing pop-ups and teasing pics of the freshly baked beauties on Instagram. After moving her operations to Hatch Kitchen in 2019, the Maine native is now a month away from opening a brick-and-mortar bagel shop that Richmonders have been patiently awaiting.
“People throw their support behind it,” Cricchio, 34, says of the community response. “We made the leap to farmers market [sales], and it has allowed people to experience as close to what a bagel shop is like and allowed me to really start exploring what the shop will look like for us.”
Set to open in February in the former Jean-Jacques Bakery space in Carytown, Chewy’s will offer bagels individually and by the dozen, along with sandwiches that Cricchio says she was able to test during pop-ups at places such as Blue Bee Cider and Recluse Roasting Project. Coffee will also be a focus, and patrons can expect other baked goods such as cookies and pastries.
After serving in the U.S. Navy, Cricchio relocated to Richmond to attend VCU and picked up bagel-making as a hobby before landing a job at Whisk Bakery. Her appreciation and understanding of dough have continued to grow, she says, with the bagel being the true star of this undertaking, and Chewy’s everything and rosemary-sea salt varieties being crowd favorites.
“Our bagel, it’s not just about being a vessel for a bunch of toppings,” she says. “It’s so good, and has tang from sourdough, and the texture is so nice.”
(From left) Brun owners Charles Wilson and Adam Evans (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Brun
203 N. Lombardy St., brunexperience.com
Originally North Side neighbors, now friends and business partners, the owners of Brun, a whiskey and cigar lounge coming to the Fan, Charles Wilson and Adam Evans credit the pandemic with forging their relationship.
“During COVID-19 time, our families got close,” says Evans, a former Chesterfield county school administrator and teacher in Charlottesville. “We had similar energies and passion.”
The duo aim to create an atmospheric venue, housed in the former Poor Boys RVA space, that blends dining, live music and an appreciation for quality conversation — all enjoyed with a fine cigar and neat whiskey in hand.
“I call it a social experience,” says Wilson, a Chicago native.
The back half of Brun, which is French for “brown,” will be a dedicated cigar lounge, home to wraparound couches and a humidor in partnership with Griffin Lounge, with membership opportunities available.
Wilson, whose resume includes training nuclear operators, six years with the U.S. Navy and founding the workforce development school Legacy Builders S.T.E.M. Academy, asks, “Why do people revere this [whiskey]? What do they mean by ‘notes?’ It’s about understanding and having that sensory knowledge.”
Crafting the Caribbean-inspired menu is Executive Chef Nichole Richardson, also owner of the food truck Mobile Yum Yum. Overseeing operations is General Manager Chauncey Jenkins, best known for his tenure at The Jefferson Hotel, followed by a stint at Common House Richmond.
Evans and Wilson say they were extremely thoughtful about who they wanted on their team, and collaboration is key.
“We predominantly partnered with minority contractors, Black-owned businesses and women-owned businesses, so when the final product is rolled out, all they see is excellence,” Wilson says.
