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(From left) Pinky's owners John Reynolds and Stephen DeRaffele, most recently of Lunch and Supper
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Pinky's is located in the former Urban Farmhouse location in Scott's Addition at 3015 Norfolk St.
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Pinky's will be open for brunch, lunch and dinner starting July 21.
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The restaurant's name is an ode to DeRaffele's late mother.
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The bar area inside Pinky's
“My family was kind of born to work,” New York native Stephen DeRaffele says with a laugh.
As soon as he was old enough to hold a paintbrush, he was helping his family’s business, DeRaffele Manufacturing Company, currently the largest and among the oldest manufacturers of diners, operating since 1933.
“My grandfather still works, and he’s 94, and my dad is head contractor and still goes to job sites; he’s 70,” he continues.
Born with that same get-it-done mentality, DeRaffele, 34, worked on the construction side of restaurants until he made the move to Richmond 10 years ago.
Formerly in the kitchen at Lunch and Supper, DeRaffele, along with partner John Reynolds, is bringing a similar hands-on, get-down-to-business approach to their forthcoming Scott’s Addition restaurant, Pinky’s, set to open on Wednesday, July 21.
At the heart of the venture at 3015 Norfolk St. is family, the restaurant’s moniker a nod to the nickname of DeRaffele’s late mother, Karen.
“She taught me how to cook when I was a kid,” DeRaffele says.
DeRaffele and Reynolds worked together in recent years at Lunch and Supper just a few blocks away and are now joined by a handful of familiar team members.
Pinky’s will be Reynolds’ second round at restaurant ownership. The former Lunch and Supper catering manager was once part owner of Southern eatery The Whiskey Jar in Charlottesville before relocating to California and eventually back to Virginia.
“I would say I definitely thought I would own another [restaurant] at some point; the question was timing and location,” Reynolds says, “and another big part was finding the right partner.”
The answer presented itself when the pandemic granted a pause from everyday restaurant operations, and a serendipitous bike ride led Reynolds past the massive shuttered Urban Farmhouse building that was for sale.
In April the duo acquired the space, and they say this venture is about combining their shared knowledge, some innate and some learned, to present their own concept.
“Now we have an opportunity to be 50-50 partners, and we have the opportunity to shrink everything down and work a little more closely with our people, and [we're] really looking forward to that,” DeRaffele says. “I always had a dream to open my own place, and when the pandemic hit, [John and I] both really kind of stepped away from restaurants.”
Pinky's channels the spirit of the Mediterranean region, the menu relying heavily on the grill and featuring tapas such as ouzo-braised fennel, char-grilled octopus, fried calamari with Calabrian chiles and pepperoncini, and a burratta caprese. DeRaffele, who recently found out he is gluten intolerant, adds that the menu is almost 100% gluten-free.
Other options include a lemon and pistachio salad; a shaved ribeye ras el hanout sandwich with harissa aioli, herbed goat cheese, grilled shiitake mushrooms, red onion and arugula; and a veggie muffuletta. Main dishes range from a crispy chicken scallopini piccata to rockfish cartoccio and a seasonal risotto that is a favorite of DeRaffele’s.
“We just kind of want to create a place you would go if you were on vacation, almost that really fun, floral, open-air concept that brings back that memory of, ‘Oh, remember when we ate there?’ ” he says, noting that the restaurant's spacious outdoor patio helps bring it all together.
Diners can also order Pinky’s classic meatballs, an Italian trifecta of beef, pork and lamb with fresh basil and San Marzano tomato sauce — his mother's recipe. The secret? She always cooked the meatballs in the sauce for that extra flavor, DeRaffele says.
Weekend brunch includes a prosciutto di parma omelet with asiago and manchego cheeses, jamon serrano, harissa aioli, chives, and aleppo peppers, along with other French-style omelets as well as breakfast toasts and bowls.
“We want a place people can come for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why not eat here three times a day?” DeRaffele says with a chuckle.
As for opening, he says it's been a family affair, as expected.
“My dad has been here to supervise some stuff. ... My grandfather drew up the kitchen and all the equipment for us and came down and measured everything; [it's] been a lot of family,” DeRaffele says. “They're so excited.”
Pinky’s will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
