Richmond Food News: Week of Aug. 24-28

by

Food News & Trends

[Update: Monday's Jackdaw pop-up has just been relocated to Millie's, and this post has been changed to reflect that.]

It's been a big week for #RVAdine: we've got a lot on the new-restaurant docket, plus a solid top 10 roundup, plus great upcoming events, plus vintage hamburgers, plus better pay. (And really, what more could you want?)

  • Quirk Hotel and its stylish restaurant are almost here! Maple & Pine is set to open on the lobby level on Sept. 17, just three weeks from today. Executive chef David Dunlap, formerly of The Ashby Inn and The Inn at Little Washington, has a beautiful menu in store, plus big plans for that highly anticipated rooftop bar. Learn all about it right over here, and salivate over that almond-encrusted lamb with lavender hummus while you wait. (Richmond magazine)
  • Just two days before Quirk Hotel and Maple & Pine open their doors, Red Eye Cookie Co. will open the doors on its own brick-and-mortar space, filling our lungs with the heavenly scent of freshly-baked cookies until we're ravenous enough to eat an entire box by ourselves (maybe while sitting on a bed at home while watching "The X-Files," maybe not, whatever) and regret not a single crumb of it. Sadly, this new space comes via closure of Campus Cookies, but there could probably have only been one late-night cookie delivery establishment, anyway. Insomnia Cookies is still in the game, though, so we'll probably see who wants to live forever in an epic Quickening battle at some point. (Richmond.com/Richmond Times Dispatch)
  • In other news, CASTANEA IS FINALLY HERE! Chef Philip Denny's new Shockoe restaurant is now open for lunch, takeout and gelato, and will hopefully begin dinner service next week, ABC license permitting. Read up on the restaurant (and its gelato I cannot wait to try) here. (Richmond magazine)
  • Looking ahead to October, Hibachi Box is set to bring fast-casual teppanyaki to The Fan at an affordable price. The new restaurant is set to open by mid-October at 411 N. Harrison St., in the old Stuffy's Subs space under Edo's Squid, and comes from the restaurateur brothers behind Pepe's Mexican Restaurant in Midlothian. Looking forward to covering myself in yum yum sauce, not sure about you guys. (Probably the skeeziest sentence I've ever written, but seriously, you can get multiple little cups of it with every meal there.) (Richmond magazine)
  • And as early as next Monday, you can have Shoryuken noodle bowls for lunch! The ramen restaurant recently announced it's launching lunch service, with an abbreviated menu to start. Find noodly goodness from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. (Richmond magazine)
  • In reopening news, Balliceaux returns next Tuesday, Sept. 1, with a Thai and Indochine menu under the kitchen's new name of Kampot. "[The name] comes from the region in Cambodia that is believed to grow the worlds best peppercorns," owner Steve Gratz says in a news release. "Kampot pepper will be used throughout the menu and bar cocktails. The towns of Kep and Kampot are located on the gulf of Thailand near the Vietnam boarder. Since the French occupation in Cambodia, Kampot has been a hot spot for recreation and food." Expect a non-coursed, tapas-style menu from chef John Wilson. The beverage program will be led by Bong An and Scott Sliauzis. Check out the full menu here.
  • Next January, we'll hopefully see the completion of a new Church Hill spot from the owners of The Mill on MacArthur. Filling the 3,500-square-foot ground floor of the New East End Theater building, the new restaurant will evoke the neighborhood-friendly aspects of The Mill, with a (hopefully) equally-as-strong brunch game. (Richmond BizSense)
  • Further on down the road — and we're talking mid-2016 levels of "further on down the road" — restaurateur Chris Tsui of EAT Restaurant Partners (Fat Dragon, The Blue Goat, Osaka Sushi & Steak, Foo Dog and Wild Ginger) plans to open an as-of-yet unnamed restaurant at 412 E. Grace St., right next to Pasture and Julep's New Southern Cuisine. (Richmond.com/Richmond Times Dispatch)
  • Let's hear it for Buz and Ned’s Real Barbecue, which is increasing its starting hourly wages to $12.50 per hour; servers who accept tips will be paid $8 per hour. "During a time when an increase of the minimum wage is on the political battlefield, making a living wage is becoming increasingly difficult," owner Buz Grossberg says in a news release. "Buz and Ned’s has come out on the side of their employees." The restaurant is also shifting to become a full-time workplace, where full-time employees will receive health care benefits. This all sounds good, fair and admirable to us.
  • Let's also hear it for Style Weekly's Richmond Food Industry Power List, including some familiar names, but also a few unexpected picks! Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you for making the community so strong, collaborative and exciting. (Style Weekly)
  • Let's circle back to barbecue and catch up with John Markus, pitmaster and producer of TV show "BBQ Pitmasters," which has, of course, featured Richmond's own Tuffy Stone. (Richmond magazine)
  • Can't stand the heat? That's OK, you've only got a small chance of eating one of the hot peppers, anyway. Our August-issue Ingredient column is now online, focused on Padrón peppers and featuring a recipe from Rancho T's chef Aaron Cross! Get that grill ready. (Richmond magazine)
  • Also now online from our August issue: a long look at Hutch Bar & Eatery, the latest from the folks that brought you Toast, Estilo, Dash and Shoryuken. (Don't forget: Their new restaurant, Talley's Meat & Three, is set to open in mid-September in the old Estilo space.) (Richmond magazine)
  • And in some fun flashback news, the aforementioned EAT Restaurant Partners team unearthed a great vintage menu while working on the restaurant group's new concept at 1300 N. Boulevard. I'll take a quality 45-cent burger any day. (RVANews)

Ev'rybody's wor-kin' for the week-end and all of its great events:

  • Tomorrow, Aug. 28, head on over to Buford Pharmacy at 2608 Buford Road and sample some new items from Perk! Coffee + Lunchbox (like the Vegan Apple rosemary scones that will be featured in September’s issue of Richmond magazine, wink wink). “We are so excited to partner with Buford Road’s customer appreciation day," Perk! co-owner Christophile Konstas shared in a news release. "They have been one of our biggest supporters from the beginning and this year we get to show our appreciation back!” You'll find everything from kid-friendly activities to Redbird’s Food Truck and back again, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, Strangeways Brewing releases its new sour beer. "No amount of 'Duck and Cover' will shield you from the pucker power of our newest concoction, A-Bomb Apple Sour," reads the event page, and these words are both stirring and also a little frightening. But in a good way. Screw building a shelter; head straight to the sudsy mouthbomb at noon. (Strangeways)
  • Sunday, it's time for Blues, Brews & BBQ with the folks of Harvest Grocery + Supply, JM Stock Provisions, Autumn Olive Farms and Shockoe Atelier. The fun goes down at 13-A S. 15th St., from 4 to 9 p.m. R.S.V.P. at info@stockprovisions.com, mmmk? (Harvest Grocery + Supply)
  • And if you mosey on over to Oil & Vinegar at Short Pump Town Center around 3 p.m. on Sunday, you'll find The Urban Tavern's Tim Bereika whipping up two recipes using special vinegars. Tart up your weekend.
  • Sunday evening La Milpa celebrates it 15th anniversary! head to 6925 Hull Street Road between 5 and 10 p.m. for Columbian and Mexican food, a farmers market, vendors and live music. There will be crafts and kid-friendly events and carnitas and so much more. (La Milpa)
  • And on Monday, Carytown Cupcakes kicks off its week of coffee-bar-themed cupcakes in celebration of its new cold brew on tap from Confluence Coffee Co. (Remember those guys from our Summer Foods issue?) Look for caramel machiato, coffee stout tres leches, black Russian, tiramisu, and Bailey's cupcakes through Sept. 6! (BONUS! Next Saturday between 10 a.m. and noon you can find samples of cupcakes and the artisanal iced coffee.) (news release)
  • Monday night at Millie's, Chinese-food pop-up The Jackdaw is holding its second pop-up! The new menu includes rye steamed buns (with hot and numbing pastrami, Karashi mayonnaise and daikon slaw), congee (with pork belly, slow-cooked egg, crullers and peanuts), ginger-scallion noodles (with tofu, cucumber and sesame seeds), sticky rice hash browns (with spicy Kewpie Mayonnaise and scallions), General Tso's chicken (fried chicken wings with Chinese broccoli and puffed rice), and deep-fried bao (with red bean pudding, sesame glaze and lychee). R.S.V.P. at thejackdawrva@gmail.com with your name, contact info, party size and ideal dining time. (The Jackdaw)

And now for a few (inter)national links:

  • NASA wants to play a little game called "Europa or Frying Pan?" and I'm totally stumped. (My alt title would have been "That's No Moon," which is 1 million times better, but whatever, NASA.) One photo is Jupiter's moon. The rest are frying pans. Can you figure it out? I sure as hell couldn't. (NASA)
  • Yes, yes, 100 times yes: An Illustrated History of Soul Food. (First We Feast)
  • Reheating leftovers in a microwave? You're probably doing it wrong. Behold: the correct way to nuke. (The Kitchn)
  • This is disgusting, but I never said this was a roundup devoted to being/eating clean, ever. Did you know there's a restaurant in Japan serving poop-flavored curry? While it contains no poop, it looks and smells like it, but no word yet on how it tastes. How is this OK? Why is this happening? Who would order this? Is this a sign of The Endtimes? So many questions. (Huffington Post)
  • Nutella on lock, literally. (Munchies)

'Til next time, I'll be making lock devices for all of my most sacred pantry items, which are mostly just fancy pastas, for those wondering.