Richmond Food News: Week of July 20-24

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Food News & Trends

Beer trades, Sicilian dining ways, Hawaiian Christmas in July and more: This week's food news is packed with all killer, no filler, unless that filler happens to be butter mochi.

  • The week's biggest news came like bang, not a whimper: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is expanding to Goochland with a new $28 million facility, Hardywood West, which will open over the course of the next five years. The first phase of the project, which includes a taproom, is set to open in 2017. We chatted with Hardywood co-founder Patrick Murtaugh about what we can all expect from the enormous and exciting new space. READ ON AND DRINK UP. (Richmond magazine)
  • Downtown, Rappahannock will open a sibling spot next door in September, just in time for the UCI Road World Championships bike race. With an oyster bar and a fish market, Rapp Sessions will fill the space at 318 E. Grace St., sporting a dozen-plus international oyster varieties, a 40-seat bar and a 40-seat communal table. Obviously, we can't wait. (Richmond.com/Richmond Times Dispatch)
  • Also opening soon: Belle & James, the new restaurant within downtown's upcoming Hampton Inn and Suites and Homewood Suites hotels. The French-American restaurant is also looking to launch at 700 E. Main St. by September's UCI races — ideally by the end of August. Want to get a taste of the restaurant before it opens? Catch the details on its last remaining preview pop-up here. (Style Weekly)
  • And in re-opening news, Max's Positive Vibe Café returns on Aug. 7 with an expanded focus on local love, especially for its meat. Once the spot reopens you can check out the new menu retooled by Gary Whitecotton, the former executive chef of The Country Club of Virginia, that features local bison, local veggies, local grass-fed beef and more. Keep in mind that with every visit, you'll also be supporting The Positive Vibe Foundation's training program, which readies young adults and people with disabilities for food industry jobs. By the end of the year, the foundation estimates 1,000 graduates will have passed through the program. (Richmond magazine)
  • Meanwhile, Scott's Addition continues its climb to becoming the new food and brewery center of the city with the announcement that Eat Restaurant Partners (The Blue Goat, Fat Dragon, Foo Dog, Osaka, Wild Ginger) is opening a restaurant at 1300 N. Boulevard, just across the street from Bow Tie Cinemas. There's not much word on the concept yet, but there will be a patio and the new spot should open toward the beginning of 2016. (Richmond.com/Richmond Times Dispatch)
  • A sage man once said "gotta get jiggy with it," but perhaps he should have rapped "ginny." Thanks to Navy Strength, James River Distillery's latest line of Richmond-made gin, getting your monthly/weekly/daily fix of gin is now all too delicious it's almost dangerous. A 114-proof liquor made with ginger, coriander, lime and orange, this bottled baby's smooth and only available by special order from your local ABC store, for now. After tasting it earlier this week, I'm hoping we'll see this everywhere around town in the not-too-distant future. (RVANews)
  • In some sadder news that shouldn't inspire getting jiggy nor ginny, Bella's Restaurant — the Italian-American bistro in Short Pump — is now closed, shuttering after opening roughly just one year ago. (Richmond.com/Richmond Times Dispatch)
  • In some future fun event news, Saison is hosting a Club Saison Mediterranean Summer Wine Down dinner on Monday, Aug. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. with four courses from chef Adam Hall, plus seven wines from Williams Corner Wines' Mel Sisathong and Saison/Saison Market's Virgina Samsel, all for $75. Maybe you missed the part that you'll eat four courses with seven wines for $75, so I'll just repeat it: four courses including dishes such as sea scallop and hen of the woods in an oxtail demi, and lamb loin with red beets and blackberry jam, paired with a highly curated selection of wine from the western side of the the Mediterranean. Get your tickets. Get them now. (news release) 
  • How do you feel about paying roughly $45 to attend a picnic where you must supply your own food, beverage, all-white clothing, all-white table, all-white dinnerware and polished silverware? Regardless of your answer, the international pop-up dining event that is Dîner en Blanc is coming to Virginia for the first time and you're invited, sort of. (There's usually a lengthy waitlist.) The photos, however, will probably be beautiful, and if thousands of people love it, there's a chance you will, too. Find the full details on the Aug. 8 event over here, then try your best to emulate these outfits. (Richmond magazine)
  • If $25 for an all-you-can-eat pig roast sounds more your speed, check out #freecuba, the rum celebration and multi-pig roast at The Rogue Gentlemen on Aug. 9. Enjoy tropical drinks and cuisine from TRG, Saison, D.C.'s The Royal, and D.C.'s Smoke & Barrel, with Free Cuba cocktails on tap. (Though, honestly, you could always go hard and do both events.) (Richmond magazine)
  • Easin' on down the road toward the end of August, here's your heads up about a dinner brainchild that's bound to be incredible: On Aug. 24, Metzger Bar & Butchery will partner with Sub Rosa Bakery for a wood-fired, five-course Sicilian feast at the bakery. You'll taste fresh pasta with uni, slow-roasted whole baby goat and more. Nearly every dish will be coming straight from the oven, and your feast'll be paired with natural Sicilian wines. There are only 30 spots at this communal-seated event, so call Metzger at (804) 325-3147 today to reserve your spot! (news release)
  • Looking to cook at home? Fresca on Addison's Jenna Sneed gave us tips for grilling fruit and veggies this summer, complete with a recipe for chimichurri. Grilled peaches, anyone? (Richmond magazine)

Take advantage of this cooler weekend weather with some great outdoor events. (Indoor events can come too, I guess.)​

  • Grab your grass skirt because it's Aloha Cafe's 2nd annual Kalikimaka in July party with Christmas décor, live music and of course a smattering of Hawaiian edibles like fresh poke, kalua (smoked) turkey, katsu spam, butter mochi and more. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Aloha Cafe)
  • On Saturday afternoon, The Underground Kitchen is hosting an outdoor summertime jazz-themed dinner party that looks like it's going to be gorgeous. If you still haven't signed up for UGK's mailing list (come on now), sign up online and email info@theundergroundkitchen.org for ticket information. (Richmond magazine)
  • Saturday night, head to Mekong to celebrate the Virginia Craft Beer Society's 3rd anniversary with a bottle share! Grab dinner and drinks with society members, then pass around the bottles at 10 p.m. once the restaurant closes to the public. It's like a semi-exclusive beer party, and there's nothing not fun about those. (Virginia Craft Beer Society)
  • On Monday, July 27, check out that aforementioned pop-up preview for Bell & James. Belle & James + Curry Craft = a match made in heaven. (Heaven looks a lot like a delicious three-course meal for $40, if you were curious.) Only a couple of tickets remain! Get on it! (Richmond magazine)

In (inter)national links:

  • We've all heard of wine terroir, but is it possible that yogurt's microbes can also carry the scent, taste and surroundings of its point of origin? Apparently, it is. (NPR)
  • The future of food could very well be here, now that a new pill may make gluten (beer! pizza! croissants! wheat pasta!) ingestion possible for those suffering from Celiac disease. (Eater)
  • Speaking of gluten, North Carolina just opened the world's largest beer watering hole, boasting a record 366 beers on draft. USA! USA! (Forbes)
  • Across the sea, Japan just etched some giant Star Wars art into a rice field, so I guess we all know where my next vacation will be. (First We Feast)

'Til next time, Han shot first.