Gonna eat a lot of peaches... Fresh Georgia peaches are rolling through Richmond next week. (What? Yes!) Find out where to get 'em, below. (Photo courtesy of Birds of a Feather Creative)
Greetings and a happy Thursday to you! We've got a new restaurant next week, a new restaurant in two weeks, a new restaurant in a couple months, plus some big events, travelin' produce and more. Bite right in:
- We're kicking off news this week with a few sad closures, but each has a slight silver lining around its respective culinary raincloud. Jackson Ward's Antler & Fin, the new, locally focused New American restaurant brought to us by Boka Tako's Patrick Harris, is set to close at 506 W. Broad St. on July 17 after its regular brunch and dinner services. Shortly thereafter, it will reopen as Boka Tavern: a branch of the Boka empire serving up the restaurant family's signature Asian-fusian tacos, as well as similar entrees to what could (and for a short time, still can) be found on Antler & Fin's menu. For more on what to expect at Boka Tavern, click this way. The good news is that you still have +/-10 days to visit Antler & Fin. The other good news is that if you love Boka and its $2 margaritas, it's expanding its reach in more ways than one. See? Silver linings. (Richmond magazine)
- Over in the Fan, Rancho T has closed its doors for the summer. First a Latin American-leaning restaurant, which more recently adopted a New American concept, the lunch, dinner and brunch spot was beloved in both iterations (though its second wave was sadly short-lived). Owners Tuffy and Leslie Stone and Ed Vasaio are reworking the concept with chef-friend and advisor J.Frank, and hope to open a new restaurant in the space at 1 N. Morris St. within the next few months. Talented executive chef Danielle Goodreau will stay on and create the new menu for whatever this new restaurant may be. "We apologize to the Richmond community for the sudden closure but promise to bring back an even stronger restaurant from the Rancho T team with an outstanding menu created by our Chef Danielle," Tuffy Stone recently wrote via the restaurant's Facebook page. "I have all the confidence in the world in her and my team and I am excited for the future of this space." (Richmond magazine)
- And now, an opening! Head downtown on Monday for the grand opening of K-Town Kitchen & Bar at 9 N. Fourth St. and expect classic Korean dishes as well as one or two Korean takes on beloved dishes from other cultures. "It's gonna be stuff that everybody can try," owner Yong Shin told me over the phone, adding that bulgogi, Korean chicken wings and Korean-style ramen (topped with house-made kimchi) are a few menu items we can all expect. It'll also offer a late-night menu at the bar on weekends, and it's all from the team behind the now-closed Mama's Kitchen in the Fan near VCU. K-Town Kitchen & Bar is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. (RVANews)
- And, a return: Dutch & Co.'s beloved "Back Door Dogs" are coming back! Hungry folks of all ages used to line up outside of Church Hill's Dutch & Co., but the Saturday-only gourmet hot dog event came to a close when the team opened Stroops Heroic Dogs just down the block. Now, it's making its way west to Scott's Addition, where you'll find the creatively topped "Back Door Dogs" at 3112 W. Leigh St. on Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m., beginning Saturday, July 30. Stay tuned to Stroops' site and its various social media platforms for weekly dogs, soda flavors and specials. RELATED: Next Tuesday Stroops launches its summer menu featuring new dogs (including a shrimp chorizo variety), ice cream by the scoop, and FLOATS made with said ice cream and the brand's popular house-made soda. (Sorry about all the caps here, I am just VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.) (news release)
- Another cool thing to get excited about: Georgia peaches are coming! If you missed The Georgia Peach Truck's last roll through Richmond, fear not; owner Brandon Smith will be driving through with fresh produce in tow next week. Look for Georgia peaches (featuring varieties from Dickey Farms and also a USDA organic option from Watsonia Farms) next Wednesday, July 13, at Great Big Greenhouse from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and on Thursday, July 14, at Southern States Midlothian in that same time window. You don't even need to move to the country to eat 'em. (news release)
- Just an FYI: Many Virginia ABC stores will now open one hour earlier on Sundays, meaning that if you happen to need extra booze for your bloody marys (no judgement here), you can now stop by at noon as opposed to 1 p.m. (WRIC)
- A fun afternoon read: Perhaps growing a garden isn't for everyone (but it is worth a shot) — Kyra Scarton Newman's essay on a beginner's misadventures, and her newfound appreciation for local farmers markets. (Richmond magazine)
This weekend's set to be a real scorcher. Cool off accordingly:
- Rain or shine, the beloved Hanover Tomato Festival is happening on Saturday. Fortunately, it's looking like a gorgeous sunny day (albeit a hot one). Stop by Pole Green Park (8996 Pole Green Park Lane) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a family friendly event that boasts more than 200 vendors, a petting zoo and, of course, SO MANY TOMATOES. Go forth and eat them all, I dare you. (Hanover Tomato Festival)
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STRANGEWAYS! Head to the West End brewery for its third anniversary party on Saturday and get rewarded with not one, not two, but three releases of the Wake Me Up Before You Gose beer. (One's a straight-up sour, one's a hibiscus wine-barrel-aged sour and one's a ghost pepper rum-barrel-aged sour.) The fun starts at 11 a.m. and there will also be cookies and tacos and music and late-night hot dogs and so much more! 2277 Dabney Road. (Strangeways Brewing)
- Sunday is Camp Saison's Riverboat, the restaurant's second boat party down the James. If you didn't already grab that $75 ticket (which includes a buffet-style meal and finger foods by Saison's Adam Hall; beverage tickets; tiki drinks from The Roosevelt's Thomas "T" Leggett and Brandon Peck; dancing to some tunes from DJ Marty Violence of Steady Sounds; a performance by rapper Chance Fischer; and frozen drinks from Saison), I'm afraid you're out of luck. The event is now all sold out. If you did, show up at 3101 Wharf St. at 5:45 p.m. If you're like WHAT WHY HOW CAN I JOIN THIS, call Saison at 269-3689 and put yourself on the waitlist.
- Put it on yr calendars now: The Capital Ale House National Beer Expo begins next Wednesday, July 13, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. There are a ton of special events, which I'll also discuss next week, but be sure to check out the full lineup here and get excited for tastings, talks, tacos, a Southern, soul-food and Cajun feast, plus more. (National Beer Expo)
And now for a few (inter)national links:
- A recent report found that, globally, each individual consumes more than 44 pounds of fish annually, which is just not sustainable. We're overharvesting, which means less fish for the long haul. This is very sad news because I could eat fish raw or cooked every day of my life and be perfectly content. (Sorry, guys, I'm probably skewing the global fish-consumption average. That's my bad.) (Eater)
- Here is a video of a woman eating 150 chicken nuggets in one sitting, so I guess we've all found our new hero. (First We Feast)
'Til next time, I'll be training my own stomach/gullet to handle that many McNuggets, see you all later.
Correction: This post previously noted that K-Town Kitchen & Bar is opening in Shockoe Bottom, when in fact it is opening downtown. This post has been updated and its author hopes the error will not confuse/dissuade anyone from checking out the new restaurant.
