Happy Friday, RVA! We pushed back this week's Food News by one day because we're busy (so very busy) finalizing our July issue, with its incredibly fun food content. We hope you'll like it, and can't wait to share it with you in just a few short weeks. On to Food News; we've got new restaurants now open, new restaurants on the horizon, a few fun events, photos and more, but let's first kick things off with a giveaway...
- Don your most colorful cocktail attire because next Thursday, June 18, the Brewer's Ball returns to celebrate Richmond-area restaurants, breweries, music and young professionals. This event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, with a handful of hand-picked professionals helping to raise money for the cause. Come out to celebrate their endeavors and some of the best food and drink in the city. We have two free tickets to this fantastic event; just email stephanieb@richmag.com with the subject line "BREWER'S BALL FOR ALL" and include your name and phone number in the email. If you do win, congratulations! The winner will be notified by C.O.B. Monday. (And that's not to say you can't still donate.) If you don't win, or you'd like to purchase tickets out of the kindness of your heart and wallet, you can find them here for $75 each.
- Spiral Noodle, the mix 'n' match noodle shop in Carytown, is now open! Here's a look inside, plus a few ideas about what to try. (Do note: There are so many sauces. All of the sauces.) (Richmond magazine)
- And The Boathouse in Short Pump officially opens on Sunday, June 14, at 5 p.m. for dinner, and begins lunch service on Friday, June 19! The process for the newest Boathouse (located in Short Pump Town Center at 11800 W. Broad St., Unit 950) began two years ago, and this weekend, you can taste familiar Boathouse favorites along with new offerings like sushi. "Everybody's been very cooperative, the mall's been great to work with, we have a good contractor and our design team has done a great job. We're very pleased with everything," says owner Kevin Healy, who'll be present at the new restaurant for the next few weeks. "Tell all our regular customers to come in and say hi," he adds, "I'd love to see 'em."
- Let's also welcome Mesopotamia Deli, new in Short Pump and relocated from Baghdad, offering Middle Eastern food (and a buffet with kebabs). (RVANews)
- Coming soon to Scott's Addition is new brewery The Veil Brewing Co., set to open by November of this year. The more beer, the better. (Richmond.com/Richmond Times Dispatch)
- There's another new pop-up in town, and you can only get tickets to its first event — "It's a Southern Thing" — this weekend. RVA Pop Kitchens is a new pop-up with a philanthropic bent, from the minds and skills of two McCormack's Big Whisky Grill employees. This first dinner benefits FeedMore and features a few fun riffs on classic Southern fare. (Richmond magazine)
- Something to keep an eye on: That large West Broad Street construction site, future home of VCU dorms, will also house a Which Wich sandwich shop. And according to Which Wich's operations manager, the franchise's VCU location won't be the only one coming to Richmond. (RichmondBizsense)
- If you happened to miss last weekend's Broad Appetit culinary extravaganza, we've got you covered. Here's our photo recap of the main event itself, featuring some of the winners. Congratulations to Shoryuken Ramen for taking the "To Dine For" award; to Millie's for winning the "To Diet For" dessert award; to Lehja for taking home the Healthy Dish Award; to Lucy's for winning best ambiance; and to The Savory Grain for winning the People's Choice Award! We've also got this slideshow recap of Off Broad Appetit, the annual fundraiser held the night before B.A., complete with all the food photos. (Richmond magazine)
- In more event news, Fire, Flour and Fork's 2015 schedule is set to appear online this Monday, June 15, with tickets available starting July 15. (News Release)
- ... And Henrico Restaurant Week is now confirmed for Oct. 2 to 11. (Henrico Restaurant Week)
- Also, have you read this lovely and super informative piece on the best new vendors in Richmond farmers' markets? International dumplings, baked goods, cold-pressed juice, mushrooms, kombucha — get yourself to that guide, then get yourself to all of these vendors, pronto. (RVANews)
- Also also, have you seen that Weird Al Yankovic visited Ipanema this week? (Ipanema Cafe)
- In some bummer news, House of Sichuan, one of our Best Restaurants of 2014, is temporarily closed due to personal reasons, according to a sign on its door. The owners could not be reached for comment but I'm hoping everything is OK and that the dim sum oasis will return soon! We'll keep you posted with any updates we find.
Everybody's workin' for the weekend, which includes some of these drool-inducing events:
- Celebrate one year strong with Ardent Craft Ales and stop by the brewery's anniversary block party tomorrow from 1 to 8 p.m.! There will be music, there will be food and, of course, there will be beer. (Ardent Craft Ales)
- Then head to Isley Brewing Co. for its 2nd Annual LUAU party including pig pickin', grilled pineapple, live music and a hula hoop contest. (Isley Brewing Co.)
- If you're up for a drive on Saturday, you can find the Pamunkey River Wine Festival out in Lanexa, where you'll taste your way through selections from 10 wineries, shop the wares of local vendors, and enjoy local food trucks. Bonus: If you buy a ticket, you'll get a free Saude Creek Vineyard-scented Yankee Candle. (Do wineries get their own Yankee Candle scents now? Is that a thing?) (Saude Creek Vineyards)
- And on Sunday, June 14, get ready to eat all the meat at the 3rd Annual Richmond Bacon Festival. Taste bacon-themed, bacon-involved, bacon-inspired items from roughly 40 vendors including Boka Taco Truck, Casa del Barco, King of Pops, River City Wood Fire Pizza and Hungry Turtle (runner-up in this year's Broad Appetit). (17th Street Farmers' Market)
And now for a few (inter)national links:
- The United States is in the midst of its largest bird flu epidemic to date, which means mass chicken deaths. This in turn equates to egg prices rising, importing eggs from Europe, a possible dent in fast-food breakfast options and more. (Buzzfeed)
- Hopping on a plane anytime soon? Here are a few tips and tricks to keep TSA from confiscating your food souvenirs. (Food52)
- THE FUTURE IS NOW: Google is developing software that could track your caloric intake based on food photos alone. I'm not going to lie to you, guys, I don't know if I'm ready for this future (or, more specifically, ready to know how many calories I'm actually consuming on a given day). (Food and Wine)
'Til next time, bring on the bacon.
