Richmond Food News: Week of March 14-18

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Food News & Trends

Put down that St. Paddy's Day beer because it's time for Food News! (OK, who am I kidding?) Let's turn this into a game: Every time I mention a new restaurant, event or Drake, you take a sip of whatever is near you. Sound good? Here we go:

  • The third time was an absolute charm when The Boathouse opened its first landlocked location last summer, and now, the local upscale seafood chain is casting its net even wider with a forthcoming fourth restaurant, this time set for Hopewell. Located at 701 W. Randolph Road as part of a new riverfront development plan, The Boathouse at City Point will boast 6,000 square feet of interior space and an outdoor patio overlooking the James and Appomattox rivers. In addition to the stunning view, you can expect "the same classic coastal elements that inspired The Boathouse brand, in a unique setting reminiscent of the Rocketts Landing and Sunday Park locations," according to a news release, and you can expect it all this summer or early fall when the restaurant opens.
  • I'm at the grocery, I'm at the cycling shop. I'm at the combination grocery and cycling shop. Get to know Braden Govoni and Joshua Coleman, the team behind Outpost Richmond: Forest Hill's corner grocery store and bike repair shop. Here's a look at the local market with a focus on community and healthy options. (Richmond magazine)
  • More in South Side news: Midlothian's about to get a whole lot sweeter with cupcake and ice cream shop Smallcakes opening at 11512 Busy St. either tomorrow or Saturday. The Richmond outpost of the national chain will offer a selection of ice cream flavors daily, plus cupcakes baked fresh and in-house each morning. Just a quick drive from those cupcakes, the Stonehenge Village shopping center is but a few weeks from completion and its much-anticipated Wegmans grocery store is set to open May 22. (Richmond magazine)
  • South Side's got even more on the way: Forest Hill's Café Zata, the coffee-and-sandwich shop formerly known as TaZa Coffee n Créme, is expanding to Midlothian with a new kiosk on the grounds of Independence Golf Club. In a few weeks, you'll find an abbreviated Zata menu at the small walk-up located between the ninth and tenth holes. (Richmond BizSense)
  • Soon you'll be able to take your meals and drinks sky high, because downtown's set to get a new rooftop bar by April. Kabana Rooftop at 700 E. Main St. will be managed by Sean Rapoza, formerly of Balliceaux, and offer Asian-, Indian- and Mexican-inspired bites by Warren Jones, formerly of McCormack's Whisky Grill as well as Belle & James, Kabana's sibling restaurant also owned by D.C. restaurateur Kunal Shah. Expect stunning views, a shallow wading pool, cabanas, couches, and, of course, cocktails perfect for sipping in the open air: tiki drinks. (Style Weekly)
  • Speaking of McCormack's Whisky Grill, celebrate St. Paddy's Day with owner William "Mac" McCormack's own recipe for potato-and-leek soup! BONUS: he's given us not one but two versions, in case you like to kick things up a notch, natch. (Richmond magazine)
  • If you're searching for a new dining experience, may I suggest Longoven?  This trio is bringing innovative and drop-dead-gorgeous dishes to Richmond one pop-up dinner at a time. Here's a behind-the-scenes peek at how chefs Andrew Manning and Patrick Phelan and pastry chef Megan Fitzroy Phelan create some of the city's most stunning plates at their Sub Rosa pop-up series as they pave the way for their first brick-and-mortar restaurant. (Richmond magazine)
  • Congratulations to Peter Chang, who is a finalist for the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic James Beard Award category! Chang is currently listed as representing Arlington, but I feel like we can celebrate the nod down here, too. Check out the full list of 2016 finalists right over here. (Eater)
  • The Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program continues its great efforts to help restore the Chesapeake Bay, and its latest expansion will certainly help in the endeavor; the program recently added 17 Harris Teeter and Sam Rust Seafood locations, from Virginia Beach to Charlottesville, as new drop-off sites. Simply bring your empty oyster shells to these participating businesses, and the shells will be reintroduced back into the bay to create even more oysters in the future. It's a win/win.
  • And now for a general seafood PSA: Metzger Bar & Butchery just launched its Queen's Plateau, a seafood tower sporting clams, oysters, tartare, caviar, chips, shrimp and a variety of sauces, all for $60. Go get some o' dat! Downtown, the recently opened Rapp Session now offers a Sunday-to-Thursday happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., complete with half-priced oysters, $3 Miller High Life, $8 sparkling rosé and a $6 punch. It's also offering a late-night happy hour from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. with half-priced oysters and discounted oyster-and-drink specials. IT'S A SEAFOOD CELEBRATION. (news releases)
  • And last but not least, a huge congratulations to Frank's Ristorante Italiano & Pizzeria, which turns 25 on Tuesday of next week. To celebrate, it's launching a new mobile, wood-fired oven that can be rented for private events and catering! Great things all around. (news release)

Here are some great upcoming events where you maybe/probably won't get pinched/judged for not wearing green:

  • Today you can really embrace the luck flavor of the Irish with a Third Thursday Pairing event at Ellwood's. Find beef and Guinness pies; Irish seafood cocktails; and chocolate stout cupcakes with whiskey frosting, all with beer pairings, for $10 per course (or $15 per course, per couple). The fun lasts from 5 to 7 p.m. Go, go, go! (Elwood Thompson's Local Market)
  • More Irish things: This Saturday and Sunday you can catch the 31st annual Church Hill Irish Festival, which will offer live music and general merriment in addition to the Irish eats and tons o' beer available for purchase. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, all at the intersection of 25th and East Broad streets. (The Church Hill Irish Festival)
  • Then on Sunday, head to Heritage for a ramen pop-up that'll fill your belly with delicious food, and your heart with that warm, fuzzy, do-gooder peace of mind. Chef Joe Sparatta is raising funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and you can help by ordering one of his $10 bowls of ramen from 6 to 9 p.m. BONUS: There'll be meaty ramen, veggie ramen and a DJ. Want more details? Right this way. (Richmond magazine)
  • More dining for a cause: Make your way to Black Iris Gallery on Sunday at 6:30 for another Feast RVA event, where the proceeds from your Ye Won Korean barbecue dinner benefit the lucky start-up that wins the evening's vote. Help start-ups help the community, just by eating. Neat! (Feast RVA)
  • Also on Sunday: BURGERS! Fan butcher shop and corner grocer JM Stock Provisions is hosting a burger night from 7 to 9 p.m. Get some. (Stock RVA)
  • And a general event PSA: Sunday's Central Virginia Food Truck Rodeo at Chesterfield Towne Center has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 2. So go out and get some meals on wheels then, mmk?

And now for the week's (inter)national links:

  • Avoiding the drunken masses this weekend but still want to participate in the holiday? No problem! Celebrate St. Paddy's with this roundup of recipes that includes beer in all the right places. Beer bread! Spiced stout waffles! Guinness sticky toffee pudding! IPA crab cakes! Go forth. (Food 52)
  • Food waste is still measured in "billions of pounds" annually, and there are a number of organizations around the world dedicated to curbing the loss and redistributing excess food. Some of these organizations, in fact, are getting way creative in the process, and delivering new fashion-oriented products such as pineapple leaf leather and milk yarn. (Civil Eats)
  • I'm really working my brain for a mash/mashup joke here, but until then, here's the news: Drake is launching his own line of whiskey. It's called Virginia Black Whiskey, and that's all we know for now, aside from, you know, the packaging. #DrinkingOnTheLow (First We Feast)

'Til next time, approach St. Paddy's weekend just like Drake: live for the nights you can’t remember with the people you won’t forget, but maybe don't drink like there's a message in the bottle.