After 18 years in business, Ethiopian restaurant Nile has announced it will be closing its doors. Scroll below for details and more of the week’s Food News. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
Nature’s Bounty
A team of sudsy leaders from across the state have found common ground — in nature. Foraging and brewing with local ingredients such as sassafras and longleaf pine needles, four Virginia breweries are participating in a project with The Nature Conservancy dubbed OktoberForest. Much like terroir in the wine world, the collaborative cans and their special ingredients aim to serve as an expression of Virginia’s varied and beautiful land and waterways. (Richmond magazine)
Happy Harvest
Nothing says fall quite like an oversized flannel and a bounty of freshly picked apples. But did you know Braeburns are best in baked goods and Honeycrisps are ideal raw? In our latest Ingredient feature, get the lowdown on the beloved fruit, from shopping and cooking tips to a local food truck serving up fresh apple cider doughnuts. (Richmond magazine)
Alla Tua Salute
Negroni Week, the national drink-a-palooza dedicated to the classic Italian cocktail, continues through Sept. 24. In this month’s 5 Faves, the stirred-not-shaken sipper is the star, and we’ve got a roundup of participating must-stop Negroni spots with a variety of fruity accents and spirits. (Richmond magazine)
New Chapters
After nearly two decades of serving Richmond Ethiopian comfort food including housemade injera, brothers Yoseph and Benyam Teklemariam have announced they will be shuttering their Church Hill restaurant, Nile. Holding their last service early next year on the restaurant’s 18th anniversary, Jan. 7, the duo are prepping for a shift to catering and packaged meals. Stay tuned for more details.
Boundary-pushing pop-up turned tasting menu concept Longoven — which garnered national nods as best new restaurant in Bon Appetit and an essential culinary experience in Eater — has closed. Partners Patrick Phelan and Megan Fitzroy Phelan plan to move forward as sole owners of Italian-inspired concept Lost Letter and expand the restaurant into their entire Scott’s Addition space, while former partner Andrew Manning will concentrate on The Veil Brewing Co.’s in-house yakitori concept, Nokoribi. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Mark Those Calendars
If you’re like my mom, you know exactly how many days there are until Thanksgiving. And if scoring the bird for the fast-approaching big day is high on your list, Belmont Butchery starts taking orders Oct. 2.
A very Richmond sign of the season, the annual VisArts Chili Throwdown returns on Oct. 6. Sample bowls from ZZQ, Royal Pig, TBT El Gallo and more local eateries during the walk-around tasting event, where I will join “Setting the Table” podcast host Deb Freeman to crown one restaurant the chili champ. Bonus: Admission includes a handmade ceramic bowl as a souvenir.
ICYMI
With ever-changing themes and taking its cocktails very seriously, Shift Meal is one of the most fun and eccentric edible endeavors in the city right now. (Richmond magazine)
A Sundays-only affair, Buna Kurs’ coffee ceremonies are an intimate introduction to an Ethiopian tradition. (Richmond magazine)
Get to know Kathryn Schmitz, the dining industry vet behind produce-powered pop-up VegTable. (Richmond magazine)
The next time you’re cruising through Church Hill, be sure to peep the wall outside Second Bottle. The wine shop is sporting a freshly completed, on-brand mural from globe-trotting street artist Nils Westergard.
Sixteen local bar pros, four riveting rounds, one winner. A true display of competition and spirited skill, the USBG Bartender Brawl goes down Sept. 26 at Black Iris Social club. P.S.: Fun secret ingredients will present plenty of cocktail curveballs.
A major barrier in the brewing community may soon be resolved. The recently finalized state budget includes funds to establish a new division of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that will allow breweries to self-distribute limited amounts of beer to retailers and restaurants. (Richmond BizSense)
Smoothie heads, assemble: Local mini chain The Pit and the Peel rolled out its latest outpost in Westhampton at 5820 Patterson Ave. earlier this week.
The crew behind Carver ventures Cobra Cabana and Hot for Pizza have revealed their vision for Space Mountain Hi-Fi. Neither a new rollercoaster nor an energy drink flavor, the forthcoming cafe/music lounge/bar is located at 312 Goshen St. (Richmond BizSense)
RVA Love
Raise a glass to Penny’s Wine Shop. Led by Lance Lemon and Kristin Gardner Beal, the intimate Jackson Ward vino lair has been deemed one of the best wine shops of 2023 by Wine Enthusiast. Bonus: The owners, University of Virginia grads and longtime friends, also received recognition for their work to diversify the wine community, as well as their role in the upcoming Charlottesville festival Two Up, Wine Down.
Upcoming Events
- Cohesion Vol. 2: A Collaboration & Concert, 318 W. Broad St. (Sept. 22): An evening of hip-hop, art, and craft beer from Capsoul Collective and Vasen, including a prerelease tasting
- Bier-Garden, Maymont (Sept. 22; Sept. 23 events canceled): A German-inspired festival featuring live music, massive pretzels, homemade pierogies and plenty of brats
- Ninth Anniversary Weekend, The Answer (Sept. 22-24): Celebrate Richmond’s pioneering beer pub.
- Social Club September Free Meet-up, Benchtop Brewing (Sept. 23): Mingle with food-loving future friends during the casual meet-up.
- Pizza Pop-up, Pies & Cakes (Sept. 23): The Carver bakery busts out the dough for a special evening of ’za — preorders only.
- Eighth Anniversary Celebration, Final Gravity Brewing Co. (Sept. 24): Lakeside’s neighborhood brewery turns 8 with a parking lot party featuring food trucks, live tunes, special releases and guest taps.
- Shrubs and Cocktails With Beth Dixon, Kitchen Classroom (Sept. 28): Learn how to level up a variety of beverages with homemade shrubs.
- Latte Art Throwdown, Grit Coffee Scott’s Addition (Sept. 28): A face-off between baristas and coffee enthusiasts
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