Head below for a succulent serving of the latest Food News. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
From the UK With Love
Beer-battered fish and chips, mushy peas, and sticky toffee pudding — UK favorites have made their way stateside at the newly opened downtown restaurant The British Embassy. Owners Joy Supanya and her English-born husband, Jon Niemiec, originally began serving fish and chips as a way to draw lunch customers to their other restaurant, Thai Won On in Henrico. The special was such a hit that they gave it a restaurant all its own. (Richmond magazine)
Natural Habitat
The building at 203 N. Lombardy St. has a long history of being a place to imbibe. In May, former team members at Midlothian’s The Shaved Duck, including bartender Austin Cundiff, opened restaurant and watering hole Trouvaille in the space. In our latest Open Tab feature, we caught up with Cundiff to talk go-to cocktails, secret-weapon ingredients and his connection to the craft. (Richmond magazine)
French Revival
After taking over Chez Foushee some years ago, proprietor Whitney Cardozo has brought a fresh — and stylish — perspective to the decades-old French restaurant. Operating an all-women kitchen, the former teacher shares some juicy life tidbits, including a stint with the chef of Chez Panisse, her background in food styling and an affinity for Ina Garten. (Richmond magazine)
Better Together
Proving that group projects needn’t be the anxiety-ridden horrors of our scholastic days and, in fact, can be mutually beneficial, a collective of food businesses has set up shop at Stony Point Fashion Park. Dubbed RVA Food Co-Lab, the space houses PastryBase, Mother Shrub, Owl Spoon Water Kefir Co. and The Green Kitchen all under one roof. (Richmond magazine)
Hot and Fresh
Little House Green Grocery has some new, yet familiar, faces at its helm. Nokoribi chef-owner Andrew Manning and partner Hannah Russell now hold the keys to the Bellevue neighborhood market.
El Chido Mexican restaurant, known for its hefty tortas and traditional tacos, has introduced another outpost at 11001 Midlothian Turnpike, its fourth in the area.
Helen Holmes, owner of East End comfort food spot Ms. Girlee’s Kitchen, is spreading the love, announcing plans for a second restaurant called Frank’s Grill in Charles City.
Toast is now open in the Scott’s Walk development, adding a local touch to the chain concepts that surround it. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant is complete with a patio and pouring until midnight. Fun fact: There’s a burger on the menu that’s a nod to Bill’s Barbecue, a bygone favorite in the area.
Moving Days
A Ruby Scoops glow-up is upon us. The North Side ice cream shop will host a grand closing event Sept. 29 as it prepares to reopen in brighter and bigger digs down the block. Owner Rabia Kamara says to expect ice cream in October, with the official opening date is TBA.
TBT El Gallo is hitting diners with an “hasta luego” moment: This week, the taqueria shuttered its tiny shop at 2118 W. Cary St., but owner Carlos Ordaz-Nunez is on the verge of reintroducing TBT down the block in the former Kreggers at Hand space at 2614 W. Cary.
Mark Those Calendars
Holy club sandwich, onion rings and dirty martinis — Fan standby Bamboo Cafe is celebrating a half-century. The seminal neighborhood bar beloved by generations marks 50 years with a block party on Oct. 12. Tickets are $10, with a portion of proceeds benefiting RACC.
The inaugural Oyster Week RVA kicks off Oct. 1, launching a weeklong celebration of bivalves plucked from Virginia waters. Stop by participating restaurants — Alewife, Acacia Midtown and Birdie’s, to name a few — for oyster specials, with a portion of sales going to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Last week I mentioned an Oct. 13 event at Sumac in Sperryville that features a super talented cast of Richmond chefs. This week, the farm-to-trailer restaurant appeared on The New York Times coveted Restaurant List. If you needed an extra excuse for a food field trip, here it is.
Beyond fried delights, turkey legs and the Ferris wheel, the State Fair of Virginia is hosting a showcase of local food and drink. During Taste of Virginia on Oct. 3, attendees can get a sampling of all the commonwealth has to offer. A collective of chefs will be there, including Tanya Cauthen of Belmont Butchery and Sarabeth Hagen of SB’s Lakeside Love Shack.
ICYMI
VMFA chef Chainey Kuykendall is a finalist in an international cooking competition. (Richmond magazine)
Manchester’s Gold Lion Community Cafe embraces the essence of coffee shops. (Richmond magazine)
Looking for a crunchy, portable something to add to the snack mix? Seed-based balls and blends from Human Kind Foods pack a nutritional punch. (Richmond magazine)
Last call for Sincero: The Jackson Ward pop-up turned cozy brick-and-mortar restaurant will shutter on Sept. 29 after less than a year in business.
Pamplin Poultry, a family-run purveyor of pastured-raised chicken, has claimed the post office in Sandston is to blame for recent issues at the farm. Receiving newborn chicks via mail for years, the farm claims they’ve experienced a 90% mortality rate with many shipments of late. (CBS 6)
On the inaugural episode of Food Network’s “Last Bite Hotel,” chef and Richmond restaurateur Brittany Anderson made a memorable debut. Only allowed to bring 13 ingredients, she pulled an entire suckling pig out of her trunk in true Virginian spirit. Tune in Tuesdays at 9 p.m. for more.
Upcoming Events
- Beer Cheese & Pretzel Fêtezel, Truckle Cheesemongers (Sept. 28): Housemade beer cheese, pretzels from Butter Boys and plenty of suds
- Chesapeake Crab Feast, Get Tight Lounge (Sept. 28): A pickin’, peelin’ and pit-beefin’ good time
- Oktoberfest, The Smoky Mug (Sept. 28): The Brookland Park Boulevard barbecue spot dishes out a dose of German-inspired food and beverages.
- Big Mac Pop-up, Vegan Eats With Bri (Sept. 28): A homemade, meat-free ode to the burger bigwig, including soda
- Oktoberfest, Black Heath Meadery (Sept. 28): Live music, food and brews from Brainstorm Brewhouse
- Festival of India, Greater Richmond Convention Center (Sept. 28-29): A showcase of the food, culture and traditions of India
- Oktoberfest, Fine Creek Brewing Co. (Sept. 28-29): Wash down a crisp pilsner (or super seasonal foraged pawpaw brew) with a jumbo-sized pretzel.
- Bagel Bistro, Penny’s Wine Shop (Sept. 29): Sunday Bagel and wine for brunch
- Black Pink pop-up, Black Lodge (Sept. 29): K-pop, Korean fried chicken from Royal Pig and beverages from bartender Steve Yang
