Get your hands on all the pork (and seafood) during the fifth annual Swine & Brine event at Ardent this Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. (Photo by Ryan Kelly courtesy Ardent Craft Ales)
Elbys Spotlight: Rising Chefs
We’re heading west on Sunday, April 28, for the 2019 Elbys to celebrate RVADine's star players, including the libation leaders, the restaurant of the year and the true culinary commanders in the kitchen: the Rising Chef nominees. These six contenders blend passion, ingenuity and flair to produce impressive plates at restaurants across the city including Brenner Pass, Shagbark and Southbound. Want to find out who belts Whitney Houston on the line? Check out this savory squad of talent and hear what chef-owners have to say about their right-hand allies. Winners will be announced at Hardywood West Creek during a night of “Reading the Future of Food” to benefit Tricycle Gardens. (Richmond magazine)
Blazing on Broad
Broad Street is now home to Fatty Smokes, the new barbecue outpost from EAT Restaurant Partners that opened April 23. Executive Chef Mike Lindsey, a pitmaster and North Carolina native who traveled the country tasting ‘cue prior to opening, says the menu reflects those smoky explorations. Diners can expect conventional barbecue selections along with creative, chef-y offerings such as “Virginia Lasagna” and a Southern take on ramen with deviled egg. (Richmond magazine)
The Sharpest Knife
You won’t find typical grocery store meats at Cardinal State Butchers in Bon Air, but you will find a sign that says “good conversations,” as well as co-owner and butcher Adam Musselman bumping Black Sabbath and eager to educate. The 36-year-old, boasting a 70-strong knife collection, has a few tricks up his sleeve, including leather-working skills and flipping the legendary Cobra Burgers found at pop-ups around the city. (Richmond magazine)
Quick Take: Bingo
Reviewer Anna Moriah Meyers shows us the lay of the land at the Scott’s Addition brewpub and arcade Bingo, where upscale bar food like the Also Not Affiliated With Anyone’s Corporate “Mammal Style” Burger — featuring an addictive special sauce — and a vegan “corn dog” pair beautifully with selections from their lineup of house-brewed cold ones. (Richmond magazine)
In the Market
Residents of Richmond's East End, an area long considered a food desert served only by mini marts and convenience stores, are about to receive a breath of fresh air. The Market at 25th, a 27,000-square-foot grocery store, opens its doors Monday, April 29, and aims to bring an affordable, approachable and accessible shopping experience to local residents. Developer and operator Norm Gold wants shoppers to pay close attention to aisle markers and signage around the store that celebrate the history and heritage of the area. “You have to recognize where you are; you’re in Church Hill,” he says. The market features 70 local vendors including Shalom and Browntowne Farms, The Treat Shop, Mama J’s, and Brewer’s Cafe. (Richmond magazine)
RVA French Food Festival veteran Paul Elbling (second from left) with the cast of fellow chefs preparing bites for the 11th annual event (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Parlez-vous French Food Fest?
Food festival season is officially upon us as the RVA French Food Festival returns for its 11th year this Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27. Prepare to be surrounded by French-inspired cuisine including bahn mi, mini baked Alaskas and beignets from chefs across the city, and get your bourguignon on with festival veteran Chef Paul Elbling. Other tasty accents: classic baked goods, pommes frites, French wine, crepes and ratatouille. (Richmond magazine)
On to Greener Pastures
A Grace Street restaurant known for its Southern-tinged fare and snowball-sized scoops of pimento cheese from owners Michele Jones, Jason Alley and Ry Marchant, Pasture is for sale after almost eight years in business. Alley and Jones, also co-owners of Comfort and Bingo, have their sleeves rolled up and are currently working on a new concept, Rally, an eat-ertainment-focused venue with pickleball. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Fresh on the Scene
Plant Baz opened its doors over the weekend at 900 W. Franklin St. near VCU. The vegan spot dishes out burritos, bowls, tacos and salads — think Chipotle, but meatless.
The franchise owners of Skrimp Shack recently opened another outpost of the East Coast-based chain. The 7502 W. Broad St. location marks the third the duo has opened in the last five years. (Richmond BizSense)
ICYMI
Tier 7 Cafe at the Library of Virginia will no longer be opening after previously stating an April 15 opening date. (News release)
Quirky Jackson Ward eatery Stoplight Gelato is set to reopen its doors within the next few weeks, just in time for gelato weather. Former owner Barbara Given sold Stoplight in late December due to health-related issues, but the new owners plan to keep the cafe’s cool character and add pizzas and sandwiches as well as beer and wine to the menu. (Style Weekly)
RVA Love
We reported a few weeks ago that our very own writer Stephanie Ganz landed in the pages of national publication Bon Appetit, and now the April issue has hit the interwebs, so folks who didn't grab a print copy can check out Ganz’s inside scoop on our “restaurant-obsessed town,” which highlights Alewife, Pomona, Africanne on Main and Proper Pie Co. among vital stops on the Richmond gastronomic tour.
Speaking of Alewife, the squad behind the sustainable seafood emporium in Church Hill started off the week in mighty fine fashion, being named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by GQ magazine. The author says the kitchen produces “clean, honest dishes from that magical sector where the waters of the mid-Atlantic swirl and merge with those of the South.”
For the third consecutive year, Sophia Kim of Saison has won The Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience cocktail competition regionals in Richmond, and for the second year in a row she has advanced to the finals. They'll take place at The Nomad in New York on May 20, and Kim is the only female bartender to advance to the finals this year out of over 1,000 submissions. Cheers! (News release)
Upcoming Events
- The Veil Third Anniversary, The Veil Brewing Co. (Through April 28): Final days of the weeklong celebration with special releases, food trucks and guest taps
- Richmond Restaurant Week, participating restaurants (Through April 28): Check out area eateries offering three-course prix-fixe menus for $29.19, with $4.19 going to Feed More.
- Swine & Brine, Ardent Craft Ales (April 27): The fifth annual celebration dedicated to beer, bivalves and pork, featuring fare from local restaurants
- Dogtown Dessert and Drink Festival, Hot Diggity Donuts (April 27): Mingle in Manchester, sample sweet snacks, and wash them down with suds and sparklers.
- Spring Garden Day, Ellwood Thompson's (April 27): Meet local farmers and growers during this interactive day filled with free classes and seminars.
- Herbs Galore & More, Maymont (April 27): Flex your green thumb and explore plants including heirloom varieties and veggies.
- Over the River Spring Fling, Bon Air Shopping Center (April 28): Vendors, purveyors and live music set up for the seasonal open-air market.
- The 2019 Elby Awards: Reading the Future of Food, Hardywood West Creek (April 28): The eighth annual regional dining awards ceremony followed by an after-party at Bingo
- Pale Fire Craft Beer Dinner, The Savory Grain (April 29): Six courses paired with six brews from Pale Fire Brewing Co. out of Harrisonburg
- Supper & Sips, The Jasper (April 30): A pop-up dinner from Our Table Supper Club paired with cocktails to benefit cancer research
- Rootstock Wine Dinner, Perch (April 30): Six courses paired with six Oregon wines
- Cooking Class: Spring Classics, Mise en Place (May 1): Create seasonally inspired dishes including spring onion soup and a pavlova.
In Other Food News ...
- Merriam-Webster has caught on that certain food-centric words are here to stay. Earlier this week they added "umami," "cheesemonger" and "double-dip" to the dictionary. (Food & Wine)
