The Richmond food event Fire, Flour & Fork has been nominated by USA Today for Favorite Food Festival in the country. Chef Christine Rivera of Galaxy Taco served this achiote-cured Thai snapper taco paired with a pineapple-jalapeno salsa and avocado during Fire, Flour and Fork 2018, at the Broadly Speaking event at Brenner Pass, which brought top female chefs from across the country to Scott's Addition.
Adarra Debuts
Randall Doetzer, a 20-year veteran of the Richmond dining scene, along with wife and front-of-house expert Lyne, have launched a restaurant all their own. The Doetzers open Adarra today, Feb. 14, in the former Rogue space in Jackson Ward. Adarra boasts an imaginative, exotic wine list (both Doetzers are Level 2 sommeliers), small plates including octopus stew, venison tartare and Basque risotto, and a warm and rustic atmosphere. (Richmond magazine)
Spirits at Stony Point
Head to Stony Point Fashion Park on Saturday, Feb. 16, to get your drink on during the first-ever River City Spirits Festival. The event is the brainchild of River City Festivals CEO Brian Sullivan, who wanted to create "a fun, unique event with something for everyone.” Sample unlimited pours of Richmond- and Virginia-crafted libations including spirits, suds, cider and wine, all covered by the ticket price. (Richmond magazine)
Taste the Rainbow
What’s better than a Ukrop’s Rainbow Cookie? Richmonders of a certain age know it's a free Ukrop’s Rainbow Cookie, one of the many reasons the treats spark nostalgia for childhood trips to the grocery store. Writer Piet Jones sought to discover how the Rainbow Cookie crumbles, from its origins in a Carytown bake shop to a prized Richmond souvenir in the airport gift shop. (Richmond magazine)
Share Your Elbys Input
For Richmond magazine's 2019 Elby dining awards taking place April 28, we're opening a category for nominations from the public. Submit your nominations for a Neighborhood Anchor Restaurant, an establishment that has provided consistently high-quality food and service and has served as a community hub for at least five years. Those who take part in the survey will be entered to win a pair of tickets to the Elbys. Thanks for your help!
Flicks and Sips
Movie theaters have stepped up their amenities to coax patrons out of the house to see a film, and soon the bar at Bow Tie Cinemas's Movieland at Boulevard Square will offer specialty cocktails along with beer, wine and cider. Movieland celebrates its 10-year anniversary in Richmond with the debut of the revamped Bow Tie Bar on Feb. 27, inviting moviegoers 21 and over to imbibe and catch a flick. (News release)
Fresh on the Scene
The Carver neighborhood just got a little sweeter with the opening of Nutty Buttery at 701 W. Clay St. The corner outpost opened last week and dishes out a little bit of everything, from sandwiches and coffee to beer and ice cream, their specialty.
First Watch, a chain hailing from South Florida — think Waffle House meets farm-to-table vibes — will open Feb. 18 in the former Bertucci’s space at 11721 W. Broad St., adding to their Richmond portfolio; the first location is in Midlothian. First Watch will dish out breakfast and lunch daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Get your caffeine boost and sugar fix at Coco & Hazel, a forthcoming espresso and milkshake shop coming to the Tuckahoe Shopping Center in late March. (Richmond BizSense)
ICYMI
Max’s on Broad has rolled out a new menu at the RVA Hospitality Group's Broad Street eatery. The five-year-old restaurant is sticking to its French brasserie roots but taking things up a notch with individual baked Alaskas and 1920s-inspired cocktails.
Brenner Pass and Metzger Bar & Butchery co-owner and chef and James Beard Award semifinalist Brittanny Anderson sat down with WCVE’s Roben Farzad of "Full Disclosure" to take listeners through her trajectory from working at a chain wing joint to becoming a rising star in the food world. Hint: The episode is called "From Hooters to Haute."
Scott’s Addition hot dog spot The Dog Wagon Plus has rebranded as The Addition.
RVA Love
Fire, Flour & Fork, the annual four-day food event that draws an all-star lineup of culinary talent to the city and celebrated five years in November, has been nominated for Favorite Food Festival in the country by USA Today. Fellow nominees include heavy-hitters in major cities such as the Food & Wine classic in Aspen, EAT Drink SF in San Francisco, and Taste of Chicago.
Lemaire and Shagbark have done it again: Both restaurants recently received the AAA Four Diamond rating. Lemaire has been recognized since 2010 and Shagbark three times since opening in 2016. Congrats! (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Upcoming Events
- Cider and Chocolate Pairing, Courthouse Creek Cider (Feb. 14-17): Three custom truffles from Taylor Made Chocolate paired with ciders
- Flight School, Stone Brewing (Feb. 15): Stone instructors lead an educational tasting.
- Richmond Beefsteak, Studio Two Three (Feb. 16): Try various cuts of meat during this utensil-free experience including beer, wine and cocktails.
- Four-Year Anniversary, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery (Feb. 16): Live music and special beverage releases
- Girl Scout Cookies and Cider, Buskey Cider (Feb. 17): Celebrate Girl Scout cookie season with cider pairings.
- Silent Reading Party, Virago Spirits (Feb. 17): Bring a book, grab a libation, and sip in silence.
- Taproom Dinner Featuring The Broken Tulip, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery (Feb. 18): Chefs David Crabtree-Logan and Sariann Lehrer visit their neighbors for a five-course dinner and pairings.
- A Heart and Hunger Moon Dinner, The Broken Tulip (Feb. 18): A seven-course winter menu from Chef Jessica Wilson of the forthcoming Grace
- Cocktail List Takeover: Atlanta, Maple & Pine (Feb. 19): Drink specials celebrating the Southern capital
- Cooking With Beer, The Cask (Feb. 20): A chef billed only as Xavier brings the brews into the kitchen.
- Heart Healthy Cooking, Bon Secours Center for Healthy Living (Feb. 20): A registered dietitian shares tips on how to lower blood pressure, read food labels and prepare healthy substitutes.
- Cooking 101: One-Pan Dishes, Mise en Place (Feb. 20): Cut down on the dishwashing and learn the ins and outs of simple recipes.
In Other Food News ...
- Whether you're feeling lovey-dovey or think Valentine's Day is a commercialized Hallmark monster (or maybe both), we've all seen the classic heart-shaped candy boxes in stores everywhere. But how did they come to be and why have they come to define V-day? (Vox)
- Ben's Friends co-founder Steve Palmer started the group as a way to provide support for those in the food and beverage industry struggling with addiction. Palmer opens up about human sustainability in restaurants and says, “We spend every night taking care of other people; we’re just now figuring out how to take care of ourselves.” (Food & Wine)
