A vegan spin on sfihas, or Lebanese meat pies, will land in Richmond when the forthcoming Mind Your Belly Deli opens this month in Short Pump. Get all the details below to plot your first voracious visit. (Photo courtesy Halini Brune)
Easy, Breezy, Big Kitchen
We all know the feeling: The day’s over, you're exhausted, and cooking dinner requires exerting entirely too much energy. Luckily, the owners of Tazza Kitchen are about to make our lives a little easier, and tastier, when they launch The Big Kitchen, a drive-thru prepared meal operation opening in mid-January. Head online, order, hop in your whip, stay warm and cruise right through the outpost to pick up your food. All you have to do is toss it in the oven when you get home, the perfect time to change into comfy clothes before grubbing out. (Richmond magazine)
Mindful Eatery
When I heard the words “vegan bagels and lox” escape the mouth of Mind Your Belly Deli owner Halini Brune, my heart skipped a beat. The forthcoming 100 percent vegan bakery and deli located in Short Pump plans to dish out a variety of sweet and savory options daily, along with rotating bites and specials when it opens in mid-January. Brune’s Brazilian and Lebanese heritage sneak their way into a number of menu items including sfihas, or small meat pies. P.S.: Grab a few coconut turnovers for dessert; they shouldn't be missed. (Richmond magazine)
A Baker’s Tale
From making cookies in dorm room kitchens to creating the widely known and devoured coconut cream pie at Little Nickel, Stella’s head baker Ellyn Hopper is a baking tour de force. At 26, the Douglas Freeman grad has become an established part of the Giavos restaurant empire. Learn more about her journey, where she found inspiration and how making baklava can go horribly wrong. (Richmond magazine)
J Kogi Deux
Out with the tacos and in with the bulgogi. At the end of November, Boka Tako Bar at 304 N. Robinson St. in The Fan closed, and in the days to follow we learned the space would be renovated to house a second location of J Kogi, the Korean eatery in Jackson Ward. The grand opening is Friday, Jan. 11, and, according to owner Jay Ko, the menu will feature J Kogi's familiar street food-inspired dishes, along with the addition of small plates.
From Apples to Hops
Gluten-free drinkers tend to skip beer and go the cider route when reaching for a cold one, and now a local cidery is about to begin brewing gluten-free beer. Courthouse Creek Cider plans to have GF beer available within the next couple of months at its Goochland location. “We are already a dedicated gluten-free facility,” says co-owner Eric Coffi of the decision, “so, since we already have a dedicated facility, we figure we fill the void of true GF beer production. While cider will always be our No. 1 mission, we want to provide another beverage option to those that aren’t so into cider."
ICYMI
The Richmond Food Truck Hub is about to make life easier for food truck operators on the circuit when it opens on Jan.15. The venture — auto shop meets commercial kitchen — is meant to assist food operators with storage, production, parking and more. (Richmond BizSense)
After three years in business, local cold-brew brand Convergent Coffee Co. has closed up shop. (Richmond BizSense)
Get your brisket and jalapeno mac and cheese fix while you can: The folks at ZZQ are heading to Texas for some ’cue research (jealous much?) and will be closed from Jan. 14-29.
A new vegan cheese — cheddar, to be exact — hailing from the DMV area has made its way to Richmond. Rooted Delights can be found at Outpost Richmond and The Butterbean Market & Cafe.
A few months ago Anton’s Chicken, known for its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, closed its Short Pump location and relocated to 6346 Midlothian Turnpike.
Upcoming Events
- Workshop 1: Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, Omni Richmond (Jan. 11): Get down with fungi and learn cultivation methods while exploring their medicinal uses.
- UnMoo: Vegan Cheese & Butter Tasting, The Butterbean Market & Cafe (Jan. 12): Sample the Richmond-made vegan cheese and butter, also available for sale.
- Grand Opening Celebration, Hang Space (Jan. 12): The official grand opening of the vegan eatery featuring an expanded menu, raffles and prizes
- Our Table Supper Club, TBD (Jan. 12): A pop-up multi-course dinner and wine pairing experience
- Fifth Anniversary Celebration, Union Market (Jan. 12): Help the neighborhood market celebrate its birthday with food and drink specials, live music, and raffles.
- Meal Prep Workshop, Blue Bee Cider (Jan. 13): Kick-start the year and create six healthy, plant-based, allergen-friendly meals to take home.
- Kegs and Eggs, Strangeways Brewing (Jan. 13): Breakfast items from Irish Rover food truck and beermosas
- Taco Pop-up, Ellwood Thompson’s (Jan. 15): A variety of creative offerings including gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options.
- Cocktail List Takeover: Argentina, Maple & Pine (Jan. 15): Cocktails inspired by one of Argentina's most famous bartenders, Salvatore "Pichin" Policastro
- Vasen Brewing Event With Lee Graves, Vasen Brewing (Jan. 16): A discussion on brews led by the author of "Virginia Beer: A Guide From Colonial Days to Craft's Golden Age"
- Cooking Class: Mexican at Home, Mise en Place (Jan. 16): Learn how to create pork chili verde and other Mexican specialties.
In Other Food News ...
- The craft beer industry has begun to feel the impact of the ongoing government shutdown. One of the final steps of distributing a new beer involves the labeling of cans or bottles, which must be approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, currently closed. For a more humorous take on the shutdown, explained in the language of beer, check out this video from Stephen Colbert.
- Foie gras lawsuit? Considered a luxury item in the food world and favored by fine-dining chefs and adventurous eaters alike but controversial for its production methods, the fattened duck or goose liver is currently the center of a court battle that has been going back and forth since the law took effect in 2012. It appears the ban on foie gras in California may stick, and chefs aren’t pleased.
