The Hanover Tomato Festival returns for its 40th year in 2018. These beauts are from Village Garden in the Atlee area of Hanover. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
40 Juicy Years
Round, succulent and a summertime staple known across the state, Hanover tomatoes are truly something special. The magic lies in the soil, and the annual Hanover Tomato Festival is the perfect opportunity to taste the tomatoes in all their glorious forms — fried green tomatoes, tomato pies, caprese salad and more. The festival celebrates 40 years on July 14 and takes place at Pole Green Park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with live music and over 150 vendors. (Richmond magazine)
Destination: Beer
Sometimes, for the sake of beer, you have to travel off the beaten path — aka a trip to Intermission Beer Company. The 100 percent female-owned brewery is tucked away in Glen Allen near Virginia Center Commons, and I got the lowdown on how the business came to be. The husband-and-wife team, the sole operators, have VCU theater roots, and the brewery focuses on entertainment from beers to movies and board games. If you’re looking for something different in a city flowing with cold ones, I suggest taking a trip. Oh, and you can bring your own snacks/food, or friendly Fido, which is always an added bonus.
Bowls on Bowls
I’ve been known to get a little messy when I eat, so if there’s an opportunity to contain my chaos and opt for a bowl, I’m all in. Roots Natural Kitchen is right there with me. The fast-casual restaurant is set to open on Monday, July 30, near VCU at 939 W. Grace St., and their menu is all about the bowls. Think specialty preset options like The Corner Cobb, featuring charred corn, sweet potatoes, avocado, red onions, chicken and feta dressing, or a create-your-own option where diners choose a base, grilled protein and fresh ingredients. Roots opened its first location in Charlottesville in 2015, and Richmond is their third, with others in the works. Want to learn more? Here’s a peek at Roots Natural Kitchen so you can plot your first visit. (Richmond magazine)
Diner en Blanc Recap
Cool events keep happening in the city, and it’s impossible to attend them all. Luckily, we're here so you can live vicariously. Last Saturday, July 7, we attended the second annual Diner en Blanc Richmond, an all-white-themed event along a stretch of the Boulevard that welcomed over a thousand people from across the city dressed to the nines. People brought their own food and tables and created an elegant, picnic-style celebration. Head this way to check out photos and relive the magic. If you’re a foodie and more intrigued by the eats, scope out our top five recipes from DEB 2018.
Hottie Alert
What do salmon, tacos, Brussels sprouts and yogurt have in common? You can add some AR’s Hot Southern Honey to all of them for an elevated experience. AR’s honey graces dishes and restaurants across the city, and you can grab a bottle for yourself at Union Market or Wegmans to get a little hot and creative in the kitchen. Owner Ames Russell has plans to roll out a bourbon barrel-aged hot honey in November and a line of condiments in the future. Stay tuned for more details. (Richmond magazine)
Ironclad's Coffee Cafe
Ironclad Coffee Roasters, roasting since 2016, are ready to open the doors of their brand-new cafe on Friday, July 13, at 1805 E. Grace St. “This cafe has been in our minds for quite some time,” says owner Ryan O’Rourke. “It is a place where we can really showcase who we are and what gets us out of bed in the morning. Our hope is that it will highlight the vast world of specialty coffee in a manner approachable and fun enough that anyone and everyone feels welcome.” Inside the cafe guests will find a cozy atmosphere, an enormous garage door-style window to let in fresh air, loose-leaf teas, kombucha on tap, drinking chocolate and locally made baked goods.
A Broad Street Buyer
Graffiato sat vacant for about three weeks before the space at 123 W. Broad St. was scooped up by RVA Hospitality Group, the folks behind nearby Tarrant’s and Max’s on Broad. The group signed a 10-year lease for the property but haven't yet revealed what the plan is. After four years in business in Richmond, Graffiato officially shut its doors last month following a string of incidents including a sexual harassment lawsuit against owner Mike Isabella and a weeklong shutdown to fix HVAC issues. (WTVR)
Summertime ... and the Menus Are Tasty
A handful of dining establishments across the area have announced they will be rolling out new seasonal menus/dishes, and a few of them sound particularly intriguing: Rogue is featuring a white-corn agnolotti with tomato, chili, prosciutto vinaigrette and chive along with a new chef’s tasting menu. As far as I’m concerned, you’re never too old for a grilled cheese, and The Caboose Market & Cafe agrees — they’ve brought back a seasonal favorite, their grownup grilled cheese, on classic La Bella Vita white bread with Hanover tomatoes, arugula pesto, mozzarella and prosciutto. Ice cream and macarons together is a sinful pairing, and Whisk is testing my self-control with the debut of an orange Creamsicle ice cream mac (oh, boy). In the West End, Kona Grill has updated their menu to include sake flights, a few new sushi rolls, and a Hawaiian Pomfret topped with a macadamia romesco sauce served with garlic broccoli and spaetzle.
Beer Me: Summer Edition
Pack the cooler, grab some friends, and hit the James or a backyard BBQ, because there are some seriously tasty brews with tropical and summer flavors about to drop. Trapezium Brewing in Petersburg released Key Lime Pie, an ale with a slight pucker, on July 11. If you’re a fan of sour ales, on July 12 Ardent is releasing their Summer American Sour Blend, a blonde ale aged in oak barrels and blended with pink guava and pineapple. Speaking of pineapple, Hardywood is releasing a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Berliner Weisse on July 13, brewed with pineapple, real vanilla and toasted coconut, available at the OG location and West Creek. Over at Vasen, they recently dropped a smoked farmhouse ale made using Citra hops with hints of grapefruit, melon and pepper. Stone Brewing has their take on a New England IPA, with Fear.Movie.Lions, an unfiltered Double IPA with heavy tropical and citrus notes. If you're a cider fan, Courthouse Creek Cider, which opened a tasting room in Scott's Addition a week ago, plans to release a blackberry-lavender cider on July 13. Cheers!
Meet the Emperor on Bastille Day
France is heading to the World Cup final, Bastille Day, the French national holiday celebrating a turning point in the French Revolution, is upon us, and Napoleon is making a comeback. On Saturday, July 14, keep a lookout for "the emperor" as he hops around town to experience some of Richmond’s French flair at Max’s on Broad, the Graduate Richmond hotel, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Can Can Brasserie, where he’ll enter on a horse-drawn carriage to the sounds of trumpet fanfare. If you meet the emperor you could win tickets to the "Napoleon: Power and Splendor" exhibition at the VMFA, which is in town until Sept. 3. The Graduate plans to offer specialty-themed Napoleon cocktails, and Can Can will feature cocktails and a special tasting menu. (News release)
Your Scoop on the Scoops
National food-related holidays may just be a marketing ploy for us to indulge in certain eats, but when it’s National Ice Cream day, I’ll let it slide. The gals over at Charm School, Alex and Meryl, known for their elaborate brulee-ed marshmallow ice cream topper, are doing it BIG this year. If you purchase ice cream from Charm School on Sunday, July 15, you'll automatically be entered into a drawing to win Charm School ice cream for life. Yes, for life. They’ll also have a "bizarre market" in their lot highlighting local crafty vendors. Gelati Celesti says buy the ice cream, and they’ll provide a free waffle cone — from noon to 10 p.m. The special promotion is available at all four locations. Sundaes on Sunday? Scoop, the ice cream venture from Whisk’s Morgan Botwinick, will offer $1 off their profiterole sundaes, a French-style cream puff topped with a scoop of ice cream, topping, sauce and whipped cream.
A Green Kitchen in Church Hill
Patience is a virtue, and personal chef/caterer Tammy Brawley knows it all too well. “I’ve wanted my own brick-and-mortar since 2007,” says Brawley, who is saying goodbye to her rental kitchen in North Side on the brink of opening her own space. The Green Kitchen, at 314 N. 25th St. in Church Hill, debuts Thursday, July 12. Brawley worked at Sur la Table from 2004-12 and has been developing The Green Kitchen since 2009. She will continue to focus on private meal services, but the space at The Green Kitchen will also be open for chefs to host private dinners or pop-ups.
Upcoming Events
- Books, Brews & Boos, Vasen Brewing (July 13): Celebrate Friday the 13th with scary tales from local writers and a brew or two.
- Sprinkles and Sprinklers, The Neighborhood Scoop (July 13): Sprinklers are for fun, and sprinkles are for winners.
- Date Night: A Summer Garden to Table Dinner, Mise en Place (July 13): Create a dinner using fresh ingredients from the farmers market.
- Pulp Fiction Pop-up, Whispers of Time (July 13): Jazz band, vintage items, juice, smoothies and wraps from 4 to 8 p.m.
- An Evening of ’60s Records, Patrick Henry Pub and Grille (July 13): Experience a flashback to the 60’s as vinyl spins in the basement.
- Wine & Whine Night, Brewer’s Cafe (July 13): Free reggae dance lesson and happy-hour specials
- Smoke & Vine Festival, Henricus Historical Park (July 14): Drink fine wine, puff on cigars, and enjoy live music and food along the banks of the James River.
- Cool Summer Dishes, Good Foods Grocery (July 14): Learn how to make refreshing Mediterranean dishes perfect for beating the summer heat.
- Date Night: Summer in Tuscany, Sur la Table (July 14): Learn how to bring Italian cuisine to life at this hands-on experience.
- Croissants 101, Scoop (July 15): Get the lowdown on croissant making including chocolate-chip-croissant bread pudding and a cheddar-bacon-croissant bread pudding.
- Will Endorphasm for Beer ... and Food ... and Fun! Stone Brewing (July 15): Get ya workout on and then sip on a cold one (my kind of exercise).
- Chips, Dips & Sips, Kindred Spirit Brewing (July 15): Make that famous dip you bring to family events for a chance to win a cash prize.
- The Brunch Market, Lunch and Supper (July 15): Ring in your Sunday with the once-a-month pop-up filled with Belle Isle Moonshine mimosas, fried chicken biscuits and local vendors.
- OMG It's Ommegang, Southbound (July 17): Four-course dinner and beer pairing featuring brews from Ommegang
- World UP/Summer of Fundraising Kickoff Event, The Broken Tulip (July 17): Fundraiser for a mobile pantry project
- Georgia Peach Truck, Boulevard Flower Gardens (July 18): The traveling farm-to-street vendor, which makes its way up the East Coast from Atlanta, is stopping in Chesterfield to offer their ripe delights.
- Buskey Hard Cider Tap Attack, Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint (July 18): Four taps from Buskey, including their Watermelon Rosemary and a special burger feature
- Food Truck Court, Hardywood (July 19): Weekly Thursday dose of food trucks from 5 to 9:30 p.m.
- National Daiquiri Day, Maple & Pine (July 19): Traditional daiquiri specials and a fun twist on the classic, The Modern Day Hemingway
- Midtown Summer Nights Concert Series, Libbie Mill-Midtown (July 19): Food trucks, beer from Strangeways, cocktails from Belle Isle, and ’80s tunes at the outdoor event
- Triple Crossing Brewery Run, Triple Crossing (July 19): A out-and-back group run (choose your distance) from Triple Crossing on Foushee Street across the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge.
In Other Food News …
- Buh-bye, straws. Restaurants across the region have begun to eliminate plastic straws, and global coffee powerhouse Starbucks is now on board. The company announced that straws will be phased out from all stores by 2020. (NPR) Also, metal straws are the new thing; check it out. (Racked)
- Eater, PBS and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson have teamed up for "No Passport Required," a new PBS show that looks at immigrant communities in the United States and their food traditions. It aired this past Tuesday, but you can stream the episode on Eater or PBS. (Eater)
