Slide into oven-baked goodness this summer when Pupatella opens its first Richmond location. Slide into more drool-worthy food, below. (Photo courtesy Pupatella)
You made it to the weekend! Rain or shine, there's deliciousness ahead, including but not limited to: pastries, pizzas, oyster festivals, tequila rain clouds, late-night burger parties, the return of Bev's and more.
- A blessing and a curse for Fan waistlines: After a year or two of baking for businesses and events around town, Red Cap Patisserie now has a permanent home at 719 N. Meadow St. Selling European-inspired pastries, savory hand pies and a few rotating confections, the husband-and-wife team of Red Cap opened their new bakery on Thursday morning in the former Lucille's Bakery space. Fans of their Alchemy Coffee and Farmers Market at St. Stephen's appearances shouldn't fret; Red Cap isn't slowing down, and you can still find their croissants, muffins, scones and other sweets at both spots, in addition to the new bakery. Get a few more details and take a peek inside right over here. (Richmond magazine)
- That's not all that's hitting the Fan this year. Arlington-based Pupatella just signed on to open a Richmond franchise at 1 N. Morris St. and hopes to fire up Neapolitan-style pizzas as early as this summer. The former Rancho T space won't be the only Pupatella in the area; according to a news release, it will be the first of four to open in the Richmond region. "We’re excited to welcome Zeeshan [Kaba, the Richmond franchise owner] and his team into the Pupatella family,” Pupatella founder Enzo Algarme says in the release. “We believe they have the experience, commitment and drive to open a Pupatella that is true to our ‘back to the basics’ philosophy. We look forward to expanding into Richmond and becoming engrained in the local community.”
- Ain't no thing but a chicken wing ... or boneless strip ... or bibimbap. BBQ Chicken, a Korean fast-casual, chicken-focused restaurant chain, is now open near VCU at 900 W. Franklin St., in the former home of Shoryuken Ramen. The restaurant serves up happy hour, chicken in a variety of sauces, bibimbap, salads and even dukbokki, a Korean rice-cake dish. See the menu here. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
- And in some very sweet news, Carytown mainstay Bev's Homemade Ice Cream reopens TOMORROW. The beloved ice cream shop closed in November due to an electrical fire, but according to the company's Facebook page, all will be up and running this Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. "Thank you again for your patience as we put ourselves back together," the post reads. "We're incredibly excited to be back in action and getting into full swing for summer."
- In pop-up news, one chef is bringing a taste of the Philippines to Richmond this spring by way of his family recipes. Mike Ledesma, corporate executive chef of Richmond Restaurant Group, launches his new Passport Pop-Up series on April 23, serving eight to 12 courses of Filipino fare. Ideally, he says, each month he'll bring the cuisine and traditions of his culture to hungry Richmonders, sometimes serving up straightforward traditional plates, sometimes focusing on specific European influences found in pockets of the islands. Expect long-cooked, painstakingly prepared dishes, and a lot of them. Learn a bit more about Ledesma and the new series — plus where to find tickets — right this way. (Richmond magazine)
- Looking west of the Philippines, the neighboring republic of Vietnam is full of its own flavor, and Richmond's got it in spades. Here, we profile the Horsepen neighborhood, which sits just west of Willow Lawn, and all of the fantastic Vietnamese restaurants you'll find there. Read up on how this neighborhood came to be, then go forth for some of the best pho in the whole dang region.
- In expansion news, Shockoe Bottom's Grandstaff & Stein recently opened a second location in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Yes, you still need a password to enter this speakeasy-inspired bar. (And yes, you can still find it on their Facebook page.) Visit the OBX counterpart in the town of Kill Devil Hills. (The Outer Banks Voice by way of RVA HUB)
- If you're in the mood to curl up with a good book, or perhaps try your hand at a new recipe, might I point you to our March edition of Five Faves? Here, we spotlight some of the best cookbooks and cocktail tomes around, plus where to find them locally. Get your knowledge on. I dare you.
- Speaking of cooking, the March Ingredient column is now online, and let me tell you a thing or two about cooking with seaweed. Or just skip over my words and jump straight to the recipe for Korean birthday soup, or miyeokguk, graciously provided by JKOGI.
- MEET YOUR FARMER: Where else can you find pasture-raised chickens, fresh eggs, hand-woven shawls, and turkey? Why, Parker Family Farm, of course! Here's a quick spotlight on the brother-and-sister team behind the Gloucester farm. (Richmond magazine)
This weekend is the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K! Fuel up with calories at these great events! Even if you're not running, pretend you are while you're eating and maybe you won't feel guilty about all those calories, who knows.
- Tonight, find epic late-night cheeseburgers at Heritage from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Peep that full menu here, but know that it includes an Elvis burger with peanut butter and bacon. Go, go, go.
- Kick off your Saturday right with a Nate's Bagels pop-up at Roaring Pines, where you'll find bagels, breakfast sandwiches and even a bagel bánh mì from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Roaring Pines)
- Or grab a beer or two at Spring Brew Thing at Chesterfield Towne Center, where you can enjoy more than 30 regionally made beers, plus food trucks and live music, all from noon to 6 p.m. The magazine will be there; come say hi! (Spring Brew Thing)
- Tomorrow from 2 to 5 p.m., get thee to Tredegar Ironworks for the third annual Virginia Green Tourism Oyster Roast & Festival. Each $60 ticket includes unlimited tastings of oysters in raw, roasted and fried forms, plus wine and beer and small plates. Also, your wine glass! There'll be a shucking contest and silent auctions and good times and bluegrass music, and a portion of proceeds benefit the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program. Grab a spot now. (Virginia Green Travel Alliance)
And now for a few (inter)national links:
- Spaghetti doughnuts are a thing now, and why can't these trend items just die? (Grub Street)
- File under "Fascinating" but also "Oh No, Somebody Do Something to Save Those Oysters": The recent shipwreck of this 1960s research vessel is harming Washington state's oyster output, specifically that of Willipa Bay, which is responsible for more than 50 percent of Washington's oyster bounty. Now, oil is leaking into the bay, but no one is quite sure who owns the boat, as it'd been parked there for so long. (NPR)
- Mexico just used science to create a cloud that rains tequila every time it rains in Germany. The genius but maybe-a-little-more-than-impractical invention is part of a Germany-targeted tourism initiative. Don't believe me? There's video. (Foodbeast)
Till next time, what a time to be alive.
