Celebrate your love of pie in all its sweet and savory forms on Pi Day, Saturday, March 14. Expect a line to form outside Church Hill's Proper Pie Co., one of whose creations is pictured above. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
A Taste of Venezuela
Richmonders will soon be able to experience a first for the city: a dedicated areperia. The two young restaurateurs behind South Side's Bocata Latin Grill are set to open Bocata Arepa Bar in the West End next week. With a 20-deep lineup of the cornmeal-based South American staples, you may want to bring a friend or two and maximize your arepa-tasting potential. (Richmond magazine)
Drumroll, Please
The time has come, the wait is over, the nods are in. Without further ado, we present the 2020 nominations for the Elbys, Richmond’s largest celebration of the local dining community. For this ninth annual event, catch us back at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, with the awards ceremony tentatively scheduled for Sunday, April 26. Get ready to highlight the depth and breadth of the area dining scene in “to the nines” fashion. (Richmond magazine)
Hobby Lobbies
Combining bites, booze and activities is a trend that Richmond has fully embraced. Writer Genevelyn Steele offers up her fave spots — and some fun night-out ideas — that keep you fed and watered while you play, from terrarium-making and wine at PlantBar to indoor bocce and pour-your-own beer at Slingshot Social Club. (Richmond magazine)
Change of Pace
Speaking of The Jefferson Hotel, some of its top stars have switched it up. We announced recently that Chauncey Jenkins, the tenured employee who climbed the ranks from room service to general manager of Lemaire, has taken on a new position. Fans of Jenkins' elevated service standards can find him at the forthcoming Common House, expected to open later this year. (News release)
Sara Ayyash has left her role as pastry chef at The Jefferson after a decade to embark on a solo venture in Jackson Ward. The pastry queen has turned her custom cake side hustle at Sugar & Salt at 416 N. Second St. into a full-time gig, offering baked goods in the small cafe space. (Richmond BizSense)
ICYMI
After over a decade of cruisin’ around town with its mobile barbecue offerings, Jadean’s Smokin’ Six O has found a permanent home at 1126 Westbriar Drive. Expect the smoke to begin rising later this month. (Richmond BizSense)
Shockoe Bottom’s Ironclad Coffee Roasters is spilling into a second location in early 2021. Coffee drinkers can check out the forthcoming new digs opening inside The Current at 400 Hull St., a mixed-use development by Lynx Ventures. (Richmond BizSense)
Find former Southbound Chef de Cuisine Craig Perkinson playing with dough in Scott's Addition when he opens People’s Pie, a to-go eatery focusing on East Coast- and Detroit-style ’za, within the next month. (Richmond magazine)
First Watch, the breakfast- and lunch-focused chain with four area locations, is amping up its presence in the region. Look for two more to roll out by summer, one in Willow Lawn and another near the Chesterfield County courthouse. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
The On the Fly Dodgeball Tournament scheduled for this Sunday, March 15, has been postponed to ensure the safety of guests and players amid coronavirus concerns. Stay tuned for a new date.
Richmond’s favorite mayo, Duke’s, is adding to its condiment portfolio with a new line of sauces meant to capture the flavors of the South, including Georgia Sweet Heat, Alabama-Style White and Carolina Gold flavors. (News release)
RVA Love
According to The Daily Meal, Church Hill is home to one of the 101 Best Restaurants in America. Alewife, we’re looking at you. The article notes “a relaxed vibe and some of America’s best beers on tap” along with seasonal, sustainable seafood.
What do Bali, Indonesia; Cuba; Madrid and Richmond share? They all grace the list of best places to travel in April. Local craft-cocktail watering holes The Jasper and Little Nickel received a special shout-out. (Jetsetter)
While pastries and fresh loaves of bread may steal the spotlight at Church Hill's Sub Rosa Bakery, a Bon Appetit editor says its quiche is the true star.
Southern Living rolled out its annual South’s Best Awards, and Richmond is all up in there, with Alewife claiming the No. 1 spot on the Best New Restaurants list, plus nods to The Jasper, Quirk Hotel, The Jefferson Hotel and Mama J’s.
Upcoming Events
Amid the current situation with COVID-19, we encourage everyone to exercise caution and use their best judgment when deciding to attend a public event. Be sure to confirm before you go that events are still taking place.
- Hello Kitty Cafe Truck East, Short Pump Town Center (March 14): The truck makes its Richmond return with treats and swag.
- Spotty Dog Ice Cream Pop-up, Union Market (March 14): Stout-flavored New England-style ice cream, anyone?
- Biscuit, Scone and Pie for Pi Day, Mise en Place (March 14): Celebrate Pi Day by learning how to whip up sweet and savory options.
- Three Year Anniversary: Sunday Brunch, Courthouse Creek Cider (March 15): Dishes by Chef Michael Stotler
- Oakwood Arts Dinner, The Roosevelt (March 15): A three-course dinner to support the East End art center
- 1st Annual Crawfish Boil, Poor Boys (March 15): Get in touch with your N’awlins side with limitless mudbugs and fixin’s paired with a special menu and live tunes.
- Secco Seminar: Coralie Delecheneau of La Grange Tiphaine, Secco Wine Bar (March 16): Drink a little, learn a little and eat a lot during the family-style meal paired with a discussion of natural wine making.
- Brew Your Own Kombucha With Blue Ridge Bucha, Ellwood Thompson’s (March 16): A 20-year kombucha-making veteran guides guests on how to become homebrewers.
- Pizza Bones Pop-up, Stoplight Gelato (March 17): The pizza pop-up returns for a night of whole pies, including vegan-friendly versions.
- Silly Seuss Dinner!, Toast Winterfield (March 18): A Dr. Seuss-themed menu of dishes, drinks and desserts at this monthly family-friendly experience
In Other Food News …
- The restaurant industry and food-related businesses in general are feeling the effects of the coronavirus, from small, independent eateries where business has declined to establishments near stadiums where events continue to be canceled and students facing uncertainty of meals in relation to school closures. (Eater)
- And just because we all could use a laugh right now, in State College, Pennsylvania, home to Penn State, the community hosted a candlelight vigil following an abrupt closure of a Taco Bell in the town. Did Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" play? Why, yes, it did. (Food & Wine)
