Glizzy gang roll call. Fat Tyler's Meat Cart (above) makes an appearance at Tabol Brewing on Sunday slinging Autumn Olive Farms hot dogs. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Natural Affinage
A shop dedicated to cheese and all its bloomy, funky, and aged glory — say less. After years of pop-ups, and a residency at Blue Bee Cider, certified cheese professional Maggie Bradshaw is expanding her cut-to-order business in a big way. Stay tuned for Truckle Cheesemongers Cheese Bar, a forthcoming 1,500 square foot shop in the Devil’s Triangle set to offer cheese flights, accoutrements, butter and more. (Richmond magazine)
Rolling in the Deep
Serving beignets, the hot, fried-to-order, generously-sprinkled New Orleans-rooted pastries, Brittany Williams was known to draw a crowd to her four-wheeled mobile venture, Cafe Beignet. Offering the classics alongside fun riffs such as apple fritter and strawberry cheesecake, the dough starts rising from her Shockoe Bottom brick-and-mortar cafe of the same name on May 20. (Richmond magazine)
All Best Days
Blending laid-back vibes with flavors such as Chocolate Glutton and the mantra “All best days,” Westray’s Finest Ice Cream is the brainchild of a Midlothian native who gained his cool chops working at premium purveyors in New York including Van Leeuwen and Oddfellows. The shop is now open on Lombardy Street in the Fan. Post-dinner scoop stroll, anyone? (Richmond magazine)
Taco 'Bout It
Once home to the infamous bathtub salad bar, followed by Scuffletown Garden, the space at 421 Strawberry St. is ready to reintroduce itself. Enter Blue Habanero, an eatery with a focus on street-inspired tacos and specialty drinks — we're looking at you tamarind margarita and Paloma shots.
Blacksburg-based chain Cabo Fish Taco — featured on Food Network’s "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” — made its entry into the RVA market with their freshly launched Scotts’s Addition outpost at 3022 W. Broad St. On the menu: Grilled tuna, beer-battered shrimp and blackened mahi mahi tacos.
ICYMI
After decades in the restaurant industry, culinary change agent Michele Jones has moved into her new, and very fitting, role as Executive Director of The Positive Vibe Foundation. (Richmond magazine)
An avid skateboarder and Richmond native looking to blend the traditional and vegan dining experience, the owner of 1115 Mobile Kitchen offers a menu meant for all. Pro-tip: The MMM sauce is a must. (Richmond magazine)
After back-to-back cancellations, the 37th annual Lebanese Food Festival will return to St. Anthony’s Maronite Catholic Church this weekend, May 13-15, with stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh and baba ganoush aplenty. A Richmond ritual birthed in 1984, preparation begins almost nine months in advance of the multi-day celebration of the city’s Lebanese community. Feeling a Netflix and chill night? To-go options are also available.
Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches has landed in the spotlight once again, this time with socialite Nicky Hilton. Dubbed Nickie’s Blondie, the latest cool collab is comprised of vanilla ice cream swirled with homemade honeycomb candy between two Golden Grahams-crafted blondie cookies and is available online and at Fresh Market stores.
I spy sugar-dripping, made-to-order circles of joy in Richmonders future. Following a brief hiatus, Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen is hitting the road once again. While the site of their return is TBD, check their Instagram for updates.
Helmed by a stone hearth oven, Libbie-Grove’s Latin-tinged Cocodrilo will roll out breakfast starting May 17 — think breakfast tacos and burritos, signature pastries and Blanchard’s coffee.
The co-owner of taco joint Don’t Look Back is dipping his toes into another passion: comics. Hamooda Shami plans to introduce Paper Tiger, a comic book store at 7522 Forest Hill Ave. with a focus on vintage and collectible offerings. (Richmond Bizsense)
Scenic views of the James, rum-spiked painkillers and beach-inspired dishes await at Island Shrimp Co. On Saturday, May 14, the second area location will debut in the former Conch Republic space, adjacent to its sister restaurant, The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing. (Press Release)
Upcoming Events
- Night of the Living Wines, Pizza Bones (May 13): 'Za and wine, a dynamic duo. Sip and sample selections from a special visiting distributor.
- Knife Skills 101, Mise en Place (May 13): A refresher course on the art of slicing and dicing.
- Ma’am Made Pop-up, The Broken Tulip (May 13): An evening of low-intervention selections from female winemakers. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.
- Mini Market Pop-up Series, Blue Bee Cider (May 14): Local vendors set up shop for the Saturday gathering.
- Keller It And Praise It , Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery (May 14-15): The Goochland brewery hosts a weekend of outdoor concerts from bluegrass heavy weights Larry Keel and Keller Williams.
- Artisan Pop-up, Accoutre (May 15): Shop area vendors and snag seasonal libations from Kismet Cocktail Collaborative.
- Yoga and Wine Down, The Yoga Dogo (May 15): Vāsanā and vino has a nice ring to it — an outdoor yoga and wine tasting hosted by Women in Wine.
- Chattahoochee and Chill, Tabol Brewing (May 15): Country covers and snacks from Fat Tyler’s Meat Cart featuring Autumn Olive Farms hot dogs
- Tim’s Pizza and Eat That Steak 1985 pop-up, Pop’s Market on Grace, (May 19): Pre-order a Detroit-style pie and Philly cheesesteak combo from the duo of nomadic food concepts.
- The Black Vegan Experience RVA, Flying Squirrels Stadium (May 14): A celebration of vegan fare featuring vendors, demos and more.
- Couples Cooking: Taste of Napoli, Publix Apron Cooking School (May 16): Grab your partner, pal or parent and journey to the southern coast of Italy for this hands-on class.
