Pastichio, spanikopita, dolmades, yahni, rice and salad are some of the dishes offered for dine-in or take out at the Mini Greek Festival at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral. (Photo courtesy Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral)
Cooler weather means the desire for carb loading — at least for athletes running 26.2 miles this weekend. There are also plenty of indoor events as cooler temperatures take hold and holidays appear on the horizon.
Pursuing Pasta
Laura Sant’s review of La Grotta in its new location at 529 E. Broad St. is welcome news for the carbohydrate-packing Anthem Richmond Marathon crowd. Sant describes the restaurant’s beet fettuccine pasta as the star of the meal.
Positively Pizza
Fresca on Addison’s enlarged pizza oven, fabricated by globe-trotting oven maker Nabil Attie, enables the restaurant to offer even more choices, with renowned chef and owner Jimmy Sneed doing much of the cooking of late. The vegetarian and vegan restaurant now serves dinner and offers delivery, too.
A Closing and an Opening
Word has it that Halligan's Short Pump location has closed, and there's a new bakery at 306 E. Grace St., Mon Chou Pâtisserie. (Style Weekly)
More Construction for Scott's Addition
The Pacific-inspired, Virginia comfort food restaurant, Perch, has begun construction at 2918 W. Broad St. in the former Joy Garden space, according to a news release. Chef Mike Ledesma’s Filipino heritage will take center stage at the 148-seat, sleek, modern restaurant slated to open in February 2018.
High Water
Bistro 27 at 27 W. Broad St. will be closed until at least Tuesday, Nov. 20, because of flooding. After repairs are complete, owner William Wright says the European bistro will shift to a menu that focuses heavily on coastal seafood — all with lighter sauces. They are taking reservations for Thanksgiving Day with a traditional menu of turkey, chicken, turkey, ham, prime rib, fish, pasta, salad and more at $48.50.
Let Someone Else Make the Turkey
Tarrant’s Café, Max’s on Broad and Tarrant’s West West are offering dine-in Thanksgiving dinners and taking reservations now. For $28 for adults and $15 for kids, you'll get a plated turkey dinner consisting of turkey and/or ham with pineapple sauce; stuffing; mashed potatoes with gravy; green bean casserole; sweet potatoes; cranberry sauce; and complimentary bread. While Little Saint is closed on Thanksgiving, the staff is offering an advance-order, pick-up Thanksgiving dinner for four on Tuesday or Wednesday for $125. A (vegan) pecan or pumpkin pie from WPA Bakery can be added for $29 or $33.
Mark That Calendar
Indoor Opa!
Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral's Mini Greek Festival runs through this Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 30 Malvern Ave. The indoor event features lunch and dinner as well as Hellenic dancers. Takeout meals or family-size pans of baked items including Greek-style chicken are available to order in advance online, by phone at 804-358-5996 or by fax at 804-342-1947. Dine-in choices include a buffet of Greek food and wine. Vegetarian items include cheese tiropita, spanakopita, rice, salad and a variety of pastries.
Baking Biscuits
Sweet Bella Bakery will host a Christmas cookie class Saturday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. at Kitchen Thyme (7801 W. Broad St.). Participants, 18 years and older, will learn the basics of working with royal icing, how to layer cookies and how to use embellishments.
Makers’ Market
The Brunch Market returns Sunday, Nov. 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Urban Roost event space by Lunch.SUPPER at 1213-1215 Summit Ave. Biscuits and brunch drinks are available to bolster shoppers as they acquire crafty stocking stuffers. Come say hi to Richmond magazine, too!
Pop-up With Pinakbet
The last Jackdaw pop-up of the year will take place at Citizen (1203 E. Main St.) on Monday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. Consisting of Filipino-inspired small dishes, the five-course menu of lamb sinigang, White Stone oysters, pinakbet fish, lechon liempo and tres leches cake will be served. Reservations are required.
Winter Body
If all the marathon runners exerting themselves on Saturday inspire you to get active, you can check out Ellwood Thompson's talk about nutrition for athletes, where fitness consultant David Robinson will get into everyday eating tips as well as technical topics for optimal performance and aesthetics. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m. (4 N. Thompson St.), $5.
Sparkling Fruit
Cider Week Virginia events events continue through Nov. 19 at restaurants, markets and tasting rooms across the state. There’s a pop-up bluegrass show at Blue Bee Cider on Friday, Nov. 17. On the last day, seafood takes center stage at an oyster flight pairing at Buskey Cider.
Market Days
As the Farmers Market at St. Stephen’s at 6000 Grove Ave. prepares to head inside for the colder months, this Saturday and next, Nov. 11 and 18, will be the last chance this year to shop with a number of outdoor vendors. The market moves indoors Nov. 25.
News From Beyond
Own Thanksgiving
If you are ready to take the leap and actually host Turkey Day, The New York Times’ How to Host a Dinner Party rundown is a great basis for preparing food and home for the big event that, without a doubt, has a lot of moving parts. While making those shopping lists, consider Saveur’s inspirational article on 16 Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes That Aren’t Pie.
Thumbs Up
Techcrunch reports that UberEats, Uber's app for food delivery, now has a user-generated restaurant-rating system that allows diners to rate restaurants on a scale from one to five using a thumbs-down or thumbs-up scale. Ratings are displayed from the last 90 days.
