Richmond Food News: Week of Oct. 21-25

Izzy’s Kitchen debuts; Fire, Flour & Fork returns; plus prix fixe menu deals and all the spooky events

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Say Hello to Izzy

Within a span of 10 days, former Uptown Market & Deli partner Joe Carter bid farewell to the Main Street sandwich outpost and signed a lease to open a new restaurant in the Museum District. Today Carter will open Izzy’s Kitchen in the former Little Saint space, a concept named after his daughter. While sandwich standouts from Uptown will carry over to the new menu, diners can also expect house-made pickles, house-cured meats sourced from Carter’s family farm and accessible classics. Added bonus: Izzy’s will stay open until at least midnight almost every day. (Richmond magazine)

FFFired Up

It’s back! Get out those stretchy pants, mark those calendars and prepare yourself for four days of events revolving around noshing, imbibing, and delving into the past, present and future of food. This year makes the sixth annual Fire, Flour & Fork festival, which returns from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. Intern Miranda Yañez takes a look at the numbers behind the food festival, dubbed one of the top three in the country by USA Today. (Richmond magazine)

A Matter of Courses

Are you there, wallet? It’s me, Eileen, and you’re feeling pretty full, thanks to Genevelyn Steele's roundup of some of the best bang-for-your-buck dinners around town. In the latest edition of 5 Faves, she offers the scoop on a handful of standing prix fixe menu offerings at local restaurants. From a Sunday fried chicken dinner to BYO-wine Mondays and pan-fried gnocchi Tuesdays, you’ll know where to find me. (Richmond magazine)

Stew Season

Fall + stew = a winning, and warming, combination. In this online extra from the November issue of Richmond magazine, Greg Haley of Amuse adds to our seasonal recipe portfolio with a rich and creamy oyster stew. (Richmond magazine)

Under the Sea

Just off Horsepen Road inside a converted ranch house lies a hidden gem of an eatery: Mariscos El Barco opened earlier this year and has been rewarding guests with a one-way ticket to Sinaloa, Mexico, via its seafood creations. Pro tip: Portions are generous, so bring a friend (or three) to help clean your plate. (Richmond magazine)

A Little Cheese, a Little Wine

Just outside of Charlottesville in Esmont, Gail Hobbs-Page and the team at Caromont Farm have created a happy haven for almost 100 goats, along with a peacock or two. In this piece from the Wine & Cheese issue of Dine, the chef turned cheesemaker shares her struggles with growth and her vision for the future of the farm. P.S.: Caromont offers guests the chance to cuddle with a seriously cute and curious herd or spend a delicious day on the farm.

Also from the latest Dine, writers Stephanie Ganz and Laura Sant linked up with a squad of area experts in the worlds of curds and corks. Find out what producers get them excited, tips for pairing cheese with libations and the scoop on making mozzarella. (Richmond magazine)

They Did It All for the Cookie

If you can't get enough of "The Great British Bake Off," there's a similar contest happening closer to home, and for a good cause. From 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, students from The Next Move Program will be paired with local celebrities and compete in The Great RVA Bake Off. Tickets are $20 (free for kids under 10), and proceeds will benefit the Richmond nonprofit as it works toward opening the forthcoming Tablespoons Bakery at Westover Hills United Methodist Church. The space will serve as a training and employment site that helps young adults with developmental disabilities gain work experience and get jobs. Elizabeth Redford, Next Move’s executive director and co-founder, says a 1930s home on the church grounds will be converted into the future bakery, retail and community space. “It will be inviting and warm, and we want to make it feel like a home,” Redford says. “There’s so may opportunities to connect with the larger community and for people to see who [the students] are and grow and be a part of that, which I think Richmonders will be excited about.” (Richmond magazine)

ICYMI

Hey, being fashionably late is OK, and if you haven’t hit the town for the fall edition of Richmond Restaurant Week, you have until Sunday, Oct. 27, to grab a table. With over 40 area restaurants offering three-course prix fixe menus for less than $30 and a portion of the proceeds benefiting Feed More, it’s a win-win.

Anton's Seafood opened recently at 711 N. Lombardy St. near the VCU Kroger, offering everything from shrimp to crab legs.

RVA Love

Pepe’s at 9550 Midlothian Turnpike recently landed on Buzzfeed’s list of The Best Burrito in Every State, based on Yelp reviews. They got a shout-out for the Goatocado burrito, a vegetarian option stuffed with potato casserole, black beans, avocado, smoked Gouda, zucchini, spinach, chipotle dressing and Sriracha.

Upcoming Events

In Other Food News …

  • The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., is taking a deep dive into the history of brewing in America, with its National Museum of American History set to launch “Brewing a Revolution,” beginning Friday, Oct. 25, as an update to the permanent exhibition “Food: Transforming the American Table." (Forbes)