It's time to consume all of our beverages from coconuts. Read on to learn more about the "port-to-plate" experience that recently debuted at Chesterfield Towne Center. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Take Me Away to Paradise
Not ready to say goodbye to summer? The newest concept from the folks behind The Boathouse and Casa Del Barco restaurants is here to help. Island Shrimp Co., a multilevel tropical enclave complete with rooftop bar, cocktails served in coconuts and island-inspired nosh, debuted at Chesterfield Towne Center earlier this week. (Richmond magazine)
Seeds of Time
If the mention of “heirloom” or “heritage” seeds sends you reaching for your spade, a road trip to Charlottesville may be in order. This Saturday the Heritage Harvest Festival returns for its 13th year at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello estate in Albemarle County. The gathering celebrates T.J.'s agricultural legacy with demos, book signings and seminars from James Beard Award-winning chefs, authors and historians, including festival co-chair Alice Waters, the grande dame of food activism and owner of California's Chez Panisse. (Richmond magazine)
Out of This World
When he’s not slinging tacos and space-a-dillas — that rocket sauce is addictive — Intergalactic Tacos food truck owner Brian Graff can be found picking up trash along the James River, supporting hunger-relief charities and sending positive shout-outs on the ’gram. Meet the Richmond native and follow his skyward rise aboard the space-themed food truck. (Richmond magazine)
Virginia’s Gold Standard
Among the top agricultural products in the commonwealth, Virginia peanuts are considered the crème de la crème in the peanut world. Writer and ingredient aficionada Stephanie Ganz cracks the nut to uncover a little history, locally prepared dishes where peanuts shine and a recipe from Helen’s chef Clay Hoss for peanut fried chicken and country queso waffles that will have you saying, "Well, hot damn." (Richmond magazine)
So Hot Right Now
The Richmond dining scene has been warmly embraced by the national media in recent years, but earlier this week one of its standouts received a momentous distinction: Bon Appetit placed Scott's Addition's Longoven at No. 3 on its "Hot Ten" list of America's Best New Restaurants for 2019. This is a huge achievement for chef-owners Andrew Manning, Patrick Phelan and Megan Fitzroy Phelan, who fought for years to turn their pop-up dreams into a brick-and-mortar reality. Whether you take a culinary magic carpet ride via their multicourse tasting menu or dine a la carte at Longoven's bar, Bon Appetit editor Julia Kramer says, “This is very beautiful and very serious food served in a very beautiful and very serious space."
Brew News
Molly's Bicycle Shop at 4515 W. Hundred Road in Chester will soon be home to a small-batch in-house brewing operation when Molly’s Blind Dog Brewery opens Saturday, Sept. 21, with suds flowing from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the grand opening.
Ch-ch-ch-changes
Last month, 415 E. Grace St. bid farewell to KuRu Ethiopian Bistro, but a new concept has quickly rolled in. True’s Cultural Kitchen, an eatery focusing on Caribbean cuisine and seafood, is set to open on Friday, Sept. 20.
Just in time for the return of VCU students, the shuttered Bonchon space at 308 N. Laurel St. is now home to &pizza. This is the first location of the D.C.-based restaurant chain to hit the Richmond area. (Richmond BizSense)
A Helping Hand
A few weeks ago we shared that Weezie’s Kitchen in Carytown is closed until further notice following a dumpster fire that spread to the restaurant's walk-in cooler on the morning of Sept. 1. In addition to a GoFundMe page to help with repairs and replacing inventory, a T-shirt campaign has also launched.
Upcoming Events
- Break Nights: Drunken Donuts With Amanda Sanders, Alewife (Sept. 20): The late-night pop-up series returns with sweet and savory doughnut creations.
- St. Benedict Oktoberfest, St. Benedict Church (Sept. 20-22): Grab those lederhosen for a weekend of German-themed music, dancing and food
- Scott’s Addition Pride Crawl, Richmond Triangle Players (Sept. 21): Sample everything from beer to whiskey, cider and mead in support of Virginia Pride.
- Early Fall Cooking From Farmers Market to Table, Mise en Place (Sept. 21): Learn how to turn your local market haul into solid seasonal dishes.
- Stone’s Throw Down in RVA, Brown’s Island (Sept. 21): Stone Richmond rings in its third anniversary with a party that includes live music and plenty of brews.
- Richmond Bluegrass Festival, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (Sept. 21): Live tunes and a food truck court
- Egyptian Festival, St. Mary and St. Mercurius Coptic Orthodox Church (Sept. 21-22): Two-day festival highlighting Egyptian food and culture
- Festival of India, Greater Richmond Convention Center (Sept. 21-22): The 37th annual event celebrates Indian culture and cuisine.
- Birdhouse Farmers Market Farm Dinner, ZZQ (Sept. 22): A multicourse meal featuring top area chefs and benefiting the market
- Taproom Dinner Series featuring: The Broken Tulip, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery (Sept. 23): Savor five courses for under $40 accompanied by five beers, wines, ciders or mead.
- Starr Hill Brewery Beer Pairing Dinner, Metro Bar & Grill (Sept. 24): Before Starr Hill debuts its Scott’s Addition location, experience its brews paired with bites.
- Ancient Peaks Pairing, Aloi (Sept. 24): The California winemaker joins Aloi for a five-course dinner and pairing.
- Mexican Wine Dinner, The Broken Tulip (Sept. 25): Four courses inspired by regional Mexican cuisine paired with four Mexican wines
- Fortified & Aromatized Wine Class, Secco Wine Bar (Sept. 25): Matt Adkins of Williams Corner Wine presents a seminar on the versatility of vermouth.
- Brew Class: Hario V60, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co. (Sept. 25): Learn how to cup using the Hario V60 pour-over setup.
- Starry Night Chefs Event, Main Street Station (Sept. 26): Area chefs prepare a six-course dinner to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
In Other Food News …
- Virginia's The Inn at Little Washington has had a lot to celebrate over the past year. The restaurant turned 40, it earned its third Michelin star, and renowned chef-owner Patrick O’Connell was awarded the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. Early next year, "The Inn at Little Washington: A Delicious New Documentary," will take viewers behind the scenes at the gem of a restaurant and introduce the people who make it what it is. The documentary will debut at the Virginia Film Festival in late October before hitting PBS. (News release)
