Stump’s Pig & Pint
Jackson Ward, 119 E. Leigh St.
After recovering from a car accident that forced Jimmy Stump to sell his two area restaurants, The Diner and Ruby James, in 2016, he’s ready to get back in the game — this time with barbecue. Stump honed his skills at The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint, an award-winning barbecue hut in Mississippi, and, following the abrupt closure of Jackson’s Beer Garden & Smokehouse, opened Stump’s in late summer 2019. There, Jimmy and his wife, Terry, smoke slow-cooked barbecue over local white oak. Don’t miss the Rocket Ribs, wontons stuffed with rib meat and smoked pimento cheese.
Cafe Ole World Grill
Downtown, 2 N. Sixth St.
Good food fast is pretty much the mantra of any RVA worker bee, and Cafe Ole’s new owners, Julian and Beena Shelton, understand that, bringing years of experience as former Subway franchise owners. The partners refreshed the interior and the menu and expanded hours at this weekday only downtown stalwart, open since 1991. While the focus remains on tacos and burritos, their daily specials include more global influences, as with the Chicken Tikka Masala rice bowl, kebabs and Korean-influenced dishes.
Izzy’s Kitchen
Museum District, 2901 Park Ave.
The brainchild of Joe and Sharon Carter, former partners at the shuttered Uptown Market & Deli, Izzy’s Kitchen has risen in the old Little Saint space at 2901 Park Ave. The menu is simple: sandwiches — all for less than $10, featuring many favorites from Uptown — plus more robust entrees like eggplant lasagna and a rotating cast of fresh fish and steak of the day as the stars. Additional draws for this Devil’s Triangle outpost include house-cured meats sourced from the Carter family farm, pickled items and local cheeses.
