Hot and new can steal the spotlight, but what about longstanding local favorites? Each month, we’ll visit a Richmond-area restaurant that has been in business 15 years or longer.
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(From left) Sidewalk Cafe co-owners Ernest von Ofenheim and Johnny Giavos
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The Sidewalk Sub, Buffalo wings and Greek nachos
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Sidewalk Cafe server Janis Hale
On a frosty day in the Fan, The Sidewalk Cafe is a cozy spot to swap stories over a plate of legendary Greek nachos piled high with feta and tzatziki. The cafe is owned by prominent restaurateurs (and spouses) Katrina and Johnny Giavos of Stella’s, among many other eateries, along with partner Ernest von Ofenheim.
While von Ofenheim credits the large, dependable menu for the cafe’s 35 years in business, it’s the welcoming, come-as-you-are energy that keeps guests coming back. Much like the menu, the decor has been practically unchanged since 1991, and twinkly string lights and sports memorabilia make the wood-paneled room feel like “the living room of the Fan,” von Ofenheim says. “You need a place that people just feel comfortable — the old-school places like us, and Bamboo [Cafe] and a few others.”
Late-night hours draw a service industry crowd, who enjoy Mediterranean American fare until 1:30 a.m. “No one blinks if you order an entree at 1 in the morning,” von Ofenheim says.
With a galley kitchen no bigger than that of any cramped city apartment, The Sidewalk Cafe’s enormous selection seems impossible. But, as if by magic, generous portions of ’90s-era menu staples appear in the pass-through. Crispy, golden fries are stacked next to succulent eggplant Parmesan, Greek pizza, a flaming plate of saganaki, affordable pasta specials and wings.
The small but efficient bar serves a solid selection of domestic bottles alongside tried-and-true craft beers. Whatever you do, just don’t land yourself on the notorious “List of Criminals and Deadbeats,” a display of guests with unpaid tabs.
