Spring has officially sprung, which means eating ham biscuits while basking in the sun is very much in season. Head below for more seasonal inspiration in this week’s edition of Food News. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
The Dish on Dining
In March of 2020, bars and restaurants received the fateful order to close their dining rooms, forcing them to conjure up to-go menus, bottle cocktails to go, launch wine clubs and otherwise navigate what was surely one of the most pivot-filled periods the hospitality world has ever experienced. But five years later, how is our local independent restaurant scene faring? Has it rebounded and recovered? Taking a temp check on the Richmond dining scene, we sat down with tenured owners, first-time operators, a real estate broker, chefs, managers and more to discuss the challenges that linger. On the menu: rising food costs, a competitive real estate market, wage pressures and shifts in consumer spending. (Richmond magazine)
Hella Healthy
Juice and smoothie concept The Beet Box has expanded its ripe and juicy enterprise eastward. This week, owner Ashley Lewis debuted a second location of the health-focused juice bar with musical decor at 2400 Jefferson Ave. in Union Hill, offering cold-pressed juices, smoothies and smoothie bowls, and wraps and toasts. (Richmond magazine)
Golden Ruler
If you’ve been dining in Richmond from the 1990s onward, there’s a chance you’ve spotted longtime industry figure Ben Bundens. Currently the manager at Kuba Kuba, Bundens has held it down at the longstanding Cuban eatery in the Fan for the last two decades. We caught up with Bundens to talk about the community at Kuba Kuba, his early restaurant stomping grounds and his approach to service. (Richmond magazine)
In Case You Forgot
Fans of island-inspired cocktails that burst with tropical notes and scream vacation may have noticed a particular ingredient in their favorite drinks: orgeat. In this month’s Open Tab, libation expert Bird Cox hypes up the nutty cocktail companion and tracks down four delightfully delicious thirst busters. (Richmond magazine)
ICYMI
A monthly pop-up from Cobra Burger and Nightcrawler promises the unpredictable via chicken sandos, wild and weird cocktails, nonalcoholic sips, and more. (Richmond magazine)
Snag a pie and salute RVA’s pizzaiole in celebration of Women in Pizza month. (Richmond magazine)
Tonight, March 27, legendary food icon, critic and wordsmith Ruth Reichl will make a local appearance at All Henrico Reads. (Richmond magazine)
Expert cuts, escargot and ethereal wines await at Buckhead’s, a West End steakhouse going strong for more than 30 years. (Richmond magazine)
Peanut Butter Pour(ter): Trader Joe’s fans are hardcore loyalists, and one of the store’s most coveted throw-it-in-the-cart treats recently underwent a sudsy transformation with a very RVA touch. Inspired by TJ’s signature dark chocolate peanut butter cups, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery has produced a 9.2% ABV dark chocolate peanut butter porter for the grocer. Fun fact: This isn’t Hardywood and TJ’s first collab; they also created the Joe-Joe’s-inspired Chocolate Vanilla Stout, a nod to the chain’s cream-filled sandwich cookie. (Food & Wine)
Community Cafe: Local coffee shop Urban Hang Suite and Virginia Black Restaurant Experience are partnering with Bon Secours’ Sarah Garland Jones Center for Healthy Living to introduce Sarah & Co. Café this summer. Located inside the center on Nine Mile Road, the cafe aims to honor the legacy of the pioneering physician. Jones was the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in Virginia and a founder of the first hospital in Richmond that allowed African American doctors to practice. (News release)
Pink Pony Club: For one weekend, Brittanny Anderson’s petite cocktail lounge, Pink Room, is trading in ’tinis for brewskis, and girl dinners for bar bites. From March 27-29, the space is channeling the Mojo Dojo Casa House (a nod to the moment in the “Barbie” movie when Ken and his crew take over the iconic Barbie Dreamhouse and rename it). Expect pretzel doggies, chicken wings, pizza roll nachos and more.
Wings Up: If you’re looking for an excuse to get down on a Tuesday, Shooters has entered the chat. On April 1, The Jasper is rebranding from your local craft cocktail bar and channeling the sports bar persona of an all-American watering hole, with wings, fun drinks and shooters galore. “It’s a return to our April Fools Day events that we did before COVID,” says Brandon Peck, co-owner of The Jasper and The Emerald Lounge.
Shawarma King: Sizzling spits and zippy white garlic sauce are coming to Jackson Ward. Scott’s Shawarma owner Mahmoud Farah has confirmed that he plans to open his latest outpost of the eatery on Thursday, April 10. Taking over the shuttered Sincero building at 404 N. Second St., Farah first garnered attention for his shawarma while working the deli counter at a Scott’s Addition bodega, and last year he opened a dine-in restaurant at 814 N. Robinson St.
RVA Love (?)
There are croissants that bring us joy, time-consuming creations that are sinfully buttery and flaky AF. Then there are airport croissants, like this sad, very smooshed “breakfast sandwich” purchased at Richmond International Airport by Dave Matthews Band saxophonist Jeff Coffin. I hope this made you chuckle about the sometimes-limited options at our hometown hub.
Upcoming Events
- Pay-What-You-Can, Philly Vegan (March 27): The family-run Hull Street eatery invites diners regardless of their ability to pay.
- Mead Workshop, Black Heath Meadery (March 29): Join Black Heath Meadery founder Bill Cavender for a mead-making session.
- Jane Dough Pop-up, Celladora Wines (March 29): The bread business makes an appearance with olive focaccia and baguettes from 10 a.m. to sellout.
- French Fête Fête and Raclette Sunday, Truckle Cheesemongers (March 29-30): Last weekend of raclette until the fall, plus a case of French delights in honor of Ruth Reichl’s visit
- Sunday Bagel Pop-up, Celladora Wines (March 30): Sourdough bagels including loosies and the pop-up’s signature Rockaway Combo
- Mal Ocote Pop-up, Beaucoup (March 30): A taste of Argentina via empanadas, Milanesa steak, choco tortas, cocktails and more
- Make Your Own Ice Cream, Ruby Scoops (April 1): Whip up a batch of ice cream from start to finish during the hands-on experience.
