PETER CHANG IS HEADED DOWNTOWN
After leading rabid followers across the southeast for the past several years, the critically acclaimed and award winning Sichuan chef Peter Chang is putting down roots in Virginia. Since opening Peter Chang’s China Grill in Charlottesville in 2011, Chang has moved east down the I-64 corridor. His Short Pump location, Peter Chang’s China Cafe opened […]
KimKim Korean Hot Sauce
“We’re almost out of KimKim.” Judging from the early performance of this new hot sauce, it’s not hard to imagine a day when these words might prompt grocery store runs in households across the country. In the mere six months since its first bottle came off the assembly line, KimKim Korean Hot Sauce has blazed […]
Oysters Come to Town
For the past year Richmonders have been flocking to their Tasting Room, Merroir, in Topping, VA on the banks of the Rappahannock. When John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay in the early 17th century he was quoted as saying that oysters, “lay as thick as stones.” Oysters once anchored – literally and figuratively Virginia’s mighty […]
Dig In: Kitchensurfing Comes to River City
For Caitlin Kilcoin, living in RVA is all about bringing people together. As the coordinator for the YRichmond program at the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Kilcoin connects businesses and organizations with the brightest and most creative minds around. However, her new venture, Kitchensurfing allows her to dig deeper into her passion — and feed […]
Casa del Barco Comes to the Canal Walk
You likely don’t remember anything from high school Spanish except some basics. But translating “Casa del Barco” shouldn’t be too hard once you know who’s behind the first commercial tenant of the new riverfront development on the Canal Walk. Kevin Healy, owner of the Boathouse restaurant locations at Sunday Park and Rocketts Landing is constructing […]
Holy Tacos, RVA Has A Food Truck Court
The Richmond Food Truck Court, a cooperative hatched by local food truck operators, has come skidding to rest in the parking lot behind the Virginia Historical Society. Organized by Boka Truck’s Patrick Harris, the concept marks the first of its kind to hit RVA. Food courts traditionally bring to mind groupings of fast food restaurants […]
Folks This Ain’t Normal
It’s been over a week since Joel Salatin spoke at Ellwood Thomson’s Local Market, yet the message of his lecture and the focus of his new book, Folks This Ain’t Normal, still feels palpable today. You may be familiar with Salatin’s previous works: You Can Farm and Salad Bar Beef. You might be familiar with […]
Slow Food RVA
In 1986, Slow Food started as a protest against the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant at the foot of Rome’s historic Spanish Step. While born out of a reaction to fast food, this movement was also an attempt to preserve local food traditions and people’s interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, […]
A Great Time to be a Beer Geek in RVA
Ardent Craft Ales resides in a garage off Jefferson Street in Union Hill. On my Sunday visit, the doors are wide open, as a few snow flurries fall, heralding this winter’s big snow. It’s a great time to be a beer geek in RVA. Inside, longtime homebrewers Thomas Sullivan, Paul Karns, and Kevin O’Leary, are […]
Celebrating Food, Community and a Big Expansion
With Ellwood Thompson’s recent revamp, owner Rick Hood is introducing RVA to a broader selection of meats, wines, beers and groceries, as well as a coffee, tea, and juice bar and expanded indoor and outdoor seating. The new area also houses the bakery, currently located across the street from the main store, and a “Community […]