On Wednesday, April 24th, our Best New Restaurants Dinner, presented by Virginia Spirits, brought together some of the city’s most prominent chefs and best new restaurants for a one-of-a-kind, seven-course dinner at the Virginia History Culture Museum.

The night started with a happy hour featuring specialty cocktails crafted by Salt and Acid, highlighting Virginia spirits, a beautiful grazing table by RVA Cheese Girl, and access to the Julia Child: A Recipe For Life exhibit.

Once seated, guests were treated to a culinary journey, savoring signature courses from a curated selection of the Best New Restaurants featured in the issue, including Floris at VMFA, Juan More Taco RVA, Odyssey, Penny’s Wine Shop, Sincero, The Emerald Lounge, and Wishbone Foodshop.

Each course was thoughtfully paired with cocktails, meticulously crafted to showcase the finest Virginia-made spirits alongside wine pairings from sponsor The Wine Group.

The evening was further enriched by the live performances of Audrey Pride, Mike Goldberg, Peter Greydanus, Timothy Judd, and Stephen Schmidt, who serenaded the guests with their beautiful arrangements. The chefs then made a memorable return to the dining room, engaging in lively discussions about their culinary creations with the guests.