It’s that time of the week. Gird your loins — everything below is delicious.
The Great Scape
This is a wily, little seasonal thing. Garlic scapes or garlic tops have a very fleeting season and probably are best when they have been snipped at the top and had some heat applied.
In Richmond, locating a garlic scape on a restaurant menu is as ephemeral as they are. Your best bet is Pizza Bones. Once a pop-up, now a brick and mortar, Pizza Bones is delightful, naturally fermented ‘za from Ashley Patino (also, of FriendBar, naturally fermented wine pop-up.) Tonight, you can enjoy some pizza along with an evening market featuring Shine Farms – you can purchase your very own scapes – also Janey’s Breads, gorgeous stone-ground breads and pastries, all wood-fired from Louisa, Virginia and Aspen Grove Farms, all those good pasture-raised meats.
Unmovable feast
Last week, Urban Myth debuted its permanent food truck behind Buskey Cider at 2910 W. Leigh St. This partnership between Elle and Will Correll (Buskey owners) and Mike Lindsey (LFG) is entirely gluten-free and cider-friendly. Expect Asian short rib rice bowls, gluten-free fried chicken (and fried chicken sandwiches). Check @urbanmythrva for some super food/cider pairing events.
Mike’s Jazz Cafe opened at the corner of Robinson and Floyd on April 30th. Located in the old Spoonbread Bistro, the cafe is helmed by private chef Kai Starkes and Michael Harvey. While there isn’t a calendar for jazz quite yet, there is carrot soufflé, macaroni and cheese, collard greens (oh my!) egg rolls.
Continuing education
Your chance to get up close and personal with Apple’s #1 food podcast host is looming. You can meet Debra Freeman at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens on Wednesday, June 28th. Freeman explores Black Foodways in America on her podcast “Setting the Table” and will be elaborating on her research on African-American brewers and distillers like John Dabney, enslaved distillers at Mount Vernon, and Uncle Nearest whiskey master blender Victoria Eady Butler. Your ticket includes a Hailstorm Julep and snacks. Go here for more info.
Island Shrimp Company says it’s “rum time” on May 27th. They have Shannon Mustipher, voted one of the most influential people in the bar industry in 2021 (Bar World 100). Mustipher will be referencing her 2019 book, “Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails,” the first book written by a Black working bartender in over 100 years. She will be guiding a rum tour through eight different rums and showing off her incredible cocktail prowess.
