Corner Cuisine
Oumaya Dakour, well known in Lynchburg for her eponymous restaurants and catering business, hopes to find the same success in a busy Fan District corner cafAc. She opens Famelia's Deli at 22 S. Addison St. this week, serving gyros, traditional Mediterranean plates in full and half sizes, and a range of Greek baked goods.
Dakour's been known to make converts out of skeptics with her Mediterranean-food finesse. “If I can survive in Lynchburg, I think I can make it here,” she says with her trademark laughter, recalling the days when she had to convince diners to try the foreign side of the menu. Soon that was all they ordered.
She serves subs, po' boys and deli sandwiches, and will put hot wings on the party trays, but it's the falafel, kibbe and hummus that are her hallmarks, and particularly the baklava in walnut, pistachio and chocolate-glazed versions.
Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., with lunchtime delivery, a dozen seats on the front patio and a sunny eat-in space inside. 433-3658.
Fork It Over
Capital Ale House: Virginia pig pickin', July 2 at Innsbrook location. $10 for roast pig; beer extra, 7 p.m. Virginia Beer Dinner, also July 2 at the downtown location, 7 p.m. A five-course meal focuses on locally sourced ingredients; brew masters will be on hand to pour and talk about six beers. $50 per person. Second annual Capital Ale House Virginia Beer Festival on July 3, noon-11 p.m. at the Midlothian location. Music, brews, pulled pork and crab cakes: $10 includes five tasting tickets. Kids and designated drivers get in for less. www.capitalalehouse.com.
Richbrau Brewing Company: Defying you to eat more cheaply anywhere else, the folks at Richbrau roll out a slate of new meal deals. For $2, diners on the second floor of this big multifunctional space can get chicken or burgers on a daily menu, 7-9 p.m. A new brown-bag, lunch-to-go concept includes a sandwich, chips, two cookies and bottled water for $6.75 including tax. Pick 'em up at the bar. Menu changes daily. Wednesdays, lucky-lunch deals end with a drawing that could be a discount, a free lunch or gifts from neighboring businesses — even a discount to a chiropractor. 1214 E. Cary St. 644-3018. www.richbrau.com.
Sam Miller's: Straight from the source, this Shockoe Slip mainstay serves the freshest seafood available, such as Mathews County crabs and oysters. New steamed crab nights in the oyster bar, Fridays 5-7, Saturdays and Sundays 1-5 p.m. through September. And while the restaurant's prized crab cakes remain the biggest seller, “shucked oysters are setting a record for us this year,” boss Tom Leppert says, because diners can taste the local goodness. 1210 E. Cary St. 644-5465. www.sammillers.com.
Horse and Buggy Produce: A new-to-Richmond CSA offers local fruits, vegetables, eggs, trout, bison, lamb and other meats by subscription, July 2-Nov. 19, with pick-ups on Thursdays, 4-7 p.m. in the Ellwood Thompson's parking lot. www.horseandbuggyproduce.com.
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