What day is it? This week has been super busy for us and for the restaurant industry. Your bi-weekly Dish abides.
What we’ve heard
Lindsey Food Group is making a change
Rams House, the most recent restaurant from Lindsey Food Group, is making some changes. The Lindseys are bringing in operating partner Javier Cordero of The Penalty Box, previously of Kregger’s Tap and Table and Toast.
Chef Mike Lindsey says, “[The Penalty Box Group] will run the day to day, giving them an opportunity to spread their wings. We sat down and hashed out a relationship and they’ll do it right, and we are partners. The name will stay the same—the menu might change, but that will be up to Javier.”
The rumors from the last couple of years are true. Mama J’s is opening a market at 101 E Clay St. Think cakes on cakes, to-go macaroni and cheese and delicious fried chicken. We can’t wait for more chicken and less crazy waiting time.
Sweetgreen opens in Carytown
The cult salad spot will open its first location in Richmond on Tuesday, March 18 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. What a fun opening party they have planned: Logan Boyd from Richmond Flower Truck will be there with fun make-your-own flower arranging [update: takeaway bouquets will be available while supplies last]. The opening event will benefit Feed More with a meal for a meal ordered on March 18.
Nueva Mexico becomes Mexican Margaritas
There has been a sign change and there’s even a teeny tiny sign for birria tacos. Here’s hoping 301 N. Robinson can finally find a long-term tenant.
The Fishin’ Pig brings its catfish to Innsbrook
The barbecue and fried catfish haven by Matt Hurley and Nash Osborn has opened to lines around the office park in Innsbrook. Hurley and Osborn’s original location sits in Farmville, Virginia, and when Hurley’s Tavern was thinking about hanging up its shingle, the two knew this would be a great place for their seventh spot. Get the catfish. Have we used the word catfish enough?
Supper Club Market opens in Midlothian
The freshly prepared to-go food and baby fishmonger/butchery needed an additional location (the OG sits at 417 N. Ridge Road in Tuckahoe) to hold all of its wares—and excellent squash casserole. Owner Carlisle Bannister says it was a natural move for them.
Cambodian Pop-Up (and a giveaway!)
The Royal Pig will be back popping up at Helen’s on April 14 to celebrate Cambodian New Year with lots of delicious street food. The menu is still in the works, but we do know everyone who buys some food will be entered to win a gift card to Royal Pig’s setup at Ardent Craft Ale’s Swine and Brine on April 26. First prize is $75 and second prize is $25, so go eat up. Co-owner Vanna Hem also tells us he’s experimenting with higher-end Cambodian cuisine as well, so we’re hoping for some seated events in the future.
And, yes, this means Swine and Brine is coming back—it’s one of our favorite annual events where multiple restaurants pull up with porky goodness. Put it on your calendar now.
Church Hill after hours wine crawl
Two of our favorite Church Hill wine vendors are adding events later in the evening and we are all about some local businesses inviting us in after we get all our work done (for two jobs each).
On Wednesday March 19 from 8 to 10 p.m., Second Bottle is hosting Abruzzo, a side-by-side tasting event for Trebbiano, Cerasuolo and Montepulciano from three producers along with snacks from chef Laine Myers of Oro pasta. Fifty five bucks gets you tastings of all nine vinos plus the snacks.
On every first Friday of the month, do a Graveyard Shift at Friend Bar, starting at 9 p.m. and extending into midnight. Expect a curated selection of natural wines by the glass, jazzy tunes and fun games. Maybe even a little late night za?
Who wants to go in on an UberXL for a crawl?
Eat Boi pops up at Black Heath Meadery’s 10th anniversary
You can catch the elusive new(ish) pop-up, Eat Boi at Black Heath Meadery’s 10th anniversary on March 27.
“It’s authentic street food-style Thai food, I call it soul food because I use family recipes coming from my grandma who was originally from the rural part of Thailand,” says Eat Boi found Shane Murphy. “The Thai style I cook in is very fresh, flavorful and of course, spicy. My goal is to bring people together through food and when you get it, remind you of back home. I have been told it’s very nostalgic for people.”
We are hopeful to see Murphy’s coriander ribs make another appearance. They’d pair exceptionally well with mead.
Where we’ve been
We have some friendly discord brewing here at The Dish. And it begins with french fries.
Robey: I don’t like frills with my fries (yours are coated? GTFO). My fry money is on Sweet P’s, Get Tight Lounge and Cobra Cabana. Think hand-cut, brined and fried to order (hot and crisp) at these spots. Need a sauce for those spuds? Try Sweet P’s housemade aji verde (cilantro, jalapenos, mayo), Get Tight’s housemade horsey (horseradish, mayo) or Cobra Cabana’s vegan ranch.
Megan: My favorite new fry of the moment is at Susie’s—they are skinny, crispy, Mickey D’s style and very easy to eat a giant pile of. If you like something a little thicker, I’m pushing for Hots and Brats by The Mayor Meats where they are hand-cut, freshly fried and served with zesty garlic aioli. Also, for a with-frills fry, as long as the house-cut fries smothered in demi-glace and topped with gruyere and foie gras remain on the menu at Beaucoup, I will be ordering them—and you should, too.
You’ve got to try it
We only want chocolate Basque-style cheesecake now and forever. The dessert of the day at Beaucoup is a dreamboat of creamy chocolate and tart cheesecake flavors made better only with the addition of a tiny glass of the plucky red, D.C.-based vermouth Capitoline.
For research purposes, Megan braved the opening frenzy that is Ugly Dumpling just for you, dear readers, and she gathered some tips. If you go during peak hours, the wait will be crazy. However, the bar seems to be much less crazy, particularly during lunch hours. Give your name at the host stand, but then hover near the bar and grab the first-come-first-serve seats as they empty. In terms of food, order the Szechuan soup dumplings, which are brothy and spicy and umami delicious, along with the thin and crispy scallion pancakes. To drink, the coconut mojito is where it’s at. Ugly Dumpling allows you to pick your sweetness for Boba tea, starting at 0% and going all the way up to 300%. As a lover of trying new things, but not overly saccharine beverages, we are excited about experimenting with the menu. Plus, you can make your boba boozy.
Also, they are already offering delivery DoorDash, UberEats and more.
What we’re eating at home
Robey: Can someone give me the name of the good human making the pupusas and sliding them into the case over at Shields Market? Because I am on the hunt for more. Here are a few clues: They are at Shields Market sporadically as they get walked over from the kitchen at Joe’s Inn. They sell out at a record pace and they are incredible. Who has more details on these treats? Inquiring minds want to know.
Megan: Crispy Mexican on repeat. Taco Bamba and Big Chile flautas, plus Cochiloco’s potato-filled, fried Tacos Dorados topped with carnitas. I can’t stop! Help!
Where we’re headed
Glamping in Prince Edward County
Robey may be a veteran camper after years of roughing it at the famed Lambstock food event, but the only way you are getting Megan into the wilderness is with the promise of luxury (and maybe a trail of Champagne bottles). Former co-owner of Sticky ToGoGo and The Cellar Door Kevin Wilson and his wife Laura might just get her to the country with Camp Yellow Cardinal.
The Wilsons just received the permit to start construction on this “high-end outdoor hospitality experience, catering to those looking for a nature escape with the comforts of a boutique hotel” in Meherrin, Va., about 20 minutes south of Farmville.
Camp Yellow Cardinal’s first phase will include six private campsites, each featuring a big square deck with a 19-foot geodesic dome so you can see the stars, a king-size bed with high-end linens, a kitchenette, a fire pit, a hot tub and a propane grill. Additional amenities will include a communal pavilion, a central bathhouse, hiking trails and a camp store. Phase two will add six more campsites, an additional bathhouse, a barrel sauna and a sunset observation deck.
The camp will feature an “invisible service model” with digital check-ins and automated concierge services that’s designed to make guests feel special while allowing them to be one with nature. Construction kicks off within the next two months and Camp Yellow Cardinal should be open by late summer this year.
—XOXO Megan and Robey
