Award season: Three Richmond chefs were named semifinalists for the James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic award: Peter Chang of Peter Chang China Café, Lee Gregory of the Roosevelt and Southbound, and Acacia Mid-Town’s Dale Reitzer. This makes the fourth nomination for Reitzer, the third for Gregory and the first for Chang. It’s the first time that three chefs from the Richmond area have been nominated at the same time.
Breakfast special: RVApancakeLOVE, an event that served pancakes at the Broadberry created by 12 local artists on Valentine’s Day, raised $2,000 for FeedMore. The group also served pancakes to the homeless in Monroe Park. FeedMore estimates that 10,000 meals can be created out of that $2,000.
Openings: Christophile Konstas, Elizabeth Ellen and Jay Metzler finally have opened Bon Air’s much-anticipated Perk Coffee & Lunchbox. In addition to coffee drinks from its Kickstarter-funded espresso machine, expect house-baked goods such as orange ricotta scones and hand pies with raspberry jam. Check out its Facebook page by searching Perk Bon Air if you’d like to drool a little. … Richmond’s Café Caturra will open its third location in Charlottesville on a prime bit of real estate about a block from the University of Virginia’s Corner on Main Street, formerly occupied by Baja Bean Co. and Toro’s Tacos and Tequila.
Still popping: Shoryuken Ramen, everyone’s favorite pop-up, is extending its run on Monday and Tuesday nights at Lunch through the end of April. The website Urbanful recently named it one of six interesting U.S. pop-ups to try. shoryukenramen.com.
Closing: GlobeHopper Coffeehouse & Lounge, a fixture in Shockoe Bottom since 2008, says it will close Feb. 28, a day after its seventh anniversary.
Farm to table: If they won’t come to the farm, bring the farm to them. That’s exactly what Nottoway County beef farmer Mike Clark decided to do. As first reported in Richmond BizSense, Clark will sell his beef, along with pork, produce and Homestead Creamery products in his new store, Greenway Beef and Produce, in Midlothian at Woodlake Commons Shopping Center. greenwaybeef.com.
Beer dinner: Executive chef Patrick Ehemann of T.J.’s at the Jefferson Hotel, along with executive pastry chef Sara Ayyash, will team up with the folks at Strangeways Brewing for a beer dinner on Friday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $60. jeffersonhotel.com.
