Weekly Food Notes: Cake, Awards + More

The biggest news is, of course, the nominations of Metzger Bar and Butchery’s Brittanny Anderson for the James Beard Foundation’s best chef: mid-Atlantic and Evrim Dogu of Sub Rosa Bakery as best baker. Finalists will be announced March 15, and the glamorous James Beard Awards gala, where the winners will be announced, will be held in Chicago on May 1. jamesbeard.org.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery opened its latest location in Charlottesville. The company plans to experiment with small batch beers there and other innovative brews. hardywood.com.

There’s a new downtown restaurant in the works, reports Richmond BizSense. Chicano’s Cocina Bar & Grill, brought to you from the folks of Lalo’s Cocina Bar & Grill and Mechanicsville’s Patron Mexican Restaurant, will open at Main and Sixth streets this spring. laloscocina.com and thepatronrestaurant.com.

Stroops Heroic Dogs announced on its Facebook page that it was closing. The owners are looking for a tenant for the space but in the meantime, the post says, “We are excited to diversify our menu. The change will be gradual [and] … we’ll be looking to exercise our creative taste buds.” stroopsrva.com.

Willow Lawn’s the American Tap Room, a small chain with spots in Bethesda, Maryland, and Reston, is closed, reports the Times-Dispatch. The company that owns the taproom plans to retool and open as Hattie Mae’s Southern Cuisine & Oyster Bar. pheastfg.com.

A new Olio — technically the third — is opening at 2028 W. Cary St., the Times-Dispatch also reports. The first Olio was sold and renamed Branch & Vine by the new owners, and the downtown location lost its lease. Olio at the Brownstone is a catering company unrelated to the new venture.

Happenings:

Garden Grove Brewing Co. is celebrating its second anniversary for the rest of the week with new releases, such as Precision Collision, an ale that combines both beer and winemaking techniques. You can also expect prizes and lots of live performances. gardengrovebrewing.com.

You can come for the live music at Stir Crazy Cafe, but you ought to stay for the coffee and dessert. Shyndigz and Ironclad Coffee Roasters are teaming to pair things such as Congo Idjwi Island coffee and lemon lava cake on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. Tickets for Scrumdiddlyumptious by Shyndigz and Ironclad cost $10. stircrazyrva.com.

CORRECTION! Gold Cart will hold its no-holds-barred Winter Lodge event at Comfort on Sunday, Feb. 26, not Thursday, Feb. 23, as originally published. facebook.com/goldcartrva.

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