A few years ago, a good friend and I started an “only known to us” series called Seasonal Snacks where we would use local and seasonal-appropriate ingredients to make an easy snack.
All very creative and never been done before. Ever.
Think of the below as this week’s episode of Seasonal Snacks in Richmond dining form. More season for you but with far less kitchen cleanup.
It’s ramp: thirty!
Have you actually dined in April or a little bit at the beginning of May if you’ve not had a ramp? These wild perennial local alliums are all over menus in town.
Heritage
Head immediately to the bar for a cocktail and a plate of ramp top garganelli. Joe and Emilia Sparatta and team make all their pastas in house. This zinger has two types of peas (English and sugar snap) along with fava beans, buffalo milk ricotta and luscious maitake mushrooms. It’s green on green on green. Wash the viridescence down with a Bergamot martini like the seasoned pro you are. 1627 West Main St.
Dinamo
Two words: Roasted ramps. This homage to the spirited wild leek is roasted until tender and served simply with a wedge of lemon and a bump of olive oil. Add the white pizza crackling with garlic and topped with ramps or airy potato cushions (gnocchi) in ramp pesto and your dinner is essentially a mic drop. 821 West Cary St.
A case for charitable contribution
Only three more days exist in the epic biannual “feast for Feed More.” Since 2001, Richmond Restaurant Week has been showcasing local restaurants and donating to our local Food Bank. Over $1 million dollars has been gifted so far to Feed More, a Richmond-based nonprofit that gleans, prepares and distributes food to those in need. A three-course meal at participating restaurants costs $35.22 with $5.22 going to Feed More.
I hit Acacia early in the week and think I might need another hunk of the flaky and sweet mahi. To take a look at who else is participating in this year’s Restaurant Week, go here.
What else is new?
It’s always opening day in Richmond for new restaurants.
Stanley’s opened on Thursday, April 20th in the old Robin Inn with hoagies heard all over local Facebook groups. The duo behind the Philly/South Jersey sandwich shop is Mike Epps (Cobra Burger) and James Kohler (Saison/Brenner Pass). Their new spot features daily bread delivery for cheesy, shaved ribeye steak sandwiches, roasty pork and rabe, and all the cutlets you could want. Both Epps and Kohler are known for their beer acumen, so its not surprising to see a superb beer list along with a tight and excellent cocktail and wine menu. The tomato pie is not to be skipped — wash it back with a Burial “Without this Fading Daydream” wheat beer. Cheers. 2601 Park Ave.
The group behind The Jasper and Carytown Cupcake, Kevin Liu, “T” Leggett, Brandon Peck and Mattias Hagglund have officially entered the ramen chat. Slurp Ramen slowly opened over the last week — it’s fully open as of April 22nd. The new Church Hill shop is featuring the only Suntori Whisky highball cocktail machine in Virginia. If you are familiar with Toki Underground in D.C., this is going to be your spot with classic ramen broths like Tonkotosu and Shoyu along with a vegan option, Tahini Miso. 2416 Jefferson Ave.
The Veil Brewing opened its new taproom and unveiled (ha!) their new partner taproom restaurant, Nokoribi, which comes from the incredible chef minds of Patrich Phelan, Andrew Manning and Megan Fitzroy Phelan (Lost Letter, Longoven, and TBA over at 3001 W. Leigh St). A yakitori of sorts, Nokoribi, which means “embers,” has meats, seafood, and vegetables cooked live over Binchotan charcoal. 1509 (B) Belleville St.
Also, LFG, Mike and Kimberly Love Lindsey’s restaurant group really should stand for “Let’s F@cking Go” as there is no stopping these two. They are opening their new concept, Rams House, in the Old Pies and Pints space as a place for Virginia Commonwealth University fans and fans of fans. Pie and Pints was shuttered in 2022. If you’re keeping count, the Lindseys opened their first restaurant, Lillie Pearl, in the old Pasture space on Grace Street in late 2020 and since have opened Jubilee, ML Steak Modern Chophouse, and several locations of Buttermilk and Honey. Rams House makes seven restaurants for the Lindseys.
