Richmond's Celladora named 'best new restaurant'

Feb 08, 2024

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Wine Enthusiast has named Celladora Wines, an intimate wine shop and restaurant in the Fan, one of its best new restaurants in an article titled “The Best American Restaurants This Year Are Wine Bars.”

“There have always been wine bars with great food and restaurants with great wine, but lately, our favorite places seem to be a hybrid of the two. We’re seeing Michelin-star-level fine dining in walk-in counter-seating environments, and casual neighborhood restaurants with glass and bottle lists that rival the world’s best but in playful settings,” the editors wrote.

Celladora Wines, owned by Megan Lee Hopkins, paints an intimate portrait of natural wine, framed by whimsical food offerings from chef Ben Burakoff. Wine Enthusiast has named Celladora one of its best new restaurants in an article titled “The Best American Restaurants This Year Are Wine Bars.”

The article featured 50 restaurants, including Richmond’s Celladora Wines. Here’s what Wine Enthusiast had to say about the Fan spot:

“Reserve one of this bottle shop’s four tables, whether for the daytime snack menu (think flounder ceviche and cumin okra), dinner service or Sunday brunch. Any retail bottle can be enjoyed at your table for just $15 corkage, and owner Megan Lee Hopkins is usually there to offer smart pairings.”

Celladora Wines, which recently added lunch on Thursdays and Fridays, was named one of the Richmond Times Dispatch’s dining all-stars of 2022.

Read the full Wine Enthusiast piece at www.wineenthusiast.com/best-restaurants-2023.

The “Taste of Ashland” chef showcase on Sept. 7 will challenge Jeremy Moore from The Caboose Market & Cafe as well as chefs from Jake’s Place Restaurant & Market, Ashland Meat Company, Homemades by Suzanne, Sports Page Bar & Grill and others.

‘Taste of Ashland’

chef showcase

New event alert! Ashland chefs will showcase their farm-to-table cuisine at the first Taste of Ashland on Sept. 7. For $50 per ticket, diners will sample four tasting plates from participating restaurants and two drinks from the Center of the Universe Brewing Co. or The Vines wine.

The “Taste of Ashland” chef showcase will challenge chefs from The Caboose Market & Cafe, Jake’s Place Restaurant & Market, Ashland Meat Company, Homemades by Suzanne, Sports Page Bar & Grill and others.

All proceeds will benefit Downtown Ashland Association’s free community events: Ashland Train Day, Ashland Halloween, Light Up the Tracks, and Ashland Fourth Fridays. Taste of Ashland will be held at The Depot, 107 S. Railroad Ave., at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at ashlandvirginia.com/taste.

Kids eat free at Carrabba’s

From Aug. 8 -14, kids can eat free from the children’s menu at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, with the purchase of one adult entrée. Dine-in only.

A post shared by Greek On Cary (@greekoncary)

Greek On Cary outpost

at Hatch Local

Greek On Cary has opened an outpost at Hatch Local Food Hall at 4 E. Fifth St. in Manchester. The menu will feature the restaurant’s gyros, souvlaki, bowls and popular spreads like crazy feta, tzatziki and hummus.

Other restaurants currently serving at Hatch Local include TBT Gallito, Fat Kid Sandwiches, The Beet Box, Royal Pig, and Buttermilk and Honey. Hatch Local is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m.; and closed on Tuesdays. Hatch Local celebrated its one-year anniversary in March. More information and online ordering at https://www.hatchlocalfoodhall.com/.

In its first year participating in Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer, North Side restaurant Neighbor won the top Golden Tomato Award.

Neighbor wins

Hot Tomato Summer

In its first year participating in Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer, where local restaurants pair the iconic combo of Duke’s mayo with tomato in dishes, Neighbor won the top Golden Tomato Award.

During Hot Tomato Summer week, restaurant-goers have the ability to vote for their favorite restaurant participating in Hot Tomato Summer. This year, with 3,166 votes for its Stiffler’s Tomato Pie and Kentucky Hot Brown, Neighbor received the most votes out of all Richmond restaurants. Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint came in second, Smashed RVA was third, Shagbark came in fourth and Bar West was fifth. Hot Tomato Summer was held July 24-30.

New wine spot Gramophone now open at t 4827 Forest Hill Ave. Gramophone sells wine by the glass or bottle under the Gramophone label. The space is hoping to add live music soon.

Red Hibachi & Beer, a fast casual takeout restaurant from the owner of Pig & Brew, is now open in Manchester at 1011 Hull Street.

Vincent Ho, 18, and Zack Mahfouz, 20, opened Basically Halal at 316 N. Arch Road, Suite A, a new halal restaurant off of Midlothian Turnpike, in July.

Rams House Bar + Kitchen is now open at 2035 W. Broad St., from the Lindsey Food Group. The new restaurant is "all things VCU: VCU Engineering, VCU Arts, VCU Sports...whatever you're into at VCU, this is the place," the owners said.

The third local Torchy's Tacos is now open at 1315 Huguenot Road.

Burtons Grill & Bar is opening in Carytown at 3520 W. Cary St. on Tuesday on June 20.

Ellie's Hot Dogs & Ice Cream is now open at 3312 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd in the former Sweet 95 spot.

Ellie’s opened in early May, selling Hershey’s ice cream by the scoop, sundaes, milkshakes and all-beef and plant-based hot dogs. And pup cups too.

Ellie’s is counter service with a large covered deck that can seat up to 30. Favorite flavors include the classics like vanilla, chocolate and the more adventurous like Play Dough and Llamalicious, which tastes sort of like a Ukrop’s rainbow cookie. The milkshakes are also not to be missed.

Click A Wine Spot has opened at Reveler in Carytown at 3108 W. Cary St. Another location of Click is headed to 409 N. Ridge Road in September.

Clarissa and Daniel Luna, a husband-wife team, opened The Queen’s Tea Room at 21 W. Main St., which offers afternoon tea, a night owl tea, a Bridgerton-inspired tea and others.

Michael Marshall is the owner and chef of Smashed RVA, a new burger spot opening at 1600 Brook Road in North Richmond.

The Richmond area's first Shake Shack will open June 12 at the Willow Place Shopping Center at 5400 W. Broad St., across from Target and Barnes & Noble.

Luxe New American Bar & Grill, a new fine dining concept, is now open at 1331 E. Cary St., next door to Siné Irish Pub in Shockoe Slip.

Slurp!, a ramen and noodle restaurant from The Jasper team, is now open in Union Hill at 2416 Jefferson Ave.

At Slay Burgers, the new smash burger take out spot at 22 W. Brookland Park Boulevard: The Big Ounce burger, a double smash burger with cheese, onion rings, bacon and BBQ sauce.

The general manager of Mariscos Mazatlan is Julio Galeana.

Eggs Up Grill is now open at 12050 Southshore Pointe Drive in the Southshore Shops off Hull Street Road in Midlothian.

Seafood Palace VA has opened on the weekends at 302 Halifax St. in Petersburg. Pictured here is the Fat Boy Boil with white sauce.

Lovers of cereal can get their fix with over 30 varieties at A Taste of Nostalgia (1420 N. Parham Road) in Regency mall.

Popular drinks, including matcha milk tea, fruit tea and Vietnamese coffee are also on the menu.

Acacia Midtown opened its new location at Libbie Mill-Midtown with high ceilings, basket chandeliers, and its signature dishes at 2363-105 Roux St.

Odyssey, the eagerly anticipated seafood restaurant from the Alewife team, opened at 6619 Patterson Ave.

The front room of the Scott’s Addition restaurant had been converted into Lost Letter, an “Easy Italian” restaurant. 2939 W. Clay St.

Stanley's, a Philly-inspired hoagie spot, recently opened in the former home of Robin Inn at 2601 Park Ave.

The owners of Hibachi Box have opened Hibachi House at 3456 Lauderdale Drive in the Shops at Wellesley.

Main St. Dragon opened in the former Foo Dog space at 1537 W. Main St. with much of the same staff, new dishes and lower prices.

Nokoribi, a Japanese pub inspired yakitori, is now open in The Veil Brewing Co.'s new taproom at 1509 Belleville St. in Scott's Addition. Nokoribi comes from the owners of Longoven.

A rice bowl with bulgogi beef and chicken skewers are among the offerings of Buskey Cider's new food truck, Urban Myth Street Food.

Revel Market & Bar from Julep’s rolls into North Side at 6223 Lakeside Ave. with tapas and craft cocktails.

Genova's Pizza Station & Take Out Kitchen opened at 723 Buford Road in Bon Air on April 19, 2023. This is the newest venture from the owners of Casa Italiana and Pizza Express, over 4 years in the making.

Brick House Diner opened in the former Kitchen 64 space at 3336 Arthur Ashe Blvd.

Thai Diner Too, the Carytown mainstay at 3028 W. Cary St., has rebranded at Mayu Sushi & Thai.

Wok This Way Asian street food is now open at 13 W. Broad St.

The Boiling Crab Richmond is now to open at 2053 W. Broad St., Richmond, in March 2023. The Orange County, California-based chain has 25 locations in the U.S., as well as Australia, China, and Saudi Arabia. The Richmond location was previously Cornerstone Cigar Bar.

Raising Cane’s opened its second area location at 1321 Huguenot Road in Midlothian. More locations are on the way, including 6921 Lake Harbour Drive in Midlothian and 12721 Jefferson Davis Highway.

ChefSuite, new ghost kitchen and virtual food hall, is now open 4711 W. Broad St. The space launched with three restaurants: Latin Quarter Kitchen, A Pinch of Sugar and On A Roll Italian Subs. Each restaurant is available for pickup or delivery.

BigWife’s Mac n’ Cheese brick-and-mortar shop is now open at 1017A N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Scott's Addition.

La Fogata Coffee & Grill (6006 W. Broad St.) is a new restaurant concept attached to El Rey Latino market.

Grit Coffee is now open on the ground floor of The Otis, the new mixed-use development at 1621 Roseneath Road in Scott's Addition.

The Brass Tap opened in Libbie Mill at 4901 Libbie Mill E Blvd Suite 100. It has a focus on beer with 60 beers on tap, plus 20 bottled beverages.

Penny's Wine Shop opened a retail space and restaurant at 405 Brook Road. Pictured here: Korean beef short rib with sweet potatoes, scallions and sesame seeds.

A.M. Kitchen Company opened on the VCU campus at 815 W. Cary St. It serves menus from six different restaurants including Da Best Damn Breakfast, Breakfast Chick, Flapjack Hut, Bite Me, Mr. Beast Burger and Pardon My Cheesesteak, all under one roof.

The owner of Say Cheese...cake! has opened Verseau Bistro at Stony Point Fashion Park.

Located in the former home of Brewhouse (1800 W. Main St.) in Shockoe Bottom, Chic'n & Beer's menu features chicken wings with eight different sauce options, chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, biscuits and Cajun-style sides.

Cocodrilo (5811 Grove Ave.) revamped and changed its concept to Bar West, a more approachable, neighborhood concept with a bigger bar program and casual eats that draw in more everyday diners.

A new cocktail lounge concept and rum bar opened in Midlothian at 3730 Winterfield Road, Suite 200.

Michelle Parish and William Rimell are with Soul N’ Vinegar offer grab-and-go soul food in Church Hill at 2910 Q St.

Wong's Tacos opened in the Winterfield Shopping Center in Midlothian next to Triple Crossing Brewery at 1106 Winterfield Crossing.

Elegant Cuizines serves Theresa Headen’s West African creations at 415 W. Grace St.

Rio Grande Tex-Mex Grill opened at 10445 Midlothian Turnpike with fresh homemade flour tortillas.

Mi Casita Restaurant opened at 2606B Broad Rock Blvd.

Roanoke-based Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. entered the Richmond market last year and now has two Richmond area locations: one in the Village Shopping Center at 7017 Three Chopt Road and another in Short Pump in the Greengate Shopping Center, 12171-C W. Broad St.

Blue Cow churns out hand-crafted flavors in small batches made from simple and real ingredients, including non-dairy and vegan offerings. Examples of flavors include Sea Salt Brickle with Caramel Swirl and Backyard Basil Chip.

Suzy Sno's new location in Carytown at 3423 W. Cary St. is now open.

Diablo Doughnuts RVA, located at 1090 Virginia Center Parkway, Suite 105, in Glen Allen, hosted its grand opening Feb. 11.

Jeni’s Ice Cream in Carytown at 3500 W. Cary St. in Richmond.

Colleen Curran (804) 649-6151

[email protected]

Living Editor

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