An opening date for Brazen and more new eats in RVA
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Brazen is at 2028 W. Cary St. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios
Feast on the latest restaurant happenings in Richmond.
🍖 Brazen, the highly anticipated Fan District restaurant from a quartet of longtime Richmond restaurant workers, opens Friday.
- The "elevated casual dining" restaurant is the former Lucky Whale spot and will serve an all-day menu from 11am-10pm every day but Tuesdays.
- On the menu: Apps like chili wings, braised short ribs and frog in a boat, which is focaccia (made daily) topped with poached egg and a hot honey drizzle. $12-$15.
- Sandwiches include spicy fried chicken and braised beef bourguignon ($15-$18), plus a handful of entree offerings, like baked feta, $22 (with a vegan feta option).
🍽️ It's Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, a week dedicated to supporting Richmond's Black-owned restaurants by dining out at any of the 11 participating restaurants or more than two dozen food trucks.
☕️ Calyx Cafe coffee shop opened last month at 215 W. Clay St. in Jackson Ward. It's the first place in town to offer Omakase, a Japanese dining style where the chef — or in this case, a barista — curates a multi-course experience.
- Omakase starts at $30. Reservations required.
- Traditional espresso-based coffee drinks and pastries are available for walk-in customers when the shop is open Thursdays-Sundays.
🥟 Ugly Dumpling, a full service dumpling restaurant out of New Jersey, opened its first Richmond location last month.
- Dumpling lovers will find it on that little outpost near the Willow Lawn Starbucks on the Kroger side of the mall.
🐷 The Fishin' Pig, a barbecue and seafood joint out of Farmville, is now open in the former Hurley's Tavern space and serving up BBQ and more daily.
🐡 Slack Tide Fish Co. and the whole Ballast complex in Scott's Addition, including Yellow Umbrella and Cirrus Vodka, are a little closer to opening. All the signs are up, per their Insta.
ICYMI: The Giavos family will debut a brand new concept this fall with Lafayette Tavern.
- Sweetgreen is opening its Carytown store on March 18.
- Wishbone Food Shop in downtown Richmond closed Feb. 21 after just over a year in business.
- Boulevard Burger & Brew is back, baby, with a bigger patio and dedicated takeout window.
- Purrfect Bean, Richmond's first cat cafe, opens next month.
- Secret Sandwich Society and its "unauthorized buns" are still serving up food despite the recent weird Insta post.
- Sub Rosa should be back in business this fall.
- Le Cache Dulcet, a coffee and record store, is now open in the Arts District.