Plate and Goblet: A taste of Willow Lawn; a new coffee spot; All Henrico 'Eats?'

In recent weeks I've had the chance to check out two relatively new restaurants at Willow Lawn: Taco Bamba and Ugly Dumpling.

At the taqueria, I enjoyed a long happy hour with two friends, who were as pleased as I was with the casual vibe and easy-on-the-wallet menu items – not to mention a Mexican IPA on tap. When the crowd and noise picked up inside and sitting at the bar made conversation difficult, we were able to easily move to a table with the help of our friendly bartender, who became our server and continued to patiently answer our questions.

I settled on nachos, which were sufficiently satisfying for dinner, but the Taco Bamba menu also features a wide variety of tortas, tacos, quesadillas and more. The tacos can be ordered "dirty" (traditional, in a tortilla) and "clean" (served in a fresh cabbage cup).

My visit to Ugly Dumpling was more rushed, and I went solo – looking for a bite to tide me over until a later dinner event. After my visit I learned that waits of an hour for a table are not unusual at UD; some wannabe diners I know ended up going elsewhere rather than endure the line. They had good things to say about their fall-back meal at Mr. Noodle on West Broad, but plan to return to Ugly Dumpling for a taste of Shanghai street food just the same.

I had time to sample only one dish at UD (an order of six chicken soup dumplings), but I also plan to return for another visit. While I found the dumplings underwhelming, a number of other menu items caught my eye, from fried chicken dumplings to Xiao Long Bao. I was also intrigued by the offer to pay an extra $3 an items to "make it ugly!" The server explained that the "ugly" option consists of the addition of a spicy sauce. Sounds like a fun challenge – with the added plus of craft beer on tap to wash it down.

Communing over coffee

Another new Henrico spot, Foxtail Coffee Co., is winning converts as well. I stopped by the West Broad Village location recently to sample a cup (and the atmosphere) and found a lively crowd, even though it was almost noon.

At a loss about what to order, I took the barista up on her suggestion to get her personal favorite, the butterscotch latte. The cozy nook I'd imagined I would sip it in, however, was nowhere in sight. Foxtail's interior was not as spacious as I'd hoped –especially for a chain that emphasizes in-store experience over the drive-thru, take-out mentality.

The cramped interior shouldn't be a problem for long, however. With a patio that boasts room for 20, Foxtail's seating capacity will almost double once warmer weather arrives.

The barista had her hands full with customers, so I was unable to ask her about the origins of the Foxtail name, and explored the website awhile on my laptop. That's where I learned that Foxtail cafes are "designed as community spaces ... a setting that encourages relaxation and connection rather than a rushed transaction.”

In a Forbes magazine story about Foxtail (one of several small coffeehouse chains challenging Starbucks' dominance), the company CEO and founder insisted that staff is trained to welcome even guests who come in with laptops at 9 a.m., buy three-dollar cups of coffee and stay for several hours.

"We love it. We want to be part of their routine," said Alex Tchekmeian. "We won’t cut them off after 30 minutes or force them to buy something."

While I never did find out the source of the Foxtail name, I did learn some interesting (for a word nerd, anyway) trivia about the origins of the term "coffee." It stems from an old Arabic word for "wine" (gahwah), and made its way into the English language through the Dutch word koffie.

I also sent a query about Foxtail's name through the website's contact form; no reply as yet.

A book to tickle the taste buds

If you like to read about food almost as much as you like to eat it, then All Henrico Reads has just the book (and event) for you.

Ruth Reichl, the best-selling author of The Paris Novel, will appear March 27 at Henrico Sports and Events Center. The event is free and open to the public.
A former editor-in-chief at Gourmet magazine, as well as a restaurant critic and food editor, Reichl has six James Beard Awards to her credit, and in 2024 received the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award.

While I'm normally not a fiction fan, I found myself devouring (sorry, couldn't resist) Reichl's descriptions of food and drink. Her protagonist – a woman who grew up bored by food but whose palate comes alive on a trip to Paris – describes the awakening of her senses so vividly that I feel I am right there at her side as she sips her first-ever icy-cold chablis, tastes her first oyster, and discovers the joy of creating her own culinary masterpieces.

Taste is far from the only sense explored in the book, however, and the AHR website lists a number of other themes (fashion and art, for instance) and related activities (such as tasting French cheeses at Truckle Cheesemongers) that readers might want to pursue.

Even if you don't enjoy reading about food, The Paris Novel might be worth a try.

This is a book, after all, about "living deliciously" – and don't we all want to do that?

The envelope, please....

I did not watch the Oscars this year, but read some of the pre- and post-event coverage, and particularly enjoyed an article about the "best food moments" in movies this year as chosen by the staff of Eater.com.

The categories were a hoot, from "Best cafeteria choreography" to "Best kitchen appliance cameo" (the espresso machine in Conclave) and "Best food or drink erotica." Films that I'd had little desire to see – like The Substance – are now on my list, thanks to the mention of Dennis Quaid's "unsettling" eating scenes. Quaid's depiction of his sleazy character's "grotesque approach to eating...[and] intense close-ups and mouth sounds" earned him the "Best performance of eating by an actor" award.

Wicked is another film I was not that psyched to see – until reading about the "epic, large-scale production dance number that shifts seamlessly from cafeteria to classroom to martial arts practice . . . [and dancers] with golden cafeteria trays and silverware in hand, to slice, spear, and toast their way through."

I can't say I ever gave concepts like "cafeteria choreography" and "beverage performance" much thought in the past; but thanks to Eater.com, I am sure to be more attuned in the future to the roles played in film by food, drink, diners, kitchen appliances – and cafeteria dancers.

Lotte Market grows

Virginia Living magazine recently sang the praises of Lotte Market on West Broad Street, calling it "more of a grocery universe than a grocery store." The food court, the "massive produce section," and aisles with 100 varieties of kimchi all earn shout-outs. The article points out that while they are commonly called "Asian markets," stores like Lotte are more accurately described as "meccas of international food from Southeast Asia, India, South America, and the Middle East."

Bits and pieces

• The Fishin' Pig, a Farmville-based restaurant featuring barbecue and fried seafood, is now open in Innsbrook.

• Axios reports that Eat Restaurant Partners will open a location of Lucky AF sushi restaurant in Short Pump Town Center some time after Baker's Crust vacates the space this spring.

• Awful Arthur's Seafood Company on Ridgefield Parkway has closed, but the restaurant's website indicates that plans are underway for a new location of the raw bar and seafood chain.