Plate and Goblet: Free ice cream, foraging, and a belated chance to celebrate the Fourth

Leading the list of foodie news-you-can-use bulletins this month:

This Sunday, July 17, Gelati Celesti will be offering free single scoops at all area locations to mark National Ice Cream Day. In Henrico, Gelati Celestis can be found at The Corner at Short Pump and in Gold's Gym Plaza in the west end.

As of this week, Sloop John B (mentioned in June P & G) has opened its rooftop bar. The restaurant is located on the outside of Regency Mall, facing Quioccasin.

* Libbie Mill-Midtown has rescheduled its July Fourth event, which was canceled due to weather, for July 21. Red, White and Brews will feature patriotic-themed cocktails, live music, food trucks and craft beer.

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New and new-ish:

• In June, Bell Greek opened a third area location in the Village Shopping Center.

Formerly a Moe’s Southwest Grill, the restaurant features patio seating that was created by pushing back the original storefront to make space. While I've not yet been to the Village location, I am anxious to visit after enjoying my favorite gyro and souvlaki platters at Bell Greek's Midlothian site.

* Shawarma Bistro, located in a shopping center at Gayton Road and Ridgefield Parkway, started out as a food truck under a different name. It is run by two brothers from Iraq and features Middle Eastern cuisine made from scratch and meats slow-cooked on a spit.

* Lakeside Deli, a New York-style deli, coffee and grocery store, has opened at 5014 Lakeside Avenue. The location is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Favorite menu items:

My friend Annie and I were recently discussing favorite dishes at Henrico restaurants, and she was quick to name the Irish nachos at Hogshead Cafe, which feature typical nacho toppings served over a base of waffle fries.

As for me, I get regular cravings for Mekong's Pho Do Bien (seafood pho) and a platter of their make-your-own spring rolls. Another favorite is the Paella Mariscos (seafood) or Paella Vegetariana at Kuba Kuba Dos.

Have a favorite menu item you'd like to recommend? Send it to patty@henricocitizen.com for possible inclusion in a future P & G.

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And for some food-related amusement: Washington Post writer G. Daniela Galarza had an interesting column this month about "fending," or the art of cobbling together pantry and fridge odds and ends to form makeshift meals.

She described, for instance, a couple who dug into their fridge and whipped up an impromptu dinner of leftover Chinese fried rice and half-finished chicken salad teamed with jarred pickles and remnants of roasted cauliflower, and a hostess who produced a charcuterie platter pairing olives and a jar of tapenade with bread, cheese, and dried fruits. In our family we called this practice "foraging," and my youngest daughter, a gifted foodie, was a master of the craft.

Lanie was adept at using up past-their-prime berries and greens to make smoothies, and at whipping up a sauce out of softening tomatoes or a saute of vegetables that were starting to age. One summer while she was home from college, she foraged for the entire three months -- forbidding me to buy any groceries except milk, fruit, cheese and veggies until she could whittle down the canned goods and pasta in my overstuffed pantry.

During the pandemic, foraging became commonplace -- so common that in some households the pulled-together meals (usually dinner) acquired special names. When Galarza polled these pandemic noshers and grazers, she found a variety of unique labels for their scavenged meals -- everything from "spa plates" to "getcheronis."

Other families called the improvised meals "eeks," "goblin meals," "jungle dinners," "anarchy kitchen," "blackout bingo," "go feral," and "go Darwin." In at least two of the polled households, such meals were known as "ifits," as in "if it's in the fridge, it's fair game."

Galarza noted that in one family, this tradition of ad-libbed meals began in the 1970's, with a working mom who designated Fridays as "EMFH Night." On "Every Man For Himself Night," Mom got a welcome break from meal planning and prep and let the others fend for themselves.

I'd be hard-pressed to come up with something more colorful than "go feral" or "anarchy kitchen," but maybe there are other ingenious names out there. Anyone care to share their own clever labels for improvised meals? Or to share an example of a particularly brilliant menu from one? Send to patty@henricocitizen.com, let's see if there are creative foragers out there.