Plate and Goblet: News and notes from Henrico restaurants and breweries

The UVA Club of Richmond held its fall kick-off gathering at the Sloop John B rooftop bar (which had yet to open when SJB was mentioned in the June Plate and Goblet). More than 80 'Hoos attended, including Billy McMullen (2003), who starred at Henrico H.S. and later played for the Philadelphia Eagles. Now a motivational speaker and consultant, McMullen spoke about his non-profit Billy Mac Foundation, which works with youth to teach self-awareness and inspires kids to dream big.  Check out the Sloop John B Facebook page for news of live music performances and other events on the rooftop.

* * *Hamid Noori (also mentioned in the June Plate and Goblet), opened Mantu Market last month in the Merchant’s Walk Shopping Center. The fast casual eatery features a bakery, cafe and grocery.

Noori, a native of Afghanistan who as a new arrival to the U.S. found a job through the International Rescue Committee, told Richmond Magazine that the market will partner with Commonwealth Catholic Charities Tuesdays and Sundays, when 10% of proceeds will go to support local refugees.

Noori has been open about the fact that he chose to locate his market in Henrico specifically because of its proximity to communities housing a high number of refugees, so that they can enjoy a comforting taste of home. He also makes a point of delivering naan flatbread to newly-arrived refugees as a housewarming and welcome when they are resettled into their new homes.

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The Answer Brewpub will mark its eighth anniversary Sept. 23-25 with celebrations throughout the weekend.

Located off West Broad Street behind Mekong, the craft brewery was founded in 2014 by An Bui, who established Mekong as an award-winning beer destination and has continued to win international recognition. In 2018 and 2019, Bui was a James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist for outstanding wine, spirits or beer professional.

(Lehja owner Sunny Baweja also won James Beard Foundation honors; he was named a semifinalist for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic in 2019 and 2020. More recently, Lehja added a 2022 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence to its honors, thanks to its extensive wine list of more than 400 bottles.)

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In other brewery news, Strangeways Brewing won first place in the European Sour category at the Virginia Craft Beer Cup with its Uberlin. Also, Intermission Beer Company, a five-year-old brewery near Virginia Center Commons, has added wine and cider selections to its on-tap beer menu.

Henrico County is on tap to gain a sixth brewery next year with the opening of WayGone Brewery in Canterbury Shopping Center. (Can you name the others? In addition to the three noted above, we also have Final Gravity in Lakeside and Rock Bottom in Short Pump Town Center.)

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Roanoke-based Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. opened a shop last month in Village Shopping Center. Formerly a Starbucks, the Blue Cow site is Richmond's first, but the owners are looking to expand in the area so it will likely not be the last.

Across the street from Village Shopping Center, the owners of Alewife on Church Hill have announced they will debut a new seafood concept in the space that was formerly Billy Pie. Chefs Lee Gregory and Bobo Catoe Jr. plan to call the restaurant Odyssey Fish, like its forerunner in Manchester’s Hatch Local food hall.

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Speaking of new concepts, Kitchen33 in Glen Allen is owned by a locally based nonprofit, and dedicates its proceeds to keeping waterways clean.

Operated by American River Restoration (A.R.R.), which has been cleaning trash out of rivers since 2017, Kitchen33 serves breakfast and lunch and focuses on made-from-scratch, chemical- and preservative-free foods. The restaurant, located on Mountain Road just north of I-295, also emphasizes recycling and the use of sustainable materials (no single-use plastic or Styrofoam).

As noted on the website, "Fish love to eat Styrofoam, and that’s why there is none in Kitchen33."

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As of August, Bartizan in West Broad Village has shifted from full-service restaurant to an events-only venue.

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Readers of Boomer magazine recently voted Ukrop's Cheddar Pimento Cheese (available at Ukrop's Market Hall on Patterson Avenue as well as area grocery stores) and Tom Leonard's pimento cheese among the best in the Richmond area.