RETURN OF THE DOGS, MEAT, MORE MEAT, CIDER, AND SLOW FISH

OLD DOG, OLD TRICKS

If you fell in love with a hotdog last fall at Stroops, get ready to fall in love all over again. Stroops has revived their fall menu with classics like the Country Pate Dog, which combines brie, mustard, jam, and pistachios with a country pate sausage to glorious effect. In a world of mutts, this is a purebred poodle. 

Stroops is known for their sausages and sodas, but they're also a great resource for catering for a crowd. If you're trying to put together a Game Day that focuses as much on the food as on the sports games, hit up their catering menu or grab some grill packs (Includes a pack of bratwurst, a pack of beef dogs, a pack of Martin's potato rolls and one of Stroops' fancy mustards for $20, available in-store) for no-brainer success.

MEAT & GREET

Help the crü at Stock Provisions celebrate their 3rd anniversary this Saturday at the Meat Your Makers Food Fair and Anniversary Celebration!  Just feast your eyes (and, eventually, tastebuds) on the line-up of local producers who are coming to party:

SPEAKING OF MEAT

You can still snag tickets to Nota Bene's Steak Florentine Night this Sunday, but I doubt that will be the case much longer. This is the first time that Nota Bene has ever offered beef on their menu, and they are subscribing to the "Go big or go home" motto with a 40 oz hunk of beef, plus wood-fired sides, a dessert, and some big, beefy wines to wash it all down. You might want to go ahead and just wear a robe and stretch pants to this one.

CIDER & FRIENDS

The new Scott's Addition location of Blue Bee Cider celebrates its Grand Opening this Saturday, and it's going to be a full day of cider and cider-based collaborations featuring Reservoir Distillery, Ardent Craft Ales, Black Heath Meadery, Veil Brewing Company, 3 Notch Brewing, and Isley Brewing Company. That's some swell bedfellows. 

You'll need food if you plan to make it through even a few sips of this marathon of goodness. Luckily, Rappahannock River Oysters, Goatocado, and Camden's Dogtown Market will be on-site selling food, and King of Pops will keep things sweet with a limited edition cider pop. 

Maybe you'd prefer to scope it out before the crowds descend. In that case, snag a ticket to their preview event on Friday from 6:00 to 10:00. The event benefits the Enrichmond Foundation, and tickets are $15. 

IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE...

Get your hooks into some Slow Fish tickets. Slow Food RVA is bringing some of their most talented friends to the table for this event on Saturday November 5th at Shagbark. Just try, if you dare, to wrap your mind around this insane line-up of chefs:

  • Walter Bundy, Shagbark
  • Jay Frank, Lewis Family
  • Andrew Manning, Patrick Phelan, and Megan Fitzroy Phelan, Longoven
  • Dale Reitzer, Acacia
  • Caleb Shriver and Philip Perrow from Dutch & Company
  • Brittany Anderson, Metzger Bar & Butchery

Study up on Slow Fish HERE, but don't worry, there won't be a quiz or anything. Just a ton of expertly-prepared sustainable seafood.

SIP: CIDER BARREL MATURED VIRGINIA HIGHLAND MALT WHISKEY

If you often have trouble deciding between Virginia's fine ciders and their whiskeys, rest your troubled mind because Virginia Distillery is here for you. This month, VA Distillery will introduce its new "Commonwealth Collection," which will feature partnerships with Virginia breweries, distilleries, and wineries.

The first in this series is a Cider Barrel Matured Virginia Highland Malt Whiskey that's finished with Potter's Craft Cider. According to a release from Virginia Distillery, "People interested in being the first to try the new Cider Barrel Matured Virginia Highland Malt Whisky can purchase tickets to a “sneak peek” event taking place on October 21 at Virginia Distillery Company from 6:30-9 p.m. Tickets are available at: http://www.vadistillery.com/2016/09/21/new-release-preview-party-cider-finished-virginia-highland-malt-whisky-sneak-peek/." Get on it, cider/whiskey lovers!

BITE: BIG ISLAND AQUACULTURE OYSTERS

This, my friends, is every man's oyster. It's raised sustainably and engineered to be the perfect cocktail oyster, with a deep shell and a salty, buttery taste that pairs well with mignonette but is also quite enjoyable au naturale. You can get your hands on this and SEVEN OTHER OYSTER VARIETIES at the Shell Raiser's Shindig this Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 at Libbie Mill.

GRAM: @shortstackeds

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Weekly SliceStephanie GanzComment