THE FUTURE IS FAT & HAPPY

Richmond Magazine dropped two delicious bombs this week: First, Rob Newton of Nightingale Nine and Wilma Jean in Brooklyn plans to open a restaurant in the old Central National Bank Building on Broad Street. Newton has visited Richmond recently for Fire, Flour & Fork and Off-Broad Appetit. Who knew he was scoping us out the whole time!?

AND in BIG AWESOME BBQ NEWS, Richmond Magazine reported that, at long last, ZZQ will open a barbecue home of their own. Location: 3201 W. Moore St. ETA: Spring! This is the news of which dreams are made:

"ZZQ's restaurant at the corner of Moore Street and High Point Avenue will feature a traditional serving line, a fixture in Texas barbecue, where guests will snake past a serving station that includes market-priced, carved-to-order brisket, pulled pork, brined and quartered chicken, an array of sides, and perhaps a few weekly specials the pair has been tinkering with: smoked lamb, beef ribs and bone-in pork belly."

TO ITALY!

If you love the flavors of Italy, you've got two chances to enjoy them right around the corner.

First, Southbound will host a wine dinner with wine pro David O'Neill on Thursday, November 3rd from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. That dinner will focus specifically on Northern Italy, with dishes and wines coming from the Veneto and Piemonte regions, including Corte Gardoni and Massolino wines.

Then, on Sunday, November 13th, Nota Bene will host Tasting Rome author Katie Parla for a Roman feast at the hands of Chef Randy Doetzer. Tickets for the 6-course dinner are $65 per person, and bottles of wine will be available at half price, plus the bar staff will be making cocktails from Parla's book. Books will be available for purchase, and if you play your cards right, maybe even an autograph from the author herself.

VA'S FINEST

Style Weekly has a great round-up of some of our favorite locally-made foods, including Texas Beach Bloody Mary Mix, Mother Shrub, Upchurch Chocolate, and Crunch Dynasty. The article gives some insight into the many different paths each business took to get started, which shows a lesson we know well: There's more than one way to get into the food business, and if you have a passion for your product, getting on store shelves is a real possibility.

TRICK-OR-TREAT YO'SELF

Love Halloween but you've aged out of the whole trick-or-treating business? Get on Whisk's candy-inspired macaron flavors, like blue raspberry Sour Patch, strawberry Nerds, and Snickers. No costume necessary!

TOTES MY GOATS

After carting around town, slinging quinoa bowls at farmers markets and festivals for the last 5 years, Goatocado has finally put down some roots in the form of a brick & mortar restaurant located at 1823 W. Main Street. There, they offer an expanded menu that includes new quinoa bowls that can also be enjoyed as naan flatbreads or mac & cheese-based concoctions, plus broths with either rice or wheat noodles.

We've worked with Goatocado a ton over the past five years, including booking them for TedxRVA two years ago, where the team cranked out hundreds of quinoa bowls for a ravenous crowd at lightening speed. They'll continue popping up with their mobile business, but now you can find them in the same spot six days a week.

SUCH A SUPPLE WRIST

This isn't food-related, but it is awesome: The Richmond Pinball Collective is raising funds in an effort to find a forever-home to house a collection of 25 pinball machines donated from private collections. According to their Kickstarter, the space will host tournaments and private parties, so I'm really hoping this works out in time for me to have the pinball-themed birthday party I so deserve.

GET OUTTA TOWN

Looking for something cool to do outside of the city? On Sunday, November 13th, head west for a Hungarian feast at Caromont Farm with Chef Luke Feltz of Boundary Rd in DC. The 4-course dinner includes a cocktail hour and a goat meet-and-great. Yes, you read that correctly. Meet and greet some goats! The day before, Caromont will host Feltz for a Masters Class in Hungarian cooking that explores the whole picture--the farming, culture, and history of the cuisine.

Masters Class with Chef Luke Feltz
- Saturday, November 12th 2016
- 11am-3pm
- $65/person
- Max. 10 students
Home Cooked Hungarian Feast
- Sunday, November 13th 2016
- 5pm-8pm
- $85/person
Class & Dinner Package
- Saturday November 12th & Sunday November 13th 2016
- $125/person

RVA's Food Horizon, Italian Opportunities, and a Hungarian Field Trip