LOCAL AF--NOW WHAT?

Stock Provisions co-owner Hunter Hopcroft has an insightful and thorough examination of the work yet to be done to establish a profitable local food system in Richmond over on Medium, and it is absolutely worth your time.

Hopcroft acknowledges that, while most shoppers are acutely aware of the local food movement, that hasn't translated to a sustainable future for small farmers (and, by extension, the grocers who sell their produce, meat, and dairy products), saying "What has not happened is widespread adoption of local products in most peoples’ kitchens or shopping carts or even in their food consumption generally. More importantly what has not happened is an increase in the number of farmers nor the quality of livelihood a career in farming provides. These should be the real goals of a growing local food movement."

SLOW FOODIES AT THE MOVIES

What do coffee, bugs, and seeds have in common? They're the subject of Slow Food RVA's three upcoming film screenings, one as part of an ongoing film series with Firehouse Theatre, and the other two as part of the RVA Environmental Film Festival. Mark your calendars accordingly:

DAT NEW NEW

If you crave only the newest food choices, this is a good week for you. Saadia's Juicebox opened up in Jackson Ward; Beijing on Grove took over in the former Blue Goat spot; A Kebab place, no, THE Kabob Place welcomes us with open arms; and Mijas said a big HOLA! from the former La Grotta location.

DOG GONE

In case you happened to miss the sad-for-us/happy-for-them news, The Dog & Pig Show is closing up shop on Sunday, February 12th. Richmond Magazine has the scoop on why and what their plans are for the future.

PIZZA IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING

This past year, the team behind the Brooklyn-based Pizzeria LaFerrera, Molly Baker and Jason LaFerrera, made a shload of pizzas for other people (and themselves)--256 pizzas to be exact. That's a lot of pie, and with it, plenty of pizza metrics to keep your pi(e) brains turning.

IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE...

Tickets are moving for The Jackdaw's 5-Course Kaiseki Dinner at Lulu's (originally at Kabana) on Monday, February 6th. But what IS a Kaiseki meal, you ask? The Atlantic has a great guide to help you understand the basics.

The tacos can keep walking, but the wings at Asado are worth stopping in. Also: sourpatch kid rimmed Margaritas ZOMGZ

SIP: THE VEIL'S HORNSWOGGLER CHOCOLATE MILK STOUT WITH OREOS

Not only is "hornswoggler" one of the top ten funnest words to say aloud, The Veil's Hornswoggler chocolate milk stout with oreos may be one of the funnest beers to drink. The beer that makes people feel like a kid again is getting some major attention from folks like Food & Wine, Thrillist, and The Chew, reminding us that there's no wrong way to eat OR DRINK an Oreo.

BITE: WINGS, BRO

Everything's coming up chicken wings as we near the Super Bowl this weekend. Richmond Magazine contributor Robey Martin found on that wings may divide us but they can also bring us together. Meanwhile, all my upstate NY transplant friends are standing in puddles of their own drool awaiting the opening of Anchor Bar at Stony Point Fashion Park.

GRAM: @CHEFMANNING

One third of the Longoven trio, Chef Andrew Manning, has an IG feed full of behind-the-scenes peeks at Longoven projects, visceral fish pics, and the chef's own culinary innovations. It's a pretty wild ride, if you ask me.

The state of the local food system, movies for foodies, and hornswogglers for all