The Slice: Brenner Dinner, Mariah Carey & Rocky Balboa

The bird is mean, but the chicken is niiiiice.

I'M MEAN, I'M MEAN, I'M MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

Mean Bird owners Sarah and Mike Moore have been laying low on the food truck scene for the last month or so, and it's not just because they have a new baby. Nope, this hard-working duo has been putting their sweat equity into 2227 W. Main Street, the home of their new takeout shop, which opens (grandly) on Friday at 4:00 pm. You know they'll have fried chicken and vegan fried chicken, but did you know there will be Nerd Rope and pellet ice limeades? Oh yes, it's true.

CLIMB EV'RY MOUNTAIN

It's been a long time coming, and now it's almost here: Brenner Pass opens for its first public dinner service tomorrow (Thursday, June 22) at 5:00 pm. If you've been looking forward to tableside fondue and other hearty bites, the magical pastry creations of Olivia Wilson, and Alpine-inspired cocktails from James Kohler, mosey over to Opentable, and book yourself a seat or two. 

FEELS LIKE I'M DREAMING, BUT I'M NOT SLEEPING

The inventive pop-up pro's at Gold Cart have come up with a new concept for their next appearance--Fantasy Fair, which they describe on Facebook as, "a little bit Mariah, a little bit Coney Island, and a lot a bit USA." What does that mean? Think fair food--turkey legs and corn dogs and deep-fried oreos, plus, a ton of Mariah-inspired fun. So pierce your belly button, pull out your mini-backpack and poof-topped pens (basically, channel Cher from Clueless), and get into that mid-nineties vibe. This Sunday, June 25, 6:00 pm until after-party hours at Pasture!

CUT ME, MICK!

If you love sandwiches and the Rocky series of movies, you should probably become BFFs with Michele Jones and Jason Alley because they do too. You can start your BFF courtship on Monday at comfort, which will transform into The Paulie (without so much as an exercise montage) for lunch service Monday through Friday from 11:00 to 4:00 all summer long.

"We've been wanting to do something fun for lunch at comfort for a while, and we both love Philly style sandwich shops and the Rocky movies, so we're doing our take on a Philly sandwich shop," says Michele Jones. She says the menu will be comprised of "Dietz and Watson meats, tasty cakes, and all the sandwiches named for our favorite Rocky characters."

LIVE AT THE VEIL

The Veil has established itself as not only a fine brewery but also as a venue for all manner of awesomeness. Between their releases, their bi-weekly Sunday farmers markets and one-off events, they have cemented The Veil as an official Fun Place to Be, and here are three more examples to back up that fact:

• Seafood Pop Up, tomorrow, June 22, Northern Neck Oysters and Brasa (a collaboration between chefs Andrew Manning and Steve Farr) will bring raw oysters, Chesapeake Bay crab, and wood and coal grilled monkfish and spicy octopus for a return performance, from 4:00 to 9:00 pm.
• InHause Korean Dumplings, July 2nd, with InHause (a mysterious pop-up with zero online presence!) making Mandoo, traditional Korean dumplings.
• Oyster night, July 5th, featuring Northern Neck Oysters for $1 a pop from 4:00 to 9:00 pm.

SIP: THE BEBEY AT ROARING PINES

I've been looking for coffee soda to keep me caffeinated and bubbly since I learned that such a thing exists, but nothing I found locally hit the spot. Enter Roaring Pines' The Bebey, coffee-program-manager Micah Jasper's original creation that combines vanilla, coffee, and bubbles to splendidly buzzy effect. According to Richmond Magazine, Roaring Pines is now bottling the popular concoction.

BITE: FRENCH BUNS AT WHISK

Whisk is adding to its popular freezer-to-oven line (which currently includes butter and chocolate croissants, available at Stock Provisions, Little House Green Grocery, and in-store at Whisk) with their new cinnamon French Buns, swirly pastries that bake right in their very own little tray before you top them with sweet, sweet icing. It's the kind of weekend breakfast you need a nap immediately after eating, god bless it. French Buns are available only at Whisk (for now).

GRAM: @RVAVEGFEST

This Saturday from 12:00 to 6:00 pm in Bryan Park, you'll find the finest cruelty-free food Richmond has to offer at the Richmond Vegetarian Festival. Vendors include old favorites like 821, India K'Raja, and Sticky Rice; plus relative newcomers like Go Go Vegan Go and Vegtabowl Foods.