Food news: Flower pots, anniversaries, and nachos

Legal battles abound, restaurants are all grown up, and nachos takeover the city in this week’s food news!

December 5, 2013; 7:35 AM • by Ross Catrow

Coffee, lies, and flower pots. The ongoing conflict between Captain Buzzy’s Beanery and its surrounding neighborhood continues to get more complicated and more ridiculous as the weeks pass.

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A ton of weeks ago, Nile Restaurant on Laurel shut down to tweak their concept and menu a bit. Robey Martin, writing for Style Weekly, has nothing but glowing things to say about the newly renovated spot: “There are fewer foreboding corners, more wood and soft edges. Music is a few decibels lower and everything feels just a bit less collegiate — including the food.” Some might say that the new Nile is a refreshing drink of cool spring water in the midst of sultry Ethiopian desert. Others might say that that previous sentence was pretty stupid.

309 N. Laurel Street
804.225.5544
Facebook

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Did you totally fail to snatch up a stash of this year’s Hardywood Gingerbread Stout (limit two per customer)? If so, I pity you, but offer you this as a soothing balm to your certain pain: Southern Railway Taphouse will tap both the Gingerbread Stout and the Gingerbread Stout Nitro this Friday. The beer flows like wine starting at 7:00 PM.

111 Virginia Street
804.308.8350
srtaphouse.com

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Next Thursday Saison will celebrate their first anniversary with a Big Pun Dinner! It’s both rap and pun related—a combination that I could use in my life more often. The dinner will feature six tasting courses and beverage pairings with names that are straight outta Compton. For example: deep fried Raekwontons, Talib quail egg, and Notorious PIG and 2Pac choy.

Don’t let Cash Rule Everything Around You! Buy your ticket today.

Thursday, December 12th • 7:00 PM
23 W. Marshall Street
$45

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Do you like nachos? If not, can I get your address so I can sneak into your house at night and silently drip a deadly poison down a string into your awaiting mouth? Because seriously, nachos are, like, the best thing ever. I’ll give you a second to reconsider you answer.

If you do like nachos (who doesn’t!), you’ve still got a couple of days to participate in Style Weekly’s Nacho / Taco week. 30 different local restaurants are offering up $5 nacho specials through December 8th. I’ve made a living off of eating too many black bean nachos from Bellytimber, so maybe it’s time I branch out.

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Richmond BizSense has the word that Dunkin’ Donuts will return to Carytown. Now that a legal battle has been settled, new owners have purchased the franchise rights and expect to have the shop up and running in a week or so.