Food News: Oyster and mushroom farms, popup dinners, and pumpkin everything

This week: Rappahannock gets featured in the second national magazine in as many weeks, a number of popup restaurant events are going on around town, and Dinner in the Field is back. Plus, details on the Scott’s Addition Pumpkin Festival and a new restaurant at Rocketts Landing. All this and more!

October 23, 2014; 10:50 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

It was just a week ago that we told you Esquire Magazine had named Rappahannock Restaurant one of the best restaurants in the entire country. Well, owners Travis and Ryan Croxton are featured in yet another national magazine that hits newsstands this week. Food & Wine Magazine did an extensive article on the brothers’ oyster harvesting practices, asking the question of whether the pair can help revitalize the Chesapeake’s oyster population. The feature also includes a page of oyster-centric recipes from the Croxtons. Pick up a copy and check it out.

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Well, it’s official. It really was the worst kept secret in Richmond dining news over the past few weeks, as Richmond.com’s Karri Peifer pointed out, but Buddy’s finally announced they’re taking over the former Viceroy space in the Devil’s Triangle. The Robinson Street institution, which loses its lease at the end of January, formally announced the plans today. Owners hope to be in the new space just after Christmas.

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A new restaurant opened this week in Rocketts Landing, filling the space that the former M Bistro & Wine Bar occupied. Mbargo Restaurant is the latest concept from Mo Roman, owner of Pie Restaurant in the Fan and the former Bank & Vault downtown. The restaurant serves up specialty pizzas, subs, sandwiches, and salads. Best of all, you can take your wine to go thanks to Mbargo’s ‘ABC off’ license.

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The Boulevard will come alive this Saturday for the Scott’s Addition Pumpkin Festival, featuring pumpkin-themed dishes from a bevy of Boulevard-area restaurants, craft beer from neighborhood breweries like Ardent Craft Ales and Isley Brewing Company, among others, live music, and more. The event kicks off at noon and runs through 6:00 PM. If you’d like to volunteer to pour beer for a two hour shift, head to Ardent tonight at 6:00 PM. You’ll get a gratis brew tonight, learn to “pour the perfect beer,” according to organizers, and get two more free beverage tickets for Saturday’s event in exchange for your hard work.

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An ongoing popup series at Sub Rosa Bakery in Church Hill is back for another slice of action. The Pizza 2000 pop-up series continues this Sunday from 7:00-9:00 PM at the bakery. The last event was a complete madhouse, according to those in attendance, so get there early if you plan to attend. Richmond.com has all the details on the organic-locally sourced menu.

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Another popup taking place this Friday in the Fan sold out in less than two days. Shoryuken Ramen, which hosts monthly ramen popup events around town, is coming to the 804RVA coworking space this week. Chef Will Richardson, known affectionately as the ‘Ramen Ninja,’ has been seeking to fill a gaping hole in the city’s culinary scene–a mean bowl of ramen! Sign up for their email newsletter to be among the first to know about upcoming events.

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Style Weekly has a cool feature this week on Shalom Farms, a local non-profit that not only provides fresh produce at a reduced cost to low-income communities, but pairs those fresh veggies with a healthy dose of weekly medical checkups and recipe consultations to residents. The organization not only helps folks make better nutritional choices, but is invested in their progress towards more healthy lifestyles. It’s a fascinating concept, and it seems to be making an impact.

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There are only a few more days to enjoy the fall edition of Richmond Restaurant Week! 41 locally-owned restaurants all over town are serving up three course prix fixe dinners for just $25.14. You get a delicious meal from a local restaurant, and FeedMore gets $2.14 per meal. It’s a win-win. Our Restaurant Week Guide has all the information and menus you need right here.

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The Boathouse’s Dinner in the Field series, which aims to connect the food we eat with the places its grown, is back for a Fall Harvest Celebration. The five course meal, featuring hearty dishes comprised of locally-grown ingredients, is $120 (all-inclusive) and takes place November 7-9, 2014. The Saturday seating is already sold out, but tickets are still available online (about 20 remained for each seating at press time) for the Friday and Sunday evening seatings. The dinners take place in a heated barn at Sunday Park in Midlothian, overlooking the Swift Creek Reservoir.

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Finally, here’s something you don’t see everyday: a new indoor gourmet mushroom farm is coming to Scott’s Addition. Urban Choice Mushroom Farm, billed as the only farm of its kind in the Richmond area, will cary more exotic varieties of the fungal species, including shiitakes and oyster mushrooms. RVANews’ Nathan Cushing has the full story on this sprouting operation.

Photo: Shoryuken Ramen/Marcella Lee