Heritage opens, food festivals galore, and a meeting of leading RVA restaurateurs

One of the most anticipated new restaurants has opened and is already turning heads, plus a rundown of this weekend’s many food festivals and an upcoming discussion that will feature the city’s leading restaurant owners.

October 4, 2012; 9:12 AM • by RVANews staff

Heritage is officially open and you absolutely need to eat dinner here (trust us). Owners Mattias Hagglund, Joe Sparatta, and Emilia Sparatta have combined their culinary experience to take over the former Six Burner space at the corner of Main and Vine. Hagglund is the former bartender of Comfort who’s known around town for his stellar cocktails. Joe Sparatta, the chef of the group, has most recently worked at Pasture. Emilia, Joe’s wife, is the front of the house genius with background knowledge from LuLu’s, Pasture, and Bistro 27 (Hagglund is also Emilia’s brother just to make this trio even more adorbs). A family that restaurants together, stays together! Here’s their full dinner menu. Heritage’s hours:

• Tuesday – Thursday from 5:00 – 10:00 PM
• Friday and Saturday from 5:00 – 11:00 PM
• Sunday for brunch from 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM.

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Lately, every time you turn around it seems another restaurant is closing or someone’s started a  “Save [insert struggling restaurant here]” Facebook campaign to keep a Richmond dining spot open just a little longer. To get to the bottom of this, Richmond Bizsense has invited five of Richmond’s most successful and recognizable restaurant owners to talk about everything that goes into the restaurant business. Branded Kitchen Confidential, the event should be nothing less than insightful.

It’ll be hosted at The Hippodrome theatre in Jackson Ward on Thursday, October 11th from 6:30 – 9:00 PM. Tickets are $45 each, and include two drink tickets and heavy hors d’oeuvres. The panel will consist of:

• Johnny Giavos: Giavos’s empire includes Kitchen 64, 3 Monkeys, Sidewalk Cafe, Stella’s, Kuba Kuba, and the Continental Westhampton.
• Michelle Williams: Williams is a partner in the Richmond Restaurant Group, and its holdings include: The Hill Cafe, The Hard Shell, Europa, Water Grill, and the Fan restaurant formerly known as deLux. Williams’s group is also planning a restaurant at the former Glass & Powder Board Shop on Cary Street.
• Chris Tsui: Tsui is the co-owner of The Blue Goat, Osaka, Wild Ginger, and he’ll soon open Fat Dragon in Scott’s Addition.
• Kevin Healy: The brains behind the Boathouse at Sunday Park and the Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, Healy is in the midst of building his newest concept: Casa del Barco, a canal-front restaurant at the Locks development downtown.
• Buz Grossberg: Yes, the Buz from Buz and Ned’s Real Barbecue, one of Richmond’s best-known purveyors of smoked meat. Grossberg just opened his second location on West Broad Street.

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This weekend should just be nicknamed Food Festival Palooza because there is a lot of eating and drinking to do! Here’s the rundown:

Hogtober

• Saturday, October 6th from 12:00 – 7:00 PM
• Libby Hill Park, Church Hill
• FREE
• Expect tons of local barbecue vendors, beer, local music, dancing, mingling, family fun, and a Miss Hot Sauce crowning.

Oystoberfest

• Saturday, October 6th from 12:00 – 6:00 PM
• St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Ginter Park
• FREE (with a suggested donation of $2)
• Expect tons of oysters raw, fried, grilled, etc., beer, music, kids zone, and a iPad giveaway.

Capital Ale House Oktoberfest

• Saturday October 6th from 12:00 – 10:00 PM and Sunday, October 7th from 12:00 – 6:00 PM
• Capital Ale House, Downtown
• $2
• Expect TONS of huge german beers, lots of cheers-ing, German dancing, Bavarian pretzels, bratwurst and the streets filled with tipsy Richmonders. It’s the 10th anniversary, so this October favorite will most likely be bigger than ever.

Carytown Food and Wine Festival

• Sunday, October 7th from 12:00 – 6:00 PM
• Cary Court parking lot, Carytown
• $15 in advance/ $20 at the gate (includes unlimited wine tastings and souvenir glass). Kids 12 and under get in FREE.
• Expect wine tastings from ten Virginia wineries, food from six Carytown restaurants, local vendors, and tons of Sunday fun.

2nd Street Festival

• Saturday, October 6th from 12:00 – 7:00 PM and Sunday, October 7th from 12:00 – 6:00 PM
• 2nd Street in Historic Jackson Ward
• FREE
• Expect excellent food, drinks, music on four stages, dancing in the streets, local marketplace, and kids activities.

Happy eating RVA!

October 4, 2012 9:12 AM 0