The dish on 1st annual Richmond Folk Feast

A new dining event will spotlight some of RVA’s best chefs and raise money for one of its best festivals.

October 7, 2013; 7:34 AM • by Nathan Cushing

Richmond’s top culinary talents will come together to cook food and schmooze with diners while raising money for this year’s Richmond Folk Festival during the first annual Richmond Folk Feast. The Folk Feast will take place on October 8th at the upper portion of Historic Tredegar.

“Music and food go hand in hand,” said Thomas Arrington, lunch chef at Pasture and principal organizer of Richmond Folk Feast. “It just makes sense.”

Tickets to the Richmond Folk Feast cost $100, with proceeds benefiting the upcoming Folk Festival. There are 300 available tickets, although Arrington said the event is close to being sold out. Each ticket includes beer and wine.

The participating chefs are:

• Jason Alley • Pasture
• Mike Braune • Secco Wine Bar
• Randall Doetzer • Julep’s
• Dylan Fultineer • Rappahannock
• Lee Gregory • The Roosevelt
• Velma Johnson • Mama J’s
• Owen Lane • The Magpie
• Randy Roscoe • Mosaic
• Joe Sparatta • Heritage
• Tim Bereika • Mosaic Catering

Arrington said the idea came when he and other chefs visited food and wine festivals in Charleston and Atlanta. “We were all taken aback by how cool” the events were for their respective cities. Arrington thought it would be good to create a small festival here in Richmond, one that would also benefit the Folk Festival and its organizers, Venture Richmond.

Taking a cue from those festivals Arrington has visited, the event will corral Richmond chefs together to cook and interact with the public. Each chef will have their own table to prepare and serve their own menu (see menu below). There will also be two bars at the feast “to open it up and get peopling moving around,” Arrington said.

Local farmers will also have a hand in the event, as they will provide much of the ingredients used. Several of those farmers will be present to answer questions and interact with the crowd. Arrington said that one of the unique aspects of the event is that both farmer and chef will be on hand “to put a face with the name of the restaurant, and put a face to the name of the farm,” Arrington said.

Arrington anticipates Richmond Folk Feast becoming an annual event.

Richmond Folk Feast takes place on Tuesday, October 8th from 6:00 – 9:00 PM at Historic Tredegar.

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Folk Feast menu

Julep’s

• Boer bok goat meatballs
• Wade’s Mill grits
• Sullivan’s Pond goat cheese
• Smoked squash
• Jus

Pasture

• Chicken hot dog with pimento cheese
• Beer mustard
• Pickled onions

Comfort

• Smoked brisket chili
• Hatch green chillies
• Hoop cheddar corn muffins

Heritage

• Pumpkin gemelli
• Brown butter
• Sage
• Aged goat cheese

Secco

• Beef cheeks
• Spaghetti squash
• Cashews
• Herbs

The Magpie

• Crispy pig head torchon
• Horseradish cream
• Rosemary brussel sprout relish

The Roosevelt

• BBQ chicken slider
• Red slaw
• Alabama white sauce

Mama J’s

• Catfish nuggets
• Yams
• Mac and cheese
• Greens
• Rum cake

Mosaic

• Smoked porchetta toast
• Olive brined pickles
• Young arugula
• Farmer’s cheese

Rappahannock

• Seafood pot pie
• Lard biscuits

October 7, 2013 7:34 AM 0