Ask Lauren: Food trucks, cheap and local brews, late-night eats

Lauren is back answering all of your pressing questions about food trucks, local beer, and late-night dinner options!

October 4, 2013; 6:44 AM • by Ross Catrow

Now, through the magic of the internet, you too can ask Lauren your myriad food-related questions. Well, technically, you can leave your questions in the comments below, I’ll ask Lauren, and then I’ll let you know what she says. It’s like the three-legged stool of restaurant recommendations.

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I love food trucks, but I’ve had way too many pork filled tacos lately–I can just feel my cholesterol rising week after week. What are some different and healthier food truck options?

Goatocado, whose logo is an adorable avocado-headed goat, serves up bowls of bright, fresh, and healthy fare that will proudly stand up against the greasiest stack of tacos. Try the Mountain Tropp which is a delicious pile of arugula, quinoa, and black beans topped with apples, pico de gallo, and, of course, avocados.

Seriously, you can’t go wrong!

Where’s my best chance for finding local, season beer on tap for cheap?

We’re going to look back and call this time in Richmond’s history the Golden Age of Local Beer. Fortunately, almost every month you can find a new regional, if not local, beer to try. Unfortunately, it can be overwhelming on both your palate and your checkbook.1 Here are three great places to drink local while taking advantage of great happy hour specials:

  1. The happy hour at Joe’s Inn is…ludicrous. Really, “insane” might be the only word to describe it. Twenty something beers, with plenty of local options, on tap for $2!? I almost feel like I’m taking advantage of them.
  2. Fat Dragon’s beer list is on point, and they also have a great happy hour: $2 off drafts! With most brews priced in the $4 – $5 range, you can try a large portion of their beer menu (PDF) for a small portion of the dollars2 in your pocket.
  3. The newly opened Viceroy also has a $2-off-all-drafts happy hour and boasts a couple dozen beers. You’ve no excuse not to try something new.

I get out of work much later than most people, and I was wondering if there were any local restaurants that have late-night menus so I don’t have to order pizza all the time.

A couple of options that fit your late-night bill:

  1. Social52, which was once Avalon, serves their full menu until 11:00 PM but has a special late-night menu until 2:00 AM that features flatbread pizzas, spring rolls, and breads & spreads.
  2. The newishly revamped Blue Goat has a special “Late night cheap eats” menu that runs from 11:00 PM – 1:00 AM. Coconut shrimp, jalapeño poppers, and pork dumplings are some of the munchies you can expect. All menu items are $3.
  3. Uptown Market & Deli, located at Crocker’s Corner (Main & Stafford), is open until 12:00 AM Sunday through Wednesday and until 3:00 AM Thursday through Saturday! That’s about as late as it gets!3

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Footnotes

  1. Your metaphorical checkbook, of course. No one uses physical checkbooks anymore. ↩
  2. Your metaphorical dollars, of course. No one uses physical dollars anymore. ↩
  3. Unless we’re talking 24-hour spots like 3rd Street Diner. Speaking of, do y’all remember 4th Street Diner? Good times. ↩
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Ross Catrow

Founder and publisher of RVANews.

October 4, 2013 6:44 AM 0

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