Food News: Sad ham projection, wine-paired confection, raw cheese perfection

Chefs won things, people got beer, wine in a cup, and…religion?

February 25, 2016; 8:43 AM • by Stephanie Ganz

## “CAN I GET AN R-V-AMEN!?”

Richmond’s dining elite brushed off their finest white attire to attend the Elby’s (en blanc) last Sunday at the VMFA. Dutch & Company took the honor of Best Restaurant, while Vagabond chef Owen Lane was named chef of the year. Richmond Magazine put on a great show, complete with a winged, sermon-spouting Jason Tesauro; a Bjork-goose-dressed, albino wookiee, and Leia-bunned Stephanie Breijo; and plenty of f-bomb dropping chefs for good measure. Gotta keep things authentic, after all.

HAM FAMILY PLANS

Since the fire that shut down Edward’s Virginia Smokehouse in January, access to Edward’s glorious hams has been getting increasingly scarce. The Times-Dispatch reports it could be up to a year, at best, before the family-run business can hope to rebuild, and that seems like a really long time to wait for more Surryano Ham. But wait we must.

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE BREWING

But we need not wait any longer for Stone Brewing to pour us a tall one. The brewery’s store softly opened last week with little fanfare and then closed for a couple days to address a few service issues. If you prefer your openings on a grander scale, head to Stone’s new spot on Wednesday, March 2nd, when the operation will be opening its doors for good.

ARCHITECTURAL CONFECTIONS

Dessert lovers, mark your calendars, Sweet Fix, a custom bakery in Manchester (and one of my favorite macaron destinations) has announced a “dessert series,” kicking off on Thursday, March 31st at the Branch Museum of Architecture & Design. According to the Facebook event page, “This event features four plated, architecture-inspired desserts paired with carefully selected wines presented to you at a warm family table setting.” Tickets are $65 per person.