Two early June happenings
Get details on the 34th Annual Greek Festival and Olio’s next wine dinner, both scheduled for the first weekend in June.
Richmond’s favorite food festival got some hip new advertising this year. The Greek Festival, run by the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Malvern between Grove and Cary Streets, is June 3 through 6. How many of you have driven by that electronic billboard on I-195S and seen the black and white photo cutouts of old Greek family members imploring you to attend? Their website is polished and detailed as well, complete with a culinary guide with dish descriptions and pronunciations. Confession: I’ve been pronouncing all of them SO wrong.
The festival always manages to be on one of the hotter weekends of summer and quite honestly, it’s gotten a little too large and crowded for me. I don’t like to wait in line. But that won’t keep thousands of Richmonders from attending as normal.
In addition to Greek food and beverages, tours of the sanctuary will include special lectures about the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and shopping inside at the Agora (market) returns as well. Each year the Greek Festival designates several specific charities in the Richmond community and donates a portion of proceeds to their causes.
The last day of the festival overlaps with Broad Appétit but luckily you get three other days to attend. For those in a rush, the drive-through is open from 11am to dusk on Thursday, Friday, andSaturday, and opens from noon to dusk on Sunday or until they sell out. Cash, checks, Visa, and MasterCard are accepted.
Hours:
Thursday June 3: 11am to 9:30pm
Friday June 4: 11am to 10pm
Saturday June 5: 11am to 10pm
Sunday June 6: 12pm – 7pm
Olio is having another wine dinner on Friday, June 4 at 6pm. Four courses with wine pairings is $30, including tax but not gratuity. Call 804-355-5182 to reserve your seat.
Course One
Chilled Gazpacho. Featuring juicy tomatoes and fresh local herbs
Course Two
Grown-Up Macaroni & Cheese. Tender pasta tossed in a cream-cheesy Alfredo sauce with shaved truffles and topped with lump crab meat
Course Three
Italian Roast Beef Sliders. Shredded, slow roasted beef tossed in an Italian BBQ sauce and simmered until tender. Piled high on freshly baked silver dollar rolls.
Course Four
Strawberry-Apple Vol-au-Vents. Fresh local fruit in a delicate French pastry cup with vanilla bean gelato
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Holly Gordon
Holly Gordon spends her days working with Richmond’s hearty nonprofit community and her nights singing in a community chorus. She loves her feminist book club, and is always distracted by shiny things.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
Richmond does a lot of food things right (I’m looking at you, Broad Appétit), but one thing is done so wrong that I have to speak up. The Richmond Greek Fest sucks. And it sucks hard.
I’m sorry, Richmond, but you just don’t do Greek Fest right. As a transplant from the Tidewater area I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. That credit goes to Norfolk and Newport News. Norfolk has done Greek Fest for as long as I can remember (seriously, my mom started taking me as soon as I had teeth). In the past 5 or 6 years Newport News has really stepped up their game and is now a strong contender in the Greek Fest world.
So, if you want to know how a *real* Greek Fest is fested, head down 64 to Newport News and Norfolk. You’ll never attend the Richmond Greek Fest again.
Will not be attending the Richmond Greek Festival this year on account of the food poisoning I acquired there last year. Can’t afford to miss a week of work like that again. You Richmonders must have guts of steel!
May come up for Broad Appétit though!