Weekly Food News: Peter Chang’s Noodles & Dumplings, La Grotta’s reopening, a farewell to Ted Santarella, and more
This week, a look at Peter Chang’s new fast-casual concept, details on a new Downtown brewpub, La Grotta’s reopening, and this year’s Fire Flour & Fork lineup.
We start this week’s Food News on a sad note. Local restaurateur Ted Santarella, owner of Tarrant’s Café, Max’s On Broad, and Tarrant’s West, has passed away following a valiant battle with cancer, the restaurants posted on their Facebook pages last night. Santarella, a 30-year veteran of Richmond’s restaurant industry, opened Tarrant’s, followed by Max’s and Tarrant’s West.
The Facebook post reads, in part:
With deepest regrets we announce the passing of Ted Santarella, restaurateur and owner of Tarrant’s Café, Max’s on Broad, and Tarrant’s West. As some of you may know, Ted struggled with cancer and was simply unable to keep up what was an extremely valiant fight against the disease.
All three of Santarella’s restaurants will close Thursday for a memorial service to be held at 4:00 PM Bliley’s Funeral Home at 3801 Augusta Avenue, followed by a celebration of life at Tarrant’s West at 11129 Three Chopt Road.
The post went on to request any regards be sent to Tarrant’s Café, located at 1 W. Broad Street in Downtown Richmond.
Peter Chang makes foray into fast-casual dining with Noodles & Dumplings
Famed Szechuan chef Peter Chang opened his third Richmond restaurant (and his ninth overall) on Monday afternoon in Short Pump. Noodles & Dumplings by Peter Chang, just down the strip center from his original West End restaurant, is a slightly different, fast-casual twist on his previous restaurants.
I was in attendance at Monday’s grand opening to get a first hand look at, and taste of, the new concept.
Housed in the former Bella’s Italian Restaurant, the interior is largely unchanged, save for a new paint job and removal of the bar, and is fairly spacious. Unlike Chang’s typical sit-down restaurants, guests make their selections on large iPad Pro screens which display a pictorial guide to the menu, take a number, and food is brought out. A number of dipping sauces including the popular “odd taste sauce” are available for guests at a self-serve station.
Chang himself could be seen cooking alongside his staff in the restaurant’s open kitchen Monday afternoon.
The menu is a bit different than Chang’s traditional fare, skewing towards steamed and fried dumplings (the fried pork and steamed chicken dumplings were plump and satisfying), a variety of noodle bowls including the rich, garlicky Grandma Noodles dish (which, once the restaurant is a bit more established, will be prepared with hand-pulled flat noodles), a variety of bao (ball-shaped buns filled with pork, chicken, or beef–served plain or curried), and a Chinese take on traditional Japanese teppanyaki plates (the pork belly teppanyaki we ordered was rich, flavorful, and plentiful and accompanied by steamed veggies and fried rice).
Noodles & Dumplings by Peter Chang is open for lunch and dinner service beginning at 11:30 AM and is located at 11408 W. Broad Street in Short Pump.
As Richmond’s food and dining scene has been elevated both regionally and nationally over the past few years, one culinary event has risen to the occasion to not only show off all the region has to offer, but to involve the community and foster a deeper understanding of the area’s culinary talent, our roots, and where the industry is going.
Billed as “a gathering for the food curious,” Fire Flour & Fork, which returns this November for its third year, is a four-day culinary celebration, featuring dinners, dine-around events, culinary tours, tastings, demonstrations, and parties, produced by Real Richmond Food Tours in partnership with Virginia is for Lovers.
Tickets for this year’s event go on sale Monday at 10:00 AM, and they’re sure to sell out. This year’s festival will benefit Tricycle Gardens, Shalom Farms, Slow Food RVA, Renew Richmond and the Center for Rural Culture, among others. Last year’s event raised more than $12,000 for local charities.
Champion Brewing partnering with Richmond chefs for Downtown brewpub
Charlottesville-based Champion Brewing Company is opening a brewpub in Downtown Richmond, Richmond.com’s Karri Peifer reports. The spot will be housed in the former Aurora space, which served as a bakery and coffeeshop by day and moonlighted as a nightclub on weekends, at 401 E. Grace Street. The menu is being curated in partnership with Richmond dining vets Jason Alley and Michele Jones of nearby Pasture and Comfort restaurants.
Peifer has details on the brewpub’s plan for beer as well as some hints as to what the menu might offer.
La Grotta hosting soft opening Thursday evening
La Grotta Ristorante, which served its last meal in its former Shockoe Slip home of more than two decades July 2nd, will open the doors to diners (a soft opening, anyway) once again at its new location inside the Hilton Richmond Downtown at the corner of 6th and W. Broad Street Thursday evening. The space was once home to Richmond department store Miller & Rhoads.
The restaurant’s Northern Italian fare will be served up during dinner service Monday through Saturday with plans to add lunch service soon, owner-Chef Antonio Capece said in a press release.
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Sea Suite Cruises RVA is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest cruise experience, Tiki Club RVA (seasuitecruises.com/tiki-club/richmond-va), officially debuting on the James River at Rocketts Landing for the summer and fall season on Saturday, June 3, 2023 — which also happens to be the start of National Fishing and Boating Week across the country. Following the success of the first season of Paddle Club RVA (seasuitecruises.com/paddle-club/richmond-va) in 2022, the team behind Sea Suite Cruises RVA is excited to bring this fun and unique recreational boating experience to residents and visitors of Richmond.
Tiki Club RVA offers a one-of-a-kind “tropical vibes” excursion on the scenic and historic James River. Step aboard the custom-built, 40-foot tiki boat, complete with bamboo trimmings, a thatched roof, and a tiki bar that you can stock with your favorite BYOB drinks and snacks. Available for private charters and public tours, Tiki Club RVA is built for 30 passengers, and accommodates both single-passenger or small group tickets as well as private parties. Similar to Paddle Club RVA, Tiki Club RVA cruises are an hour and 45 minutes in duration.
With music, drinks, and water views of nature and the city skyline, Tiki Club RVA is a memorable way to sight-see along one of Richmond’s biggest attractions – the James River – with friends or family. “With the addition of Tiki Club RVA, along with Paddle Club RVA, we can’t wait to give Richmonders even more fun and relaxing ways to soak up the sun and experience the water,” said Mike Scearce, General Manager of Sea Suite Cruises RVA.
Whether you’re looking for a day out with friends, a unique date idea, a festive way to celebrate a birthday party, an outing idea for a bachelor or bachelorette party or corporate gathering, or just want to get out on the James River, Tiki Club RVA and Paddle Club RVA are where it’s going to be in 2023.
ABOUT SEA SUITE CRUISES: Sea Suite Cruises co-founders Jack Maher and Jack Walten (“The Jacks,” as they are known) were born and raised in Arlington, Va. and have been best friends since they were two years old. The business-side of their journey began in 2018 when the then 24-year-old Jack and Jack launched Potomac Paddle Club, the first pontoon “cycleboat” in Washington, D.C. After adding more boats in Washington, D.C., they built on their success further in 2022 by partnering with local Richmond-based investors to launch Paddle Club RVA and form the parent company, Sea Suite Cruises. Sea Suite Cruises’ mission is to connect exciting people in exciting places around a suite of water-based offerings. After a successful first year in Richmond, the company has now expanded to further locations in the Mid-Atlantic such as The Wharf, Navy Yard, and Alexandria, Va. in the D.C. area, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and Annapolis.
CRUISE DETAILS: Group Size: Up to 30 people (available for both single ticket purchases or to rent the entire boat for a private party) Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
PRICING*: Monday-Wednesday: $40/Person Thursday: $45/Person Friday-Saturday: $55/Person Sunday: $50/person *Pricing may change for holiday weekends and special events
PICKUP + DROPOFF LOCATION: 4708 Old Main St, Richmond, VA. 23231 | On the dock at Rocketts Landing beneath The Boathouse restaurant and Island Shrimp Co.
MISC: — Bathroom: The vessel comes equipped with a private bathroom on board — Boat is equipped with Bluetooth-speakers, party lighting for night cruises, and built-in coolers + ice — Tiki Boat RVA tours are BYOB (hard liquor not allowed, only beer, wine, seltzer, or canned cocktails) — All cruises are staffed by a licensed master captain and deckhand
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WATCH: Richmond Region Tourism’s new marketing campaign proves Richmond “speaks for itself”
The campaign will run June 1, 2023, through June 2024, and is expected to reach more than 80 million potential travelers through connected TV in selected markets in the East Coast and southern United States, as well as on social media, digital display ads and out-of-home digital billboards in select markets.
Richmond Region Tourism has launched a new, multi-channel $2 million marketing campaign to inspire travel to the destination. “Speaks for Itself” is a first-of-its-kind campaign for the Richmond Region, targeting potential travelers in East Coast and southern U.S. markets through an unconventional, sound-focused video approach centered around the genuine and authentic character of the region. It also marks a historic opportunity for Richmond Region Tourism to invest more than double its normal budget for tourism marketing.
A 60-second video preview was unveiled to the local hospitality community at Richmond Region Tourism’s 2023 Tourism Awards and Annual Meeting on May 11. The campaign video takes inspiration from popular ASMR content on social media to communicate what it’s like for visitors to experience the Richmond Region – a destination marked by an understated authenticity that even locals find hard to define.
“The Richmond Region speaks to every visitor in different ways,” said Jack Berry, President & CEO of Richmond Region Tourism. “Trying to find a pithy slogan to sum up the region simply wouldn’t do it justice, which is why we’re so excited by this campaign—it provides a platform for local voices and experiences to shine and encourages visitors to take in the many diverse sides of the region.”
The campaign also reflects an effort of community collaboration across the Richmond region. Six jurisdictions including the City of Richmond, Chesterfield County, Hanover County, Henrico County, Colonial Heights and the Town of Ashland contributed funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) via Virginia Tourism Corporation, which must be used specifically for tourism recovery efforts.
“It’s the little moments that make a visit to a destination special, and this campaign embraces and celebrates those experiences in a uniquely Richmond way,” said Richmond Region Tourism Board Chair Dan Schmitt. “They could happen at a buzzy restaurant downtown or in a peaceful park in Henrico. This campaign is remarkable in how it can be embraced and adapted across the region’s many jurisdictions.”
Richmond Region Tourism partnered with ChamberRVA and the Greater Richmond Partnership to review a competitive set of proposals from more than a dozen marketing agencies and selected Richmond-based agency Padilla to create and deliver the campaign.
To ensure that the campaign authentically reflected the Richmond Region, Padilla interviewed more than 60 local leaders and community members during campaign concepting including the BLKRVA and OutRVA committees, business owners, government officials, museum staff, college administrators and more. Keeping with the “Speaks for Itself” theme, local influencers also are being tapped to create unique ASMR-style videos that will be promoted in the campaign’s target markets.
The campaign will run June 1, 2023, through June 2024, and is expected to reach more than 80 million potential travelers through connected TV in selected markets in the East Coast and southern United States, as well as on social media, digital display ads and out-of-home digital billboards in select markets.
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New federal tailpipe rules would put stricter limits on Virginia’s heavy truck emissions
As Virginia continues down the road of speeding up the transition from gas-powered passenger vehicles to electric ones, new rules proposed by the federal government could also accelerate electrification of the state’s heavy trucks.
As Virginia continues down the road of speeding up the transition from gas-powered passenger vehicles to electric ones, new rules proposed by the federal government could also accelerate electrification of the state’s heavy trucks.
This April, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed stricter tailpipe emissions limits for passenger vehicles as well as for heavy trucks. The new limits for passenger vehicles will have little impact in Virginia: As a result of 2021 legislation, the state follows stricter standards for light vehicles set by California, which will mandate that 100% of sales of new passenger cars be electric beginning in 2035.
But because the 2021 legislation only applies to vehicles weighing 14,000 pounds or less, Virginia must follow the federal emissions standards for heavy trucks, which if finalized will apply to trucks beginning with model year 2027.
While the EPA would allow manufacturers to choose their own method of meeting the stricter emissions standards, the agency projects up to 50% of vocational vehicles — heavy trucks used for particular industries or occupations — in model year 2032 could use electric batteries and fuel cell technologies.
“By proposing the most ambitious pollution standards ever for cars and trucks, we are delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s promise to protect people and the planet, securing critical reductions in dangerous air and climate pollution and ensuring significant economic benefits like lower fuel and maintenance costs for families,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan in a statement.
But Virginia Trucking Association President and CEO Dale Bennett said his group has some concerns about the faster pace the new rules would set for the transition to electric vehicles.
The trucking association expects that under the new rules, fleets will become 100% electric by 2055, given the roughly 30-year lifespan of a heavy truck.
With the trucking association counting about 45,870 heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers in Virginia in 2021, Bennett said more rapid electrification of the fleet will require significant buildout of the electric grid.
He also voiced concerns about charge times, which can take about two hours to power a truck to travel about 200 miles, compared to about 15 minutes to fill up a truck with diesel to cover 1,200 miles; battery weight; and cost. While a new diesel truck can cost about $180,000, typical electric trucks go for $400,000, he said.
“We need to go at the speed of right, not at the speed of light,” said Bennett.
“EPA’s proposed federal heavy duty vehicle emissions standard will help to clean Virginia’s air — improving our health and our environment,” Pollard said by email.
California has more stringent regulations for heavy trucks, but Virginia hasn’t adopted those, Pollard noted. And while he acknowledged truckers will see an increase in upfront costs for vehicles, he said they can be recouped in three to seven years through savings on gas and maintenance.
If finalized, the rules will be implemented by heavy-truck manufacturers, including Volvo’s New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia, and its Mack Trucks facility just outside Roanoke.
Dawn Fenton, vice president of government relations and public affairs at Volvo Group North America, said the company supports the transition to zero-emission vehicles and has committed to 100% of its products being fossil free by 2040. Because the Dublin plant makes both electric and diesel heavy truck engines, the facility will be able to continue producing vehicles while adjusting to a faster transition, Fenton said.
“We see that we’re moving toward a zero-emission vehicle future,” Fenton said. “Our biggest concern is by far the question about the availability of charging infrastructure to be able to enable fleets to be able to adopt them.”
Fenton said “a lot” of Volvo’s current electric truck sales are happening in California, which has stricter heavy-truck emissions regulations and has also created incentives for charging infrastructure buildout and electric vehicle purchases.
In Virginia, House Republicans this past session for the second time killed legislation from Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Arlington, to create a fund that would provide money for rural infrastructure development. The General Assembly has also repeatedly blocked proposals for state rebates for electric vehicle purchases in Virginia, although incentives are available from the federal level through the Inflation Reduction Act.
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Famed Szechuan chef Peter Chang opened his third Richmond restaurant (and his ninth overall) on Monday afternoon in Short Pump. Noodles & Dumplings by Peter Chang, just down the strip center from his original West End restaurant, is a slightly different, fast-casual twist on his previous restaurants.
Housed in the former Bella’s Italian Restaurant, the interior is largely unchanged, save for a new paint job and removal of the bar, and is fairly spacious. Unlike Chang’s typical sit-down restaurants, guests make their selections on large iPad Pro screens which display a pictorial guide to the menu, take a number, and food is brought out. A number of dipping sauces including the popular “odd taste sauce” are available for guests at a self-serve station.
The menu is a bit different than Chang’s traditional fare, skewing towards steamed and fried dumplings (the fried pork and steamed chicken dumplings were plump and satisfying), a variety of noodle bowls including the rich, garlicky Grandma Noodles dish (which, once the restaurant is a bit more established, will be prepared with hand-pulled flat noodles), a variety of bao (ball-shaped buns filled with pork, chicken, or beef–served plain or curried), and a Chinese take on traditional Japanese teppanyaki plates (the pork belly teppanyaki we ordered was rich, flavorful, and plentiful and accompanied by steamed veggies and fried rice).
