Weekly Food News: Secco comes to The Fan, Stella’s branches out, grocery conversions & more

Secco Wine Bar opening in former Buddy’s space Friday

After months of construction that saw major renovations to the space that housed a Fan institution for 38 years, Secco Wine Bar is set to open in the former Buddy’s building on Robinson Street. The Carytown wine bar is doubling its current capacity, expanding its menu, and adding a patio with the new space.

Karri Peifer with the RTD has all the details and a look at the menu.

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New Vietnamese and French concept now open in Carytown

A new Vietnamese and French-inspired restaurant is now open in Carytown. Sen Organic Small Plate opened its doors this week at 2901 W. Cary Street. The restaurant took over the former Dixie Donuts shop that shut down in February. Owner Hang Pham is no stranger to Carytown. She owns Perception Organic Spa on the other side of W. Cary Street. Expect to find Vietnamese and French cuisine in the 1,345-square-foot space, but nothing too heavy–most of the menu consists of small plates designed for sharing and sampling.

Check out our full writeup here.

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Stella’s opening second location in Charleston

Stella’s, a Museum District mainstay with some of the best Greek cuisine in the area, is taking the show on the road. The restaurant announced Monday that it will be opening a new location in Charleston, South Carolina in the city’s Upper King neighborhood. That location should open sometime in early 2017.

Read the full announcement here.

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Chef presentations added to Fire, Flour & Fork lineup

Fire, Flour & Fork announced the chef and speaker lineup for its “Class Pass” taking place at The Valentine on Saturday, November 19th this week. These live chef and expert presentations will riff on the notions of fire, flour, and fork in an intimate setting, where visitors will be encouraged to taste and ask questions. Speakers include Koreatown author Matt Robard and chef Deuki Hong; a pie-making demonstration with the experts at King Arthur Flour; a panel exploring the gentrification or celebration of cultural foodways; and a presentation on the art of pairing beer and chocolate from the folks at Duvel and Gearhart’s Fine Chocolates among others.

Click here for tickets and more information.

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Three Martin’s stores set to close for Publix conversion

Three area grocery stores will close in the coming months as new-to-Richmond grocer Publix begins the process of taking over 10 Martin’s stores it purchased from parent Ahold Delhaize. The company is either selling or closing all of its Richmond stores to satisfy Federal Trade Commission regulators after it purchased the competing Food Lion brand. Stores on John Rolfe Parkway and Staples Mill Road in the West End and one on S. Laburnum Avenue will close in lateNovember or early December, WTVR reports.

Click here to see the full list and learn how employees will be impacted.

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Beast Feast cometh

“What better way to celebrate 10 years of Carytown’s Belmont Butchery than with hundreds of pounds of smoked meat,” asks Richmond Magazine’s Stephanie Breijo. Last Sunday, Belmont Butchery, Preservation Virginia, and area chefs and farmers teamed up for Beast Feast, “a mostly annual afternoon of free-flowing wine, beer, cider and cocktails” and open pit of smoked meats at Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown in Hanover. This year the occasion marked the ten-year anniversary of Belmont Butchery.

Check out all the photos here.

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Curry Craft and Omega close their doors

Finally, there were two restaurant closures to report this week. Indian restaurant Curry Craft in Carytown has shuttered, and Bellevue’s Omega Grecian Cuisine has closed its doors as well. Click through to get all the details from Richmond.com.