Weekly Food News: Branch & Vine opens, Perly’s named best brunch, and an outlook on 2017

Olio reopens as Branch & Vine

Much like 2016, Olio is no more. But with 2017 comes a tweaked concept, Branch & Vine. Owners Matt Fraker and Jason Ferrell closed for a few days to spruce up the Fan restaurant’s interior, adding some new TVs and upgraded seating to coincide with a menu refresh. You’ll find the same fast-casual fare like made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and soups with the new addition of flatbread pizzas.

Ferrell says the changes reflect what he feels, as a Fan resident, the community wants as tastes and preferences evolve. “The neighborhood has supported this business for almost two decades, so our job is to make sure the restaurant keeps up with the changing preferences of the community,” he said in a news release about the revamp.

Check out the full menu here.

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Perly’s named best brunch in the state

Look, I absolutely love Perly’s for so many reasons. Would I consider them the best brunch in the state personally? Probably not. But that’s only because of the cornucopia of other wonderful options we have, even just here in Richmond. The folks at Refinery29 named Perly’s the top pick in the Old Dominion in their list entitled “Your Definitive Guide To The Best Brunch Spot In All 50 States,” saying:

Perly’s puts a modern spin on traditional Jewish deli fare. Locals order the Benny Goodman, smoked salmon on two crispy potato latkes with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. This is food that would make your bubbe proud.

Don’t get me wrong, Perly’s is certainly tasty and they’re a Richmond mainstay. Most unique brunch? I’d give them that.

Check out their full list here.

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Balliceaux gives way to Flora this Sunday

Fan restaurant Balliceaux had more than its fair share of news coverage in 2016, thanks to an extremely poor decision by the restaurant and music venue’s talent booker Chris Bopst, who decided to don blackface during his shift the weekend of Halloween. Fast forward to January, and the restaurant is closing. Its last meal will be served on Sunday, January 8th.

Asked by the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Karri Peifer whether the highly-publicized incident led to the closure, owner Steve Gratz more-or-less confirmed the notion, saying:

“I’ll let you draw your own conclusion on that,” Gratz said by phone last week. “Enough has already been said about it. We’re permanently closing. I wish the new owners the best of luck.”

In Balliceaux’s place will soon come a new venture from Jason Alley and Michele Jones of the Comfort and Pasture fame, to be known as Flora. The two are teaming up with Jay Bayer from Saison for the upscale Mexican concept.

Karri Peifer has all the details on what to expect right here.

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Eat like a trendy Richmonder with these picks

Want to try a local restaurant’s “secret” menu items? Seeking out a mocktail for your dry January? On a quest for halal meat? Check out this great piece by Genevelyn Steele of Richmond Magazine for some unique items to try around town and her picks for what trends will define the coming year.

Check out the full article here.

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Looking forward to 2017

Interested in what else 2017 has in store for the #rvadine scene? Look no further than this great roundup from Brandon Fox, writing for Style Weekly. She has details on restaurant changes and additions, forthcoming breweries, and even attempts to answer many folks’ burning questions, like whether the former Pleasants Hardware will ever be demolished for the planned Whole Foods Market in The fan.

Read on and learn a whole lot like I just did.

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Nominees for the 2017 Elbys

We’d be remiss not to mention the release of Richmond Magazine’s 2017 Elby nominees, which came out while we were taking a bit of a break over the holidays. Celebrating the best and brightest of Richmond’s dining scene, the 2017 awards program will be entitled “Six-Tease” and held at the Altira Theater. Restaurants, staff, and other nominated entities were chosen by 100 industry professionals around town.

Check out the full list of nominees here.