Weekly Food News: Two restaurants branch out, a cat café to open, and accolades for “Proper” and “Fancy”

Garnett’s Café to add second location at The Valentine

Kendra Feather is continuing to expand her empire with a new location for Garnett’s Café. Garnett’s at the Valentine, a new sister restaurant to the Fan’s Garnett’s Cafe and VCU’s Ipanema Cafe, is coming to the Valentine’s garden cafe this spring, bringing the restaurant’s signature sandwiches, salads, soups, coffee, cakes, and pies to one of Richmond’s most well known institutions. The announcement was just made today. The spot will initially be open for lunch only from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM, but breakfast service and after-work hours in the plans for the future, a news release said. “We’re so excited to get into downtown like this,” said Feather. “The garden is beautiful, and the Valentine is such an amazing Richmond institution – this is a dream.” The garden is located behind the circa 1812 Wickham House.

The Luncheonette to take over former Streetcar Café spot

A sort of retro Shockoe Bottom spot is hoping to jazz up a vacant space in Northside. The Luncheonette has leased the former Streetcar Café space on Brookland Park Boulevard to serve as a second location for the eatery. Owner Brad Barzoloski explained the reasoning for his move to Richmond Magazine’s Stephanie Breijo:

“I was looking for [a neighborhood] that hasn’t been tapped into much, but with great potential,” says Barzoloski, who signed the lease just over a week ago. “I wanted an area where the restaurant would truly bring something that isn’t offered there yet. One day I was driving down Brookland Park Boulevard, and as soon as I saw this location, I just knew.”

Read on and learn more about the opening date and delicious-sounding menu here.

Richmond’s first cat café is coming…sort of

Richmond is getting its first cat café, in Shockoe Bottom, RVA Mag is reporting. Well, sort of. We’re getting about as close to one as is possible with the state’s health codes:

Now before you get all excited, no, you can’t pet cats as you sip your coffee and eat your breakfast. They’ve leased two neighboring spaces on East Main Street because you know, Richmond’s pesky health codes and such. The Central Purrk side will be a coffee shop selling coffee and pastries and Zoomie’s will be the lounge and retail space where cat lovers can purchase cat-related items and come in and hang out with cats that are up for adoption.

Read more about this purrfect partnership here.

Hattie Mae’s now open at Willow Lawn

Hattie Mae’s Southern Kitchen is now open in the former American Tap Room space at Willow Lawn, Karri Peifer of the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The restaurant and oyster bar is owned by the same group that ran the former restaurant. Expect southern staples like chicken and waffles, fried green tomatoes, and cornbread, among other things.

Peifer has all the details on what you can expect and hours right here.

Proper Pie, Fancy Biscuit make national list

TimeOut city guides has named two Richmond eateries to their list of must-visit places. Proper Pie in Church Hill made the cut for their “Banofee Pie,” calling it one of America’s 20 best desserts, and The Fancy Biscuit in The Fan earned a spot on their list of places to eat the “Best Brunch(es) in America.” Visit their website and prepare to drool a little bit.