Weekly Food News: Flora opens, Grandstaff & Stein expands to OBX, and restaurants dish on social media

Flora opens in former Balliceaux spot in The Fan

Upscale Mexican restaurant Flora, owned by industry veterans Jason Alley, Michele Jones, and Jay Bayer, opened last Friday in the spot that formerly housed Balliceaux on N. Lombardy Street in The Fan.

So far, the fried grasshoppers seem to be the standout menu item–no word on how they actually are, but the fact that folks are trying (or want to try) them has dominated my social media feeds over the past week. The shark tacos seem to be the other notable item. Sounds like I need to try both.

More of the menu, from the RTD’s Karri Peifer:

The menu includes entrées such as braised crispy chicken thigh (something Gomez’ grandmother used to make), crispy whole fish, carne asada and fried cactus paddle ($16 to $25). There’s a dedicated taco menu ($13), including a grilled shark option; small plates ($8-$13), such as tamale in banana leaf and house-made guacamole; and snacks ($6-$11), including fried grasshoppers.

The cocktail menu is fun and funky, and, of course, there’s a special tequila and mezcal list (plus wine and beer).

Check out the full menu and Karri’s dish on the spot right here.

Grandstaff & Stein opens second location in Kill Devil Hills

Grandstaff & Stein Booksellers, the Prohibition-era Shockoe Bottom speakeasy you need a password to get into, has just opened a second location in the Outer Banks. The Outer Banks Voice first reported the new addition, located at milepost 9.5 on the Bypass in Kill Devil Hills. Owner Ross Renfrow will operate the establishment year-round–many restaurants on the Outer Banks are seasonal only–and is serving dinner only for the time being.

Read the full article here–no code word required.

Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream makes its return Saturday

Following a fire that decimated the kitchen back around Thanksgiving, Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream will reopen in Carytown this Saturday, just in time for the warmer weather. Expect all the usual gourmet ice cream offerings, along with a few surprises, according to the business’s Facebook post.

Owners dish on reaching customers through social media

Social media is allowing restaurants–an industry with razor-thin margins–to reach their current (and new) audiences in ways they never could before, for little or no money. Style Weekly contributor Taylor Thornley Keeney talked to a couple area owners about what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, and whether Yelp reviews, which have turned every John Doe into a restaurant critic, really keep them up at night.

Check it out here.