Weekly Food News: More pizza in the Pump, L’Opossum shakeup, Alamo owner’s new venture, and more

Mellow Mushroom sprouts in Short Pump

If you’re a fan of Mellow Mushroom in Carytown, you’re in luck because the chain pizzeria is taking a slice of the West End market with a new location in Short Pump. I’m not a huge chain fan, but they have legit good pie and take great care to make all of their locations fit the vibe and ambience of the neighborhood, so I don’t see them as that “chainy.” The new spot is located within the GreenGate development near Short Pump Town Center. Local entities EAT Restaurant Partners and Richmond Restaurant Group will soon collectively open three locally owned restaurants within the shopping center.

Check out the Short Pump location’s menu and beer list here.

Alamo Barbecue owner sets out for the Frontier

The owner of Alamo Barbecue is venturing out for another project right around the corner in his home neighborhood of Church Hill. Owner Chris Davis plans to open Frontier, and it’s going to be all about the grill, as Richmond BizSense reports:

Many of Frontier’s signature dishes will be prepared on a $25,000, 1-ton, custom-made wood grill and rotisserie oven shipped from Mesquite, Texas. At full capacity, the rotisserie can cook 16 birds at once.

“This is the nucleus,” Davis said. “As soon as you walk in the first thing you will see is this grill – it’s the center of the restaurant.”

He said the grill master also will prepare other meats on the grill, such as duck, steak, burgers, lamb and chicken dishes with influences from Argentina, Mexico and Peru. Davis said the menu is set to change often.

Read the full article and learn what to expect here.

Sugar Shack adding location in Hanover, burger joint in Chesterfield

Local donut outfit Sugar Shack has been expanding at an impressive clip over the past few years, and they show no signs of slowing down. The business has announced a new location in Hanover County as well as a burger concept, Luther Burger, that will adjoin its existing location on Huguenot Road in Chesterfield County. The combined location will serve up burgers, beer, and donuts together–really, what could be better than that trifecta?

Read more from the Richmond Times-Dispatch here.

L’Opossum’s David Shannon steps out of the kitchen

After earning the distinction of both Chef and Restaurant of the Year at the 2017 Elbys, acclaimed chef David Shannon is stepping aside in the kitchen at his Oregon Hill establishment, L’Opossum. It was something he planned all along, he says, telling Style Weekly’s Brandon Fox:

“When I opened the restaurant, I wanted to get it to a point where it would be a great place to showcase really talented and skilled individuals — and let them get the recognition.”

[New Chef de Cuisine James] Garland has been at the restaurant for the last couple of years as Shannon’s No. 2 and shares his boss’s vision. The menu at L’Opossum can be described as the love child of Southern and French cuisine, and after eight years at Can Can Brasserie early in his career, Garland has the technique to execute it.

Read more from Style Weekly here.

Greek spot gets a reboot on Robinson

The owners of Gus’ Bar and Grill in the Fan are taking on a spot that closed down a few years ago and bringing it all home. Josephine and Spiros Flemotomos will reopen Athens Café, once known as Athens Tavern, in the next few weeks at 401 N. Robinson Street. It’s a homecoming for Josephine, as her parents were the original owners and operators when it opened in 1981.

Read more from Richard Hayes and Richmond Magazine on the menu, decor, and other details.