Weekly Food News: Maya moves out, Folk Fest food picks, BBQ rumors, and Ellwood’s at the ICA

All the news that’s fit to eat

Owner of Buz & Ned’s Real Barbecue says rumors swirling behind “No Haters” sign are hogwash – A couple weeks ago, Buz & Ned’s Real Barbecue owner Buz Grossberg affixed a banner to the front of his West End restaurant reading “no haters.” Well, the sign apparently brought a few out. Earlier this week, a man identified only as “Anthony” posted an account alleging a manager of the restaurant told him several African American line cooks were removed at the request of a customer. Grossberg addressed the allegations with local media on Tuesday, but the poster doubled down, saying he has witnesses to the incident. It sounds dang pretty farfetched in my opinion, though. Here’s what’s played out so far.

Henrico Restaurant Week continues through Sunday – Henrico Restaurant Week, a semi-annual event offering diners deals similar to those of Richmond Restaurant Week, continues through Sunday, October 15th at nine area restaurants. Two-course lunches are $10 or $15, and three-course dinners are $20, $25, or $30, depending on the offerings. It all benefits the Henrico Christmas Mother program. Learn more and see the list of participating restaurants here.

Ellwood Thompson’s bringing some local flavor to the ICA – The forthcoming VCU Institute for Contemporary Art, with its twisting, contorting metal and glass shell nearing completion on the VCU Monroe Park Campus, will have more local flavor than just the student art that will accompany traveling collections inside the building. Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market has announced it will open a café inside the new facility, which is expected to open next spring. The spot will serve up raw juice drinks, flatbread sandwiches, and more. Brandon Fox with Style Weekly has all the details, and details on the unique way in which the sandwiches will be named.

Another local restaurant packing it up in Short Pump – Following last week’s closure of Patina in Short Pump, Maya Mexican Grill & Tequila Lounge is calling it quits, too. Owner Maria Oseguera wrote in a Facebook post this week that she opted not to renew the restaurant’s lease in the Downtown Short Pump shopping center as the current lease ended. The downtown location, however, will continue to operate. Read on here.

Two culinary picks for this weekend’s Richmond Folk Festival – The Richmond Folk Festival–perhaps the region’s most popular and well-attended festival of the year–is this weekend, and while the three-day affair is known for its diverse selection of talented folk performers from around the globe, there is an awesome selection of food to match! Karen Newton, writing for Style Weekly, zeros in on two local chefs offering festival-goers some unique and tasty soul food options to enjoy amid the seven stages of live music. Let the mouth-watering deliciousness commence.

Soul food (n’ vinegar) rolling into Church Hill – Speaking of delicious soul food, Church Hill residents will soon have a new go-to spot with the opening of Soul n’ Vinegar at 29th and R Streets–the former Ruth’s Beauty Shop space. The goal, owner Michelle says, will be to provide affordable and healthy prepared meals to the neighborhood’s diverse residents. She says the food shop anticipates opening in March of 2018 if all goes according to plan, and fully intends to be a partner in the community by participating in neighborhood events, hosting popups at nearby restaurants, and more. Get the scoop from Church Hill People’s News.

Curry replaces cheese in Jackson Ward – A space recently vacated by quesadilla joint BoDillaz is already hopping once again in Jackson Ward. First time restaurant owners Richard Washington (a Virginia Department of Health employee) and Debra Medina (a local real estate agent with Caribbean ties) opened The Pot, a Caribbean concept, last Friday, a day before thousands descended upon the neighborhood for the 2nd Street Festival. Read on to learn more about what’s on the menu and what the owners hope to achieve with the new venture from Richmond BizSense here.

Plant the seeds of your food-based business with a series at Ellwood Thompson’s – Have you always wanted to start a food-based business, but aren’t quite sure where to begin? A new series of classes hosted by local entrepreneurs Stephanie Ganz and Barb Upchurch might be just the place to start. The first in a four-part series from the pair was held on Monday at Ellwood Thompson’s. Want to get in on the fun? You can purchase tickets for the remaining workshops here.

This week’s restaurant reviews

• Flora Mexican Restaurant (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• The Luncheonette Northside (Style Weekly)