Weekly Food News: Waffles and biscuits downtown, meals tax relief, creative spring cocktails, and more

All the news that’s fit to eat:

New biscuit and waffle joint opening this week downtown – Downtown dwellers and workers, you’ve now got not one, but two local options for waffles–and this one is serving up biscuits, too. 521 Biscuits & Waffles opens today at, well, 521 E. Main Street, as the name might imply. Everything on the menu is gluten free, and while the toppings aren’t quite as adventerous as, say Capitol Waffle Shop (think Cap’n Crunch and other cereals), there are five options to choose from, and three when it comes to biscuits. The menu looks great. Learn more about the restaurant’s backstory here.

Credit card rebate program a small relief for local restaurateurs – After raising the city’s meals tax by another 1.5% to support renovations and updates to Richmond Public Schools, Richmond restaurateurs are getting a little bit of relief in the form of a rebate. City Council members worked with local owners to craft a plan to provide a 3% rebate to cover the average credit card processing cost, saving owners a bit of money when tacking on the additional tax, which takes effect July 1st. Get caught up on what it all means here.

The Pit and Peel opening third location in James Center – The Pit and Peel, which opened its first location near VCU in 2015, is now on track to open its third restaurant. The new location will be located downtown inside the James Center, according to the RTD’s Karri Peifer. Expect to find the same juices, small plates, salads, and other healthy locations as the W. Main Street and Carytown locations. Read more here.

Creative spring cocktail options around town – As the weather gets warmer and you venture out a bit more, there are plenty of places to find a great craft cocktail around Richmond. But who has some of the more creative options? Check out these three spots rounded up by Richmond Magazine’s Eileen Mellon, including Tazza Kitchen, Rogue, and Little Nickel to quench your thirst. See her picks.

This week’s restaurant reviews:

• Hobnob (Style Weekly)
• Indian Fields Tavern (Richmond Magazine)