Best Food & Drink Winners 2018 | Best of Virginia | Virginia Living (2024)

Partners Dave Cuttino and Jay Carpenter produce three pure whiskeys—100 percent corn, 100 percent wheat and 100 percent rye—allowing for endless combinations and custom bottlings. All are created using grains sourced from within 40 miles of Richmond, in barrels made from Virginia trees, resulting in a true “top-to-bottom” Virginia whiskey.

In April, the brewery opened its newest location: Hardywood West Creek. Located 20 minutes from downtown Richmond, the 55,000-square-foot taproom features a stage, an outdoor beer garden, bocce courts, a food truck plaza and a natural amphitheater. A window in the taproom offers visitors a glimpse into the 60-barrel brewhouse.

Hidden at the top of a narrow staircase in an older building in the Fan, the cozy, brick-walled restaurant serves a handful of authentic dishes done well. Start off with a plate of squid, Belgian endive and wild mushrooms, and then move on to the pasta—penne or spaghetti finished with one of a slew of sauces, from carbonara to fra diavolo.

Winemaker Luca Paschina’s signature wine, the award-winning Octagon, is an expression of the land, blending a prominent presence of Merlot and Cabernet Franc with subtle elements of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Growing Italian varieties in Virginia’s Piedmont, the winery also produces a distinguished Nebbiolo, robust with notes of tobacco and dark berries.

In addition to glamorous cakes, the menu features two sundaes—both with a base of vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, caramel sauce and roasted peanuts. The King is finished with sliced bananas and candied bacon, while the Crispy Queen is garnished with a sprinkle of fleur de sel and kettle cooked potato chips.

If you’re up for a challenge, try the brisket mountain—a cast iron skillet heated with one pound of mashed potatoes, piled high with a peak of hand-sliced brisket and melted shredded cheese, then finished with chopped scallions. Additional favorites include whole smoked chicken wings completed with a Cajun dry rub or Buz’s signature glaze.

Alongside classic co*cktails like the Sazerac or Boulevardier, Shoemaker’s featuress an extensive wine list—more than 100 bottles, including Virginia Petit Verdot and Viognier as well as Napa Valley Chardonnay and Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. International selections include reds from St. Emilion, France and Ribera del Duero, Spain, as well as whites from Marlborough, New Zealand and Trentino, Italy.

Sourcing around 60 percent of its meat from local farms within 100 miles, with select cuts coming from Japan and France, butcher and owner Tanya Cauthen focuses on matching each product to the customer’s individual tastes and needs. Dry-aged bavette and house-made bacon are favorites, along with charcuterie and complementary cheeses.

Try your hand as a barista with classes such as the What’s in a Cup seminar covering the history, production and terroir of coffee, and the hands-on Barista Fundamentals lab on how to properly handle an espresso machine and build a drink. The coffee roasting company also offers an Intro to Latte Art class covering methods for simple designs.

The market fresh taco uses seasonal ingredients—resulting in combinations like sweet potato with goat cheese sage crema in the winter and agave lime marinated grilled fish with watermelon in the summer. The shrimp and grits taco provides a glimpse into the Southern comfort cuisine available at owner Patrick Harris’ newest food truck, Momma’s Barbecue.

Rustic fire-roasted pizzas incorporating seasonal produce include the chicken Asiago topped with pistachio pesto, spinach, bacon, and sundried tomatoes, and the wild mushroom covered in crimini, portobello and shiitake mushrooms, pistachio pesto, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.

In March, the four locations around Richmond held a competition to develop a new flavor for the shop’s regular rotation. Voted by customers, the winner was Date Night—Amaretto ice cream swirled with fudge, chocolate chunks and cherries. Other favorites on the menu include Dark as Dark, an espresso ice cream made in collaboration with another local maker, Blanchard’s Coffee Company.

Cuts range from an 8-ounce filet mignon to a 20-ounce cowboy cut bone-in ribeye, all aged for a minimum of 30 days. The steak au poivre is encrusted with cracked pepper and finished with vermouth demi-glace, while the steak fromage is dressed in melted Gorgonzola and sprinkled with toasted walnuts.

Burgers are made from 100 percent grass-fed beef sourced from New Zealand—or, try the lamb, chicken or vegetarian options. Pair the Auklander—a beef patty topped with guacamole, free-range mayonnaise, uncured bacon, mixed greens, tomato, Dijonnaise and organic New Zealand Egmont cheese—with a wine from the Southern hemisphere.

The Tex Mex menu features colorful dishes such as Piña Loka, a grilled pineapple stuffed with chicken, steak, peppers and onions, topped with al pastor sauce, and Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, shrimp sautéed in garlic mojo sauce with onions, tomato and fresh avocado.

Owners Lona and Gill Crittenden started catering 15 years ago for friends’ parties and charity fundraisers in Goochland. Now, Lona makes her famous sweet potato biscuits with country ham for weddings, corporate events, baby showers and more. Popular hors d’oeuvres include baked buffalo chicken cups and mini black bean sliders with mango aioli.

Marking its 11th year this summer, the market is open every Saturday year-round with more than 100 vendors selling farm-fresh eggs, meat and produce—including staples like beef from Goin Family Farm, bread from Norwood Cottage Bakery and poultry from Earth’s Echo Farm.

From the candy counter featuring handmade truffles, turtles and caramels to the walls brimming with self-serve jars of bulk candy, the options at this Carytown favorite are overwhelming. The shelves are stocked with rare vintage sweets as well as items from all over the world. At the holidays, you can order custom molded chocolates to give as personalized treat gifts.

The shop dedicated to all things PB&J features one-of-a-kind pairings of gourmet nut butters and jellies made by owner Adrian Silversmith. The Mowi Wowi is a lightly toasted sandwich spread with Triple Blend Nut Butter Spread (almonds, cashews and coconut), Aloha Jam (pineapple and coconut), smoked Virginia ham and provolone cheese.

The locally owned and independently operated grocer sources produce, meat and dairy from within 100 miles of the store—one grower, Tricycle Urban Ag, is located only four miles away. Much of the wine and beer selection is similarly sourced from local and regional makers, and many of the wines are also organic.

In addition to an extensive collection of Virginia wines—one of the largest in the Commonwealth—bottles from all over the world, including selections from Slovakia and Chile, enrich the 14-year-old shop’s stock. Wine tastings are held every Friday 5-8 p.m., and beginning last April, movies are screened Friday nights in the parking lot.

Known for his growing collection of authentic Chinese restaurants around the state, which now number eight, Chef Peter Chang’s signature dishes include a hotpot featuring slices of duck stewed with mixed vegetables, tofu skin and leeks in Ma La—“hot and numbing sauce,” as well as dry-fried eggplant sticks with scallion, cilantro, dried chili pepper and Szechuan peppercorn.

Owned and operated by Ryan and Travis Croxton—the cousins largely credited with helping to revive native Eastern oyster populations, the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and the Virginia oyster industry—Rappahannock serves its bivalves raw on the half shell with charred blood orange, mezcal granita and trout caviar, or baked with country ham.

Don’t let the hour limit your cravings—Market at Main serves breakfast all day long. Eggs Benedict variations rule the menu, with an eggs Chesapeake featuring crab cakes and eggs Rebecca with a fried green tomato. Other favorites include the fried green tomato BLT with pimento cheese.

Soothe the heat of huevos rancheros—tortillas layered with two fried eggs and black beans, drizzled with spicy tomato Ranchero sauce, salsa and sour cream, topped with melted white cheddar cheese—with the Eevil Keevil, a rum punch co*cktail with Cruzan white and Malibu coconut rums, pineapple, orange and cranberry juice with fresh-squeezed lime.

A familiar sight in Richmond since 1952, the bakery’s signature doughnuts are available glazed or chocolate frosted—fresh, fluffy and made by hand each morning. For an afternoon pick-me-up, grab an iced-over cupcake, an upside-down yellow cake base with chocolate fondant poured over the top.

Enjoy the Boathouse’s newest spring co*cktail, Victoria’s Secret Crush—blueberry vodka, house-made simple syrup, fresh-squeezed lime juice, a splash of soda and a garnish of whole blueberries—on the patio, which seats more than 30 and features views of the James River, Rocketts Landing Marina and the Richmond city skyline.

Wood-grilled seafood is a staple on this farm-to-table menu, including octopus with arugula pesto and braised fennel, scallops with brown butter vinaigrette and Romanesco, and monkfish with Brussels sprouts and pickled cherries, all served alongside creative co*cktails crafted with fresh ingredients.

After enjoying classics with a twist during dinner—try the Negroni with a splash of Chardonnay—order a co*cktail for dessert. The Smooth Suede Shoe mixes Patrón XO Café with Godiva white chocolate liqueur, crème de cacao and fresh cream, and the Nutty Shoemakers combines Frangelico with Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlúa and cinnamon.

Silver dollar mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese and country ham make an earthy starter for herbed halibut or a filet topped with a crab cake or blue cheese fromage sauce. For dessert, try the homemade New York style cheesecake baked with orange zest and a pecan graham cracker crust.