Foodie Guide 24 Hours #RVA

by AJ Dronkers, Edible DC Digital Editor

This past weekend, Edible DC traveled down to Richmond, VA as a sponsor at the Virginia Wine Expo. We were mixing, mingling, and passing out copies of our recent Drinks Issue. We also invited our newest member magazine colleague from Edible Richmond to spread the news of her pending first issue this May!

We had a chance to taste and chat with some of our favorite Virginia winemakers including Williamsburg Winery and Barboursville Vineyards. After a long day of tasting wine and a quick siesta, we needed some sustenance. So we snagged center stage bar seats at Heritage restaurant, which recently took home the prestigious "Restaurant of the Year" and "Chef of the Year" honors at the Richmond Magazine Elby Awards.

The best part of the entire experience was sitting in front of Mattias, the head bartender and part owner. He doesn't just serve the divine craft cocktails but tells us stories all night long.

We started with the charcuterie board and artisan cheese, which included housemade kimchi bresaola, pancetta crudo, smoked "lomo", ossabaw coppa, mustard, jam, chutney, and burrata.

Most of our party opted for larger main dishes such as Short Ribs and Mahi Mahi. I chose the Bibb Lettuce salad with refreshing grapefruit and fennel and the Bourbon Barrel Smoked Pork Belly, which had come highly recommended.

I probably would've stopped there but the "special side dish" being offered that evening is my kryptonite, seared foie gras. I don't care what anyone tells you, I didn't eat two.

The next morning we didn't dally because we wanted to get seats at The Roosevelt. We arrived shortly after they opened at 10:30 a.m. and got lucky with some corner bar seats.

As all good brunches should start, I ordered coffee, water and a cocktail. Instead of playing it safe with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa, I opted for their Bourbon Tea Punch and then switched over to the delightful Gin Flip made with a whole egg.

The menu is perfectly small but that doesn't mean you won't have difficulty selecting your dish. I ordered the Biscuits & Sausage Gravy but the real standout dishes were the Fried Rice and the Pork Cheek Polenta special.

Even though we were stuffed, I couldn't ignore all the Instagram comments saying that we MUST visit Sub Rosa Bakery located across the street. The delightful staff picked an assortment of pastries and some of their rye bread for us to-go before we parted ways.