Now open in the former Pita Pit space on 14th Street: Onyx Lounge, a crêperie, sandwich shop, and hookah bar. It’s open until 4am Thursday-Saturday, giving Littlejohn’s a little competish on the late-night scene.
Also open? The C’ville Cheese Store on Fifth Street SE in the former Downtown Deli spot. There’s more than 30 different kinds of cheese, plus deli meats and all the fixins’ to have a swanky fromage-focused fête. (Think crackers, sesame seeds, olives, and the like.)
And speaking of cheese, local foodie mecca Feast! recently won the 2013 Outstanding Retailer Award from the Specialty Food Association. Nominated by its vendors, the Main Street Market shop was selected by a panel of industry experts who will award owners Kate Collier and Eric Gertner with a trophy in July in New York City.
A new nose-to-tail butcher shop is coming to town with plans of whole animal butchering, so nothing goes to waste. J.M. Stock Provisions & Supply is led by James Lum, who is working in conjunction with Timbercreek Organics, which will supply the meat. He has hopes of securing a Downtown location by June, and opening by the fall. In the meantime, he sells handcrafted sausages at the City Market on Saturday mornings. Once the shop gets rolling, Lum will offer cold cuts, pâté, and bacon to pack a mighty fine picnic.
Edible Fest has released the lineup for its second annual food festival in Orange. The festival, to take place in August, brought 3,500 people to the county last year. This year’s guests include apple expert Tom Burford; gardening guru Tanya Denckle Cobb; cultural and culinary historian Leni Sorensen; chefs Ian Boden of Glass Haus Kitchen, Walter Bundy of Lemaire (in Richmond), and Aaron Cross of Fossett’s at Keswick; and farmer Gail Hobbs-Page of Caromont Farm.
Henry’s, underneath Vita Nova on the Downtown Mall, shut its doors a few weeks ago after more than 30 years in business. The Taste of India will open in the spot in August.
How local can you go? At l’étoile, pretty darn local. Chef Mark Gresge sent out a mass e-mail last week in search of produce grown in the area. “Get in touch with me to let me know what you have growing,” he wrote. “If you are chosen, we will make a special for the weekend and you and a friend will be our guests for the evening.” Growing something noteworthy? Call him at 979-7957.