A Blast from 2016 Broad Appetit

Yes, Broad Appetit 2016 has come and gone, but I came across this photo of a Deviled Ham Slider from Pasture today and couldn't resist posting it.

Looking Back: Broad Appetit 2012

Yes, fabulous as always. And the weather cooperated. Not so freakin hot as in the past. I continue to applaud all of the independent restaurateurs in the area who wow us with imaginative and delicious creations. I love that the festival takes place in the heart of the arts district and the city allows Broad Street to be blocked off. Having the vendors placed in the median and tables and chairs set up on the sidewalk allows for easier pedestrian flow despite the overwhelming crowds. It looked like there were enough wine stations, but the ID checks and beer lines were a bottle neck. Of course, some vendors run out of food. This happens every year. I think most vendors have learned to adjust. Vendors running out by 1:30 PM just isn't right. To a few other vendors that were late setting up - Plan Better. You are there to showcase your stuff. Poor planning/execution does not impress.

Let me share numerous photos and some of the food that delighted hubby and me.

Balliceaux Booth

The Magpie

Shyndigz

Sticky Rice

Cake Pops

Nothing left but the liquid

Love the Pink Bus!

Bahn Mini from Popkin Tavern

Duck Fat Fries from On the Rox

Pork Belly Bun from Sticky Rice - So Good!

Goat Curry from The Magpie - These guys took a risk that turned out to be fabulous. I appreciated that the goat was boneless, too!

We had cider instead of wine. Foggy Ridge rocked it with dry hard cider. Good stuff.

Cochon au Lait with Gouda Grits and Pork Cracklings from Chez Foushee. Our favorite dish from the festival.

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese from C'est Le Vin. Divine.

Seared Scallop with Corn and Bacon from Spoon. Delicious and the winner of the Best Dish.

If you have never attended Broad Appetit, shame on you. Hands down the best food festival in the area. The shear variety is worth checking out. I always go early (not as hot and not as crowded).  I encourage the rest of you to go later so I can enjoy my food with less people :)

Broad Appetit 2011

Several posts on this already and here's my take. Best food festival in Richmond. This is the place where local chefs and establishments do an excellent job of showcasing all of the fabulous foodieness available in RVA. Well done all!

I celebrate the fact that it's on Broad Street. Broad Street is wide enough to accommodate the vendors and patrons with room enough to line the sidewalks with tables and chairs. Brilliant design. While lots of folks attended, I did not feel so squished.

A couple of peeves. Why have this in June when it's hot? I go early, eat hearty, and leave. I'm not for roasting (unless it's say, a chicken). Second peeve - some vendors were not ready with food at 11 AM. We overheard that they were waiting on a health certificate. I don't know if the inspector was late or he/she had been early and found no one around. If the festival starts at 11 AM, be ready. By the time I get back to you, I may be full of other goodies or the line at your place is too long and the temperature is too hot for me to practice patience.

Some brief food highlights:

Great to see Lehja participate from the Far West End and their shrimp and bean salad was divine.

Acacia had stinger sliders. A new taste adventure. While the stingray was a bit too fishy for me, I was glad I tried it. And Acacia had lovely soft shell crabs. I had tried soft shells years ago, more than once, and I hated them. Way too crunchy. Acacia had been talking up how they pick their velvets, but since they were only an entree, I was not going to be adventurous at the restaurant. At Broad Appetit, I had my chance and they convinced me that soft shells can be good. I was impressed!

Of course the macarons from Petites Bouchees were to die for. The hazelnut with the salted butter caramel was my favorite.

My hubby enjoyed the meatballs from Avenue 805 as well as the salmon fritters from Tastebuds American Bistro.

The crabcake and spoonbread combination from M Bistro was also noteworthy. As well as the lobster and shrimp roll with housemade (or tentmade) chips from U of R.

I'll leave you with some photos of the event. It was great to see Richmond support all of the restaurants at Broad Appetit! I had a delicious time.

Broad Appetit 2010

This year we finally made it to Broad Appetit. Despite the heat, we loved stolling along a closed off Broad St. and sampling all manner of great food. Hats off to all of the vendors who braved the broiling conditions and kudos to all of the chefs and staff for providing imaginative, street-friendly, tasty cuisine. The organizers made sure tables and chairs were set up along the sidewalks and an effort was made to separate the true trash from compostable waste.

Here is a rundown of what we ate:

• Indochine marinated pork loin and jicama slaw from Tastebuds American Bistro
• Fried squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese from Acacia
• Duck confit bruschetta with gorgonzola and cheery gastrique from Avenue 805
• Bratwurst "Corn Hund" from Cafe Rustica
• Fish taco from Tarrant's
• Fried fish and fries from Croaker's Spot
• Pork BBQ from Halligan's Grill
• Thai iced coffee from Balliceaux
• Dark chocolate ice cream from Bacchus

Here are a few photos -

We arrived right at 11 AM. Most vendors were ready to serve. We did not encounter too many lines (except at Acacia because they were also serving soft shell crab sliders) until a couple of hours later.