Illustration by Shane Rebenshied
Best Asian Restaurant
First place: Peter Chang, Glen Allen, PeterChangRestaurant.com, 804-364-1688
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.
Second place: Mekong, Richmond, MekongIsForBeerLovers.com, 804-288-8929
Third place: King’s Island, Lynchburg, KingsIslandRestaurant.com, 434-384-0066
Best Bakery
First place: Westhampton Pastry Shop, Richmond, Facebook.com/WesthamptonPastryShop, 804-282-4413
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.
Second place: Sub Rosa, Richmond, SubrosaBakery.com, 804-788-7672
Third place: Paul’s Bakery, Fredericksburg, PaulsBakery.com, 540-898-2173
Best Bar
First place: Shoemakers, Lynchburg, ShoemakersDining.com, 434-455-1510
Alongside classic cocktails 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.
Second place: Beer Hound Brewery, Culpeper, BeerHoundBrewery.com, 540-317-5327
Third place: F.W. Sullivan’s, Richmond, FWSullivans.com, 804-308-8576
Best Barbecue Restaurant
First place: Buz and Ned’s, Richmond, BuzAndNeds.com, 804-346-4227
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.
Second place: Beale’s, Bedford, BealesBeer.com, 540-583-5113
Third place: BBQ Exchange, Gordonsville, BBQEX.com, 540-832-0227
Best Breakfast Restaurant
First place: Market at Main, Lynchburg, MarketAtMain.com, 434-847-9040
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.
Second place: Metro Diner, Richmond, MetroDiner.com, 804-510-0780
Third place: Perly’s Delicatessen & Restaurant, Richmond, PerlysRichmond.com, 804-912-1560
Best Burger Joint
First place: Burger Bach, Richmond, BurgerBach.com, 804-359-1305
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.
Second place: Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint, Richmond, JackBrownsJoint.com, 804-285-1758
Third place: Carytown Burgers & Fries, Richmond, CarytownBurgers.com, 804-358-5225
Best Caterer
First place: Cater 2 Events, Henrico, Cater2Events.com, 804-269-0359
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.
Second place: MOSAIC Catering + Events, Richmond, MosaicCateringEvents.com, 804-525-2190
Third place: Harvest Moon Catering, Charlottesville, HMCatering.com, 434-296-9091
Best Chocolatier
First place: For the Love of Chocolate, Richmond, LovChoc.com, 804-359-5645
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.
Second place: Gearhart’s, Charlottesville, GearhartsChocolates.com, 434-972-9100
Third place: Chocolates by Kelly, Richmond, ChocolatesByKelly.com, 804-814-5496
Best Dessert Menu
First place: Shyndigz, Richmond, Shyndigz.com, 804-938-3449
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.
Second place: Basilico New York Deli, Fredericksburg, BasilicoDeli.com, 540-370-0355
Third place: Main St. Eatery, Lynchburg, MainStEatery.com, 434-847-2526
Best Distillery
First place: Reservoir Distillery, Richmond, ReservoirDistillery.com, 804-912-2621
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.
Second place: Virginia Distillery Company, Lovingston, VADistillery.com, 434-285-2900
Third place: A. Smith Bowman Distillery, Fredericksburg, ASmithBowman.com, 540-373-4555
Best Farmers’ Market
First place: South of the James, Richmond, GrowRVA.com, 804-814-2373
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.
Second place: The Farmers’ Market at St. Stephen’s, Richmond, StStephensRVA.org, 804-288-2867
Third place: Charlottesville City Market, Charlottesville, Charlottesville.org/CityMarket, 434-970-3371
Best Food Truck
Boka Tako Truck, Richmond, BokaTruck.com, 804-928-2652
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.
Second place: Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts, Lynchburg, MamaCrocketts.com, 540-460-5048
Third place: Goatocado, Richmond, Goatocado.com, 804-464-8226
Best Grocery Store
First place: Ellwood Thompson’s, Richmond, EllwoodThompsons.com, 804-359-7525
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.
Second place: Wegmans, Fredericksburg, Wegmans.com, 540-322-4800
Third place: Publix, Richmond, Publix.com, 804-226-1915
Best Italian Restaurant
First place: Edo’s Squid, Richmond, 804-864-5488
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.
Second place: Azzurro, Richmond, Azzurros.com, 804-282-1509
Third place: Orofino, Fredericksburg, OrofinoRestaurant.com, 540-373-2953
Best Local Craft Brewery
First place: Hardywood, Richmond, Hardywood.com, 804-420-2420
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.
Second place: Ardent Craft Ales, Richmond, ArdentCraftAles.com, 804-359-1605
Third place: Beale’s, Bedford, BealesBeer.com, 540-583-5113
Best Local Gourmet Food Store
First place: Belmont Butchery, Richmond, BelmontButchery.com, 804-422-8519
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.
Second place: Stella’s Grocery, Richmond, StellasRichmond.com, 804-358-0020
Third place: Libbie Market, Richmond, LibbieMarket.com, 804-285-6414
Best Local Ice Cream Shop
First place: Gelati Celesti, Richmond, GelatiIceCream.com, 804-364-0038
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.
Second place: Carl’s, Fredericksburg, CarlsFrozenCustard.com
Third place: Boyer’s Ice Cream & Desserts, Richmond, 804-288-4088
Best Local Sandwich Shop
First place: Sprelly, Fredericksburg, Sprelly.com, 540-445-0405
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.
Second place: Secret Sandwich Society, Richmond, SecretSandwichSociety.com, 804-644-4777
Third place: Coppola’s, Richmond, CoppolasDeli.com, 804-359-6969
Best Locally-Owned Coffee Shop
First place: Lamplighter Coffee Roasters, Richmond, LamplighterCoffee.com, 804-728-2292
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.
Second place: Stir Crazy Café, Richmond, StirCrazyCafeRVA.com, 804-864-0264
Third place: Black Hand Coffee Co., Richmond, BlackHandCoffeeCo.com, 804-855-0800
Best Mexican Restaurant
First place: Plaza Azteca, Richmond, PlazaAzteca.com, 804-888-9984
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.
Second place: Casa del Barco, Richmond, CasaDelBarcoVa.com, 804-775-23219
Third place: La Carreta, Lynchburg, LaCarretaOnline.com, 434-239-9701
Best Outdoor Dining
First place: The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, Richmond, BoathouseVA.com, 804-622-2628
Enjoy the Boathouse’s newest spring cocktail, 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.
Second place: Shoemakers, Lynchburg, ShoemakersDining.com, 434-455-1510
Third place: Portico Restaurant & Bar, Richmond, PorticoRichmond.com, 804-784-4800
Best Oysters
First place: Rappahannock, Richmond, RROysters.com, 804-545-0565
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.
Second place: Lady N’awlins Cajun Café, Richmond, LadyNawlins.com, 804-355-4746
Third place: The Water Dog, Lynchburg, TheWaterDog.com, 434-333-4681
Best Pizzeria
First place: Waterstone, Lynchburg, WaterstonePizza.com, 434-455-1515
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.
Second place: Bottoms Up, Richmond, BottomsUpPizza.com, 804-644-4400
Third place: Mary Angela’s Pizzeria, Richmomd, MaryAngelasPizza.com, 804-353-2333
Best Place for Brunch
First place: Millie’s Diner, Richmond, MilliesDiner.com, 804-643-5512
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 cocktail with Cruzan white and Malibu coconut rums, pineapple, orange and cranberry juice with fresh-squeezed lime.
Second place: The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, JeffersonHotel.com, 804-649-4609
Third place: Mason-Dixon Café, Fredericksburg, Mason-DixonCafe.com, 540-371-1950
Best Restaurant
First place: Shoemakers, Lynchburg, ShoemakersDining.com, 434-455-1510
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.
Second place: Vintage at the Inn at Willow Grove, Orange, InnAtWillowGrove.com, 540-317-1206
Third place: Shagbark, Richmond, ShagbarkRVA.com, 804-358-7424
Best Seafood Restaurant
First place: Rappahannock, Richmond, RROysters.com, 804-545-0565
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 cocktails crafted with fresh ingredients.
Second place: Shoemakers, Lynchburg, ShoemakersDining.com, 434-455-1510
Third place: The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, Richmond, BoathouseVA.com, 804-622-2628
Best Steakhouse
First place: Buckhead’s, Richmond, Buckheads.com, 804-750-2000
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.
Second place: Ruth’s Chris, Midlothian, RuthsChris.com, 804-378-0600
Third place: Shoemakers, Lynchburg, ShoemakersDining.com, 434-455-1510
Best Wine Shop
First place: Once Upon a Vine, Richmond, OnceUponAVine.us, 804-726-9463
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.
Second place: J. Emerson, Richmond, JEmersonFineWine.com, 804-285-8011
Third place: Vino Market, Midlothian, TheVinoMarket.com, 804-594-0044
Best Winery
First place: Barboursville Winery, Barboursville, BBVWine.com, 540-832-3824
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.
Second place: DuCard Vineyards, Etlan, DuCardVineyards.com, 540-923-4206
Third place: King Family Vineyards, Crozet, KingFamilyVineyards.com, 434-823-7800
Most Creative Cocktail Menu
First place: Shoemakers, Lynchburg, ShoemakersDining.com, 434-455-1510
After enjoying classics with a twist during dinner—try the Negroni with a splash of Chardonnay—order a cocktail 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.
Second place: Rogue, Richmond, TheRogueGentlemen.com, 804-477-3456
Third place: The Roosevelt, Richmond, RooseveltRVA.com, 804-658-1935
