Richmond dining pop

Willoughby Obenchain talks about his pop-up restaurant, Secret Squares Pizza, that serves Detroit-style pizza.

Richmond has many restaurants with full-time chefs dedicated to making their livelihood by feeding our city’s enthusiastic diners, but there is another model that is gaining popularity. Pop-up restaurants provide opportunities for established chefs to try something a little different or for food enthusiasts with 9-to-5 gigs to share their passion with a broader audience.

Often, established restaurants offer space to these culinary explorers for no or low cost to enable their passion. “They are doing it out of the joy and camaraderie of doing something different for the food and drink space,” Brandon Day of the Shift Meal pop-up said.

Here are six Richmond restaurant pop-ups that should be on your radar.

Two pizzas cool on a tray at Willoughby Obenchain’s pop-up restaurant, Secret Squares Pizza, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Secret Squares

Willoughby Obenchain’s pandemic project of creatively topping naturally leavened sourdough-crust, Detroit-style pizzas has progressed from feeding friends and family to regular sellouts of the much sought-after themed pizza weeks. Secret Squares has hosted pop-ups at various locations around town and can most regularly be found on Tuesdays at The Kitchen Classroom, 9018 W. Broad St. You place your order ahead for pickup and can dine in or take it to-go.

This pie is seriously thick with crispy edges and generous toppings. You can choose traditional flavors like the popular Roni pie topped with hot honey, ricotta, red sauce, parmesan, basil and cupping pepperoni that is specially designed to curl into little meat bowls with crispy edges when baked. But Obenchain’s creative weekly specials are what tend to sell out. A ramp series featured a Nashville hot chicken pie topped with pickled ramps and ramp ranch. Up next is a series of tomato-inspired pizzas. Pizzas typically run around $25.

Willoughby Obenchain pours tomato sauce on a pizza for his pop-up restaurant, Secret Squares Pizza, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Along with the regular Kitchen Classroom night, Secret Squares is planning a late summer collaboration with Saltys Lobster & Co. No dates have been set yet, but we hear there could be a lobster and caviar pizza in the works, maybe even with edible gold on top. They are also seeking a local charitable organization with which to partner. Follow on Instagram @secretsquares or visit secretsquares.pizza for moreinformation.

Chef Brennan Griffith holding dessert to serve after a 5-course family style dinner at Sub Rosa Bakery. Homemade coconut ice cream with a crispy fried banana, drizzled with honey and sesame seeds.

Nam Prik Pao

Brennan Griffith knows you might love spring rolls and pad Thai, but at his Nam Prik Pao dinner series, he wants you to try something a little different. “I try to make sure the menus and foods are something you don’t typically see on a lot of Thai menus,” he said.

Griffith held various jobs in restaurants and catering, but kept coming back to making Thai food for friends. After tasting his food, those friends kept asking when he was going to open a restaurant — he is not sure he wants to do that, but he did start a dinner series in 2020. He paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, starting again in June with a third-Sunday series hosted at Sub Rosa bakery in Church Hill. Tickets for the first two dinners sold out in a matter of hours.

The pop-up is named for the popular Thai pantry staple chili jam called nam prik pao. The first time Griffith made it, he realized how different Thai food could be from what he had experienced at traditional restaurants. “It’s so versatile and most Westerners have never heard of it,” Griffith said. “It’s sweet, tart and spicy… It’s got so many flavors going on… I want to make sure my menus give people that feeling of ‘Wow, I’ve never had this before.’”

The types of dishes you would find at a Nam Prik Pao dinner include a Northern Thai pork belly curry. “There’s tang from pickled garlic and lots of tamarind. It’s a big, bold, herbaceous, spicy curry,” Griffith said. A pomelo and crab salad featuring a fermented crab paste dressing with a distinctive funky, herbaceous sweetness is another favorite — Griffith says most diners had never tasted anything like it and loved the flavor.

Sliced pork tenderloin, stir-fried in a spicy Southern Thai-style red curry sauce with slivered galangal (Thai ginger) and green peppercorns from Nam Prik Pao. Part of a 5-course family style dinner at Salt and Forge.

The dinners are generally prix fixe, $65 for a family-style tasting menu: “It gets people to try things they wouldn’t order if they saw things on the menu and were choosing,” Griffith said. “You’re going to get things that might sound a little scary.” You will also get spice — Griffith also wants people to push boundaries, realizing that heat can also bring lots of flavor. “I love showing people that spicy food and be deliciously burning,” he said. “Your mouth can be burning, but you can’t stop going back for one more bite of curry.” Follow @namprikpao on Instagram for more information.

Santana Hem of Hem and Her.

Hem and Her

Santana Hem grew up cooking alongside his Cambodian mother and watching Jacques Pepin. He studied finance at Virginia Tech and got a full-time job, but he could not stop dreaming about cooking. So he moved to New York City, working at restaurants such as David Chang’s Momofuku Ssam Bar and Tom Colicchio’s flagship restaurant, Craft, honing his knowledge of cooking, wine and fine-dining service. While living in New York, he also began cooking the Khmer cuisine he grew up eating for friends. That is when Hem and Her was born — Santana is the “Hem,” and the “Her” is a nod of respect to his mother, as well as to his wife Casey Forman, who is the main server at his dinners.

His dinners became virtual cooking classes while he was living in Chicago during the pandemic. He moved to Richmond about a year and a half ago and brought his dinner series with him in November of 2022.

Sach ko tuk prahok, grilled bavette, fermented fish and eggplant condiment, culantro at Hem and Her.

“It’s dedication to the flavors I grew up eating, but not always traditional,” Hem says about his dinners. “The goal is to introduce the community to new dishes, new textures, and new flavors you wouldn’t see on menus.”

Hem and Her’s most recent collaboration is a sold-out dinner for $115 per person, with wine pairings at Second Bottle Wine in Church Hill on Aug. 6. Owner Erin Keene was Hem’s first neighbor in New York and they moved to Richmond around the same time, so it felt natural to pair up for a dinner featuring Hem’s food and Second Bottle natural wine pairings. There will be limited seats for the next dinner on Aug. 19 at a to-be-announced location. Hem is working through his waitlist.

One of Hem’s favorite dishes from a past menu is Sach Ko Tuk Prahok, or grilled steak with fermented fish and eggplant condiment. “It’s rich and funky, spicy sour. There are so many flavors in one dish,” Hem said.

Kaw sach chrouk is a caramelized and braised pork belly stew with star anise, black peppercorns, ginger and garlic that Hem’s mom made frequently when he was growing up. The dish is traditionally served with a hardboiled egg, but he replaces it with a soft-boiled one, for his own culinary twist. He hopes dinners like these will eventually translate into a restaurant. Visit hemandherfood.com for more information.

Shift Meal

The team at Shift Meal, from left to right: Tommy McInerney, Brandon Day, Dan McInerney, Donovan Herman and Stephanie Stanton.

Brandon Day, Stephanie Stanton, Dan McInerney and Donovan Herman have a few things in common: they all have day jobs, they are passionate about food and drink, and they have a sense of humor. With various backgrounds in food and drink, they decided to team up for their Shift Meal pop-up series.

“We enjoy the experiment of it all,” Day said. “We’re exploring different ways of toying with food and drink, fun and humor.” Their first dinner — a prix fixe “Anything But Pizza” meal — was a nod to Zorch Pizza in Carytown, where the Shift Meal events take place.

“Being in the pizza space, we wanted to do something to toy with that,” Day said. “How can we take all the things that go into pizza or surround pizza and not actually serve pizza?”

Guests dined on dishes like a “house salad caviar service” of romaine, cucumber, radish, balsamic and white wine vinegar pearls bathed in garum served with potato chips and whipped ricotta. Calzone flavors were redesigned into three-day gnudi with fat and crispy smoked prosciutto shards topped with tomato double consomme poured tableside from a diner-style coffee pot. And multi-flavor mini cannoli pockets served with white-chocolate pudding, dehydrated mint and strawberry designed to look like pizza rolls with ranch dressing were served for dessert.

Margherita Pizza Margarita and Pizza Blistered Shishitos at Shift Meal.

On July 3, an a la carte “Third of July Freedom Fry” featured playful riffs on classic American cookout foods. The BBQ “Sandwich” was a savory funnel cake dusted in homemade barbecue rub, topped with coleslaw, pork belly burnt ends, spicy ranch, barbecue sauce and pickles. Strawberry “Shortcake” comprised bits of funnel cake dusted in sugar and topped with macerated strawberries and vanilla whipped cream. “Corn on the cob” was a cocktail featuring butter-washed Mellow Corn Whiskey, sweet-corn-infused brown sugar syrup and lemon aquafaba. “Apple Pie” was a libation of milk-clarified Graham cracker, infused with Laird’s Applejack, apple pie simple syrup, lemon, Licor 43, amaretto and Potter’s Craft Cider topped with apple cider and allspice dram foam.

The theme changes each time, but the dedication to creativity and humor remains. Next up will be a full tomato and mayonnaise-inspired meal for Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer on July 24 for $75 per person with wine pairings. Follow @shiftmealrva for more information.

Celeste Farms

Farmer & The Chef Dinner Experience at Celeste Farms.

You may be familiar with the flavorful, veggie-packed fast-casual meals at Goatocado, but did you know that much of the produce served there is grown on a 4.3-acre regenerative farm in Varina? And you can have dinner there.

Ian Newell runs both Goatocado and Celeste Farms. The Celeste Farms website states: “We like to think of our farm as a living project, one where we are always learning ways to leave a lighter environmental footprint and are ever evolving with the efforts and interests of the team. Celeste Farms strives to become a hub for artisans, chefs, and farmers to further explore and practice their crafts while earning a living wage.”

Plancha-seared turnip, beet, carrot and squash with scallions and herbs at the Farmer & The Chef Dinner Experience at Celeste Farms.

To this end, Newell hired chef and farmer Ashton Carter and began hosting a Farmer & The Chef Dinner Experience in June. Upon arriving, guests receive a seasonal mocktail inspired by the property before receiving a tour of the farm with a focus on their sustainable growing practices. Then, a four-course dinner featuring Celeste Farms produce is served in the wildflower meadow.

Dinner dates have been announced through Oct. 14 and can tickets can be purchased at celestefarms.com.

Young Mother and Bad Name

Daniel Harthausen makes Yamitsuki: cabbage and wood ear mushrooms at Restaurant Adarra for his monthly Japanese pop up, Young Mother, Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

We cannot write an article about pop-ups without a shout-out to Daniel Harthausen, winner of HBO’s “Big Brunch” series, who began hosting his Young Mother pop-up series in 2021. The dinners, which were hosted at Adarra in Jackson Ward, and explored the intersections of Japanese and Korean cuisines, quickly becoming sellouts with very long waitlists.

After a bit of a hiatus, Harthausen recently announced that the Young Mother dinner series would be returning with a prix fixe dinner for $75 per person with wine pairings at Lost Letter in mid-July. Two seatings sold out in less than 20 minutes. For a glimmer of hope at the possibility of attending an upcoming event, we suggest you turn on Instagram notifications for @youngmother and set a timer when you hear that tickets are going on sale. It has not worked for us yet — but maybe one day!

Yamitsuki: cabbage and wood ear mushrooms was prepared by Daniel Harthausen at Adarra for his monthly Japanese pop up, Young Mother, Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

You may have a better chance of trying Harthausen’s cooking at one of his alter ego Bad Name more casual pop-ups. Harthausen’s Bad Name culinary explorations span onigiri, Korean fried chicken, LA-style burritos and fried dumplings. These events are generally no-reservations, first-come, first-served and pop up at events around town as well as at Cobra Burger in Church Hill. Follow @badnameva for more details and dates.

Willoughby Obenchain drizzles hot honey on a pizza for his pop-up restaurant, Secret Squares Pizza, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Two pizzas cool on a tray at Willoughby Obenchain’s pop-up restaurant, Secret Squares Pizza, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Willoughby Obenchain pours tomato sauce on a pizza for his pop-up restaurant, Secret Squares Pizza, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Chef Brennan Griffith holding dessert to serve after a 5-course family style dinner at Sub Rosa Bakery. Homemade coconut ice cream with a crispy fried banana, drizzled with honey and sesame seeds.

Sliced pork tenderloin, stir-fried in a spicy Southern Thai-style red curry sauce with slivered galangal (Thai ginger) and green peppercorns from Nam Prik Pao. Part of a 5-course family style dinner at Salt and Forge.

Beef ribs slow-cooked over charcoal and served with a sweet, spicy, and tangy roasted red chili and tamarind dip with toasted rice powder mixed in at Nam Prik Pao. Part of a 10-course family style dinner at Sub Rosa Bakery.

Shrimp grilled hot and fast over charcoal, served with a spicy nam jim seafood sauce (green chilies, cilantro, lime, and fish sauce) at Nam Prik Pao. Part of a 10-course family style meal at Sub Rosa Bakery

Plancha-seared turnip, beet, carrot and squash with scallions and herbs at the Farmer & The Chef Dinner Experience at Celeste Farms.

Farmer & The Chef Dinner Experience at Celeste Farms.

Farmer & The Chef Dinner Experience at Celeste Farms.

Supreme pizza Wellington at Shift Meal.

Bell Pepper Spaghett and House Salad Caviar Service at Shift Meal.

Margherita Pizza Margarita and Pizza Blistered Shishitos at Shift Meal.

The team at Shift Meal, from left to right: Tommy McInerney, Brandon Day, Dan McInerney, Donovan Herman and Stephanie Stanton.

Freedom Fry menu at Shift Meal.

Santana Hem of Hem and Her.

Pleah sach ko, chilled beef salad, makrut lime leaf, chilis, peanuts from Hem and Her.

Sach ko tuk prahok, grilled bavette, fermented fish and eggplant condiment, culantro at Hem and Her.

Kaw sach chrouk, caramelized and braised pork belly, soft-boiled egg, scallion at Hem and Her.

Daniel Harthausen makes Yamitsuki: cabbage and wood ear mushrooms at Restaurant Adarra for his monthly Japanese pop up, Young Mother, Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

Yamitsuki: cabbage and wood ear mushrooms was prepared by Daniel Harthausen at Adarra for his monthly Japanese pop up, Young Mother, Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

Daniel Harthausen makes yamitsuki, a dish of cabbage and wood ear mushrooms, at Restaurant Adarra for his Japanese-inspired pop-up, Young Mother. BELOW: A look at the completed dish.

Willoughby Obenchain talks about his pop-up restaurant, Secret Squares Pizza, that serves Detroit-style pizza.

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