The Richmond restaurant scene is booming in summer 2024

If summer 2024 is any indication, Richmond's dining scene is on fire.

Why it matters: The pandemic dealt a brutal body blow to RVADine and independent dining everywhere. But Richmond's innovative and award-winning food scene seems to be thriving.

State of play: A half-dozen new restaurants opened in town in the last few weeks and a few more were announced for the summer or fall. They'll bring Latin flavors, Cali cuisine, brews and treats, fresh seafood, a cocktail bar, handcrafted sausages and more.

Zoom in: 🌯 Cochiloco — the team behind Y Tu Mama in South Richmond (and Hibachi Box in the Fan plus Short Pump's Hibachi House ) finally opened their fast casual taco shop in Scott's Addition.

• Cochiloco opened last week at 3340 Moore St. (across from Vasen), serving up tacos, nachos, burritos and quesadillas, plus a house cocktail menu of tequila, mezcal and rum drinks.
• Highlights from the menu include potato fried tacos (two for $9, or $12 with meat added), speciality tacos like quesabirria (three for $16) or the Cochiloco (with pork and grilled pineapple, $8), plus traditional tacos (three for $13).
• Cochiloco is open Monday through Thursday from 4-10pm and Friday and Saturday, 11am-10pm.

🐟 Kali Love , the much-anticipated California-inspired concept from the Lindsey Food Group — is now open at Chesterfield Town Center.

• It's the group's 13th restaurant and second to open at the mall this year, this one in the former Island Shrimp space with its very own rooftop patio.
• On the menu , diners will find entrees like miso-glazed cod, Baja fish and chips, and a San Francisco fisherman's stew ($18-$30), plus sandwiches, entree salads ($13-$17), appetizers and tacos (three for $18).
• Kali Love is open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner plus weekend brunch.

🌮 In other taco news, Maya Latin Kitchen is also now open and running in its new location at 353 E. Williamsburg Road in Sandston, as is El Chido at its fourth Richmond area location at 11001 Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield, BizSense reports .

🍻 Brainstorm Brewhouse , a small batch craft brewery, is now open inside Black Heath Meadery at 1313 Altamont Ave. in Scott's Addition, Richmond Magazine reports.

🍽️ ICYMI, Trouvaille from the owners of the now-closed The Shaved Duck in Midlothian is now open in the former Balliceaux space at 203 N. Lombardy St.

• The restaurant serves up an inventive, seasonal American menu and craft cocktails for dinner Tuesday through Sunday.

🍩 And The Treat Shop debuted its Iron Bridge location this month with its swimsuit season-unfriendly menu of funnel cakes, doughnuts, ice cream, cotton candy, breakfast sandwiches and North Carolina-style BBQ.

Meanwhile, Southern Kitchen 's last day of service in its Jackson Ward location was last weekend. It's moving to Stony Point Fashion Park and should open there this summer.

Coming soon

Full yet? Too bad.

🐡 Slack Tide Fish Co. , a global coastal restaurant and raw bar from the owners of Yellow Umbrella market, is the name and concept of the restaurant in the works for the Ballast complex in Scott's Addition.

• Caleb Shriver, best known for his now-closed Church Hill restaurant Dutch & Co., will be executive chef at Slack Tide, which is slated to open in September.

Ballast is the concept in the works in the former Blue Bee Cider space, which will also include a Yellow Umbrella market and brand new tasting room (and retail store) for Cirrus Vodka .

• Those two should open in August.

🌭 Also coming this fall, Hots & Brats — a sausage-heavy restaurant and cocktail bar from Chef Kyle Morse of The Mayor Meats and The Jasper co-owner Kevin Liu in the former Carytown Cupcake space.

• A retail spot for "The Mayor" will also open in the space.

Worth noting: Daniel Harthausen was originally going to open a brick and mortar for his uber popular Young Mother pop-up there but took a job instead in at Late Air in Savannah .

• Harthausen told Eater Carolinas he met the Late Air owners at a wine fair in Richmond and changed gears when they offered him a job.
• "I think it was a really serendipitous situation when this big project that was my entire life for two years ended up being something I didn't want to do," he said.