Maverick Seafood Brings the Coast to Central Virginia
It all started when a young couple, Gabriel and Nikki Cook, came to Lynchburg full of ideas and great amounts of passion.
Photo courtesy of Maverick Seafood
“I came to Lynchburg for a Doctorate degree in psychology,” Gabriel explained. “Then, [Nikki] inspired me to do catering, which then turned into a pop-up restaurant at Apocalypse Ale Works.”
The couple opened the Apocalypse location in early 2023 to great success. Located right within the Apocalypse footprint, they were able to deliver fresh seafood dishes—from fish tacos to crab cakes—directly to brewery-goers as well as hungry customers just stopping by for a quick bite.
Their business quickly grew and, by June, Maverick Seafood required a larger, more permanent location. They relocated to Forest Square in Forest.
“The owner of Best Catch on Fort Avenue came out of retirement to help us,” Gabriel said of their connections to bring fresh seafood to this area. “He was able to give us advice and we were able to uplift him as well. For Best Catch, he was using nine plus distributors and knew where to get the best lobster for lobster rolls.”
Customers who dine at Maverick Seafood can expect build your own lobster rolls, crab cakes and crab cake sandwiches, fish or shrimp tacos, and quintessential accompaniments like hushpuppies, tots, and fries.
Each menu item can be customized to a customer’s unique preferences—from additional meat or veggie toppings to a comprehensive selection of delicious sauces. Maverick Seafood will also continue to iterate on their menu—offering new specials as seasonal selections change and different seafood becomes available.
In the future, Maverick Seafood hopes to offer a brunch menu as well.
Lynchburg residents in search of authentic southern cooking need look no further than Val’s Comfort Kitchen, which serves the community through its delicious soul food.
Started in March 2022 by Valerie Braxton, the restaurant provides a wide variety of options to cater to each customer’s needs, including cooking vegetables in smoked turkey to provide for customers with Alpha-gal restrictions as well as providing healthy meals for those with health concerns.
Although Val’s is only entering its second year of business, Braxton said that she has spent the last 30 years working in the food industry, including her time with her catering business Lasting Impressions Catering Services, as well as her previous restaurant Soul Food Express.
Braxton stated that some of her main selling points are her meatloaf and fish sandwiches, both of which she claims are the best in Lynchburg.
“I have guests that will come in and if we don’t have meatloaf, ‘Val, we’ll see you tomorrow when you have meatloaf,’” Braxton said. “The meatloaf and the meatloaf sauce are a seller. I make that every single day.”
Photos by Ashlee Glenn
While customers quickly fall in love with the food, Val’s Comfort Kitchen also provides a community unlike any other.
“This place here is filled with love,” said Braxton, who noted that she takes time to speak with patrons at every table, regardless of how busy she is. “We cook with love. We treat our guests as if they’re family. We never meet a stranger.
Our food here speaks for itself. It is good home-cooked, wholesome comfort food.”
Instead of treating customers as simply opportunities to make money, she cares for them as individuals.
Photos by Ashlee Glenn
“My focus point is helping others who need help… I have people that walk through those doors and they’re hungry and we feed them,” Braxton said. “I understand they don’t have money, that’s fine. My goal is to give back to the community.”
Braxton attributes this care for others to her faith in God.
“God is the center of this thing,” she said. “I’ll shout it from the rooftops because He is why we’re here.”
A Focus on Food
The Summit Revamps their Culinary Program
Photos Courtesy of The Summit
Good nutrition is important at every age. Not only is food essential to life but it is also emotional, evokes the senses, and should taste good! The residents living at The Summit, a senior living facility in Lynchburg, are enjoying a major food upgrade with even more culinary progress on the horizon. Gone are the days of institutional food service in order to make way for fresh, exciting choices as residents enjoy a true destination dining experience.
For the last twenty years, The Summit has offered seniors Independent Living homes, spacious apartments, and Assisted Living residences with twenty-four-hour care.
“With its mission of providing residents with choices for purposeful living, The Summit is shifting services and amenities to be customizable, putting choices in the hands of those that call the community home,” explained Marketing Director Brenda Dixon.
Some of those choices extend to dining and meals.
“Our vision at The Summit is to provide a place for residents’ wellness to flourish where dining becomes an integral part of any wellness routine,” Dixon said. “While it has been known that a diet centered around fresh ingredients can improve your physical well-being, research is now finding that healthy eating habits can benefit your mental well-being as well. We promote community and friendship here at The Summit and we can’t think of a better way to promote community than through our culinary program by sharing a great experience around a great meal with friends. Our goal is to create a place where our residents know they can come and enjoy food that will help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
Photos Courtesy of The Summit
The menu at The Summit has gone through its share of changes over the years. Most recently, flexibility in menu creation, vendor sourcing, and resident input have become top priority. The atmosphere in the dining room at The Summit now feels more like a restaurant where community members can eat and enjoy. Residents choose from various meal plans, decide how often they want to eat, what they would like to eat, and how they want to spend their money on meals.
Some options on a recent menu, which rotates often, include pan-seared pork chop with peach barbecue sauce, grilled mahi with lemon garlic cream, and marinated beef medallions with mushroom demi-glace. If vegetarian choices are preferred, there is a vast array including butternut squash curry, spinach and artichoke dip pasta, and stewed chickpeas with eggplant and tomatoes. If a resident has a sweet tooth, there is a delicious dessert menu that includes French silk pie, cannoli, and brown sugar cake. There are also frequent ticketed coursed meals with wine pairings that residents can enjoy together as a community.
Who is responsible for these tasty changes at The Summit? Mitch Rodhe recently has become the Director of Culinary Services and has had a hand in implementing many improvements in his department. If you recognize his name, it could be from his last role as the Food and Beverage Director at the Craddock Terry Hotel, which includes Shoemakers and Waterstone Pizza.
Currently, only lunch and dinner are available to residents but a café is slated to open later this year where breakfast will be offered, including sandwiches, pastries, fresh fruit, bagels, and smoothies. Snacks and bites will be available focusing on finger foods and hors d’oeuvres to accompany the atmosphere of mingling and fellowship.
Photos Courtesy of The Summit
“The community can come together, soak up those gorgeous views, and enjoy a glass of wine and some appetizers,” Rodhe said of the café and its ability to utilize an outdoor patio area on warmer days.
Chef Rodhe assures that The Summit is able to meet each resident’s dietary needs and wants whether they are due to allergies or medical restrictions but also if a resident eats gluten-free or vegetarian by choice. The Summit has new resident meetings, focus groups, and committees to discover what residents love to eat and how they are able to deliver meals in a safe and delicious way.
“We’re going to continue the traditions of culinary excellence at The Summit, along with new options for the residents we serve,” Rodhe said.
The idea of sustainability and farm-to-table focuses are important to The Summit and will become even more so later this year. Culinary Services is challenging vendors to offer a wider selection of locally grown fruit and produce. They also hope to partner with Lynchburg Grows, a nonprofit urban farm, to increase local sourcing availability. There is a plan to implement an herb garden and produce beds on the property to feature in daily recipes. Plant-based menu selections will be featured on the daily menu offerings incorporating plant-based proteins, fresh grains, and vegetables to meet the growing demand for vegetarian and vegan meal options.
Chef Rodhe shared, “Buffets and action stations will become more frequent to allow our residents to get to know our kitchen team. Plus, action stations have the benefit of showcasing our ingredients before they become entrees, thus enhancing customization, temperature, and freshness of our dishes.”
Not only will this new culinary program, with its emphasis on resident engagement and satisfaction, improve quality of life for The Summit residents, it will also work to further engage the residents’ visitors.
“Our goal is to build a culinary experience in which residents are excited to host their family and friends, creating a quality experience for all residents and guests,” Dixon said. “An experience that brings joy to their days and quality nourishment to their bodies.”
Summer on a Plate
Recipes & Photos Courtesy of Laura Miner, Cook at Home Mom
Nothing says summer like making dishes with fresh, local ingredients. Kick off the season with summer-inspired recipes by food blogger Laura Miner. Find Laura’s kitchen tour on page 65 and find more of her delicious, healthy recipes at cookathomemom.com.
Beetroot & Feta Salad (photo above)
This delicious and easy beetroot and feta salad is tossed with walnuts, dates, and fresh herbs, then drizzled in a simple vinaigrette—the perfect side or appetizer.
Servings: 4 servings Calories: 308kcal Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups diced cooked beets (About 3-4 medium beets) 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 4 pitted dates diced 2 Tablespoons minced fresh mint 2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill 2 Tablespoons vinegar use white balsamic, regular balsamic, or red wine vinegar. 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
1. Prep the ingredients. Dice the beets, mince the herbs, and chop the walnuts and dates into small pieces.
2. Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl. Toss with the oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Because the feta cheese is fairly salty, you may not need much extra salt. And that’s it!
3. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat it.
4 apriums 1 small bunch fresh basil 4 ounces prosciutto 4 ounces mozzarella cheese (either buy mozzarella pearls or slice into bite sized pieces) 2 Tablespoons balsamic reduction or use balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
1. Preheat your grill to medium, about 375F. Trim the chicken breasts and gently pound them to a uniform thickness.
2. Whisk the oil and vinegar together and drizzle over the chicken breasts in a rimmed dish. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning and cover. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.
3. Brush the grill with a little oil and lay the chicken breasts with space between them on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes, turn, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through.
Do the Prep Work
1. Meanwhile, wash and dice the apriums. Slice the basil. Get the prosciutto, balsamic reduction and mozzarella cheese out of the fridge.
Assemble & Serve
1. Arrange the cooked chicken breasts on a large platter and top with the diced apriums, mozzarella pearls, slices of prosciutto, and fresh basil. Drizzle the balsamic reduction and season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
A delicious and simple meal filled with bright, delicious flavors!
Servings: 4 people Calories: 914kcal Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Equipment: Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot
Ingredients
1 pork shoulder roast 1 head bibb or butter lettuce 2 avocados 1 Tablespoon minced cilantro
Pickled Cabbage
2 cups purple cabbage thinly sliced or shredded 1 clove garlic 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 2 Tablespoons lime juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Cook the Pork Roast
1. Add the pork roast and 1 cup of water or broth to your Instant Pot. Cover and turn to High Pressure (or Meat/Stew) and set to cook for 55 minutes. Alternately, to cook the pork directly from frozen, set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 75 minutes.
2. Once the pork is cooked, allow for a Natural Pressure Release (simply wait for the pressure to release, which takes about 15 minutes). Open the lid and remove the roast. Use two forks to shred the pork into bite sized pieces. Spoon a bit of the liquid over the shredded pork.
Make the Pickled Cabbage
1. While the pork is cooking, make the pickled cabbage. Thinly slice the cabbage. Set it in a bowl or mason jar.
2. Bring the apple cider, garlic, lime juice and seasonings to a simmer. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and stir it to coat. Set it on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature.
Prep the Ingredients
1. Mince the cilantro and slice the limes. Wash the lettuce leaves. Wait until just before serving to dice the avocado to prevent it from browning.
Assemble and Serve
1. Serve the pork, pickled cabbage, avocado, and cilantro, with slices of lime, and assemble in individual lettuce cups.
Blue jeans and baseball caps are the typical uniform you might find downtown restaurateurs Dave and Chris Henderson in. The Lynchburg natives that founded The Water Dog and The Glass House have expanded their portfolio to bring Fratelli Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar and No. 7 Rooftop Bar into their new management group, Hen + Hound.
“Truth be told, we didn’t set out to start a management company,” Dave said.
Seeing the potential growth in their current businesses, Dave and Chris wanted to elevate their management team to run both sites effectively, with clear, delineated tasks for everyone.
“So out of necessity, we created the management company, and my chef suggested the name and we immediately loved it. ‘Hen’ is short for Henderson, and ‘Hound’ because we love dogs.”
Aside from adding new restaurants to Hen + Hound’s portfolio, the Hendersons also plan to reinvent The Glass House.
“While we desperately wanted to maintain it as a small music venue capable of bringing in local and regional musicians, COVID-19 forced us to make some pretty difficult decisions on the future of The Glass House,” Chris said.
Anyone walking down Jefferson St. will likely have seen the packed-up patio furniture, and maybe even pressed their face up against the glass of the former music venue to see what all the changes were about.
Photos by Ashlee Glenn. Left to right: Dave Henderson, Managing Partner. Candace Vinson, Executive Chef. Chris Henderson, Director of Operations. Courtney Henderson, Director of Marketing
“Our goal with The Glass House now is to create an upscale, sophisticated cocktail bar and lounge with a hyper-local, seasonal tapas-style menu capturing the essence of elevated southern cuisine,” Chris said.
According to Dave, Hen + Hound plans to reopen The Glass House “in late spring or early summer.”
The philosophy of innovation and elevation extends beyond The Glass House. Dave says that Hen + Hound’s management of Fratelli and No. 7 came about through happenstance.
“Those two establishments were going through a management transition and, frankly, we happened to be at the right place at the right time. We took over operations of both establishments on November 1 of last year with a six-phase plan to reintroduce them to Lynchburg,” Dave said.
While some of those phases concern behind the scenes operations, If you recently visited either restaurant, you may have noticed a few changes.
According to Dave, the six phases for the restaurants are: keep the doors open and make sure everyone gets paid; transition into new administrative systems, contracts, and suppliers; elevate existing menus; introduce local and sustainable food systems into the menus; delivering new experiences to customers, such as jazz nights at Fratelli, or bourbon and cigar pairing nights at No. 7; and the potential extension of hours to be open earlier and possibly introduce weekend brunch.
Phases one through three of Hen + Hound’s reinvention plan are complete, while the following three are in progress or still in the concept stage.
Both Dave and Chris have professional histories that uniquely qualify them to play a part in expanding the downtown restaurant scene. While Dave has experience on the financial side as a banker, Chris spent most of his life drawn to restaurant work of all kinds, either through necessity or preference.
“Everything I’ve done professionally in my life has led me to this moment with Hen + Hound. At the most basic level, I’ve worked my entire life for others to build and maintain their restaurants. Now we get to level up and build establishments with our own hands and our own vision for the restaurants and how they fit within our community,” Chris said.
Considering the varied food, drinks, and experiences you can and will be able to have at the four Hen + Hound restaurants, the Hendersons are still aiming for a fairly simple goal.
“The downtown community is now more than ever looking for new experiences that break the mold of the traditional restaurant experience. I think that we have a really unique opportunity—and, frankly, a responsibility—to help create a stronger and more vibrant community,” Dave said.
In just about every word they speak about their new undertaking, Dave and Chris agree that the key element of Hen + Hound is community.
As they spoke, Dave and Chris pointed out the various quirks and kitsch elements that make The Water Dog a fun and unique dining experience. It’s that point of difference that Dave feels the downtown food scene needs to draw customers in and make them feel like a business is more than “just a restaurant.”
“A strong vibrant urban core is vital to the success of our region. The Water Dog has embraced their location in the core of downtown as a catalyst for dynamic growth, success, and community. A successful downtown requires activity and The Water Dog has become the hub for community engagement, a hub for community,” Megan Lucas CEO and Chief Economic Development Officer for the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance said.
The Hendersons suggest they have some exciting developments on the horizon for Hen + Hound. And, although they’ve received offers to bring other businesses under the newly formed management group, for the moment they are content with honing the formula with their current portfolio.
“We are pretty happy just trying to help make our little corner of the world in downtown Lynchburg, the kind of place we know it can be,” Chris said.
A Dinner Party Done Right
Meraki [may-rah-kee] is a Greek word meaning to do something with soul, creativity, and love, to put “something of yourself” into another thing.
Photos by Amanda Martin, Meraki Table
Alex Steltzer, Amanda Martin, and Kiersten Tucker put this word into practice when they host dinner parties in Lynchburg to help women find how to meraki. This word is so integrated into what this group does that they put it in their name, Meraki Table.
“Meraki Table was a vision born out of my own heart, in need for a community of like-minded women, and also out of friendships of 6 years. All three of us came together to use our giftings for the sake of serving the women of Lynchburg,” Steltzer said.
On the first Thursday of every month, around 70 women come together at the Meraki House, a house on 65 acres of land. Steltzer describes it as “an oasis.” In this house, good food is eaten, intentional conversations are had, and friendships are formed.
These should be the results of any good dinner party, and achieving these results is truly an art form. The hosts of Meraki Table are truly artists in this way. That’s because, to them, hosting a dinner party is more than showing off fine china and impressive cooking skills. It’s about the motive behind it all.
From left to right: Kiersten Tucker, Amanda Martin, Alex Stetzler
“If a host is doing it out of a place where their heart is for everyone to feel loved and seen, then they will. But, if a host is doing it out of place to be showy, then it will feel very empty. I really think the heart and intention behind it matters,” Steltzer said.
Dinner parties at the Meraki House are very full, with intention and with guests. A little structure is required to keep things flowing smoothly. The night starts with about half an hour for mixing and mingling, a time for everyone to get to know each other. Next, all the women gather around one huge table to eat together. Food is an essential element, and it is definitely not overlooked at Meraki Table dinner parties.
As a health coach, Steltzer likes to create meals that are simple, nourishing, and delicious. One big hit was a peanut stew with coconut chicken and an Asian salad. All meals are made from scratch.
“Our heart is for it to be a healthful meal,” Steltzer noted.
Women leave with their stomachs full and their minds and souls as well. At a dinner party, food is a fundamental piece, but it needs authentic conversation to complement it.
Every Meraki dinner party has a theme woven into conversation throughout the night. After eating, table talk begins. This could be sharing a story, reading a poem, or telling a testimony. Two questions are asked, the women break up into groups, and then come back to the table to share. It’s important that everyone’s voice is heard.
Through this, Steltzer has witnessed walls broken down and women learning how to meraki.
“I have seen women come and be courageous and speak up for the first time in Meraki or share their stories with a bunch of strangers. I’ve seen women be bold and brave. They blossom,” she said.
People may not open up in conversation right away. A dinner party is simultaneously an intimate and welcoming environment. Balancing the two can be tricky. Steltzer explained that succeeding in this goes back to the heart of the host. The host must be willing to lead in vulnerability and service.
“Our team is always setting the tone for vulnerability. We lead them in this way by going first. We share our hearts and our story first and then give them space to do it. And having a servant’s heart in that is key.”
Delicious food and great conversations—what more could a dinner party need? Atmosphere. These two elements are ineffective without the right atmosphere and ambience. However, an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere does not always equal extravagant or over the top.
At Meraki dinner parties, simple seems to work the best. The tablescapes differ for every dinner. One night, Steltzer made a banner that took hours, but other nights it could be just a single flower on the table. The atmosphere may be one of the most important aspects. It is the atmosphere that makes a guest feel welcome and settle in, but along with everything else it is nothing without the recurring theme: a host with the right heart.
“I think it’s the atmosphere, but I also think it’s the heart of the host. It’s the heart of the atmosphere translated through the host,” Steltzer said.
It’s important to remember that perfection is never the goal when hosting a dinner party. There might be a stain on the tablecloth and the chicken might be a little overdone, and that’s okay. It’s not about having the “just right” menu or the perfect space. Steltzer lived in a camper for two years, and she still hosted dinner parties. To her, it was simply about showing her guests she cared and serving them a meal.
Meraki is a verb or adverb that is most often associated with cooking and preparing a meal. A dinner party needs to be meraki-ed to succeed. It’s an event that requires the heart and soul.
A Full Circle Moment
Fleming Mountain Grill breathes new life into an iconic space
It isn’t a surprise that when the name “Mitchell” is used in conversation within the Hill City, it is most often answered with one question, “As in Mitchell’s Grocery?”
With the opening of the beloved location’s doors in 1949 came residents from all across town to fuel their tanks, catch up with a friend, or grab some of Mitchell’s famous fried chicken. From their warm atmosphere to their warm meals, the spot became a home for any and all.
The grocery stood firmly at 1060 Lee Jackson Hwy. for sixty-five years until the closing of its doors in 2014. Today, most Lynchburg locals still recall both the authentic fried chicken and friendship that came from within Mitchell’s Grocery walls; a place that offered up much more than just a meal to anyone who went there for gas or grub. As of January 2023, however, the place has been made anew. Today, sitting within Mitchell’s Grocery Store’s footprint is Fleming Mountain Grill—a revamped version of the old, treasured space, now serving hospitality, smiles, and the best ribeye in town.
This chapter of the story began years ago after the Mitchell’s Grocery chapter came to an end. Somewhere in Wilson, North Carolina sat Roger Keeling, a baseball coach who had stumbled into a run-down steakhouse in a cinder block building. Despite the appearance of the restaurant, the food was impeccable. So impeccable that Keeling, upon returning to his home in Lynchburg, thought, “We need something like that in Lynchburg.” Going back to the Wilson spot soon after, Roger knew. “The old Mitchell’s Store,” he said to his wife, Carolyn. “That’s where we need to put a steakhouse.”
After deciding to make those thoughts a reality, the Keelings knew they couldn’t be the sole operators. Enter Kevin Smith, an experienced butcher who was told of the idea and posed the question, “Are you interested?” He visited that same place in Wilson that sparked Roger’s vision and replied, “Yeah, I like it.”
Photo on left by Ashlee Glenn. Photo on right courtesy of ODD+EVEN
The Keelings’ dream soon transpired from an idea, to purchasing the old Mitchell’s Grocery building in April of 2022, to finally turning it into the restaurant they imagined. With Roger’s background in construction, Carolyn’s superior design eye, and Kevin’s knack for “physically destroying things,” as Roger jokes, the process took from the end of May 2022 to the end of December 2022, about 8 months.
Throughout the renovation, they strove to bring a new look while keeping the roots of the old grocery there.
“Mitchell’s was such a centerpiece of our community,” Keeling noted. “We wanted to build around some of the existing building—to create a space where people would walk in the doors and feel like they were home.”
“Country elegance,” Keeling deemed the atmosphere of the space. “It’s meant to feel like you’re just outside of the city and heading into the mountains, like you’re sitting in our living room, having dinner.”
Due to Smith’s familiarity with meat and the Keelings’ previous ownerships of two restaurants outside of Virginia, the owners knew their place would be a steakhouse. But when the future opening of Fleming Mountain Grill was announced, there was one question on everyone’s mind: “Is Mitchell’s fried chicken coming back?”
The owners got connected with Kay Mitchell, the last owner of the store.
“We brought Kay on as a small partner to ensure we got the old chicken right,” Roger Keeling explained.
“It’s the real deal!” Smith chimed in with agreement. “There would be no way to do fried chicken without it being Mitchell’s.”
Photos by Ashlee Glenn
The original fried chicken isn’t the only staple on the Fleming Mountain Grill menu, however. They specialize in high-end meats across the menu, including rib eyes, tenderloins, and filets. Table cut by Smith himself upon ordering, the popular 1920 rib eye from Greater Omaha Packing Company is one of the top signature meals at the restaurant.
“It’s a very high-end steak,” noted Smith. He tells customers who order it, “The royal family of Dubai gets their meat from Greater Omaha Packing Company, so here, you’re eating like royalty.”
The excellence of Fleming Mountain Grill doesn’t stop with their menu, either.
“When people come in, we have a beautiful live edge bar,” Smith stated. “No one else in the Lynchburg area has that.”
Behind the bar is Mixologist and Bar Manager Michelle Simmons, who has been in the community for twenty years and excels in making craft cocktails.
Keeling and Smith emphasize how important each of their customers’ experiences at Fleming Mountain Grill is to them, and they aren’t shy to give credit to each of their thirty-two employees. They think all of their staff members are “in the right seat on their bus”; everyone is vital to the success of the restaurant.
Kay Mitchell routinely visits the kitchen at Fleming Mountain Grill to “check up on” the fried chicken. She watches over the kitchen staff’s shoulders to ensure the seasoning, breading, and fry on the fried chicken is up to Mitchell’s historic standards. If it isn’t, she will consult the staff on how to improve. So if you’re wondering if the Fleming Mountain Grill chicken is really up to Mitchell’s fried chicken standard—it is. Photo by Ashlee Glenn.
Most of the staff is handpicked, for that matter. Keeling and Smith sang the praises of their team members, including Alice Ritchey and Tommaso “Tommy” Crouse, employees who have been in the service industry for years. The younger servers just starting out are equally important to the operation as well. Keeling and Smith emphasize how they are constantly working with and investing in the next generation.
Smith voiced that the restaurant is always progressing, and that clearly is rooted in the passion exuding from all parts of the operation: from behind the bar to front of house, from steaks to cocktails, from the staff to the owners.
“We’re barely eight weeks old [at the time of this writing], but we’re always learning and evolving,” said Keeling. “Our goal is to get better every day. We know we will occasionally mess up, but we want to strive to get better and better, so we become a long term staple in this community.”
Fleming Mountain Grill is the perfect blend of old and new, a mixture of nostalgia and novelty. It serves as a fresh breath of air and a commitment to the community that even when one door closes, another one opens—and sometimes, it’s a familiar door that calls you back home.
Lynchburg Restaurant Week 2023
Dig into local flavors!
Mark your Calendar for June 17-24, 2023!
Lynchburg Living magazine’s Lynchburg Restaurant Week is a delicious way for locals and visitors alike to connect with the local flavors that make our community unique. From mouthwatering barbecue and soul-nourishing fried chicken to tantalizing spiced dishes and indulgently sweet desserts, this year’s Lynchburg Restaurant Week may just be our best yet.
From June 17 to June 24, a full roster of restaurants will be opening their doors and serving up fixed price menus with three-course meal options specially created for this culinary week. During Lynchburg Restaurant Week, you’ll have the chance to sample inventive appetizers, delectable entrees, rich desserts—and maybe even a beverage or two. But, don’t worry, if you have dietary restrictions that aren’t covered under a Lynchburg Restaurant Week menu or you’re simply craving something specific, you can order off-menu too.
If you found a dish that you can’t stop dreaming about or Lynchburg Restaurant Week led you to your new favorite restaurant, now is your time to share the love! All during Lynchburg Restaurant Week, you’ll have the opportunity to vote for your favorite participating restaurant. If they happen to be the lucky winner, they’ll receive some goodies from the Lynchburg Living team that’ll help support their business even further—a win win for everybody.
Presented by Lynchburg Living, this event is unlike any other in our area, featuring only local, home-grown eateries and benefiting the important work of local, nonprofit organizations, we’ve found a way to provide the public with great food at unbeatable prices all while helping a great cause.
Lynchburg Restaurant Week brings fabulous food to the greater Lynchburg region. Don’t miss a thing and follow us on Facebook; you may even catch some giveaway opportunities!
Take us along with you! Tag @LynchburgLiving on Instagram or Facebook and use #LRW2023 to show us the delicious meals you’re having.3
Vote for your favorite restaurant!
Flexing Mussels
Many of us first think of mussels when they’re presented to us on a menu at a seafood restaurant.
Well, it turns out, those are not the only kinds of mussels. Freshwater mussels like the Yellow Lampmussel are important to our local aquaculture as they filter up to 30 gallons of water per day in the James River, creating a cleaner space for all of us. They are also an important member of the food web, as they serve as a food source for otters and other animals that live around the river.
The James River Association (JRA), a nonprofit that monitors the river, responds to problems, seeks policy changes, and implements on-the-ground projects to restore the river’s health, is doing its part in planting 10,000 of those freshwater mussels into the river.
Photos Courtesy of James River Association
Erin Reilly, Senior Staff Scientist at JRA, manages the mussel restoration program and said altogether the organization has put in 580 Yellow Lampmussels near Percival’s Island in downtown Lynchburg.
The James River Association has been working on freshwater mussel restoration for the past four years and one of the biggest initiatives has been planting mussels that were grown in a hatchery in Charles City County at the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery.
Freshwater mussels are filter feeders and have similar characteristics as oysters in the saltwater areas, particularly in the way they both make water cleaner. They can remove sediments, nutrients, and different kinds of bacteria which helps stabilize the sediment.
“Oysters can filter around 50 gallons of water a day and a full-grown mussel can filter close to 30 gallons of water in a day,” explained Rob Campbell, Upper James River Senior Regional Manager. “So, when we have thousands and thousands upon thousands of those in the James River, we’re having virtually all of that water run through a nice, natural filter and it’s just an amazing thing for the sediment and keeps the water clear.”
Reilly said the mussels have a parasitic relationship with fish that helps them grow and mature into the hardworking mussels that are vital to the health of our river.
“So what happens is during one of their life stages, they create little Pac-Men that clamp onto fish gills,” she said. “They’ve all adapted different ways to attract the fish, so they can clamp on to the gills and then they move around with the fish.”
Photos Courtesy of James River Association
She said they drop off after a few days or even months depending on the species and, when they do, they are fully-formed mussels.
Campbell said mussels are important to the native forage and critters who live around the river.
“We see certain piles where raccoons, muskrats, and otters are going in foraging for these critters in the river. So not only are they important for aquaculture and cleaning the river, but they successfully have also played a big role in the food web,” he said. “Everyone loves otters and one of their main food sources is mussels.”
Virginia has around 30 species of freshwater mussels and five are endangered.
Reilly said the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Hatchery have been planting endangered mussel species in the James River as well.
“It’s really an exciting time in the world of freshwater mussel restoration because, for a long time, the hatcheries weren’t really able to produce a lot of mussels and it was kind of a niche thing,” Reilly said. “But they’ve now upgraded their technology and made some discoveries about life history and how to actually make this work. So now we can grow more mussels and it’s really taking a leap in the world of freshwater mussel restoration because now we have this ability to put greater quantities and new mussels in the water.”
Mussels can live for 50 to 80 years. Heavy metal pollutants can be tracked through their tissues because they’re filter feeders and the heavy metals accumulate in their tissues, Reilly said, which can be a really good indicator of pollution, but they also are threatened if the water quality conditions aren’t good.
“One of the reasons why we’re starting to increase a lot of these restoration efforts is because we’ve improved water quality and we think the water quality is now good enough that these mussels can survive,” she said. “Not only did we not have the technology but the mussels we put in probably wouldn’t have survived until now.”
For example, one of the places that JRA has gone out with the DWR is near an old power station on the banks of the James River which has its outfall into the river.
“So, when you have a power plant, a lot of times what they do is take water in from the river, pass it around their cooling towers to cool everything down, and then release the heated water back into the river,” Reilly said. “And that’s what they did in the case of this power plant. And it was really stark to see that above the outfall there were still mussels and things like that. And then below the outfall there were no mussels because the heated water had actually made it so that the mussels couldn’t survive there.”
Reilly said JRA went back in 2020 to look at the location after the power plant had been closed and the situation with the mussels had remained the same.
Last year, the General Assembly pushed to receive funding to create a statewide freshwater mussel restoration plan, which is starting now.
The James River Association received a grant to create a freshwater mussel restoration plan specifically for the James River, Reilly said.
“So, we’re convening a group of experts to talk specifically about what’s going on in the James and what areas we should be protecting, what species we should be working with, that sort of thing,” she said.
Photos Courtesy of James River Association
She said staff went out to look at the mussels that were planted two years ago and found some great growth on them, which indicates that the area is a successful place to plant them.
“It’s really exciting for us to know that not only are they still there, but they’re also growing really well and they’re thriving. So, it’s a success story and we’re hoping to be able to keep doing that and create more of these successes,” she said.
Through a grant, JRA is continuing its work on creating a restoration plan for the James River and its hope is to start implementing that plan soon, but it will require partnerships with the state and different agencies within the federal government and the hatcheries.
“But we’re hoping to be able to take the steps in the plan and implement them, continue to do restoration and hopefully make sure that these beds of mussels can be reestablished and thriving and self-supporting,” Reilly said.
The Power of Potluck
Jason Fowler grew up going to covered-dish dinners after church, a familiar scene for a lot of us. Unfortunately, more often than not, these dishes were not very appetizing. They were too fried, too jello-y. The potlucks that Fowler now hosts in the Lynchburg area with fellow farmers, homesteaders, and local food-lovers are a stark contrast to those covered dish dinners of the past.
These monthly potlucks aren’t held at a church but a farm. People who are excited about local food bring their dishes made with care and passion. There are meaningful connections being made over the enjoyment of natural, simple food. The reason for these potlucks stems all the way back to 2011, when the local food movement of Land & Table began.
The idea for Land & Table was sparked when Fowler worked at the Region 2000 Tech Council, now the Central Virginia Planning District Commission. He noticed plenty of economic development but a lack in agricultural development. This inspired an in-depth report on the economic impacts of the local food movement, and a small group of local residents began meeting and laying the groundwork for Land & Table.
Photos courtesy of Land & Table
“At the beginning, we basically asked two questions. ‘What do we want from regional leaders to help grow and support the local food movement?’ And the other was, ‘What are we going to do to grow and support the local food movement?’” Fowler said.
From those two questions, Land & Table grew and became a grassroots community focused on mobilizing a strong local food system in the Lynchburg area.
At first glance, Lynchburg may not appear to be a prominent farming area, but the surrounding counties of Bedford, Appomattox, Amherst, and Campbell, with their rural landscapes and farmland, provide many opportunities to bring in locally grown food.
“The reason we exist is because of this idea of thinking our area doesn’t have a lot of agriculture and local food—well actually it does. Land & Table exists because the local food movement is not very developed, and that’s what we hope to change,” Fowler said.
Land & Table is striving to make this change through its resources and educational opportunities. They just started a book club in partnership with Bedford County Library to review books on homesteading and living off the land. Throughout the year, they host workshops on concepts like apple tree pruning and soil fertility. Their most recent project, currently in the works, is a local food guide called Local Food Lynchburg.
Each Land & Table meet-up is different. One month, attendees could learn about beekeeping while the next they could be attending a seed swap with heirloom seeds their peers have carefully saved. The ultimate purpose? A deeper connection with the land around them. Photos courtesy of Land & Table.
Local Food Lynchburg will start off as a website and later be developed into a book and app. The guide will be a compilation of information on all things local food—where to pick apples, where to find local eggs, where the breweries are, where the farmers markets are. Most importantly, the guide will bring everyday consumers, local farmers, and food entrepreneurs into the same circles.
Building a network is fundamental for the local food movement, whether it be consumer to farmer, farmer to farmer, or chef to farmer, but particularly among farmers. Fowler described how living off the land often results in a sense of “intense independence” and “rugged individualism,” which leads to a lack of community, but community is essential.
“We’re looking to fill a gap and connect people that maybe often don’t have a way to connect with other people interested in the same kinds of things. Out of these connections, we feel that a lot of things can happen. This idea of community and the effects of community can become economic. It’s all intertwined in an ecological way,” he said.
A consumer buys a cucumber from a farmer who gives their seeds to another farmer who then sells their cucumbers to a local chef. Everyone is connected to the land whether they realize it or not, a concept that has been lost. With grocery stores and supermarkets, getting produce has never been easier. Realizing those fruits and vegetables came from the ground usually doesn’t cross a shopper’s mind and building a relationship with the land doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go “off the grid.”
“It’s not just for rural people, like everybody is dependent on the land, and you need to rekindle that relationship, whatever that means. It could mean you grow a garden, or you have chickens, or at least you just have a relationship with farmers,” Fowler noted.
What better way to build those relationships than over a plate of good food? The early meetings of Land & Table that started with a few local residents have grown into monthly potlucks where everyone is welcome, and they are unlike any other potluck.
“If everyone knew how good the potlucks were, there’d be too many people showing up to taste it,” Fowler said. “It’s that kind of level. Like have you ever had chocolate hummus?”
The goal of these potlucks is to experience delicious local food but also to bring everyone to one table: farmers, beginner homesteaders, business owners, chefs, everyday consumers. People convening to simply be together and enjoy food and where it comes from is something truly special.
“Everyone is bringing something to the table,” Fowler continued. “The meal itself becomes the metaphor for community. We believe in the power of the potluck because it builds community and creates a space for people to connect.”
For more information follow Land & Table on Instagram @land_and_table. Find them on Facebook at Land and Table.
