Smyrna has been around for less than four years, but that’s long enough for chef and co-founder Tarik Sengul to get the attention of the prestigious James Beard Foundation: Sengul has been named a semifinalist for the Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic category, which encompasses restaurants in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.
He joins previous local James Beard semifinalists Peter Chang (Peter Chang China Grill), Melissa Close-Hart (Junction), Jose de Brito (The Alley Light, Café Frank), Angelo Vangelopoulos (Ivy Inn), and Ian Redshaw (Lampo, Prime 109).
A native of Turkey, Sengul began his American cooking career in New York and then joined forces with his friend, Orhun Bartu Dikmen, to launch Smyrna in the summer of 2022. The Aegean/Mediterranean restaurant’s open kitchen set-up allows diners to watch the chefs prepare dishes from the tantalizing meze trio to the coveted Manti dumplings dish composed of Sharondale mushrooms, dehydrated tomato, garlic yogurt, and pepper butter sauce. Sengul will find out on April 1 if he moves to the list of five finalists. The 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards will be presented in Chicago on June 15.
Popitos pops up downtown
Popitos Pizza owner Ray Zayas says he wasn’t necessarily looking for a second
location, but “the opportunity came up and, you know, we thought it through, and said, ‘Let’s take a swing at it.’”
Zayas and his team are turning up the heat at 200 W. Water St. (the former address of Mono Loco, Umma’s, Signature Soul, and Moe’s Original BBQ). The new location has an expanded menu that includes New York-style pizza. “We’ve always done wood-fired pizza—high temperature, 800 degrees or more,” he says. “What we’ve got in the new store is a traditional deck oven to make the traditional New York style.”
You’ll also find the Grandma pizza, “which is a type of Sicilian pizza” that Zayas says is only available by the slice. Carryovers from the original Rio Hill store include the Fun Guy (for portobello mushroom lovers), the Hot Pig (with jalapeños, bacon, and hot honey) and the White Za (ricotta, Parmesan-Reggiano, mozzarella, spinach, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil).
Goodbye Harold, hello Dave
If you go to 5th Street Station lookin’ for chicken, you won’t find Harold’s or its wonderfully crispy catfish—15 months after opening, the Chicago-based chain pulled up stakes and is relocating to Richmond. Meanwhile, Dave’s Hot Chicken has taken over the former Fuzzy’s Taco Shop space in the shopping center. Initially launched as a pop-up eatery in East Hollywood in 2017, the brand is a global hit with chickenheads in Toronto, London, and Dubai—and loved by vegetarians too. “You can get any meal as cauliflower,” says manager Tony Carter. “We call it Dave’s Not Chicken.” If you’re in the mood to mix it up, try the top-loaded fries plate, which piles on cheese sauce, pickles, kale slaw, plus a half-dozen Dave’s Bites.
Get some dim sum
Also new to 5th Street Station is Bambu Dumpling & Noodle House. “We have some traditional Chinese food, like General Tso’s Chicken, but we try to make it more modern,” says the manager. “We focus on dumplings and ramen—that’s our key item—and then we have some dim sum and some appetizers.”
Dim sum selections include crystal shrimp dumplings, steamed or pan-fried pork buns, sesame balls, and chicken or pork and shrimp shumai. The dumpling menu includes vegetable, chicken, pork, and beef options, and another highlight is the ever-popular bibimbap.
Cooking up classes
If you’re thinking a cooking class might combat the winter blahs, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards is happy to guide you through lessons on the cuisine of France, Spain, Greece, and Italy from February through April. Each class runs three hours and is hosted by chef Victoria Cosner, and includes Pippin Hill wines and a family-style dinner in the tasting room.
A decade in the making
Remember those old Orson Welles commercials for Paul Masson wine, where he declared, “We will serve no wine before its time”? The same sentiment flows at Spirit Lab Distilling, where distiller/owner Ivar Aass has waited 10 years for the Brindle Rum to come of age. Distilled in 2015 and aged in a single 15-gallon barrel, the rum is finally being released in multiple small quantities.
“The small-barrel format brought an intensity and concentration that we rarely see, while time rounded the edges and built deep notes of caramelized sugar, dried fruit, warm spice, and oak,” says Aass in a press release. Sign up for availability notifications at spiritlabdistilling.com.
More to chew on
Thursday 2/12
White Wine Blending Workshop. A hands-on workshop where you get to be the winemaker. $50, 6pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Friday 2/13
Be My Valentine Food Tour. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon filled with delectable bites, handcrafted drinks, and local stories. $25–150, 4pm. Free Speech Wall, east end of the Downtown Mall. c-villebites.com
Galentine’s Wine Dinner. A multi-course dinner paired with wine. $115–350, 6pm. The Opal Lounge at Mockingbird, 421 Monticello Rd. catering.thelocal-cville.com
Valentine’s Dinner at The Farmhouse. A four-course, wine-paired dinner prepared by the culinary team. Event repeats February 15. $140, 6:30pm. The Farmhouse at Veritas, 72 Saddleback Farm, Afton. veritasfarmhouse.com
Saturday 2/14
Valentine’s Wine Dinner. An evening of dancing, sparkling wine, and a romantically themed menu. $150 per person, 7pm. Veritas Vineyards and Winery, 151 Veritas Ln., Afton. veritaswines.com
Sunday 2/15
Couple’s Perfect Pasta. A pasta-making class with chef Kelvino Barrera followed by a romantic gourmet lunch. $160, 11am. Mockingbird Restaurant (upstairs), 421 Monticello Rd. c-villebites.com
Valentine’s Day Sunday Brunch. Catered by chef Mark Gresge of l’etoile Catering, featuring the harp music of Vicky Lee. $120 per person, 11:30am. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Valentine’s Steak Dinner. A chef-prepared four-course meal with optional wine pairings. $75–80 per person, 6pm. Hardware Hills Vineyard, 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. hardwarehills.com
Tuesday 2/24
Châteauneuf du Pape Wine Dinner. A vertical tasting paired with dinner led by Héléne Jaume of Domaine Grand Veneur with master sommelier Robert Jones and Cellar Road. $265 per person, 6pm. Tavola, 826 Hinton Ave. tavolavino.com
Saturday 2/28
Dueling Pianos Dinner Party. A night of music, food, dancing, singing, and wine with Felix Fingers Dueling Pianos. $99–109, 6pm. Hardware Hills Vineyard, 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. hardwarehills.com
Saturday 3/7
Barrel Tasting with the Winemaker. Winemaker Julien Durantie provides a sample taste of the 2025 harvest. $75 per person, 1pm and 3pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Sunday 3/8
Chocolate & Wine Pairing Event. Master chocolatier Ann Czaja and DuCard owner Scott Elliff select pairings and share the reasons why they work. $75, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
