Broad Appetit

Attended 2015, 2014, 2013. Richmond Virginia has it going on! There is awesome food throughout the city and many converge during this annual festival. Search Broad Appetit starting in mid April to see which restaurants and breweries will participate, live demonstration schedule, and music lineup.
So impressed at the variety of food vendors and craft beers. Each year I’ve been exposed to eateries I normally would over look or just haven’t heard of. Broad Appetit is a modern, slick, eco friendly festival that gets it right. The size is just right, however with each successful year the following year’s crowd swells, the music stages are just right, police presence is just right. This festival is worthy of planning a south eastern Virginia vacation around.

We go there every year since it was started. Always had a good time and an empty wallet when I leave. But lately I have to say it has become harder to pick places we want to try as there just isn’t that many new restaurant that are there and they are just repeating the same old food they had last year. I wish they would bring back Kuba Kuba from the 1^st year as it was delicious. But I would definitely come back every year to eat and see what is new.

most of the $ 3 small plates were truly small and not really worth the money. think about the samples offered at costco but you need to pay $ 3 for each. i know i exaggerate quite a bit but you get the idea. the few exceptions were the raw oysters and gyros.

This by far is the best food festival of the Capital city. Some of the best restaurants in Richmond all in one place selling discounted tapas size plates with great music and local breweries on tap… You can’t beat that with a stick! The food was excellent and definitely exposed me to some restaurants that I wanted to try. It gave me the opportunity to try their cuisines without spending an arm and a leg.
The bands were awesome and there was two stage set ups on different parts of the festival. This allowed the bands playing not to overlap each others sound but also it felt like an endless party. I loved it!
My favorite dishes were the pulled pork sandwich at the Toast Stand, The empanadas at The Happy Empanada Truck, the Appleton Ribs at Carena’s, the chicken and waffle At Tarrant’s/Max’s and the sliders at Slideways Mobile Bistro. Every bite caused a wave of flavor and euphoria to my taste buds.
This event will have a permanent spot on my social calendar. I can’t wait until next year!

My first time going to this event, and I absolutely can’t wait until next year so I can go back! Definitely one of the must attend festivals of the year for the RVA!
Most plates went for about $ 3 a piece. Best to have cash for something like this if you plan on attending as it seemed like none of the places had a square or a sort of terminal for using a credit card. They had several ATM’s set up on site, so if you forgot to get cash, or didn’t even know you needed to get cash, they had your back.
Going early is definitely something to keep in mind. As they may run out of some of the crowd favorites by mid festival. As well, it does get more crowded with it getting later in the day. There are many local businesses, some of them I’ve never heard of, others I’ve been wanting to try for quite sometime, but just haven’t made my way there. I have added quite a few of them to my list.
If you like supporting the locals, and eating the food, this is definitely the event for you!

Gluttony in $ 3 increments.

Great event — not overcrowded and plenty of seating. Love the idea of small plates for $ 3 each, which gave you a chance to try several things. Really fun event and would definitely go again next year if I’m in town!

I just literally moved to Richmond so attending this festival was fantastic! I was able to smell and taste a bit of Richmond here and there!
The price for the tickets were not bad either for the drinks so I was able to enjoy some local breweries as well :)
Def a must go if you are a foodie or are looking to expand your horizons in Richmond.

2015 Broad Appetit food festival
If you’re looking for a taste of Richmond then look no further — this is THE event to bookmark in your calendars, friends! It’s only a 1-​day event so all of Richmond will flock to a pretty concentrated area on Broad Street so the key is to arrive early = shorter lines, closer parking, and cleaner port-o-potty’s (oh yes, this makes a huge difference).
I attended the festival in 2013 but don’t recall the details. This year, the menus overall seemed very «meat-​heavy» which was fine for me because I’m a carnivore, but it would have been nice to see more seafood options. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my $ 3 plates:
1. Lehja — «Alleppey Style Seafood Curry» with sea bass, salmon, prawns and spices from the Alleppey region = very fragrant but not overwhelming, the super fresh seafood made all the difference.
2. Africanne On Main — «Curry Fried Wings» — pretty self-​explanatory, these little flavor bombs were so crunch-​tastic and addicting
3. Everyday Gourmet — «Choosy Mother Boneless Short Ribs» — beef braised in Isley Brewing Company’s famous peanut-​butter porter and served with potato salad = the flavor of the short ribs was so indulgent and rich which I loved, but wasn’t a huge fan of the potato salad
4. The Broadberry — «Buffalo Chicken Taco» — fried buffalo chicken with blue cheese, ranch, and shredded cucumbers = talk about «bang for your buck», the portion of chicken was very generous and I loved the shredded cukes on top for added freshness; I’m totally inspired to make a variation of this dish at home!
5. Anderson’s Neck Oyster Oyster Company — «Oyster Taste — 2 Oysters» — not sure what kind of oysters these were but they had a super clean taste. I prefer oysters on the slightly brinier side, but it was such a treat to get a bivalve bite at BA.
6. Merroir — «Stuffin’ Muffin» — pan-​fried oyster stuffing with bacon and gravy = super crispy exterior and creamy in the middle, a touch more seasoning for the gravy would have been nice.
With all those little plates, utensils, and napkins, BA makes a great effort to reduce waste by encouraging festival-​goers to recycle and compost = a greener Richmond!
Rooms for improvement: A list of participating restaurants was released prior to the event but it would be great to see each vendor’s menu to help people «game plan» more. Also, I did not see any options for a bike valet station which was a bummer = we need to burn some calories so we can eat more delicious food!
Broad Appetit is such a great way to get exposed to new food businesses in the region and try dishes that you might not normally order. Two big thumbs up for this fun-​filled-​foodie-​festival!

Great event! Great variety! So much food from which to choose. Oysters, gator cakes, Wagyu beef tongue sliders, and I could go on. Even with $ 3 for tasting portions, I still did not have enough room to try everything I wanted.
I have the first Sunday in June marked on my calendar from now on to be sure to attend.

If there is one time of year that I can be found hitting up the bank for dollar bills like I’m about to go make it rain all night in the strip club…
There is little point in enumerating the delicious things I have eaten at Broad Appetite for two main reasons– One, it changes every year, and Two, I can’t remember all of it even if I try. For a wee three dollars, one may have a little dish from many of the best restaurants in the city. For three more, another dish, and so on ad infinitum. The chefs invariably bust out their best for the event– nothing I’ve had was ever less than delicious, and certainly never disappointing, particularly for the price. It is very easy to lose track of one’s budget and one’s stomach here, however, and I advise a certain amount of caution. Set an amount you are willing to spend in advance, and go with friends who are willing to share nibbles. You cannot eat everything, do not try, you will be ill.

Favorite food festival in Richmond, though the middle of the day is so crowded you have to wait in line for 20 minutes at many stations. Best to arrive pretty early.

Review — «Broad Appetit»
Salty, sweet, crispy, meaty, sour, cheesy and icy; it was all available along four booth-​packed blocks of the center of West Broad Street, in downtown Richmond VA, today at «Broad Appetit»
Sampling everything offered from the wide and varied range of cuisine presented was beyond any human’s capability, so I tried what I consider a good mix of plates.
Ordered:
From «Sweet Dreams» — Chicken Empanada & Carne Empanada
These were two of the best savory filled pastries I’ve ever had. The Pollo (Chicken) was succulent, juicy and wrapped in the most delicious, crispy and perfectly seasoned crust. The Carne Empanada was tender, meaty, and juicy to the last corner of savory pie shell.
From «Magpie» — Chili Cheesecake
Surprised to see the word «Cake» instead of «Fries» after the words Chili Cheese, the Chili Cheesecake was a nice balance of sweet and ever so slightly savory, in a dessert that could easily have gone so wrong, but was a sharp turn to oh so right, with smooth texture, and remnants of red pepper heat bursting then fading with the finish of each bite.
From «The Garden Grill & Bar» — New Orleans Crawfish, White Bean & Fennel Salad
This cold salad came together well with tender, fresh crawfish, white beans with just the right «tooth» and a burst of freshness from the fennel and minty balsamic vinaigrette.
From «Pizza Tonight» — Basil Pesto Pizza w/​White Cheddar & Cherry Tomatoes
Along with the «Red Pizza» from «8.5», this pizza will be on my best-​of list. The crust was thin and crispy, but not cracker-​like, with the perfect pliability to fold and eat New-​York style. And the salty pesto and cheddar were complimented by the sweetness of the cherry tomato. Possibly a bit too much olive oil in the pesto when applied to the pizza here, but I like my pizza dripping with oils of deliciousness; heart healthy or not (:
From «Millies» — Chicken Curry
Coconut milk, tender chicken, carrots and potatoes where accompanied by a dollop of bright, cucumber and garlic laden Tzaziki, and tender flavorful white rice. Each component sold the dish alone, but together became one exceptional bite after another with flavors and textures that perfected each other.
From «Tio Pablo» — Taco Nopales (Fresh Cactus salad Taco) & Taco El Pastor (Pork & Pineapple Taco)
One for the meat lover and one for the vegetarian; both were excellent.
The Tomatillo Salsa that blanketed the tacos was exceptional beyond words. A large bowl of this alone would have sufficed. The cilantro, roasted tomatillos, roasted green chilies and green onions in this wonderful salsa accompanied the richly seasoned pork in the El Pastor, and the fresh, earthy flavor of the cactus strips, and the sweetness of fresh tomatoes in the Nopales.
From «The Broadberry» — Thai Beef Skewers & Chilled Summer Gazpacho
I realize it’s difficult to produce a well-​cooked skewer of grilled meat to throngs of hungry patrons literally chomping at the bit for your dishes, but delivering «livery», overcooked, and dry beef on a stick isn’t a good first impression, pressure aside. And continuing with this theme it’s probably not a great idea to offer bland, watery gazpacho with no presence detected of the cucumber and red pepper promised on the menu board. Each dish missed the mark.
From «The Camel» — Fish Tacos & Crab Bisque
For me fish tacos are a bell-​weather, along with fried calamari, for judging a restaurants competency. These two basic dishes are very easy to prepare well, and just as easy to mess up. The Camel’s competency remains intact after delivering a Fish Taco that was well cooked and adorned with the heat, sweet, sour and salty that made this dish a winner. But the grand prize goes to the Crab Bisque which was loaded with buttery crab chunks in a luxurious broth that most restaurants can’t come close to producing. Visions of crusty bread dancing from this bowl to my mouth will be with me for days.
From «Culinard» Culinary School– Grilled Summertime Meatloaf w/​blood Orange Demi-​Glacé, Roasted Hasselback Potatoes, Warm Summer Squash Salad & Lavender Mascarpone Cheesecake
The meatloaf was well seasoned, moist and tender, and enlivened by the Blood Orange Demi adorning the top. The potato was expertly carved, seasoned a cooked, and the squash was evenly julienned, tender, but not mushy, and also seasoned perfectly. The deconstructed Lavender Cheesecake was garnished with a tuile (thin cookie) that was dusted with dried lavender leaves, and was the predominant, but not overpowering flavor in the dish.

This was my first year attending Broad Appetit. I have decided that this is the best tapas bar I have ever been too :) You get to try small plates for $ 3 from so many wonderful restaurants. It is a great way to get people to try new places!

I had so much fun working this event! The food was phenomenal and there were so many people that I met! I love events like this, bringing different cultures together and showing how diverse richmond really is!

Love a street festival that has awesome food, music, beverages and adults who behave themselves! My third year attending and looking forward to next years!

Food and people EVERYWHERE!
This is the second time that I hav ecome to this event, and this time was better (and not as hot) as the first one. The restaurants have done an impressive job of showcasing foods that would entice a passerby to sample their wares. The problem, as reviewed before, is that it’s a short-​lived event and should really be spread out across the weekend. Even under the guise of a «small plate» you can only fit so much food and booze in your stomach before you need to put the fork down. There’s no way to enjoy everything.
Parking wasn’t an issue, but you have to be prepared to walk a few blocks. Richmond isn’t really designed to have people travel in or around it (blame city planners/​engineers), so it’s really a place that you should carpool.

Showcasing all Richmond has to offer, now only if it lasted for longer than a day…
Picture all of the great restaurants in Richmond, along with all of the good restaurants in Richmond, place them in small tents in a 4 four or 5 block stretch on Broad street selling small sampler plates at $ 3 a pop and you’ve got Broad Appetit! Mix in all the bars lining Broad along with two sound stages and you’ve got a pretty awesome time.