There’s a restaurant promotion in Richmond this week called RVA Nacho Taco Week 2013 and Oregon Hill’s Mojo’s is taking parting in it. From the FaceBook event page:

Mojo’s featured taco will be your choice of two out of three tacos for 5 bucks. Choose from roasted turkey taco, pulled pork taco or Philly taco.

Richmond Magazine has announced nominees for its Elby awards, which honor excellence in the region’s restaurant community.

Dinamo, on W.Cary, is a the top of the list of nominees for Best New Restaurant (opened between November 1, 2012 and October 31, 2013).

And Oregon Hill’s own Ed Vasio, of Mamma Zu’s, Edo’s Squid, and Dinamo has been nominated for Restaurateur of The Year.

Good luck to our nominees, the award ceremony will be at the Virginia Museum of FIne Arts on January 26.

From Mojo’s FaceBook page:

Halloween trivia starts around 9. Staff pumpkin carving contest judging. A portion of the draft sales will benefit Books on Wheels. Lots to do. See ya Wednesday!

I hope folks had a chance to see Ed’s recent feedback in regard to how events can have a negative effect on his restaurant, Mamma Zu’s, and the neighborhood in general. As I told Ed, I did take pictures of problems during the Folk Festival and shared them with authorities. Still no word back from Venture Richmond…even in response to compromise.

Up on Cary Street, 821 Cafe is rumored to be considering outdoor dining! Stay tuned for news on that.

Mojo’s is bringing back its Trivia Night tonight! From the FaceBook event page:

Trivia is back and it’s on a Wednesday. October 23rd at 8pm. All questions will be Halloween themed. Free to play! Prizes each round! Great food specials too.

Dinamo restaurant was recently reviewed in Richmond Magazine:

You’ll find a full range of flavors here, whenever you drop in: Spicy Italian sausage, polenta and eggs to-order make for a memorable start to the day, one that will stick with you. Sandwiches like the leg of lamb, and the prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella make for a serious lunch. At dinner, the shrimp cappelletti, delicate sheets of pasta that enfold tender shrimp swimming in sun-dried tomato sauce, is subtle in texture and deep in flavor. The anchovies and flash-fried green-pepper crostini presents a funky umami. The clarity of the broth in the tortellini en brodo lets the subtle flavor of the traditional beef, pork and veal filling come through. Mussels and clams bathed in garlic and parsley spark notes all around your palate, and as small plates stack up around you, remember that after dinner you will want to linger over a rich espresso and homemade desserts, so pace yourself.

And there are items here you won’t find elsewhere: matzo ball soup, borscht, corned beef with sauerkraut, whitefish salad. The comfort foods of Anitai’s childhood round out the menu nicely, adding depth and authenticity to the atmosphere of Dinamo as coffee shop, in addition to a dining destination.

Richmond.com reviewed Dinamo on W.Cary.

Dinamo, the latest spot in Vasaio’s repertoire, is another refreshing departure from what everyone else is doing.
Forget a monstrous list of craft beers — it’s Legend Lager or an Italian import here. But, fans of spirits such as Campari and Fernet are in luck for an aperitif with dinner.
The menu eschews the trendy Southern inspired flavors for the garlic and olive oil-laden flavors of the Mediterranean.
While Dinamo may share its sister restaurants’ Italian flair and commitment to bucking trends, its hospitality and comfortable atmosphere set it apart from the more hard-edged Vasaio ventures.