The long-anticipated sale of Café Gutenberg is in
the works, and the new owners will be chefs Jen Mindell and
Garrett Berry. Supported by a great service staff led by frontman
Nik Ashburn and a talented group of young chefs, Gutenberg
emerges victorious after a year of uncertainty regarding the
restaurant’s fate.
Café Gutenberg, opened in 2003 as a literary café,
has evolved over the years and brought chefs Jen and Garrett
on board in 2006 to transform the experience into a decidedly
culinary venture. The duo’s classical french background
and emphasis on cooking with the seasons brought Café Gutenberg
to a new level, earning them attention from local foodies,
bloggers and critics, as well as their first spot in Style
Weekly’s State of the Plate and a visit from Food and
Wine Magazine. Citing seasonality, balance and restraint as
key components in their cuisine, they have pleased both the
vegans and the carnivores in Richmond’s competetive food
scene, bringing home a vegetarian award at the Shockoe Chef
Showdown and a People’s Choice award for their house-
made Duck Sausage at the first annual Best of the Wurst.
With the change in ownership, the chefs plan to breathe new life into
the restaurant with a mission that is simple:
“New American Cuisine is food that takes inspiration
from the classics while celebrating the ingredients and styles
of the here and now. It’s about honoring timeless techniques
with a sense of relevance to our own community”
Gutenberg’s beverage mission will continue to offer an awesome
selection of beers, including hand crafted domestic micro brews, international
selections and affordable favorites. We will continue to highlight global
wine selections with a focus on products that are organic and sustainable.
The new menu and the interior will get a long- overdue makeover, offering
Richmonders what can sometimes seem so hard to find: warm
familiarity and attention to detail, inspired food and drink at an affordable
price, and the chance to feel pampered in your favorite jeans and t-shirt.
With brunch all day for carnivores and vegans, unique beer and wine and
the smile of familiar faces, you’ll want to be a part of the evolution.
The new Gutenberg hopes to remind you that you don’t have to go to
a chain to feel comfortable, and you don’t have to pay a high price
for food that is crafted with care.