Heritage

Heritage Restaurant Review:

The cook, his wife, and her brother: what sounds like an abridged version of a 20th-century art house film is the backbone of this gem embodying the quintessentially cool Richmond restaurant vibe. Chef Joe Sparatta employs the bounty of local producers such as Meadow Creek Dairy and Victory Farms (names shared on his menu) for small (shrimp crackers), medium (beet salad with Asian pear, watercress, pickled mustard seed and Foggy Ridge Cider vinaigrette) and large (local flounder with coconut curry broth, oyster mushroom, shishito pepper, Thai basil and bok choy) plates that showcase Virginia with a sporadic Asian tweak. Sparatta’s wife, Emilia, manages the handsome dining room (exposed brick walls, rich woods and book-filled shelves lending an intellectual air) and her brother, Mattias Hägglund, commands the bar with seasonal, creative classics on a list progressing in booziness. Order Sage Advice, and watch as the bartender burns a sage leaf to complement its mezcal’s smokiness. The experienced, dedicated trio and their team, who feel like family, are proud of their Heritage, and right down to the “peanut butter & jelly” (peanut butter cake, sorbet, Virginia peanuts and more), you’ll want to be a part of it, too.