The self-style progressive media outlet Q town recently visited Cafe Gutenberg and came away raving about the environment, the service, and the food:

For some, it’s easy to find a good bite to eat almost anywhere. However, for those who have chosen a more selective dietary path, a menu that includes great vegetarian and vegan food may be hard to come by. [...] Offering a fresh perspective on American food and vegetarian cuisine sets Café Gutenberg aside as one of the best restaurants in Richmond to meet vegetarians and meat-eaters at the Market.

Banh Mi Sandwich THROWDOWN, Café Gutenberg versus the Boka Truck, set for Monday, July 26th, will be at Café Gutenberg at 17th and East Main Street. Doors open at 6:30PM; food demo, samples, and judging 7-8PM.

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Richmond’s first official Banh Mi Throwdown pits Boka Tako Truck and Cafe Gutenberg in face off for the coveted Golden Non Quai Thao and the title Banh Mi Champion:

Bánh mì or bánh mỳ (English pronunciation: /ˈbʌnmiː/, Vietnamese: [ɓǎːɲ mî]) is a Vietnamese baguette made with both wheat and rice flour, but more popularly known as a type of sandwich traditionally made with this type of baguette.[1] The sandwich is made up of thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon (do chua), cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers, pâté, mayonnaise and various meat fillings or tofu. Popular bánh mì fillings include roasted or grilled pork, Vietnamese sausage, chicken, head cheese and ham.

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Cafe Gutenberg is looking to hire 2 grill cooks that are passionate about food:

Hey Richmond culinarians- it’s getting busier around here and we have 2 positions open in the kitchen- one full time and one part time. Let us know if you’re interested, or send a resume to info@cafegutenberg.com

2 grill cooks that are passionate about food and love to learn. Must be able to handle volume with precision, grace and attention to detail. There are some saute shifts available as well. Same criteria. Character is more important to us than experience.

Cafe Gutenberg is celebrating their one year anniversary this Saturday with local food and the wonderful people who make it. The all day event will feature local farmers and vendors at the restaurant with info about their products and samples. Later in the evening, there will be live music from Gull and DJ Mir. The First Annual Cafe Gutenberg/Twin Oaks Tofu Eating Contest kicks off at 8 pm. [via]

Cafe Gutenberg just announced that they will be open 7 days a week for lunch. [via]

Dana Craig’s Best Restaurants of 2009 gives props to both The Boathouse at Rockett’s Landing and (the new) Cafe Gutenberg as two of “the best new local restaurants of 2009″. Speaking of Gutenberg she says:

This Shockoe Bottom café has a tumultuous history — from Tropical Storm Gaston’s devastation to almost closing last year. But this year saw Cafe Gutenberg reborn. It came back strong to define itself as a bona fide dining destination with a menu that celebrates the bounty of its neighbor, the 17th Street Farmers’ Market. Whether it be a local mushroom panino with scrambled eggs and Cabot Cheddar or grilled brats with ale-braised sauerkraut, it’s hard to find something not to like.

Not everyone is happy with the changes, but Style Weekly gives the new Gutenberg a solid review this week.

Cafe Gutenberg will reopen this week! The grand reopening is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 at 5:00 PM.

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The still-closed Cafe Gutenberg has launched a new website with enough foodie porn photos to get anyone’s anticipation up…

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Cafe Gutenberg has CLOSED, but will open under new ownership in late February. Anyone know anything more?

John G. Haddad put together some nice words about Cafe Gutenberg for Style Weekly:

Modeled after European cafés and named with a nod to the printed word, it is an ideal space to pick up a book and drink a cup of whatever strikes your fancy (Illy coffee served all of the usual ways, teas and a great selection of wine and beer.) But you’d be missing the full experience if you limited yourself to beverages, because Jen Mindell’s and Garrett Berry’s eclectic menu gives reason to visit three times a day. They are an interesting pair — the former vegan and the carnivore — and they’ve designed a menu that meets the needs of people who eat most anything.

[...]

Café Gutenberg has earned its admirers with consistently flavorful food and improved service. It celebrates lingering over a conversation or coffee or a meal. It feels genuine and real, perhaps because it has lived a lifetime in a few short years. Indeed, it’s the little café that could, and hopefully will for years to come.

In what may be the first ever review of the place not disparaging of the service, Ginger Warder visits Cafe Gutenberg for richmond.com and describes the experience as “great American food in a classic European environment”:

While the vibe is totally European brasserie, the cuisine is contemporary American, and I have yet to eat something at Café Gutenberg that I didn’t like. Chefs Jen Mindel and Garrett Berry use local and seasonal ingredients to create soul-satisfying meals from breakfast to dinner, and the prices are incredibly reasonable for the quality of ingredients.

Style Weekly’s restaurant roundup Short Order gives an update on Cafe Gutenberg. With new front-of-house manager Gershom Wynn (Karsen’s, Escabar and Metro) joining executive chef/general manager Jen Mindel and chef Garrett Berry, the restaurant continues to serve up simple fine dining that is “local, seasonable, lively and affordable”.

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