2nd Broad Appétit food festival draws 18,000 downtown

SLIDESHOW: Kabobs on the grill at Broad Appetit

David Gracer readily admits he was a finicky eater growing up. While avoiding foods such as pizza and tomatoes, he did eat the unusual combination of butter and jelly sandwiches.

In the past 10 years, the English-composition and public-speaking teacher from Providence, R.I., has experienced a change in his palate -- and he has added insects to the ever-growing list of foods he now eats.

One of the rare bug chefs in America, Gracer demonstrated his insect-cooking prowess yesterday during the second Broad Appétit food festival in downtown Richmond.

Curious onlookers gathered around the stage at Broad and Madison streets, some with looks of disgust as Gracer prepared deep-fried crickets and dry-toasted waxworms. Still, many embraced the opportunity to try the cooked insects, reaching through the mass of bodies crowding around the tent for their own taste.

"Certainly they overcome the fear. That doesn't necessarily mean they become fans," said Gracer, who formed Small Stock Food Strategies in January to highlight his desire to create a steady supply of foods derived from farmed insects.

The crickets, which still had the legs and antennae attached, were deep-fried and seasoned with salt, pepper and a few drops of fresh lemon juice. They went down easily with a slight crunch, while the waxworms had a slight peanut taste. One person said the waxworms tasted like sunflower seeds.

Richmonder Michael Skvortsov was one of those trying bugs for the first time. He said although the waxworms and crickets tasted good, it doesn't mean he's going to eat insects on a regular basis.

"You have to go out of your way to become an insect eater," he said. "You don't really go out and buy it at your local market. Next I come by it, I'll definitely partake."

His wife, Anna, was quick to chime in: "I'm not cooking it for him. Won't happen."

Gracer wasn't the only bug chef wowing, or disgusting, a gathered crowd yesterday afternoon. David George Gordon, a trained biologist, demonstrated his own insect-cooking skills. Gordon, a resident of Seattle, used tarantulas as part of his demonstration. Gordon is an accomplished author, and his best-known title is "The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook," explaining ways to cook such insects as grasshoppers, spiders, water bugs and ants.

Foods ran the gamut at the festival, where an estimated 18,000 people strolled along a three-block stretch of Broad and picked out $3 samples of signature dishes from 60 area restaurants. Proceeds from Broad Appétit, hosted by the Downtown Neighborhood Association, benefit the Central Virginia Foodbank and Meals on Wheels.

The afternoon festival allowed people "to sample restaurants . . . many have wanted to try," said Tracey Leverty, president of Echelon Event Management, which organized the festival. "So many of the chefs came up to us and said they are looking forward to next year."

Items ranged from common foods like pork barbecue and crab cakes to more unusual fare, such as kangaroo, rabbit, wild boar and lamb burgers.

The J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College School of Culinary Arts, Tourism and Hospitality sold wild boar, kangaroo, ostrich and red stag venison throughout the afternoon.

Student Glen Davis said it's not unusual for different types of game to be brought in for the students.

A few booths down, Don and Kim Edmonds of Lancaster County shared information about the bison meat they sell.

Greensboro, N.C., residents Rachelle Redmond Barnes and Zachary D. Barnes enjoyed a taste of some of the seafood available. The Barneses, who were married Saturday at St. James Baptist Church in Varina, sampled the Mediterranean short stack from Café Rustica and the shrimp and grits from Mosaic Café and Catering.

"Seafoodwise, it's good. They're using good, quality meat; they're not using imitation," Zachary Barnes said.

Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or .