Amy Cabaniss, the original
proprietor of Cabo's Corner Bistro, opened Julep's New Southern
Cuisine in July, 2003. She has beautifully remodeled the oldest
commercial building in the city of Richmond, located in the heart of the
historic river district, originally built circa 1817 as a lumber
house by Charles Whitlock. Over the next half-century it housed a candle and soap
factory, a brewery, a cigar-box maker, a produce market and a locksmith.
Julep's has already been named one of Richmond's “Top
Seven Sensations” by Richmond Magazine. The professional
and friendly staff, elegant atmosphere and charm of this historic
building create a hospitable setting as you savor a fresh mix of
flavor that captures the flare of Atlanta, Charleston, New Orleans
and Savannah.
Looking to dazzle clients or friends? Julep's is available
for large dinner parties, luncheons and receptions. The gorgeous
upstairs dining room can accommodate up to 50 for a sit down dinner
or luncheon, or the entire restaurant is available for receptions
of up to 125 guests. Click here to learn more about hosting your
event with us.
About the Chef
A Richmond native, Eric Cohen, began cooking while studying at Virginia Commonwealth University. After graduating, he pursued his field of study for a number of years before the allure of the kitchen’s dynamic atmosphere called him back. After cooking for a couple of years, Cohen enrolled in the culinary program at J. Sargeant Reynolds, a program which he strongly supports, and still participates in whenever the opportunity arises.
Toward the end of his formal culinary training, Amy Cabaniss approached him with the idea of Julep’s New Southern Cuisine. Julep’s started off strong, and the success and good reviews were encouraging. After a year and a half, though, Cohen decided that his own experience was not what it could be, which led him to dive into deeper waters by moving to New Orleans to work under renowned Chef Susan Spicer at Bayona in the French Quarter. Chef Spicer’s focus on impeccable cooking technique, freshness, extraction of flavors, and loyalty to culinary tradition helped to ground Cohen’s focus and reshape his approach to the craft.
After cooking at Bayona for just shy of one year, Hurricane Katrina ravished New Orleans, at which point Cohen relocated to Austin, Texas. There, he was forced to shift his focus once again when he began as sous chef of one of award-winning Roy Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian fusion restaurants. The use of fresh Hawaiian fish and authentic pan Asian ingredients proved to be a new and exhilarating challenge. In late 2007, Eric wanted to bring these amazing work experiences back home and returned to Julep’s.
His seasonal menus center around quality ingredients that express the restaurant’s “new southern” concept. Dishes are relatively uncomplicated, focusing usually on no more than three main ingredients. Cohen describes his approach: “I want our guests to feel comfortable selecting items from the menu. My goal isn’t to intimidate or exclude anybody with the food, but to make them feel comfortable with items that they recognize, but that we may prepare with a slight twist on tradition. From there, we hope to let proper cooking technique and the quality ingredients speak for themselves
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