Signature Wine Dinner at Pinky’s with Chef Steve DeRaffele & Barboursville Vineyards

Savor a Modern Mediterranean Dinner Paired with Wine from Barboursville Vineyards, Virginia's Flagship Winery

Innovation is at the heart of Pinky's modern mediterranean menu, which features an eclectic selection of delectable tapas and larger dishes featuring ingredients primarily sourced from local farms and producers.  The dishes are, thematically, traditional but have a decidedly unique sensibility combining ingredients from several different regions of the Mediterranean into one luscious dish.

Please join Chef DeRaffele and the irrepressible Jason Tesauro of Barboursville Vineyards for a truly one-of-a-kind dinner experience.

With Your Ticket, You Will:

• Enjoy a sumptuous multi-course wine dinner paired with Barboursville Vineyards wines
• Savor the charm, dynamism and knowledge of Jason Tesauro who will discuss the wine and food pairing as each course is served

About Chef Steve DeRaffele

For years, owner Steve DeRaffele was dreaming up what would become Pinky’s restaurant. Location ideas would change, timing shifted, menu ideas evolved - but the one constant: it would be a space to gather over a good meal and celebrate with loved ones, and it would be a way to honor his late mother.

Karen “Pinky” DeRaffele had a few special dishes Steve remembers well from growing up, among them, her meatballs were a stand out. You’ll find those along with a nod to the coastal mediterranean across the menu. New York born and raised, Steve’s DeRaffele family roots come from Southern Italy (the Calabria region), bringing inspiration and ingredients to some of his favorite plates. Without feeling tied to one style or locale of cuisine, you’ll find influences that span the region with flavors and spices that compliment dish to dish.

With a background in restaurants and construction, Steve got his start working for the family company, DeRaffele Manufacturing. Building classic diners across the New York area, Steve got a hands on approach to what it takes to build a restaurant and brought the family in for the entire buildout of Pinky’s. DeRaffele Manufacturing even built the centerpiece of the Pinky’s bar in their NY shop and delivered it to Richmond for installation. The pink accents, black galaxy marble and glass detail are a nod to their classic NY diner nostalgia. 

After landing in Richmond over 10 years ago, Steve ended up on the other side of the kitchen, cooking on the line at Tarrant’s Cafe downtown where he shortly went on to become kitchen manager and eventually general manager. From there he continued his experience in cooking, kitchen management, and operations at Lunch and Supper here in Scott’s Addition and helped open Brunch with his first cover to cover menu that quickly won best new restaurant. 

The global pandemic took Steve from the day to day operations of running a busy restaurant, to taking the time to put the dream of Pinky’s back on paper and plotting out the next steps. Early 2021 the construction began and the dream started to become a reality. The Scott’s Addition location began to come to life and take shape as Pinky’s.

Pinky’s opened in July 2021 with lunch and dinner service Wednesday - Friday, with brunch available Saturday and Sunday.

About Sommelier Jason Tesauro 

By day, Jason is a writer/photojournalist with three books, four cameras, and five children. He’s spent the last twenty years traveling the globe to discover delicious things, report remarkable events, and capture beautiful scenes. He coauthored The Modern Gentleman book series and earned Best Food Writing 2016 en route to covering the lux lifestyle beat for The New York Times, Esquire, Bloomberg, Decanter, Washington Post, Travel+Leisure, and others.

By night, Tesauro is an internationally-accomplished sommelier and master of ceremonies who’s hosted bespoke affairs at Coachella and Kentucky Derby and from London to Hong Kong for luxury clients including Leica, Waldorf-Astoria, Aston Martin, and Sean Parker. Here in Virginia, he's served as National Brand Director for Barboursville Vineyards since falling in love with a 1998 Sangiovese Reserve. He lives in the Church Hill neighborhood where he’s constantly tinkering with fresh pasta techniques and restocking the Crisp Whites section of his cellar.