Signature Wine Dinner at Pinky’s with Chef Steve DeRaffele Celebrating the Beautiful Wines and Cuisine of Spain and Portugal

Savor a Beautiful Spanish- and Portuguese-Inspired Mediterranean Wine Dinner Led by Chef DeRaffele 

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.

This special dinner experience will primarily lean in to the cuisine and wines of Spain and Portugal, which are the 2026 Virginia Wine Expo's international ‘Regions of Emphasis’.

The menu will be balanced between seafood, red meat and fresh, seasonal dishes.

Please join Chef DeRaffele and his team for a truly one-of-a-kind dinner experience complete with a curated selection of wines from two of the world's most revered European wine regions.

With Your Ticket, You Will:

• Arrive to enjoy a lovely sparkling upon your arrival
• Enjoy a sumptuous multi-course wine dinner paired with incredible Spanish and Portuguese wines 

Additional Information:

• Street parking is available close to the restaurant
• You may arrive at 6pm

The Extraordinary Menu & Wine Pairings from 2025 (2026 Menu & Wine Pairings Coming Soon):

Cocktail Hour-
Amuse Bouche- Grilled Halloumi with hazelnut dukka, pomegranate agrodolce paired with Barboursville Cuvée

First course-
Seared Scallop with smoked trout taramosalata, pickled ramp, black mustard seeds, radish paired with Barboursville Vermentino

Second Course-
Roasted Red and Gold Beets with tirokafteri, Calabrian chile, pickled shallots, toasted pistachios, citrus honey paired with Barboursville Viognier

Third Course-
Grilled Maitake mushroom and Crispy Pork Belly with skordalia, leek and pickled fresno chile salad, mustard sherry demi glacé paired with Barboursville Barberre

Fourth Course-
Toasted Walnut and Roasted Red pepper salad with muhamarra, grilled radicchio, cumin-citrus vinaigrette, frisee, pomegranate seeds, cara cara orange paired with Barboursville Allegrante Rosé

Fifth Course-
Grilled Ras El Hanout Lamb Chops with herbed labneh, toasted sumac, harissa rubbed romanesco broccoli, saffron yellow split pea purée paired with Barboursvill Nebiola

Dessert Course-
"Barboursville Classic"
Gorgonzola Piccante, citrus supremes, lemon cookie paired with Barboursville Paxxito
 

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.