ML Steak now open in Chesterfield, Kali Love next

The talk of the town?

“No meals tax in Chesterfield!” the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce crowed.

ML Steak is the Lindseys’ first venture into Chesterfield County and their 12th restaurant in a growing empire.

“Our guests have been asking, ‘When are you coming to Chesterfield?’ for a long time. And now we can say, ‘We’re here,’” Kim Lindsey said.

ML Steak Chesterfield took over the former Casa Del Barco spot at the Chesterfield mall. The upscale steakhouse features steaks and filet flights with different toppings such as lump crab or herb butter, as well as seafood, salads, small plates and a fried smoked chicken with house hot sauce, mac n’ cheese and collard greens.

ML Steak is named after Mike’s mother, Mildred Lindsey. “People think it’s named after him, but it’s after Mildred,” Kim Lindsey said.

“Her favorite thing is to go out and have a steak,” Mike Lindsey said.

For lunch, visitors will find fried chicken sandwiches from sister restaurant Buttermilk + Honey such as the OG, the Smashville and the Dirty Bird.

“We wanted to bring some of Buttermilk + Honey to the people of Chesterfield,” Mike Lindsey said.

The lunch menu also includes burgers, a crab cake sandwich and higher-end salads topped with steak or seafood. ML Steak will also serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

“We’ll have this corner (of the mall) all Lindsey Food Group,” Mike Lindsey said.

Kali Love, the couple’s newest concept, is planned next, in the former Island Shrimp Co. spot, with a planned opening in May.

Kali Love will offer California cuisine with a mix of Mediterranean, Italian, Asian and Mexican dishes, such as pizzas, tacos and creative forms of sushi served in stacks.

Farm + Oak, the couple’s progressive Southern table concept, will also open at Chesterfield Towne Center, but not until August or September, on the other side of the mall in the former Grimaldi’s pizza spot.

The Chesterfield location of ML Steak offers a warm, inviting interior with lots of natural wood beams, yellow tones and skylights. The restaurant is three levels including a rooftop deck with a full bar.

Lunch prices run around $13 to $22 for the “Beast Burger,” a blend of Wagyu beef, elk, wild boar and bison. Dinner entrees run $25 to $55 for the filet medallion flight.

“This is a great opportunity for Chesterfield,” said Jessica Schneider, Clover Hill District supervisor, at last week’s ribbon cutting. She said she was interested in “bringing more restaurants to Chesterfield, especially independently-owned restaurants that bring diversity.”

Schneider, as well as several others from the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce, said the opening of ML Steak was a “great opportunity for Chesterfield (residents) to not have to go into the city and pay the additional meals tax.”

There is no meals tax in Chesterfield, while Richmond has the highest meals tax at 7.5% and Henrico County charges a smaller 4% tax.

The city of Richmond has also come under fire recently for mismanaged bills and sending exorbitant fees to restaurants affiliated with the meals tax. Some diners say they avoid Richmond restaurants to avoid paying higher prices.

Chesterfield is looking to highlight its dining scene through April 7 with the first Chesterfield Restaurant Week, hosted by the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce and featuring 39 participants. Restaurants such as La Milpa, Midlothian Chef’s Kitchen, The Boathouse at Sunday Park and many others will offer food and drink specials as part of the event.

“Chesterfield has been on our radar for a long time,” Kim Lindsey said.

“Our goal is to be a part of Chesterfield. We want to be a part of this community,” Mike Lindsey said.

ML Steak is the 12th restaurant for the Lindsey Food Group, making it the largest independently owned restaurant group in the Richmond area, as well the largest Black-owned restaurant group.

And they’ve done it all in about three years.

The couple had worked in restaurants for years — Mike as a chef in the kitchen, Kim in front of the house operations — before opening their first restaurant, Lillie Pearl, in the middle of the pandemic in 2020.

Since then, the couple have opened restaurants at a warp speed, while many others have closed. Last year, the Richmond Times-Dispatch tracked 24 restaurants that closed in the Richmond area. During the pandemic, the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association estimated that 20% of Virginia restaurants closed.

The Lindseys’ secret to success is to take second-generation spaces — such as Casa Del Barco and Island Shrimp Co. — and make the rent work. They keep the renovations light and pay their staff well, so that they never have a staffing issue.

All restaurants in the Lindsey Food Group charge an automatic service fee of 20%, which many other restaurants have come under fire for, such as The Boathouse, which recently removed that policy.

“The difference is our service. Our hospitality,” Mike Lindsey said. “We know the hospitality has to match (the service fee). The food has to be perfect, the service has to be perfect. We’re a full-service restaurant.”

This month, the Lindseys also opened The Foundation, a nightlife lounge in the Sandman Comedy Club at 401 E. Grace St. in downtown Richmond. The Foundation followed the Lindseys’ formula: Utilize a second-generation space, keep expenses low, and put every effort into the opening, like it was the Lindseys’ first.

As for ML Steak in Chesterfield, Mike Lindsey said, “This is the most successful launch we’ve ever had. We had to turn off reservations on Saturday, we had so many people coming through here.”