For years, Food Fanatics was a Museum District and Fan staple for takeout dining. When it abruptly closed earlier this year, Richmonders mourned the loss of its go-to restaurant for takeout dining.

Well, at long last, the mourning period is over. Last week, Richmond native Diane Fraser opened Cucina (2901 Park Ave., 804-355-0965) in the former Food Fanatics spot. While the diverse selection of takeout offerings is the same, everything else is brand new.

Fraser, who spent the 1990s running a Mediterranean restaurant in Annapolis, Md., cleaned up the Park Avenue store. The revamped spot sports a turquoise awning and a browseable gourmet market selection inside. Chocolates, packaged foods and freshly baked breads and desserts are all available inside. The best part of the Cucina selection is its takeout, catering and boxed lunch selection.

Fraser brought the flavors of her Annapolis restaurant to Richmond, calling Cucina "a taste of the Mediterranean in the heart of Richmond." The menu selection includes curried cous cous salad, a pizza or calzone of the day, Mediterranean meatloaf with lamb and pork sausage, shrimp Dijon skewers, Spanish chicken with cinnamon and almonds and plenty of paninis and sandwiches, all for less than $10 each. Plenty of side dishes, such as rice pilaf, garlic mashed potatoes, hummus and olives, are available by the pound for takeout as well.

Cucina, which means kitchen in Italian, is open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday (closed on Sunday).

As reported in this week's "Why Richmond, Why?!?" The Black Sheep (901 W. Marshall St., 804-648-1300) officially opened its Carver District doors last week. From lease signing to grand opening it took about four months for owners and partners Kevin Roberts and Amy Hess to get The Black Sheep up and running, but the process was actually much longer.

For more than a decade, the couple worked their way through some of the finest names in Richmond dining. Chef Kevin Roberts got his start at Bamboo Café before moving on to the Frog and the Redneck. He relocated to New Orleans for a few years where he hooked up with Hess and worked with world-renowned chef Frank Brigtsen before heading back to Richmond. Between them, the couple's resume includes Acacia, Lemani, Bacchus, Kuba Kuba and A Sharper Palate, through whom Roberts cooked for Govs. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

Once they found the spot for their new restaurant, they knew it was time to strike out on their own. According to Hess, they picked the name long ago and, once they signed the lease, found out that Carver is also called "Sheep Hill." And now that it's open, their years of collecting flavors and skills from some of the finest restaurants in Richmond is evident in the menu.

"We didn't want to make it the same old same old," Hess said. "Anyone can get that down the street."

The affordable menu (almost everything is less than $10) includes traditional southern classics, like chicken and dumplings and sausage gravy, but it signature dish is quickly becoming its submarine sandwiches, called battleships because they're just that good. The subs come on whole baguettes with names like the USS Cumberland and the USS Virginia under the heading "the War of Northern Ingestion." The Black Sheep is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

In other news, La Petite France (2108 Maywill St., 804-353-8729) recently launched an amuse bouche menu that includes smoked trout, pate and mini beef Wellington, for just $3 each. The menu is available in its lounge from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday during which there will also be a wine tasting of domestic and French wines.

And this week in celebration of Garden Week, Chez Foushee (203 N. Foushee St., 804-648-3225) is offering creative specials of organic vegetables, edible orchid garnishes and luscious desserts.

Finally, just as a reminder, May is right around the corner. And that means that the spring festivals are coming too. The Greek Festival, The Lebanese Food Festival, Arts in the Park and the inaugural Broad Appétit Food and Art Celebration are happening next month. And we'll have your guide to all the upcoming festival next week in Eat Beat. And don't forget that Mother's Day is coming as well. Check out our Mother's Day Guide to find out where to eat, what to buy her and how to spend the day.

LAST TIME OUT: New sushi in the West End, Church Hill gets something new and talk about a second Restaurant Week?