L'Opossum occupies a spot on China Street in Oregon Hill, where David Shannon serves as chef and sole proprietor. The cooking is French in its bones — escargot, coq au vin, filet mignon — but the menu reads like a performance, stacking puns and theatrical flourishes onto classic technique.
Signature dishes lean into that showmanship: a Fabergé egg dressed with caviar and dill-cured salmon, Chesapeake Bay oysters rockefeller served under an absinthe mist, jumbo lump crab cakes, and a filet mignon built as a truffled 'Swellington.' Desserts follow suit, including a flambéed chocolate dessert and a rum-soaked bundt cake. A vegan tasting plate shares the menu alongside the richer classics.
Shannon was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef award in 2016, and the restaurant has continued to draw citywide recognition, including a spot on Richmond Magazine's best-of list in 2025.
Signature dishes lean into that showmanship: a Fabergé egg dressed with caviar and dill-cured salmon, Chesapeake Bay oysters rockefeller served under an absinthe mist, jumbo lump crab cakes, and a filet mignon built as a truffled 'Swellington.' Desserts follow suit, including a flambéed chocolate dessert and a rum-soaked bundt cake. A vegan tasting plate shares the menu alongside the richer classics.
Shannon was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef award in 2016, and the restaurant has continued to draw citywide recognition, including a spot on Richmond Magazine's best-of list in 2025.