Enjoy an evening out in Shockoe and make a little history for yourself.
Bottoms Up Pizza | 1700 Dock St. | 644.4400 | BottomsUpPizza.com
C’est Le Vin | 15 N 17th St. | 649.9463 | CestLeVinRVA.com
Havana 59 | 16 N 17th St. | 780.2822 | Havana59.net
Kobe Japanese Steaks & Sushi | 19 S 13th St. | 643.8080 | KobeSteaksAndSushi.com
Bookbinder’s Seafood & Steakhouse | 2306 E Cary St. | 643.6900 | BookbindersRichmond.com
Haiku | 2222 E Cary St. | 658.0621 | HaikuRVA.com
The Hard Shell | 1411 E. Cary St. | 643.2333 | TheHardShell.com
Mom’s Siam 2 | 1309 E Cary St. | 225.8801 | Siam Duck Curry Pictured
Shockoe Dining
With a variety of award-winning restaurants and well-known chefs, Shockoe is known for its dining as it is for its history. Shockoe is bustling with eclectic restaurants, fresh seafood, legendary brewpubs, and hand made pasta. So prepare your taste buds for a full aray of local and international cuisine.
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08
J. RODDY WALSTON PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN LAANANEN
CONTENTS MAY/JUNE 2014 DEPARTMENTS
16
MIKE ISABELLA
10
Tastebudz with Joey & Steve
13
Raising the Bar: Drinks on the patio
20
Staycations: Play tourist in your hometown
COVER AND CONTENTS PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKE GORDON
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- R ICHMOND FOODIES -
tastebudz tASTEBUDZ With Joey & Steve
Got Restaurant News? Drop Us A Line! STEVE: Shyndigz also supplies the desserts at one of my favorite RiverCityLiveRadio@Gmail.com in-town restaurants, The Pig and the Pearl (2053 West Broad Street/ cooler. Take, for instance, the decision by one of Bravo TV’s Top ThePigAndPearl.com). “Even those who don’t “usually participate in Chefs, Mike Isabella, to create a local version of his trendy D.C. GrafRichmondNavigator.com desserts cannot resist the delectable desserts that Shyndigz has to offer,” fiato Restaurant, right here in downtown Richmond (123 W. Broad
R
ICHMOND’S DINING SCENE just keeps getting hipper and
Street). For more on that, see the story in River City Magazine. And, it looks like things are just going to keep getting better. Mike tells me that since he announced his plans to expand into Richmond, he’s heard from several of the nation’s leading chefs. “They asked me what I liked about the city and why I was moving there,” he says. Things are getting so cool on the local culinary scene that the publishers of this magazine suggested that I team up with someone who is much more hip and cool than myself to help bring you the latest scoops and other tidbits from local eateries. So, welcome to Taste Budz. In recent weeks, Joey Wharton, creative services director, here at the magazine, has been joining me on our weekly River City Flavor radio program (Thursdays at noon on 102.9 FM-WHAN Radio). Our Taste Budz segment airs about 12:30 during the show. And, if you haven’t heard it, please tune in for weekly updates on all the latest restaurant news. Now, I admit, I love to eat, but Joey is a true foodie. He’s more adventurous and knowledgeable than I. So, let me introduce him and let him share some of his most recent dining discoveries. JOEY: I got a chance to stop by the new Boka Taco Bar that just opened in the Fan (304 N. Robinson Street/BokaTruck.com). I’m proud to say that I had the very first taco when they opened. I waited patiently outside the door and I couldn’t have been more excited. I had the Asian Bolgogi Beef, which is a sweet and spicy Kimchi with sesame aioli and herbs. I also tried the Asian tofu just to get my vegetarian fix in. They were absolutely fantastic tacos. On another note, I was driving down Meadow Street recently and I noticed that Shyndigz has opened in the former home of Bogart’s Restaurant (1903 West Cary Street/ Shyndigz.com). They had a spot on Patterson in the West End, but their new place is three times larger than their old location. They moved to meet the demands of their customers. Shyndigz is a dessert café, specializing in pies, cobblers, bread puddings and so much more.
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says Beth Turk, the beverage manager. The last time I was there, we had the Salted Chocolate Caramel Cake, which the menu describes as “five inches of salty sweet heaven.” I’d have to concur. JOEY: One more to tell you about…The folks who run Belle Vie European Bistro in Midlothian are going to be opening a second location in the fan, in what was formerly The Peacock Pantry (1731 West Main Street). They’re calling it the BRUX’L Café. It will feature mussels, fried Belgian burgers and will be opening in mid- to late-May. STEVE: I spoke with Rick Lyons, the owner of Lunch (1213 Summit Avenue/LunchOrSupper.com) a couple of days ago. He’s putting the finishing touches on his second – and larger – location right next door. The new spot will be called Supper. That makes sense, right? Lunch will continue to operate, serving breakfast and lunch. Then, in the evening, he’ll close the smaller spot and open the doors at Supper. I’m constantly impressed by the things Rick and his staff are doing in their tiny, open kitchen that’s tucked right behind the bar. This one, I’ll have to file under Hidden Gems. Have you discovered Pelon’s Baja Grill (2231 Dabney Road/PelonsBajaGrill.com)? It’s a cool, little Mexican/surfer bar café, tucked into an industrial/warehouse complex in the Near West End. The place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of my personal breakfast favorites is the Mexican Scramble. Ask for a taste of their habanero pineapple sauce. The Muscara family opened their first grill in Virginia Beach in 2005, and then moved on to Norfolk. Now, they’ve opened their third location here. Owner, John Muscara, tells me that he primarily moved into the space on Dabney Road in order to bottle and distribute his salsas on a retail level. His Salsa Fresca will be the first to launch. But (good news!), John says that his fantastic habanero pineapple sauce will soon follow. Okay, one more thing: Have you heard? Wegmans is coming to town? If you’re not familiar with the name, you soon will be. If you have any cool restaurant news, Joey and I want to hear from you. Give us a call at (804) 639-9994, or email us at riverctyliveradio@ gmail.com. Also, look for the latest Taste Budz scoops at RichmondNavigator.com.
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“ W h a t ’s f u n a b o u t Richmond right n o w i s i t ’s s o m e where that has its own sense o f p l a c e , t h a t ’s d ev e l o p i n g o u t s i d e the limelight of l a r ge r nationwide attention to i t . Yo u ’r e a b l e t o b e c o m e yo u r o w n t h i n g. “
MAGINE THAT YOU’RE J. Roddy Walston. You’ve
just lit up Letterman and conquered Conan. Your 2013 album, Essential Tremors, is helping your band, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, reach wider audiences and new heights. Then you get to swing through Richmond – the town in which you make your home – and headline a show right in the heart of the 30th Friday Cheers season, which may turn out to be its best ever (The Funky Meters, Neko Case, Lord Huron, local supergroup Avers… the list goes on). These are the things that can happen when you dole out impassioned performances night in and night out, summoning the spirit of early rock and roll with an upright piano and a band that can absolutely bring the thunder. With his must-see May 30th Friday Cheers gig looming large, I talked to the group’s sensational frontman about where he finds his energy, what it’s like to have multiple cities rooting for you, and what’s it’s like to make Twix bars. 1 0 R i ve r C i t y M a g a z i n e
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT WIGNALL
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC RYAN ANDERSON
By Dav y Jones
You live in Richmond, but the band formed in Baltimore and you’re originally from Cleveland, Tennessee. Because of moving, we have that larger community, from Tennessee, Baltimore and Richmond now. That wasn’t the purpose of moving around, but it’s been this strange, great benefit of having three larger family networks. You have all these people cheering for you and taking ownership in it, so if you have a victory like Letterman, you have all these people celebrating, and if you have a setback or something you need help with, they’re scrambling and calling people they know who might be able to help. My wife is an opera singer, and we have this dual set of parents who are supportive of what we do — my parents for her and her parents for me. So we have that. We don’t understand how people even attempt to do it without the support of families.
It feels like the Richmond music scene is really coalescing. Yeah, between guys in The Head and the Heart living there, Matt White and us, and there are other bands, like White Laces, who are going [on the road] with The War on Drugs, and you have The Trillions and Black Girls and Tyler [Williams] has the new band Avers, and Sports Bar — there’s all sorts of great bands. It feels like there’s no one style, and no one is saying “This is our scene, and this is our world, and if you’re not part of that, we don’t care about your music and we don’t care about you.” It’s a very broad range of stuff that everybody’s celebrating. Musically I think that’s a rad scene, but there’s also art happening in Richmond with the whole street mural program, and fine art in general, and the food has gotten pretty amazing.
How do you find the energy to perfor m like you do? Our thing has always been to make music we want to hear — the music we want to play and be around all the time. We’re all music lovers. If I have a bunch of dudes over at my house, and we’re all playing records that I like, I can’t help but start jumping around and moving to it. I’m not saying that we are my favorite band, but every night I’m getting to be a part of music that I actually love. It’s kind of like falling in love every single day.
I read that you worked at a candy factory — what candy did you make? It was a factory that made M&M’s and Twix. That was a good mindless job. I was able to write a lot of songs in my head, because I didn’t have to pay attention or use any of my actual brain functions to do it. It was watching boxes come out of a machine and putting them on a pallet. Or, “Oh man, that Twix looks really messed up. I better pull it off the line and throw it in the garbage can.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For the full Friday Cheers lineup, visit VentureRichmond.com.
Is this your first time playing Friday Cheers?
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PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT WIGNALL
Yes. I’ve obviously been to see it, but this is our first time playing it. Every year I’m mind-blown by how Friday Cheers seems to be ahead of the curve. They booked Alabama Shakes before they cracked, and our friends Shovels & Rope. When they announced Shovels & Rope, it was six months before they all of a sudden skyrocketed. I’m always impressed by the people booking Friday Cheers. It felt good that we got included on that list, because it’s a good omen, like it’s going to be a good year for us.
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RICHMOND FLYING
SQUIRRELS
804-359-FUNN SQUIRRELSBASEBALL.COM
June 3rd 5th Season Baseball Giveaway First 2,000 Fans
May 26th Memorial Day 12:05 PM Game May 10th Faith Night Pre-Game Concert Post-Game Fireworks
MAY
5/1 @ 6:35 PM - Green Eggs & Baseball, Reading Night 5/8 @ 6:35 PM - Bad In Plaid Night, Reading Night 5/9 @ 7:05 PM - Breakin’ BBoy McCoy, Girl Scout Night 5/10 @ 6:05 PM - Faith Night 5/11 @ 1:35 PM - Mother’s Day, Save Second Base T-Shirt Giveaway 5/13 @ 6:35 PM - Bark in the Park 5/14 @ 6:35 PM - RVA Community Night, Wed. Happy Hour 5/15 @ 6:35 PM - Eat the Ballpark, Tribute to Cheese 5/23 @ 7:05 PM - Sundress Season Opener, Lucky Penny Day 5/24 @ 6:05 PM - RVA Jersey Auction 5/25 @ 1:35 PM - 5th Season Kids Bat Giveaway 5/26 @ 12:05 PM - Memorial Day 5/27 @ 6:35 PM - Russian Bar Trio 5/28 @ 6:35 PM - Duck Dynasty’s Mountain Man, Wed. Happy Hour 5/29 @ 6:35 PM - Mustache Night
JUNE
June 24th Mood Cup Giveaway First 2,000 Fans 14 & Under
6/3 @ 6:35 PM - 5th Season Logo Baseball Giveaway 6/4 @ 6:35 PM - Backyard Makeover, Wednesday Happy Hour 6/5 @ 6:35 PM - Virginia Tech Night, Herma’s Readers 6/13 @ 7:05 PM - Friday the 13th, Boy Scout Sleepover Night 6/14 @ 6:05 PM - Swim Cap Giveaway 6/15 @ 1:35 PM - Father’s Day, Blue Visor Giveaway 6/23 @ 6:35 PM - Martial Arts Night, Salute to Karate Kid 6/24 @ 6:35 PM - Martin’s Stadium Mood Cup Giveaway 6/25 @ 12:05 PM - Office Moral Day, Wednesday Happy Hour 6/26 @ 6:35 PM - Tribute to Healthcare Professionals 6/27 @ 7:05 PM - World Cup Logo Soccer Scarf Giveaway 6/28 @ 6:05 PM - Soccer Jersey Auction 6/29 @ 1:35 PM - Kids Club Mini Soccer Ball Giveaway
PURCHASE YOUR MINI-PLANS TODAY BY CALLING 804-359-FUNN!!
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RAISINGTHEBAR
DRINKS ON THE PATIO
Richmond’s skyline sparkles at night from Legend Brew Pub’s patio.
F
or many who enjoy spending a pleasurable evening,
Obviously, the River City offers more than four excellent din-
dining and sipping on a refreshing beverage on the patio,
ing spots at which to enjoy cocktails on the patio, but we’ve
under the stars or while basking in the warmth of the sun,
picked a few of our favorites. These offer diversity – from
May and June are somewhat the Goldilocks months. It’s not
dining in an elegant, secluded setting to lively nightspots that
too cold. It’s not too hot. In fact, it’s just the right time. This
offer the best in late spring/early summer people watching.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEGEND BREWERY
By Steve Cook, photos by Robert Thomas
is, however, not the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but rather, we might call it Goldilocks and the Four Bars. M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 4
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LEGENDBREWING
The Bar
While, we’re listing our four spots in no particular order , I’ll have to say that if it’s a fantastic view you seek, Legend Brew Pub provides a million-dollar one.
The Patio
“We have the best view of Downtown Richmond,” says Allen Valencia, GM at Legend. I really would not argue with him on that. From the iconic skyline to the railroads and interstate to the mighty James, the Legend Brew Pub’s patio view has it all.
The Drink
Of course, as the name suggests, our beverage of choice would be one of Legend’s great brews. Legend is the city’s oldest brewery and if you’re into craft beers, there is no better patio around to enjoy a brew with a view.
321 West 7th Street | LegendsBrewing.com
CASADELBARCO
The Bar
Speaking of beer, a couple of hops across the river brings us to our next patio pick, Casa Del Barco Tequileria & Restaurant. This trendy, new Mexican dining spot, which sits right on the Kanawha Canal, is the latest offering from the folks who know how to do patios right. We’re talking about the owners of the Boathouse Restaurants (one in Brandermill, the other in Rocketts Landing). In fact, as some of you may have deduced, Casa Del Barco is The “Boathouse” in Spanish. “This is a beautiful place,” says Aly Cecere, general manager. That’s somewhat of an understatement.
The Patio
Cecere describes the patio as a “hip, fun place, offering dining at lunch and dinner right alongside the canal.” At night, she says, “the lighting is incredible.”
The Drink
321 South 11th Street | CasaDelBarco.com
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The ingredients in the Picante Margarita include passion fruit puree, blood orange puree, simple syrup and lime juice, with a shot of tequila and triple sec. The glass is rimmed with Chipotle salt.
BOOKBINDER’S
The Bar
While our first two patios provided their own rendition of cool, our third destination offers one of the city’s classiest dining spots. The patio at Old Original Bookbinder’s in the Bottom is the place to be seen, that is on those evenings when it’s open to the public. It’s one of the city’s hottest spots for private parties, so you may want to check first, if you’re hoping to make an impression on the patio.
The Patio
Bookbinder’s general manager, Lynne Cohen, says the patio is the most unique space in the city, and bartender, Tyler Stoneman, agrees. “It’s historical, with old tobacco buildings and a tobacco smokestack right here,” Stoneman says, adding that the magnificent, bricked patio also offers a touch of Europe and is reminiscent of an Italian courtyard.
The Drink 2306 East Cary Street | BookbindersRichmond.com
THEHALLIGANBAR
If you’re sitting in an historic courtyard that offers a “touch of Europe,” how appropriate that you’d be sipping on a Godiva Chocolate Martini.
The Bar
Not all of the River City’s beautiful people gather on the patios in the heart of the city. Every day from mid-afternoon, you’ll find plenty of them flocking to the Far West End and the Halligan Bar and Grill in West Broad Village, which is among that neighborhood’s most popular gathering places. This is Richmond-area firefighter, Shawn Gregory’s second fireman-themed restaurant, featuring an honest-to-goodness fire truck in the middle of the bar.
The Patio
Offering a cozy outdoor lounge area, as well as umbrella tables in the heart of West Broad Village, the Halligan Bar keeps the nights alive in one of the West End’s newest and hottest shopping and dining destinations. As the evenings begin to warm up, the corn hole games come out. “We have tournament with prizes,” says manager Jeff Seese, one of the bar’s managers. Thursday nights feature live music on the patio starting at around 5. All that begins around mid-May, Seese adds.
The Drink
2451 Old Brick Road | TheHalliganBar.com
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The Halligan Bar and Grill has just introduced some cool, new drinks for those hot summer nights, such as the Johnny Flame, featuring Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and Captain Morgan Passion Fruit, as well as orange, cherry and pineapple juices. Oh yeah, don’t forget to toss in the cherry.
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CRAZY GOOD DINING COMES TO RICHMOND Mike Isabella, executive chef of Graffiato in Washington DC, opens up new location in downtown Richmond. By Steve Cook
I
f you’re a River City foodie or just a fan of reality television’s popular cooking competitions, then you may be eagerly counting down the days until the opening of Mike Isabella’s Graffiato Restaurant, located in the former Popkin Tavern space. If you remember Isabella from season six of Bravo’s Top Chef, you might have recognized some of that craziness. And, I mean that in the nicest possible way. Isabella is a colorful character…literally. “I’m tatted,” he says. “I have lots of art on my body.” Isabella has demonstrated his ability to produce a self-proclaimed “crazy, good” dining experience (I borrowed that phrase from the Jersey-born chef’s first cookbook, Mike Isabella’s Crazy Good Italian Cookbook), and the D.C. Graffiato is one of the hottest restaurants in the nation’s capital. Even the name Graffiato pays homage to Isabella’s love of skin art. “The word means scratched,” he says. “It was the original form of graffiti…before the days of spray paint cans.” Of his first appearance on Top Chef, Isabella admits, “I was young. I didn’t perform the way I wanted to.” But, he says, the producer recognized his talent and invited him back for season eight – the All-Star Season. “I went back to win…to be the best,” he says. And, he made it all the way to the final
episode, finishing as runner up to chef Richard Blais. Isabella says of his two seasons on the show, which catapulted him to culinary stardom, “Top Chef didn’t change me, but it changed the way people thought about me as a chef. It was a fun time.” He also says the grueling competitions which continued week after week, challenged him more than anything had ever challenged him in his life and also made him a stronger business person. The restaurant business is indeed a business. Besides creating magic in the kitchen, Isabella successfully operates Graffiato, as well as two other D.C. eateries, a Greek restaurant called Kapnos and a 20-seat classic Italian sandwich shop that’s simply named G. Of his expansion into our city, he says, “I thought Richmond would be a perfect place. There are a lot of great restaurants and I want to be a part of that.” The local Graffiato, which is slated to open in late spring or early summer, will be located on West Broad Street in the space formerly occupied by Popkin’s Tavern. “About 50 percent of the menu will be identical to what we’re doing (in D.C.),” Isabella says. And you can be assured that here you’ll enjoy what he describes as “classic Italian flavors, with a twist, prepared Jersey style.” (Clockwise from left) Hand-cut Spaghetti features olive oil, poached cherry tomatoes and thai basil. One thing that Isabella is bringing with him is the open-kitchen feel. “Guests want to be part of the entire experience”, says Isabella, “All of my restaurants have open kitchens.” The cauliflower agnolotti is prepared with almonds, brown butter and caperberries.
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“I thought Richmond would be a perfect place. There are a lot of great restaurants and I want to be a part of that.”
FOOD PHOTOS BY TIM HILL. OTHERS COURTESY OF GREG POWERS
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M
ost things won’t change, but there will be some differences. “I want to see what the people in Richmond enjoy, so I’ve been going to a lot of the restaurants,” he explains. “Graffiato is not simply going to be a restaurant with my name on it,’’ Isabella promises. “I’m going to be down here a lot.” And while he will be bringing one of his chefs to the area for starters, he’s looking for Richmonders to become a vital part of his team. “This is Richmond, I want that feel. I want that vibe. I want that love. I want to keep everything as local as possible.” One thing that Isabella is bringing with him is the open-kitchen feel. “Guests want to be part of the experience. All of my restaurants have open kitchens,” he says. “In Richmond, half of the kitchen will be out in the dining area. It’ll be hard to get a seat at the chef counter.” Chances are it’s going to be hard to get a seat anywhere in the restaurant. “Graffiato will have an industrial feel’’ Isabella predicts. “It will have great rock ‘n’ roll. It will be crowded. It will be loud.” And, you can bet, with Mike Isabella at the helm, it will be fun. “Everything (about operating a restaurant) is business,” he says. “But you want to have fun.” Some of his earliest kitchen memories were of the fun he had helping his grandmother make meatballs at the age of 6. He recalls family gatherings where all the other children were out playing, and all he wanted to do was be in the kitchen. As he approached his teen years, when asked by relatives and friends what he wanted to do when he grew up, Isabella recalls, “I didn’t know anything then about celebrity chefs, but I told them I wanted to cook.” He admits the business can be stressful. “You’re working long hours. You’re working holidays. You’re working weekends,’’ he says. “Sometimes there’ll be five on the line in the kitchen. There’ll be sweating, yelling and screaming. It’s an intense lifestyle. You have to love what you do.” So, get ready Richmond. Mike Isabella is about to share some of that love with us, and that sounds like a crazy good idea to me. (Pictured above) One of the new dishes Isabella will be bringing to his Richmond restaurant is the Frutti di Mar which features octopus, shrimp, scallops, Pepperdew peppers, celery and artichoke. (Pictured left) Mike Isabella demonstrates the passion and joy he brings to the table.
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ISABELLA’S COOKBOOK BROCCOLINI WITH ROASTED PEPPER RELISH & FETA (pictured above) SERVES 4 PREP TIME 15-20 MINUTES
Ingredients 4 quarts water 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt 2 bunches broccolini 1 cup roasted pepper relish (recipe to follow) ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions 1. In a large pot; bring the water and 2 tablespoons of the kosher salt to a boil. On the side, set up a bowl with water and ice. 2. Trim off 1 inch of the broccolini stem and discard. Then add to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove and shock in the ice water until chilled. Remove from the ice water and pat dry with a paper towel. 3. Arrange the blanched broccolini on a serving dish, top with the roasted pepper relish and crumbled feta. Serve at room temperature.
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ROASTED PEPPER RELISH MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 CUP PREP TIME 35-40 MINUTES | INACTIVE PREP TIME 20 MINUTES
Ingredients 2 red peppers; lightly oiled with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt ½ cup chopped walnuts 3 pickled pepperdews; finely chopped 1 pickled red cherry pepper; stem and seeds removed, finely chopped ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Directions 1. Preheat the oven broiler on high. 2. Arrange the red peppers on a baking sheet and place under your broiler. 3. Broil for 5-6 minutes on all sides. This will take approximately 2025 minutes. The skins will become charred and the flesh soft. 4. Meanwhile; toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for approximately 7-8 minutes; toss often. The walnuts will become fragrant and toasted. Remove from the heat and finely chop. 5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Place the red peppers in a glass bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool. r i c h m o n d n av i g a t o r. c o m 1 9
ENTERTAINMENT
Staycations Play Touri st in Your Hometow n By Jack Trammel
T
HE AVERAGE AMERICAN travels as far as 312 miles just to visit relatives on Thanksgiving; many travel much further on annual family vacations. The latest trend, however, is the “staycation” – a stay-at-home version of adventure and good food that offers just as much fun, but saves on gas, money and travel time. And Richmond residents are luckier than most, with a diverse food scene, thriving arts community and a mother lode of historic attractions to make playing at home a real winner. My wife, Audrie, and I recently experienced our first true “staycation”. Any quality getaway obviously begins with good food and Real Richmond Food Tours is a fun and affordable way to experience a series of restaurants and eateries by neighborhood – sampling the best of several places over the course of several hours, while walking through areas filled with historic homes, buildings and attractions. On the VCU tour, we recently sampled My Noodle & Bar, Big’s BBQ, Ipanema, Harvest Grocery & Supply, Balliceaux and Sally Bell’s Cupcakes. At Big’s, we did something rare in central Virginia: we sampled both Virginia and Carolina style barbecue, and they were equally delicious.
The luxurious Jefferson Hotel pictured above at night and its heated swimming pool, pictured right. Photos courtesy of The Jefferson Hotel.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JACK TRAMMEL
Tour guide Leah Nelson (pictured above) says that close to home is as good or better as any distant venue: “I always learn something new about Richmond on every tour I go on. I started out as a tour-goer before leading tours myself, and my favorite part was learning things I never knew about a city I thought I knew well.” Richmond also has many fine hotels and historic bed and breakfasts that make an ideal getaway for couples or families. The Jefferson Hotel, opened in 1895, has seen visitors of all types, ranging from presidents to rock stars. But they also love to see local residents coming in to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, or to take a break for a day or two. There are still alligators in the fountains there and you’ll have to visit to find out why! For those who love a B & B feel, the historic Linden Row Inn offers period charm combined with modern amenities and a complimentary breakfast,
while those wanting to utilize reward points can choose from the Doubletree, Crowne Plaza, Omni, Hilton Garden Inn and Marriott, all with convenient downtown locations. During our recent stay at the Jefferson we ate at Lemaire restaurant, and then enjoyed the complimentary car service to Carytown, where we cashed in with the Beer Club (patrons earn rewards and it tracks your craft beer favorites electronically) at the Mellow Mushroom. Richmond has become a microbrew mecca, hearkening back to the days before Prohibition, and as a home brewer, I looked forward to educating myself about Richmond beer. Whether taking a brewery tour or visiting as an individual, I always try to speak to one of the brew masters; often I can get insider tips for my own brewing. Legend Brewing Company is one of my favorites, and if you want one-on-one instruction, Richmond Home Brew Supply will schedule individual classes with patrons who bring in their own kits. Back at the Jefferson, we also enjoyed the indoor heated pool, even as Richmond experienced yet another late winter cold snap. Richmond has dozens of amazing things to do that cost absolutely nothing, some of which may surprise locals who have been there, done that: a picnic on Belle Isle on a sunny day; a visit to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; free historic reenactments at various locations, including Patrick Henry’s rousing speech on Sundays at St. John’s Church; watching the playful sea otters at the Maymont Park aquarium; or learning about Richmond’s role in the Civil War on the Ranger tours at Tredegar. So take a fresh look at your own hometown and make a few discoveries of your own this summer!
If You Go: RealRichmondVA.com JeffersonHotel.com VisitRichmondVA.com RVAbrewerytours.com RichmondHomebrew.com M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 4
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