Ed 138: Black Lodge, The Broad St. Bully, COVID Cooking
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Image Source: @thejonyee
Hey there! Alicia here 👋
I almost wrote, “What a year!” before realizing it’s only the second week of January. Woof.
I feel lucky to be in a position where I get to share so many of the positive things happening around Richmond with you in each edition of the Weekly Insider.
But the past week has been a rough one, and I’m not here to pretend otherwise.
I hope that y’all are staying safe and healthy while finding ways to support our community during these tough times. And I hope you’re making time to take care of yourself, too.
And hey: They say the best way to make yourself feel better is to make someone else feel better. Take a peek at our latest city guide, Actionable Ways to Make an Impact in Richmond This Year, for opportunities to donate, volunteer, or otherwise give back to our community during this time of crisis.
You might be shocked how much better doing so makes you feel, too.
For now, let’s talk about some fun virtual events happening this week, the highly anticipated new restaurants that are finally open for take-out and delivery, which Richmond bucket list site is offering free admission this week, and more. Shall we?
THE LATEST:
Image: @blacklodgerva
Image: @quirkhotelrva
Image: @elyafood
Image: @lewisginter
SOCIAL NEWS
Scott’s Addition just welcomed a new all-day cafe. Brought to you by the same folks behind Brenner Pass, Black Lodge is now open at 3200 Rockbridge St (next to Brenner Pass and Jackson & James) Tuesday through Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm, offering “damn fine coffee, cocktails, and natural wines, along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” according to their website.
This is excellent timing, seeing as Brenner Pass itself is currently “in hibernation” with plans to return in the spring!
I definitely recommend swinging by Black Lodge to try a Cereal Milk Latte (literally a latte made with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk), the Fried Chicken Sammy (fried chicken thigh, tahini yogurt, harissa, feta, and pickled peppers on Texas toast), and pretty much everything else on the menu.
Here for the beer (collabs). Head brewer Rob Quicke at Tabol Brewing in Northside collaborated with the folks at Quirk Hotel to brew the just-released Quirk Pilsner in celebration of The Lobby Bar's opening on the first floor of the Arts District hotel. Inside the gorgeously designed can boasting Quirk’s signature pink Q, you’ll find a crisp, refreshing, easy-drinking Pilsner that will be pleasing to just about any craft beer drinker’s palate. I’ll be curious to see what other brewery-and-biz collabs are in Richmond’s future!
Like Hello Fresh, but cooler. And tastier. And supporting a local black-owned business. Join the culinary creators at Soul Taco for COVID Cooking on Instagram Live this Thursday, January 14 at 7 pm to learn how to cook the ultimate upscale comfort food: duck confit and parsnip pot pie with a side of Tajín-spiced green beans.
Just visit their website to pre-order the COVID Cooking Kit for $25 (feeds 3-4 people), pick up your kit from Soul Taco’s Shockoe Bottom location this Thursday between 12 - 5 pm, cook along with them via Instagram Live at 7 pm, and boom! You’re ready to enjoy a restaurant-style meal in the comfort of your own home.
Cooking not your thing? Opt for this grab-and-go pop-up instead. In case you missed it, Eat Like Your Ancestors (aka ELYA) is Richmond’s new natural food service company on a mission to revolutionize the food system by making nutrient-dense, sustainable food more accessible to everyone. Using their SmartFridge technology (#ElyaFridge) they’re able to provide residential, commercial, and healthcare facilities with nourishing food at every hour of the day.
And this Saturday, January 16 from 11 am - 2 pm, you can try out ELYA for yourself at their grab-and-go pop-up at The Overlook at City View in Southside. Just order your food online in advance, then swing by for contactless pick-up.
I’ve got my eye on the Red Eye Oats (rolled oats soaked in Blanchard's Handshake Blend, topped with peanut butter and cocoa nibs) and I bet you my husband will want The Broad St. Bully (braised pork shoulder from Autumn Olives Farm, balsamic sweet potato salad, barbecued veggies, and creamy chipotle coleslaw).
Did someone say free admission? Yep, the Lewis Ginter Botancial Garden is offering free admission to all garden visitors (not just members) January 13 - 17 during all operating hours, i.e. from opening at 10 a.m. through closing time at 5 p.m. While the weather outside might be a bit chilly, there are still plenty of beautiful winter plants and flowers in bloom to marvel over as you meander through the grounds. Plus, you can always wander through the warm and cozy indoor Conservatory to check out the orchids, cacti, tropical flowers, and more.
Gallery gone virtual. Crossroads Art Center’s highly anticipated January 2021 Virtual Art Opening will take place this Friday, January 15 from 6 - 9 pm, entirely online. They will be debuting an exhibition of over 70 artworks that are not to be missed!
HAPPENINGS
Play virtual trivia (for free!) to win awesome local prizes this Thursday, January 14. Our friends at Why Richmond Is Awesome invited me to be their Player Of The Week at Thursday Night Trivia this week — so I chose the trivia theme of travel, because I really miss traveling.
I also chose prizes representative of our neighborhood in Northside, including gift cards to:
Some of the prizes will go to people who are good at trivia. Some will go to randomly selected players. And one will go to the best player name of the night, which I’ll be choosing. So, bring your A-Game and don’t forget how much I love puns!
There will be two trivia sessions, one at 7:30 pm and one at 8:30 pm — but you’re welcome to stay for both sessions to increase your chance of winning a prize throughout the evening.
To join in on the fun, you’ll want to have two devices ready. First, pull up the livestream via YouTube on your computer or TV. Then, head to crowd.live on your phone or tablet and enter the room code (which you’ll see on the YouTube screen) to play along.
See you Thursday!
Weekly Giveaway
Guatemalan Cooking Class with Guadalupe
Local nonprofit Highland Support Project supports Indigenous people to live on their land, in their community, and with their culture. That’s why HSP is hosting its upcoming event Guatemalan Cooking Class with Guadalupe, a virtual cooking class led by the nonprofit’s founder Guadalupe Ramirez.
This event is inspired by Guadalupe’s cookbook, which includes not just delicious recipes, but an insightful glimpse into Guatemalan tradition, Indigenous culture, and Guadalupe's own life journey.
If you live in the Richmond, VA area, you can get your very own prep box with all of the ingredients needed to cook at home — delivered right to your door! All proceeds from donations and purchases of the prep boxes will go towards HSP’s Seeding Sovereignty project, an initiative to improve food and water access for the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona.
We’re giving away a registration including the prep box and a special Guadalupe keepsake (valued at $50!) for this Feb. 17 event to one lucky RVAx winner.
To enter to win: Tell me one of your favorite meals, either to cook or to eat! For instance, I love eating seared scallops but I can’t cook them myself for the life of me. If we’re talking meals I can actually cook… you’d have to ask my Instant Pot.
Last week: Congratulations to Caddie A. for winning our Bryant’s Cider giveaway!
Member Perks
Worm In The Dirt
Looking to be a bit more green in 2021? Worm In The Dirt offers curbside organic composting services for those living in Henrico County, Virginia — including Short Pump, Glen Allen, Innsbrook, and more.
Let them come to you and pick up your food scraps! All you have to do is collect food scraps in your bucket, then put the bucket outside on the pick-up day.
A little more about that bucket — it’s actually the world's first biodegradable kitchen compost bin specifically designed and engineered for collecting and processing organic materials into nutrient-rich compost or humus.
This compost bucket acts as a natural carbon filter to eliminate smells in your home, keep your kitchen clean, and maintain the rigorous balance between your everyday needs and the environment.
Worm In The Dirt’s curbside compost pick-up services include free skips, digital access, and a monthly impact report.
Members can use code RVAX20 for 20% off compost pick-up subscriptions! Order now.
new + trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
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Hey new members!
We'd like to welcome 18 new members this week: Nikki A., Dakota H., Shelby R., Necole S., Sarah M., Kate M., Natasha F., Katie R., Miles A., Hayes T., Ashley-Nicole L., Leslie R., Hanna S., Ross T., Skylar D., James N., Maggie C., and Kristin U., we're so glad you're here!
It takes a village, so let us know if you have any questions, thoughts, feedback, tips, or recs! Thanks for reading edition 138 of the Weekly Insider.
Stay well friends,
Alicia @ The Richmond Experience
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