Ed 141: Black History Month, Super Bowl Plans, Valentine's Day Prep
This edition of the Weekly Insider is powered by Vitality Float Spa (by the way, a gift certificate here would make for a pretty great Valentine’s Day gift!)
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Hey there! Alicia here 👋
In case you missed it, February is Black History Month!
While we hope that you’re out there supporting and celebrating our Black community year-round, not just one month out of the year, here are some specific things you can do this February to honor Black history, present, and future:
The next time you order takeout, purchase from a Black-owned restaurant
Mama J’s Kitchen, Soul Taco, Brewers Cafe, Sweet Spot Ice Cream Cafe, and Poor Boys of Richmond are just a few of our favorites, but there are so many to choose from — here’s a list
When you shop, whether for yourself or others, consider if there’s a local Black-owned business you could buy from rather than hitting up Amazon or Target
Spots like Little Nomad Shop, Plants on Church Hill, Sun & Selene, and Madam J’s Beauty are great places to start, but here are more
Support Black wellness brands by booking services they offer and local events they host
Pratice yoga with BareSOUL, heal through sound meditation and bodywork by Lucid Living, and more
Educate yourself by reading Black-authored books across genres and learning from (and paying!) anti-racist educators and activists
Here’s a list of Black-owned independent bookstores — consider ordering titles like How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi; The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander; and more
Follow Black Lives Matter Richmond, Richmond For All, Richmond Free Press, Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project, and Untold RVA if you’re not already
Donate money, time, and resources to Black organizations in Richmond and beyond
If you’re able, consider contributing to the Richmond Bail Fund, Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, The Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument, The Collab Spot, and any of the other local funds seeking financial support in the area
Yes, there are other things going on in February, which we’ll also discuss in this edition of the Weekly Insider. But we wanted to make sure we kicked off with what we feel is the most important celebration happening in February to ensure that we all have the tools we need to support our Black community, this month and beyond.
Thank you for reading, and we hope you’ll follow Visit BLK RVA for more!
THE LATEST:
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SOCIAL NEWS
Stay safe and shop local on Fridays throughout February. Safe Space Market kicks off this Friday, February 5 at the Lakeside Farmers Market. Every Friday this month from 5 - 8 pm, this new event series will support, celebrate and promote the visibility of RVA’s Black, Queer, Trans, Indigenous, and other marginalized makers, artists, and small business owners. Click here for the full list of vendors including Karmalita's Marshmallows & Confections, Pistil + Stamen, Dayum this is my Jam, and more!
Tabol’s turning two! Since in-person soirees are a no-go for the time-being, Northside brewery Tabol Brewing creatively decided to celebrate its second anniversary with a take-home Special Anniversary Box, available now for pre-order to pick up this Saturday, February 6. The box includes three 4-packs of 16 oz. craft beer cans, a special anniversary Rastal Kolsch glass, and a limited-edition Tabol BBQ & Beer shirt. Plus, they’ll give you a free to-go container of whole hog BBQ and chicharrones when you come to pick your box up this Saturday!
Brunch bingo is BACK. Our pals Alex and Lauren at Why Richmond Is Awesome are bringing BRINGO (brunch + bingo) back on the first Sunday of the month at 12 pm, starting this Sunday, February 7! This virtual celebration will be a fun way to kick off your Super Bowl Sunday, with 10 rounds of FREE live bingo — and the chance to win prizes from local spots including Wood & Iron Game Day, Truckle Cheesemongers, Idle Hands Bread Co., and more. My husband Andrew and I will be there pre-gaming the Puppy Bowl, for sure. Click here to join us!
Galentines, but make them feminist. Local women-owned biz Not Yr Sweetie is a bean-to-bar craft chocolate company with a feminist agenda. They just dropped nine limited-edition Valentine’s Day bars crafted from single-origin cacao from Rio Claro in Trinidad, in flavors like Not Your Valentine, Not Wasting My Thyme, and more.
(P.S. We’re partnering with Not Yr Sweetie and a variety of other local women-owned brands on curated gift boxes that you can order next week only which will each include two surprise chocolate bars from this collection. Keep an eye on our Instagram for that announcement on Sunday!)
Whether you’re flying solo or coupled up, Soul Taco has you covered. They’re offering a little something for everyone this V-Day, including two creative, out-of-the-box celebration ideas:
(1) For the singles, a Virtual Blind Date: You buy 2 tacos and a strawberry marg for $15 for pickup on Valentine’s Day at the Soul Taco Shockoe location. They give you a Zoom link to go on a blind date with another single in the area who wants to do something fun and COVID-safe for Valentine’s Day. You log on at 7 pm on February 14 for your blind date, sip your cocktail, eat some tacos and connect with someone new! Sign up here.
(2) For the couples, a Virtual Paint & Sip for Two: For $60 you get tacos for two (three tacos per person), dessert, and a bottle of bubbly, all the materials you need to paint your masterpiece, and A+ instruction through a virtual painting class via Zoom on February 14 at 7 pm. Pre-order here.
Pop-ups galore, y’all. For real, the amount of culinary pop-ups happening around Richmond right now is absolutely glorious.
At Hatch Cafe, we’ve got Mediterranean concept Kalispera this Thursday, Mexican concept Sincero on Saturday, and Southern-inspired brunch from Carolina Girl Catering on Sunday.
There’s also Jewfro, brought to you by the folks behind Soul Taco, which is a Jewish deli with African flavors by day, serving small plates fusing Jewish and African flavors by night.
And The Jasper’s Friends & Family kitchen series is still going strong with pasta night by Osteria Dei Mascalzoni on Tuesdays, Mediterranean and Jewish-American fare from Susie & Esther on Wednesdays and Fridays, SLURP! Ramen, Buns & Wings on Thursdays, Pizza Bones on Saturdays, and burgers by The SMASHper on Sundays.
The food and beverage industry definitely needs our support right now, so whether you order from these pop-ups or traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants, be sure to keep eating local when you can!
Keeping mental health top of mind. The Science Museum of Virginia is now hosting Mental Health: Mind Matters, a touring exhibition that uses immersive experiences and multimedia activities to raise awareness about mental illness. This exhibition is included with Museum admission and will be open now through summer. Details here.
HAPPENINGS
In case you haven’t heard on every commercial for everything everywhere, The Big Game is this Sunday, February 7!
Since we can’t necessarily host our usual potluck-style watch party with all the fixin’s, my husband Andrew and I pre-ordered The Cocky Rooster for pick-up to enjoy while we watch the game (and by “the game” I mean The Puppy Bowl).
Here are a few more local spots offering Super Bowl take-out:
Mise En Place will also be hosting a Make-Ahead Super Bowl Snacks online cooking class this Friday, February 5 at 6 pm! Sign up to make a variety of tasty treats for game day including muffuletta pinwheels, sheet pan chicken and peppers (for nachos or fajitas), guacamole, spice-rubbed pork tenderloin sliders with apple and onion chutney, and s’mores brownies.
Weekly Giveaway
RVA V-Day Staycay Giveaway
Sorry, I got really excited that all of those words rhymed. Anyway…
We’re all going a little stir crazy at this point, right? So get out of the house (safely!) for a Valentine’s Day staycation at Richmond’s brand new hotel, The Residence Inn Short Pump at The Notch.
We’re giving one lucky RVAx member a complimentary stay for two to enjoy a spectacular night in a King Studio room, complete with a bottle of champagne and rose petals on the bed!
To enter to win: Tell me your favorite romance movie or rom-com! I’m a sucker for Titanic as a romance, but I really love 10 Things I Hate About You as a rom-com — in fact, that one might be my favorite movie overall.
Last week: Congratulations to Melanie B. for winning our Mosaic Catering & Events giveaway!
Member Perks
Board & Beautiful
Beautiful charcuterie arrangements, available to order online, delivered right to your door? We’re in!
Board & Beautiful is Richmond’s newest charcuterie service, offering a wide selection of handmade boards beautifully designed with cheese, meats, and other accouterments.
We particularly love that each board’s name is Richmond-centric (from The Lil Nickel at $29 all the way up to The 1737 at $199), and that B&B offers free delivery within 20 miles of downtown Richmond.
Owner and Richmonder Greg Conant sent us this video introducing his vision for Board & Beautiful as something that can bring people together and inspire connection during a time of isolation, and I honestly teared up. Definitely worth a watch!
Members can use code BBRVA for 10% off of every purchase. Visit theboardrva.com to order now!
new + trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey new members!
We'd like to welcome 12 new members this week: Shannon F., Corrine T., Lauren G., Rosemary L., Jill H., Kimber R., Kate M., Irma H., Tammy W., Caroline P., Kelsey G., and John M., 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 141 of the Weekly Insider.
Stay well friends,
Alicia @ The Richmond Experience
Thank you to Vitality Float Spa for powering this edition of the Weekly Insider from The Richmond Experience!
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