Ed 145: Food Truck Rally, Fat Kid Sandwiches, Irish Cream Brownies
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Hey there! Alicia here 👋
I know that we’re currently in the “false spring” stage of Richmond’s annual thawing out process — surely, we’ve got at least one cold snap left this season — but each day the sun comes out, I can’t help but get excited about warmer weather on the way.
Punxsutawney Phil be damned, I’m ready for spring.
(Don’t worry. I’m from Pennsylvania originally, so I’m allowed say that).
Thankfully, there’s plenty of exciting social news and openings to distract us as we navigate the limbo that is the time between winter and spring in RVA.
We’ve got food truck rallies to attend, pre-St. Patrick’s Day treats to order, Black-owned restaurants to support, locally-hosted virtual book clubs to participate in, Richmonders to watch on national TV, and more!
Get all the info you need here in the latest edition of the Weekly Insider, then be prepared to be the most in-the-know member of your group chat as your friends start making plans for this weekend.
THE LATEST:
Image: @fatkidsandwiches
Image: @secondbottlewine
Image: @nightingaleicecream
Image: @shakedowneats
SOCIAL NEWS
Thursdays just got tastier. Starting this week on March 4, River City Festivals will host a Food Truck Rally at The Diamond every Thursday from 11 am - 7 pm! The schedule will feature new trucks each week, and you can either order in advance for pick-up or opt to order and eat on-site.
There will be three food trucks there to kick off the season this Thursday: Shakedown Eats (featuring tater tot-themed entrees and more, with gluten-free and vegan options), The Pitts Killer BBQ (serving up brisket, pork, chicken, and vegan jackfruit with all the sides you love and plenty of fried treats), and Opa (serving Greek and American cuisine including Mediterranean bowls, pita wraps, gyros, and more).Personally, I’d recommend coming hungry and trying a little something from each of them… but that’s just me.
From food trucks to food hall… Remember Hatch Kitchen, Richmond's premier food and beverage incubator? They’re also known for offshoots Hatch Cafe (their cafe, event space, and pop-up venue) as well as Hatch Local (their new food hall coming to Manchester this spring). Until recently, Hatch Local had announced the first two confirmed vendors that we’ll be able to find at their food hall when it opens this spring: a fried chicken concept called Buttermilk & Honey and authentic Mexican cuisine by Sincero.
But this week, they announced their third official vendor: Fat Kid Sandwiches, a go-to for over-the-top sandwiches of all kinds. I’m not kidding when I say I will be in line to stuff my face at this food hall as soon as humanly possible. My stomach is already growling!
…and from Fat Kid Sandwiches to ice cream sandwiches! Did you like the word association I did there? I enjoyed it. And you know what I’m going to enjoy even more? These Irish cream brownie ice cream sandwiches from Nightingale, released just in time to snag before your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Available for the month of March, they feature chocolate brownie cookies and whisky stout Irish cream ice cream.
Home delivery is available in Richmond from March 11 - 13 only (that’s next Thursday - Saturday, y’all!) through the Nightingale website. Beyond that, they're available for nationwide shipping through Goldbelly. Sláinte!
No whining, just wine-ing. (Why do people let me write for a living?) Anyway. You’ve probably heard that a new wine spot opened in Church Hill called Second Bottle Wine & Snack Shop.
Despite the fact that this storefront just opened, it strangely feels like it’s always been there. The vibe is perfectly Church Hill — that unique blend of historic yet modern, while also bright and welcoming. It’s high quality without being at all pretentious.
I stopped by this weekend after picking up my Cobra Burger order (yep, they just opened their brick-and-mortar down the street!) and was seriously impressed. If you love wine, it’s worth adding to your RVA bucket list for sure!
Virtual book club alert! If you’ve been missing visiting with the Chop Suey Books staff (and beloved shop cat, Wonton) as much as we have, we’ve got good news! The Chop Suey Books Virtual Book Club will return on Thursday, March 25 at 7 pm.
The plan is to kick off with fiction — but they’re asking for input from the community to choose which title to begin with! Head to the @chopsueybooks page to cast your votes in their Instagram Story polls, then keep an eye out for the final book selection the club will be reading this month.
And another talented member of the #RVAdine scene is competing on national TV. Holly Prestidge at RTD reported that Keya Wingfield, owner of Richmond’s Candy Valley Cake Co., is among 11 bakers competing for baking glory and $25,000 on the Food Network’s “Spring Baking Championship.”
At the same time, this busy local baker is undergoing a move and a rebrand! Candy Valley Cake Co. will soon cease to be, and in its place will be Keya & Co. Baking — which will no longer operate out of the West End, but out of a new shop near Scott’s Addition.
Long story short: A nationally recognized baker’s mouthwatering cake pops will soon be available at 3310 Rosedale Ave (near Black Swan Books and the Blanchards Coffee vending machine) along with cookies, dessert boxes, custom desserts, and more for both individuals and groups. I’m ready for the sugar rush, y’all.
HAPPENINGS
#RBRE21 is here! Richmond Black Restaurant Experience kicks off this weekend in support of all the incredible Black-owned restaurants around Richmond.
This Sunday, March 7 through next Sunday, March 14, make plans to order take-out, curbside pick-up, or delivery throughout the week from this year’s 40+ participants:
Africanne on Main (Chef Mamasu)
LBJ's Soul Food Fusion at Traditionz Smokehouse
Ruby Scoops Ice Cream & Sweets
Seafood, BBQ, soul food, African, Caribbean, American, vegan, sweets — whatever you’re craving, #RBRE21 has you covered. Be sure to share on social media and tag each restaurant you order from throughout the week!
Weekly Giveaway
Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop
I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for a rooftop. Gimme a gorgeous sunset, a warm breeze, and a cold beer, and I’m a happy gal.
Which, of course, means that you can find me at Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop basically the second that temperatures start to climb.
Aside from offering a massive selections of craft beer that would please just about any palate, Starr Hill also has all kinds of cool events going on each week, including trivia on Mondays, game nights on Wednesdays, and more.
We’re giving away a $15 Starr Hill gift card to one lucky RVAx member this week to enjoy all of the above!
To enter to win: Tell me what you’re looking forward to in RVA this spring. For me, it’s gotta be walking through fresh blooms at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
Last week: Congratulations to Emily K. for winning our Sun & Selene giveaway!
Member Perks
She-Therapy
We were lucky enough to have recently been introduced to She-Therapy, a local Black-owned, woman-owned business dedicated to the practice of healing and loving oneself.
Owner Shayla Crawford supports that cause by creating and selling self-care products like soaps, body butters, candles, lip balms, fragrances, and more.
In addition, She-Therapy offers intuitive tarot readings. These readings are live and therapeutic, set with the intention to guide one more towards their path and life purpose!
As Shayla puts it, this work starts within — and none of us are well until all of us are well.
Get a free lavender shower steamer with any order by mentioning RVAx in the “Add Notes” section at check-out! Visit she-therapy.com to shop now.
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SAVE THE DATE
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Hey new members!
We'd like to welcome 45 new members this week: Averill P., Jennifer H., David A., Jessi R., Blayne B., Laura R., Kylie F., Michelle O., Laura P., Stephani C., Madeline S., Tai S., Elizabeth G., Mona A., Marc F., Katie H., Rachel P., Alyssa C., Katie M., Matthew T., Juan S., Priya G., Christina P., Brin G., Jennifer S., Ervin J., Molly C., Tracy W., Bridgit K., Jim E., Hazal G., Cole B., Taylor T., Jonathan S., Jade R., Han W., Taylor K., Elizabeth F., Anna R., Mandi C., Karissa H., Julie B., Kelsey S., and Char’Lesa S., 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 145 of the Weekly Insider.
Stay well friends,
Alicia @ The Richmond Experience
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