Ed 149: Spring Blooms, Easter Events, A Weekend In Lake Anna
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Hey there! Alicia here 👋
Raise your hand if you’ve been sniffling for the past week or two as things have burst into bloom!
My hand is up, too, but I can’t even be mad; Richmond looks gorgeous in florals. We wrote a whole City Guide outlining the best places to go petal-hunting before the trees’ flowers turn back to green leaves, if you’re into that kind of thing.
We also put together a list of the top Easter events hoppening (sorry, couldn’t resist) around RVA, for those who celebrate. If you don’t, no worries! There’s still plenty of other fun stuff going on this weekend that does not include religion, eggs, and/or bunnies.
Now, on to this week’s social news — including the new tenant moving into Nota Bene’s old space, the reopening of a rad Northside rock’n’roll bar, the recently announced lineup for an “after hours” concert series kicking off next month, where you’ll soon be able to find Philly cheesesteaks and s’mores-inspired ice cream sammies, and more!
THE LATEST:
Image: @venturerichmond
Image: @str8outofphilly
Image: @fuzzycactusrva
Image: @nightingaleicecream
SOCIAL NEWS
Nota Bene’s got a new tenant. While we were sad to say goodbye to this beloved Shockoe Bottom market earlier in the pandemic, we are looking forward to welcoming Leek & Thistle in its stead.
Owned by local chef Mela Jones (whom you might recognize from farmers markets as the owner of a former biz called Truly Scrumptious), Leek & Thistle will provide ready-made meals made with fresh, local ingredients. The meals — including main courses, entertaining meals, soups, vegetarian/vegan offerings, and more — are sold frozen and ready to heat and eat.
Online ordering will be coming soon here. But of course, Mela will also be operating out of her new market space at 2112 E Main St, where she also intends to sell wine and other provisions from some of her favorite local producers and purveyors.
Cheez whiz or nah? That was always the question when I ordered cheesesteaks when visiting Philadelphia as a kid (I grew up about an hour and a half from there), whether we were at Pat’s or Geno’s… But I’m not actually sure if cheez whiz will be an option at Str8 Out Of Philly when doors open at their new Jackson Ward location this spring.
What I do know is that owner Hassan Abdus-Salaam told Richmond BizSense he will strictly be using bread rolls shipped in from Philadelphia (from Amoroso's, specifically) which will set them apart from any other cheesesteaks in Richmond. The hoagies will be topped with the usual onions and peppers, however Abdus-Salaam will be offering protein options other than just steak — including chicken, salmon, and vegan options.
But the cheesesteaks are just going to be one side of this new restaurant concept. The other side will be “Str8 Out Of Philly Cafe,” where Abdus-Salaam plans to offer breakfast and lunch including things like soups, salads, sandwiches, espresso, and coffee.
Keep your eye on his social media channels for an official grand opening date in the next month or two!
The Fuzz returns. Northside’s Fuzzy Cactus will reopen this Wednesday, March 31 at 5 pm with $3 draft beers and $10 large orders of wings — along with the rest of their sorely missed signature menu items like the Prickly Pear Margarita, The Bud fried chicken sandwich, and more.
I’m not sure the last time y’all have driven past this spot, but since they’ve been closed they’ve added a new mural covering the entire side of the building on Fendall, along with outdoor seating areas on both Fendall and Brookland Park Blvd. I can’t wait to check it all out this week!
Gimme s’more. Nightingale Ice Cream’s newest addition to their permanent flavor collection is one I can definitely get behind! The S’mores ice cream sandwich features chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream with chocolate ganache and mini marshmallows.
All the flavor of s’mores without a) having to build a fire or b) getting my hands all covered in melted chocolate and sticky marshmallows — PLUS ice cream?! Wow, I am extremely in.
And in case you were wondering: Yes, I drool a little bit at least once each week while writing The Weekly Insider. This time, it was while writing the paragraph above. No shame.
Outdoor concerts are BACK, baby! According to RTD, the concert series we’ve all known as Innsbrook After Hours now has both a new name and a new location.
Henceforth known as After Hours Concerts at Meadow Event Park, these weekly outdoor concerts will be moving to (you guessed it) Meadow Event Park in Doswell this spring to accommodate the extra room needed for social distancing.
The series will kick off on May 14 with artist Jamey Johnson, followed by at least (!) 30 more shows through September 23 including performances by big names like Hanson, Toby Keith, Ludacris, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foreigner, Scotty McCreery, Brad Paisley, and more.
With folks itching to get back to IRL events, these tickets are likely to sell out fast, so be sure to snag yours ASAP here.
“Picnic In A Parklet,” say that 10 times fast. Last summer, Venture Richmond and the City of Richmond annonuced the Picnic in a Parklet program as a way to help local restaurants add outdoor seating to accommodate social distancing guidelines during the pandemic.
Now, RVA Hub has reported that construction will begin this week on five new prefabricated parklets at “locations adjacent to businesses who participated in the Picnic in a Parklet program.” The first two of these locations will include N 29th St in Church Hill (near Nile Ethiopian Cafe) and N Shields Ave in The Fan (near Joe's Inn), while the remaining three locations are still TBD.
But beyond those five city-provided parklets, RVA Hub added that “two business-led, custom-designed parklets are making their way through the city’s permitting process and will be considered by the Urban Design Committee and Planning Commission this spring. These parklets will be located in Brookland Park and Jackson Ward and are designed by HKS Architects and Walter Parks Architects, respectively.” Be sure to keep your eye out for these parklets so you can begin utilizing them as they pop up in the coming months!
HAPPENINGS
Come together to cheer on — and cheers to — a local favorite! Richmond’s own Brittanny Anderson (the chef and co-owner of Metzger Bar & Butchery, Brenner Pass, and Black Lodge) will make her debut on the Season 18 premiere of Top Chef: Portland this Thursday, April 1 at 8 pm EST.
Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop will be hosting free weekly watch parties every Thursday throughout the season, so be sure to bring your foodie friends along for the fun!
Weekly Giveaway
“A Million Blooms” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
The moment that Richmond bursts into bloom each spring, we tend to make a beeline for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
Starting April 1 (and through June 1), you can visit the Garden's celebration of spring, "A Million Blooms," daily from 9 am - 5 pm to see daffodils, tulips, peonies, roses, and so many more flowers unfurling as the weather warms.
While you're there, be sure to snap a photo or two and share on Instagram with the hashtag #MillionBlooms for the chance to win a grand prize package including 12 passes to come back and enjoy the Garden ($156 value), a Richmond Region Tourism Attractions Pass ($100+ in value), and a feature on the Garden's social media channels.
We’re giving away two non-member Adult tickets to visit the Garden this April!
To enter to win: Tell me your favorite type of flower! Personally, I’m a sucker for lilies.
Last week: Congratulations to Rebecca D. for winning our Guatemalan cooking class giveaway!
Member Perks
Richlands Dairy & Creamery
Did you know you can get the region’s best chocolate milk just an hour south of Richmond at Richlands Dairy Farm?
This 3rd-generation dairy farm opened a creamery in June 2019 to direct market their milk and premium ice cream — yep, they’ve also got some of the freshest ice cream in the area.
Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 am - 7 pm, a trip to Richlands Dairy & Creamery makes for a great afternoon adventure whether you’re going solo, on a date, or with friends and/or family.
And RVAx members can get a FREE pint of chocolate milk at Richlands just by telling them you’re a member! Just mention The Richmond Experience when you check out and they’ll hook you up.
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SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We'd like to welcome 33 new members this week: Natanael A., Michael P., Kelly B., Mary R., Emily Y., Terry R., Sheri B., Anne M., Shanell B., Katharine W., Phil W., Michael L., Julie O., Jessica E., Chelsea B., Mark T., Deontre F., Kelsey C., Kathleen H., Bryanna N., Jessica P., Liz E., Ena P., Jennifer W., Tessa P., Nicole S., Megan F., Mary K., Rafaela A., Venessa W., Shana G., and Caroline B., 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 149 of The Weekly Insider.
Stay well friends,
Alicia @ The Richmond Experience
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