Ed 151: Restaurant Week, Rooftop Yoga, Mushroom Mania
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(Pro tip: Skip cooking dinner and make a rez at The Boathouse, Casa del Barco, or Island Shrimp Co. instead)
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Hey there! Alicia here 👋
I hope they’re right and April showers really do bring May flowers, because we’ve got lots of precipitation headed our way over the coming weeks.
Thankfully, we’ll have spots of sunshine in between — but if you’re looking for some rainy day entertainment ideas, we’ve got you covered.
Whatever the weather may throw our way, we’ve got a LOT to cover in terms of things happening in RVA this week and next. For example…
Learn how you can participate in Richmond Restaurant Week from a distance (and get a list of all 61 restaurants participating) now through April 25
Sign up for a rooftop yoga class followed by brunch and rosé, happening this Sunday
Get the scoop on the new outdoor mimosa bar now open on weekends in Scotts Addition
Snag tickets to learn legitimately everything you could ever want to know about mushrooms from local and national experts
…and much more in the latest edition of The Weekly Insider. Onward!
THE LATEST:
Image: @quirkhotelrva
Image: @jewfrorva
Image: @richmond_restaurant_week
Image: @salganz
SOCIAL NEWS
Richmond Restaurant Week is back, baby! The biannual event kicked off this past Monday, April 12, and will run through next Sunday, April 25, so I hope everyone's ready to support local restaurants, give back to the community, and eat some freakin' incredible food. This year marks the event's 20th year, and there are a whopping 61 restaurants participating!
Here’s how it works: You'll start by determining which restaurant(s) you'd like to support, whether a longtime favorite or a spot that's totally new to you. Then you’ll decide whether you'd like to dine in, eat al fresco, or order for take-out or delivery.
Last but not least, you'll choose your donation amount — each restaurant will have $5 donations to FeedMore available on their online menu throughout the duration of RRWeek (a $5 donation can provide up to 20 meals for a neighbor in need!). In the past two decades, RRWeek has raised more than $818,500 for FeedMore to support the org’s hunger relief efforts; let’s add to that total!
Rooftop yoga and rosé, you say? You heard that right! Project Yoga Richmond is hosting a socially distanced Sunday Funday yoga flow at Quirk Hotel this Sunday, April 18 from 10 - 11 am. For $20 per person, you get the class itself plus 20% off brunch in The Lobby Bar if you plan to dine after class. You can sign up for the class here, and you can make a brunch reservation here.
The folks at Quirk Hotel also just announced that they’ll be releasing their brand new canned wine Quirk Rosé this Thursday, April 15! Hailing from the Provence region of France, it’s a crisp and fruity wine with hints of lemon, cantaloupe, orange peel, and peaches… which sounds like it would be delightful to sip in the sunshine after a yoga flow (hint, hint).
Been missing Jewfro? Good news. The restaurant just announced that they signed a lease and they are opening up a brand new permanent location in Shockoe Bottom!
ICYMI, Jewfro is a Jewish deli with African flavors by day, serving small plates fusing Jewish and African flavors by night, brought to you by the folks behind Soul Taco. I’ve already waxed poetic about their incredible lunch options on our Instagram, so you know I’m excited to get my hands on another black-eyed pea falafel wrap.
Tickets! Get your tickets here! This is just a friendly reminder that Flying Squirrels baseball tickets go on sale this coming Monday, April 19, at 9 am!
Mushroom Mania at the Moon Market? Yep, it’s happening. Beginning this Monday, April 19 and running through Sunday, April 25, Mushroom Mania is a celebration of (you guessed it) mushrooms featuring a full week of online presentations on "the creative influence, culinary delights, health benefits, and historic significance of the fungi kingdom."
You can expect presentations from nationally renowned food and nature writer Eugenia Bone (along with locals Stephanie Ganz and Lauren Vincelli) on cooking with mushrooms; from Edith Pair, artist and owner of Mushroom House Tours, on the historic architecture of hobbit houses/mushroom huts; from Dr. Xochitl Palomino, ND of Host Defense on the use of mushrooms to support brain health during times of stress; and more!
The week will conclude with a two-day craft and wellness market known as the Richmond Moon Market open to the public at Triple Crossing Fulton on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 from 12 - 6 pm each day. Let’s have some fun, guys! (Get it? Fungis?)
Did someone say mimosa bar? Nope, we actually said “MOORE-mosa Bar,” and we said it because that’s what Moore Street Cafe has sneakily opened up in the alley adjacent to their iconic space in Scott’s Addition. As the name implies, you can now swing by to get your socially distanced Moore-mosa fix in a sweet little outdoor area from 10 am - 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
For the uninitiated, a Moore-mosa is a 32 oz. pitcher containing a bottle of bubbly and whichever complementary juice option you prefer (choices include orange, pineapple, cranberry, apple, cran grape, raspberry lemon, ruby grapefruit, and — for some reason — Fanta Orange Soda). Pairs well with a stack of pancakes.
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream… or at least a laugh! Sandman Comedy Club just opened downtown at 401 E Grace St, in the bank building that was formerly home to Champion Brewing's Richmond location. This massive comedy venue offers views of the stage from literally every seat in the house, and you can find the schedule for their upcoming comedy shows here. The club will also host Open Mic and Karaoke on Sunday nights; no advance notice needed for karaoke, but you'll have to sign up for Open Mic in advance here. And P.S., they’ve got a full bar and a chef-curated menu featuring classics like burgers and pizza as well as elevated options like shrimp tacos and lamb BBQ sliders.
HAPPENINGS
Time to vote! Voting is now open for Richmond Magazine’s 34th annual Best & Worst survey. Support the businesses, events, and neighborhoods you know and love by sharing your picks. (Of course, we’d be honored if you showed us some love for Best Local Instagram, but no pressure!)
And did you know that by voting, you’re also entered to win prizes? Yep! The grand prize includes a one-night stay at the Guest Cottages at the Mill at Fine Creek in Powhatan plus a $50 gift card to Fine Creek Brewing Co.
Voting continues through May 7, so be sure to cast yours here.
Weekly Giveaway
Fresh Pic Photo Booth
Did you know that local biz Fresh Pic Photo Booth offers a virtual photo booth option that allows you to turn any device into a virtual photo booth?
It’s super easy! Fresh Pic Photo Booth will work with you to create a custom-themed (or branded) frame and background for your event. You can even add on AI background removal to change the background of your photos without having to use a greenscreen.
Then using the unique link that Fresh Pic provides, you and your guests can access the virtual photo booth on your phone, tablet, or computer to take or upload photos — from any location.
You’ll also get a link for an online gallery that will act as a repository for all the photos and gifs taken at your virtual photo booth, updated live as folks use your link to participate!
We are giving away a virtual photo booth experience to one lucky winner (valued at $500!) to use at the upcoming event of your choosing, whether the event itself is virtual or IRL.
To enter to win: Tell me what event you’d use this virtual photo booth for! If I won it, I’d totally use it for my birthday next month so I could virtually celebrate with all of my friends from all over the country.
Last week: Congratulations to Amy K. for winning our Book & Author Event giveaway!
Member Perks
Pupatella RVA
Did you know? Pupatella offers the ONLY pizza in Richmond that is certified by the Assozione Verace Pizza Napoletana, aka the legal Italian entity that defines what true Neapolitan Pizza is and ensures that each certified pizzeria observes strict traditional Neapolitan pizza making rules.
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All that to say: Pupatella serves Neapolitan pizza in The Fan exactly as it has been prepared for over 150 years in neighborhoods throughout Naples.
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In addition to offering a huge menu of both red and white Neopolitan pizzas, they also serve Friggitoria (fried food of Naples, such as arancini); small plates and salads (including mouthwatering bruschetta); desserts (gelato, anyone?); and a huge selection of wine and craft beer.
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RVAx members get 10% off orders at Pupatella all day, every day — just mention The Richmond Experience when you place your order! (Please note: This only applies to orders placed through Pupatella directly, not through a third-party delivery service.)
new + trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We'd like to welcome 28 new members this week: Sarah C., Lori M., Christina P., Jessica M., Amber S., AnneMarie P., Anne M., James K., Sil G., Akshay K., Chantel B., Natascha Z., Rebecca N., Jessica S., Kaitlyn A., Donna D., Morgan O., Olivia A., Maggie A., Will F., Jarod C., Anna K., Warren J., Kelli M., Elena P., Tazhani R., Michael M., and Jay 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 151 of The Weekly Insider.
Stay well friends,
Alicia @ The Richmond Experience
Thank you to The HOUSEpitality Family for powering this edition of The Weekly Insider!
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