Ed 313: Zorch Update, Local Olympian, That Me Espresso
Hello!
We’re BEAMING at all the positive feedback we got with the official launch of The Chatter last week. Thanks for the support, folks! 😭
Now, since we’ve been using that format to reintroduce ourselves, we thought it’d be a good time to do a little more of that kind of thing up top here, too. But this time, I was thinking we could approach it with a City Guide theme. They’re a big part of what makes us who we are, after all, and we got a few notes from you about potential The Chatter topics that we could speak to (for starters!) right now:
Kara W. says she wants more info on stuff to do with her kids. We gotchu, girlie. Check out THE FAMILY CALENDAR, of course! It’s your go-to resource for family-friendly city guides, the best events and happenings for families, and fun things to do around RVA with the fam in tow.
Julie R. says she’s interested in date spots. DONE: Peep our recs for 12 LOCAL DATE SPECIALS TO ENJOY WITH YOUR SOMEONE SPECIAL and save a li’l cash while you’re at it!
Allison P. says she’d like some tips for home-buying in RVA. We feel this on a spiritual level, Allison; it’s rough out there. I’ve worked with Angel Holthus for my past pricey purchases, and our EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MOVING IN RICHMOND guide has some other great tips that are sure to help make things less stressful (we hope).
We’ll keep those convos — and others — going with each future ep! If you think of more Qs, send ‘em our way here or here, and we’ll have them at the ready when we hit record in the coming weeks.
Keep scrolling for RVA’s latest social news, including Richmond’s queer history, RVA for CNN, Waldo in Carytown, and more.
THINGS WE’RE *WAY* LOVING THIS MONTH
Paige:
The Chatter (obvs): As you read up top, we started a podcast, and I’m so excited about it! The Chatter is another aisle in our one-stop shop for all things to eat, drink, see, and do in Richmond. Consider this a ~very long~ audio message from us to you each week about who or what we saw on the social scene when we were out taking a scroll. Check out our first THREE eps right damn now at the PODCAST link in our website header; on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube; and anywhere else you listen to podcasts, and stay tuned for a new drop every Friday!
Dear John Airbnb: The owners of Shyndigz Market recently opened an Airbnb above The Fancy Biscuit (another one of their spots!), and it's the perfect getaway for a girls’ night, a bachelorette party, a special occasion, or when you have guests in the area. We had such a fun little staycation featuring dessert from Shyndigz, wine from Jardin, and pizza from The Hop Craft Pizza & Beer. The best part, though, was the sauna!
Kelsey:
Friday Cheers: It’s a fan-favorite for a reason. I’ve been loving it all season long and will be SO SAD to see it come to an end for the year this Friday, June 28. Snag tickets to this season’s final Friday Cheers show now — the weather’s promising a beautiful evening for it!
Kline’s Dairy Bar: This ice cream shop isn’t technically open yet, but I’ve been drooling over all the Insta updates and cannot WAIT to stop by when they’re officially ready to scoop next month. Kline’s is a Harrisonburg staple for locals, JMU college students, and JMU alumni (me!), and I’m so excited to have a little piece of my home away from home right near my home! Follow @klineschesterfield for updates, and I’ll see you in line for a milkshake.
WEATHER
Wednesday: Mostly sunny; high of 99°, low of 73°
Thursday: Some clouds, some sun; high of 90°, low of 68°
Friday: Partly cloudy; high of 87°, low of 71°
HAPPENINGS
Wednesday, 12 - 7 pm: TATTOOS & TACOS
Thursday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm: BEER + CHEESE
Friday, 7 - 9 pm: RICHMOND IVY VS. LANCASTER INFERNO FC
CITY GUIDES
1. SPLASH IN THE SUN AT THESE 15 LOCAL OUTDOOR POOLS
Image Source: @cswanson16
RICHMONDER TO KNOW
Charlie Swanson: He’s the Richmond native we’ll see swimming in Paris next month. Qualifying for the 2024 US Olympic men’s swim team during the US Olympic Team Trials, Charlie swam the 100-meter breaststroke event with a personal-best time of 59.16.
THE LATEST:
Image Source: T•Caf Salon de Thé
Image Source: Sijang Chili Crunch
Image Source: Abi’s Books & Brews
Image Source: The Valentine
SOCIAL NEWS
It’s tea time!: T•Caf Salon de Thé announced its impending resurgence about a month ago, and now the Parisian wine and tea cafe with a cult following is officially back in biz. Teaming up with Nancy C Kingcaid to revamp itself, the spot in Scott’s Addition is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 am to 5 pm, and Friday and Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm. Keep your eyes on Insta for more updates, and if you need to get your tea fix in even more ways, we’ve got a City Guide for that: 5 PLACES TO GO FOR TEA IN RICHMOND. (Instagram)
Walked in and dream-came-trued it for ya: The namesake of Abi’s Books & Brews is owner Keith Duffin’s teenage daughter, who he plans to hand the biz over to when she becomes an adult. In the meantime, the new spot for good reads and good drinks had its soft opening earlier this month and plans to hard-launch its regular hours by the start of next week at the latest. For lit, look for 2,500 titles (plus), and for snacks and sips, look for Bugle Call Coffee, Up All Night Bakery baked goods, a case with rotating flavors from DeLuca Gelato, and, down the road, a breakfast menu and sandwiches. (Richmond magazine)
Hot off the press: Sijang now has its Garlic Chili Crunch product on shelves in local brick-and-mortar shops. The condiment, created by a Chesterfield-based husband-and-wife team, features an oil base mixed with onion, garlic, sesame seeds, and Mexican chilies. Find it at Ellwood Thompson’s, Good Foods Grocery, Capital Chips Fine Foods & Gifts, Libbie Market, Perk! Coffee & Lunchbox, Outpost Richmond, and The Market at 25th. Add it to pizza, soup, eggs, rice, and more. And look for a line of sauces and other new mouth-watering things from the duo later this year, too. (RVAHub)
Richmond’s queer history: Over the weekend, Style Weekly caught our eyes with its Sunday newsletter, featuring thirteen items from The Valentine offering a window into Richmond’s queer history. The roundup included Beverly Carrington’s Dress, Casablanca Sign, Dr. Waverly Cole’s Medical Bag, Guy Kinman’s Portrait, Legalize Gay T-shirt, Nicole Leigh Pries’s Bowtie and Lindsay Blair Oliver’s Necklace, “Rag Doll #2,” Bianca B. Starr’s Blue Pumps, and T-shirt and Testosterone Vial from Seven Hills Family Medicine.
And there’s even more where that came from: Late last week, the pub also published an interactive map of Richmond’s queer history. Noted Style Weekly, “All too often, queer history is ignored or hidden from us by societal strictures of both the past and present. This map is a small attempt to remedy that. It’s our hope to shed some light on Richmond faces and places that haven’t received the attention they deserve.” (Style Weekly)
Ready for your (next) close-up, Richmonders?: CNN says the River City deserves a lot more attention, and it’s helping the cause by putting us in the number-one spot on its list for America’s Best Towns to Visit 2024. Citing “rich arts, culture and history, plus a great food and beverage scene,” the news network has all kinds of reasons why visitors should visit. I mean, like, we know, CNN — but okay, we’re still flattered AF, thank you! (CNN)
Where’s Waldo?: In Carytown! At least, between July 1 and 27, that is. Throughout most of next month, you can find the man in stripes hiding in bbgb and handfuls of other Carytown businesses. Pick up a stampcard at any of the participating spots, or print one at home, and keep track of your Waldo sightings to earn special prizes. The search ends with a Grand Waldo Party on July 27, so make sure you’re spotted there, too. (bbgb)
MORE LINKS YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK
🍕Zorch Pizza JUST announced it’s opening a second location in Forest Hill! (Instagram)
☕️Sabrina Carpenter is performing an hour down the road in Charlottesville this fall, and tix go on sale this Friday. (John Paul Jones Arena)
Image Source: Richmond Ivy SC via Facebook
Weekly Giveaway
Richmond Ivy SC
If you haven’t gotten a chance to catch Richmond Ivy SC kick ass (and sure, a soccer ball, too), you’ve still got one more this season, and we’re covering the cost of admission.
This week, we’re giving away two tickets to Friday’s match! Enter ASAP; we’ll choose the winner by the end of this Thursday.
To enter, there’s no “i” in team, but tell us anyway: What’s the dot over a lowercase letter “i” called?
Last week: Congratulations to last edition’s winner, Polina B., for winning the Jardin giveaway!
Image Source: Jessica Knoll
Member Perks
RVAx Members-Only Book Club
We love a good read here at The Richmond Experience, and we know lots of our members do, too. So, we started our very own members-only book club to talk all kinds of lit!
Our next meeting is THIS week, but it’s not too late to join us. Find all the must-know deets here, including when and where we’re meeting to chit-chat Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll.
New + Trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We’d like to welcome 16 new members this week: Peyton H., Alex M., Cars D., Devin S., Angela L., Emma R., Mollie A., Mel T., Issac E., Evelyn P., Madison D., Amber L., Sierra W., Natalie M., Genevieve W., and Mickey F., 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 313 of The Weekly Insider.
Stay cool out there!
- The Richmond Experience
OUR LOCAL PARTNERS
