Richmond Famous

Fall is just around the corner and we are getting into that brown liquor with Mary Allison, distiller at Richmond's own Reservoir Distillery. Reservoir has a small portfolio of whiskeys made with Virginia-grown grains—and often aged in Virginia wood, too—making their bottles a real local treat. We sat down with Mary to drink some rye and talk about her work at Reservoir, what she loves about whiskey, and why you should probably visit their Scott's Addition tasting room BEFORE your dinner at Peter Chang's, not after. Mentioned in this episode: Reservoir Distillery Moore Street Cafe Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Next up on the beverage parade, Virginia's OG historical quaff, CIDER! Courtney Mailey, founder and original cider maker, opened Blue Bee in 2012. It quickly became one of Richmond's most-loved beverages and since 2016 has resided in the old Richmond city stables in Scott's Addition. We joined Courtney at the cidery and she talked to us about wildling apples, blue orchard bees, her favorite cider experiments, and the process of opening Virginia's first urban cidery. Mentioned in this episode: Blue Bee Blue Bee on Instagram Foggy Ridge Cider Albemarle Ciderworks Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Since 2009 Lamplighter Coffee Roasters has been at the forefront of the RVA coffee scene. Their original location on Addison street in the Fan has been called "Richmond's Living Room" and coffee lovers all over the city know them for their friendly, warm vibe, incredible specialty coffee, and coffee training and education programs. We chatted with Noelle Forest, one of Lamplighter's three founders, about coffee in Richmond past and present. Mentioned in this episode: Lamplighter Lamplighter on Instagram Alamo BBQ Richmond Cycling Corps Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Richmond’s chefs, home cooks, and those with an eye for impeccable design already know Mr. Rob Bland, the proprietor and curator of specialty home and kitchen goods shop Accoutre in Scott’s Addition. We visited with him at the beautiful space and talked shop. (Get it?) Accoutre is the spot for hand-crafted, well-designed kitchen and housewares. We talked with Rob about his backstory, his favorite kitchen tools, and the Richmond dining scene. Oh and some brush talk and mayonnaise talk. Lots of mayonnaise talk. Mentioned in this episode: Accoutre Accoutre on Instagram Longoven Iris Hantverk Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

To celebrate their 20th episode, Nicole and Laura asked each other some of the questions they always ask their guests: how’d you end up in Richmond? How did you start working on food? What is your motto and WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO EAT PIZZA? Listen in to hear the answers. Mentioned in this episode: Dinamo Nota Bene Giustino’s Pizza Patrick Henry Pub Van Halen Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Nominated as a James Beard Award semifinalist three times and known around the country for its incomparable bread and pastry work, Richmond’s own Sub Rosa Bakery hardly needs an introduction. Brother and sister team Evrim and Evin Dogu have put their all into the Church Hill spot, building it from a table in Evrim’s apartment to the thriving neighborhood center that it is today. We talked to them about what drew them to food, their relationship to the Richmond community, food culture vs. restaurant culture, milling their own flour, and what’s coming up for the bakery in the near future. Mentioned in this episode: Sub Rosa on Instagram Bird House Farmers’ Market Antoine Guerlain and Sparrowbush Farm Dave Bauer Andrew Heyn and New American Stone Mills Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

We know you’ve heard of Abuelita’s: #rvadine can’t stop talking about the delicious food coming out of Karina Benavides' and Everardo Fonseca’s temple to guisos Mexicanos. The two restaurant veterans, who are partners both in life and in love, opened a spot centered around Mexican home cooking and hospitality that is truly their own. We talk about thinking outside the “Mexican box;" the challenges involved in sticking with their vision; what it’s like being the hot new spot in Richmond; and their recent Elby nomination. Mentioned in this episode: Abuelita’s Abuelita’s Instagram Cask Cafe El Cerro Azul Pepe’s Don Pepe’s Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

017 Michelle Parrish Soul N’ Vinegar Show Notes: Nestled in the north end of Church Hill, in an area not far from some of the restaurants that helped put Richmond on the national dining map is a humble and petite food shop on a mission to feed its neighbors. Michelle Parrish talks with us about Soul N’ Vinegar, her oasis in a food desert, which serves "diverse foods for diverse peoples." Inspired by an entrepreneurial reality show and seeing friends running their own businesses, Michelle decided to take her years of culinary experience to an underserved community. She explains her journey, how she got the funds to build her business, and the secret to her vegan mayo. Mentioned in this episode: Soul & Vinegar Soul & Vinegar Instagram Amuse Secco Whisk Robinson Theater Blue Sky Fund Art 180 Oakwood Arts Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Richmond restaurant stalwart Abi Huntington, General Manager at beloved Italian-Jewish spot Dinamo, is our guest this week. Abbi cut her industry teeth at old-school Richmond haunts like Joe’s Inn and Avalon, where she started to fall for wine. Self-described as a "half-ass oenophile," she chatted with us about wine, the restaurant industry, leaving the city, confronting the new development near VCU, and confronting sexism in the wine industry. Mentioned in this episode: Dinamo on Instagram Joe’s Inn Women in Wine Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

From working together in the restaurant scene—long before Richmond was even a blip on the national food radar—to learning the ins and outs of growing food from seed up at a Northern farm, Melissa and Frayser Micou have had quite a journey to their current oasis in the city, Pomona Plants and Coffee. These past adventures inform their plant shop-cum-soda fountain-cum-coffee salon and make it one of the most thoughtfully curated spots in the city to chill. Pop in, pick a plant friend, order a beverage and a bite and feel the calming plant vibes wash over you. Trust us, it’s a lovely place to linger. Mentioned in this episode: Pomona Plants & Coffee Instagram Thicket Design Bamboo Cafe Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

014 Justin Ayotte We sat down with Justin Ayotte, beverage director of Jackson Ward’s Saison restaurant and next-door neighbor Saison Market. These two are regulars on lists of the best bars in Richmond, thanks to a well-executed drink program coupled with an easygoing environment. Born in Virginia Beach and raised in Chesterfield, Justin entered the Richmond drink scene via Capital Ale House, where he met Saison owner Jay Bayer and fell in love with beer, cocktails, and bartending. He chatted with us about how he got into the industry; how those epic drink menus come together; and what he’s drinking after work these days. Show Notes: Mentioned in this episode: Saison on Instagram Saison Market on Instagram The Jasper Mover & Shaker Co. Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

013 Vanessa Beller: A Secret Forest This episode, we wander into A Secret Forest with candy maker/magical fairy Vanessa Beller. A native of Los Angeles, Vanessa moved to Richmond less than a year ago and opened a brick and mortar biz on Broad St, giving her thriving online shop for luxe lollipops a local outpost in the arts district downtown. Show Notes: This episode, we wander into A Secret Forest with candy maker/magical fairy Vanessa Beller. A native of Los Angeles, Vanessa moved to Richmond less than a year ago and opened a brick and mortar biz on Broad St, giving her thriving online shop for luxe lollipops a local outpost in the arts district downtown. We chat about her background before taking the plunge into full time candy entrepreneur, the challenges of such a big move, what inspires her delightful creations and collaborating with her clients like local notable Chef David Shannon to burlesque icon Dita Von Teese! Also squirrels in red cloaks are the it girl of 2019. Mentioned in this episode: A Secret Forest Etsy Shop A Secret Forest Instagram L’opossum Dita Von Teese Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: It's the holidays and we are excited for treats! From holiday classics like panettone & buche de Noel to magical sugar spun lollys and electric pink pan dulces, Richmond has your holiday sweet tooth covered. Tune in to hear who is offering what and how you can represent your hometown with lovely and delicious sweet treats this season. Mentioned in this episode: Westhampton Bakery Sub Rosa Sub Rosa Instagram A Secret Forest A Secret Forest Instagram La Sabrosita La Sabrosita Instagram Craig Perkinson Southbound Mon Chou Mon Chou Instagram Chairlift Chairlift Instagram Miracle Pop Up Miracle RVA Instagram Charm School Social Club Charm School Social Club Instagram Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

011 Kate Lee After our wine episode, we figured it was time to give Richmond beer its due, and what better place to start than one of the breweries that put the Richmond beer scene on the map? Kate Lee, Vice President of Operations and Quality at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, is the woman in charge of just about everything that goes into making Hardywood beer: quality testing of everything, from the ingredients to the final product; plus all the less exciting but extremely crucial stuff like sanitation, good manufacturing practices, compliance with government standards—the list goes on. A food scientist who worked for Anheuser-Busch for over a decade before coming to Hardywood, Kate spent an afternoon chatting with us about the Richmond beer scene, Gingerbread Stout, the growth of Hardywood, her obsession with fermentation, her favorite beers around town, and her son named Porter (that’s how much she loves beer). Show Notes: Mentioned in this episode: Hardywood on Instagram Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Triple Crossing Brewery Ardent Craft Ales Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

010 Giustino Riccio IT’S OUR TENTH EP! IT’S GIUSTINO’S PIZZA! We’re screaming! Have you been to Galley Go-To in Southside to have what is one of the very best pies in Richmond, made by the charming and hilarious Giustino Riccio? Go ahead; we’ll wait. On the way you can listen to Giustino explain his pizza philosophy and how it is similar to his approach to making music. There is lots of cornicione (cor-knee-cho-ney) talk, insider dough secrets, some toppings controversy... we get deep dish up in here. Show Notes: Mentioned in this episode: Giustino Riccio on Instagram Bio Ritmo on Instagram Galley Go-To Rosie's Pizza Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

009 The Wine Jerks This week we're joined by four Richmond-area wine experts: Booth Hardy of Barrel Thief, Nathan Conway of the Metzger/Brenner Pass family, Virginia Samsel of Native Selections, and Jeremy Wilson, former wine and food director at The Jasper (now part of the staff at the Inn at Little Washington—congrats Jeremy!). Over the course of a few bottles—two great, one terrible—we talked with them about natural wine, the Richmond wine scene, good wine that's bad, bad wine that's good, and what the hell they mean when they tell you a wine is "zippy." They were not jerks at all. Show Notes: Mentioned in this episode: Barrel Thief Metzger, Brenner Pass, and Chairlift Native Selections The Jasper Early Mountain Vineyards Lightwell Survey Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Concha y Toro Guigal Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

008 Chef Lee Gregory We sit down with Lee Gregory amidst the clamor and frenzy of the first few weeks into the opening of his third restaurant, Alewife. Gregory is chef/owner/partner at well-known Richmond restaurants The Roosevelt and Southbound, and Alewife is his first solo project. We talk about how his focus on seafood has roots in both his upbringing and his growth as a young cook in Richmond, the quirky eating habits of his kids, the state of the dining scene in Richmond, and even the origin of that mysterious #rvadine hashtag, #CatalinaGregory. Show Notes: Mentioned in this episode: Lee Gregory Instagram Alewife Instagram Southbound Instagram The Roosevelt Acacia Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

We know Richmond has a lotta good food—but if you had to make a top-five list, what dishes would make the cut? In this special mini-episode, we talk RVA's most iconic foods, from Sally Bell's cupcakes to cheese Columbos to Sailor Sandwiches, and Nicole and Laura throw out a few of their personal favorite eats from around town. Chime in with your must-try dishes on social media with the hashtags #rvafamouseats and #richmondfamouspodcast. Show Notes: Mentioned in this episode: Alewife Dinamo Peter Chang Can Can Sub Rosa Boxed Lunch, the Sally Bell's Documentary Mrs Yoder's Kitchen Coppola's New York Deli The Jasper Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Richmond has quite a few restaurant families, folks for whom hard work and culinary creativity is a family affair and whose legacies are deeply tied into the food community here. The story of the Teklemariam family, who operate The Nile Ethiopian Bistro, crosses continents, the Midwest and Mid Atlantic and lands right here in Richmond. Consistency and a commitment to healthful, nutritious food inform the cuisine of The Nile, but—as you’ll hear—a deep familial connection defines it. Twin brothers Yoseph and Benyam stopped by to chat about the influence of their dynamic mother, Yeshareg Demisse; the secret behind the Nile's famous injera flatbread; and their favorite old Richmond spots. Show Notes: Mentioned in this episode: The Nile Instagram The Nile Facebook The Nile Twitter Don’t Look Back Pho Tay Do Kuba Kuba Edos Squid Ipanema Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

It’s summer! A wet and rainy summer to be sure, but that's not stopping the ice cream lovers of Richmond from queuing up at Charm School Social Club. Meryl Hillerson and Alex Zavaleta joined us to talk about how their friendship and punk ethos informs all they do at their ice cream shop. From the cheeky decor to the vegan, homemade waffle cones, these guys do it their way and we get to reap the rewards. We got down and dairy (and non-dairy!) into the sweet science of what makes their ice creams so good and why. Just one thing: no milkshakes! Mentioned in this episode: Charm School Social Club Charm School Social Club Instagram Charm School Social Club Twitter Bev’s Ice Cream Stop Light Gelato Cafe Gelati Celesti Penn State Ice Cream Course Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

004 Gold Cart Jean-Claude Van Dinner-Dance. Fire Brunch with Me. Fantasy Fair. Perhaps you attended one of these local events. If not, you should have! Meet Erik Heffernan, Liz Rosenberg, Andrea Singer-Curry and Ned Curry of Gold Cart, an unconventional catering biz that creates themed pop-ups and private parties all over Richmond (their fellow partner Will Rigsby could not make it). Show Notes: Jean-Claude Van Dinner-Dance. Fire Brunch with Me. Fantasy Fair. Perhaps you attended one of these local events. If not, you should have! Meet Erik Heffernan, Liz Rosenberg, Andrea Singer-Curry and Ned Curry of Gold Cart, an unconventional catering biz that creates themed pop-ups and private parties all over Richmond (their fifth partner, Will Rigsby, could not make it). We covered how the dining community supports creativity and camaraderie, what exactly is involved in throwing these wild events and where they like to take out-of-towners to get a Richmond experience. We even conducted a taste test of a mysterious beverage and a round of the Newlywed Game—this interview truly made us want to host a couples game show. Mentioned in this episode: Gold Cart on Instagram Gold Cart on Facebook Pasture Citizen The Roosevelt Kyle Bailey Hardywood West Creek Belmont Food Shop Bamboo Metzger Perly’s Moxie Visual Arts Center Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram

003 Bartender Lindsey Scheer If you frequent the restaurants and bars of Richmond you’ve probably been served by bartender Lindsey Scheer. Years of honing her hustle and craft has led her to the beloved palace of hospitality, Heritage, where as bar manager she is infusing her unfussy approach and joyful spirit into their drink program. Show Notes: Chances are, if you frequent the restaurants and bars of Richmond you’ve probably been served by bartender Lindsey Scheer. She started in the late 90s as a college server at Sticky Rice, then progressed to slinging shots and beers at various venues around town. Years of honing her hustle and craft has led her to the beloved palace of hospitality, Heritage, where as bar manager she is infusing her unfussy approach and joyful spirit into their drink program. We talked cocktails, the business of bartending in Richmond, and her famous Facebook list that 31,000 Richmonders use daily to find everything from a dishwasher for the night to a new apartment. She is an advocate for inclusion and education in the Richmond bar community through her work with the local United States Bartenders’ Guild and breaks down just what it is they all do. We also found out what she looks for when she’s on the other side of the bar. Get ready for the Midori renaissance! Mentioned in this episode: Lindsey Scheer Instagram Heritage Patrick Henry Pub USBG The Jasper Sticky Rice Secco Suze Midori Follow Us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

The ever talented Chauncey Jenkins, aka Chance Fischer—fresh from performing at the opening day reception at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and his recent promotion to General Manager at Lemaire—stopped by the kitchen table. We talked wine, women and song (well, not so much women, unless you count us) and what it’s like running the massive entity that is Lemaire on one of the most grueling days of the year in food and beverage: Mother’s Day. The birds were singing, the wine flowed and philosophies were shared. If you care about excellence in hospitality, early Cash Money records or Italian shoes—or you want to hear some of his music—tune in.   Mentioned in this episode: Chance Fischer Instagram Chance Fischer Twitter Chance Fischer Bandcamp Lemaire Sidewalk Cafe Metzger Master P Cash Money Fred Hammond Outkast Peter Liem Follow us: Richmond Famous Richmond Famous on Instagram Music: RF theme song: "Funky Virginia" by Sir Guy Chance Fischer tracks: "Grace" and "Candles"

Links Mentioned: Pho Tay Do vs. Pho So 1 La Cabaña Shelly's Food, Comida Latina Randall (Randy) Doetzer, former chef at Nota Bene Longoven Indie Chefs Week Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry The Roosevelt Susan Winiecki, editorial director of Richmond Magazine and half of the force behind Fire, Flour & Fork Follow Us: RichmondFamous.com @rvafamous on Instagram