Podcasts about Carytown

Plans were unveiled for a new city government building; Developer DC Blox is moving forward with plans for a data center in Henrico County; The Magnolia Green project in Chesterfield is looking to expand; and a new cafe and wine lounge opened in Carytown.

Mrs. Bee's Juice Bar moves to Jackson Ward; A new wave of townhomes is coming to Westchester Commons, and Carytown's Byrd Theatre has started replacing its balcony seats.

An apartment development that's set to add hundreds of units near the transforming Virginia Center Commons site is underway following a multimillion-dollar land deal that's been over a year in the making; A Carytown dining institution is changing hands yet again; A veteran of the local restaurant scene is stepping out on his own with a new concept; and a new indoor golf location is set to open in Midlothian.

One of the busiest developers in Scott's Addition just got the green light for its latest project in the neighborhood; VCU Health is looking to move a proposed outpatient medical center out of the Courthouse Landing development to a site nearby; A mainstay Carytown retailer moved elsewhere within the neighborhood; and a Fan restaurant space is trading pizza for matzoh balls.

Developers of Richmond's Diamond District project have been thrown a legal curveball from one of their former partners in the form of a $40 million lawsuit; As work starts on a new gateway sign for Carytown, an effort to explore a potential assessment district to fund improvements in the corridor has secured the support of Richmond City Council; and two restaurateurs – one whose experience is in the downtown dining scene, the other who hails from a Varina barbecue family – have teamed up for their latest project.

The City of Richmond says it will miss its chance at $24 million in expiring state sales tax incentives that it planned to use to help finance the Diamond District development; and a Carytown pizzeria is looking to grab a slice of the Southside for its second location. 

A virtual reality venue is plugging in as the latest entertainment-focused offering to come to Regency; A decade-plus effort to provide new signage for the entrance to Carytown has reached the finish line; A community meeting was held Monday night to field public input on what a new Mayo Bridge could look like; and what started as a way to drum up lunchtime business at a western Henrico Thai restaurant has led to a new British eatery and market in downtown Richmond.

AWadd takes us into the second hour of the show for some Flying Squirrels and VCU offseason talk as we are joined by producer Rob Hoffman. We talk about Washington Commanders off-season next as it's time for a Commander's Corner and we react to some local hosts' draft grades. Mat Shelton-Eide joins us on the show next from some VCU Basketball offseason talk as excitement for the upcoming season is growing. AWadd and Stub finish out the hour with some local Richmond news as the city ranked high on a list of top cities to live and Carytown is getting a new sign. 

In this episode, I chat with  Shelf Life Books owners Chris and Berkley McDaniel about the switch from corporate life to purchasing an indie bookshop, things to do and see in Richmond, Virginia, cats, and books!Formerly known as Chop Suey Books, Shelf Life Books is the largest independent bookstore in Richmond, VA, and has served the Richmond community for over two decades. Located in the heart of Richmond's Carytown district and owned by Chris and Berkley McDaniel, the store is staffed by long-time patrons and is a hub for local authors and book lovers alike. They offer new books on their lower level and five rooms of used books upstairs, along with their two cats, Page and Mylar. Shelf Life BooksThe Bitter Southerner Read Banned Books T-shirtsThe House is on Fire, Rachel BeanlandBooks by Seishi YokomizoFathomfolk, Eliza ChenNavola, Paolo BacigalupiAll The Colors of the Dark, Chris WhitakerMemory for Forgetfulness: August, Beirut, 1982, Mahmoud DarwishMartyr! Kaveh AkbarSupport the showThe Bookshop PodcastMandy Jackson-BeverlySocial Media Links

Richmond's decades-long effort to commemorate its history as the nation's second-largest slave market reached a milestone Tuesday with the unveiling of a new master plan for the 10-acre project in Shockoe Bottom; Another major mixed-use redevelopment is on the drawing board for Henrico's west end; A chain of biscuit-focused breakfast restaurants is on the rise locally with plans for a new spot in Carytown; and other local business stories.

With so many people resolving to make January "dry" (i.e., alcohol-free), Karen talks to Jody Sidle, the owner/operator of Point 5, a non-alcoholic bottle shop located in Carytown.

I've got two suggestions for a car-lite Carytown, neither of which will immolate one of our best, urban retail districts.

Carytown fixture Ellwood Thompson's is under new ownership; A local video game shop and arcade is leveling up in Scott's Addition, just as a related record shop is likewise planning an expansion of its own; Stony Point Fashion Park recently got the OK from the state to allow visitors to drink alcoholic beverages while they walk around the South Richmond mall; and the namesakes of a defunct Richmond-area home remodeling company are seeking legal shelter in the Mountain West seven months after abruptly shutting down their business and leaving clients and contractors in the lurch.

For at least the third time in its history, Willow Lawn is being eyed for a major transformation; A proposal being pondered by the City of Richmond could have Carytown closing off to car traffic in the coming years; and after a year in Shockoe Slip, an Italian eatery is heading west to a longtime Fan restaurant space.

The Watermelon Festival basically exists as an annual reminder that we can, in fact, close Carytown to vehicle traffic.

7/27/23 Hour 2 0:00 – Awadd breaks down the latest news from Commanders training camp 12:00 – David Teel from RTD to preview the ACC football season 22:15 – Preston Willett on UVA season preview 33:00 – Epstein and Zach discuss no cars being allowed in Carytown

Good morning, RVA! It's 59 °F, and today looks sunny and wonderful. Expect highs around 80 °F but with a lot less of yesterday's sticky humidity. Looking ahead at this week's exceedingly dry (but lovely!) forecast, and I don't know if yesterday's intermittent sprinkles cut the mustard for all of my outside plants. If I'm late for a meeting or a hangout, it's probably because I'm carrying buckets of water this way and that and lost track of time! Water cooler Cars ruin Carytown. That's just a fact! Cars make Carytown—one of Richmond's densest, most popular urban shopping districts—unsafe and way less fun. This is super apparent when events like the annual Watermelon Festival open Cary Street up to people and everyone loses their minds about how great it is (despite the inevitably sweltering heat). We could make Carytown a place for people, not cars, whenever we wanted—maybe we could even take a baby step (which is way safer on a street without cars) and start with just one Sunday a month. We choose not to do this for some frustrating reason. So if you want to publicly proclaim your frustration while supporting a good cause, you can pick up the 2023 version of the Cars Ruin Carytown T-shirt with proceeds benefiting Richmond City Safe Routes to Schools. As for who holds the levers of power to make this car-free vision an actual reality? I'd say the 1st, 2nd, and 5th District councilmembers, but only if the Carytown Merchants Association gets onboard first. If I had unlimited free time and energy to work on removing cars from Cary Street in any sort of regularly recurring way, I'd start by talking with members of the Merchants Association. While I wait for the City to update their legislative website with last night's Council votes, Jonathan Spiers at Richmond BizSense reports that they easily passed the Casino 2.0 papers, with only 2nd District's Councilmember Jordan voting against. The General Assembly still needs to sort out their feelings on the matter, but, even with that bit still undecided, I think there's an above average chance Richmonders will see another casino referendum on the ballot this November. Spiers also reports that Council approved the operating agreement for the riverfront amphitheatre, too. From my inbox: the Richmond City Democratic Committee released the (semi-surprising) result of their House District 79 and Senate District 14 straw polls ahead of next week's Primary Election. In the 79th, members picked Rae Cousins over current Councilmember Lambert, and in the 14th they chose Katie Gooch over current State Senator Bagby. Fascinating! RCDC is quick to remind you that “the results of this Straw Poll are not a formal endorsement by the Richmond City Democratic Committee, however, it should be regarded as a sign of enthusiasm from RCDC members, democratic voters and activists throughout Richmond for their respective candidates.” You can show your own signs of enthusiasm by early voting at the registrars office until Saturday at 5:00 PM, and then you can vote at your assigned polling place a week from today. Several months ago, City Council posted the Civilian Review Board staff job, and, somehow, I totally missed it. This position is “responsible for coordinating and analyzing the administrative and operational performance of programs and projects related to the Richmond Civilian Review Board.” Honestly, this is probably a pretty critical role in making sure RIchmond's CRB is as effective as possible and would, I think, require a certain type of person to successfully coordinate between the public, the CRB, the police, and the City. If that's you and you want to take the jump into public service, submit an application this week! Tonight at 6:00 PM, you can join RVA Rapid Transit at Common House (303 W. Broad Street) for their State of Transit 2023 Reception. Stop by, learn about the vision for public transportation in our region, and figure out how you can get involved in pushing us towards that vision. If you really want a gold star, you can read through RVA Rapid Transit's 2023 State of Transit report before you show up. Check out page 18 for a quick commentary on building bus stops that should sound familiar if you read last week's longread on the La Sombrita. You might be shocked by how long it takes to install a bus stop shelter! Tonight's event is free, but you should register over on the Eventbrite. This morning's longread When life threatens to become smaller, this is what I do I love Tressie McMillan Cottom's New York Times email, and in this edition she writes some advice for herself. I feel like when a brilliant, incredible person is like “here's some good advice that I try to follow” it's probably worthwhile for the rest of us regular people to listen. Having an end goal for everything I do has had an unintended effect on my choices: It has started to narrow my vision of what's possible to things that I think I can win at doing. This is why I experiment with living life outside of optimization. My job description has a version of not being the best at a few things but finding joy in doing things I am not very good at doing at all. That's why I sing. I suck at it. I love it. Here is a secret. There is no singing authority. Those cops really are in your imagination and you can evict them at any time. If you'd like to suggest a longread to show up here, go chip in a couple bucks on the ol' Patreon. Picture of the Day Still delicious after all these years.

Vendors are being sought for the Carytown Spring Market, which will take place Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2810 West Cary Street in Richmond. Interested vendors should click here to register and learn more. The deadline to apply as a vendor is Friday, April 14, and acceptance letters will be emailed by Friday, April 21. The vendor fee is , and a donation of a product is requested to be used for a raffle. For details, call (804) 683-0841 or email laurenmodelski25@gmail.com. All proceeds from the raffle and from vendor fees will benefit Area 10 Faith...Article LinkSupport the show

If you live in Richmond, VA, you need to check out TAOU Studio in Carytown. TAOU stands for "The Art of Us" and has been birthed by Katie Bosch and Kat McCrory. In this podcast episode, you will hear about their inspiration for opening the studio, the type of yoga they practice and teach, opportunities to learn alongside them, and lots of fun stories about their lives that brought them to this place in time together. Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode: Get to know Katie Bosch and Kat McCrory from TAOU Studio.  Learn how to pull ideas from the ether into 3D reality. Discover the importance of community on your self-discovery journey. Resources TAOU Studio in Carytown Upcoming trainings at TAOU in yin yoga and Katonah yoga. Sign up for Elise's Newsletter and receive a FREE PDF to start your self-compassion journey! Connect with Elise on Instagram: @elisekindya Episode Highlights [05:25] Inspiration for The Art of Us Katie and Kat came into the development of the studio not knowing each other very well.  The concept of TAOU came together in 24 hours!  Both Katie and Kat bring a lot of past experiences into the studio.  Kat's computer died the moment she emailed Katie the PDF of the proposal while at a training in Costa Rica. [08:30] Pulling A Concept from the Ether into 3D Reality Dabbling in a lot of modalities like art, body work and others to let yourself explore.  Kat sees the connection of Katonah Yoga in how to bring dreams to life.  Listen to this section to hear a story about Kat and Jimmy Fallon's lawyer.  Sometimes a hard experience makes way for powerful lessons and leads to a rebirth. [13:26] TAOU Is Offering A Series of Katonah Yoga Trainings Breaking the training into smaller bite sized chunks.  There is so much to learn about the connection of mind/body so focusing on smaller parts is important.   The magic square = the body is a home. Asking yourself questions for how to deepen your connection to your life. [16:22] Putting Yourself In The Center of Your Dream  Having patience to put everything in practice and give yourself time for things to materialize.  Not giving up on your own vision and dream.  Realizing you will still get tripped up. Putting theory into practice helps you see if your vision is really for you. Your practice is up to you, you get to decide what your practice teaches you and what is revealed to you. Katie says that every time she comes to the practice, the questions are the same but the answers are allowed to shift which feels free. [23:01] Kat and Katie Are Mirrors for Each Other  Spending more time together they found out small similarities they have. Helping each other take concepts and make them 3D. Katie and Kat play off each other and it feels easy and effortless. [24:46] TAOU As a Space For Freedom Kat tells a story about her dream of having a studio that encompasses art, movement and supporting other people. Kat wants to break yoga out of a box, it can be innovated from the root of the practice. There were obstacles in the way when Kat was trying to open other studios, before opening TAOU. People take things really seriously and make us feel small, which can limit our dreams. Sometimes curve balls prove our limiting beliefs to ourselves. Katonah helped Kat change her life. [27:29] If Katie Hadn't Shaved Her Head, TAOU Wouldn't Have Opened Katie and Kat went to a training last summer for Katonah Yoga.  2016 was a huge year for Katie, where she got her yoga teacher training as well as got inspired to become a massage therapist.  At Vitality Float Spa, Katie was inspired to massage. At the beginning of 2022, Katie shaved her head. If she hadn't shaved her head, TAOU wouldn't have opened. Katie needed to shake things up to try something new for her professsional life. She couldn't put herself in the center of her work. Kat texted Katie in the middle of her deeper shadow work of trying to figure out her next professional step. Katie had the courage to step away from Vitality, building her confidence and taking the first step. [31:29] Following The Bread Crumb Trail to Bigger Life Changes It's impactful to ask smaller questions to get to a bigger new direction. Options only matter if you trust yourself to make a new choice.  Last year was the year of stepping into something to take a risk, feel powerful and believing in ourselves. [34:44] The Woo-Woo Is Related to Observable Science  Katie and Kat sometimes feel skeptical and question everything.  Healthy skepticism is good for us.  The "right" way vs what feels good to the individual. Do you think yoga is for everyone? Katie and Kat don't think so. Everything is a practice: cooking, sex, tennis, yoga, and life. It's a tool to help you to discover yourself. What is the correct tool? [39:24] Imitate, Integrate, Innovate Make your practice work for you.  Eventually, you no longer need the teacher because you make your practice your own. Return home to yourself. Unlock doors and go somewhere different. Elise wants to also break out of the box that social work tries to put her in professionally. [42:37] The Importance of Community Getting to know each other is the point of gathering in classes.   Eye contact as an intimate practice. Making friends as an adult isn't as hard as we make it out to be sometimes. Leading by example to join people together and feel more comfortable practicing together. Embracing yourself leads to embracing other people. How to make TAOU a community space is a huge prirority for Kat and Katie. [47:02] Exciting Offerings on the Horizon  TAOU is going to Portugal in early March. Spots for this retreat are full but there will be more retreats to stay tuned about in the future.  Trainings are coming up in the studio: Yin, and 2 Katonah trainings this year. Anyone interested in deepening their yoga practice can come to the trainings. Use what you learn in yoga off the mat. [51:11] Where To Connect With TAOU  www.taoustudio.com  Instagram: @taou_studio   Wisdom comes from asking yourself questions to get the answer.  Enjoyed this Episode About The Art Of Us? If you enjoyed this podcast, please make sure to subscribe and share it! Leave an episode review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in to this episode, don't forget to leave us a review. You can also share what you've learned today with your friends to help them embody their true, authentic selves. Anything is possible when you return home to yourself.  Have any questions or lightbulb moments? I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to hit me up on Instagram or send an email at elise@elisekindya.com.  Thank you so much for listening! For more episode updates, visit my website.

Torchy's Tacos will open its second Richmond-area restaurant in February. The new location, in the recently-built Carytown Exchange shopping center, is not far from where the Austin, Texas-based taco chain's CEO and founder came into this world. "I was born at Richmond Memorial Hospital," Torchy's Tacos boss Mike Rypka told Scott and Robey on the Eat It, Virginia podcast. "We lived off of Monument Avenue. My mom and dad used to work for the Richmond newspaper. They were both journalists. My dad was a photographer. My mom was a journalist." While the family moved to Northern Virginia about five years later, Rypka said he had "crazy memories" of his time in Richmond. Fortunately for Torchy's fans, Rypka found his way into the kitchen where a variety of experiences led him to start a taco truck in Texas. After a few years, Rypka's idea grew from a truck to a single restaurant to now more than 100 Torchy's Tacos across the U.S. The Short Pump location opened in January and a Midlothian location will join the Carytown spot later this year. Learn more about Rypka's journey from Richmond to Texas Taco King on this episode of Eat It, Virginia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Covid virus has another spike in China, there has been a run on canned peaches. Many people think the peaches have some sort of medicinal effect on taming the virus—which they don't. Then, an anti-LGBTQ billboard arrives in Richmond, VA. Angry residents of the progressive Carytown neighborhood made quick work at removing it. Finally, there is a warning about lead in dark chocolate, but don't worry.Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrCSpotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1iHeart Radio: bit.ly/2n0Z7H1Tunein: bit.ly/1SE3NMbStitcher: bit.ly/1N97ZquGoogle Podcasts: bit.ly/1pQTcVWPandora: pdora.co/2pEfctjYouTube: bit.ly/1spAF5aAlso follow Tim and John on:Facebook: www.facebook.com/focusgroupradioTwitter: www.twitter.com/focusgroupradioInstagram: www.instagram.com/focusgroupradio

I fully support mass public gatherings of silly things.

Today's interview is with a visual artist many here in Richmond simply know as Oura, or Mister Oura. For the past few decades, Oura Sananikone's illustrative and graphic art an d characters have been a fixture in the Richmond, VA art scene, working across mediums from everything from zines to toys. And recently, with friend Cody, opened the Toy Lair shop in Carytown, here in Richmond, VA. So it was exciting to get to talk to Oura, and get insight into the person behind the art, how working across mediums comes into practice, and the way one structures their life to be a working artist, while maintaining personal balance and health.

Christine Wansleben cut her teeth in the fine dining world of New York City before opening Richmond cooking school Mise En Place in Shockoe Slip. "Danny Meyer was opening two restaurants [in New York City] and I had the opportunity to apply. Then I got accepted and I joined the opening team at Eleven Madison Park," Wansleben said about her time in New York. "I felt it was something I couldn't pass up. One to work for a Danny Meyer establishment. And to work in a restaurant where everything is top of the line and there's anticipation." After years in the city, Wansleben was looking for a slower, more family-friendly pace of life and a friend recommended Richmond. "We moved here in 2001. So in 2000, we started checking out the food scene, I started subscribing to Richmond Magazine, checking out the top caterers because we figured that it had a decent enough food scene at the time that we could both come down and get jobs." Wansleben landed a steady catering gig with Tuffy Stone at A Sharper Palate. "He was great," she said about her time with Tuffy. "Not only do so many great food professionals and chefs come through there and help out, but it also allowed me to learn Richmond and what people like to eat." She also got the opportunity to teach others what she learned over the years in kitchens big and small. "Tuffy would often teach classes at Complete Gourmet in Carytown and there would be times when he couldn't do it," Wansleben said. "So he would ask either myself or sometimes one of my co-chefs to go and teach it for him. And that's what inspired me to look into opening Mise En Place." Now nearly 20 years later, Mise En Place has cemented itself as one of Richmond's best places to take a cooking class by yourself, with a friend, or as a corporate team-building excerise.   Learn more about Mise En Place and Diner En Blanc on this episode of Eat It, Virginia!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aline and Dale Reitzer have owned three Richmond restaurants, in three different Richmond neighborhoods, over the course of three decades.  Acacia in Carytown served guests from 1998 thru 2007. In December 2008, the Reitzers opened a new Acacia near the Fan on Cary and Robinson. That location closed just before the pandemic in 2020. "Everyone thought we were geniuses because we closed right before the pandemic, which was purely by luck," chef Dale Reitzer, who has been honored with multiple James Beard Award nominations, said. "But now we're picking probably the worst time to construct a restaurant. So I think it's come back to even the playing field out." The Reitzers are in the construction phase of a new Acacia restaurant, this time at Libbie Mill. They hope to have Acacia midtown open by the end of the year.  But Acacia isn't the couple's only claim to food fame.  Aline Reitzer started Richmond Restaurant Week as a way to raise awareness about the city's restaurants and raise money for the food bank. "I grew up in New Jersey and being in the restaurant business when New York Restaurant Week started, you could go to Union Pacific and all these amazing restaurants and you know what you're going to spend, and it was affordable, and you get to try these restaurants," Aline Reitzer said. "In 2001, I brought on nine local restaurants. They sat on our porch overlooking Carytown and I pitched the idea to them. I knew that Richmond was a very charitable and giving community. I knew that you couldn't just say, 'Hey, it's Restaurant Week, go out to eat and support the restaurants.' So I wanted to line up this opportunity with Central Virginia Food Bank [now Feed More]. So restaurateurs are feeding the general public on every given day and this money would then, in turn, feed those in need."  Richmond Restaurant Week run October 24-30.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you could drink a beer while walking around Carytown?

Tonight, Richmond City council members are going to be briefed on an ongoing controversy regarding police transparency; Carytown locals say now is the time to close the area to cars; Virginia ranked 13th among states where COVID-19 is spreading the fastest on a per-person basis; and other local news stories.

This week opens with a bunch of closings.

Adam Kravitz joins to promote the upcoming album premier performance at The Byrd Theatre in Richmond's Carytown on September 10th, 3:30PM. He also discusses playing with Crowbar, amp and gear talk, playing theatre shows, their new album Kybalion, vegetarian fake meat, a precise run down of Adams amp collection, Michael Ilig and the club kid scene of New York in the 90s, Adams original bands Gritter and The Diseased, playing with COC and Gwar, and some TV talk about Wheel Of Time, Battlebots, House of the Dragon, The Sandman, Inside The Mind Of A Cat, and Unlikely Animal Friendships. Tickets available here> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/futureprojektor -performing-the-new-release-the-kybalion-at- the-byrd-theatre-tickets-381977935287 Steve and James can be found at https://www.mlmpod.com

Stop #20: Babes of Carytown. Babes of Carytown, or Babe's for short, has been around since 1979. These are the stories of the humans that run it and the humans that call it a home. Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!-Want to support Cruising? Join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/cruisingpod-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!-For more Cruising adventures, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok-For a transcription of this episode, visit www.cruisingpod.com/episodes-Like our theme song and music? Subscribe to our composer Joey Freeman's work HERE!-Cover art by Finley Martin. Like what you see? Check out her work HERE!-Cruising is reported and produced by Sarah Gabrielli, Rachel Karp, and Jen McGinity. Theme song by Joey Freeman. Cover Art by Finley Martin.-Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, HondaSupport the showSupport the show

William and Jeff sit down with Mike Brandt and Chris Sarnoski at Garden Grove Brewing in the Carytown district of RVA.  Listen in as they share the stories behind names like Big Kid Juicebox, Collusion and Innocence & Dreams among others.@namesontaps@gardengrovebrewing

Happy New Year!! To start off, let's dive into a local new years day murder of the Harvey family. This family owned World of Myrth, a fun toy store in Carytown who was brutally murdered in their home on New Year's Day. If you enjoyed this, feel free to subscribe and follow Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecrimecollection Twitter https://twitter.com/CollectionCrime Get to know the real me! https://www.youtube.com/c/KristaCorson Stalk me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kristacorson Thank you so so much for the support! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/crimecollection/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/crimecollection/support

To celebrate the end of our first season, we are featuring our best guest yet…YOU!!! That's right, prepare yourself for the STREETCAST! With nothing more than a 1/64-size violin, a whiteboard, and a few microphones, we set up shop in Carytown hoping to chat with passers-by about the wild  world of symphonic music. And we couldn't be more thrilled with the results! We ended up chatting with six wonderful guests, who shared everything from their experience with classical music to their hot takes on Star Wars movies. And we are honored to report, all of them could name at least three composers! (win)Highlights include: The debut of official "Can Someone Give Me An  A?" hilarious hype-man:  Monty Thomas (who is potentially Zoe's cousin)First-time reactions to Gustav Holst's "The Planets"The revelation of Matt's super secret favorite song (hint: it involves a 1997 box office hit...shhhhhhhhh!)Thanks for hanging with us this season. We couldn't have done it without you :) Can't wait to talk your ears off again!Announcements:Giving Tuesday is November 30th! Support the Richmond Symphony by visiting www.richmondsymphony.com/givingtuesday OR text "SYMPHONY" to 50155Got a burning question? Email us at podcast@richmondsymphony.com with the subject line "Question of the Week" and we might answer your question in a future episode. (Please be sure to indicate if you are comfortable with your name being shared.) All questions welcome!See ya next season! :)

This one-night stand will never end. (Rated PG-13 for Dance Floor Makeouts and Hawaiian Dad Shirts) 29:15 | Comedy, Romance LOGLINE Two independent women end up at the same dance club on one fateful night. One takes a chance and dances her way towards love. Both are quick to learn lessons in patience, trust, and open communication. STORYLINE The story begins on a sweaty dance floor at Babe's in Virginia. Sam has just moved from Texas. Her previous military training has her loving structure but wanting something new and more representative of her identity as a queer woman. As she looks around the club, her eyes fix on a beautiful woman, Amber, wearing her best “vacation dad” Hawaiian T-shirt. The two dance, exchange names, and a dizzying kiss before Amber leaves with Sam after some encouragement from her friends. After a couple of dates, Sam makes it clear she may not stay in town for long. This prompts Amber to face some exciting but terrifying questions about her own growth and willingness to be with Sam despite the unknown. The deal is finally sealed once Sam's cat moves in with Amber, and Amber accepts that she will be part of that couple pushing a cat in a stroller down the city block. The two realize that they can both work on their own identities and self growth while being in a committed and happy relationship with each other. Due to great and open communication, they are always on the same page. So, after the blessing of their family and friends, Sam and Amber get engaged and then eloped in their easy, breezy, and fun way. Not even a run in with an ex at a local bar the night before could stop them. Because both Sam and Amber see the value in always going for what you want on and off the dance floor. PLOT KEYWORDS Love, Romance, Dating Podcasts, Podcasts for Couples, Engagement, Communication, Lesbian, Queer, Family, Cats, Strollers, Virginia, Texas, Dancing QUOTES “We have good dance chemistry.” - Sam “Can I look past the level of insanity that goes with a woman pushing a cat in a stroller down the street in a city?” - Amber “I had to open my idea to what my future was going to be like if this continued.” - Amber. FUN FACT Babe's of Carytown, where Sam + Amber met, is an LGBTQ owned and operated establishment that has been in business for 32 years. They've been voted Best of Richmond multiple times and in multiple categories. They're now in the Best of Richmond Hall of Fame. CREATOR Kassandra M. Pollard WRITERS Sam + Amber (Story), Kassandra (Script) STARRING Sam, 32, a former military medic and Richmond transplant who is ready to dance her way to adventure Amber, 29, a Richmond local who is ready for a change, some soul searching, and maybe the cat she never thought she'd get FEATURING • Gavin Brady as Movie Trailer Announcer Voice (Trailer) • Debbie Rolf as Sam (Trailer) • Rachanee Lumayno as Amber (Trailer) • Laura Rondinella as Friend (Trailer) • Sam and Amber's Stroller Cat SOUNDTRACKS Music by DanoSong MORE LIKE THIS MEET CUTE ACTUALLY A Damsel with Some Stress SHOW US SOME LOVE Give Us a Review | Follow Us On Instagram | Submit Your Own Story --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/meetcuteactually/message

Oh haay episode 9 here! First I chat a little about coincidences, my favorite dinner I've eaten all year, and fun new cocktails we made over the weekend. Then I pop right into a new mart culture segment on Tokyo Market in Carytown! Listen for my review on the products I bought and also the mart as a whole. See ya next week bitches!! Xoxo gray --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gray-fultz/support

Tiffany Smith, Owner of The Virginia Shop, joined me live on The I Love CVille Show! The I Love CVille Show headlines (Thursday, Sept 24) 1. Dr. Tarron Richardson explains that working alongside Mayor Nikuyah Walker and Councilor Heather Hill was extremely difficult and one of the reasons he is departing as city manager of Charlottesville, Virginia. https://www.c-ville.com/on-the-record-departing-city-manager-tarron-richardson-reflects-on-tumultuous-tenure/ 2. Secret Audio Recordings: Former CVille Fire Chief Andrew Baxter secretly recorded outgoing Charlottesville City Manager Dr. Tarron Richardson to try and set the record straight. https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/grant-funding-paves-way-for-city-to-hire-15-firefighters-but-opens-old-wounds/article_bc497e98-cb43-5df5-a36b-f412b8a76bfb.html#tracking-source=home-top-story 3. Albemarle County Fire & Rescue gets $1.9 million in funding for staffing. https://www.nbc29.com/2020/09/24/albemarle-county-fire-rescue-receives-grant-funding-firefighter-staff/ 4. UVA's Clemons Library closes for the second time in four days due to low mask compliance. https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2020/09/clemons-library-closes-for-the-second-time-in-four-days-due-to-low-mask-compliance 5. Carytown in Richmond is seeing restaurants close forever, including national brands. Jimmy John's, Panera Bread and Dunkin Donuts have all closed in Carytown. https://richmondbizsense.com/2020/09/24/jimmy-johns-sandwich-shop-chain-slices-carytown-location/ 6. How do we do Halloween in a Covid-19 landscape? https://www.npr.org/2020/09/24/916166310/no-trick-or-treat-americans-get-creative-to-celebrate-halloween-safelyhttps://www.npr.org/2020/09/24/916166310/no-trick-or-treat-americans-get-creative-to-celebrate-halloween-safely 7. Covid impacts Olive Garden's New York City Time Square location by 94% https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/24/pandemic-slashes-sales-at-olive-gardens-times-square-location-by-94percent.html 8. UVA President Jim Ryan's new travel restrictions do not apply to the UVA Football team or its coaches and staff. https://www.nbc29.com/2020/09/23/uva-travel-restrictions-will-not-affect-athletes-coaches-athletic-staff/ 9. Big-time weekend for college football. Here are some games that matter: https://www.espn.com/college-football/schedule The I Love CVille Show airs live before a worldwide audience Monday – Friday from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on The I Love CVille Network. The I Love CVille Show is powered by four generation strong Intrastate Inc., trusted limo company Camryn Limousine, the talented Dr. Scott Wagner of Scott Wagner Chiropractic and Sports Medicine, custom home builder John Kerber of Dominion Custom Homes and entrepreneur Patricia Boden Zeller's Animal Connection – All Natural Store for Healthy Pets.

American Rambler talks about some new albums he got at Plan 9 Records in in Carytown in Richmond. Carytown seems to be losing businesses steadily, but Plan 9, thankfully, is still open. Yesterday, Colin picked up music from Margo Price, Blaze Foley, King Curtis, and King Biscuit Boy. The band County Kitchen takes us out with the song "Devil Dog," set in the old blues town of Helena, Arkansas.

Good morning, RVA! It’s 75 °F, and today looks hot and humid. Back when we still sat next to people at things, this was the time of year where I did my part to normalize showing up at meetings sweaty and smelly from riding a bike.Water coolerAs of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports 354↘️ new positive cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth and 0↘️ new deaths as a result of the virus. VDH reports 27↘️ new cases in and around Richmond (Chesterfield: 11, Henrico: 4, and Richmond: 12). Since this pandemic began, 241 people have died in the Richmond region. Alert! Most likely these numbers are garbage, and you shouldn’t pay too much attention to them. A holiday weekend probably means low reporting—in fact, some states just didn’t report at all—which then means spikier data over the next couple of days. So take today’s numbers with a grain of salt, too.I didn’t get a chance (yet) to listen to yesterday’s meeting of Council’s Organizational Development committee, which includes all nine Council members. The video, is, however, online for those of us that are willing to spend 90 minutes of their lives listening to this sort of thing. Given some the comments that flew by, it sounds like at least parts of it were interesting / entertaining. Coming out of that meeting, 5th District Councilmember Lynch put together a good thread about the police reform legislation currently floating around on Council’s agenda. You can see all of it over on the GMRVA Ordinance Tracker, and I’ve tagged the applicable cards with “Police reform.” Because of how our system of local government works, a lot of these papers are resolutions that boil down to City Council asking the Mayor’s administration to do a thing (i.e. create reports on asset forfeiture and the Richmond Police Department’s budget, set up a Marcus Alert work group, get the police to stop using chemical weapons). Remember: City Council can pass laws (ordinances) and it can ask the Mayor in a non-binding way to change his administration’s policies (resolutions). For meaningful police reform, we’ll need both the City Council and the Mayor to get on the same page, pulling in the same direction.Related to the weird structure of our local government, the Mayor said a thing at yesterday’s COVID-19 presser that I wish he’d say more often: “Though I do not have the power to declare an eviction moratorium in Richmond, what we can do is provide direct support to the residents who need that support the most.” When it comes down to it, the Mayor’s authority, in a lot of ways, is pretty limited. Which is why using the office’s bully pulpit—and saying things outloud—needs to be a frequently-used tool in the toolbox. P.S. If you’re facing eviction or need financial help to stay in your home, check out this list of resources on the City’s website.Whoa: Mike Platania at Richmond BizSense says that a developer is looking to raze the Southern States silos on the southern side of the river in favor of some sort of mixed-use development. I’m sure getting rid of the silos will make some folks mad, but, I dunno? They’re big, ugly, vacant structures sitting directly on the riverfront? Some of Richmond’s Riverfront Plan (PDF) does involve trails and connections around that property, and we should take care to maintain or even accelerate implementation of those.Also from Richmond BizSense, Jack Jacob has the news that Need Supply Co. will “wind-down its business and operations in an orderly fashion.” I know Need is not the same place that I bought old jeans from when I was in high school in the 90s, but, dang, it’s weird for me to imagine a Carytown without it. Do high school kids in the 20s even hang out at Carytown anymore? Anyway, Jacobs also says Carytown is going through a “shakeup of the neighborhood brought on by the pandemic and other factors.” I think that’s mostly true given the inside dining and retail focus of the district. Here’s a thought: There has never been a better time to close that street to car traffic and give shops and restaurants more space to safely attract more customers.Do you want to see who in Virginia got federal Paycheck Protection Program loans? John Reid Blackwell at the Richmond Times-Dispatch breaks down the regional data, which I could not get to download from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website for whatever reason. Blackwell says over 2,300 local businesses got PPP money, and if you scroll down in that piece you’ll see a list of the largest loans. Is that a lot? Is it…good? I have no idea, but I guess it’s interesting? The RTD also put together a table of those Richmond region businesses that you can cmd+F through, if, like me, you can’t tap on the Treasury’s .CSV file.I thought these overhead drone photos of the Lee statues and the newly-added context filtered by color were pretty incredible. What a cool idea, and you can snatch up a print for $25 on the aforelinked website.The Richmond City Health District will host a community COVID-19 testing event today at Diversity Thrift (1407 Sherwood Avenue) from 9:00–11:00 AM. You need to call 804.205.3501 to make a reservation. This is late notice, and I apologize! If you need a test and can’t make it today, the health district folks will also be out at the Powhatan Community Center (5051 Northampton Street) on Thursday, July 9th. Honestly, if you need a test and aren’t sure what to do, give that hotline a call regardless.Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who signed up for the Good Morning, RVApatreon yesterday or increased their existing patronage. I am absolutely overwhelmed with all of the good vibes and feel affirmed in my decision to take this thing to the next level. One small logistical note: If you are a new or existing patron and did not get an invite to the GMRVA Slack, please shoot me an email and we’ll get that figured out.This morning’s longreadHow the World’s Most Venomous Fish Convinced Me to Stop Working Myself to DeathNothing brings your life into focus like stepping on a deadly fish while surfing.But as the wave petered out and my board skimmed to a standstill in the shallows, I jumped into the water and landed, heel first, on something that felt like a staple gun. I would have mistaken the pain for a run-in with a jagged patch of reef, only it seemed to be getting worse by the second. I stopped paddling, sat up on my board and pulled my tingling foot in close to my face, like you see baboons do in nature documentaries. My foot looked like a foot, and I couldn’t figure out what had happened. Then I saw Zac screaming my name and power paddling toward me. What did he know that I didn’t? He wrapped his arm around my waist and snatched my ankle from my hands. “OK, listen to me,” he said. I’d never seen him look stern before. He squeezed my heel and a little stream of blood trickled from a tiny red dot under my foot. “Yep, that’s what I thought; you’ve stepped on a stonefish, man.”If you’d like your longread to show up here, go chip in a couple bucks on the ol’ Patreon.

Good morning, RVA! It’s 72 °F again, but, today, highs should stay out of upper 90s. Expect at growing chance of rain throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Saturday looks hot, but Sunday looks pretty A+.Water coolerAs of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports 951 new positive cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth and 17 new deaths as a result of the virus. VDH reports 106 new cases in and around Richmond (Chesterfield: 60, Henrico: 13, and Richmond: 33). Since this pandemic began, 195 people have died in the Richmond region. Remember that today most of the region moves into Phase Two of the Governor’s plan for recovery. This means a lot of things, but, mostly, that 50 folks can gather together with the proper social distancing and masks and sanitization and so on. After the Governor announced the move into Phase Two (which still, at this moment in time, has not made it to the State’s recovery website), I was pretty confused about what business were supposed to do who could now open to 50% of their capacity but that 50% capacity was more than 50 people. Turns out, I’m not the only with questions! Lane Kizziah at the Richmond Times-Dispatch says the Dominion Raceway in Spotsylvania was also confused and had planned to hold a race on Saturday with upwards of 1,200 folks. Turns out, they’re only allowed 50 spectators not 50% of potential spectators. I don’t blame them for misunderstanding the guidance. It’s a 41-page PDF, and, despite what you read in this email, people generally don’t love looking through massive PDFs. I think this quote from the racetrack’s sales manager also speaks to the lack of lead time businesses were given before the upshift into Phase Two: "We had a plan on Monday, and it changed on Tuesday…The governor’s information came out on Wednesday, and we changed again. Now it’s Thursday, and it appears we’re changing again.”Yesterday, the Governor gave a speech about why he’s now ordered the removal of the Robert E. Lee monument, which you can read as prepared here. Listen, I don’t think it’s always super helpful to criticize folks on how the end up doing the right thing, but this speech from the Governor didn’t do it for me. Northam continued veneration of Robert E. Lee, calling him “wise,” quoting him in a positive light, and perpetuating the myth of the kindly General Lee. Here, for context and so we remember, is a quote from Lee on slavery: “I think it however a greater evil to the white man than to the black race, & while my feelings are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more strong for the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially & physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope will prepare & lead them to better things.” Whitewashing Lee, even just a little, does not help destroy the Lost Cause narrative and gives space, even just a little, for White supremacy to work. The rest of the Governor’s speech was fine, although this bit makes me wonder what changed for him over the last seven days: “What do you say when a six-year-old African American little girl looks you in the eye, and says: What does this big statue mean? Why is it here?” Take a minute to read Michael Paul Williams’s column which is both more and less cynical. I enjoy this quote from one of John Mitchell Jr.’s descendants about what Mitchell Jr. would say today: “I think he would say ‘I told you so.’” Anyway, the Department of General Services has been asked to come up with a plan to get rid of the thing as soon as possible—which, if I were to make an uneducated guess, would be measured in weeks, not days.Locally, it looks like we’ve got the necessary votes on City Council to approve Mayor Stoney and Councilmember Jones’s ordinance to take down the rest of the Confederate monuments on Monument Avenue. 1st District Councilmember Addison’s announcement that he’d join as a co-patron to the paper made the YESes a majority, and Mark Robinson at the Richmond Times-Dispatch says that 3rd District Councilmember Hilbert will also join the supporters. That leaves Councilmember Larson (4th District, undecided), Councilmember Gray (2nd District, supports a “thoughtful and deliberative process that is inclusive and unifies people” aka undecided), and Councilmember Trammell (8th District, did not return Robinson’s calls).Pandemic, Confederate monuments, and yet each night still people take to the streets to protest and demand police and criminal justice reform. It’s been seven consecutive nights! The RTD’s Sabrina Moreno has a good thread of last night’s protest at RPD’s Fourth Precinct on Chamberlayne Avenue and, also with the RTD, Chris Suarez has a few shots from Carytown. At any other time, hundreds of people sitting in front of the police precinct—heck, hundreds of people on Chamberlayne Avenue for any reason at all—would have made for headline news. As we work through the civic process to make these protestors' demands into laws and policies, do not forget that they are still out there each and every night.Last night, I hopped on a wonderfully helpful call set up by the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Projectabout two of the reforms sought by protestors that you’ve probably heard about: the Marcus Alert and a Community Review Board (or, Civilian Review Board, but, like, aren’t cops civilians, too?). I’m still trying to wrap my head around CRBs, but you can read about how RTAP—the local experts on this—views the issue over on their website. Two things I heard loud and clear on the call: 1) the Richmond community, especially those who suffer the impacts of over and inequitable policing, should decide for itself the details of any future CRB, and 2) if the CRB needs subpoena power (a massive difference between Oakland’s and Charlottesville’s), the General Assembly will have to change some state laws. Both of those two things will take time, and I’m interested in how to balance that reality with the demand for immediate action from the Mayor. Your homework for the weekend: Learn more by reading through the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement website.Richmond Animal Care & Control, which found a cow on the Northside a couple days ago, found an actual bear downtown yesterday? /r/rva has a video of it chilling on the Northbank trail before it found its way down to 5th Street. NATURE IS RETURNING ETC.This morning’s longreadThe Antiracism Starter KitI found this Antiracism Starter Kit helpful, especially the four stages of becoming antiracist: 1) Awareness, 2) Education, 3) Self Interrogation, and 4) Community Action. Here’s an excerpt from the Self Interrogation stage and a bit about why it’s important to do this internal work first before rushing out to get involved.In this stage, you start to ask yourself the hard questions that start the process of you identifying, unpacking, and dismantling the ways in which your past and present behaviors are perpetuating white supremacy in the same ways that relate to what you’ve seen manifested during the education stage of becoming antiracist. You do the work laid out in this stage because there is no way for you to stop engaging in these behaviors without identifying them within your personal patterns of behavior in the first place. And there is no way for you to actually enter into the community action stage without potentially causing great harm to Black, Indigenous, and People Color with your continued perpetuation of white supremacy due to your unchanged behaviors.If you’d like your longread to show up here, go chip in a couple bucks on the ol’ Patreon.

Sharon and Andy Azula had an idea. They dreamed of creating fun, maybe silly things, for kids that would make certain moments in children’s lives more special. They wanted to bring parents and children together. They also wanted to find a way to start giving back. So after many years in advertising and several years raising their children, they are finally taking a crack at making this one idea, their dream, come true.When their twins started losing their teeth, Sharon & Andy realized they weren’t prepared for the Tooth Fairy! They borrowed a tooth pillow from a neighbor. It was thick and lumpy with a tiny pocket for the tooth and prize. Plus, it was shaped like a tooth. The experience definitely left something to be desired.When they looked for something better, they couldn’t find anything they, or the kids, liked.And so became The Tooth Brigade. Ollie, Blue, and Potato are three unlikely heroes who set out on a fun-filled adventure. They trudged through the Sticky Swamp, bravely crossed Crocodile Creek and finally climbed to the tippy top of Tippy Top Mountain. All to help their new friend, the Tooth Fairy.Each member of The Tooth Brigade has been designed to be the perfect tooth pillow for you, your child, and the Tooth Fairy!The tooth pillows are flat enough to fit perfectly under your child’s pillow.Their arms, legs, horns, and ears make it easy to find and grab.The mouths are big enough to fit larger Tooth Fairy fingers and there’s plenty of room for notes or prizes.Each Tooth Brigade member comes with a ticket – good for a missing tooth – because sometimes after a tooth falls out, it gets lost, or swallowed or falls down a sink!The Tooth Brigade plush tooth pillow and book launch for presale on November 6th, and a portion of proceeds benefit charities that provide dental care to children in need.BBGB in Carytown is hosting a Launch Celebration on Saturday, November 9th at 1pm. Orders placed during the Pre-Launch can be picked up in-person at BBGB on the 9th.If you'd like to be notified when pre-sales start, sign up for emails at thetoothbrigade.com

William and Jeff sit down with Mike Brandt and Chris Sarnoski at Garden Grove Brewing in the Carytown district of RVA. Listen in as they share the stories behind names like Big Kid Juicebox, Collusion and Innocence & Dreams among others.@namesontaps@gardengrovebrewing

Beth Dixon has a long and storied history in Richmond restaurants. Her path to bar manager at Perch in Richmond's Scott Addition started inconspicuously enough nearly 20 years ago at Texas Roadhouse near Virginia Center Commons. But it was her next stop as a "cocktail waitress in a wing bar" that helped propel Dixon in Richmond's beverage and hospitality industry. In addition to meeting future award-winning chef Brittanny Anderson (Brenner Pass, Metzger Bar and Butchery) at Buffalo Wing Wings, Dixon studied the bartenders, asked questions, and learned how to make the popular shooters of the day. When Dixon joined the team that opened Can Can Brasserie in Carytown, she was able re-create some of those shooters the fancier bartenders were less accustomed to making. Then, one fateful night, Can Can's regular bartender was a no show. "Here I am a cocktail waitress from a wing bar," Dixon recalled. "There was a manager there who had come down from New York and I told him I wanted to bar tend. He had a bartender who didn't show up one night and he said, 'Here's your chance. Sink or swim.' And I swam." On this episode of Eat It, Virginia!, Dixon shared with Scott and Robey stories from behind the bar including her experience working while pregnant and the transition from Pasture to Perch. She also discussed some do’s and don’ts for home bartenders, the best things customers can do you help their bartenders, and what it means to a homesteader in Richmond. People, places, and products mentioned in this podcast: Brandon Peck Brittanny Anderson Buffalo Wild Wings Can Can Brasserie Fire Flour & Fork Heritage Jason Alley Joe Sparatta Legend Brewing Company Lemaire Lindsey Scheer Michele Jones Mike Ledesma Pasture Safe Bars Texas Roadhouse

There are places in Richmond that change the game. The Jasper, a nearly two-year-old bar in Carytown that promises "full pours and honest prices," is one of those places. The Richmond bartender power trio behind the The Jasper -- Mattias Hagglund (former co-owner of Heritage), Thomas Leggett, and Brandon Peck (both formerly of The Roosevelt) -- appeared on the Eat It, Virginia! podcast to talk about the biggest surprises they've faced, the changes they've made since opening The Jasper, their current favorite drinks, and separate paths they took that led them to find each other. "Tee [Thomas Leggett] and I had been talking about trying to do something for years," Hagglund told Scott Wise and Robey Martin on the Eat It Virginia! podcast. "We looked at a number of spaces around town over the course of three or four years. After Heritage, our other partner Kevin Liu -- who owns Carytown Cupcakes -- found out that this space [3113 W Cary Street] was becoming available and reached out to us and was like 'hey, I know y'all are trying to do something, I have the beginnings of this weirdo idea for a bar, let's see if we can find a way to make it work." The weirdo idea was to open a bar in a state where liquor laws were created to dissuade business owners from doing just that. Virginia law dictates "a minimum 45 percent of the total gross sales must be from food and nonalcoholic beverages. Conversely, alcohol sales should comprise no more than 55 percent of these sales." That could be a difficult threshold to meet for an establishment with a focus on craft cocktails and whose menu is "aimed at satisfying the hunger you get when you're having a drink." "We serve a ton more drinks than we do food generally," Hagglund said. "It's an usual concept for Virginia because we do focus more on being a bar than anything else, as such I think it's been something where we've had to learn new efficiencies and ways to handle volume that we maybe aren't quite used to." So far, it's worked. Garden & Gun magazine. named The Jasper one of the "The South's best new bars" and the bar's Christmas-themed Miracle in Carytown nights produced lines that stretched down the block. Despite their success, the owners of The Jasper still feel a bit misunderstood. "One big super important quality of this bar going into opening this place was that this can be anybody's bar," Brandon Peck said. "We like to think we have something for everybody, from a really cool wine list, to cheap canned beer, to cool cocktails, we're open until 2 a.m. every single day. We want to be a bar for everybody and I think a lot of people have this misconception that we are a speakeasy which is kind of funny because we have big wide open windows and a sign that says 'bar' outside." Other topics discussed on the podcast include places -- other than Popeyes -- to grab a killer chicken sandwich and our Eat It, Virginia! podcast sommelier Booth Hardy from Barrel Thief explains why he's pairing Shooting Star Creamery's Aries sheep's milk cheese with vin jaune. Send Scott and Robey your podcast questions and feedback. People, places, and products mentioned in this podcast: Barrel Thief Wine Shop & Café Booth Hardy Carytown Carytown Cupcakes Copycat Co. Fire, Flour & Fork Heritage Hot Chick RVA La Bete Food Truck LOWCO Eatery Reservoir Distillery Saison Shooting Star Creamery The Chicken Box The Roosevelt Virago Spirits Virginia Spirits

One of Virginia's finest restaurants is in what some might consider an unusual spot for a destination-worthy dining experience. But that is the case at Short Pump Town Center in far western Henrico County where Sandeep "Sunny" Baweja's Indian restaurant Lehja delights diners and racks up awards for both its mouth-watering dishes and expertly curated wine list. "Our first thought was either [opening] in Carytown or the Fan," Sunny said when asked about choosing the location of his restaurant. "After looking for a location for a few months, we could not find the one which we liked. The one [we're looking for] should have parking space and the square, the design of the restaurant is supposed to be." On his first trip to Short Pump Town Center, he knew he found the right place. "[Mall management] was so excited. They wanted to bring an ethnic place to the town center and they wanted something local," Sunny said. "It just worked out to perfection." On this week's episode of Eat It, Virginia! the James Beard nominated chef talks about his childhood in India and the decisions he made as a young man that put him on the path that eventually brought him to the United States and eventual open Lehja -- a restaurant named Richmond's Restaurant of the Year by Richmond Magazine. "I'm lucky this is my passion and profession at the same time," Sunny said. "I enjoy every single thing. If I'm in the kitchen, I want to give 100 percent. If I'm at the bar, I want to make sure you tell this is the best drink... I love it all." Subscribe to Eat It, Virginia! on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the pod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Places Mentioned on the Podcast Lehja Nawab Indian Cuisine Short Pump Town Center Acacia ZZQ Jason Alley Jimmy Snead Dale Ritzer Mel Oza Eat It, Virginia! Robey Martin Scott Wise

Weekend, Workaholics, Taking the weekend for granted, & More. Go do yourself a favor and eat at East Coast Provisions (https://eastcoastrva.com) in CaryTown, RVA. This episode brought to you by Brew Pub Jerky (https://brewpubjerky.com)! Type code "Hurricane" at the check out to support our show.

Kelli's in Carytown to grab coffee with Amy Black. Amy's been in Richmond for 20 years and has been tattooing for 18 of those. Today she's got a full schedule of appointments ranging from full back or arm designs to mastectomy tattoos for breast cancer survivors.

Kelli's in Carytown to grab coffee at Ellwood Thompson'swith Bert Arens. Bert's the Catering Manager at Ellwood's, a position she's been in for about six months, she's been in Richmond since the 80's though when she attended VCU. She was a big part of organizing National Coffee (with Strangers) Day but doesn't need much coffee herself, she's naturally got a ton of energy.

Ken talks to people in Carytown about faith. Also, find out what to expect in the next 5 episodes on Living with the Moons. 

For many years now, World of Mirth has been an iconic part of the Carytown neighborhood, here in Richmond, Virginia. packed full of curiosities for minds of all ages, it's existence has brought both continued life to Carytown, and excitement to any whom enter it's location. And For the past decade of it's existence, Thea Brown has been the woman charged with keeping those shelves stocked with fun and unique items, as well as managing it's day to day operations. In this episode we will talk with Thea about how she got involved with world of mirth, what she looks for in finding the products that make up the stores inventory, and keeping up the legacy the store earned, after the passing of it's founder, Kathryn Harvey.

Kelli's at the Byrd Theatre in Carytown as the speaker for January's Creative Mornings event. The title of her talk is The Mystery of The Why.

Kelli’s in Carytown to grab coffee with Caroline Logan at Don’t Look Back. Caroline is a Richmond native and graduate of the University of Richmond. For her 9 to 5 she’s the Director of Communications for the Virginia Tourism Corporation, in her spare time she loves getting out in Church Hill with her husband and dog…and of course traveling around the Commonwealth.

Kelli's at Don't Look Back in Carytown to grab coffee with Brian Beard. Brian's the owner of River City Food Tours, a business he founded to offer Richmond natives and visitors alike the opportunity to taste new food, hear new stories and feel like a local. Brian is also one of the best Instagram photographers in Richmond...and he doesn't even own a camera.

Kelli's wrapping up season 2 in Carytown with DJ Lonnie B at Mott Gallery. Lonnie's no stranger to Kelli, he's been spinning records in Richmond for 25 years but his thoughts on the RVA music scene and beating cancer is what Kelli's excited to hear Lonnie share.

Kelli goes to Carytown to meet wedding planner and bridal shop owner Christine Greenberg at Mott Gallery. Christine's a military brat who spent most of her life moving every two years until she came to school at VCU. She says Richmond and Church Hill feel like great hometowns and that accessibility and comfort make RVA feel like a good pair of shoes.

Mattias Hagglund from Heritage restaurant in the Fan, Shannon Hood with Carytown’s Portrait House restaurant, Iris Woodson on Powhatan’s Festival of the Grape, and Mary Wolf and Danny Wolf with Wild Wolf Brewing in Nelson County, VA.

  In episode nine I introduced you my friend, skull artist and fellow Virginian Noah Scalin, whose book of Skulls caught my eye while I was perusing the back of a shop in Charleston, South Carolina a few years ago. Every skull Noah creates is made from a different materials, from turnips to  tinfoil, and they are so amazing that Noah has become a bit of a skull celebrity. His art was recently featured in the Mammoth Book of Skulls, he speaks around the world on creative expression, teaches graphic design at the Virginia Commonwealth University, and even found time to hang out with Martha Stewart on her TV show. Noah has just released a new book of 365 skulls, and tomorrow I plan to stop by Chop Suey books in Richmond’s Carytown district to pick up my copy. I can’t wait! But for now, let’s move on to Part Two of my interview with artist Noah Scalin.

Ellen Cockerham and Virginia Opera singer Fran Coleman talk about Sunday's Mozart Festival in Carytown. Also, the second installment of "Death Club Radio" with special guest host Alane Cameron Miles.

Ellen Cockerham and Virginia Opera singer Fran Coleman talk about Sunday's Mozart Festival in Carytown. Also, the second installment of "Death Club Radio" with special guest host Alane Cameron Miles.

The best three things to do in Richmond this summer are discussed, including a beautiful mansion whose grounds you may visit, an eerie location supposedly stalked by a vampire and the most relaxing coffee shops where you can take some time to yourself.