vol. 77 / ring leader 🎪One of Richmond's favorite ring leaders gives you his take on this place we call home.
VOL. 77 / RING LEADER
Cataloging an impressive resumé of hot restaurants over the last decade, Michael Smith is no rookie to Richmond’s thriving dining scene. Many readers may recognize his bearded face as their first impression to a memorable dining experience. Currently, Michael is the ring leader at South Side’s Laura Lee's, where he earned an Elby Award for Employee of the Year in 2017. His tips for the weekend showcase the beauty of nudity: in the flesh, in art, and in liquid form!
And now, Michael's take on the best ways to enjoy Richmond this weekend!
Lap of
Luxury
If you haven’t attended a burlesque show, you don’t know what you’re missing! The performers at this Friday’s Lap of Luxury at Gallery5 provide a little something for everyone. Producer Empress de Naste welcomes a cast of women, men, and gender non-conformists to the stage for a night of titillating fun. The icing on the cake is the night’s emcee, my favorite drag performer in town, Magnolia Jackson Pickett Burnside. I guarantee by the end of the show your face will hurt from an evening of non-stop smiling.
A few weeks ago, a sudden power outage cancelled the opening of Kevin Sabo’s latest art exhibition at Art Works in Manchester. But fear not, the recent works in the show, titled “OK, OK," can be enjoyed until this Saturday! Kevin's gestural, mostly nude characters are handled with refreshing simplicity and an acute focus of color, composition, and line. Black ink in tandem with vividly toned acrylic permits him to show figures in as much detail as he desires, with certain details blurred and others crisp and fine. My favorites include paintings with multiple figures in union, arms and legs outstretched with ecstatic reach (check out “Mood is a Monument” and “Astrogliding”).
Local natural wine distributor Native Selections’ newest direct imports from Abruzzo, Italy are some of the prettiest wines I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in recent weeks, and the time to enjoy is now! Small allocations of three “raw” wines from newly planted vines by winemaker Luca Paolo Vergilio of Agricola Caprera are now available in Richmond. Hunt down the “not quite” rosé of Montepulciano on Ellwood Thompson’s shelves, peruse Abi Huntington’s thoughtful Italian wine list at Dinamo, or glimpse the gorgeous, peach-toned Trebbiano by the bottle at Laura Lee’s.
For Here. readers only, stop by Laura Lee's this Friday through Sunday for a surprise cocktail made just for you. The first ten readers to tell Michael or the bar tender that Here. sent them will receive a cocktail on us!
On tap this week, our guest editor Robey Martin is coming at you with three solid tips (and perks)! Robey, you might say, lives a double life here in Richmond. During the day, she balances human resources and contract staffing for Remx Specialty Staffing. On those very same days, she serves as an online/tv/print personality who features food, spirits, and culture throughout the region. She’s also the co-host of the food podcast Eat It, Virginia, creates Richmond's restaurant Hot List for WTVR CBS 6, and is regularly found penning articles for the likes of Richmond Grid, Richmond Magazine, Style Weekly, and BeerAdvocate, just to name a few. Take it away, Robey!
Unconventional
Fine Creek Brewing is nestled in Powhatan, idyllic with a large porch, cozy Adirondack chairs, and farm-to-table food victuals. On Saturday, the porch (and the brewery) will play host to the Wild and Weird Spring Festival. Here you can enjoy their award-winning beers alongside other local craft breweries and cideries. The event offers funky and sour brews, and of course -- eatables prepared to match by their chef Sarah Tocco!
Eat Restaurant Partners is gearing up to open yet another new restaurant. Fatty Smokes, in Richmond's Arts District, is a modern space that will feature dry-rubbed, slow-cooked pork, chicken, and brisket with 50 different types of bourbon. The plan is to open the restaurant on April 20 and allow Richmonders their chance to be a taste-maker! For more info, listen to Eat It, Virginia on your preferred podcast app.
Perk: Be one of the first to check out Fatty Smokes. The team at Fatty Smokes is offering a bonus taste-maker opportunity as part of their #EaterEGGhuntRVa campaign! Head to either @hotchickrva or @richmondgrid at 11 a.m. on April 19 for a chance to win a special Eater Egg containing two tickets for their opening night!
As a former Hollywood celebrity stylist (think Kerry Washington), Jammie Baker has heard the “I have nothing to wear” refrain. And when seasons change, the sentiment only grows. Relying on collaboration and honest listening, Baker is half closet counselor and half style sage. Her new Spring Edit Guide (free, free, free and free) has heaps of wardrobe encouragement with a light guiding touch. Where to find the magic? Hop over to her instagram @jammiebaker_ or peep her website.
Grid magazine's maker shop, called Grid Supply Co, is now offering these sweet hand-stitched leather beer holders, complete with a bottle opener, made in a workshop on Broad Street by our friends at Awl Snap. This locally made beer holder is created from cognac brown saddle leather that smells oh so wonderful.
There’s no place like here. The degree to which Richmonders are connected reflects the strength and resiliency of our community. But community connection doesn’t just happen, it’s the result from having connections on multiple levels — starting with one’s connection to self.
Sydney Lester, this week's guest editor, has rounded up three suggestions to help you connect with this place we call home. Sydney is the CEO of Chic Stripes, a personal styling company and the founder of Style Camp, a transformative 6-week guided virtual program to help women find, hone or reset their personal style. Take it away, Sydney!
Connect
Silently
Sometimes all you need is a good book, comfy chair, strong drink, no talking and … a bunch of other people? Silent Reading Party, created by Sarah Choi, encourages you to create an intentional quiet space in your calendar for reading the old fashioned way and made more fun with a few twists, like eclectic drink menus ordered via paper and pencil and the presence of people who do not talk to each other ... at all. The demand for the Silent Reading Party has turned into a set-your-alarm type situation and now has enough silent readers for two groups in Richmond and one in Charlottesville. Reading has never been a more fun - or silent - way to connect. Follow @silentreadingpartyrva and @silentreadingpartycville on Instagram to find out about the date and location of the next Silent Reading Party.
The Rebelle Community calls itself a club without a clubhouse and is made up of women who are seeking an alternative to the traditional networking and women's group experiences. From panels featuring women sharing the nitty gritty behind all the things they quit (six figure jobs, marriages), to creative workshops tuning into one’s physical body to make life decisions, to mixers (with both lots of bubbly and thoughtful nonalcoholic options), this is the place to connect authentically and build relationships.
This is not your ordinary meditation center. Brought to life as a collaboration between two women-owned businesses, Shockoe Slip Yoga and Fantastically Fit, the Mindfulness Bar is committed to “making silence sexy.” From a menu that lets you book a “shot” of meditation, “by the bottle” group workshops, or a “total detox” that brings on-site consulting + meditation to you, you’ll find that connecting mindfully doesn’t have to be taken so seriously. Want to ease in? Schedule a seasonal “On the Rocks,” a 45-minute walking meditation to the James River and back.
The spring issue of Richmond Grid, a collaboration with Coffee With Strangers RVA, is now available! This issue of Grid was co-produced with guest editors, Matt Pochily and Kelli Lemon, and is designed to explore the positive impact of strangers throughout the Richmond community. Contact us if you'd like Richmond Grid delivered to your local business, organization, or good cause. And follow Richmond Grid on Instagram and Facebook for daily news that celebrates RVA.
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