ONE DAY IN RVA #7 ANDREW BLOSSOM: KING OF CLERKS

One Day in RVA is a series on the fabulous folks who enrich our city on the daily.

Andrew Blossom, bookseller and video clerk.

Andrew at Video Fan

Who are you, really?
I work at Chop Suey Books, an independent bookstore, and at the Video Fan, an independent video store, one of the nation’s few remaining.

I’m also co-editor of the short story collection Richmond Noir, from Akashic Books, and a founding editor of the literary magazine Makeout Creek. We released our latest issue – number five! – last month. And last year we began the move into book production with Jammer Slammer, written and illustrated by former Richmonder R Nicholas Kuszyk. Both are available online and at Chop Suey.

What did you do today in RVA?
Most days, I aim to wake up at 8 am, but April and I have these two wonderful cats who might decide they need to be fed anywhere from 5 am onward. On this day, a Monday, they got started early. I was in and out of sleep for a few hours, and finally up for sure by 8:30.

As I was getting ready, I managed to get on the internet long enough to learn the sad news of Les Blank’s death. Before leaving, I posted a tribute on the Video Fan’s Facebook page. Not that it amounted to much, but as you might imagine, we’re all Burden of Dreams fans over there.

Like previous contributors to this series, I’m fond of Lamplighter in the mornings, but I also very much like Can Can Brasserie. A full-service French restaurant for most of the day, Can Can opens mornings to serve bread, pastries and coffee, which is strong and good. On this day, I stopped in and ordered an iced coffee and a demi-baguette – which at Can Can means one half of a long, thin loaf of bread, served with butter.

At 10 am, I opened Chop Suey with my co-worker Ward, who is the founder and owner of the store. Chop Suey has been in Richmond for almost eleven years. We’re primarily a used bookstore, but we also carry a handpicked selection of 1200 or so new titles. Monday mornings are more focused than most on the new stuff.

Won Ton is Richmond Famous

So as usual we fed the cat — Won Ton, who is Richmond Famous and also a minor internet celebrity — set up the dollar books, and hunted down the day’s internet orders to pack and ship. Then Ward and I went over sales for the weekend and ordered new stock, and I prepared our weekly report to the New York Times. All the while there was the usual traffic of shoppers and folks looking to sell books. Chop Suey has an open door policy – anyone can bring in books at anytime – and for some reason, Monday mornings can get as crazy as a Saturday afternoon. Thankfully, this one was a little more peaceful.

Around 2 pm, I had lunch, homemade green salad and leftover pasta from Kuba Kuba, a Richmond institution, serving Cuban and Cuban-inspired food in the Fan neighborhood. They have a crazy delicious penne pasta dish that they serve in a bowl as big as your head, made with roasted tomatoes and peppers, portobello mushrooms, manchego cheese and fat cloves of garlic. It’s almost too much to eat in one sitting, but if you play it conservatively, you can feast for days.

After lunch, I walked over to Plan 9 Music, a block away from the bookstore. They have a great selection of used DVDs, which can be a treasure trove for restocking the Video Fan. I was looking for Fargo – our copy was recently stolen — but had no luck. While there, I purposefully avoided looking in the direction of the used horror section. It’s almost always great, and I was trying to hold onto my money.

The afternoon at Chop Suey was spent at the register and/or pricing newly-acquired used titles to go out in the store. At 6, I was through, but on Mondays and Tuesdays I work these crazy doubles where I go straight from Chop Suey to the Video Fan. I can’t remember anymore how it ended up that way, but I’ve been doing it long enough now that it seems pretty normal. So, after saying goodbye to Won Ton (which I always do), it was off to the second shift.

The Video Fan is located on Strawberry Street in the Fan neighborhood, on a block that mixes businesses and residences. It’s been there renting movies on Strawberry since 1986, and remains viable even in today’s climate due to the incredible support it receives from its neighbors and all those Richmonders who continue to value video store culture.

Next door to the Video Fan is 8 ½, an ah-mazing Italian take-out place that belongs to the same family of incredible restaurants as Mamma’zu, Edo’s Squid and the newly-opened Dinamo. We are unbelievably spoiled to eat this well all the time. You have no idea. It’s like we’ve reached some other level of being by doing hardly anything at all.

On Monday, headed to Video Fan, I stopped at 8 ½ and picked up an order of the lentil salad, made with lentils (naturally), celery, potatoes, red onions, olive oil and some kind of unholy ambrosia that turns it into just the most phenomenal thing you could ever imagine lentils being.

Sometimes, a Video Fan customer will say, “Hey, all you guys have to do is watch movies and talk about them!”
And we do work at a video store. So, you know, you got us.
But as with every retail job, there’s a lot of busywork. On Monday night, my co-worker Liz and I prepared the new releases, which go out on Tuesday mornings – not the most taxing job, but one that has a lot of little steps and takes some time, particularly if the store is busy, which luckily it was. That said, we do totally get to watch and talk about a lot of amazing things. When Liz and I work together, we tend to think of store viewing in terms of projects. We recently made our way over twelve weeks through the films of Andy Sidaris (lots of guns and bikinis), and we’ve now embarked on a new project of watching the Star Trek movies in order. On this night, it was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and in my opinion it doesn’t get better than that.

Around 9, I went back over at 8 ½. There are many, many highlights to the menu, and among them is the best pizza in Richmond, done in red or white style with a thin crust and fresh, flavorful ingredients. (Here’s a definite tip: if you find yourself at any restaurant in the mamma’zu family, ask after the pizza. If it’s available, order one immediately.) While I truly love the cheesy varieties, I also really dig their vegan pizza, made with white beans and broccoletti.

Joseph, who was cooking that night, added chopped onions and a bit of lemon juice. It was great, totally delicious, and way too much to finish in one video store sitting.

We closed the store at 11 pm, and on my way home, I stopped at Joe’s Inn, another distinctly Richmond eatery, to have a beer and try to make a bit of headway in the book I’ve been reading. Joe’s is a fun, friendly spot, one of my favorite places to spend some time. On weekdays they close at midnight, so it’s also a good option for having a drink without accidentally staying out all night. But after a long day I found myself losing steam pretty quickly. So I gave up on the book and headed home, where everyone was already asleep, in hopes of catching a few hours myself before those cats of ours start, “Hey dude, feed us, feed us”.

What do you have in your fridge, usually?

Most reliably? Sriracha, San Pellegrino and PBR.

What was the last album/song you listened to?

April and I recently made our way through the whole of Twin Peaks again, and since that time we’ve been listening to the soundtracks for the series and Fire Walk With Me pretty consistently.

ONE DAY IN RVA #6 THE GLAM LIFE OF OWEN & TIFFANY OF THE MAGPIE

One Day in RVA is a series on the fabulous folks who enrich our city on the daily.

Who are you, really?

Owen Lane, Chef/Owner The Magpie,
Tiffany Gellner Manager/Owner The Magpie

What did you do today in RVA?
Our day begins around 8am when our 9 month old Greater Swiss Mountain dog Jax, scratches at the bedroom door to be let out. Owen and I then argue about whose turn it is to take him downstairs to pee. Today it was my turn (yippe!). Potty training has been difficult and this morning is no different. I’m jolted out of my grogginess by a stream of warm urine filling my crocs. Jax then scream-barks in my face until I feed him.

Jax

I slosh into the kitchen to prepare his food and play a bit of Candy Crush while he eats. Then its back upstairs to rinse off my pee pedicure and take a shower.
Usually we would debate who has first rights to the shower and the only clean dry towel, but Owen stayed up late last night finishing up the spring menu so he sleeps in while I wash up, uncontested.

Owen is up soon after and while I do my make up, he takes Jax for a walk and a serious “chuck-it” ball fest. Getting out of the house usually takes about 15 min. We kennel Jax, feed and let out the littles, (our 2 chihuahuas, Joji and Pickle) and tend to Fat Pudds, our very large calico.

Fat Pudds!

We leave the house, usually returning about 3 separate times for forgotten items.
We stop by the restaurant for cash and coffee, check the messages and then head to Tan-A.

I stay in the car and make phone calls while Owen runs in for Napa cabbage, red miso, and strainers. On our way home we take a detour so Owen can pick up some tactical pants. Recently, he’s taken to wearing them in the kitchen, he says for “comfort”, but I’m not convinced…he’s seen Red Dawn (the original) one too many times.
Owen starts his prep for the day. The spring menu is almost finished so he will be trying out a couple of his ideas this week for specials: a crispy duck breast with miso honey butter.

The duck breast

Prep tunes consist of Built to Spill, The Bronx, and Shovels and Rope.

I jump back in the truck to run errands for the better part of my day. The bank, Staples, dropping Jax off to get groomed and then lunch at Einstein Bros. bagels. I love bagel sandwiches! I love them so much I consistently got Saturday detention when I was in school for cutting just to pick one up.

Then I’m back to the restaurant for a wine tasting. In the time I’ve been gone Owen has prepped the menu and some great specials including a braised rabbit with fennel, fava beans, ramps and an orange garlic broth.

Rabbit, fava beans, ramps, fennel

I’m on call this night, so after my tasting I pick up Jax and head home to take care of the house, which is horribly neglected. My high hopes of cleaning the bathrooms and finally getting to the laundry are dashed by a law and order SVU marathon.

While relaxing, I saturate all social media outlets with our food specials and do some other restaurant related research to make myself feel better about being off. I’m suppose to go to a friends cook out, but bail because I’m afraid work might need me. I debate on cooking my self dinner then realize we have no food-just condiments-and the thought of having to shop at the Lombardy Kroger makes me cringe.
Delivery it is, again! I order a caprese and pasta, from Belmont Pizzaria. Then call Beth at work to make sure they don’t need me. They do… So I call Belmont back and have my food re-routed to The Magpie’s back door.

I know what you are thinking, having food delivered at your restaurant sounds silly but honestly the irony of owning a restaurant means you’ll consume nothing but fast food and delivery. I hang out for a little while but they don’t need me, so its back to the house to finally do laundry.

I return later to pick up Owen around 11 and stay for a glass of wine. Owen and I discuss the day, some future business plans, and talk with Beth about cocktail ideas. About an hour and a half later we head home and on to bed. Sleep comes quick, until of course 3 am when Jax needs to pee….and we once again debate whose turn it is to let him out.

What’s in your fridge?
There is literally nothing but condiments and beer in our fridge.

What was the last album/song you listened to?
Owen: Shovles and Ropes, O be joyful
Tiffany: The Smiths and The Drive by Truckers

ONE DAY IN RVA #4 JUST SEE JULIE

One Day in RVA is a series on the fabulous folks who enrich our city on the daily.

My name is Julie Karr. During the week I am an over the hill college kid. On the weekends I sling popcorn and candy at the Byrd Theatre. I’m a research assistant at VCU and an intern at Shalom Farms- a rad non-profit dealing with food access in Richmond. I work a lot. I also play music when I can. Until recently I was just playing acoustic, but my friend Jimmy and I started a band called Bad Magic, and I’m having way more fun playing loud and singing fast.

7:55 am- My alarm clock buzzes. I hit snooze.

8:04 am- Hit snooze again.

8:13 am- I slowly get out of bed, and then quickly throw together my typical breakfast on the fly; frozen waffle with apple slices and tahini. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Today I added some honey and, aside from being super sticky, it was a great decision.

8:30 am- Run out the door. I have just enough time to grab an iced coffee* from Globehopper before work.

Iced coffee is the one constant thing in my life, even though it is 30-something degrees outside, I still prefer iced over hot. I am a regular at least three coffee shops in Richmond. And there are some days where I actually go to all three.
It’s all a part of my quest to become more “ALL-ular.”

9 am- This weekend at the Byrd is French Film Festival. it is without a doubt the busiest event of the year. It’s a great opportunity to see some truly beautiful films, talk with the filmmakers, and it bolsters local business in Carytown. It can also feel really claustrophobic and like something you just have to get through.

One thing that I love about working at the Byrd is that every shift is like a dress up party, and I try to really embrace that. On this day, I wore the pinnacle of my thrift store achievements- a black velvet dress with a pink silk blouse and a faux fur coat. I look luxurious as all get out. I’m ready to sell some movie tickets.

1 pm- Our boss is buying us lunch from Lamplighter. I order the TLT&A, my favorite sandwich there. It’s tempeh marinated in a plum barbeque sauce they make in house with mixed greens, lettuce and avocado. I know that I am in the minority here, but I’ve never really cared for avocado. In keeping with the TLT&A format I order my sandwich with apple slices instead of avocado and it’s really tasty. I also ordered another iced coffee.

4 pm- I get off work and need to do some grocery shopping.
I end up eating at Ellwood’s a few times a week, and it’s always tasty. This is the awesome salad I ate.

Kale, beets, carrots, pecans and dried cherries with miso dressing. Side of sweet potatoes and this crazy good raw broccoli, raisins and cashew dish. Tasty stuff. If you ever get there early enough, they have awesome vegan biscuits and gravy. Also, have I mentioned yet that I am vegan? Because I am. But, you do you.

4:45 pm- I leave Ellwood’s and head home. It starts snowing, which is magical to look at and terrifying to drive in. I somehow make it home to Church Hill.

5:15 pm- I decide that I deserve a nap.

5:25 pm- My bandmate, Jimmy, calls to let me know that he is on his way to the practice space. I hang up the phone with every intention of getting out of bed and heading to the practice space. I fail miserably.

5:45 pm- I finally get out of bed. I go to Globehopper again and get another iced coffee.

6:00 pm- I arrive at the practice space, ‘Garbers’. It is an institution as far as Richmond bands are concerned. It’s an eerie warehouse off Main St. in Church Hill. A lot of bands practice here, and there is a really nice sense of allegiance to each other and genuine enthusiasm for each other’s music.

8:15 pm- I’ve been told that it is bad luck to practice the day of a show, but I have a feeling it’s even worse to play a show without practicing. We finish up practice and are hopeful that the snow has let up. It hasn’t. This makes loading our equipment an exciting challenge.

Tonight we are playing with Canary oh Canary, at Bandito’s. I have lived in Richmond for about 5 ½ years, but have never stepped foot into Bandito’s. It’s a patchwork of 30-something punks, Museum District locals and avid smokers. We get free beer and free tacos. The show is free and they are paying both bands. I cannot overstate how friendly they were. They even put our names on a marquee! With all of the snow, I worried that no one would come out. I was really wrong!

2 am- Show’s over. The snow has stopped. I load my car and breathe a sigh of relief that the day is done. Before I go home I decide to reward myself with some 7eleven sweet treats.

I get home and lull myself to sleep with Magnolia Electric Co. This record was already on the turntable when I first found out that singer, Jason Molina, had died. I’m a sappy person, and decided that a week of mourning and listening to all of my Songs:Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co. and his solo work the most appropriate way to pay homage to a musician that left a mark on me both as a fan and, dare I say, a musician.

Sometime around 3am I fall asleep.

*- Globehopper doesn’t actually serve iced coffee, only iced americanos and they are fantastic.

SPICY PEANUT HUMMUS WITH JOHNNY AND BURL

I am not frequently at Walmart. In fact I have been there twice in my life, both times at the one out on West Broad in Short Pump. Both times looking for cans of boiled peanuts. The first time I left empty handed and defeated, convinced that the teenager looking at me quizzically while unpacking flats of Greek yogurt thought I had conjured up the existence of such a thing.
The second time, triumphantly resulted in the dish I am about to share with you, Boiled Peanut Hummus!

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The hardest part of making this briny and earthy dip is coaxing those water-logged peanuts out of their shells where they’ve been incubating to a tasty, albeit mushy perfection. Fresh boiled peanuts are better of course, but they are harder to come by in Richmond (which does not make sense to me, Virginia being a peanut state and all). I’ve only ever seen them frozen sold on the side of the road out by Forest Hill. Anyway, I believe that these mushier specimens make for a smoother hummus anyway. That electric orange you see lining the bowl is chili oil from Peter Chang’s Cafe conveniently located in the same strip mall as the Walmart. I always plead with the servers there to give me a small take out container of the stuff, which I am deeply addicted to. This is not a recipe as I don’t think I have ever followed a recipe for hummus, you just sort of make it until it’s right.

Boiled Peanut Hummus
One or two (depending on how many are to eat) cans of boiled peanuts available at Walmart
1/4 to 1/2 cup of Sesame Tahini
Juice from one lemon
1 or 2 cloves garlic, smashed (optional)
Olive Oil

Shell peanuts and toss in a food processor, skins and all if they have them. Add tahini, lemon and garlic. Process until smooth (this can take a bit) while slowly adding oil in a steady stream. I sometimes will add some yogurt or a bit of water to help things along.
Once it is smooth as I can get it, I put it in a bowl in the fridge to meld the flavors a bit. When ready to serve, garnish (or mercilessly drown, as in the above picture) with your favorite spicy condiment. Sit down with some veggies or crackers and go to town.

ONE DAY IN RVA #2 THEY CALL HIM HUGEL

One day in RVA is a series on the fabulous folks who enrich our city on the daily.

Hugel pictured here with his girlfriend Molly.

Who are you Really?
Johnny Hugel – Producer at Mobelux, Director at Feast RVA, Man about town.

What’s in your fridge?
Usually the fridge has almond milk, Soda stream seltzer, half eaten pasta sauce, a lack of fresh vegetables, mexican coke, iced coffee, a mix of Trader Joe’s staples like veggie potstickers (for DIY Ramen surprise), veggie chikin’s, and homemade pesto in ice cube trays.

What was the last album/song you listened to?
The last album I bought was Big Boi’s latest.
I find myself listening to comedy podcasts and DJ mix tapes non-stop these days.

What did you do today in RVA?
My girlfriend Molly and I wake at 7:45 most mornings after ignoring two alarms. The sound of our roommate leaving finally rouses us out of bed. After we quickly shower, dress and run out the door, I drop her off in Carytown at Need Supply Co. a local retailer of modern fashion.
I worked my way into my dream job as a producer at a local start-up with great benefits like working from home Fridays, but I tend to thrive in controlled-chaos, and can’t get much of anything done at home.

I head to Lamplighter, a local coffee outpost in the Fan District. A few years ago when Lamplighter opened in a former gas-station turned derelict outpost many doubted the husband & wife, bike-gang denim-jacket sporting duo would have lasted long, but today they’ve opened their second location with a roastery, fulfillment center, pour-over bar and more. Whenever the weather is anywhere close to decent, I order an iced-coffee, a Country-Style donut (24-hour donut dive, out by the airport) and grab a spot at one of the communal picnic tables for the morning. I work for a few hours when my battery dying signals the need for change of scenery.

I’ll head into the Mobelux office for a bit to take care of anything that needs doing around there. Our office, The Corrugated Box Building is a modern renovation of, as far as I know, an actual corrugated box factory. The exposed beams bear the markings of work much more strenuous than mine, and the raw steel of the massive staircase and our matching furniture, hearken to the buildings industrial past. Much of our workspace I helped design and invokes the vintage/industrial/Edison bulb-lit past that is all the rage these days. As a producer in a digital creative agency sometimes I’m facilitating client discussions or I could be searching salvage yards for suitable raw wood boards for shelving. We just helped launch a service and iOS app called Elixr that allows you to socially share the (alcoholic) drinks that you partake in as you travel the town/world. The strong food/drink scene of Richmond was an immediate supporter and has contributed to it’s rise in popularity.

Around 1:30 I head across “the river” (also referred to as The James, but never “The James River” all at once) into Downtown Richmond, to Citizen a literal underground lunch counter, which has amassed a cult following for it’s locally-sourced, vegetarian & vegan friendly, constantly rotating and diverse menu. They welcome me by name as I enter. I order the Roasted butternut squash on a pressed bolillo roll topped with celery root-horseradish slaw and house-made curry cashew butter w/ Lentils & Feta as a side and an Iced Tea. I grab a seat amongst the politicians, state employees, bike couriers, and vegans-in-the-know and scarf down my lunch, typically saving half of my side for a mid-afternoon snack.

I finish out the workday in my house, pausing temporarily to make an iced coffee pick-me-up, before heading back over to Need Supply to pick up Molly. If the weather is nice enough we’ve been known to walk through Carytown for a bit, but it’s gotten cold and we’re hungry so we set our sites on one of our current go-to’s, Stella’s restaurant. Stella’s is the latest in a string of popular restaurants run by the Giavos family. A reprisal of an earlier well loved restaurant of theirs, with a modern design and an affordable sharing-friendly menu of classic and updated Greek dishes. We sit at the community table, and enjoy flakey spanikopita, a zesty kale salad w/ feta, Gigantes and Melitzanosalata, and just as we’ve stuffed ourselves to the brink, we’re sent a plate of Chocolate Baclava by Constantine, the owners son, a friend, and designer of the hip logo and menus.

While going out on the town is always on the agenda, stuffing ourselves, and the toil of the work week forces us to call it a night early and close out Friday on the couch. This night we finish House Of Cards, and go to bed dreaming about politics and getting more coffee in the morning.

ONE DAY IN RVA #1 PIZZA POWERMOM

One Day in RVA is a series on the fabulous folks who enrich our city on the daily.

photo by Jon Davidow

Who are you, really?

I’m Stephanie Ganz, and I provide coaching and classes for culinary entrepreneurs. I’m also the go-to-gal for Pizza Tonight, and I’m a total Mom!

What is in your fridge

photo by Stephanie Ganz

If you look in my fridge, you will absolutely always find pickles and milk. I’m currently obsessed with Pickled Silly’s pickled okra because it changed my life. There’s also a little corner of curry pastes, tamarind, miso, anchovies, and other instant dinner heros. You’ll probably also find salmon, cabbage, grapes for Lily, and White Diamond Pimento Cheese, which is made with white cheddar and banana peppers and is available at Carytown Kroger; and I swear I’m not just saying that because Nicole “Pimennah Cheese” Lang is asking.

What was the last song or album you listened to?

I end up listening to more Toddler Pandora than I was prepared for. I am very enthusiastically listening to a constant stream of Otis, Curtis, Al Green, and old Motown. I am a singing motorist, so watch out for that.

What did you do today in RVA?

8:30 am: Lucky for me, I get to wake up nice and slow, listening to the rain and the sounds of my husband and baby playing downstairs. Seth is off for the day, which means I have planned a full day of meetings, and he’s on baby duty. I join them downstairs for some playing, singing, and eating breakfast (two dry Blueberry Nutrigrain Eggo Waffles and a glass of milk – the same thing every day) before I hit the streets.

10:00 am: Meeting at Lamplighter with Victoria Deroche to talk marketing and scheduling for Pizza Tonight. We call it a meeting, but really it’s an excuse to enjoy lattes and danishes, while talking shit and hiding from the drizzle outside. We map out a firm schedule of events for the next month, start working on a revamped marketing plan, and go over our menu for this week’s Food Court at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery.

1:00 pm: Lunch with Barb Upchurch at Garnett’s, again under a vague pretense of getting some work done, this time for Blueberry Marketing. We need to discuss our upcoming Food Business Planning class at Bizworks, our presentation for a meeting later that evening, and our general plans to take over the world. I get the Scuffletown Chicken Salad Sandwich, and potato salad, as I always do, and Barb gets the Ploughman’s Plate.

photo by Stephanie Ganz

2:30 I’m back at Chez Ganz, giving Mr. Ganz a well-appreciated break, so he can go to his studio and finish a painting he’d been working on for Lily. She and I head over to the main branch of the Richmond Public Library. Homegirl loves books; I can’t keep enough of them on the shelves (Literally, she is constantly pulling them off the shelves. It’s cute but maddening.) It’s a great spot for a rainy day, and we spend a happy hour reading. Did you know you can be loud in the library? Because you can be, but only if you’re reading to small children.

5:30 Back at home Seth returns, and we present Lily with her painting. To our great pleasure, she recognizes everyone and identifies them by name. Cuteness overload. And then, I’m out the door for one last meeting. This one takes me to Northside, to the Richmond Technical Center, where the RVA Street Foodies are having a meeting to talk about the strategy for this season of Food Truck Courts, catering, and community involvement. It’s an awesome, inspiring room full of people. Barb and Victoria are both at the Street Foodies meeting, so my day has pretty much come full circle.

7:30 I’ve got just enough time to scoop up a Doner Kebab on my way home, a reward for meeting through the dinner hour, and still make it home for a slightly late bedtime story. And it’s bed time! Day over! Time for trashy tv, Tumblr, two dark chocolate squares, and another glass of milk.

——-

BETH DIXON: BEHIND THE BAR

photo by Sam Dixon

I’ve mentioned Beth on the blog before, but while interviewing her for the guest posts I’m doing for the Southern Foodways Alliance,
I learned so many interesting things about my fave female drink slinger that I wanted to share.

Are you originally from Richmond, where did you grow up?

I grew up in Hanover County on a historic 550-acre plantation owned by my father’s family. I spent most of my childhood helping to restore the house and then we would garden in the spring. The house had a gorgeous traditional English Garden that my great-grandmother was famous for on the local garden tours. I have lived in Richmond for almost 12 years now, 8 of them in my home in the city’s Northside.

Where do you work?

I have been working at Pasture since they opened and feel very attached to the restaurant. Working with Jason and Michele has only helped me hone my skills and grow confidence in my craft. The opening of Pasture has helped immensely in helping bring back a beautiful, but vacant area downtown. My friends Owen and Tiffany Lane own a fantastic little Gastropub- The Magpie, in another community that has been experiencing a revitalization recently, Carver. I work there as a cocktail consultant and I tend bar there once a week.

How long have you been working in the food and beverage industry?

12 loooooooonnnnngggg years! I have often fought it as a long-term source of employment. I even sold real estate for 4 years but could never let go of bartending.

Can you tell me a bit about how you started homesteading?

I did have some experience with aspects of homesteading in my childhood and I had a small garden with my roommates, while living the life of a 20 something with no real responsibilities. Then I got pregnant at 26. This led to researching nutrition and birth options, which led to a healthier diet. My daughter Ellie’s father was already obsessed with gardening and had built an intense edible garden in his previous home. Cindy Conner, mentored him. Anyhow, our daughter is the big inspiration to turn the house into a homestead. We don’t trust the food industry as it stands. The only way we can afford to feed our family quality, delicious, organic food is to grow it ourselves. Whatever is left over, I can it or gift it to our neighbors. I have a shelf in my kitchen, just to display all the things I make, next to all my canning and preserving books. They are my trophies.

photo by Sam Dixon

photo by Sam Dixon

Can you talk about the RVA swappers and how that came to be?

RVA Swappers is a food-swapping group that meets once a month. Basically, you bring 6 of whatever you make: jam, pickles, baked goods, infused syrups, homegrown greens, etc. Five are for swapping and 1 for everyone to taste. We have done about 7 swaps now and have new people come every time. It’s a great way to meet other people who are into homesteading. We always try to meet at places that support the community, especially the food community. This woman was having drinks at Pasture one night and we started to talk about canning. She had been a member of BK Swappers in NYC and wanted to start one here in Richmond. That’s how I met the co-founder of RVA Swappers, Andrea Buono. We are 7 events in and it keeps growing.

What inspires your beverage creations?

Often my drinks are inspired by whatever I have on hand and what is in season. I definitely use a lot of fresh herbs and fruit, but I am a frugal person by nature so I try to use things that may otherwise go wasted first. At the Magpie, I was very inspired by the Victorian look and feel of the place. I researched Victorian era cocktails and created the menu based on classic cocktails with my own little twists. At home when we entertain, my friends are always at my will! I make rounds of cocktails using- parsley, lemon and gin or tequila, chipotle, lime & cilantro…

This is Beth’s recipe for a Madison, named for Madison County, VA.
1 ½ oz.bourbon
1 oz fresh strawberry syrup*
½ oz lemon juice
couple dashes Fee Bros. Walnut bitters

Put all ingredients into a shaker, shake and pour over ice. Top with a splash of soda, garnish with a lemon twist.

*strawberry simple syrup recipe
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/2 pound strawberries, washed,hulled and sliced
Bring sugar and water to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce
the heat and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved 5
minutes. Add strawberries and simmer 10 minutes
Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain syrup and discard solids.
Transfer to a lidded container and keep in the fridge for up to two
weeks.

BEER DRINKERS, LAMB RAISERS

Fun times at The Griffon

Whooweeee- it sure can get cold on the South Carolina coast, the first week of March!!
However as I experienced, when the going gets tough in Charleston, the tough drink cans of Schlitz in a cozy dive bar. One with hundreds of dollar bills adhered to its walls, failing to buffer all the uproar and laughter within.

Marty and I accompanied a gang (a motley bunch?) of Richmond chefs, cooks and for lack of a more specific term, ‘food people’ down to Charleston, SC this past weekend for a Lambs and Clams after party.
Lambs and Clams, if you have yet to experience, is the wonder trio of Craig Rogers- Shepherd and Travis and Ryan Croxton- Oystermen.

Travis and Ryan Croxton of Rappahannock River Oysters.

They throw lots of events, or as I see them, somewhat poorly disguised wild and wonderful parties for passionate eaters and do-ers. At this year’s Charleston Wine and Food festival, they again did just that. I’m happy to know them and count Craig Rogers as one of my favorite humans. When the invitation to join in on some festival after party fun presented itself, I wholeheartedly accepted. When I learned he invited a slew of RVA’s own to provide food and drink- I considered hiring chaperones.

Craig is a shepherd of more than just sheep. His flock includes all manner of talented craftspeople, be they butcher, baker, cocktail or music maker. He has a knack at assembling wonderful groups of people to revel in each others company and talents, to spend an evening creating and enjoying. He threw a fabulous party and our group of Richmond chefs made lots of new friends. The folks at The Grocery hosted gracefully and chilly as it was, our merry bellies kept us warm. Here are some pics of the frivolity.

Jason Alley of Comfort & Pasture

Owen Lane of The Magpie and Joe Sparatta of Heritage

Randall Doetzer of Julep’s and Mint

T Leggett and Lee Gregory of The Roosevelt

A bunch of weirdos at Butcher and Bee

I was unable to get a picture of Craig, he was in high demand by both guests and the lamb pit. This is one of him at last summer’s Big Apple BBQ sporting an apron of his own design and a smile as big as his heart.

Craig in his overall apron

Thanks to Craig, Travis, Ryan and the Grocery and to all who worked so hard to put on such a great event. Also hearty thanks to all of the RVA chefs, cooks and creators who continue to make our city more unique and delicious everyday.

2013 ELBY AWARDS

The Elbys, which is only in its second year, recognizes those striving for greatness in our restaurant community. The event is named for local chef Paul Elbling who came to Richmond from Alsace and set the bar for fine dining here decades ago.

Years later we are so fortunate to have a varied and vibrant food scene that is growing every day. Richmond Magazine came up with the Elby Awards to chronicle that growth.
I think the restaurant community is collectively grateful and
some folks have wondered how the event works and how they can contribute to make it better. I wanted to ask Susan Winiecki, the founder of the Elbys and editor-in-chief at Richmond Magazine about what she has learned the past two years and where she sees our restaurant community going.

How did the Elbys come to be?

SW By fall 2011, you literally feel the shift in the Richmond food scene. There was a sense of camaraderie within the chef community, our farmers markets had taken off, we were coming off an incredible Broad Appetit/Off Broad Appetit in June, young chefs were pushing themselves with special dinners, pop-ups, and food trucks, and plenty of new collaborations were going on. The micro brew scene and craft cocktail scene were growing, too. The time felt right to put together an event to celebrate and recognize what was going on. Richmond doesn’t have a restaurant association, so we thought there was a need to fill with this event.

What so far, have been the most challenging aspects in pulling off such an event?

SW Trying to keep the event affordable but at the same time deliver a memorable night of food, drink and a bit of visual impact is the goal. The VMFA helped us deliver that this year with its magnificent spaces. We want the public and entire restaurant staffs to attend. We offer a $50 discounted ticket for employees of nominated restaurants and a $65 ticket to the public. There have been some requests for a sit-down dinner/ceremony a la Golden Globes but the costs of doing that are far higher. This year, we had a cocktail party afterward with food prepared by the culinary training programs in the city, and I think the students and their teachers really brought it!

Where do you think Richmond’s food scene is headed?

SW A couple of years ago, Dana Cowin at Food and Wine magazine came up with a list of seven things that she feels define a food town. I think the list still is a good barometer. 1. Markets that make great ingredients accessible.2. Artisan stores dedicated to singular perfection: bread, espresso, chocolate, ice cream. 3. An exciting wine scene and interesting sommeliers. 4. Sophisticated cocktail programs and bar chefs. 5. A new generation of young chefs with fresh ideas .6. Destination restaurants. 7. Maverick chefs.
As far as No. 1, South of the James Market is the granddaddy. On No. 2, check out SubRosa,.Gearhart’s Chocolates, Belmont Butchery, Can Can for morning croissants, and the divine Gelati Celesti. The Lamplighter and Globehopper get my votes for talented community coffee houses. As for No. 4, we have some restaurants who have gifted souls in charge of their spirits programs, and beer programs are coming on strong,too. We have one restaurant, The Roosevelt, who chose to have a wine list with only Virginia wines. I think it’s safe to say we have room to grow with all, but especially No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7.

What have you learned since the first Elbys and what do you hope to do differently in the future?

SW We are still in this event’s toddler years. We are still tinkering with categories to reflect our food scene. This year we added culinary student of the year and excellence in service. I want to do a roundtable with some attendees from this year on how we can improve. We want to ask past Elby winners to contribute nominations next year, and we are considering a people’s choice category.
Right now, we receive nominations from 30 industry types who are not currently working as restaurant chefs/managers; food writers; food reviewers; and bloggers in the Richmond community. The four nominees in each category are each visited by judges (not affiliated with Richmond magazine and again not currently working as restaurant chefs) during January and February. Those judges ate and drank themselves through more than $4,000 worth of receipts as they visited and rated the nominees. We keep their identities secret, as they do with the RAMMYs in D.C.
It’s far, far from perfect, but we are trying to deliver an evening that people don’t want to miss and an evening that highlights all the nominees. We also want it to be an evening that gives back to the community, so making sure there are net proceeds for food-related charities is another goal.

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Thanks so much to Susan, the staff at Richmond magazine, all of the sponsors, the VMFA and fab hosts Brandon Fox and Jason Tesauro for a memorable evening!

What did you think of this year’s Elbys? Please feel free to leave a comment. Below are some amateur (iphone) pics that I took at the event.

Hearts of Glass in honor of the current Chihuly exhibit at the VMFA, in sparkling wine.

Harry “the Hat” Kollatz Jr. busting a move to the 70/80s new wave tuneage.

Co-host Jason Tesauro- The Modern Gent

Rising star nominee Jen Mindell of Avalon

Sponsor Steady Sounds provided the music

DIRTY OLD (ANCHOVY AND) EGG SUCKING DOG

I love eggs.
So feel free to take that dirty dog mention up there as a direct reference to me. You can live your whole life and still not cook perfect eggs, or worse, never eat properly cooked eggs. Eggs are worthy of intense study for these reasons. You can do more with eggs than any other ingredient I can think of right now…except perhaps water and flour.
Recently, if people are talking about eggs, they are usually talking about restaurant menu darlings; slow cooked or soft boiled eggs. Much has been written on that method of egg cookery. I am a super-emo-fan-boy of eggs cooked in this manner. An unctuous yolk makes me weak and don’t even get me started on the Soy Sauce Egg from Momofuku, I might cry. I miss it like a best friend.
One of my favorite things about eggs, and why I decided to take to the blog to squawk about them, is how well they go with pickled marinated anchovies.

You see, there was this sandwich.
A fancy restaurant fellow, opened up a few casual sandwich shops while I lived in NYC. One day while ordering out for lunch at the production company where I worked, it caught my eye. Anchovy and Egg.
I ordered it.
I ate it.
I was changed forever.
I loved that sandwich so much (I DO crush out on some sandwiches.) someone actually purchased that fellow’s sandwich cookbook for me. I can’t prove it, but I swear I saw in print that he said himself he would never take it off the menu even though it was not a big seller, because he loved it so. (ALAS IT IS GONE -Why, Mr Colicchio, Why?!)
That sandwich really solidified my relationship with marinated fresh anchovies or boqurones as they are known. A relationship, that is made sublime with the introduction of egg.

I’m here to tell you, RICHMOND that you can experience the joy of ANCHOVY & EGG. Upon learning that our Chef at Secco, Tim, added an anchovy and egg crostino to the menu, I squealed with pure glee. I was to be reunited with my beloved and I’d LOVE to introduce you.

If you are not familiar, I implore you to resist thinking of the ultra concentrated, brown and briny taste of late night pizza stinkers (though, they too are also quite delicious!) this is a whole different scene. With the addition a simple hard boiled egg and some chervil you get vinegary, fatty, crunchy and herby- All in one sumptuous bite!

I wish for RVA to know the joy of Anchovy and Egg! I am singing the gospel of fishy, salty and fatty -because if I don’t speak up, this could end up slipping away into “Why yes, we-had-that-on-the-menu-briefly-but-no-one-ordered-it-because-they-are-afraid-of-tiny-stinky-fish” obscurity.

So please, feel free to be the bad-ass who orders anchovy on a first date, to delight in the rich history of authentic Spanish tapas while you are in the Old Dominion, but most of all to take part in the glory of the combination egg and pickled marinated fish, because they are best buddies, forever.
***Yes, I work at Secco, and yes I am promoting this item on our current menu and No, I do not care.