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Skip the Grocery Store - Head to the Farmer's Market!
Food & Drink | 08.30.10 | by Matt Harrington
Why would anyone wake up early on Saturday? Isn’t that the day we all sleep in and try to recover from the grueling workweek? If there is one day I look forward to waking up early, it’s Saturday. Why? The farmers market. The South of the James Market (Forest Hill Park) has been my grocery store all summer long and has inspired me to spend more time enjoying the cooking process. There’s nothing I love more than fresh tomatoes and basil, and each Saturday I pick up a week’s supply. Right now, I have Tupperware containers lining my freezer with homemade tomato sauce – each ingredient from a local farmer and bought at the South of the James Market. Peaches and watermelon – I have lived on those this summer. I’ve had a fresh, locally grown peach every day for the month and a half, and I always make sure there is some watermelon in arm’s reach. I like to buy a big one and cut it up into cubes for a midday snack every day of the week. I’ve bought beautiful steaks and fresh sausages, which I grill up along side local green peppers and onions. A fresh loaf of bread or honey-glazed rolls ...
| category: Food & Drink
A belly full of watermelon
Events | 08.09.10 | by Matt Harrington
I love watermelon. No, really. It would be accurate to say I eat at least one large-sized watermelon a week during the summer. Sometimes more, depending on the occasion. Of course, the Watermelon Festival is an occasion to eat the equivalent of my weight in watermelon in just a couple of hours. I can't imagine it ever raining on the Carytown Watermelon Festival. Every year, the temperature is 90 or above with the sun shining brightly on the asphalt. It's become a tradition in Richmond (after 27 years, I think you can call it a Richmond staple - one of those things that define summer in our city) to be doggedly hot. This year, it was a little *cooler* than some of the days we've had this summer. But only by a few degrees. It was still in the 90s. Luckily, there was enough cold watermelon to go around. The heat never stops the crowd from flocking to Carytown. Thousands from around the Richmond Region come to the Watermelon Festival every year to sample the local fare and maybe do a little shopping. This year, I opted to forego my usual sausage with peppers and onions in order to taste a crab cake sandwich from Mezzanine. I'm not big on ...
| category: Events
Science is fun!
Living | 08.05.10 | by Matt Harrington
I forgot how cool science can be. Thankfully, my wife decided she'd remind me by requesting we visit the Science Museum of Virginia last weekend. Since it was her birthday, I had to oblige with little resistance. Now, if it were my birthday, I probably would've picked something a little more - I don't know - less museum-ish. But it wasn't my birthday. So we picked up her sisters and a few of her cousins and embarked on a journey that Mr. Wizard (or Bill Nye for those of you younger than 30) would be proud of. The building itself is pretty magnificent and you can almost picture past travelers making their way through the former Broad Street Station. As soon as we walked in the main entrance (after spending at least 10 minutes stopping, starting and turning the giant Kugel out front), I was reminded of just how cool the science museum is. I mean, where else in Richmond can you play with lasers and activate a kinetic sculpture using your pulse? Playing with the hands-on exhibits made me feel like a kid again. We noticed that an IMAX show was about to start, so we bought tickets (just $5 on Sundays throughout the summer!) for Deep Sea. The ...
| category: Living
Winery Debauchery
Food & Drink | 07.15.10 | by Matt Harrington
Last weekend I went to my very first wine tasting. Well, I went to one once in college, but that was more of a wine guzzling. This one started off as a tasting, at least. I'm friends with an engaged couple who really enjoy wine. I think they go to tastings every weekend they can all around the Commonwealth. Last Saturday, they opted to stay in the Richmond area and invited me and a few other friends to join them at James River Cellars Winery in Glen Allen. Never having been to a real winery before (not unless you count that year that my dad tried to make wine in our basement - at one time my parents had 18 acres of grapes), I didn't know what to expect. The way I understood wine tastings is that they pour you a sip of wine. You smell it. You swirl it. You look at it. You smell it again. You sip it. You spit it out then talk about it. But this was a little more informal. The lady who presented us with each wine was very friendly and talked to us about all sorts of things - buying a house, getting married, traveling, etc. Sure, there was talk about each wine and what went into making them, but we had a nice conversation, too. Oh, ...
| category: Food & Drink
A Weekend in Richmond with Mom
Living | 06.28.10 | by Matt Harrington
Mom was in town from Buffalo this past weekend, and she’s not one to just sit around the house and stare out the window. I think my wife and I showed her a pretty good time in the hot Richmond weather. We took in a little history, some local fare and a healthy dose of art…. and some more food. We took mom on a canal cruise on Saturday. Our tour guide, Cotton, dressed in 18th century garb, navigated our way through the Kanawha Canal along the Canal Walk along side the James River in a covered boat. We learned all about the history of the canal system and its importance to the Richmond Region and the development of commerce throughout the United States. It’s easy to imagine the traders and merchants loading and unloading these boats when you’re traveling down the same waters, looking up at the city of Richmond in the background. The tour lasts about 40 minutes and the tour guide shares a lot of Richmond historical stories and facts. Even facts about sights that Richmond natives probably don’t even know – like the Triple Crossing – the only spot in North America where three different railroads ...
| category: Living
Beating the Heat Without Meat
Events | 06.21.10 | by Matt Harrington
Bryan Park, right off the Lakeside exit on I-95, is a popular Richmond-area park for disc-golf and other outdoor activities. This weekend it was home to the Richmond Vegetarian Festival. This was my first time attending the annual gathering, and the wide variety of food did not disappoint. Of course, it was hot. Summer in Richmond always is. Luckily, our friends from the Gelato stand hooked us up with a couple of bowls of non-dairy sweet super-chocolate treats. That took the edge off for a little while. It was hard to decide which vegan and vegetarian dishes to try because 1) they all looked delicious and 2) I’m a card-carrying member of the Carnivore Club. Eventually, I decided that I couldn’t go wrong with an Asian dish. The pineapple-fried rice from Ginger Thai was amazing: cashews, rice, green beans and pineapple. It was much more flavorful than other fried rice dishes you get with some takeout food. I topped it off with Sriracha Asian hot sauce, because I wasn’t sweating enough from the 95-degree heat. And since I was on an Asian kick, I ordered up a fresh spring roll to share with the wife, who was going to ...
| category: Events
A Taste of Italy
Events | 06.14.10 | by Matt Harrington
As I mentioned in last week’s blog, The St. Joseph’s Italian Festival was the next stop on my summer eating tour. I may be a little biased about this one, though. Growing up (half) Italian in Upstate New York, my family spent many summer weekends eating these very foods during family get-togethers. In fact, the 4th of July party my aunt throws every year features a very similar menu to what the food vendors at the Italian Festival were serving up: sausage, meatballs, cannolis and, of course, wine. It was another searing hot day, and the asphalt parking lot of the Bon Air church didn’t help matters much. There was a misting tent, though. I sauntered through it a few times. The wife and I did a quick lap of the festival grounds. By Richmond festival standards, this one was quite small – which is to be expected for a Southside event. The live two-man band played Italian hits from the Goodfellas era and the sweet aroma of Italian Sausage filled the air. We got a couple of sausage subs with a generous helping of obligatory peppers and onions and found a spot in the shade. They had tables set up in the front ...
| category: Events
A Food-Filled Weekend in RVA
Events | 06.08.10 | by Matt Harrington
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: We love our outdoor festivals in Richmond - especially those that feature food. Two of our best food festivals were held this past weekend, and the sweltering heat couldn’t keep me away from either. The Richmond Greek Festival, held at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Malvern Ave, is always a popular event. This year was no different, with a large crowd in attendance on Saturday afternoon when I was there. The lines for the food were ridiculously long, but once food was in hand – and in mouth – the wait seemed worthwhile. I couldn’t tell you exactly what I ate, though. I don’t think I can remember the names… something about spinach and feta in dough. And then there was something with fried eggplant. I was too busy chowing down to memorize the Greek spellings and pronunciations. One thing is clear – I don’t eat enough Greek food. It’s delicious. The mother of all Richmond Food Festivals took place on Sunday. Broad Appétit brings together over 50 local chefs and regional farmers to offer mini-cuisines and fresh produce, ...
| category: Events
Dining Out: Avenue 805
Food & Drink | 06.01.10 | by Matt Harrington
My ongoing quest to eat at every single restaurant in Richmond brought me to Avenue 805 last Friday night. While I know that Avenue 805 has been around for a couple of years, it was the first time I got to experience it. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting (maybe it’s because it’s next door to a Pizza Hut), but I was pleasantly surprised with both the atmosphere and the food. Being a Friday night, I expected at least a half-hour wait time for a table. It was already after 6pm when we arrived, but only two tables were occupied. The restaurant is relatively small, which makes the whole dining experience feel a little more intimate. Since we didn’t have to pass the time at the bar, we ordered a couple of drinks after we were seated and took our time looking over the menu. Our server announced the specials, which included a rockfish dish, a stuffed sirloin dish and a duck entrée. I knew the wife would go for the duck as soon as it was mentioned. I went for their traditional Avenue 805 Chicken Florentine. Usually, when I go to a restaurant for the first time, I like to get something that A) I know ...
| category: Food & Drink
The 1 Day in RVA Winner & Itinerary
Misc. | 05.18.10 | by Matt Harrington
You may recall our February contest, 1 Day in RVA, where contestants posted their ideas for the perfect way to spend a day in Richmond. Our winner, Elliot Jaffa (who posted the most popular idea about touring the Capitol), and his guest will be enjoying the grand prize, the all-expenses paid day in Richmond, on Saturday, June 26th. Here’s a rough itinerary what Mr. Jaffa and guest can expect when they visit our city (subject to change depending on time/preference): 9am - Breakfast/Brunch at PERLY’S in Monroe Ward 9:30am – Walk around Belle Isle/Tredegar Iron Works/Civil War Center 10:30am – Quick drive through Hollywood Cemetery, then on to a quick tour of Museum District and a peek inside the Virgina Museum of Fine Arts. Maybe get a taste of Maymont during this time before stopping at the next spot: Noon – Carytown (spend an hour or so visiting shops, the Byrd, etc.) 1:00pm – Lunch at Can Can Brasserie, then drive down Monument Ave on the way to Church Hill 2pm – Segway MicroTour of Church Hill (Check out the tours at Segway of Richmond) 3:45pm – The State Capitol (our ...
| category: Misc.