GardenFest of Lights 2013: A Collage

Duh. Of course this is going to be a picture montage/collage.  How could I write about a bunch of beautiful lights? You have to SEE them.  And honestly if you haven't seen them yet, you really need to plan a trip and get out there before the season is over.

The folks over at The Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens have put a lot of work into laying out and stringing up over HALF A MILLION lights all over the garden grounds for the annual Dominion GardenFest of Lights (along with botanical decorations, holiday dinners, and more). And the results are amaaaazing.  Check out some highlights below.

And seriously, if you haven't seen this for yourself yet, make it happen.  The GardenFest of Lights runs from Friday Nov. 29th to Monday Jan. 13th (only closed on Dec. 24th and 25th) from 5:00 to 10:00 pm.  It's always open rain or shine, unless there's SUPER inclement weather.  General adult admission is $11, or $10 for seniors, $7 for children ages 3-12, and children under 3 get in free!  It costs $6 for members unless you go on a member night (and see the Lewis Ginter website for those dates and other info).

Hope you guys enjoy and make it out to appreciate this beautiful event!

Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival: A Photo Montage

So this year Richmond's Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival was held on June 8th in the Richmond Raceway Complex Exhibition Hall.  It was a great time. I could probably write a book about it.  But seeing as 2013 is almost over, I'm just gonna go ahead and throw some highlights out there.

My group took a limo and had VIP tickets, which meant we got in at noon and the regular admission holders had to wait until 2:00.  Trust me - it makes a BIG difference.

 Doin' it and doin' it and doin' it right

This is VIP:

Which is important because you get things like these, before they run out...which they did...in 30 min:

They also had lots of prizes:

And these:

Which we purchased, and smoked here:

Then of course there's THIS:

Aaaaand music that may only appeal to a certain type of crowd:

Honestly, by the time our regular admission friends showed up, things had already gotten a little weird:

I thought I was going to need one of these:

But nope, I made it home fine. Can't remember much of the day after that though :) It really was a good time, had by all.

Grand Illumination 2013

"It's non denominational tiiiime in the cityyyyy..."

This year, Richmond’s Grand Illumination in Shockoe Bottom seemed to have a lot of differences and be a lot more low-key than last year.  One thing that was the same was Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) was stationed on the front sidewalks collecting toys for over 300 local area children.  Another similarity was that the lights were gorgeous, of course.  But other than that, there were few consistencies from last year (at least that I got to see, but I have a feeling I just dropped the ball on this one by staying at my friend’s place on 6^th St. pregaming too long lol). 

My b.

Whereas last year there were several speakers, this year I didn’t hear a single word before the lights went on at 6:00 pm (apparently Santa Claus and Lite 98 DID count down the seconds until the lights went on, but I was right across the street and heard nothing).  Whereas last year Cary St. was closed between 9^th and 12^th St., this year a single lane of traffic was left open with cars crawling through groups of pedestrians trying to cross the street to the James Center (which also meant no marching bands parading down Cary like last year).    And I guess all the exciting live music groups played before I got there (which was close to 6:00) because instead of hearing any live band at all, all I heard were speakers attempting to blast Christmas music (Christmas rock music no less).  But according to the event page on the James Center's website, there were a lot of music groups, including The Greater Richmond Children’s Choir, VCU Trombone Choir, and Kings of Swing.  And a surprising difference- despite the warmer temps, there seemed to be a lot less people.

But nonetheless, the lights covering numerous buildings as well as the lawn of the James Center are just as beautiful as ever.  And this year I even checked out the festivities inside the James Center, where they had a small orchestra playing in the main hall, as well as a harp group in the room next to it.

Next year I think I’ll be getting there earlier, like around 5:15 like I did last year.  But until then, enjoy some pics I took this year.  Happy Holidays!!

A little windy up where we were, but still not cold :) Perfecto.

Coming soon...

Silly new jobs- they'll get ya every time!  ..or rather they'll get your time...every time...yeah.

But yes, ever since starting my new job, having to randomly buy a new car, getting ready for the holiday season, etc. etc. etc., I've been a little busy and neglecting my writing again. Boo.

But rest assured- I've been out doing lots, and I have a lot to write about!

So stay tuned for blogs on:

Hogtoberfest (you read right)

The Roosevelt

Viceroy

The Pig & Pearl

Richmond Volleyball Club (real vball + good beer = best kept "secret" it town)

En Su Boca, en Mi Boca...

Hey, remember that old adult book store that used to be at 1001 N. Boulevard?  No?  Ok, well now it’s a taco place. :)

Seriously, a lot of people do remember the naughty little book shop, the Triangle Book Store.  For a certain niche of the generation before mine, it might have even been considered a Richmond staple.  But now it’s been converted into a restaurant called En Su Boca, which translates to “in your mouth” (so perhaps they’re trying to pay homage to Triangle).

They’re a big fan of spicy foods at En Su Boca.  This became apparent as soon as the first appetizer came out, which was chips with three different salsas, including a habanero salsa.  But it became even more apparent when the 2^nd appetizer – a “cheese dip” – came out.   It was really good, don’t get me wrong.  But in actuality, the Queso Fundido Cheese Dip ($8) is really ground up housemade chorizo and grilled peppers with a thin layer of “Chihuahua cheese” on top.  Good job, menu makers.  You got me.  An avid fan of straight up melted cheese fell for it and ended up eating ground up meat instead.  

But if you’re not a fan of spicy, the guacamole wasn’t spicy and was REALLY good, and two other salsa weren’t spicy at all.  And my chicken tacos weren’t spicy.  Don’t believe the fish tacos that my friend ordered were spicy either, until she poured the habenero salsa on them.  Prior to that, they looked amazing.

They have a whole menu of interesting, awesome cocktails with ingredients so various (common and rare) that I can’t remember most of them right lol Except tequila. :) 

Besides good food and drinks, En Su Boca also has a really cool patio almost adjacent to Boulevard, with a nice little wall separating patrons from traffic.   I was also a fan of the colorful, festive paint job all along the outside of the building.  It’s very welcoming for a building that used to house pornography and trashy “romance” novels.  The inside has the new typical style of concrete floors and bare walls, which equals loudness, making it difficult to talk sometimes.   But it’s not a big place so it’s not as bad some other restaurants. 

All-in-all, I’d say Patrick Stamper and Randy O’Dell (formerly of Mezzanine in Carytown) did a pretty bang-up job (pun intended) of turning the place into a really good restaurant.  Good atmosphere, good food, good drinks – what more could you want?  I’m sure I’ll be going back again soon (if only to try another unique cocktail).   Maybe I’ll get some better descriptions of the tacos then, too (lol…seriously).

Check them out at 1001 N. Boulevard (804-359-0758) Monday through Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.  You can check out their menu ahead of time at their website.  And as always, LIKE THEM ON FACEBOOK! :)