Ed 356: World Beer Cup, New Rooftop Bar, Bridal Shop
Powered by Triangle Rock Club — get ready to rock with the One Day in May Sale, happening May 24 and featuring a *steep* discount on your annual membership. Learn more here!
Oh, hi!
While it’s been a rainy start to the week, we’ve got our eyes on the (hopefully drier?) weekend already. ICY haven’t marked your calendar yet, we’re hosting a member meetup cleanup in Scott’s Addition with Keep Virginia Cozy this Sunday, May 18! Meet us at Väsen Brewing Company at noon, and we’ll get you situated with all your must-haves for fanning out and doing a little zhuzhing up around the neighborhood. Then meet us back at Väsen again when you’re done, and we’ll mix and mingle and have a drink together! See you soon?
Keep scrolling for RVA’s latest social news, including a family-run Italian deli, black truffle burrata, matcha recs, and more.
PODCAST
WEATHER
Wednesday: Scattered t-storms; high of 82°, low of 65°
Thursday: Partly cloudy; high of 82°, low of 62°
Friday: Partly cloudy again; high of 79°, low of 58°
HAPPENINGS
Wednesday, 6 - 8:30 pm: LIVE MUSIC AT BRAMBLY PARK
Thursday, 4 - 8 pm: FAN ARTS STROLL, DAY 1
Friday, 5 - 9:30 pm: DOMINION ENERGY RIVERROCK, DAY 1
CITY GUIDES
1. EDITOR’S NOTE: A MOMENT FOR THE STRAWBERRIES
2. 11 SPLASH PADS TO CHECK OUT WITH THE KIDS IN THE RICHMOND HEAT
Image Source: @bellwether_garage
RICHMONDER TO KNOW
The Bellwether Garage: This motorcycle garage and music venue tucked away in Church Hill just kicked off its third season. With the help of Overcoast this time around, the hidden gem is hosting a monthly series of safe, open, and free-to-the-community shows. Bring your crew (and your camping chair) to the next one happening on Saturday, June 21. 100% of tips go straight to the featured artists!
THE LATEST:
Image Source: Polpetti
Image Source: Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop
Image Source: Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Image Source: Birdhouse Farmers Market
SOCIAL NEWS
The Olympics of Beer — ahem, er, the 2025 World Beer Cup — awarded a silver medal to Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop’s Hey Girl, Hey brew, which is the spot’s beer-wine hybrid rosé lager. Starr Hill scored its ranking out of 90 entries total in the Fruit Beer category, and generally speaking, the World Beer Cup had breweries worldwide vying for top honors across over 100 style categories, judged by more than 200 industry professionals. The comp continues to be a significant platform for breweries to gain international recognition, celebrating the diversity and innovation within the global beer community, and we LOVE to see local representation, ofc. (Forbes)
Speaking of note-worthy competitions, Richmond-based bartender Steve Yang is set to compete in the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) World Class competition in Atlanta next week, marking his fourth consecutive year representing Virginia in the ~holy grail~ of cocktail competitions. Known for his work with local spots like Brenner Pass, and the soon-to-open Slack Tide Fish Co., Steve will bring his own housemade syrups, mixers, and glassware to the competition, which will task participants with creating cocktails paired with Southern dishes using Bulleit bourbon, crafting drinks inspired by Latin market ingredients with Don Julio Cristalino tequila, and presenting a bar concept and producing six drinks in eight minutes. He plans to explore themes related to the Silk Road, incorporating ingredients like apples, stone fruits, and spices. (Richmond magazine)
Lettuce celebrate! Family-run Italian deli Polpetti recently opened its second location, near VCU’s campus. Owners Peter and Georgia Riccobono aim to bring authentic New York-style Italian flavors to the area, drawing from their Northern upbringing and culinary backgrounds. The new deli offers breakfast and lunch, featuring sandwiches named after New York neighborhoods, such as the BedStuy and the Brighton, and its menu includes espresso, coffee, and locally made DeLuca Gelato, too. In coming months, the fam also plans to expand their offerings to include grab-and-go items like homemade red sauce, meatballs, and pasta dishes, and eventually transform their original Meadow St location into a full-fledged Italian market. (Richmond magazine)
Perched high above the James River, Solaire, a new rooftop bar, is set to open soon in downtown Richmond, taking over the former Kabana Rooftop space. The venue will show off a redesign featuring modern furniture and greenery accents, creating a welcoming atmosphere. While Solaire looks to function as both a bar and a social club, its owners plan to focus more on the daytime gatherings of it all, rather than Kabana’s nightlife-centric vibe. Look for a menu of appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees, along with signature cocktails like the Red Earth and Rojo Fizz. (Press Release, Richmond BizSense)
News that bakes our world go ‘round: Le Petit Morceau, a new bakery in Manchester, is set to open soon and serve as both a culinary destination and a community gathering space; owner Tra My Anderson’s vision is to create an environment where customers can enjoy high-quality, French-inspired pastries while feeling a sense of belonging. Diners can expect a cozy atmosphere complemented by a menu of meticulously crafted baked goods, which will center on quality ingredients and traditional techniques to deliver pastries that are both delish and evocative. Ahead of its grand opening, you can support Tra My’s crowdfunding campaign for the space through this Friday, May 16. (Style Weekly)
Midlo is about to be on cloud wine, as Waters Edge Winery & Bistro is set to debut its first Richmond-area location in Midlothian’s Centerpointe Commons later this year or early next. The 7,400-square-foot urban winery will feature a bar, restaurant, event space, and an on-site winemaking facility, and unlike traditional wineries, it will import grape juice concentrates from regions like Europe, California, and Australia, allowing wines to be crafted on-site in view of its patrons. Visiting vinos can look forward to custom-labeled wines, a wine club with restaurant discounts, winemaking classes, and weekly entertainment as well as a menu of black truffle burrata, smoked gouda arancini, sweet and spicy grilled shrimp skewers, and then some. Construction is anticipated to start within the next few weeks. (Richmond BizSense)
Here’s what’s *really* trending: Matcha seems to be everywhere these days, and Richmond magazine took the liberty of rounding up a few local spins for us to try while the green tea does its thing. According to the pub, Scoop offers a Matcha and White Chocolate Ice Cream, Boba Tea & Snow Ice House serves a Matcha Bubble Egg Waffle, Zen Cafe has a seasonal Strawberry Milk with Matcha Cap, Oh Mochi offers a Matcha Mochi Doughnut, and for a boozy twist, Nightcrawler (a cocktail pop-up at Cobra Burger on the third Sunday of each month) serves a Matcha Daiquiri. (Richmond magazine)
MORE LINKS YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK
🥬Birdhouse Farmers Market is up and running again on Tuesdays, now through November. (Birdhouse Farmers Market)
🚫Virginia Museum of History & Culture has cancelled this weekend’s HistoryFest (but its must-see exhibition Give Me Liberty is still very much on display). (VMHC)
🍺Kindred Spirit Brewing Satellite is closing with its last day of service this Sunday, May 18. (Instagram)
🎤The 68th Festival of Arts at Dogwood Dell kicks off on Friday, June 6. (Facebook)
Image Source: Blue Sage Bridal
Weekly Giveaway
Blue Sage Bridal
Blue Sage Bridal is giving the girlies a chance to wear their wedding (or bridesmaid) dresses again at this month’s Re-Wear Your Wedding Dress Tea Party happening Saturday, May 25. Think: an afternoon of fun with your pals and hot teas, tea sandwiches, freshly baked scones, plus lots more.
This week, we’re teaming up with Blue Sage Bridal to give away two tickets to the event! These plans take the cake, if we do say so ourselves.
To enter, tell us: What is the most popular month for weddings in the US?
Last week: Congratulations to last edition’s winner, Danielle M., for winning the Little Wish Toys giveaway!
Image Source: Blue Sage Bridal
Member Perks
Blue Sage Bridal
Too excited to wait for the giveaway winner reveal? We’ve got a perk for that 🥳
As a member of The Richmond Experience, you get $5 off your ticket to the event. Snag yours here!
New + Trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We’d like to welcome 4 new members this week: Rebecca W., Shayla M., Martha S., and Bob R., we’re so glad you’re here!
It takes a village, so let us know if you have any questions, thoughts, feedback, tips, or recs! Thanks for reading edition 356 of The Weekly Insider.
Chat again soon!
- The Richmond Experience
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