Eileen Mellon

1 week ago | richmondmagazine.com | Eileen Mellon

Here We Go Again Just months after the incident at Richmond’s water treatment plant earlier this year, parts of the city are once again subject to a boil water advisory announced May 27. And once again, food and beverage businesses in the affected areas (Carytown, the Fan, large areas in North Side, Manchester and more) are having to navigate operations amid the outage.

2 weeks ago | richmondmagazine.com | Eileen Mellon

Growing on Trees  While strawberries and blueberries can steal all the glory, there’s a fellow juicy contender that is having its seasonal moment: mulberries. The sweet-tart fruit is the star of Blue Bee Cider’s Fanfare, a beloved selection that is making its return after a hiatus. The cider features 100% locally foraged mulberries that have been collected by the community, and it’s one of the few mulberry-infused ciders in the country.

2 weeks ago | richmondmagazine.com | Eileen Mellon

Springtime for many means the sight of plump fava beans and swirly garlic scapes, scarlet strawberries and potent ramps, and evenings when the sun starts staying out later. At Blue Bee Cider (4801 Bethlehem Road), springtime means having Fanfare on tap. Infused with locally foraged mulberries, the hard cider is one of the Blue Bee’s most sought-after selections. And now, after a two-year gap in production — and fruit collection — Fanfare has made a triumphant return.

2 weeks ago | richmondmagazine.com | Eileen Mellon

804 All Day “I’ve lived in Richmond my entire life. I went to Freeman High School and University of Richmond. I was born at St. Mary’s Hospital, and both of my kids were, as well.” Early Beginnings “We started in January 2005. Three months in, we got an opportunity to sell coffee at Joe’s Market, a Ukrop’s specialty market. They set us on a path of selling wholesale coffee in grocery stores.

3 weeks ago | richmondmagazine.com | Eileen Mellon

A Halal Hub  A 22-year-old James River High School grad has already opened his second Middle Eastern food business in the area. Palestinian-born Zack Mahfouz recently debuted coffee and dessert shop Keffiyeh Cafe right next door to his shawarma spot, Basically Halal. Anchoring the shopping plaza is Petra Halal Food, a longstanding grocer that supplies both of Mahfouz’s ventures. The trio of businesses has created a unique culinary and cultural hub in Chesterfield.