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1 week ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
Ian Newell wanted to create something meaningful, something people needed-like oxygen, water, or food. The first two, he reasoned, were already handled by nature and the utilities department. That left food. The 38-year-old founder and owner of Goatacado, a fast-casual, health-focused eatery in Richmond's Fan district, dreamed of a place where people could get to know their food intimately, from seed to plate. "There's something inherently important about being in touch with food," Newell says.
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3 weeks ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
Anticipation hums through the air as the audiences settle into Richmond's Leslie Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), double-checking silenced phones and shifting for the best view of the eminent stage, framed by colossal red curtains. The feeling is unmistakable-a quiet, buzzy awe, knowing something extraordinary is about to unfold.
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1 month ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
The sun-warmed stone patio at Ballast, the new mixed-use development off Summit Avenue in Richmond's Scott's Addition, beckons passersby with its striped umbrellas, outdoor seating galore, and inviting sounds of chatter. Cirrus Vodka's new tasting room, which opened April 24, sits beside the bonny courtyard across from specialty food shop Yellow Umbrella-evoking Mediterranean beach town charm in the heart of an urban landscape.
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1 month ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
RICHMOND - Dominion Energy RiverrockMay 16-18: The James River turns into an adrenaline-filled playground at this outdoor bash. Watch kayakers face whitewater, climbers scale boulders, slackliners defy gravity, and dogs take flight in the high-flying Air Dog competition-all set to a live music lineup.
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1 month ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
" Think about when you read a book you really, really loved," prompts Paige Williams, owner of Downtown Books in Lexington. "Where were you? Does it tie you to a beach? Does it tie you to a cozy chair by a fire at your grandparents' house? What makes you love that book?" As an independent bookstore owner, Williams is familiar with the deep responses these questions evoke. "We all have that," she says.
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1 month ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
In their mission to recreate the libations of yore, Williamsburg-based 8 Shires Distillery dove deep into historic records-ledgers, ship manifests, journals, and personal diaries-to uncover the drinking habits of Colonial America. Through all their research, one fact stands out: "For the most part, everybody drank all day long," says general manager Tucker Casanova.
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1 month ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
It's not your standard big gulp that you can get from 7-Eleven," says co-owner Ben Cichelli of the tricked-out drinks at Coco's Sodas + Sweets in downtown Vienna. The shop caters to "soda purists," as Ben might say-those who know the fizz difference between a fountain-pour drink and a bottled 2-liter, and who might be clued into the "dirty soda" craze sweeping social media.
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1 month ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
"As a child, soy sauce was such a familiar part of my life that I never considered it extraordinary," says Takashi Sato, president and eighth-generation member of the founding family of San-J, an international soy sauce brand. Yet, the unassuming 10-ounce bottles of soy sauce have become just that: extraordinary. San-J produces those bottles at a Henrico facility-one that became the first Tamari brewer in the U.S. when it opened in 1987.
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1 month ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
A sun-warmed beach and an ice-cold cocktail: what is it about the pair that make such a perfect match? When the two adored relaxation rituals meet, magic happens-especially inside of Coastal Virginia's distilleries. These distillers take oceanside inspo and bottle it, bringing the beach vibes to you. Blue Sky Distillery: The Blackbeard's Point Rum reminds you that pirates once marauded Virginia's eastern waters.
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2 months ago | 
virginialiving.com | Hope Cartwright
Tens of thousands of drivers speed past Petersburg daily on I-95, but its exit ramps are becoming busier as the city emerges as a destination in itself. The industry is moving in and fast. Denmark-based pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk acquired a facility there last December, and Phlow Pharmaceutical launched operations last summer, positioning Petersburg as a pharmaceutical hub. Meanwhile, Ashburn-based Independence Hydrogen debuted a green hydrogen plant in the city last year.
