Ready to explore Richmond? Read on!

VOL. 25   /   CROISSANTS It's our 25th newsletter ever! We're still shiny and new; we appreciate your early support. This is only the beginning. We have big plans... like our first guest editor taking over next week’s newsletter. Stay tuned. Want to help us celebrate our milestone? Join in on the fun at our next Here.Happening -- keep reading! Pre-Show Happy Hour You’re invited to our next Here.Happening! If you scored tickets to either of the sold-out Tiffany Haddish comedy shows tomorrow (as we recommended in December), congrats! Join us for a pre-show happy hour at Pop’s Market on Grace. You may know Pop’s for their homemade English muffins (try immediately if you haven't), but their evening fare is just as delightful. Come for dinner or drinks -- whatever you decide, the Carpenter Theatre’s just a block away. Even if you’re not headed to the show, come out anyway! You’ll have time to eat the dessert the show-goers have to skip and to hang with Patti Wright, who just won an Elby for best front-of-house personality.   Vitals: Friday, March 16 / 6-7:30pm facebook.com/popsongrace Futures: French Film... The largest French Film Festival in the country is Richmond’s very own, taking over The Byrd each spring. Prepare by watching the film trailers and decide if you want to pick up a pass or individual tickets. This year’s line-up is solid. If we had to choose, our film selects would be: - “La Danseuse” is perhaps the most anticipated of the lot. - The trailer alone for “Monsieur & Madame Adelman” is riveting. Color us intrigued. - If you're into bonkers, we've seen “Rock’n Roll” (because Marion Cotillard), and it's… well... it's totally nuts. Bonus: the festival brings in directors, producers and actors for Q&A sessions after some of the films.   Vitals: March 22-25 frenchfilmfestival.us ... & French Food If you’re going to watch a French film, you’ll need to eat some French food. There are the standards in town, but we favor L’Opossum for their attentive service and unabashed creativity from dish to decor. Even the menu is a trip. Our perfect meal starts with the French meeting the South in Les Escargots à La Ham Biscuit. Next: The Swank Bank, aka lobster mac & cheese in a “ridiculously rich” white truffle mornay sauce. Hungry yet? Save room for dessert – The Swashbuckling Bundt Pirate Drenched in Hot Buttered Rum is not to be missed.   Vitals: Tuesday-Saturday / 5-10pm lopossum.com

One weekly email. Three must-do ideas. Infinite potential.

VOL. 24  /  MIX You've got to love it when Richmond gets creative. See what we mean with this week's ideas. Next time you hit up an event per our rec, tag us on Insta with @here.weekly or #hereiswheretheheartis. You never know, you might just end up in our story… Now get out there! Cider Flights & Bacon Truffles That headline -- yeah, we know. Sometimes our favorite part of Richmond is its ability to surprise us. Blue Bee Cider is doing just that with help from Full Belly Delights, a gourmet bacon and treats maker. They are pairing two flights of ciders with… bacon truffles. Here's a taste: the Rocky Ridge Reserve cider meets the Give Me S'more truffle. Tasting and sipping happen on Sunday, but act now: the pairings are available through reservation only, and today is the last day to order!   Vitals: Sunday, March 11 / 12-7pm bluebeecider.com/storefront/cider-bacon-truffles-pairing-flights Damme Good Food What's better than no-nonsense, cheap and delicious food? Answer: all that but with a Jean-Claude Van Damme kung fu dive bar theme. This Sunday, pop-up restaurant series Gold Cart takes over Flora to bring back a fan-favorite theme. (Their Jean-Claude Van Brunch and the kung pow chicken and waffles caused quite the stir.) They will be serving up General Tso fried chicken and house-made wontons with dollar PBRs and $6 cocktails. Dinner service starts at 6pm, but they'll transition to a late-night bar style with a DJ as the night goes on -- and the party doesn't stop until 2am.   Vitals: Sunday, March 11 / 6pm-2am instagram.com/p/BfZQ9ESFpSA/?taken-by=goldcartrva Futures: Studio Two Ballet Taking in a Richmond Ballet performance once a year is a must. We reviewed the season's programming and narrowed the field for you. This month's Studio Two: New Works Festival is your moment, especially if you're new to ballet. Prior to the festival, four choreographers who have no history with Richmond Ballet meet dancers for the first time. Then, they have only 25 hours spread over one week to develop and practice a 10- or 15-minute piece. The result: a fresh and creative collaboration that unfolds before your eyes.   Vitals: Tuesday, March 20 - Sunday, March 25 richmondballet.com/season-tickets/ticket-info/performances/studio-two

VOL. 23  /  MARCHING ON Welcome to the weekend! Oh, too soon? We're ready. When we write this newsletter every week, there's this magical moment when the ideas just click and come together. This week's line-up is super solid. To celebrate, we'd like to ask a humble favor. When you've finished reading, will you forward to a friend who would dig Here.? We appreciate the support. Cheers to the weekend! That Custom Fit Luxury shirtmaker and menswear brand Ledbury is hosting its inaugural Custom Week, featuring six exclusive bundles (read: discounts) on custom shirts, sport coats, suits and more. Perhaps you've visited their Broad St. shop before, but the made-to-measure lounge is a real treat, outfitted with swank leather couches, a killer sound system and beverages to boot. This is a perfect time to build out your workweek wear or suit up a pack of groomsmen. Be sure to book an appointment in advance, and when there, ask for a tour of the adjoining workshop, where some shirts are made in-house!   Vitals: Thursday, March 1 - Sunday, March 11 ledbury.com/pages/custom-week TX BBQ in RVA It's been a long journey for ZZQ: five years from its founding to a new permanent location in Scott's Addition. Thankfully, the wait is over. Owners Chris Fultz and Alex Graf built a cult following at Ardent Craft Ales, and now that they're serving up Texas craft bbq in Ardent's backyard, we're predicting an even bigger response. The restaurant is celebrating its grand opening this Saturday and Sunday. Expect the lines to be long. But unbelievably worth it, if these tantalizing pictures on the website taste half as good as they look.   Vitals: Opens March 3 Wednesday - Sunday / 11am - sold out zzqrva.com Oscars Movie Night It's Oscar weekend! If you've not yet gotten around to watching the nominated films, now is the time. Every year, Criterion Cinemas, Movieland's smaller, more high-brow sister, screens many of the big Oscar winners after the awards. It's currently the only theater in town showing "Lady Bird," "I, Tonya" and the Oscar-nominated shorts. Other notable frontrunners still on screens include "The Shape of Water" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."  Catch some films before the Oscars - or watch the winners once they've been crowned. Nearby dinner selects: Peter Chang, Sabai or Fat Dragon.   Vitals: fandango.com/criterion-cinemas-at-movieland-AAWWP/theater-page