vol. 287 / Top ChefExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 287 / Top Chef
Meet this week's guest editor, Brittanny Anderson. A born-and-raised Richmonder, Brittanny is the celebrated chef and owner of Metzger Bar & Butchery, Bar Buoy, Black Lodge, and The Pink Room. She is a two-time semi-finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic and has been named StarChefs’ Mid-Atlantic Restaurateur of the Year.
On television, you can spot her competing on Bravo’s Top Chef (Season 18) and Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, Iron Chef America, Last Bite Hotel, 24 in 24, and Triple Threat, where she took down Bobby Flay’s Titans. Her restaurants and recipes have been featured in Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, Elle, and Bon Appétit.
This week, we’re honored to have Brittanny share her favorite ways to explore and celebrate this delicious city we all love to call home.
Take it away, Brittanny ...
Volunteer with Beyond Boundaries
One of my favorite groups to work with in Richmond, Beyond Boundaries, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to guiding participants with disabilities, veterans, underserved youth, and recovery programs on outdoor adventures. Help someone learn to fish, kayak, or rock climb! Shep Roeper, Executive Director of Beyond Boundaries, has created a really special group that shares our beautiful outdoors and wildlife here in Richmond with those who have had limited access to it in the past, and it is truly special to get to be a part of it!
Hook up with one of the terrific guides at Current Culture Fly, or go hang with Richmond Fly Women and learn to tie your own flies, cast a rod, and ultimately land a monster right here in the city! Current Culture Fly is a guide service working out of Richmond that takes pride in making fly fishing accessible and fun. And Richmond Fly Women is a community for women anglers of all skill levels who just love to fish. Established in 2025, the group’s mission is to see more women on the water, solo and together. Join the group for social and active meetups where participants fish, tie flies, and learn from one another.
Visit my favorite neighborhood in Richmond and take a walk filled with history, cocktails, and yummy snacks! Visit brunch spots like Alewife or Metzger, sit on the patio at The Hill Café and chat with the neighborhood regulars, grab a slice at Pizza Bones, browse the Italian goodies at Giorno Market, and then take in the gorgeous architecture of historic Church Hill.
Richmond chef and restaurateur Brittanny Anderson recently set sail on a new culinary adventure with the opening of Bar Buoy, a Chesapeake Bay–inspired eatery in Scott’s Addition. Drawing on her family lineage of watermen, Brittanny has brought casual, fun, beach-shack vibes to Richmond’s dining scene. Think raw bar, steamers, crab cakes, beer-battered cod, Chesapeake Bay shrimp toast, and plenty of boat drinks and nostalgic cocktails like fancy crushes and buttered popcorn rum and Cokes, plus a curated non-alcoholic soda lineup. Head over to 3200 Rockbridge St. for a little bit of the Bay right here in the River City.
vol. 286 / ConnectionExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 286 / Connection
Meet this week’s guest editor, Hamilton Glass. Before he became one of Richmond’s most recognized public artists, Hamilton spent years shaping spaces through architecture and design. That experience still informs his work today, as he continues to create art that connects people, stories, and community.
One of the things Hamilton enjoys most is creating projects that lift up and reflect the voices of Richmond. In 2020, he founded Mending Walls RVA, a project born out of the civil unrest and pandemic that were gripping the country. It became a way for him to process current events and create a platform that encourages empathy and connection through collaborative public artwork. His goal has always been to use art as a healing tool that connects, uplifts, and inspires the people around him.
Over the past year, Hamilton has taken an important step in his artistic journey by building a new studio space dedicated to personal and exploratory work. While public art remains an important part of his practice, Hamilton is now creating space to explore new directions and experiment with different mediums that reflect his personal interests and creative vision. His new studio serves as both a place of focus and discovery, where he can push boundaries, take risks, and create art that feels true to his identity as an artist.
This week, Hamilton joins us as guest editor to share his tips for exploring, celebrating, and connecting with this creative place we all love to call home.
Check out more from Dr. Gibson in her new podcast series, The Six Lessons of From The Wiz to Wakanda: Afrofuturism in Pop Culture. In this series, Dr. Gibson traces the history of the movement and introduces listeners to the writers, artists, and creators who revisit the past as they build new visions for the future. From the work of pioneering Black writers like W. E. B. Du Bois to the blockbuster Black Panther films and beyond, Afrofuturism emerges as an ongoing cultural project that grows stronger and more multifaceted with each new generation of creators.
Vitals:
The Art of Storytelling: Afrofuturism and Pop Culture / Thursday, October 9, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. / Richmond Public Library (Main Branch), Gellman Room, 101 E. Franklin Street
Manchester Murals
In early 2025, the Manchester Alliance and Hull Street Merchants, with funding from the service district administered by Venture Richmond, launched a mural project for Hull Street. The goal was to enhance the vibrant public art scene in Manchester while also addressing blight and graffiti and uplifting local businesses.
As part of this effort, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Matt Lively on one of three new murals taking shape along Hull Street this year at 927, 1211, and 1437. The other murals are being created by S. Ross Brown, and by Ross Trimmer of SureHand Signs with Mickael Broth, also known as Nightowl. These pieces join other great works by Silly Genius and Art City Art Club that have appeared on Hull Street in recent months.
It’s inspiring to see so much creative energy coming together on Hull Street this year. Each new piece adds to the story of a neighborhood that continues to grow, connect, and celebrate its community through art.
Vitals:
Hull Street (Manchester), murals located at 927, 1211, and 1437 Hull Street / Follow along here for updates
Trust Building/s Empatica
Trust Building/s is a collaborative community mural project by Alfonso Perez Acosta and Noah Scalin, created in partnership with Mending Walls and One Small Step (a StoryCorps project). Inspired by their collaboration on the 2020 Mending Walls mural project, artists Acosta and Scalin have reconnected to explore the power of interdependence and intersectionality. Together, they are continuing this conversation with the community by producing a series of four new murals, each based on one of the meaningful pillars of trust building: Consistency, Reliability, Honesty, and Empathy.
To create each mural, the artists are working directly with teams of participants from the One Small Step project. One Small Step brings together strangers with different political views for facilitated conversations — not to debate politics, but to better understand one another as people. This partnership allows past conversation participants another opportunity for dialogue and connection, aligning with the goals of the artists and the mission of Mending Walls.
The first of the four mural projects was completed in May of this year at 1118 Main Street. Trust Building/s is now at work on its second installation, Empatica, located at 211 N. 18th Street.
Vitals:
Murals at 1118 Main Street and 211 N. 18th Street / Mending Walls RVA
More about Hamilton:
As Hamilton continues to evolve as an artist, his focus has turned toward creating more personal and introspective work that reflects his individual vision and growth. His new studio has become a place of exploration, a space where he can experiment freely, and test new ideas.
While public art remains an important part of his practice, this chapter represents a return to the studio, where process and reflection guide the work. Along the way, he's inviting others into this next stage. Hamilton is actively seeking to connect with collectors and collaborators who value meaning, connection, and bold personal expression in contemporary art. Whether through his studio explorations or through custom commissions, he’s excited to build relationships that continue his lifelong pursuit of art that brings people together.
vol. 285 / PrideExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 285 / Pride
This week's guest editor is Amanda Blatnikserves as Chair of Virginia Pride, leading volunteers to organize Pridefest and events that celebrate Richmond's LGBTQ+ community.
Since joining the committee in 2024, Amanda has created the inaugural Pride Week (September 20-28), expanding the celebration with diverse programming designed to offer something for everyone. Amanda is passionate about creating safe, inclusive spaces where people can celebrate their authentic selves.
Professionally, Amanda is a Senior Management Analyst for the City of Richmond's Department of Economic Development, bringing 15 years of nonprofit and government experience in project management and process improvement.
Amanda loves living life to the fullest - enjoying Richmond's great food scene, dancing with friends, and taking walks in the city's parks. They're also a self-proclaimed nerd who enjoys fantasy shows, Dungeons & Dragons, and comic conventions.
Take it away, Amanda ...
Pride Anthem Karaoke at Barcode
Sing it loud, sing it proud! Celebrate Pride with a special edition of Barcode’s weekly karaoke night, featuring an endless catalog of queer icons and anthems - Cher, Tina, Gaga, Madonna, Chappell Roan, Tracy Chapman, k.d. lang, and more. Plus, enter the midnight raffle for a chance to win Pridefest VIP tickets. (And if you catch the karaoke bug, Barcode hosts it every Thursday!)
Vitals:
Pride Anthem Karaoke / Thursday, September 25 / 9:00 PM – 1:00 AM / Barcode, 6 E Grace St, Richmond, VA
Pride After Dark at Thirsty’s
Who needs sleep the night before Pridefest? Not us! Pride After Dark brings the party to Forest Hill with vendors, drag entertainment, dancing, and more at Thirsty’s, the small but mighty gay bar owned by Keyan Herron and his husband Cameron. This 18+ event celebrates Pride’s sultry side—so come ready to shop, cheer, and let loose, because Pride doesn’t end when the sun goes down.
Vitals:
Pride After Dark / Friday, September 26 / 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM / Thirsty’s, 3516 Forest Hill Ave, Richmond, VA / $10 suggested donation
Pride Bowling Bash
Close out Pride Week with strikes, spares, and spectacular drag flair. Drag superstar Mhiya LePaige - famed for her acrobatics and high-energy performances - takes the stage, while local legend Alvion Davenport hosts. Plus, appearances from the fabulous 2025 VA Pride Court. And yes, there will be plenty of bowling.
Vitals:
Pride Bowling Bash / Sunday, September 28 / 4:00 – 8:00 PM / River City Roll, 939 Myers St, Richmond, VA / $25 tickets
More about Virginia Pride:
Virginia Pride celebrates diversity, is committed to seeking equity and inclusion for all in the LGBTQ+ community, and seeks to make our region a better place for LGBTQ+ people to live, work, and visit.
Virginia Pride’s priority is to create experiences that embrace individuals of all identities as well as intentionally working to elevate those of our LGBTQ+ community that are disproportionately impacted including people of color, trans individuals, and those that identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming.
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