Plus, Tokyo Market moves down the street
 
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61º | 15% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. | Sunset 6:31 p.m.
 

🥪 Side of local nostalgia, anyone?

Richmond restaurants you miss the most
people wait outside for mamma 'zu to open from several years ago
Mamma Zu is stilled missed by locals. | Photo by @onlyinyourstate
Earlier this month, we asked: Which Richmond restaurant do you miss the most? Which restaurant or meal do you wish were still around?

Piece of cake, right? RICtoday readers sent us food for thought — let’s stroll down memory lane, because we love a moment of local nostalgia.

Mamma Zu
For 27 years, Oregon Hill was home to this beloved Italian eatery. Owner Ed Vasaio served Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, and countless Richmonders — thankfully, sister restaurants Edo’s Squid, Dinamo, and 8 1/2 are still around.

Mojo’s
Reader Kayleigh C. lamented that the VCU students of today and tomorrow “will never know the sweet, salty splendidness” of the tater tot bucket at Mojo’s. The Cary Street restaurant closed in 2020.

Texas-Wisconsin Border Cafe
This restaurant was an institution on Main Street for 17 years before it closed in 1999. Take it from @threekeikis on Instagram:

“Good times, very innovative in the early days of new restaurants. Potato latkes, yum.”

RICtoday_RobinInn_FanRestaurant

Fan eatery Robin Inn closed in 2022.

|

Photo by @maurv2

Bill’s Barbecue
This local chain of barbecue restaurants closed all of its remaining locations in 2012, leaving Richmonders searching for new spots for limeade and apple pie. The first location had opened in the River City in 1930.

Grace Place
Reader Stacie V. shared this memory of the vegetarian restaurant:

“I can still taste the chocolate raspberry cheesecake. I had my last meal there the final night they were open, Dec. 31, 1996, and my favorite waitress, Theresa, gave me a menu to keep.”

Comfort
The southern restaurant was a favorite for many locals during its 17 years in business. Fun fact: Its customers included Drew Barrymore and Molly Ringwald.

Readers also showed a lot of love for The Black Sheep, The White Dog, Robin Inn, Saison, and Pasta Luna.

Feel free to keep sharing your memories of Richmond restaurants gone by with us.
 
Events
Tuesday, Oct. 15
  • An Evening With Cool Cool Cool | Tuesday, Oct. 15 | 7 p.m. | Richmond Music Hall | $20 | Get funky at this night of tunes.
  • “The Craft” | Tuesday, Oct. 15 | 7 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre | $9 | See this teen supernatural horror film on the big screen.
Wednesday, Oct. 16
  • Creative Research Pecha Kucha | Wednesday, Oct. 16 | 2-5 p.m. | Institute for Contemporary Art | Free | Take in five short-form presentations from VCUarts and VCUarts Qatar researchers.
  • Garden Glow | Wednesday, Oct. 16-Sunday, Nov. 10 | Times vary | Maymont | $12+ | Take in the gardens, transformed by color and lighting effects, and explore the Glow Village and light installations by international artists.
  • “The Wildes” with Louis Bayard | Wednesday, Oct. 16 | 6 p.m. | Fountain Bookstore | Free | Get your ticket to hear the bestselling author discuss his novel in five acts.
Thursday, Oct. 17
  • Flowers After 5 | Thursday, Oct. 17 | 5-8 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $20 | Spend an evening in the Garden with folk fusion trio Palmyra.
Friday, Oct. 18
  • Women Who Mean Business Summit | Friday, Oct. 18 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Greater Richmond Convention Center | $125+ | Connect with other women professionals for a day of workshops, networking, advice, and opportunity.
  • Richmond Tattoo & Arts Convention | Friday, Oct. 18-Sunday, Oct. 20 | 3-6 p.m. | DoubleTree Midlothian | $25+ | 150 international tattoo artists will come to the River City for this convention for all things ink.
Our full calendar
Click here to have your event featured.
Visit Fredericksburg
 
News Notes
Coming Soon
  • The VCU area is getting a Wingstop. The chicken wing chain will open in the former Extreme Pizza location at the intersection of Shafer and West Broad, which has been vacant since 2019. There’s no word on an opening date yet. (Richmond BizSense)
Civic
  • 2nd District Councilor Katherine Jordan is hosting a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. to discuss the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Robinson Street. Register to join the Zoom and hear about existing conditions, crash data, and possible safety improvements coming to the Fan intersection.
Community
  • The new and improved Southside Community Center is on track to open in January, according to 9th District Councilor Nicole Jones. The expanded center will include an auxiliary gym, boxing studio, culinary teaching kitchen, and a community garden.
Show
  • This weekend might be your last chance to catch a Tiny Porch Concert until the spring. The Woodland Heights series will return this Sunday, Oct. 20 with six acts playing three host porches. 1115 Mobile Kitchen, King of Pops, and KavaClub will also be on site.
Biz
  • Have you had a chance to shop at the new Tokyo Market location? The longtime Carytown business moved to a larger corner space in August. It’s now where The Compleat Gourmet used to be. Pro tip: You may be able to spot it from the fresh art outside. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Awards
  • The Richmond Theatre Critics Circle handed out its annual awards, the Artsies, over the weekend. Virginia Rep and Richmond Shakespeare came away with the most wins, taking seven each. Best Musical was “BKLYN: The Musical” at Swift Creek Theatre; 5th Wall Theatre won Best Play for “Radiant Vermin.”
Asked
  • Would you like whipped cream on that? After we released our guide to fall coffee drinks, reader Donna R. reached out to us to ask about the best hot cocoa in Richmond. Do you have a local spot where hot chocolate is the star of the show? Help us out.
Family
  • Ready, set, school. Help your kid get ready for kindergarten at Seymour’s Little School, tomorrow, Oct. 16 at the Children’s Museum of Richmond’s downtown location. Little ones ages 3-5 can practice routines like story time, sharing, and developing fine motor skills. Learn more.*
Shop
  • Love the thrill of the thrift? From antique furniture and jewelry to vintage clothes, Fredericksburg (~1 hour from downtown) has some of the best spots to score one-of-a-kind finds. Check them out.*
Seasonal
  • Looking to boost your brand’s visibility? Our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide is the perfect place to showcase your gift-worthy products. With thousands of engaged readers, you will be seen by the right audience just in time for holiday shopping. Get in the guide.
 
City

🚲 New bike lanes on the way

New stretch of bike lanes coming to downtown Richmond near riverfront
RICtoday_RiverfrontBikeLanes_AddedMapScreenshot
The new bike lanes (green) will connect with existing lanes (blue). | Map by RICtoday via Proxi
The city is adding a new stretch of bike lanes to connect downtown riders to Gambles Hill and the riverfront. Construction is set to begin later this month and should wrap up by February.

Here are the precise locations of the new lanes:
  • 2nd Street from Spring to Byrd
  • Byrd Street from 2nd to 3rd
  • 3rd Street from Byrd to Franklin
While working on the lanes, the Dept. of Public Works will also make street upgrades.

The new lanes should improve the city’s bike network by connecting existing bike lanes on 2nd Street south of Spring to lanes on Franklin and 3rd, closer to City Center.

Ready to get riding? Check out our guide to biking in Richmond for tips and tricks to stay safe while you cycle.
The Buy
 
A coffin letter board — perfect for writing out “Let’s go ghouls,” “Witch, please,” or whatever Halloween pun you love at your next October party.
 
 
The Wrap
 
Robin Schwartzkopf in a red button down shirt

Today’s edition by:
Robin
From the editor
We all know Richmonders love to look back. But I’d also love to hear about your favorite new restaurants — whether they just opened shop or are simply new to you.
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