No BS! Brass Band won for Best Under-the-Radar Musician or Band
Best Under-the-Radar Restaurant
Dot’s Back Inn
4030 MacArthur Ave., 266-3167
Owner and Chef Jimmy Tsamouras bought the North Side neighborhood diner in 2007. A 2009 appearance on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives boosted the eatery’s profile and made a good impression on Guy Fieri. Nightly specials supplement the traditional American fare and keep customers coming back.
2. The Savory Grain
3. The Mill on MacArthur
Best Under-the-Radar Park
Deep Run Park
9900 Ridgefield Parkway
Location, location, location — that’s what makes Henrico County’s Deep Run Park, just off of Ridgefield Parkway, so popular, says Elaine Payne, marketing coordinator for Henrico County Recreation and Parks. More than 300,000 people visited the park between June 2013 and May 2014, and the 3 1/2 miles of paved trails attract walkers, joggers and cyclists from across the county.
2. Forest Hill Park
3. Bryan Park
Best Under-the-Radar Artist
Daniel Calder
danielcalder.com
Daniel Calder says it’s a good time to be an artist in Richmond. “It seems to me it’s not as elitist as it was when I was a student here,” the Virginia Commonwealth University graduate says. “It seems like some of the walls have come down with a new generation.” It’s a good time to be Calder, too. The 49-year-old had exhibits in New York City and Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
2. Happy the Artist
3. Ed Trask
Best Under-the-Radar Musician or Band
No BS! Brass Band
nobsbrass.com
Under the radar? Anyone with ears has heard No BS! Brass Band’s patented brand of funk since the band launched in 2006. The 11-piece outfit performs locally throughout the year and has garnered national attention on NPR’s Tiny Desk performance series.
2. Herro Sugar
3. Three Sheets to the Wind
Best Under-the-Radar Event
Arts in the Park
richmondartsinthepark.com
After 43 years, the Carillon Civic Association’s Arts in the Park festival has a dedicated following that turns out en masse. May’s festival was no different, says co-founder Pat Lovelace, with 425 painters, printmakers, potters, sculptors, photographers and artists drawing huge crowds to the free event in Byrd Park.
2. Lebanese Food Festival
3. Tie: Bacon Festival; French Food Festival
