Filet Mignon of Beef “Swellington” at L’Opossum (Photo by Justin Chesney)
In This Issue
66 / Decking the City Meet a few of the holiday helpers who spread seasonal magic across Richmond. By Ian M. Stewart and Laura Anders Lee
76 / The Restaurant List 25 delicious destinations to try right now, plus staff members you should know By Bird Cox, Stephanie Ganz, Eileen Mellon and Genevelyn Steele
91 / Best & Worst Super Stars Four decades of top winners
UPFRONT
16 / FROM THE EDITOR
LOCAL
24 / CATCH UP Economic headwinds and a vibe check
26 / PARKS Brown’s Island closes for a $30 million makeover.
28 / POLITICS In Virginia, women rise to power.
32 / YEAR IN REVIEW The highs, lows and in-betweens of 2025
34 / IN MEMORIAM Honoring Richmonders we lost this year
36 / FLASHBACK The philanthropic legacy of Sgt. Santa
128 / PARTING SHOTS 2025 in pictures
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
40 / DATEBOOK Concerts, Kwanzaa, Krampusfest, “A Christmas Carol” and the GardenFest of Lights
42 / SPECIAL EVENTS Regional performances of “The Nutcracker”
43 / HAPPENINGS 24 things to do this month
44 / PROFILE The first holiday album from a local jazz outfit
46 / PROFILE A Richmond actress takes on an iconic role in “Annie.”
48 / SPOTLIGHT The Bizarre Bazaar celebrates a half-century of holiday shopping.
LIVING
52 / LIFESTYLE Hunting for Richmond’s best vanity plates
54 / SHOP TALK An interactive, at-home spin on mystery novels
56 / HEALTH Libraries in Chesterfield support addiction recovery.
58 / TRY THIS Raising the barre with ballet-inspired fitness
60 / TRAVEL Head west this winter to Shenandoah County.
64 / FAMILY A new play cafe supports kids and connects parents.
EAT & DRINK
112 / ROUNDUP Chocolate chip cookies to crave this season
114 / AROUND TOWN Best bites, food events and Bacchus
116 / SPECIALS Soul N’ Vinegar’s buzzy new happy hour
118 / SPOTLIGHT Meet freelance baker and chef Olivia Wilson.
120 / Q&A The long-anticipated return of a Japanese snack shop
122 / SHORT ORDER Soups for the season, bottle shop picks and Bulldog Brinery
This is just a sneak peek of all the content packed into this month’s issue; don’t miss out, SUBSCRIBE NOW!
