Pancake portrait by Steve Hedberg
After deciding at age 49 to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America, longtime cooking instructor Beverly Mazursky opened her first Bev’s Ice Cream shop in Lenox, Massachusetts, in 1989. She found a new home and an appreciative customer base in Richmond, where she established her Carytown shop in 1998. A Thanksgiving electrical fire in 2016 caused the shop’s closure for four months, but Bev’s was back in business at the beginning of April. One thing is certain: Without her ice cream, life would be a little less sweet.
What I like for breakfast is goat yogurt with fresh blueberries, strawberries and a bit of banana, a small glass of carrot and orange juice and a cup of decaf coffee.
My favorite thing about Richmond is all the activities that it has to offer for young and old. The museums are extraordinary, and the music venues are terrific. The dining is extensive. There is anything you could possibly want.
When someone visits me, I have to take them to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and a little trip to Charlottesville to see Monticello and some of the historical sites that we offer here that are very important to the history of this country.
One thing that drives me crazy about Richmond: I’d like to change the traffic around Short Pump, beginning around 4:30. It has become horrendous, especially on the weekends.
If you’re having me over for dinner, I’m happy to be invited. I like everything. I eat a lot of fish, I like poultry, and I love lamb and vegetables and salads.
I never get tired of listening to NPR.
My biggest pet peeve is drivers rushing onto the highway without yielding for safety, and drivers that weave in and out.
The ice cream flavor I choose most often is vanilla, mixed with some coffee ice cream.
The most unusual ice cream flavor I’ve made is sweet corn — it’s delicious.
My customers’ favorite is espresso Oreo.
The book I’m reading now: I just finished a Western trilogy by Linda Lael Miller. It was a very fun read. It’s about three brothers who are cowboys, and each book revolves around one of the brothers.
When I need to relax, I read or I do crossword puzzles, or I take a walk.
If I had the chance, I would like to meet Ludwig van Beethoven.
Something people should know about me is I’m very open and very willing to listen to what people have to say. I’m a good listener.
When I was growing up, I thought I would be a pianist and a singer.
What inspires me is mostly my children and the goodness in people. You have to look for the goodness in people, especially nowadays.
The best day of my life was my wedding day.
The worst job I’ve ever had? I have never had one. I’ve been very fortunate.
One thing I wish I could change about myself is I wish I were 40 years younger. I’m going to be 80 years old in August. I’d like to do it all over again. I’ve enjoyed it so much.
For the rest of 2017, I will be doing exactly what I’m doing now and enjoying every minute of it.
Flip to the Back is the monthly back-page feature in Richmond magazine's print edition, where we interview intriguing Richmonders and capture their likeness via pancake portrait. Because ... why not?
