Angela Barrows has served up pasta at Joe’s Inn for 10 years. (Photo by Jay Paul)
1. Pasta Night at Joe’s Inn
The original Joe’s Inn is the “Cheers” of Richmond. Servers there have witnessed more first dates, wedding proposals and breakups than most any other place in town, and you can always spot someone you know behind a melty mountain of Spaghetti a la Joe. The holiday season kicks off on Shields Avenue when the Fan sidewalks are blanketed with leaves and Joe’s spray-paints snow on its windows.
2. Cocktails at Virago Spirits
The holiday shopping and entertaining season is afoot, so you’ll want a third place to pregame seasonal drinks and score a photo op. Consider this modern rum bar that place. Expect fun cocktails, including the Pumpkin Painkiller, a classic oolong gin and tonic, and the Espresso Rumtini, created in celebration of this local craft spirit distillery’s sixth anniversary.
3. Bar Bites at TJ’s Bar and Lounge
Don’t tell anyone, but I prefer TJ’s intimate, clubby vibe to the white-tablecloth classic dining at Lemaire. Indulge in Southern fries with brisket, beer cheese and black-eyed peas; crab dip with focaccia; and smashburgers from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with views of the lobby bedecked in festive splendor. A historic and delightfully adorned holiday destination, The Jefferson Hotel will be decorated from Dec. 2-Jan. 6.
4. Brunch at Amuse
Chihuly reeds dance in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ sculpture garden pond, illuminating the dark skies of winter with scarlet fire. The sculpture is visible from the lounge of Amuse, VMFA’s in-house restaurant, where you can tuck into black truffle eggs and shrimp and grits after viewing the exhibition “A Long Arc: Photography and the American South Since 1845.” Bonus: The museum is open 365 days a year.
5. Sunset and Spotty Dog Ice Cream Co.
Jefferson Park offers unparalleled vistas of downtown Richmond, a perfect snapshot nestled amid historic architecture, made even better with ice cream. Classic and creative scoops abound at Spotty Dog, but try the weekends-only Creemees, an ultra-smooth, higher-fat-content soft serve found in Vermont. The Maple Creemee gives serious sweater-weather feels.
