Illustration by Carson McNamara
“I’m a sucker for spoons. I’m almost embarrassed to talk about how much I love them. If somebody finds a really cool spoon at the thrift store, that’s the nicest gift you could get, a well-shaped, easy-to-hold spoon.
“I put garlic and onion in all my dishes, even if it’s trace amounts. It’s a base ingredient in so many European cuisines.
McLeans Restaurant (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce)
“I love classic diner food — eggs over easy with toast and corned beef and hash. My go-tos are McLeans Restaurant or Eat 33. But Perly’s is the best brunch place in Richmond.
Photo courtesy Sugar & Twine
“For an iced chai I go to Sugar & Twine in Carytown — they also have the most bomb croissant breakfast sandwich.
“As for a local product, any pickles, olives or artichokes — things you can snack on that are sitting in oil and vinegar.
“One staple always in my fridge — nice ramen, like the ramen noodles at Tan-A, or some kind of cured meat and cheese combo.
“I really enjoy weird wines like unfiltered orange wines. I love Champagne, I love sparkling rosé — dry, never sweet. If I’m out and about, I’ll drink super hefty, heavy tannins and Chilean reds.
Photo by Constantine Giavos courtesy Stella's Grocery
“My favorite market is definitely a toss-up between Stella’s Grocery and Yellow Umbrella Provisions. Yellow Umbrella gets such niche products and more of the fresh, prepared food.
“I have a rotation of spots that I think exemplify some of the coolest things about Richmond. I’ll always take [out-of-towners] to the river, that’s kind of what kept me here — I need a body of water to be around. If it’s a nice day outside and I’m off, I’ll be at the river with my dog, Koda. Maymont is another spot I always hit.
Staff photo
“I put chile oil or crispy chile flakes on everything at home. I will say my chef Ocean Zhang Moore makes his own fried chile flake oil that we will sell at the market, and I always ask him to make it for me.
“It’s sort of a running joke that I stopped listening to music in 2006. Throwback jams are my s---, early 2000s and late-’90s emo punk-pop — soft spot in my heart for bands like Yellowcard and Blink 182 and Green Day. I remember going to the Vans Warped tour and thinking it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. And as a kid who didn’t realize he was gay, to have somewhere you can kind of put on punk drag and have eyeliner and torn clothes — it was kind of my first foray into feeling out my gay self.”
