The Salvador Option

Jack R. Johnson 04.2025

Not a Walk in the Park

Fran Withrow 04.2025

 

Dot’s Back Inn at 35

This September Dot’s Back Inn celebrates its 35th anniversary.  It’s a family-style restaurant in the heart of Bellevue, but it’s so much more than that. On any given day or night, customers from every conceivable walk of life eat here and drink here, and socialize. There are the regulars, the periodic patrons, and the folks discovering it for the first time. Back in 2008, Guy Fieri showcased Dot’s on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, and returned for another filming more than a decade later. Watching the staff, from the front of the house to the back of the house, working together as a team, is like witnessing a carefully choreographed routine. And the food here is excellent and consistent, with seafood entrees that are as good as anything you’ll find in Richmond.    

By Charles McGuigan 04.2025

 
 

Happening now in the community:

Monthly Music Lineup At Northside Grille

Here’s a monthly list of bands and events hosted by Northside’s leading music venue—Northside Grille. 

April 18, Mike Gales; April 19, Armistead’s Army; Closed Easter Sunday; April 23,  Jimmy Rushing Has Friends; April 24, TBA; April 25, Taylor Hollingsworth National Tour; April 26, L.I.Z. Street Band; April 27,  Fret Brothers; April 30, Prabir; May 1, Tarrant; May 2, First Friday Karaoke; May 3, Clubb Tubb Presents Stinking Lizaveta; May 4, Mike Lucas; May 7, RVA Song Swap; May 8, Armistead’s Army; May 9, Lezlie & The Dots; May 10, The Embalmers; and May 11, Ramona Martinez.

Gutting Virginia’s Real History

The Library of Virginia has been notified by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) that three federal grants have been terminated, effective April 3, 2025. The grants were issued to digitize historical Virginia imprint newspapers, to digitize WWII separation notices, and to develop a new exhibition showcasing an important part of the history of Richmond’s Jackson Ward.

 
 

May Faire Festival at Richmond Waldorf

Mark your calendars for a family-fun day in celebration of spring at Richmond Waldorf School. The annual May Faire Festival will be held from 11 am till 2pm on Saturday, May 3, rain or shine. Maypole Dance begins at 10am. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

Robin and Linda Williams at Shady Grove on May 3

The Shady Grove Coffeehouse folk music concert series concludes its 23rd season with a concert featuring Robin and Linda Williams at 8 pmon May 3.

Full of harmonies and humor, Robin & Linda Williams put on a show that is intimate, poignant, and fun, and bring the beautiful tunes and homespun wisdom that made them regulars on Prairie Home Companion for 41 years. 

 

Third Annual Mad Hatter Art & Design Auction at the Branch Museum of Design on May 2nd

This popular event, to be held this year at 6pm on May 2, includes both a silent and a live auction, featuring works by local and national artists. Items up for auction this year include ceramics, home furnishings, wall art, paintings, jewelry, exclusive experiences and tours—even the naming rights for The Branch’s iconic gargoyle. 

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The Salvador Option

By Jack R Johnson

A Complete Unknown

By Chris Stewart

Not a Walk in the Park

By Fran Withrow

Frida: Beyond the Myth

By Charles McGuigan

Dot’s Back Inn at 35

By Charles McGuigan

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