Eat It, Virginia!

It did not take Ja'Mia Brooks long to make a big impact on TikTok. While relatively new to the app, the Virginia State University graduate uses the app to create TikTok tours of can't miss Richmond-area restaurants and small businesses. One of her recent videos went super viral, increasing business for the restaurant and Ja'Mia 's fan base.  Ja'Mia took some time to Zoom with Robey and Scott to talk about what makes TikTok tick. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've seen their viral Instagram posts, you might think Coco + Hazel is just an over-the-top dessert spot known for putting cakes, cookies, and candy atop their over-sized milkshakes. But it is so much more than meets the eye. Owner Chelle Bravo shares her story about the friends, family, and the Mexican coffee beans that make the West End spot (and soon-to-open Bon Air location) a success even during the COVID-19 pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an effort to start 2021 on a sunny note, Eat It, Virginia! asked listeners to nominate the chefs, restaurant owners, and food industry people who seem to remain positive, even during the darkest days. Chef Evan Campbell was one name that appeared over and over again in the nominations. As chef at both The Stables and The Franklin Inn, Campbell has had to navigate a most difficult time in the restaurant industry as COVID has changed the way everything worked. So how does he stay positive amid this chaotic time? “I just woke up like this,” Campbell joked with Scott and Robey before he dove into the real reason behind his seemingly permanent smile. “Life's too short to not approach every day with at least some semblance of positivity. I tell every person that I hire in any place that I work, we all have to be here every day. And for a lot of us, we spend more time in the restaurant than we do in our own homes. So let's make it a fun place to be. I've never been a leave-your-problems-at-the-door kind of guy

After years of working together as part of Richmond's powerful EAT Restaurant Partners group, the husband and wife duo of Mike Lindsey and Kimberly Love-Lindsey decided it was their time to open up a new restaurant of their own.  The opening of Lillie Pearl on Grace Street in downtown Richmond coincided with the birth of the couple's son and during a time when restaurants face strict COVID-19 regulations.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Alley has had a notable career in Richmond restaurants. When it opened, his restaurant comfort was credited with breathing new life into downtown Richmond and helping put the city on the country's culinary map. So when Richmond went looking for a person to help map a road to recovery for Richmond restaurants, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Alley answered the call. On this week's episode of Eat It, Virginia!, Jason Alley talks about his new role at City Hall and what Richmond is doing to help restaurants and other small businesses survive the pandemic. He also opens up about his personal recovery from alcohol addiction and how he is helping others find a path to sobriety, one day at a time. Click here to learn more about Ben's Friends. This episode of Eat It, Virginia! is sponsored by #SmallUnites. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richmond is home to many craft breweries. So many, in fact, it can sometimes be overwhelming to not only decide where to go but also what to try when you get there. Fortunately, there are people like Eric Jackson around to help. Jackson is a beer experience curator. He uses his social platforms Uncap Everything and Capsoul to demystify Richmond's craft brew scene for anyone who wants to learn more. He is also working to bridge the gap between Richmond breweries and Richmond's Black community. "I think since we started Capsoul, I know there are more Black people in Richmond that are drinking beer. And not only drinking beer but going to the breweries because I think a lot of people are drinking beer but it's like I don't want to go there because I don't feel like I fit in or whatever the case may be. So our again, back to creating that experience around beer. That's what Capsol does, we do events at breweries and make that experience for people." So which Richmond beers sit atop Eric's list? And what led

Do you believe in love at first sight? Scott fell hard when Sarah Tocco, the head chef at Fine Creek Brewing Company, posted a photo of Peach Pizza on Instagram. He knew he had to know more about the pizza and its creator, so he and Robey drove out to the Powhatan brewery to meet Sarah, hear her story, and learn more about her fantastic looking food.  This episode of Eat It, Virginia is brought to you by Hungry Harvest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To say that a lot has happened in 2020 would be an understatement. The arrival of COVID-19 put the restaurant industry on uncertain footing. That uncertainty is reflected in many recent "Eat It, Virginia!" podcast interviews. But this week, we take you back in time. All the way back to January 2020, when we sat down with Brenner Pass co-owner James Kohler to learn about his accession from Richmond dishwasher to partner at one of the city's top restaurants.  We also caught up with Southern Kitchen owner Shane Roberts-Thomas about her fight to stay open during COVID and her recent appearance in "Chopped." This week's episode is brought to you by Hungry Harvest. Subscribe to the new "Eat It, Virginia!" YouTube page for your chance to win free Hungry Harvest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Phish announced it had to reschedule its entire 2020 Summer Tour due to COVID-19, thousands of fans across the country adjusted their plans. Jim Hamilton adjusted his life. Phish hired the Richmond-based chef as touring chef after meeting him at the band's historic Baker's Dozen run at Madison Square Garden. No concerts in 2020 meant no need for a touring chef. But Hamilton decided to get back on the road. Not with bands but with burritos.  He launched Sous Casa, delivering frozen burritos to homes in and around Richmond. On this week's episode of Eat It, Virginia!, Hamilton talks about his new business, his time on the road with some of the world's biggest musical acts, and is extremely patient while Scott (a Phish fan) asks too many fanboy questions. **Hey Phish fans, the Phish talk gets going around the 29:30 mark.** Eat It, Virginia! is sponsored by Hungry Harvest. Subscribe to the new Eat It, Virginia! YouTube page for your chance to win a FREE Hungry Harvest box. See omnystudio.com/listene

Most businesses (and people for that matter) have changed the way they do things since COVID arrived. For many in the food and hospitality industry, that change has been drastic.  Hardywood Craft Brewery co-founder and brew-master Patrick Murtaugh and vice president of operations and quality Kate Lee joined Scott and Robey for a special, socially-distant, live podcast event at Hardywood West Creek where they discussed their personal journeys that led them to Richmond and how COVID prompted Hardywood to get creative.  "Of course, people love Richmond Lager over and over again, and Singel, and Pils. But we were finding that people were really seeking innovation, and creativity during the quarantine," Lee said. "And so we responded to that. And we really started brewing a lot of what we call one-off beers, really just trying to keep people interested and coming back week to week give them something new to look forward to." The live podcast was recorded at a Real Local RVA event. See omnystudio.com/listener

Life is full of what-if questions. What if Circuit City had not fired Keya Wingfield for her role in a forbidden relationship? The answer is easy. Richmond may have lost out on a creative cake pop artist and Indian chef. Keya shared both her love story and the details behind the creation of her delicious businesses on Eat It, Virginia! with Scott and Robey. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soul Taco has grown from a single Richmond storefront to three locations in less than two years. And despite the pandemic, co-owners Nar Hovnanian, Ari Augenbaum, and Richmond's own Trey Owens are planning their next expansion of the Soul Taco empire. Owens credits the restaurant's success to the community it serves.  "Our mission was to be embedded in the community," Owens said on the Eat It, Virginia podcast. "Engaging with other small businesses, and engaging with people that are movers and shakers in the community. And I'd like to say that now that COVID has happened, and a lot more people are a bit more aware of the political landscape, I'd like to say that us starting off that way, being in the community, is what helped us to become so successful." The co-owners also share stories of how they met, how they landed on the Soul Taco theme, and what a visit from a flamboyant Food Network star meant for business. Be a part of the podcast! Send messages and questions here. See omnystudio.com/listener for

Rabia Kamara grew up outside of Washington, D.C. as a child of immigrants, in a community of immigrants. The diverse cooking styles Kamara was exposed to at an early age followed her into the kitchen. Kamara pulled from those life experiences when creating flavors for her ice cream and dessert business Ruby Scoops. "Most of my friends were also first-generation Americans. So I grew up in a neighborhood where my next-door neighbors, one family was Ethiopian, one family was Vietnamese. So l would go to someone's house and eat Injera one night, or go to someone else's house and have Pho," she recalled. "We explore flavors that I think are important to us. My business partner grew up a military brat, so they got to experience life in different countries and also here... [we're] not afraid to try new flavors and be open to the criticism that comes with that." Kamara said they also look to what's in season when setting the flavor menu. "We use local dairy and local produce whenever we can," she said. "Since it'

It took nearly two years of saving and hosting regular fish frys for Helen Holmes to raise the money she needed to open Ms. Girlee's Kitchen in Fulton. Holmes raised her family in the East End neighborhood and family is the secret to Ms. Girlee's success. The restaurant is named for Holmes' grandmother Girlee Francis Crump. Grandma Girlee also provided the inspiration for recipes like meatloaf, fried chicken, and mac & cheese. Holmes and her brother Frank Crump both plan the menu and execute that vision in the kitchen. It's a vision that has had to adjust. Days after the restaurant opened its door in March 2020, COVID-19 descended upon Virginia and forced restaurants to rethink the way they do business.  Ms. Girlee's transformed into a take out restaurant with hungry diners traveling from across Central Virginia to try the old fashion Southern dishes.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Duron Chavis, the founder and executive director at The Happily Natural Day, food is much more than breakfast, lunch, and dinner. "I think food, especially the act of growing food, is one of the most practical, accessible tools of resistance that communities can utilize to take their power back," Chavis told Eat It, Virginia! podcast hosts Scott Wise and Robey Martin. "When I say take your power back, I mean, health-wise, we live in communities that don't have access to grocery stores or healthy food in general. The act of you growing your own food is you practicing agency and determining for yourself what your input is going to be. That's just the individual level, right? But on a communal level, the act of growing food is and builds community." Through his food justice community activism and non-profit work, Chavis is training volunteers to plant gardens in communities where fresh food is needed the most. "The Resiliency Garden Project is designed to help increase people's access to healthy food. Thr

For Shola Walker, cooking and baking are about community.  On this week's "Eat It, Virginia!" podcast, Walker shared her story with Scott and Robey. Learn why she left a career in theater for the kitchen and how this Richmond native rose through the ranks to eventually open her own health-conscious bakery, Mahogany Sweets. Walker now works at Shalom Farms where she teaches others about living off the land and how that connects to her culture. "I spend a lot of time and energy being dedicated to the history, particularly of Black women, Black chefs, Black pastry chef, Black cooks who have come up in the South. And so the work that I do, the recipes that I get to look up, the history that I get to study is relevant to the struggle, particularly because African Americans have always used food as a form of protest," Walker said. "If you don't have to depend on someone else for your livelihood and your sustenance, that is a form of protest. It's not necessarily an aggressive form of protest, but it is still a

Michele Wilson did not grow up in Virginia, but she has roots in the Commonwealth. Wilson, who owns Ma Michele's Cafe in Midlothian, shared her life story on the "Eat It, Virginia!" podcast. Learn about Wilson's upbringing, her food, her commitment to her community, and her restaurant staff. "They're the best investment I've ever made," she said. "It may sound cliche, but if you're smart and you want to be successful, then you need to take care of the people that are taking care of you. And that's not necessarily always the customer first. It's your employees first. And with my being a small, minority business, I can't compete with larger businesses and what they can offer their employees. So you know, you damn well better be nicer." Ma Michele's Cafe is located at 10811 Hull Street Road in Midlothian. Call 804-912-1644 to order lunch or dinner. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we process these historic protests Richmond and the rest of the country are experiencing, Chauncey Jenkins shared stories from his life about what is like being a Black man in America. Jenkins most recently worked as general manager of Lemaire restaurant inside the Jefferson Hotel. He is now in the process of opening Common House, a social club in downtown Richmond, where he will serve as general manager. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In these uncertain times, people can take comfort in advice and guidance from others. That includes ideas on where to eat. In the months since COVID-19 shutdown dining rooms around Virginia, more than 15,000 people have joined the RVA Dine - Take Out & Delivery Options Facebook group to share stories, restaurant reviews, and food photos. Kevin Clay, one of the group's moderators, joined Scott and Robey this week to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of managing such a large social group.  Additionally, Robey spoke with six RVADine fans and got their insight into the restaurants they've visited again and again based on quality food and to-go service. Send questions, comments, and restaurant reviews to the Eat It, Virginia! Instagram page. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beloved CBS 6 meteorologist Nikki-Dee Ray left Richmond last month for a new job in Nashville. But, in her final interview before leaving town, Scott and Robey spoke with Nikki-Dee about the food (and wine) she'll miss the most. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.