ric75

I'm presuming this is going at the SE corner of Byrd and 10th where a portion of the old Reynold's facility currently sits?

You think this is related? Not sure if Dominion Realty Partners is part of Dominion Resources. http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_214de9ae-82aa-54de-9bea-7ec4b8c54779.html

Interesting, I guess appearances are deceiving. I was just driving through downtown this morning noting how many buildings are being renovated. Definitely seems like money is being put into the CBD but maybe stats say otherwise.

Yeah I have high hopes for that area. It could definitely become a club destination if the two venues get their timing right. As far as the smoking ban is concerned, Off the Hookah meets the requirements because they have a separately ventilated dining area (downstairs) which allows for the second floor to be the hookah bar/lounge.

Payed them a visit several weeks ago. We had a lot of people and the arrangement on the upper floor (which is the floor you enter on) is not conducive to large groups. This is the floor where 2 large bars are located and where hookah smoking is allowed. Couches, cushions, and small tables are located against the wall, and small 4 person tables are in the middle. The decor is pretty intricate with an ancient Egyptian theme. Service had many issues however as it took forever just to put drink orders in and half the menu items (sushi) were not available yet. I think they may have opened a little before they were ready but hopefully they will work the issues out. The food once it came out was pretty good. They seem to be successful so far in selling themselves as a club and I wish them the best of luck. If you want to dine or smoke a hookah, my recommendation is t get their early while things are relatively peaceful. Downstairs is for dining strictly from my understanding but I did not see the space.

The rise of the blogosphere? In the beginning this and richmondcitywatch were the only places to read and discuss hyper-local news. Now there are many outlets covering this territory thereby potentially diluting readership. I still drop in here almost daily to catch up on news... there are several folks here that have inside information that can't be found elsewhere and burt does an amazing job gathering local news. I don't think this site is going anywhere.

I'm rather partial to that rendering myself. I hope the popularity of riverfront dining motivates the City to finally do something with that abandoned stretch of river between the county line and Tobacco Row. It needs to be a boardwalk with retail, dining, residences, and river access options. As of now it's a fishing spot for about 10 locals.

They are building a nice bar that addresses the street very well... something Relish didn't do unfortunately.

Frankly I hope they do something besides make an ice skating rink there. Talk about a very limited use for a prime piece of real estate. If they do move ahead with it, I hope they can find some other use for it for the other 9 months of the year.

Got my tickets for the evening session. Can't wait! Really happy to see Boulder Brewing will be there as well as Dogfish Head.

I thought this was a cool little piece in today's RTD. Three local chefs are asked about the Richmond restaurant scene, cooking styles, and offer up a favorite recipe. Richmond Times-Dispatch - Three chefs rate Richmond’s restaurant scene

A belated thanks for the compliment varider. While the area you walked is still a work in progress, especially Grace St. and Broad, we have high hopes for it. Edit: I obviously don't check off-topic enough. You did indeed request some restaurant advice! Penny Lane was also an option there. Next time you visit make the hike down to Main St. to try Bank or Cap Ale or maybe venture all the way down to the Slip for a plethora of options. Glad you enjoyed the visit and congrats to ODU. That was a tough game.

Had a great time watching this game yesterday. ODU looked strong in the first game though. This will be an interesting matchup, with both teams getting a win against the other on their home courts this season.

Children's Museum expansion in Short Pump... Local Children’s Museum to open branch in Short Pump

That's my thinking as well. It's an amazing space in a great part of town. I have trouble believing someone won't take over... preferably a Dogfish Head brewpub