Hosted by Richmond’s very own, Steve Cook! (Pictured above)
If you love the diverse tastes, which make Metro Richmond’s dining scene so dynamic, then you’ll love TasteBudz and Travel. If you’re always on the lookout for a cool weekend getaway or a romantic bed and breakfast or, perhaps, the best golf courses or ski resorts throughout the Mid-Atlantic, you’ll also love TasteBudz and Travel.
TasteBudz and Travel is Boomtown’s weekly dining and destinations radio program. Featuring interesting guests, listener reviews and unique travel tips, TasteBudz and Travel has something for everyone who’s on the lookout for the best the region has to offer.
Join us each Sunday morning at 11am for TasteBudz and Travel on Boomtown Richmond Radio.
On next week’s show (February 21st, 2021):
Next Week on TasteBudz and Travel, we will be joined by Victor Macias and Susetty Cruz with Lalo’s Cocina (laloscocina.com) and the other fine authentic local Mexican restaurants that operate under Lalo’s Umbrella. Also, Zach Archibald, co-founder of Lamplighter Coffee, will join us in the studio to talk about his new Surrounding Counties (https://www.facebook.com/surroundingcountiescoffee/)coffee shop and café in the West End, near Regency Mall and, of course, the Boomtown studios.
Highlights from our February 14th, 2021 show:
On this past Sunday’s TasteBudz and Travel (2/14/21) we spoke with travel writers David and Kay Scott. The Scotts have been writing about their travels for about 50 years and have extensively covered the National Parks in depth. Learn more about them and their journeys at MyPages.Valdosta.edu. There, you can link to dozens of articles as well as order their popular Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges, which is now in its 9th edition.
Pictured above: David and Kay Scott’s Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges is in its 9th printing.
We also spoke with Paul Kincaid, who owns the popular Can Can Brasserie restaurant (cancanbrasserie.com) in Carytown, along with his brother John, who also serves as chef at the restaurant. Paul provided some mouthwatering descriptions of some of Can Can’s more popular dishes. You really have to check their menu out online, or better yet, pay ‘em a visit. Enjoy the food as well as a nice variety of French wines and craft cocktails.
Our Happy Hour of the Week: I recently re-discovered a cool New York-style pizza place in Midlothian. Since my last visit to Maglio’s Pizza (magliospizzarva.com), located at 7220 Hancock Village Drive in Chesterfield, they’ve added a really cool taproom. The pizza has always been some of my favorite in the Richmond area. They bill it as “A slice of New York,” and it truly is.
Pictured above: Maglio’s Down Pour RVA Taproom offers self pour beers and wine – the perfect complement to fantastic New York-style pizza.
Now, you can enjoy your choice of self-pour beers and wines from their Down Pour RVA taproom. Every day, Monday through Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m., Maglio’s taproom offers a 10% discount on all beers and wines plus $2.00 off all appetizers. And they have some excellent appetizers. I’ve always been partial to their garlic knots as well as their chicken wings. Maglio’s also does a Sunday brunch and offers live entertainment on the weekends.
Highlights from our February 7th, 2021 show:
On last week’s show, we spoke with Sarah DeShazo, who owns Sugar Sweet Dessert Café (sugarsweetdessertcafe.com) just south of Ashland. If you enjoy huge slices of delicious, homemade cakes, such as double chocolate or carrot cake, this spot has your name on it, figuratively speaking, of course. In addition to cakes and cookies and other baked desserts, you can also enjoy ice cream cones, build-your-own-sundaes and a huge variety of milkshakes (over 20 flavors), including their boozy milkshakes for the adults. The café also offers craft beers and wines to go along with their curbside ordering and pickup. They even have a special website for that (curbsidecake.com).
Moe Hodges was also on the show. Moe is opening the new Sports Page Bar and Grill, Goochland. Sports Page will be located in the former Enzo’s (and then Amici di Enzo) at 36 Broad Street Road in Manakin-Sabot. Moe told us that the menu at the new restaurant, slated to open about the third week in February, will be virtually the same as that of the other Sports Page Bar and Grill Restaurants located in Mechanicsville, Midlothian and Ashland. With 42 TVs, this should be the place to get your sports fix for all the big games and the small ones, too.
If you’re familiar with the location, you know that for years, Enzo’s was the spot in that neck of the woods for live music on the enclosed patio. Moe says he hopes to bring the music back as soon as pandemically possible. Is that a word?
We also spoke with Kandi Shaw, director of sales for Carlton Hospitality’s Best Western Historic Area Inn in Williamsburg. Even though adjustments are in place to provide safety/health protocols, Kandi told us that the popular Inn, which is located in the heart of all of Williamsburg’s historic attractions, is offering the same amenities, which has made it a popular destination for travelers for quite some time. Even the hot tup is open but is limited to one family at a time. The indoor pool, she says, is large enough that there has been no need to restrict its use. And, although the buffet-style breakfast is gone, the Inn continues to offer guests a somewhat-full breakfast each morning.
Kandi explained that with the layout of Williamsburg’s Historic Area, visitors are able to enjoy the many sites while maintaining social distancing. Historic Williamsburg remains open.
Something else that she said was news to me. Busch Gardens remains open every weekend. This is something they have never done before but are doing so to provide some degree of normalcy in rather abnormal times.
She also talked about what sounds like a cool dining spot in the Historic Area – The Tipsy Bean Café (tipsybeanscafe.com). She described it as a great spot for coffee in the morning, but so much more. With the word “tipsy” in the. Name, you might guess that the café specializes in craft cocktails and offers what looks to be a pretty decent Happy Hour from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Check out their menu online. It looks quite appetizing, too.
I’m definitely going to have to check this place out the next time I’m down that way.
Coming up this Sunday – February 14). We’ll be speaking with Sherrie Brockenbrough. Sherrie, her husband John and her son, also John, own and operate the cool new Hill Top Distillery (hilltopdistillery.com) in Goochland. She’ll be telling us about her great Bourbons and flavored moonshine whiskeys. Maybe she’ll even bring a sample, A man can dream, can’t he?
Pictured above: Enjoy award winning Bourbons and flavored moonshines at His Top Distillery. They now offer their own vodka, too.
Also, Paul Kincaid will be visiting with us on TasteBudz and Travel. Paul, along with his brother, Chef John Kincaid, owns and superbly operates the very popular Can Can Brasserie (cancanbrasserie.com) in Carytown. Even if the virus may have put a crimp in your travel plans, you can get away to this Parisienne-inspired eatery for an enjoyable meal and a delightful cocktail, As you might guess, they also have a very nice wine list, too.
HERE IS THE LINK TO BEST WESTERN – https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/williamsburg/hotel-rooms/best-western-historic-area-inn/propertyCode.47138.html
Highlights from our January 31st, 2021 show:
LIFT YOUR SPIRITS: The Richmond area is literally teeming with breweries and distilleries, with a few wineries thrown in for good measure. On this week’s show, we visited with Brad Hanneberg, who along with his brothers Barry and Bart owns Virago Spirits at 1727 Rhoadmiller Street in Richmond. With COVID safety protocols in place, Virago offers the ultimate tasting experience. Enjoy one of their refreshing gin or rum cocktails, including a delicious toasty hot cocktail in their tasting room. I had the Last Chance for a Slow Dance on a recent visit. This delightful hot beverage is made with Mayan sipping chocolate, Four Port rum, dried chili, whipped heavy cream. Wow!
Sample a variety of their exceptional spirits and purchase a bottle to enjoy at home. You can also order online for curbside pickup. Check out their website – Virago Spirits.com.
Caption: Last Chance for a Slow Dance is the perfect heart- and stomach-warming beverage for those chilly afternoons and evening. Enjoy it in Virago Spirits tasting room.
SEE THE WORLD FROM THE COMFORT OF HOME: While COVID concerns have limited our travel, there are many exciting ways to see the world from the comfort of your easy chair, along with your computer. On this week’s TasteBudz and Travel, we featured several really cool websites devoted to showcasing the world through live streaming and videos. Here were a few of our favorite travel-related sites:
Explore.org: What a fantastic site. Visit an African elephant watering hole. Get up close and personal with Alaskan brown bears at Brooks Falls – Katmai National Park. Soar with the eagles in the Channel Islands. You can do all that and so much more at Explore.org. From the majestic Northern Lights above to the marvels of underwater creatures below, there is something to amaze and delight everyone at Explore.org.
WorldCams.tv: From the streets of San Francisco to the slopes of Jackson Hole, visit dozens of cities via live streaming cameras. There’s enough variety here to satisfy the most avid travel bug.
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