ESSAY: A Moveable Feast
By Tom Robotham The first time I visited Paris, in 1999, I was smitten. Unfortunately, due to financial and time constraints, another 17 years would pass before I was able to return. Since then, I’ve tried to make up for lost time, visiting the city every chance I...
Take 5 with Ghent Pride Co-Chair Chris Reybrouck
Take 5 with Ghent Pride Co-Chair Chris Reybrouck By Jeff Maisey Tell us about your new role this year as Co-Chair of Ghent Pride. What goes into planning the event on Monday, June 17 at the Palace Shops in Ghent? I am honored to have been part of the founding...
Surprising Suffolk…Center
Suffolk Center’s new Outdoors @ The Center event space will host live music this summer on Thursdays. Photo courtesy of Suffolk Center. By Jeff Maisey “You can have it all in Surprising Suffolk.” That was the branding slogan televised and promoted on signage far...
ESSAY: What Kind of American Are You?
By Tom Robotham Last month, I saw Alex Garland’s much-discussed film Civil War. Since then, I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it. I don’t mean to imply that I think it’s a great movie. I continue to have mixed feelings about it. Nevertheless, the specter it...
TRAVEL: A Second Helping
(Lynn, Bruno, and Jeff at Chez Bruno in Dijon.) By Jeff Maisey In last month’s issue of Veer, I wrote solely about one of my favorite dining experiences in Paris, the majestically unique, warmly welcoming Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole. I was heartened by the response from...
Chrysler Museum Unveils New Logo
By Jeff Maisey The Chrysler Museum of Art has unveiled a smart, contemporary logo that by all appearances touches on a very 1970s-era retro vibe while also looking into the future. In a statement, the museum conveyed, “After a decade with the signature tower, the...
Troy Ketchmore Keeps Fighting to Clear his Name and Tame the Streets
By Joel Rubin It was 1995, and Troy Ketchmore was taking a birthday gift to his infant son who was living with the child’s mother and her new boyfriend at the time. With Troy were two “friends,” all of them armed but with no apparent intention of using the guns....
ESSAY: Leaving The Treehouse
By Tom Robotham For the last few weeks, I’ve been looking for a new apartment. It’s not that I’m unhappy with my current place. Not by a long shot. For 17 years, it has served me well. In the afternoons, on clear days, the living room is bathed in sunlight filtered by...
TRAVEL: The Best Ever
(An early evening glass of wine outside Au Vieux Paris. Photo by Lynn Hughes-Hailey.) By Jeff Maisey “How do you know about this place?” A distinguished looking gentleman in his 70s from California introduced to Lynn and I as the Doctor kept looking over his right...
Naro-Minded
(Kris King stands in the center of the Naro video collection at ODU’s Perry Library.) Words & Photo by Jim Roberts Naro Expanded Video’s collection of 43,000 DVDs has been lovingly preserved at Old Dominion University’s Perry Library, but touring the new academic...
Bullish on Wall Street Mural Fest in P-town
The cash-award winning mural went to “Bull” by Nico Cathcart. (Photo by Nikki Park.) By Betsy DiJulio “Portsmouth is dope.” You don’t hear that often, laughed Nikki Park, one of the 4-member subcommittee of Support Portsmouth Public Art (SPPA) who recently mounted...
New Generation Shines in Little Shop of Horrors
(The Urchins: Shaniya Reddy, Jalen Whitmore, Bella McKenzie, Tahtiana Crawford, Stephanie Tillman-Liggins, and Micah Lister) By Montague Gammon III It’s musical theater based on the extra low budget, black and white movie that helped set 23-year-old Jack Nicholson on...
Making Music Sound Seamless
By Jeff Maisey Talk about a big band with an enormous sound and array of talent, Seamless — based in Hampton Roads — was recently named the house band at Rivers Casino. As a full band, Seamless includes cover a variety of classic songs ranging from Stevie Wonder’s...
Assemblage Artists Assemble at Assembly
(“Mr. President” by Sam Hundley) By Betsy DiJulio For their summer show at Assembly, Asa and Kira Jackson of the Newport News CAN Foundation (Contemporary Art Network) assembled three Hampton Roads-based artists who have long made art from found and manipulated...
Kingfish Brings Blues to Jazz Fest
(Christone “Kingfish” Ingram) By Jerome Langston Thousands of fans of jazz and R&B are expected to flock to this year’s 54th annual Hampton Jazz & Music Festival, which will feature music stars like Boyz II Men, Kem, Coco Jones, Jon Batiste, and...
Several Debuts at Norfolk Theatre Festival
("The Brothers Size" runs June 19-22 at NSU Brown Hall MainStage Theater.) By Montague Gammon III Three new theater companies hit local stages for the first time as part of the Virginia Arts Festival’s 2024 Theater Festival; one is our newest fully professional...
Tower of Power Still Rocks to Different Beat
By Jim Morrison From the beginning, Tower of Power co-founder Emilio Castillo grooved to a different beat. Growing up in Oakland, Castillo formed his first band with his brother. They did covers, but obscure covers. Rather than James Brown’s “I Feel Good," they did...
Sublime Headlines Point Break Fest
By Jim Morrison Sublime's lead singer, Bradley Nowell, died of a heroin overdose in the spring of 1996. His son, Jakob, was 11 months old. Two months later, the Long Beach band released their third album of their groundbreaking punk, rock, ska, and reggae stew. It...
Friends Join Forces for a Folksy Festival
By Montague Gammon III A Grammy winning singer-songwriter from New England, a finger pickin’ multi-instrument virtuoso from Northern Virginia, and a sibling-led bluegrass band from the tiny musical hotbed of Floyd, in Appalachian Virginia, walk into the Virginia Arts...
Brandy Clark Brings Grammy Tune to Norfolk
By Jim Morrison Brandy Clark's first Grammy win this year began with a Grammy loss two years ago. She was nominated -- for the 9th and 10th times -- for Song of the Year for "A Beautiful Noise" sung by Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys and for Best American Roots...
Green Onion Blooms Bright Again
(A healthy lunch: Poached Pear Pecan Salad with grilled chicken added.) By Jeff Maisey The Green Onion is back and better than ever. Like many independent, locally-owned restaurants, The Green Onion was challenged in a variety of ways during COVID and in the aftermath...
The Table Side Caesar Salad at Isle of Capri is as Popular as Ever
(Isle of Capri servers and Caesar Salad makers Justin Zobel, Nancy Binetti and Az Tomouro with restaurant GM Dave Cox) by Joel Rubin If you are a “server” at Isle of Capri Restaurant on the 6th floor of the Holiday Inn Express (39th and the oceanfront), you do much...
The (Ice Cream) Flavors of Summer
(Randy Windley says vanilla is most popular at Doumar’s.) By Marisa Marsey Call it a double-dip. In 1984, Ronald Reagan proclaimed July to be National Ice Cream Month and designated the third Sunday of the month (July 21 this year) as National Ice Cream Day. Good...
Roast Rider Still Riding High
(Coffee mates: Wayne and Lisa Richmon partner only with roasters who lead the industry in social and environmental responsibility including Equator. Photo by Tyler Kahlil.) By Marisa Marsey Cha-ca-cha-ca-cha-ca. Is there any sound more titillating than your favorite...
Ghent Burger Week
(Pixels Technotronic Burger) By Jeremy Bender Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the best burger of all? From May 27 through June 2, 13 restaurants will compete in the inaugural Ghent Burger Week. Loyal patrons and hamburger fanatics alike are encouraged to visit...
Pronounced New Eateries
By Marisa Marsey Restaurant names, like baby names, come in waves. Remember the address age (Bistro 210; useful, pre-GPS, for recalling locations)? And the monosyllabic era (here’s looking at you, Stove)? Now restaurateurs are spurning marketing gurus who advise...
Chef Close to Open ILO Bistro
(Chef Zack Close. Photo courtesy of Glass Light Hotel.) By Jeff Maisey Zack Close, who spent a decade in New York City and worked with Daniel Boulud at his Michelin- starred restaurant, Café Boulud, before returning to his hometown of Norfolk to become the Executive...
Vegan Korean
By Betsy DiJulio Vegan Korean fried chicken may be the tastiest oxymoron on the planet. Korean Fried Chicken—which someone cleverly dubbed “the other KFC”—emerged as a “thing” in the US long after I no longer consumed meat. So, I had never experienced this...
Backstories Vol. 1
(Dylan & Jason of Waters Edge Winery Norfolk) By Joel Rubin If you have seen the weekly newsletter I publish (generally to promote the offshore wind industry Dominion Energy is bringing to the region), you know that many of the articles feature small businesses,...
Voodoo Brewing Co. opens pub in Virginia Beach
(Alex and Chrissy Bergren have opened a Voodoo Brewing location in Virginia Beach. Photo by Jim Roberts.) By Jim Roberts Voodoo Brewing Co., the newest entry into Hampton Roads’ beer scene, opened on January 13 in Virginia Beach. It’s a locally owned and...
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