100-Year-Old Norfolk Family Business is Bringing City’s Historic Railyard District Back to Life
By Joel Rubin “To Janit…The Sweetest Little Girl I Know.” So wrote John Frank in 1958 on the wall of what was likely a bar on Hampton Boulevard at 25th Street in Norfolk. John and Janit’s relationship was lost to history until workmen uncovered the quote, part of a...
ESSAY: A Fan’s Notes
By Tom Robotham Over the years, I’ve written a lot about my love of baseball, and it’s on my mind once again as the World Series approaches. Lately, though, I’ve been reflecting on this in a broader context: Why are sports in general so captivating? I realize, of...
TCC Opens New Visual Arts and Design Center
By Jim Roberts Marcia Conston didn’t live in Norfolk in 2011—the year Farm Fresh closed its grocery store in downtown Norfolk—but she fully understands the impact of Tidewater Community College expanding into that long unused space. “I never imagined that we could...
Stockard’s 10-Year Transformation of Norfolk State Theatre Company
By Jeff Maisey Over the past decade, Anthony Mark Stockard’s passionate vision for theatrical arts has been transformational for Norfolk State University. In what was more or less an afterthought on the curriculum offerings at Norfolk State, the establishment of...
BOOK REVIEW: Homeward Bound
(Author Michael Pearson on the road in Ireland. Courtesy photo) By Tom Robotham Over the last three decades, Michael Pearson—former professor of creative writing and literature at Old Dominion University—has written seven books of nonfiction focusing on his two great...
ESSAY: An Education
By Tom Robotham Recently, I received a notice from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh that my graduating class would be among those honored during this year’s homecoming weekend. Until then, it hadn’t dawned on me that 2023 marks 45 years since I donned...
Inaugural Homegrown Harvest Festival Plants Seed for National Attention
(Along with River Road Farm and Commune, Marshall Rabil -- pictured -- and his team at Hubs Peanuts are spearheading the not-to-be-missed Homegrown Harvest Festival to benefit the Foodbank and The CROP Foundation. Photo credit: Kyle LaFerriere Photography) By Marisa...
My Lunch with Will Bland..and Cliff Hayes and Alex Angelos
(SUNNY SIDE UP: Will Bland at Pancakes-N-Things. Photo by Joel Rubin. ) By Joel Rubin I just had to meet Will Bland. After reading Larry Rubama’s profile of the Princess Anne High (International Baccalaureate Academy) grad in the newspaper, I was anxious to learn how...
Hampton Roads Breweries Sweep Coveted Best in Show
(Benchtop Brewing Company wins 2023 Virginia Craft Beer Cup) By Jeff Maisey Independent craft breweries from Hampton Roads had an impressive showing at the 2023 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Awards ceremony by sweeping the Best in Show category reflecting the top three...
The $42,000 Barbie
(“Barbie” #1 Model in Original Dressed-Box With Early Costumes, Courtesy of Theriault’s By Jeff Maisey Barbie-mania has expanded beyond the movie theaters and inspired Barbie themed parties and other dress-in-pink events. But that’s not all. Taking things to a higher...
Dialing-up A Thrilling Murder Mystery
(Michelle Liu Coughlin (pictured) and Daniel Domingues are making their Virginia Stage Company performance debuts in Dial M For Murder.) By Jerome Langston “Well I make no apology for saying that I love this play. It’s a wonderful play. It’s a brilliant piece of...
Sanctuary Road: An Important American Opera
(Composer Damien Geter) By Montague Gammon III An unsung hero of the Underground Railroad, which spirited enslaved African-Americans to havens safe from bondage in the years from the late 1700’ to the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, gets that unsung status...
COMEDY: Preachin’ to the Crowd
By Jerome Langston The subject of comedian Preacher Lawson’s lengthy locs, comes up quite early in our recent phone chat. His hair is even alluded to in his most recent comedy tour name, Loc’d And Loaded, though I guess the tour name didn’t stick...as he quickly...
REVIEW: UPAC Delivers Inspirational “A Motown Christmas” to Zeiders American Dream Theater
By Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton While standing on the main stage at Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach, Sharon Cook screams "Representation Matters!" Standing on stage with her are Derrion La’Zachan Hawkins (Director), Jennifer Kelly-Cooper...
A Bobby Black Hat NYE
By Jeff Maisey Local blues legend Bobby Black Hat Walters shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, 2023 was one of his most prolific. In addition to two sold-out concert events at Ferguson Center for the Arts, the singer/songwriter/harmonica player will squeeze...
The Local Nutcrackers
(Ballet Virginia’s “Nutcracker” performance by professional dancers.) By Jeff Maisey In retail, many programs exist to “Buy Local” or “Shop Local During the Holidays.” These promotional efforts advocate for supporting locally owned and operated business competing...
King’s Singers: A Christmas Wish Granted
By Jeff Maisey Since the late 1960s, The King’s Singers — hailing from King’s College, Cambridge in England — have made Christmastime special by performing ancient carols from the Renaissance period and then later incorporating a diverse array of modern holiday season...
A Zip, Roaring Christmas Show with Squirrel Nut Zippers
By Jim Morrison When Jimbo Mathus decided to relaunch Squirrel Nut Zippers in 2016 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough, "Hot," he moved forward, not back, sending out the call among his New Orleans friends to build a new band playing the old songs....
Virginia Chorale Honors NATO For Holiday Concert
(The members of Virginia Chorale. Photo by Steve Budman) By Jeff Maisey If choral music has a high season, surely it’s the holidays. Over the past thousand years, the most ancient of all music forms — vocal — has been composed for religious ceremonies as well as...
McCartney’s Gift of Photography
(Self-portrait. London, 1963 © 1963 - 1964 Paul McCartney under exclusive license to MPL Archive LLP) By Jeff Maisey Paul McCartney has provided longtime fans a gift this holiday season. First there was the brilliant roll out of “Now and Then” — mini-documentary,...
A Coterie of Charcuterie
(Katie Huger, owner of Long Board Charcuterie, curates exquisite, customized boards to celebrate special events as well as every day.) By Marisa Marsey There’s a joke circulating at fromageries: “How do you irritate a cheesemonger? Ask for a charcuterie board with no...
NATO Festival Beer Brings People Together
(Brew Day at The Bold Mariner Brewing Company in Norfolk) By Jeff Maisey In what has now become a Norfolk NATO Festival tradition — born five years ago — a collaboration beer pairing The Bold Mariner Brewing Company and NATO Headquarters will be featured at the...
Fox Tail Wine Bar Adds Flavor to New Phoebus
(Interior view of Fox Tail Wine Bar. Photo by Michael Fernando.) By Jeff Maisey “I felt like the type of experience we’re offering did not exist in this neighborhood and there was an opportunity to bring something new, fresh and exciting to a community that was...
COASTAL FERMENTORY: New Brews in the ‘News
(L-R) Coastal Fermentory’s Mike Reppert and Brandon Samuels. Photo by Diane Catanzaro. By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones “I’m goin’ to Newport News, mama, gonna catch a battleship across the doggone sea.” The Memphis Jug Band immortalized the ‘News in their...
Foodie Destinations: Fuller’s, El Diablo, Deadrise, and Kismet are making a statement
(Joe Illes, Gary McIntyre and John Ledbetter) By Jeff Maisey Phoebus is going to be the next Ghent. That’s what local businessman/real estate tycoon Richard Levin has been saying for a few years now. He put his money where his mouth is by purchasing numerous buildings...
Celebrating Irish Beer
By Jeff Maisey Once upon a time in America — think 2010 and before — there were basically two choices of beer to consume in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day at local restaurants and bars: Guinness Extra Stout (draft or bottle) and mass produced lagers infused...
The Baker’s Wife Bistro + Bar: A Cinderella Story
(Phillip and Dana Epstein opened The Baker's Wife, a casually-upscale, French-inspired bistro and bar in Phoebus, in January. Photo courtesy of The Baker's Wife) By Marisa Marsey Once upon a time there were two chefs... Ugh! Sorry for that saccharine start. But in my...
Reaver Beach Brewing Opens Norfolk Location
(Reaver Beach Brewing Co. taps will flow in Norfolk) By Jeff Maisey Get ready for some award-winning hoppy and sour beers on North Colley Avenue in Norfolk. Reaver Beach Brewing Company is set to open its second location on Friday, February 19. Operating as Reaver...
DINING REVIEW: NOLA in Ghent
(Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo) By Jeff Maisey In 1960, Norfolk-born singer Gary US Bonds had a hit single titled “New Orleans,” on which he sang the lyrics: “Well come on ev’rybody/Take a trip with me/Well, down the Mississippi/Down to New Orleans.” It’s fair...
New Ghanaian & Turkish Dining in Norfolk
(One of the most requested Ghanaian meals at Yendidi Restaurant is Beans Stew and fried sweet plantains AKA “Red Red or Gob3.” Photo courtesy of Yendidi.) By Marisa Marsey Opening a restaurant is tough. Harder still in a pandemic. Near impossible when your menu might...
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