Weekend in Richmond

Every August, we spend one weekend with my parents for the 'big family celebration.'  My husband's birthday, my birthday, and my parents' anniversary are all within 11 days of each other. 


My parents on their wedding day!

 Some years they travel to DC and others we go to Richmond.  Now that my mother in law is in Richmond too, we typically travel to them.  We do one night with each - and it has to be pretty close to the same amount of (awake) time and meals to make everyone happy!

We spent Friday day and night with my mother in law.  We did a little cooking and shopping during the day - her high school reunion was the next day so we made a salad for her to take and found some pretty new earrings.  That night we went down to Pegasus for dinner - it was delicious!  I had the veal and artichokes, sauteed in a lemon caper sauce.  It was served with salad (with the most delicious feta), rice and green beans.  We were all so stuffed we skipped the homemade tiramisu...which sounded wonderful! 

Saturday we headed across town to my parents house.  After a quick lunch, we went shopping with mom to some of our favorite home furnishing stores - Wild Orchid Antiques and Williams & Sherrill are 2 of my favorites.   They just have beautiful things, especially Williams & Sherrill.  I love walking through there and wishing I could just buy everything!  It is a little pricier than our budget, so we love to go and get ideas. 

We've been talking about updating our living room with a lighter, fresher look, so it was great to check out their showroom.  While we didn't buy anything there, we did get a new dishrack from Bed Bath & Beyond that we *love* - it's the little things, right?!

That night for dinner we went to a wonderful restaurant in Shockoe Bottom called Julep's. 


Photo found here

 Julep's had been on our Richmond list for a long time, but we never remembered got around to going there!  I'm so glad we did.   It's a beautiful, quaint old building down in the historic area of town.  


Photo found here

 We sat upstairs and had a great evening.  The place was packed, even in August in Richmond when most people are at the Riva'. 

 Both mom and husband had a mint julep to start - and they were delicious!  I decided to have a glass of Mumm sparkling wine, one of my favorites.  Then we shared a bottle of Desert Wind Ruah, a bordeaux style blend from Columbia Valley, WA.  We visited Desert Wind in 2009 when we traveled across Washington Wine Country. 

After a delicious heirloom tomato salad, I had the Bourbon Glazed Grilled Pork Loin Chop.  Seriously, look at that sucker!  It was absolutely delicious.  Husband had the Bourbon Braised Pork Belly and Shrimp and Grits appetizer and raved about both of them.  Mom also had the shrimp and grits, and dad had the grilled Beef Tenderloin and both said they were wonderful as well. 

Throughout the evening, all around the restaurant, people were ordering the tableside Bananas Foster.  It reminded me of our last trip to New Orleans!  I love when things are prepared tableside - it's so fun to watch!

Mom had made pound cake with strawberries for our birthdays, so we headed home (stuffed) after dinner.  I definitely would love to go back to Julep's and try some other dishes - everything we had was wonderful!


On Sunday, before heading north up I-95, we stopped to see some good friends and meet their new baby, Ridley.  Nick and husband went to college together, and he and Blair got married 6 years ago.  The boys were each groomsmen in the others weddings.  


Nick and Blair's wedding, here with another HSC friend Chad and wife Cherie

 It had been way too long since we'd visited with them as it was, but we also were dying to meet the newest member of the family!  She was just 16 days old when we met her - and so beautiful!  It was so crazy to watch tough guy Nick hold and feed her :)  These boys do grow up, huh!

As always, it was a great trip home.  We love visiting and it's never long enough.  (insert friends and family saying "if you'd only move back here...")