Richmond: Getting better all the time

The cultural vitality of Virginia’s capital city might surprise you, said Dean King in Garden & Gun. Richmond has always had “a robust, if complex, history,” along with fine schools and artistic institutions. But 15 years after I moved back to my unassuming hometown, its “funky” shopping districts, ethnic festivals, and rising “gastro cred” have me believing that the Confederacy’s old capital is just entering its best days.

Acacia Mid-Town With Acacia, chef Dale Reitzer and his wife, Aline, have created “a sensation,” said Donovan Webster, also in Garden & Gun. Start with beef carpaccio or local rabbit rillettes, and move on to roasted game or “lovely sautéed fish.” This sleek Fan District hot spot is “constantly busy and consistently good.” 2601 W. Cary St., (804) 562-0138

Ronnie’s Ribs, Wings & Other Things Ronnie and Julia Logan serve up legendary barbecue from a camper-trailer that’s parked in a downtown lot and ringed by meat smokers. The pulled pork shoulder, topped with rough-cut coleslaw, ranks among Richmond’s “best eating.” 2512 E. Main St., (804) 308-7524

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The Black Sheep The plates at this neighborhood restaurant are as fun as they are tasty. Sandwiches like the CSS Virginia—fried chicken liver with green onions and apple—is sold under the menu heading “The War of Northern Ingestion.” 901 W. Marshall St., (804) 648-1300