Faith and I had a lovely girls’ evening out! A little shopping, a little wine, a little performing. She had tickets to see the Virginia Commonwealth University dance performance, and a Groupon to Sprout, a funky, local-minded restaurant in Richmond.
But first, shopping! We hit up Pier I and I coveted these pillows, but they didn’t seem to match our black + white couches.
I also want these chairs someday!
But I did buy a new bowl! Then we went to World Market, where I found a few trinkets, including a salted chocolate bar and smoked paprika!! I really wanted these cute baskets for only $2.99 each, but I couldn’t think of a use for them in my house so I sadly let them go 
Lastly, we went to the main attraction, Trader Joe’s.
I satisfied my craving for lemon cookies by requesting to taste these. They were great, but I ended up with a bag of lemons in my cart and the hope to make some this week.
What does this girl buy at TJ’s when she’s out of refrigeration range?
- Dr. Bronner’s
- Salty peanuts
- Peanut butter (for Karen!)
- Lots of tinned fish – sardines, wild Alaskan salmon
- A tomato sauce
- Whole wheat pitas
- Bananas
- Flax chips
- Honey roasted peanuts (for homemade peanut butter experiment!)
- Lemons
- Avocado
We also tasted wine before we headed downtown to dinner.
We drove on downtown, Faith parallel parked (!!) and we walked over to our dinner spot.
Sprout’s décor was very cute and chic.
And the menus were record covers!
The wine list was also particularly charming
Faith and I sipped malbecs
For dinner I got a cup of the Root Vegetable Soup (with Chicken) and the Tofu salad with Root Veggies.
My soup was just OK – a little too brothy. But the tofu was good – tasted like hushpuppies! I wish the salad had much more heft to it too. We thought the roots were going to be big chunks of roasted. Both tasted fine, but they would have been much more appropriate for lunch than dinner.
Thanks to faith for saving the day by sharing!
She shared her glazed tempeh sandwich with me – it was INCREDIBLE! Deep fried and coated in a molasses (and soy sauce?) glaze.
We walked to the theater and enjoyed six wonderful dance pieces by the VCU company, including one called Shelter by well-known choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.
Chocolate at intermission! Go to World Market and find this kind. The sea salt is so pronounced!
I love the arts and was so happy to get to see this show!
The hour-long drive home was long, but Faith and I can talk for hours and hours, so we were home before we knew it.
I just unpacked my things and groceries, am getting this post up and can’t WAIT for my head to hit my pillow.
Have I mentioned that tomorrow’s high is 74 degrees!?
{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
Enjoy the 74F tomorrow!!!
Your time with Faith and the restaurant look wonderful!
I am loving your Pier 1 trip and your TJ’s stash. I was at TJs today, and the reg groc store…and thanks for my wallet, I was not at a Pier One today
What a fun day!
how is it that i go to TJ’s every other day and have never seen those cookies?!?!
My goodness, I love Trader Joe’s! Have you ever tried putting a whole lemon in your smoothie? It is SO good… gives it a great kick! I always put a lemon in mine, always!
no! Only in juices. I bet a lemon cookie smoothie would be amazing!!!!!!!
I live right up the street from Sprout,is very fun! I loved the children’s book turned wine menu. Also, their focus on fresh local foods is very appealing!!
I love the name of that restaurant – Sprout, so cute. Trader Joe’s is my haven – I seriously get excited to shop there!
ummm what do you mean you requested to taste them? Is that a thing at Trader Joe’s? That is such a fantastic idea!
p.s. that tempeh sandwich looks amazing. I have been wanting a big, “meaty” sandwich lately & that would fit the bill perfectly.
Yeah, they will let you taste anything in the store.
I think Faith is so pretty.
TJs peanut butter is the best
I almost bought those cookies last time I was there
It’s so nice that you’ve made such a good friend so soon, Kath! Friends that you can always talk to are rare…cherish that!
It’s supposed to beautiful up here! Can’t wait to take advantage of the nice weather.
Looks like a wonderful evening of food and theatre!
I love shopping at Trader Joe’s. Lucky for me and my wallet though, I have to wait to visit the store next time I’m visiting my parents who live about 6 hours from me.
I too have my eye on those chairs at Pier 1. I love the giraffe print. My mom works there so she keeps an eye on things that go on sale!
I love Trader Joe’s! The lemon cookies look delightful!
World Market Dark Chocolate + sea salt is the best. I’ve tried Godiva’s and Lindt’s version, but they don’t compare!
That’s the PB I live off of ‘at school’ — it’s perfect for those on a college budget… and delicious!
What a wonderful, wonderful girls night out!
So, so fun! I love this. What a perfect day in every way.
The TJ’s Tortilla Chips in your cart are one of my favorites. A bag of those and Whole Foods’ 365 Restaurant Style Chips will always be found in my house.
Those are some major pours of wine! Looks like you had a wonderful girl’s night!
The glasses were pretty small
OMG, I LOVE those pillows! too bad they don’t match your stuff.
Girl enjoy the warm weather!! I am going to be so jealous, it was a balmy 48 degrees here today, which is like a BIG deal! Slash I love all things molasses and pier 1:)
I’m practically dumping sea salt on anything sweet I have these days so I’m going to need to try that chocolate asap!
Looks like a great Trader Joe’s Trip! Can you try anything you want or were those treats samples that were already out?
You can try anything!
I love using honey roasted peanuts in my peanut butter. I usually go with half regular peanuts and half honey roasted because I prefer a less-sweet peanut butter.
I’m going to have to try that chocolate. I love those Tj’s flax chips. I had them at a party and they are addicting.
How fun!! Love Pier1 and their sales!
What a FUN evening! I Wish the Wold Market here didn’t close (although, Fresh MArket moved in its place, so I think it’s a fair trade…)
I know! I can’t wait to get outside today! That looks like a perfect girls night out! Shopping, food dancing…perfection!
YES! That chocolate is AMAZING, I used it for chocolate sea salt cookies!! =D
That sounds like a fabulous girls night out!! I love watching dance productions. I always feel the emotion in a good performance!
Richmond is my hometown……….just reading this made me homesick. And hungry! Thanks for the post.
So funny to see you shopping and what not in my area of the world!! I’m actually thinking of heading to Crate and Barrel and World Market this weekend for some fun foodie photo stuff. Glad you had a great time!!
74 tomorrow?!! Ahhhhh so nice! I bet you will be doing a nice run with it being so nice out !
WHat a fun girls night! I love World Market, they always have such cool stuff there, those baskets are super cute, I see cute stuff and then dont buy it because of the same reason, I dont know what to use it for, and then 3 weeks later I will be like Oh now I know what I can use this for, should of bought it : p lol
Anyways, Faiths sandwich looks amazing, glad she did share when your food was not so good : p
Have a great day Kath !xo
You were definitely right in my area, I live two seconds away from the TJ’s, Whole Foods, World Market “circle” as I call it… it can be dangerous on the wallet haha! I haven’t heard of Sprout yet, probably bc it’s downtown and we rarely go down there to eat now that we live out west of town.
Virginia peanut hummus??? I might be checking this place out!
I was so tempted to try that but I wasn’t in a hummus mood for dinner!!
That looks like such a fun little adventure! I love the blue and white pattern on that chair. I’d like one of those some day too!
One of my middle school best friends is a professor of ART at VCU. I wonder if you saw her there.
I have no idea why I capitalized the word art. Coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.
Tip: don’t buy Pier1 furniture! I worked there for a summer and notiched how easily and often the furniture gets dinged up prior to the customer buying it. They sometimes are clever enough to hide dings with those wood markers!
YAY! I just took my sister to Sprout when she visited me here
What I got – the winter vegetable pizzeta- was not the best. But my sis got the glazed tempeh sandwich and it was delish! I also go to VCU- yay VCUarts!
next time you’re in Richmond try 821 Cafe or Harrison Street Cafe- YUM!
Writing that down!
An hour drive doesn’t seem so bad for a trip to Trader Joe’s! If I were that close, I’d go once a month and pack a cooler in the car for refrigerated foods. I’m completely deprived of TJ’s in Vermont!
What a fun night! I love that the menu’s were record covers! So unique! I love browsing Trader Joes! I need to get back there are some point!
Love Dr. Bronner’s! (with ‘n’)
Oops! I’m a newbie!
Enjoy the nice weather! I am totally jealous!
I would love to take a trip to Pier 1/World Market/Trader Joes — sounds lovely to me!
That’s so funny, I just took a pic of my shopping cart at the store last night, too!
Wish we had a TJ’s nearby!!
That tempeh sandwich looks deeeeeeeeeeelish!!!
Looks like such a fun day! And that restaurant looks so cool!
Lucky you on the high for tomorrow! Is Spring your favorite season? Or did you say Fall before…
I AM CRAVING lemon sugar cookies so badly because I have seen them several places lately, they are my favorite.
I love, love, love that World Market chocolate. I’m pretty sure my best friend and I ate way too many bars of that coming home from a trip to Atlanta once!
i was just recently at World Market (love that place) and looked for smoked paprika. I’ve been hunting for that for AGES?! I guess they were out … BOO. Buuut, I did find some plain white dishes and place mats for blogging purposes (which I ended up liking for everyday and need to go back!).
Excited about your pb experiment ! …and I STILL need to try and make some homemade nut butter. Not sure what I’m scared of. Should just get crackin!
Totally coveting those chairs & pillows! Have you ever looked at Stein Mart for pillows? They have a lot that are similar to Pier 1, but a lot less expensive!
I live in Richmond, but I’m going to Cville for the first time tomorrow! Although I’ve loved seeing it through pics here, I can’t wait to see it in person!
Oh fun!! Welcome to Cville!
I have those baskets from world market, they are so perfect for organizing all my makeup in the bathroom! Now you are making me want to go to world market and TJ’s
I’m jealous of the weather but at least I love to snow shoe and shoveling snow for 3 hours really is good exercise!!
The funniest thing just happened. I had a light reflecting speck of something on my computer monitor and when I looked at the picture of Faith reading the menu, it looked like she had her nose pierced, but it was 3D because it was shiny in real life!
So jealous of all the TJ’s goodies!!! The Godiva’s dark chocolate with sea salt is also available at World Market and very delicious!
What a fun little adventure to Richmond. Glad you got to go to TJ’s!!
I’ve been to Sprout for lunch a few months ago and wasn’t overly impressed. My salad was okay, but I definitely wasn’t full after eating it and the service was slow. :/
Enjoy the amazing weather today.
You got to try the lemon cookies! That’s awesome. I had no idea they’d let you try anything… smart move, TJ’s.
Record cover menus is the most creative design idea I’ve seen yet. Awesome. Did the background music stand up to that level of hipster?!
We don’t have World Market in Canada but it sounds incredible! We do have Pier 1 though.
I love all the cute dishes they have there.
Those pillows match my color scheme…
I’ve had my eye on those chairs for next year too!!!
I make homemade peanut butter using half roasted salted peanuts and half honey roasted peanuts. It’s very good! The result is a slightly gritty (in a good way), salty sweet nut butter and is MUCH easier to blend than when I try to add honey to only roasted peanuts. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
oh my gosh i LOVE those chairs at pier 1. we just put an offer on a house that we’ll hopefully get so i’m already thinking new furniture…and something like those would be perfect in the living room!
Santa gave me some World Market Sea Salt Dark Chocolate for Christmas…OH MY GOODNES!!! So good
Next time you’re in Richmond… try The Black Sheep and make a point of going to Ellwood Thompsons, and the Iron Horse in Ashland which is right near the Henry Clay Inn and Randolph Macon.
I love love love the salted chocolate at World Market! Mmmm now I want some …
i was really disappointed with sprout when i went, but you should definitely try the Empress on Broad Street. Everything is local, mostly organic, and GF and vegan-friendly! Ask to speak to the chef – she is lovely and will just whip you up something if she gets inspired!