At its core, the city of Richmond is about revival. Whether from war, fire, or economic recession, the city will always dust itself off, get back to work, and in some cases - reinvent itself along the way. And there is no better example of this than the city’s oldest neighborhood, Church Hill. Church Hill has come a long way in the past few years, but today we want to pay some revival reverence to one of the first businesses to really get the fire going - The Roosevelt. With help from local real estate team, Atlas, and references from the Church Hill People's News, we were able to uncover a centuries-old history of 623 N 25th St.
The Roosevelt opened in 2011 at the corners of 25th and M streets in one of the neighborhood’s largest commercial buildings. The building’s nearly 200 year history is varied and it has encapsulated every kind of business one could image from its original purpose as a boarding house to a drug store, florist, cleaners, fish market and now finally, the often-awarded and highly respected restaurant it is today.
And since we’re on the topic of cocktails, The Roosevelt’s classic meets contemporary cocktail list is now featuring Belle Isle. Below are a few of our favorites created by The Roosevelt's resident connoisseur, Thomas Leggett. Cheers!At the helm of The Roosevelt are co-owner Kendra Feather, chef and co-owner Lee Gregory, and cocktail master Thomas “T” Leggett. Feather has a string of successful restaurants under her belt, Gregory has, among many many other awards, a James Beard nomination to his name and Leggett is the proud owner of the 2013 Elby for Best Cocktail Program.
Belle Isle Banshee
Ingredients
2oz Belle Isle Premium Moonshine
3/4oz Dolin Blanc
1/4oz Becherovka
Preparation
Combine all of the ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel.
The Iron Works
Ingredients
2 oz. Belle Isle Premium Moonshine
1 oz. Cocchi Americano
Barspoon Creme de Violette
Lemon peel for garnish
Preparation
Combine and stir with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Express a lemon peel for garnish.
Belle Isle Boulevardier
Ingredients
1 oz. Belle Isle Premium Moonshine
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
4 drops rhubarb bitters
Orange peel for garnish
Preparation
Combine and stir with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Expressed orange peel garnish.
