By Cate Hill

In Richmond, like many other cities, restaurants have been forced to close or significantly cut back service due to the strict executive orders on social distancing set in place. Despite the restrictions, many restaurants in the area have managed to stay open through either takeout or delivery services. With the Stay at Home order significantly impacting the income of restaurants, many families have been buying meals from local restaurants to show their support. 

My family has enjoyed supporting some of our favorite local restaurants by ordering takeout over the last few weeks in quarantine. Acknowledging that we didn’t order takeout often before the order was issued, my brother Jack Hill (‘22), comments that, “I like eating more takeout.” Local restaurants that we have ordered from include Osaka, Wong Gonzalez, Beijing on Grove, and Stella’s. 

I asked some friends and family if they have chosen to order takeout from their favorite restaurants while stuck at home. 

Olivia Crooks (‘20) said that “[her] family has gotten takeout from Candelas, Panda Express, and La Cucina.” 

Walker Miller (‘20) expressed that she has ordered takeout almost every night from places such as Mary Angela’s, Bottoms Up Pizza, Westwood Club, Chipotle, and Panera. 

Ashley D’Ambrosia (‘21) said, “Yes, we do order takeout. We like to support the local vendors, such as Frank’s West, Greek Cuisine, Buz and Ned’s, Casa Italiana, El Caporal, and Glory Days. Additionally, D’ambrosia commented, “instead of getting ice cream from Kroger, we have decided to buy pints/quarts of ice cream from Deluca Gelato, because they really need the business, and we love that place.”

Mary Grace Fleming (‘20) said, “Yes! My family orders takeout every once in a while. We have ordered Chinese food from Yum Yum Good, pizza from Mary Angela’s, Chipotle, and Jack Brown’s.”

Aside from ordering takeout, I have noticed that my family has been purchasing more food at the grocery store compared to before schools and offices closed. Instead of eating lunch at school every day during the week, my brother and I have been tasked with making our own lunches at home. My dad Corey Hill, a senior project manager at design engineering and planning firm Kimley-Horn and Associates, says, “I typically eat out a couple days a week during the work week for lunch, but since quarantine I am not doing that anymore. Now, I eat lunch at home every day.” 

My mom Catherine Hill, an attorney and current Secretary Treasurer for the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners, has always cooked dinner for my family every night, so that has not changed. She feels that she is “buying more groceries, doing more dishes, but not necessarily preparing more food.” While my mom’s cooking routines may not have changed much, mine certainly have. In addition to making myself breakfast in the mornings and lunches at noon, I have started to fill some of my extra free time with cooking. I have especially enjoyed making muffins, smoothies, and brownies. 

Like myself, some of my friends and family have begun cooking or baking  during quarantine. I reached out to them to see what their favorite foods have been so far. 

Gwen Lynch (‘20) commented, “I have made tomato mozzarella melts, seven layer bars, chocolate chip cookies, and a lemon angel food cake.” Additionally, Lynch says, “My favorite meal I’ve had in quarantine has probably been our take out from Stella’s. My go-to snack during the day is original goldfish [crackers].”

Carter Lowe (‘20) has been busy making pizza, brownies, and guacamole. She says that her favorite treat has been Outshine fruit popsicles. 

Crooks added, “I have made store-bought cookies and avocado toast! My favorite quarantine snack has been apples with peanut butter, or Snyder’s sourdough hard pretzels.”

Miller responded, “We have grilled out a bunch and made pasta.” Her favorite treat has been chocolate. 

D’Ambrosia says, “I made a smoothie for breakfast one morning and avocado toast the other day. I also made an apple cobbler. My sister helped my dad make chicken cacciatore. We also make pizza bagels for lunch.” Furthermore, she said, “ I don’t really have a favorite meal or snack, but I love the greek salad at Greek Cuisine and the ribs from Buz and Ned’s.” 

My dad says, “my all time favorite snack to eat during quarantine has been the Peanut Butter Monster trail mix from Target.” 

Recently, some local restaurants that had been serving takeout have closed altogether. Brio Tuscan Grill has had to permanently close. The Italian restaurant chain’s location at Stony Point Fashion Park was forced to close when FoodFirst, its parent company, filed for bankruptcy on April 10.