http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/23/travel/shopping-and-eating-amid-history-in-richmond-va.html 2014-11-19 23:49:03 Shopping and Eating Amid History in Richmond, Va. For years, Church Hill has been a neighborhood to avoid after dark. But these days, the 18th-century enclave has some of the city’s most appealing shops and dining spots. === For decades, the 18th-century Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, Va., has been a don’t-go-after-dark spot. One of the city’s oldest residential enclaves, its historic townhouses, gas lamps and St. John’s Church — where Patrick Henry proclaimed “Give me liberty” — have long been tended to by a small band of passionate preservationists in an area of encroaching crime and poverty. But undervalued real estate and unparalleled views of downtown and the James River have increasingly drawn a fiercely loyal, self-starter set of residents. These days, Church Hill has some of the city’s most appealing shops and dining spots. A two-time James Beard Award nominee, Lee Gregory was a pioneer in Church Hill’s new wave three years ago with his Southern-American tavern. His “Sunday supper after church” food focuses on local ingredients (soft-shell crabs, Surry sausage) with elements of a Lowcountry upbringing. House-made sauces, vinegars, jams and preserves, and a renowned cocktail program elevate the experience. 623 North 25th Street; 804 658-1935; Last year a fire took out this wildly popular wood-fired bakery but neighbors pitched in with fund-raisers, including an IndieGoGo campaign that raised $16,000 in a week. The shop reopened in January serving bread made of organic flour milled in-house. Its pastries, like pistachio-cream-and-sour-cherry croissants ($4, Saturday only), hint at the Turkish heritage of the brother-and-sister owners, Evrim and Evin Dogu. 620 North 25th Street; 804-788-7672; Three neighbors opened this specialty grocer, selling urban-farm-grown produce and Richmond-made products like Chia Bars and spicy pickled okra. The deli makes pressed sandwiches — try pimento cheese with bacon and tomatoes ($7) — and the bar serves hard cider, craft beer and kombucha tea on tap. Eat in or on the sunny patio. 2306 Jefferson Avenue; 804-716-7233; This tiny storefront, opened in June 2013, sells late-midcentury furniture and accessories. The owner, Diana Matthews, coordinates a monthly market with vintage vendors at her nearby warehouse. 2704 East Marshall Street (shop); 202 North 21st Street, (Garage A – warehouse); 804-349–8153; A seed grant and Kickstarter campaign two years ago helped a New Zealand native, Neil Smith, and his wife, Nikki Price, open this shop serving savory pies. Choices, from mincemeat to pork chile verde ($4.25 to $6), change daily and 15 sweet pies-by-the-slice ($4.50 to $5) keep lines forming for a lunchtime counter seat. 2505 East Broad Street No. 100; 804-343-7437;