El Patron is a Mexican restaurant that is located in Chesterfield off of Route 10. They are nestled in the Chesterfield Meadows shopping center. El Patron has, without a doubt, the best Mexican food around. The food is always fresh and perfectly seasoned. The service is speedy and the staff always greet you with a smile. The servers seem more than happy to help you with anything you need. Wednesdays are two dollar margarita night. Needless to say, this is the night that the restaurant has its biggest crowd. If a member of your party has a birthday, the staff will come sing to you and bring you fried ice cream. It doesn't stop there though! They also bring a massive sombrero that they put on your head while they sing to you. This way, you can't go unnoticed!
Deep Run Park is a beautiful park located in Henrico County. It has multiple lakes, various walking paths, soccer fields, and covered pavilions. The park is conveniently located off of Ridgefield Parkway, which is only a few turns off of Broad Street. There is also a Recreation center in the park, which has a basketball court, ballrooms, and offers various classes for Henrico County residents throughout the month. The park is a place you can go to just enjoy nature, or to get out and people watch. Since it is a popular park, there are often many other visitors there at the same time. However, even with all the people, it still somehow manages to provide a feeling of serenity.
Trader Joe's is one of my favorite grocery stores. The store is very unique and mostly offers only Trader Joe's brand items,which keeps the prices reasonable since there isn't any competition within the store. They have such a wide variety of foods, from Indian to Thai, they have vegetables, fruits, pre-made meals, organic meats, and a selection of seafood. The employees are what some would call "hippies" and are so friendly and down to earth, that you can't help but smile. Far too often, employees of different locations are unfriendly or moody and make it very clear that they do not want to be there. However, you can't help but think that the employees of Trader Joe's all absolutely love their jobs! While Trader Joe's carries the main food items that your regular grocery stores carries, it is far from regular. It's an experience just to walk in. If you want to avoid a crowd though, I would recommend that you visit on a weekday as the weekend traffic can get pretty busy in the store.
