RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond’s food scene is full of personalities, and Eat It, Virginia! is putting some of them in the hot seat with 6 Questions with answers that reveal their quirks, cravings, and culinary obsessions.
This month, it's Baltik’s Bagel founder Yero Rudzinskas, who traded Michelin-starred kitchens and a career in high finance for beautiful bagels.
1️⃣ How do you take your coffee?
“Black,” Yero says without hesitation. He prefers a medium-dark roast with chocolatey notes — no citrus — and admits coffee is top of mind at Baltik’s right now.
“We’re partnering with Afterglow Coffee… and also developing a Baltik’s blend. I’m super excited about it.”
On the day of our interview?
“I drank a quart of iced coffee before I got here, which is probably why I’m so chatty.”
2️⃣ What music do you listen to in the kitchen?
At Baltik’s, the soundtrack is “classic rock and Motown,” Yero explains, with one hard rule:
no Christmas music, thanks to his first retail job at Brooks Brothers.
“By the end of it, I was like, if I hear the Supremes Christmas one more time… I’ll take ‘Little Drummer Boy’ three times a day, but four times a day is too much.”
At home, he’s into nautical audiobooks: “Talk to me about a mizzen mast and you’ve got me.”
3️⃣ What dish would you like to see on more Richmond menus?
“I think Richmond has an absolute lack of good pastrami,” Yero says. While Perly’s does it well, he dreams of the quality found at Katz’s in NYC.
He’s also craving schnitzel.
“A truly great schnitzel… I think Café Rustika is the spot, we just haven’t gotten there yet.”
4️⃣ Which Richmond restaurant do you visit most often?
“Grisette, because of the profiteroles,” Yero admits. “I finish every meal at Grisette because of the profiteroles… I just love that little place.”
Edo’s Squid, Perly’s, and quick crew drinks at The Galley are also staples.
“If it was my last day, I’m probably going to Grisette.”
5️⃣ Which Richmond restaurant is on your list of places you still need to visit?
“I haven’t been to Brooklyn yet,” says Yero. “I have an incredible amount of respect for what’s happening at Lost Letter [Patrick and Megan Phelan's other Richmond restaurant]… so few places can live up to the hype, and that place really, really does.”
6️⃣ What's an underrated spot in your neighborhood?
“Joey’s Hot Dogs,” Yero says without missing a beat.
He credits the craftsmanship to the owner’s obsession: “He’s getting his hot dogs made by some old hot dog maker in Virginia Beach who has the right equipment… whatever it is, it’s good.”
Watch Yero's full Eat It, Virginia episode below.
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