| Music |
Gibson's Grill
at The National
700 East Broad Street
804-644-2637
Located at the corner of 7th and Broad Street and attached to the National Theatre, this location promises to be a great addition to Downtown Richmond's restaurant scene. The two-story restaurant will seat 150 for lunch and dinner with two fully stocked bars ready for Happy Hour! Gibson's Grill will be open 7 nights a week until 2am with food being served until 1am. The restaurant also features a lounge, aptly named "Seven Below" that features plush seating, low lighting, and an atmosphere that is made for relaxing after a long day at the office.
The menu is a delightfully eclectic mix of American favorites like the Rock 'n roll inspired "1/2 lb Angus Young Burger" or salads featuring "mixed Al Greens". The appetizer, salad, and sandwich menus feature items such as Chinese Laquered Baby Back Ribs, Raspberry Habanero Wings, Southwestern Salad, and the Lamb Burger, just to name a few! The entrees include Lobster Mac 'n Cheese, The Chicken "Puff Daddy" Pastry, Steak and Oyster Frites, Crabcakes, and more!
Gibson's Grill will soon feature an option for patrons to purchase their tickets to The National Theatre while dining, and patrons will also be offered advance entry into the venue. For more information call 804-644-2637 or visit www.gibsonsgrill.com.
Richmond, Virginia’s National Theater at 7th and East Broad streets opened with much fanfare in 1923. It became a part of the then-thriving downtown theater scene. Touring vaudeville acts of the era performed on its stage. Its screen was lit up with silent movies, accompanied by live music in the largest orchestra pit in the state. In its heyday, such local and national show-biz luminaries as Eddie Cantor and Orson Welles regularly looked over the footlights at Richmond audiences from the National's stage.
An "atmospheric theater," The National was designed by architect Claude K. Howell, who also created many Monument Avenue residences. One writer gushed that The National was "handsome, stately, adorned but not ornate..." The appointments were installed by famed sculptor Ferruccio Legnaioli, whose touches include nymphs throughout and a frieze of them near the roof line.
Outside, The National resembles an Italian Renaissance villa while inside is more restrained. Oval domes over the two-level lobby and the auditorium give an impression of palatial spaciousness. The theater could then seat 1,114 people and included four boxes, still intact. The largest orchestra pit in Virginia could hold a 25-member orchestra, an organ and a player piano. A billiards hall briefly occupied the basement.
The National will see another chapter of its history unfold as Richmond’s newest concert venue is rediscovered.
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