What makes a restaurant stand out (in a good way) isn’t usually what it’s lacking.  However, in the case of Plaza Mexico, the new south-of-the-border eatery on Main Street in the Fan District, the lack of almost anything Mexican-themed is exactly what caught my eye.  Thank goodness it did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have given this place a second glance.

Bryan and Brent Halstead, draped in fake fur from head to claws, were a tad overdressed for a warm fall afternoon. But the brothers had worked on their werewolf costumes since February and wanted them to see daylight before Halloween.

Richmond’s City Council could decide tomorrow whether a resident can keep her driveway on Stuart Avenue. Citing safety concerns, Councilman Bruce W. Tyler is seeking to revoke a permit allowing a curb cut to serve the concrete driveway at 3304 Stuart Ave., near St. Gertrude High School. Roberta Crowell got the permit last summer and built a carport.

Richmond plans a public debate over the future of GRTC Transit System’s historic headquarters next to the Fan District, but the role of affordable housing in the project already is an issue. Affordable housing is listed as the goal of Mayor Dwight C. Jones and the mission of the Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority in a written proposal for the city to buy the property, which is appraised at up to $5.4 million.

Richmond police were searching for the assailant who robbed one woman and tried to rob another in the Fan District early yesterday, injuring both of them. One woman was shot and the other was knocked to the ground in separate assaults that occurred between 1:20 and 1:25 a.m. in the 100 block of Strawberry Street, Capt. Harvey S. Powers said.

Main Art Gallery in the Fan District recently opened “Limited Edition: Exploring Printmaking at the University of Mary Washington.“  The exhibition features art by Jesse Kopp, Andrew Sniffin, Molly Mathusa, Justin Owens and Molly Cambell. The works were created during two semesters of courses taught by Rosemary Jesionowski. The students explored printmaking and its various techniques, from monotypes to intaglio as well as traditional processes and modern, digital processes.

Jeff Kellam’s purchase of a modest 1908 brick home on Hanover Avenue came with enough perks to qualify it for estate status. In addition to the house at 1613 Hanover, Kellam acquired:

• a garden on a lot next door, site of a house that was razed to open the space;

• a second house, 1609 Hanover, on the other side of the garden;

Richmond police are investigating a series of street robberies of Virginia Commonwealth University students. Authorities have arrested one man and charged him in two of the eight robberies, all of which took place in the Fan District or on its outskirts from Jan. 13 through Sunday, with three of them on Sunday. VCU students were victims in seven of the robberies. Some of the crimes were carried out by a man and woman who stole items such as cell phones, purses and wallets. A gun was displayed in most or all of the cases.

Want to ogle holiday decorations sure to inspire and delight at private historic homes?  Now’s the chance.  The 46th annual Fan Holiday House Tour will unfold from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, while the Church Hill Historic Home Tour will be noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.  Both tours feature holiday décor amid stunning architectural details.