This started out as a nachos survey, with me sampling some platters from a few establishments around the village perimeter, plus one on the Downtown Mall, just to establish a baseline. But I knew all along where it was going, where I would end up directing my sunshiny prose. I wanted to be in a [...]
The first thing that pops into your mind as an everyday wine drinker who’s looking to start laying down a few bottles is, inevitably: “Don’t I need a big temperature-and-humidity-controlled dungeon, replete with rustic stone walls, candles, and old first-growth Bordeaux?” The answer is “No.” Cellaring wine is, really, all about understanding the rules and [...]
Now open in the former Pita Pit space on 14th Street: Onyx Lounge, a crêperie, sandwich shop, and hookah bar. It’s open until 4am Thursday-Saturday, giving Littlejohn’s a little competish on the late-night scene. Also open? The C’ville Cheese Store on Fifth Street SE in the former Downtown Deli spot. There’s more than 30 different [...]
05/24/2013 9:30 pm Eli Cook Band Durty Nelly’s, Charlottesville VA
If you own a house in a historic district, it turns out that implementing any kind of renovation project is tricky business. Mark and Caroline Shaffrey knew this when, in 1997, they decided to buy their 1902 Colonial in Downtown Charlottesville. And it meant waiting to make any changes to the space until they were [...]
In a blind taste test by a panel of experts last fall, Virginia wines squared off against those from leading regions of the world. The results stunned many. Virginia won. In case it had not been clear already, there was now no doubt: Virginia wine is on the rise. With the popularity of Virginia wine [...]
The story of how Keriann Koeman came to have upwards of 50,000 tulips planted on her property starts with love, but not necessarily a love of tulips. Koeman, a self described “green girl,” met Jeroen Koeman, who hailed from a Dutch family of tulip growers. They fell in love, got married, and started the first [...]
The freedom one feels when he gets dressed in the morning translates into his life every day. The medium is the message, be it architecture, nail art, or graffiti. How free can you be? SEAN was studying at Mudhouse when I approached him to talk about what he was wearing. Born in North Korea and [...]
With an overdue spring finally coming into its own, it’s time for many of us to start spending some time in the garden. Whether you’re planting vegetables for the table or decorative plants to brighten up the yard, you can be pretty sure that your pets are going to be keen on inspecting the greenery. [...]
On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities. Today’s picks come from Pei Chang, chef of TEN Sushi. And, on Mother’s Day weekend, the mother of his three young children made the list! Chang’s picks: 1) Meatloaf Sandwich at Stonefire Kitchen. “Artisanal sandwiches and salads engineered by Jeremy Butterfield, a [...]
“I’m trying to bring two things that people don’t see a lot of in Charlottesville or the East Coast,” said Patrick Kim, who has been making waves in the city’s food scene ever since he arrived in Charlottesville in February to open his Korean taco truck, Hanu. Kim, who grew up in Southern California and [...]
If rain is Oregon’s best-known cliché, then Pinot Noir is the runner-up. With May celebrating Oregon Wine Month, and the Willamette Valley being one of my favorite wine regions in the world, what better time than now to delve into this sustainable wine mecca? Viticulturally, Oregon is a big state, with five AVAs (American Viticultural [...]
Chef Harrison Keevil of Brookville Restaurant will create a farm-fresh meal at Bellair Farm Sunday, May 26. Blenheim Vineyards will handle the wine. Tickets are $65 ($10 for children under 9). Call The Happy Cook at 977-2665 to secure yours. You’ll get a second chance to try that meal (though slightly altered) on Sunday, June [...]
It’s primary season! Get your local favorites on the upcoming 2013 Best of C-VILLE ballot by nominating the best people, places, and things in Charlottesville prior to the release of the final ballot. The best of the best will end up on a multiple-choice ticket for the official Best of C-VILLE vote. Click HERE to [...]
After decades spent living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Don and Minna Doyle found themselves facing catastrophe when Hurricane Katrina flooded their house with 12′ of water in 2005. “It was structurally sound, but everything had to be replaced,” Minna remembered. While many of their neighbors threw everything away, the Doyles were more inclined to [...]
Today is the 50th edition of Five Finds on Friday, where chefs and local personalities pick five favorite food items in the area. To mark the occasion, The Charlottesville 29 has the picks of a Charlottesville resident who is among the top 29 in the world in his field. In fact, tennis player Treat Huey [...]
To the untrained eye, the quiche is a seemingly simple dish that requires very little skill and few ingredients. It consists, after all, of only two elements: crust and filling. But think again. This French-inspired staple of American cuisine is subtle and sophisticated, varied and complex. If you ask Lynette Meynig, she’ll tell you that [...]
Humulus lupus, the species best known to us as hops, produces effects in beer that we traditionally associate with bitterness. Hops also produce aromas and flavors that are usually associated with earthiness, grassiness, floral characteristics, and a bit of weedy dankness. In the past couple of years, a progressive sect of hop growers has been [...]
How interesting! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Mellow Mushroom’s “Most Interesting Man in the World” sweepstakes and win the Ultimate Mellow Mushroom Mexican vacation. Through May 5, stop in to the University Avenue location and take the “most interesting” photo with the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man standee and enter to win a trip for [...]
On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities. This week’s picks come from Jonathan Wheeler, Sparkling Winemaker at Trump Winery. Next weekend, May 4 and 5, Trump Winery will be celebrating its 2012 Vintage Release with samples of the new 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, and Rosé. Wheeler’s picks: 1) [...]
Seasonal associations are unavoidable with any food or drink: Warmer weather seemingly demands lighter fare, brighter wines, and, overall, a refreshing gastric experience. And, not coincidentally, just as our seasons change, the new, fresh white and rosé wines seem to pour into shops and restaurants. Cold, crisp wine just works when it’s nice outside. Now, [...]
Two for one Mark your calendar for Friday, May 3, as two acclaimed Virginia chefs, both nominated for the James Beard Award of Excellence, come together to create a dinner to remember. Lee Gregory is the chef and owner of The Roosevelt restaurant in Richmond’s historic Church Hill neighborhood and has been featured in magazines [...]
On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities. Today’s picks come from Mike Ketola, who cooks at not one but two restaurants that have been inducted into The Charlottesville 29. Ketola is the longtime sous chef of Mas, and also cooks at Barbecue Exchange. Ketola’s picks: 1) Glazed Blueberry Cake [...]