Just when we thought the 700 block of West Main Street couldn’t get any more delicious, with Pearl’s Bake Shoppe, JM Stock Provisions, Bella’s Restaurant and Doma Korean Kitchen all in a row, it’s gotten even tastier (and a bit more energetic). Snowing in Space Coffee Co. opened last week at 705 W. Main St., […]
Local restaurant openings and closings in March
In March, two restaurants opened their doors: Uncle Maddio’s Pizza and Sheepdog Café. Nude Food closed.
Smoked Kitchen & Tap wins raves from barbecue judges
Food judging is a puzzle. Into the round hole of subjectivity, it tries to place the square peg of objectivity. After all, isn’t taste a matter of, well, taste? Take barbecue, a food especially prone to the whims of personal preference. Sure, there is science and skill to it. Application of specific methods, under specific […]
Sheepdog Café offers breakfast, lunch and dinner
The café located on the ground floor of the Graduate Charlottesville hotel on West Main Street has a new name, a new look and a new menu. Formerly Sheepdog Coffee, the 2,000- square-foot indoor/outdoor space is now Sheepdog Café and can seat up to 66 people for breakfast, lunch and dinner service, plus a full […]
LIVING Picks: March 29-April 4
NONPROFIT Charlottesville City Market Saturday, April 1 City Market, with more than 100 vendors offering fresh produce, herbs, plants, crafts, baked goods and more, opens for the season. Free, 7am-noon. Water and South streets. 970-3371. FAMILY Silhouette artist Saturday, April 1 Former Disney World portrait artist Edward Casey will be stationed at Alakazam Toys, ready […]
LIVING Picks: March 22-28
NONPROFIT March yard sale Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 You will find home décor, kitchenware, collectibles, artwork and more at this yard sale to benefit the Senior Center. The early-bird sale takes place March 24 from 5-7pm with a $5 entrance fee. Entrance to the Saturday yard sale from 8am-1pm is free. 974-7756. […]
The woes of your pet’s separation anxiety
I knew I was in trouble within days of adopting him. If I made it all the way to the car before the barking and screaming began, I was lucky. I’d return from grocery shopping to find cracked blinds hanging lopsided above splintered windowsills, and puddles of drool creeping across the floor. My return home […]
Piedmont Place becomes area’s newest food destination
Crozet’s Piedmont Place has just about everything under its roof: multiple restaurants, an ice cream shop, a yoga studio, a bookstore and apartments. It also has a restaurant and bar on top of its roof. Located at 2025 Library Way in downtown Crozet, the building boasts spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from every […]
LIVING Picks: Week of March 15-21
NONPROFIT Cville Time Bank Repair Café Saturday, March 18 Bring up to three things for repair, including small appliances, clothing, bikes, jewelry, toys and other household items. Free, noon-4pm. IX Art Park, 522 Second St. SE. facebook.com/events/332444857 149671/ FAMILY Paramount Theater tour Saturday, March 18 Learn about the Paramount’s beginnings in 1931, see the backstage […]
Small eateries are full of flavor
Yeah, yeah, you’ve heard it before: For a city its size, Charlottesville has a lot of restaurants. Like, a lot. In 2013, the Huffington Post ranked our city among the top 15 U.S. metro areas with the most eateries per capita, with 460 restaurants for 201,400 residents. With so many chow options at our fingertips, […]
LIVING Picks: Week of March 8-14
NONPROFIT Bracket breakfast Monday, March 13 Panelists including John Grisham, Barry Parkhill and Ricky Stokes give you inside tips and make their NCAA Final Four picks. Fundraiser for Piedmont CASA; includes prizes and surprises. $125 per ticket, 7am. Omni Hotel ballroom, 212 Ridge McIntire Rd. 971-7515. FAMILY Girls’ Geek Day Saturday, March 11 This fun, […]
Smoked food cart returns to downtown
Remember how sad you were in August, when the Smoked BBQ Co. food cart ran out of ’cue on its last day on the mall, and how you had to wait until December to eat it again, after a drive to Smoked Kitchen and Tap in Crozet? Well, you can forget all about that, because […]
Local restaurant openings and closings in February
In February, two restaurants/breweries opened their doors: Carpe Café and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery.
Chardonnay and petit verdot lead the 2016 vintage report
This is a good time to catch up with winemakers about the 2016 vintage, a year marked by frost events early in the season, and rain near the red grape harvest. By now, ferments have finished and some wines are in barrel or bottle. Wineries have a good idea about how their 2016s are tasting. […]
LIVING Picks: Week of March 1-7
NONPROFIT GenR: Charlottesville launch party Thursday, March 2 This organization’s inaugural fundraiser supports the International Rescue Committee’s work in helping refugees resettle here and rebuild their lives. $35-75; 6:30-9pm. Old Metropolitan Hall, 101 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rescue.org/event/genr-charlottesville-launch-party FAMILY ArtFest in the West Friday, March 3 This “magical medieval” fundraiser for arts education showcases […]
On the record: Baggby’s and Miso Sweet enjoy banner days
Temperatures topped 70 degrees on Saturday, February 18, and eager eaters descended on the Downtown Mall to enjoy a meal in the sun. And at least two downtown eateries—Miso Sweet and Baggby’s Gourmet Sandwiches—had record business days. Miso Sweet owner Frank Paris reports that his restaurant sold more than 450 donuts (all of which were […]
Sugar Shack to open West Main location
The heavenly scent of handcrafted donuts, fritters and cinnamon rolls will soon waft up and down West Main Street: Charlottesville is getting a Sugar Shack Donuts, directly across the street from the Uncommon Building, this summer. Sugar Shack owner and self-proclaimed “donut nostalgia nerd” Ian Kelley opened his first shop in a small building […]
Chickapig magnate: People of all ages are flocking to the newest game in town
One night last February, Charlottesville luthier Brian Calhoun and his good friend, musician Dave Matthews, walked into Kardinal Hall with a massive handmade Chickapig board. Calhoun had measured the back of his car and made the board as big as he could while still fitting it into his trunk. They played a few games over […]
LIVING Picks: February 22-28
NONPROFIT Grand Gala 2017: Moonlight in Paris Saturday, February 25 The Senior Center’s gala includes cocktails, dinner, dancing and a moonlight raffle. Black tie optional; berets welcome. $175, 6:30-11:30pm. Boar’s Head Inn Pavilion, 200 Ednam Dr. seniorcenterinc.org/giving/gala-2017 FAMILY Living Lab Saturday, February 25 The Virginia Discovery Museum has partnered with the Child Development Laboratories at […]
Hardywood’s brewers offer taste of creativity
Richmond-based Hardywood Park Craft Brewery has opened a satellite tasting room and brewery on West Main Street, becoming the fifth brewery within Charlottesville city limits. At its grand opening last Saturday, 15 beers were on tap. The unseasonably warm afternoon brought out such a large crowd that five taps were off the list by 2pm. […]
Oakhart Social’s chef knows no boundaries
I am old enough to remember when cooking was not cool. Before entire networks were devoted to it, cooking was relegated to the nerdy back room of public television. The prototypical chef was the bumbling Muppet Swedish Chef, while rock stars like Animal were the cool Muppets. Today, chefs are the rock stars. And, cooking has […]
The trouble with dog flu
It’s flu season for us humans, and the advice really couldn’t be more simple. Get your flu shot this year and every year. We are social animals who spend most of our day in relatively close physical proximity, and it’s very easy for us to get each other sick. Vaccination may provide an imperfect defense, […]
Studio IX welcomes The Carpe Café; Hardywood opens taproom
For a while now, Matt Rohdie has wanted to grow his Carpe Donut business into something beyond his bakery and shop on Allied Lane and the truck that’s a regular fixture at Fridays After Five (and plenty of parties and weddings). So when Studio IX owner James Barton approached him with the possibility of joining […]