Cheesy goodness: In the intro to her cookbook Hot Cheese: Over 50 Gooey, Oozy, Melty Recipes, Polina Chesnakova writes: “…something happens when you apply heat to curds: a setting of the stage. A bubbling pot of fondue, a half wheel of raclette as it blisters and caramelizes under a grill.” To salivate even more, break […]
Get out together: Some of the best aspects of the season are on display during a tour of Wildrock’s Winter Wonderland Trail. Track animals and learn their survival habits, get an up-close look at snowflake patterns, and play a woodland game to match gnome mittens. Small groups can make a reservation to enjoy this family-friendly, […]
We are all ready to leave 2020 behind, but as we close it out, let’s take a moment to remember dining experiences, both lost and gained, in this most unusual year. Many well-known establishments shuttered their doors on the Downtown Mall during the pandemic, including Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar, a hub for upscale dining, music, […]
Elves ourselves: It’s a festive season in a bleak year, and now more than ever, presents should be thoughtful. But let’s face it: Online shopping has become routine and boring. With all those algorithms, who is shopping for whom? The Last Minute Gift Workshop is stocked with interesting art materials and guided by teaching artists who’ll […]
Seeing is believing: Close your eyes and imagine boarding The Polar Express, where everyone is dreaming of a “White Christmas” and “Rockin’ On Top O the World,” leading us to “Believe” that all will be well “When Christmas Comes to Town.” As the train conductor, Tom Hanks provides comforting narration while leading a group of […]
For those who celebrate Christmas, selecting a tree is an annual tradition. For George Cason, selling trees to the Charlottesville community is a way of life. George Cason’s father, L.E., began selling Christmas trees more than 100 years ago. Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Cason had seven boys and one girl, and as the children grew […]
In an ongoing effort to support local dining establishments during the pandemic, our writers have been enjoying a variety of takeout meals from some of their favorite restaurants. Contribute to this ongoing series by sending your own delicious experiences to living@c-ville.com. Tavola There are restaurants I desperately want to survive, and Tavola* is one of […]
Go with Grace Cavalier Produce has put a creative twist on feeding those in need. The food distributor announced Grace’s Good Food Box Program as a way to get fresh food into homes that need it through a partnership with Loaves & Fishes, PB&J Fund, Louisa County Resource Council, and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s […]
Many of us are eagerly anticipating the chance to turn the page on what has been a unique and challenging year. However, at least one challenge remains before we can put 2020 behind us—shopping for holiday gifts. There is perhaps no better time to shop local. Not only can you avoid possible shipping delays, but […]
In an effort to support local dining establishments during the pandemic, our writers have been enjoying a variety of takeout meals from some of their favorite restaurants. Contribute to this ongoing series by sending your own delicious experiences to living@c-ville.com. C&O From rounds of Greyhounds to late-night grilled cheeses at the bar, C&O has been […]
Miracle on Main Street: During a time when everyone’s faith is being tested, some might wonder if the holiday spirit will prevail. In the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street, Kris Kringle is put on trial after playing a convincing Santa Claus. His authenticity and mental health are challenged in the courtroom, and it all […]
Like many kids of his generation, Davon Okoro spent a lot of time in front of the TV. But while his peers were watching cartoons, Okoro was finding himself in the groundbreaking styles and fashions of MTV. “I grew up in Nigeria and we didn’t have much money,” he explains. “My mom would go to […]
Rachel De Jong has traveled the world and rubbed elbows with its best chefs. She earned her diplôme de pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu École de Cuisine in Paris. She learned hospitality from The Inn at Little Washington’s Patrick O’Connell. And she traded dessert ideas with Ludo Lefebvre at Petit Trois in L.A. But De […]
It was the middle of the night in 2004 when Square One organic vodka founder Allison Evanow saw her future. Evanow’s career, marketing fine beverages had taken the Waynesboro native to Spain, Mexico, and California, working for the Jose Cuervo family before entering the wine industry in Napa. Maybe it was insomnia, maybe it was […]
Shaun Jenkins, owner of Soul Food Joint, grew up in a pie-loving household. The weekend before Thanksgiving, his mom would make about 40 pies, and folks would stop by to pick one up after church—free of charge. Jenkins carries on that tradition by baking a bushel of his own favorite sweet potato Thanksgiving tarts every […]
Restaurant dining has changed dramatically due to coronavirus, but we still want our favorites— and a night off from the kitchen. We asked our writers and staffers to give us their best takes. Keep watching for more, and send in your own to living@c-ville.com. Oh, and save the griping for Yelp. We want to support […]
Soul food and Thanksgiving go hand in oven mitt. Traditional American fare. Humble ingredients. Big flavors. “Southern food is indigenous food,” says Ryan Hubbard of soul food and barbecue joint Red Hub Food Co. “You start with Native American influences, and you have basically a melting pot over the course of the next three centuries—African, […]
Food insecurity in Albemarle County is on the rise. Feeding America, a national hunger relief organization, reports that while 11.8 percent of Charlottesville’s population was food insecure in 2018, that number is expected to rise to 15.1 percent by the end of 2020. Accordingly, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank told Richmond’s NBC12 in August […]
When I find Mary Kate Claytor, she’s cross-legged on the grass under a catalpa tree, working a deer hide over the sharp point of an awl made from deer bone, trying to poke a hole. The hide is wet: It recently came out of a freezer, where it’s been waiting since it was taken from […]
South by north Guajiros Miami Eatery is on the move from its Woodbrook location to 817 W. Main St., the former home of Parallel 38. Look forward to authentic Cuban and Latin American dishes such as pressed sandwiches, Venezuelan empanadas, and lots of plantains, plus a hearty breakfast menu that’s served all day. Order ahead […]
Della Bennett has seen the effect that a home-cooked meal can have. She worked as a nanny for several years, assisting as many as four families at a time, and on the occasions when she made meals, she noticed the positive impact it had on her clients. “PLENTY Cville was born as a solution to a […]
If pigeon peas, plantains, and pikliz jumpstart a craving for you, you’re probably a fan of Pearl Island Foods. The Caribbean-centric food business launched with a booth at Charlottesville City Market in 2014, before moving into the Jefferson School City Center two years later. Sober Pierre, owner and operator of Pearl Island Foods, and Executive […]
Thomas Jefferson never wrote about the food at Monticello. His kitchens were stocked with ingredients from around the world—cinnamon from Asia, lemons from the Caribbean, brandies and fine cheeses from Richmond. But in his writing, Jefferson didn’t remark on the fine food that his enslaved chefs prepared for his table. He simply expected its consistent […]