Think back to third grade. You might remember learning multiplication tables, memorizing vocabulary words, or a brief, possibly confusing poetry unit. The third graders of Free Union Country School might remember something a little different-—sitting down for a conversation with a community leader. Blair Amberly, the Free Union third grade teacher, matched all 14 of […]
How does a new restaurant get away with having just six items on the menu? By making all of them very, very well. What you’ll get at the Soul Food Joint is crispy-battered fried chicken, fall-off-the-bone ribs, tender-as-a-lullaby pulled pork, simmered-to-perfection collards, boy-oh-boy baked mac & cheese, and deviled eggs better than the ones your […]
Compost isn’t a glamorous business, but then again—if it helps you hang onto a big, beautiful piece of land in Albemarle County—maybe it is. The 20-or-so acres that Steve Murray uses to produce compost and mulch at Panorama Paydirt, near Earlysville, have been one way to keep the 850-acre farm in the family. “I raised […]
Pet owners face a perplexing variety of food choices for their animals. From national staples to obscure boutique brands, there are dozens of options, each trying to earn your loyalty. Pet diets, like those of humans, are subject to trends and fads with little nutritional basis. In recent years, the burgeoning market of grain-free foods […]
Join Thomas Jefferson—aka Bill Barker, the new T.J. impersonator—for local wine, beer, and picnic fare from Farm Table, on June 14 on the west lawn of the presidential plantation. Monticello is always a beautiful place to visit, but at twilight, with an adult beverage in hand, you may gain a new perspective. (Hell, Barker may […]
On a sultry day in late May, John Borgquist and Sophia Milli Leichtentritt sit at a table in Milli Coffee Roasters, at the corner of Preston Avenue and Ridge McIntire Road. Outside, traffic swooshes by in the glaring sunlight, but inside it’s dark and quiet, except for the intermittent buzz and whir of power tools—the […]
The door, kitchen, and taps are open at Wild Wolf Brewing Company’s downtown location, hard by the railroad tracks on Second Street. The brewery and restaurant’s soft opening in the former Augustiner Hall and Garden space precedes an “official” debut on June 2. But there’s a hitch: Due to federal regulatory snags, the Wolf can’t […]
On a brisk but sunny spring morning, more than a dozen pre-kindergarteners file out of the imposing red brick building that is Clark Elementary and seat themselves, excitedly, on the sidewalk in front of the school’s garden. Sarah Harris greets them with a big smile. “Hello, my friends!” she calls. Harris is the early childhood […]
Just a couple of months after local tech company WillowTree began restoring the historic Charlottesville Woolen Mills to become its new headquarters, collaborators in an ambitious food and drink project have announced plans to move into the brick behemoth on the Rivanna River. The Wool Factory will include a restaurant, event space, brewery, and a […]