The restaurant formerly known as Bella’s is under new ownership, and will reopen this month as Mangione’s on Main, according to owner Bert Crinks. Crinks and his wife Elaina, who will run the restaurant, are recent transplants from Northern Virginia who’ve been searching for the perfect site in which to open a restaurant. Having spent […]
After a consulting gig at Commonwealth Restaurant & Sky Bar, Harrison Keevil is back full-time at Keevil & Keevil, with some new ideas for the store he co-owns with his wife Jennifer. “We’re bringing back the guest sandwiches —where I ask friends what their dream sandwich is and try to make it come to life […]
For all the joy that animals bring into our lives, the stress of having a sick or injured pet can take a toll. Worrying about a pet’s welfare can be taxing enough, but the financial burden of diagnostics and treatment can add another layer of strain. Pet insurance can help dull the blow of unexpected […]
Lee Graves is not a foodie—he says so himself on the fourth page of his recently released book Virginia Beer: A Guide from Colonial Days to Craft’s Golden Age. But he is uniquely qualified to tell the rich story of Virginia craft beer. Graves was a staff writer at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in the mid-’90s […]
With chef Antwon Brinson’s recent takeover of Martha Stafford’s popular Charlottesville Cooking School, the institution is becoming a destination for aspiring restaurant cooks—a place to learn professional and life skills for long-term culinary careers. Brinson originally launched Culinary Concepts, his “culinary boot camp,” in partnership with the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, and operated […]
By Carrie Meslar The house cocktail menu is a bar team’s magnum opus. Hours of research, experiments, and tweaks can go into a single drink, only for it to be erased from record with the printing of a new menu. But some drinks refuse to leave: A bartender creates a cocktail that is the perfect […]
Best new creations When it comes to Charlottesville food and drink, there is no such thing as a bad year. In 2018, MarieBette Café & Bakery unleashed its prezzant, a sorcerous pretzel and croissant hybrid, where buttery, delicate pastry gets an addictive umami boost from a dip in lye. Not to be outdone, Albemarle Baking […]
Little Star, the sophomore dining venture by Oakhart Social’s Ben Clore and Tristan Wraight, is slated to open its doors December 30, when its warm hearth and welcoming vibe should be a respite from the chill. Joined by third partner and executive chef Ryan Collins, the team has put together a restaurant they hope will […]