For the win

Matthew Winston was thisclose to shutting down the candle-making business he’d recently started. The VCU grad had a degree in creative advertising, but couldn’t picture himself settling into a 9-5 job, so he turned his hobby into a business: The Win Candle. Hoping to drum up ome extra attention (“I would get a few orders […]

Reading list

Like many people, Samantha Koon Jones found herself with a lot of time on her hands at the start of the pandemic. So she turned to reading.  “I knew a couple of people on Bookstagram—a subgroup of Instagram users who post primarily about books and reading—and I liked the idea of keeping a virtual reading […]

From market to Market

Fernando Dizon has been selling Filipino food in Charlottesville since 2012, when he first set up a stand at City Market and called it Little Manila. Two years later, it was clear that people here loved their lumpia—so he and his wife Jessie expanded to a food truck. They knew one day they wanted to […]

We’re in love

February is the month of love, but forget the cards, flowers, and candy—we want hot chocolate. MarieBette feels that too, with its annual celebration of Hot Chocolate Month: a different flavor each of the month’s 28 days, from cheesecake to chipotle chili. Don’t forget the (housemade!) marshmallow.

Happiest hour

Strawberry, peach, or classic lime, there’s nothing fancy about the margs at Guadalajara—and that’s what keeps us coming back (well that, and the half-price special on Mondays and Wednesdays). Frozen or on the rocks, we’ll grab the salt-rimmed goblet with both hands and never let go.

Keep calm, drink tea

Want to be queen for a day? Dinsmore House gets us one step closer, with its two-hour afternoon tea. Offered for parties of eight, the elegant affair includes charming tea sandwiches, housemade scones and pastries, all with a pretty pot of tea in the West Main inn’s tasteful dining room. Pinkies up, y’all.

Beer me

Ever noticed the big chalkboard at Decipher Brewing? It’s called the Dead Drop Board, and it’s filled with the names and industries of folks who someone thinks deserves a beer. To add your friend’s name (or an occupation, like “teacher” or “first responder”), just buy an extra pint and have them add it to the […]

On the rise

When Marian Bayker got into breadmaking, she knew she’d be milling her own flour as part of the process. “It seemed like an obvious choice,” says the Althea Bread owner. “My mother had been doing it for years. She used to buy big five-gallon buckets of wheat and milled them on a little steel burr […]

Sunny outlook

One way to be sure your wedding photos are tops? Take your party higher—to Raven’s Roost overlook on the Parkway. A $60 permit will afford you westward views of the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Valley, and a romantic spot to say “I do.” Bonus for adventurers: Hike up to Humpback Rocks post-ceremony.