Speculative memoir
In Sofia Samatar’s latest book, The White Mosque, the author and James Madison University professor weaves stories from her life together with histories of a group of Russian Mennonites who […]
A year in reading
The past year was a continuation of a period of mostly escapist reading, during which I found pleasure in re-reading old favorites, and really took my time with books that […]
Life and death in Italy
From the opening lines of The Marriage Portrait, author Maggie O’Farrell does not hedge: The Duchess of Ferrara will die. As historical fiction based on the real life and death […]
Firmament of referentiality
As a poet, Kiki Petrosino has published four collections, including most recently, White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia, and received the Pushcart Prize and the Rilke Prize, among other awards […]
Leaders and lessons learned
Virginia journalist and bestselling author Beth Macy returns this week with Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis. The book builds off her previous book, Dopesick: […]
Eat, drink, be merry, repeat
Feliz Navidad The 12 days of Christmas take on a whole new meaning with The Bebedero’s mezcal challenge, December 12-23. “It’s like an advent calendar with booze!” declares the restaurant’s […]
New to you: A flurry of restaurant openings spices up the local dining scene
Comal After 16 years as a manager at Mas Tapas, Benos Bustamante launched Comal, an authentic Mexican restaurant, in the former Belmont Barbecue space. Just a couple of weeks after […]
New whiskies in town
Signs that fall is just around the corner: cool evenings, colorful leaves, and last but certainly not least, whiskey! But this is not Kentucky, so we’re not talking bourbon. Two […]
Small Bites: A Deal at The Clifton
Such a deal! Sometimes it’s fun to be a tourist in your own backyard. The Clifton—a top-notch boutique hotel that deftly pulls off the traditional-meets-modern thing—is offering a package that […]
Soul kitchen
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 […]