When Kai Rady came to Charlottesville in 1974 with her growing family, her first real challenge wasn’t finding the right schools or dealing with a picky eater—it was a lack of toy stores. Rady said her first child was a very active and curious infant. “I was always looking for new things to stimulate him,” […]
Bikram Yoga 109 Fifth St. SE 220-1415 bikramyogacville.com Runner-up: ACAC 200 Four Seasons Dr. 978-7523 111 Monticello Ave. 984-3800 Albemarle Square Shopping Center 978-3800 1015 Heathercroft Cir., Suite 100 (Crozet) 817-2055 acac.com Death Valley, the hottest, driest, and lowest place in North America reaches temperatures well over 120 degrees on the reg. In 1913, one […]
Cha Cha’s 201 E. Main St. 293-8553 chachawithme.com Runner-up: The Virginia Shop Barracks Road Shopping Center 977-0080 thevashop.net Talk about an impulse buy: Richard Burton once bought Elizabeth Taylor a $960,000 jet they had flown in the day before. You won’t find anything like that Downtown favorite Cha Cha’s, but you will find a few […]
DJ Stroud djstroud.com Runner-up: Derek Tobler djtobler.com A little-known fact about DJ Stroud? In addition to his love of music, he’s also an avid surfer with a collection of about 15 surfboards and paddleboards. There’s an obvious connection between ocean waves and sound waves, so we’re not surprised his passion for both thrills lands him […]
Kate Nesbitt Runner-up: Robin Truxel A lover of movement in many forms, Kate Nesbitt got her start in Pilates in 1980 as a treatment for a dance injury (she studied ballet and modern). She opened Pilates Virginia in 2000, making it one of the oldest Pilates studios in town. Robin Truxel takes the runner-up spot. […]
Michael Keaveny at tavola 826 Hinton Ave. 972-9463 tavolavino.com Runner-up: Angelo Vangelopoulos at Ivy Inn 2244 Old Ivy Rd. 977-1222 ivyinnrestaurant.com Once upon a time, a chef’s hat had 100 pleats to signify that he know how to prepare eggs 100 ways. You won’t see a traditional chef’s hat on winner Michael Keaveny (in fact, […]
Sticks Kebob Shop 917 Preston Ave. 295-5262 1820 Abbey Rd. 295-5212 stickskebobshop.com Runner-up: Ariana Grill Kabob House 909 W. Main St. 872-9906 arianakabob.com The Turkish words shish kabob literally mean “skewer” and “roast meat.” You can’t get much simpler than that, but, there’s hardly anything simple about readers’ love of kebobs. In fact, it’s so […]
tavola 826 Hinton Ave. 972-9463 tavolavino.com Runner-up: Bella’s 707 W. Main St. 327-4833 bellas-restaurant.com Here’s a cultural difference our waistlines are thankful for: The average person in Italy eats 51 pounds of pasta each year, whereas the average person in North America eats 15. Of course, these two spots make it very hard to keep […]
Brown Automotive 1357 Richmond Rd. 817-3380 brownautos.com Runner-up: Carmax 1448 Richmond Rd. 295-6351 carmax.com The very first automobile race in the United States was held in Chicago in 1895, with Frank Duryea winning with the average speed of 71.5mph. All of the cars on offer at Brown Automotive reach that speed (and higher!), but the […]
Snow’s Garden Center 1875 Avon St. 295-2159 snowsknows.com Runner-up: Nigel Wood Tree Service 960-9575 nigelwoodtreeservice.com There are approximately 50 million acres of grass in the U.S. and readers have no doubt Snow’s Garden Center could trim every last blade. And then some. The 101-year-old company cuts ahead of the competition with residential and commercial services, […]