Blessed be the burger

We’ve all heard the food snobs lament: The average American wouldn’t know a fine cheese from a spray can or gourmet fare from a frozen dinner. That may be the case in other hick towns, but Restaurantarama knows that many of you here did NOT just fall off the Sysco truck. You have the kind […]

Your tax dollars, at work

Worked for the county for: 3 years Resides in: Augusta CountyJob title: Division manager for revenue and taxation. The division is responsible for preparing all the bills for personal property and real estate taxes and acts as a fiscal agent for other agencies around the county and state. The division also oversees assessing all individually […]

We Ate Here

We’d picked up a raisin pastry at Cannelle Café at an odd time in the afternoon, and now it was 6pm. We were wary about the inappropriateness of this pinwheel creation as an after-work snack—wouldn’t it just be a big shot of sugar?—but our fears were unnecessary. There was depth here, in the dark color […]

Chowin' with the chillins

Restaurantarama has a few child-blessed friends whose idea of a kids-in-tow evening on the town is bringing a few slices of Christian’s Pizza to Fridays After Five and gulping down wine from a plastic cup. Nothin’ wrong with that, of course. There’s safety in the sheer number of families taking part in said Friday night […]

Your tax dollars, at work

Worked for the city for: 30 years Resides in: Albemarle County Job title: City assessor. Barbour is responsible for appraising all property around the City of Charlottesville, spread out into 42 residential areas and 16 commercial areas. Best of times: “The best times are when you get lots of new construction. You have more information […]

What’s in your backpack?

Mary Butcher Age: 20 Year: Rising seniorConcentration: Architecture Hometown: Madison, Virginia What’s in your backpack? Sketchbook, iPod, camera, wallet, reading glasses, watch, face cleanser, blister Band-aids, extra large Sharpie, empty Ziploc bag, dance shoes, two cell phones.

Green Scene: News and ideas for sustainable living

Eating right Buying and snarfing local foods has become an essential part of the green household’s agenda. And it’s curious how political that simple act can be in the age of agribusiness. For all those interested in the heavier implications of their dinner—social, ethical, environmental—the blog Ethicurean is a smart and relevant read. “Chew the […]

Bush bumps Burns at Monticello

President George W. Bush will be the featured speaker at Monticello’s 46th annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony on July 4. He bumped the previously scheduled speaker for the event, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.

We Ate Here

So what to eat at Bizou? There are the salmon cakes, which indeed was the choice of our companion, and there is a burrito and there is, of course, the meatloaf. But we were quite happy with our beet salad—it was a hearty (yes, hearty!) mix of beets, walnuts and various shredded veggies with succulent […]

Pigging out for the people

As a departure from our usual round-up of current events, Restaurantarama is going to take this opportunity to rave about a restaurant event that occurred in the recent past. Last Tuesday, we had the opportunity to taste the signature dishes of close to 20 of our best local restaurants. The occasion was the second annual […]