Top secret: The Underground Kitchen adds pop of surprise to dinner parties

The Underground Kitchen is so Charlottesville, it’s hard to believe it hasn’t made its way here before now. Pop-up dinners have been, well, popping up all over town for a while. It’s usually a one-of-a-kind, multicourse menu, meticulously chosen wine pairing or spectacular view of the mountains that inspires self-proclaimed foodies to fork over the […]

Kid’s menu: Schools offer healthier options

It’s 3:30pm on a Tuesday at Jackson Via Elementary School, and students as young as 5 are biting into fresh Pink Lady apples twice the size of their hands, nodding to one another in approval. They enthusiastically drain small cups of locally pressed apple cider, and several kids raise their hands to ask for a […]

New Mezza Tapas venture has no frontier and more local restaurant news

New tapas venture has no frontier There’s a new small-plates restaurant in town, but the owners promise it’s “not just another tapas place.” Featuring a menu with dishes from every corner of the world, Mezza Tapas & Bar is the newest addition to the ever-growing selection of restaurants on West Main. “Here we have no […]

Night and day: A few bedtime tricks can make all the difference

You’ve probably seen those articles—the ones that spell out exactly how many hours of sleep children should get at each developmental stage and thus terrify you into thinking you’re a terrible parent if your first-grader isn’t getting exactly 10 hours. Local neurologist and sleep medicine doctor Chris Winter advises parents to take those numbers with […]

Lights out: Blue Light Grill to close permanently

You may remember an announcement we made about Blue Light Grill a few months ago. In April, the Downtown Mall favorite that had been serving up seafood and cocktails since Coran Capshaw opened it 14 years ago quietly switched hands. Trinity Irish Pub and Coupe’s owner Ryan Rooney took over, and we were told the […]

You can fly: Yoga studio brings fitness to new heights

It’s a few minutes before noon on a Wednesday, and women are stationing themselves in front of bright orange hammocks hanging from the ceiling. Some of them pull themselves into relaxed, seated positions in the U-shaped fabric, while others tug at the drapings and skeptically eye their surroundings. FlyDog Yoga co-owner Eliza Whiteman takes her […]