New craft beverage maker breaks the mold on 151

Christine Riggleman wanted to start a business on her family’s land off Route 151. An avid home cook, she figured it would make sense to open a restaurant. She wanted to complement the craft breweries and cideries already flowing up and down the highway. But she had friends in restaurants who advised against going into […]

Seattle folk rock up-and-comers have roots in old Virginia

The Head and the Heart have the holy grail of indie rock band success: One good male singer, one good female singer. It’s a combination, along with a well-timed whistle or catchy chant, that has made Peter Bjorn and John, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Gotye, and a handful of others huge overnight sensations […]

Conquering the closet: Get the most out of your bedroom storage space

Anyone who’s been on a house hunt knows closets are a relatively modern development. And if you’re into vintage homes, you’ll probably have to compromise on built-in storage space. “Houses that are 100 years old, back then people didn’t really have closets,” said architect Kate Tabony, lead designer for Charlottesville-based Alloy Workshop. “Maybe it’s a […]

Greensky Bluegrass looks to break barriers with modern approach

The contentious divide between traditional bluegrass and progressive bluegrass is manufactured, according to Anders Beck, dobro virtuoso for the dogged newgrass outfit Greensky Bluegrass. “I feel like that argument is more perpetuated by people that just want to talk about it than people who really feel that way,” Beck told C-VILLE Weekly. “It’s almost like […]

As jam scene winds down, local radio play is strong

The idea of an entire radio station based on the music of a single band no longer seems so far out. But when satellite radio launched in the early 2000s, there was no Pandora, and the notion that people would want to listen 24 hours a day to the same band, with a few similar […]

Bella’s owner Doug Muir has eye on larger piece of the biscotti

Local entrepreneur Douglas Muir was up against a tough sell. He wanted to start a new restaurant, but he was concerned his wife, whom everyone calls Bella, wouldn’t buy the idea. Muir resorted to flattery. He promised to name the new spot in his wife’s honor. He promised to fly her mamma and papa in […]

Yonder Mountain String Band looks ahead to new record

Yonder Mountain String Band hasn’t produced a full-length record since 2009. It’s the longest stretch that the band’s gone without an LP since it formed in 1998. If that news isn’t bad enough for fans, now this: Founding member, mandolin player and vocalist Jeff Austin split with YMSB in April. When Yonder plays the Jefferson […]

Pie high: What’s the deal with all the new pizza joints piling up?

A pizza is on its way to your table. It’s bubbling with melted cheese, crackling with a blistered crust, mounded by rendered meats and fresh veggies. Underneath the toppings, a bright, tangy tomato sauce holds it all together. Now that I have your attention, let’s talk pizza in Charlottesville. With multiple pizzeria openings announced and […]