Shored up

By Carrie Meslar The story of Siren is a love story. Maybe not a typical love story, but like many authentic ones, the path that led chef Laura Fonner to […]

Growing home

To call Michael Carter, Jr. a farmer would just barely scratch the surface. He does raise crops, but mostly what he grows are connections—to history, to other Black farmers, to […]

Michael Ketola

Michael Ketola Chef and general managerMas Tapas, mastapas.com A steak in the biz Without formal training, I entered the world of professional cooking in 1996, when some college friends from […]

Come back y’all

By Carrie Meslar Whether you’re a visitor from out of town or a local restaurant regular, there’s significant pressure that comes with the query, “Where should we go to eat?” […]

Drink deep

Brewing beer is about control: controlling ingredients, controlling processes, controlling product.  But it’s also about deciding when to let go. Take Three Notch’d Brewing Company. It started small, with brewmaster […]

Rachel Pennington

Rachel Pennington Owner: The Pie Chest, thepiechestcville.com A spirit of togetherness “I cook because I have to. I have no other choice. Deep within me resides the desire to please […]

Africulture

Take a thoughtful deep dive into food and farming traditions with Michael Carter Jr., who kicks off the Piedmont Master Gardeners’ spring lecture series with Africulture and Unique Organic Vegetables […]

Pour it on

An eager crowd of more than 300 people gathered at The Wool Factory’s Wine Fest in late January. The ambitious tasting connected a broad range of Virginia’s smaller producers to […]

A brunch to remember

The first episode of “The Big Brunch” opens on chef Antwon Brinson. He stands almost in silhouette over a hot pan, stirring a sauce that coats some delicious-looking meatballs. Brinson […]