Better with friends

Blenheim Vineyards taps Fine Creek Brewing Company for new release There’s nothing that forges stronger bonds and solidifies friendships quite like collaboration. Whether combining resources, such as different raw materials, or providing an area of individual expertise, it’s exciting to work as a team to produce a new or better result. Blenheim Vineyards and Fine […]

Five dishes that will make a vegetarian feel loved

Eating out as a vegetarian can be disappointing, to say the least. While joints like GRN Burger and Botanical Fare have dedicated entire menus to tasty vegetarian and vegan eats, many restaurants only offer a token vegetarian dish. So for those who are tired of the seasonal vegetable plate, grain bowl, and mushroom risotto, we […]

What’s for dinner?

Charlottesville loves to eat. With a restaurant scene that prides itself on punching above its weight class, there is no shortage of options when an out-of-towner asks me the obligatory “where should we eat?” question. That list of options has evolved over the years, taking stock of the ever-changing landscape. The following is a highlight […]

Small bites

A noodle moove A new dining spot with a familiar face is moo-ving into the lineup at Dairy Market. Basta Pasta, an original concept kitchen from Dino Hoxha (the chef behind Dairy Market’s Dino’s Wood-fired Pizza & Grill) offers homemade, artisanal pastas with many combinations of shapes, sauces, and flavors, and fully vegan options.  Basta […]

We have the (non)meats

By Carrie Meslar As I’m putting the finishing touches on this article in the San Diego airport, I’m also having a breakfast sandwich … when it hits me. This thing tastes like bacon. An uneasy feeling creeps in as I peel the sandwich apart to reveal a strip of the pig stuff. It tastes like […]

Better and better

As a founding father wine geek, Thomas Jefferson is typically the first person who springs to mind when discussing the history of our wine region. But it was Emma Randel who literally put Virginia wine on the map in 1982. Largely due to the efforts of Randel, who recognized the importance of the area as […]

Wisdom from the wells 

By Carrie Meslar Bartenders have long been relied on as secret keepers and unofficial therapists. There in times of joy and times of sorrow, observing real life at one of the last true gathering places in our increasingly tech-driven world. In the current era of sitting down at the bar, more and more conversations are […]

Thirst place

August is Virginia Craft Beer month and, as part of the celebration, the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild hosted the annual Virginia Craft Beer Cup competition. This year, a record 106 breweries submitted 396 beers, and several Charlottesville-area breweries won significant awards (see below).  Noteworthy among local winners is Three Notch’d Brewing Company’s first-place award in […]

Small bites

Newly planted We have a new crush—it’s free of GMOs, pesticides, and hormones, and full of flavor. The Shops at Stonefield welcomed Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery in July to the delight of Charlottesville health nuts (and nut nuts). OK is all in on its mission to make delicious, healthy food available in a fast-casual setting, […]

Second helping

By Matt Dhillon Fans of the Basan food truck may be experiencing an empty feeling in Charlottesville’s parking lots and on its blacktops. One of the city’s most beloved dining experiences, marked by a fire-breathing rooster logo, is no more. But every night resolves into morning, and for Basan proprietors and chefs Kelsey Naylor and […]