Cider project

Chris and Laura Denkers come from apple country in upstate New York. “Apples, orchards, and cider donuts have been in our blood since we were young,” Chris Denkers says. So in 2015, when they wondered what to do with the 37 acres they’d purchased in Mineral, Virginia, planting an orchard and making their own hard […]

A very southern summer: Collards, fried chicken, and, yes, biscuits—our summer menu is heating up

Vast culinary traditions influence Southern food—European, Native American, African, Caribbean. But if you’re thinking individually about those traditions when you’re thinking about Southern food, you’re kind of doing it wrong, according to food historian Leni Sorensen. Those traditions hit American soil in the 1600s and immediately began to mingle, even as they traveled south, she […]

Fish run: Cold Country Salmon brings better than sushi-grade salmon to market

Want anything from Alaska? Local fisherman Zac Culbertson is going anyway. Culbertson runs a small family farm just outside Charlottesville. And he also runs Cold Country Salmon, a direct-delivery and farmers’ market-based retail seafood operation. For his wares—mostly salmon, but also halibut and sablefish—Culbertson heads to Alaska once a year and fishes the waters of […]

Frozen gem: A custom ice cream biz sneaks onto the scene

Until her winter break, Sophie Tran’s culinary expertise—as least as it pertained to ice cream—went about as far as binge-watching dessert rounds of “Chopped” competitions. But when she was gifted a Cuisinart ice cream maker for Christmas, her casual interest turned into an unexpected side hustle. “I told myself I just wanted to do something […]

Hot lunches!

The return to warmer weather carries a bit more weight this year. It signals picnics, visiting the Downtown Mall to nab a bite and, of course, it means we’re inching closer and closer to feeling a melting ice cream cone drip down our chins. But we’ll breathe a sigh of relief when we’re able to […]