The new custom: Carpenter Jeff Saine solves problems in wood

Jeff Saine has worked with wood for as long as he can remember. In high school, he spent most of his time in the wood shop and even helped his English teacher build a Japanese-style house on Lopez Island in his native Washington his senior year. After graduating from college with a degree in anthropology […]

Material world: A Valley house tells stories in wood

Behind Kelley and Susan Blanton’s home, outside Staunton, is a symbol of its new-meets-old spirit. In a juxtaposition of technologies from different eras, a large array of solar panels, propped on an angle, shelters a stack of firewood. The Blantons have a deep appreciation for what’s old: low-tech craftsmanship and natural materials. When they built […]

Overheard on the restaurant scene… This week’s restaurant news

Now open in Scottsville: Baine’s Books & Coffee, just steps away from the James River Brewing Company. It’s a full-service espresso bar, sourcing coffee beans roasted by Lexington Coffee Roasters and prepared in a variety of styles. Baine’s also brews its own Chai from scratch with a housemade recipe, and makes its own almond and […]

Jolly good fellows: Meet four of Charlottesville’s best dads

We asked you to nominate the coolest dads around these parts and, boy, did you come through. We heard from wives, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, all bragging about the best dad they know. It wasn’t a contest, but we thought these next four men stood out—from a single father raising his 6-year-old while still attending […]

Some like it hot: Thai ’99’s chicken pad ped combines spice and tradition

Having grown up in smaller cities during the pre-culinary America era, the last few decades, for me at least, have been a psychedelic deliverance from the doldrums of Big Boy, Sizzler, egg foo young, and cardboard pizza. The accompanying historical landscape of the period —colored by preemptive and proxy military actions and psychopathic financial tactics […]

Best of C-VILLE 2013: Vote for your favorites!

These are your finalists! You nominated more than 480 of your favorite people, places, and things in Charlottesvile in the Best of C-VILLE Primaries. Now, vote the best of the best into the winners’ circle. Vote now until midnight on Sunday, June 30. Best of C-VILLE 2013 hits stands Tuesday, August 20. Click HERE to […]

20+ ways to make the most of summer in Charlottesville

Consider this your summertime bucket list. With only 93 days to enjoy the heat and fend off the cicadas, you’d better get started. Here are our suggestions, from driving a convertible and grilling the perfect steak to indulging in homemade peach ice cream and taking a dip au naturale. Whatever you do, don’t let the […]

With a link and a smile: The Rock Barn does sausage just right

There is something almost poetic about listening to a chef distill the passion for his craft. It is even more impressive when all the talk is about sausages. I set out for Nelson County to learn about the process of turning ground hog meat into succulent, encased slugs of utter deliciousness. Little did I know […]