Better late than never: Late night options for after-dark diners

This is more about reliability than quality. If you’re looking for something to eat at 1am, how exquisite can you expect the cuisine to be? First thing you need to know is that the place is open. And that alone really narrows the field. And we’re talking mid-week here. We can’t concern ourselves with Friday […]

Little big house: Big update for a North Downtown Cape Cod

The remaking of one Charlottesville house is a study in contrasts. It was a modern addition to a traditional (though not very old) house. It didn’t change much about the original structure—except for turning it from a dark, unpleasant space into a light-filled and open home. It bumped up the house’s square footage considerably but […]

Good eaters: How to raise an omnivorous child

According to karma, I should have a picky child. (I once threw a fit when my parents stopped at Wendy’s because the hamburgers there are square instead of round.) But not only has Maisie never even eaten a fast food hamburger in her nearly five years of life, but she’s a better, more adventurous eater […]

Achy breaky heart: The emotional torment of motherhood

My older brother was bit by Grandma’s dog at the age of 2 and nearly lost his eye, so the story goes. Possibly even more exaggerated in family lore is the fact that the doctor had my mother physically barred from the hospital room while he sewed my brother’s eyelid back together. Dad was allowed […]

Drinks, drinks, and more drinks: This week’s restaurant news

One stop shopping (and drinking) Kill two birds with one stone at Early Mountain Vineyards on Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9 for the third annual Holiday Open House from 11am-5pm. Shop from local artisans selling crafts and specialty food items while enjoying a glass of Virginia wine. Gift baskets stuffed with local fare […]

Free Will Astrology: Week of December 3

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21): If you thoroughly shuffle a deck of cards, the novel arrangement you create is probably unique in all of human history; its specific order has never before occurred. I suspect the same principle applies to our lives: Each new day brings a singular set of circumstances that neither you nor anyone […]

Five Finds on Friday: Tim Edmond of Potter’s Craft Cider

On Fridays, we and The Charlottesville 29 feature five finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  In honor of the recent Virginia Cider Week, today’s picks come from Tim Edmond, co-owner of Potter’s Craft Cider, which, in its short existence, is already winning praise far and wide. Edmond’s picks: 1)  Soft Pretzel at Early Mountain Vineyards.   “If you haven’t ventured to Madison […]

Why I pour: A bartender’s history of strong drinks

As a younger bartender, I became captivated by the history, myths, and mystique of the finer and quirkier sides of mixology. I clearly remember one of my mentors telling me that I should know everything that I can about everything behind my bar. (Little did I know that that Jack in a Box contained oddities […]