You had me at B… BLT, that is

The BLT, that divine triumvirate that defines the taste of summer, makes good use of the late season tomato whose flesh isn’t quite as taut as it used to be and whose juices need little coaxing before they’re dripping down your arms. These eight places have their own takes on this glorious sandwich that’s a […]

Free Will Astrology: August 28-September 3

Virgo (August 23-September 22): In the creation myths of Easter Island’s native inhabitants, the god who made humanity was named Makemake. He was also their fertility deity. Today the name Makemake also belongs to a dwarf planet that was discovered beyond the orbit of Neptune in 2005. It’s currently traveling through the sign of Virgo. […]

Fruit of the Vine: August 28

Barboursville Season Reveal When: Sunday, September 9 at 5:30pm. www.barboursvillewine.com Virginia Opera presents The Season Reveal, the opening event for our 2012-13 season. An intimate private concert with the principal artists of Virginia Opera’s 2012-13 production of The Pearl Fishers. Reception and three-course dinner by Palladio Restaurant’s Executive Chef, Melissa Close Hart, with wine pairings […]

Teaching pets the difference between your home and a toilet

Watching a happy puppy or kitten bounce around the living room, it’s hard to imagine anything that isn’t perfectly adorable about your new friend. Of course, the first time you find a pile of poop under the coffee table, you might adjust your assessment. And then you step barefoot in a warm puddle on your […]

The wonder years: How real estate and gentrification changed Belmont for good

“One big problem is change. [The older residents] don’t understand change is happening and why it’s happening, and sometimes I don’t understand it myself.” – Jimmy Dettor, lifelong Belmont resident. From the documentary, Still Life With Donuts. When she arrived in Charlottesville in the summer of 1976, Joan Schatzman didn’t think of herself as a […]

Virginia Craft Brewers Fest is a soggy success

Saturday, August 25th, was the inaugural Virginia Craft Brewers Fest, held on the grounds of Devils Backbone Brewing Company in nearby Nelson County. With over 22 participating breweries, Virginia’s craft beer surge has certainly earned itself its own day in the sun. Alas, that was not to be the literal case. After moving back into my remodeled home in […]

Small Bites: This week’s restaurant news

Colonial locavores If you think our country’s founding foodies are the only ones with their own shows on the Food Network, think again. Tuesday, August 28, from 6-8:30pm, head to Monticello’s West Lawn for a conversation with Dave DeWitt, author of The Founding Foodies: How Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin Revolutionized American Cuisine. For the $60 […]

Charlottesville street style: Girls who wear glasses

I caught Ph.D. student LIZ on West Main Street as she was making her way Downtown to meet friends. Her H&M dress was a gift from a friend, and her watch was on loan for the day from her girlfriend. Liz cites the movie Holiday, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, as her style inspiration. […]

A stay at home dad finds support online

After my first son was born some four years ago, I briefly thought about starting a blog to document staying home with him, but then dismissed the idea. I wasn’t yet ready to “come out” as a stay at home dad, but when my wife became pregnant again two years later, it was finally time […]