Health nut: how to eat healthy at restaurants

(Photo by Cramer Photo) Health nut Eating well is tricky, and if you dine out regularly, it’s easy to pack on pounds. Luckily, many Charlottesville restaurants take our health to heart and offer lower-cal, high flavor food that’s so good you won’t even know you’re eating right.—Eric Angevine Fresh, fast, and simple is the tune […]

Pasta perfetta

The ultimate in fork-twirling, noodle-slurping, chin-slapping, sauce-swabbing comfort food needs no real introduction. We all love pasta—from the authentically al dente to the Italian-American alfredo—but here are a half dozen primo plates around town good enough to share with your Italian grandma.—Megan Headley (Photos by Cramer Photo) It’s almost a crime to eat at tavola […]

Montepulciano’s a wine for hard times

If ever there were a wine that could answer our prayers in this winter and economy of discontent, it would be Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It’s red, alcoholic, consistently tasty, meant to be drunk young, divine with weeknight pasta, and best when it’s under $15. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is made from the montepulciano grape—not to be confused with […]

January ABODE: Rental Rescue

Begin again I was recently asked to provide some advice for young alumni in 2012. In addition to the usual “manage your finances responsibly” piece, I told them that each New Year yields an opportunity for growth and change. January is a time when we head back to work, the holiday buzz wears off, the […]

January ABODE: Green Scene

GREEN EYE Long-haul gardening Gardeners, are you thinking beyond the simple tomato plot? Once again, the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network will offer a permaculture design course this spring. Over four weekends starting January 13, learn how to think deeper about plants, houses, and even human communities as you create systems that work with the natural […]

January ABODE: Happy new year, baby!

 Rachel and Shawn Gerber have been excitedly planning a Baby Gender Reveal Party for their third child, who is due in a few months. “This is for sure our last child,” Rachel said. “We wanted to do something different. I knew I wanted it to be more of a surprise.” (Photo by John Robinson) How […]