Useful gifts for the wine enthusiast

I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it every year: Just because someone loves wine doesn’t mean that she wants a wine gadget as a gift…or a cork doormat or a light-up wine bottle Christmas tree topper or a Rudolph bottle stopper, for that matter. The ideal gift for the wine lover is […]

A trio of local chefs cook up a wish list for the holiday

We asked three Charlottesville chefs what culinary books, goodies, and gadgets they hope to see under the tree this holiday. Here’s some gift-giving inspiration for the top chefs on your list.—Meredith Barnes, Tami Keaveny, and Megan Headley (Photo by Cramer Photo) Christian Kelly Executive chef of Maya on goodies: 1. Lard from super-fatty Ossabaw hogs […]

We Are Star Children cuts a live album in Lovingston

Between the two sets that We Are Star Children played at Rapunzel’s Coffee and Books last Saturday night, frontman Gene Osborn gave a shout-out to the band-member moms in attendance, and then announced that if it was O.K. with the rest of us, his band was going to sing a few more songs about sex […]

Your guide to holiday party planning on three different budgets

The high rollers Place your fête in these caterers’ hands and a holly jolly time will be had by all.—Megan Headley The "Local" platter from Feast! wets your guests’ whistles with everything from cheese to chocolate. (Photo by Andrea Hubbell) Beggar’s Banquet in Orange County offers customized menus and can do it up big or […]

Small Bites: This week's restaurant news

Fun for the whole fam damily Kids and beer don’t usually mix, but when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is playing at Blue Mountain Brewery, it does just fine. Every Tuesday is Brew & View night at BMB and December 6 from 6-9pm is kids’ night. Movie tickets are $7 (100 percent of proceeds benefit […]

Carl Anderson brings Nashville lessons to bear on his debut album

In 2009, when young adults everywhere were happy just to be gainfully employed, Carl Anderson was trying to write the next pop-country megahit. The 22-year-old Virginia native was recruited as a ghostwriter by Ash Street Music after following his erstwhile girlfriend and collaborator Carleigh Nesbit down to Nashville. A few times a week, Anderson would […]

Winter C Magazine: Urban planner Ebony Walden inspires through poetry

Finding beauty in brokenness. Rebuilding the ruins. Giving voice to the voiceless. These phrases are more than talking points for 31-year-old Ebony Walden. They are the juxtapositions that have shaped her life. (Photo by Cramer Photo) Now a planner with the city’s Neighborhood Development Services, Walden has long been passionate about redeveloping urban areas. “Particularly,” […]