Mead, the honey wine drunk by famous olde tymers like King Midas, Chaucer and the Vikings, hasn’t had a big following since, well, King Midas, Chaucer and the Vikings. Mostly poured by velvet-clad, corseted “wenches” at renaissance fairs, mead’s been trapped in the Middle Ages. But with a current estimate of 60 dedicated meaderies nationwide […]
Mead, the honey wine drunk by famous olde tymers like King Midas, Chaucer and the Vikings, hasn’t had a big following since, well, King Midas, Chaucer and the Vikings. Mostly poured by velvet-clad, corseted “wenches” at renaissance fairs, mead’s been trapped in the Middle Ages. But with a current estimate of 60 dedicated meaderies nationwide […]
If you were to meet either Frank Fairfield or Erik the Red on the street, you’d think that each was an absolutely one-of-a-kind, true American original. They’re both difficult to get in touch with, wear high-waisted stovepipe pants, speak with the wide-eyed, hopeful innocence of pre-Watergate Americans, and, indeed, both sing as if the second half of the 20th-century never happened.
The Commonwealth’s Commonwealth Come Friday, Charlottesville will have its own skybar! It’s not the original one planned for the now-defunct Landmark Hotel, but Commonwealth Restaurant’s Skybar is a bar under the sky—and open as of September 23. With 16 beers on tap, a menu of upscale bar favorites blessed with Chef Alex George’s Caribbean/Latin American […]
When we made our reservation at Peter Chang’s China Grill, manager Gen Lee asked us to bring wine because he doesn’t love their list. The request came as no surprise. Wine certainly isn’t the first pairing that comes to mind when you think of fiery hot and intensely spiced Sichuan cuisine. Beer, yes, or maybe even small sips of water between tears.
Charlottesville cried into its hot and sour soup when legendary Sichuan chef Peter Chang skipped town, but then we counted our fortune cookies when he reappeared to open Peter Chang’s China Grill this spring. There, chefs trained in his techniques and fiery recipes give us a place to swoon and sweat seven days a week […]
Seeing as this week’s cover package is all about Virginia’s festivals, it’s worth considering festivals happening elsewhere that outdo local ones. It was with that in mind—partially, at least—that I headed down to the Tar Heel State last weekend to the Hopscotch Festival, an indie rock-centric festival (sponsored by a newspaper very much like this […]
We all love the atmosphere and convenience of Charlottesville’s many great dining spots, but sometimes it’s hard to beat the ambiance of your kitchen table and the convenience of dining in your bathrobe. What’s more, some foods actually improve overnight. Here are five local dishes that taste even better with just a little age on […]
Up goes Tempo We’ve been keeping our eye on Tempo, the restaurant due to open by March in the former Ventana space, but typical of most openings, there was a delay. Last we’d heard, the space was ready, but owner Stuart Cunningham was still looking for his chef. Casting a wide net, Cunningham posted ads […]
Forget everything you know about tea. Forget Lipton, Snapple and Ginger Kombucha. Milk and honey are now taboo terms and any allusion to a “tea bag” will be considered sacrilege. From now on, tea, as Olivia Pushkareva puts it, “is life.” Tea teacher Olivia Pushkareva leads classes on tea ceremonies at the Twisted Branch Tea […]
Ironic that the cradle of all things civilized, including wine, should only now be experiencing a renaissance in winemaking. But since its B.C. days of fueling bacchanalias and famous philosophers, Greek wine became something of a tragedy. Winespeak 101 Amphorae (n.): A vase-shaped ceramic container with two handles and a narrow neck used to transport and […]