August 2011: Rental Rescue

 Working for the University, I often catch myself reflecting on my own days as a college student. These days, I have a little less hair and a little more money, and my china collection has expanded beyond red plastic Solo cups. But I still have a soft spot for my former life. Most homeowners and […]

August 2011: Timeworn traditional

When Cate West Zahl first laid eyes on the Rugby-area rental she and her family (husband Dave and 10-month-old Charlie) would inhabit after their move from New York, she was taken aback by the living room’s canary yellow walls and crimson accents. “It was like…a Monticello yellow. I get it,” she says, “but I don’t […]

They came, they drank, they tweeted

Thank goodness I upgraded my power cord-dependent laptop to a fully mobile one earlier this year, because scribbling in my Moleskine journal would have had me ousted from the Wine Bloggers’ Conference held here two weekends ago. Anyone peeking into the Omni ballroom might have guessed it was a technology conference with most of the […]

We say 'tomato'

For the love of ’maters Are tomatoes fruits or veggies? Do we even care when they’re ripe and ready for the eating? Their saucy side tides us over until the summer when their freshness commands our full attention. Lucky for us, these restaurants know just how to handle such juicy orbs.—Megan Headley   It’s not […]

Small bites

Price check As National Hot Dog Month comes to a close, the Downtown Hotdog Company is offering another reason to celebrate: lower prices. Gourmet dogs (the kind with lots of specialty toppings like peanut butter, mac-n-cheese or pineapple) are now $3.95 (veggie dogs, too!). Custom dogs start at $2.95. Throw in a side of tater […]

Rosé, how do I love thee?

I never need a reason to drink rosé, but I did need a reason to write about it again. “La vie en rosé” was my debut Working Pour two years ago (cue sentimental sniff here). Since then, the once-snubbed pink drink has gone from a seasonal obsession of the few to a summer wine for all.

From Ruffin Hall to Burning Man

Here’s how it works: You get inside a coffin-like box with two small “buildings” at either end, one for your feet the other for your head. Your head is strapped into a helmet that keeps your gaze fixed down a long, red tube. As a system of pulleys starts to lift the head of the coffin into the air, the telescope opens and ambient music starts to play.

Small Bites

New season for Monsoon At the end of 2009, we reported that Monsoon owner Lu-Mei Chang had sort of put her E. Market Street restaurant up for sale. By “sort of,” we mean that she said she’d be happy to sell it, but that she wasn’t hammering a “For Sale” sign in the front yard quite […]