Vusi Mahlasela's chin is up

If your dad, as mine once did, blasts Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier”—a song about being “stolen from Africa” and then fighting for your life—to summon a carefree vibe every time you drive to the beach, then you’ll have some context for this question: Why do humans, when faced with oppression, make music that the unoppressed […]

Small Bites

Ultimate news For those of you still full from the recent opening of 29 North’s Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet, don’t put away those drawstring pants just yet. A sign next door, at the former Charlottesville Power Equipment building, promises the Ultimate Buffet is coming soon. No word on who owns that business, but judging […]

Give me a buzz

Fossett’s chef Dean Maupin uses a Cona vacuum coffee maker to prepare his tiramisu. Seven ways to caf up, without a cup Charlottesville coffee fiends, take note: You can savor your favorite local beans in dishes from savory to sweet at area restaurants. Clifton Inn’s "black butter" with radishes. Devil’s Backbone Brewery in Nellysford recently […]

The New BYO

More than two dozen coffee-carrying, beer-craving people came early to watch Starr Hill lead brewer, Levi Duncan, mix up ten gallons of Dark Starr Stout.

South of the border

The church of rock and roll was built on the remains of just about every other church that came before it. But somehow, the great rock tradition of mining the music of alien cultures—from slave music to traditional Appalachian music—has mostly kept north of the border. That’s why Simon & Garfunkel’s “El Condor Pasa,” a […]

Snowed under

Find this at Market Street Market (400 E. Market St., 293-3478) for $3.75. Like weather for chocolate While history attributes the earliest use of chocolate to the Mayans in 5 AD, the Aztecs in Mexico began using it widely as food and currency in 1200 AD. By mixing ground cacao beans, spices and water with […]

Small Bites: Restaurant News

Delivery, made easy There’s no dearth of delivery options ’round these parts, but one creative brain has posed the question: What if there were more? C8RCAB, a new web-based service from Buffalo Wild Wings Manager Frank Becker, will offer to-your-door food from restaurants currently without a delivery option. The business is still working on enlisting […]

Going halfsies

It may seem strange to sing the praises of the half-bottle when tables for two will fill every restaurant this Monday. But, while some find Valentine’s Day the perfect occasion to share a bottle of wine with your dining partner, it just won’t be enough for some of us. At 750 ml, the standard bottle […]

Art in place

Thanks to Marina Abramovic’s sweeping retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York last year, 2010 was in some ways the year that performance art entered the public awareness. “The Artist is Present” greeted viewers with shocking images: A totally nude woman, and clearly in pain, balanced on a thin seat that jutted […]

Super bowls

Where’s the beef? All beans vs. no beans, Cincinnati vs. Texas, or spaghetti vs. rice. Chili lovers unite and divide over this one-pot-wonder, but the biggest debate will always be about the meat. Here’s a look at some of chili’s different in-“carne”-ations.   Good and plentiful: Spice up your Super Bow party with a bowl […]