Give a dog a home

 It’s a dog eat dog world, folks. Hot dogs, that is. And while the hot dog cart is a growing trend—as Restaurantarama touched on last week—one local chef is bringing the craze back indoors. The Downtown Hotdog Company will move in to York Place at the end of this month. The goal? To “give the […]

Moscato d'Asti is springtime in a glass

 Ah, spring. Birds are chirping, people are smiling, the world is alive again. And, after more than 60 inches of snow this winter, we seem to be taking the allergies, stink bugs, and re-mulching in stride. No sooner do the first daffodils peek through the barren earth than do I raise a glass to the […]

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts breaks its cocoon

 When I-64 dumps Charlottesvillians in the heart of Richmond, and they see the stoplights, the long, flat stretches of pocked roads and chain restaurants they’ve never heard of, one thing usually comes to mind: I should have stayed in Charlottesville. But if there’s any reason to weather the task of getting to Richmond, it’s the […]

All hopped up

Brewmaster Jason Oliver thinks his recent win at the 2010 World Beer Cup is “pretty cool,” but Restaurantarama suspects he’s being a bit modest

Going Upstairs

 When you’re here, you’re family. At least, that’s how Harrison Keevil wants you to feel. The Goochland native and UVA alum just signed a lease on the former Upstairs spot. His plan? To turn it into Brookeville Restaurant, a place “where everyone feels comfortable and welcome.” Harrison Keevil says his goal is to open Brookeville […]

Daughtry guitarist's recording studio takes shape

Brian Craddock remembers the first time he ever saw Shep Stacy. Craddock was sitting in a classroom at Albemarle High School, looking at a band that was playing in the courtyard. Playing music during school was a special privilege that was reserved, he says, for only the most well-behaved rockers. An impressionable freshman at the […]

Ben Harper talks Conan, activism and his new band

Ben Harper, the songwriter and slide guitar player, played an important role in one of this new decade’s most amazing TV moments. On the final episode of the ill-fated “Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” along with members of ZZ Top, Max Weinberg and O’Brien himself, Harper played slide guitar on “Freebird.” His show at the […]

Back into the Corner

 Things may be looking up for Elliewood Avenue. After a string of closings—Biltmore Grill (which reopened last summer), Buddhist Biker Bar and Cantina—the Corner street is filling up again.  Chris Jones (left) and Jason Wright, pictured here with head chef Christopher Pyles, will open The Backyard by the end of the month. In the former […]