LIVING Picks: Family art, mindfulness and Porkapolooza

FAMILY Family Art Jams Saturday, February 17 The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA leads children on age-appropriate tours and hosts hands-on art activities, this session centered on “marvelous monotypes.” Parents and adult family members are encouraged to serve as assistants. Free, 10am-noon (ages 5-12) and 1-3pm (ages 8-12). The Fralin, 155 Rugby Rd. 243-2050. […]

Escafé has served as a gathering spot for many different groups

On the evening of Friday, February 5, artist Bob Anderson stands in the middle of Escafé, identifying the many people in the Escafé Opera murals that his wife, Dominique, painted for the restaurant in 1997 and added to in 2015. There’s the Andersons’ daughter, Adriana, a former server at the restaurant, and the Andersons’ two […]

Farm Bell Kitchen honors its historic roots

By Sam Padgett and Erin O’Hare The weathered farm bell stationed outside the restaurant is a bellwether for what you’ll find inside: farm-to-table Southern cuisine. Ryan Hubbard, co-owner of Red Hub Food Co. and the Dinsmore Boutique Inn, has combined his love of preserving the past with his passion for new Southern cuisine into Farm […]

Five Finds on Friday with Alicia Walsh-Noel

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Alicia Walsh-Noel, manager of Brasserie Saison, which celebrates Sunday each week with  an “Eggs Benefit” brunch from 11am-3pm with live jazz and specials from the bar. A portion of proceeds goes to a different charity each month, and this month it is The Charlottesville Free Clinic. Walsh-Noel’s picks: 1) Kao Soi at Monsoon Siam. “This […]

Box’d Kitchen focuses on modern Mediterranean

By Sam Padgett and Erin O’Hare eatdrink@c-ville.com Box’d Kitchen, a restaurant that recently opened at 909 W. Main St. in the same block as Benny Deluca’s and Asian Express, eludes a concise description: Its Yelp page claims it serves Mediterranean food, but the decor looks Asian. And its name is reminiscent of a pizza joint, […]

Taking stock: A familiar kitchen staple gets a rebrand

By Sam Padgett If you’ve been paying attention to local restaurant menus, coffee cart offerings and foodie magazines, odds are good that you’ve heard of bone broth. And while it sounds a bit ghoulish, bone broth is essentially what most people call “stock”: a thick, flavored broth made by boiling animal bones alongside other spices. […]

Boutique gyms offer individual attention

For a town its size, Charlottesville is bursting with fitness club choices. “We really have a big city-level of unique offerings here,” says Claire Mitchell, co-founder and owner of treadHAPPY, a treadmill-based fitness studio located off West Main Street. In contrast to “big-box” clubs like ACAC or the YMCA, boutique, or niche gyms, like treadHAPPY […]

LIVING Picks: Week of January 31-February 6

HEALTH & WELLNESS Bikes for refugees Wednesday, January 31 Donate your gently used bicycles and helmets to refugees who have resettled in our area. Both children and adult bikes are needed. Drop off items from 4-5pm, 2111 Michie Dr. facebook.com/intl.neighbors FAMILY Father/daughter dance Friday, February 2, and Saturday, February 3 Dads, grandfathers and uncles are […]

LIVING Picks: Beer and bourbon fest, square dancing and more

FAMILY Family Night Out Friday, January 26 Enjoy some family time with swimming, a movie, pizza and snacks. $6 per person; $25 families of five or more, 6-8pm. Crozet YMCA, 1075 Claudius Crozet Park, Crozet. 205-4380. NONPROFIT Drop spindle class Saturday, January 27 Crafter Russell Hubert teaches a class on how to spin wool using […]

Old Mill Room gets modern makeover

By Erin O’Hare and Sam Padgett After a special dinner service on Wednesday, January 31, the Old Mill Room at the Boar’s Head Inn will close for a major renovation, the first since the restaurant opened in 1965. The old wooden beams and hardwood floors will remain, says Boar’s Head Resort marketing and communications manager […]