Using DNA to test your dog’s breed

She’s such a delightful dog, and you were lucky to find her at the shelter that day. But what exactly is she? Her cheese-curl tail evokes a shiba inu. Those droopy ears are all spaniel. And only a schnauzer could have gifted her those magnificent eyebrows. Everyone who meets her spots another breed in the […]

Get your fix at new mobile cake bar

Have your cake and eat it, too: The newly launched Sliced. Cake Bar offers homemade cake by the slice, buttercream shots and cake flights (like a beer flight, but with cake). Co-owners Megan and Rock Watson got the idea after visiting a popular Dallas cake bar. Only Rock thought the sweet treats couldn’t hold a […]

LIVING Picks: Week of August 9-15

FAMILY Peach Festival Saturday, August 12 Enjoy everyone’s favorite summer fruit in cakes, pies, cobblers and crêpes. Bring the whole family for a variety of children’s activities, including a bounce house. Free, 8am- 3pm. Westover United Methodist Church, 2801 Fredericksburg Rd., Ruckersville. 985-3299.   NONPROFIT Barks & Barrels Saturday, August 12 You and your dog […]

Freeze frame: Local treats to help you play it cool

Summer in Charlottesville can be brutal, and this year is no exception (our car’s temperature display read 104 degrees last week!). Relief comes in many forms, but, let’s be honest, an icy, frozen treat on a scorching day is the ultimate refresher. Whether it’s a guacamole sundae at La Flor Michoacana or a boozy “poptail” […]

The sweet spot: Zeroing in on special vineyard sites

Several decades into Virginia’s booming post-Prohibition wine economy, we are starting to home in on some special vineyard sites throughout the state. In France, you’ll find heavily protected and coveted grand cru and premier cru sites; in other wine-centric countries you’ll find similar infrastructures protecting the best vineyards. What sites are emerging as Virginia’s equivalent […]

LIVING Picks: Week of August 2- August 8

FAMILY Lammas Harvest Fair Saturday, August 5 This celebration of the first harvest makes history fun for the whole family. Learn about old-time farm life in demonstrations of everything from pounding yams to ironwork. Pay what you will, 9am-5pm. Frontier Culture Museum, 1290 Richmond Ave., Staunton. (540) 332-7850.   NONPROFIT Open house Saturday, August 5 […]

What’s the best grocery store bar in town?

As competition has grown among Charlottesville’s high-end grocery stores, a trend has emerged of adding bars. I’ve walked past these odd grocery store bars countless times but it has never occurred to me to pull up a stool and order a glass of beer before picking up milk and vegetables. Which invites the questions: Who […]

Fast food: New to-go lunch spot doubles as event space

A quick to-go bite to eat on the Downtown Mall is sometimes hard find, but Andy McClure, owner of the Virginian Restaurant Company, is making it easier with the opening of Penny Heart, a new lunch spot and small event venue that’s going into the former 11 Months space. “Our fast casual options [on the […]

LIVING Picks: Week of July 26- August 1

FAMILY Little Naturalists Thursday, July 27 Introduce your 3- to 5-year-old to the magic of nature in this short trail walk that connects kids with the beauty of the Ivy Creek Natural Area. Free, 10-11am. Ivy Creek Foundation Education Building, 1380 Earlysville Rd. 973-7772.   NONPROFIT Alzheimer’s Awareness Night Wednesday, July 26 Local sports celebrities […]

Drink it up: A look at the impressive wines in NoVa

Here in Charlottesville, there’s great enthusiasm for our local wines. The Monticello AVA (American Viticultural Area) loyalty is so hyper-local, in fact, it’s easy to forget there are wineries in other parts of the state. This week, I put down my glass of Crosé to explore another Virginia wine region: Northern Virginia, nicknamed NoVa. If […]