The uncertain science of purring

Sharing my home with both a dog and a cat, I’d be hard-pressed to say which one I prefer to keep as company. They bring such different kinds of joy, and feel like two halves of a lovely whole. But my cat does have one clear advantage that no dog can match. She can purr. […]

Former Clifton Inn chef at home in meat market

What happens when a meat market hires an acclaimed fine-dining chef? Timbercreek Market is about to find out. When Timbercreek Farm owners Sara and Zach Miller opened the market in July 2015, their aim was to bring directly to consumers the same produce from their farm that had long been served at top restaurants around […]

LIVING picks: November 2-8

Family Family Day at the film festival Saturday, November 5 Families and community members of all ages are invited to enjoy a day of film, arts, entertainment and learning. Free, 9am-2pm. Betsy and John Casteen Arts Grounds at UVA. virginiafilmfestival.org. Nonprofit S’mores for Camp Holiday Trails Friday, November 4 Enjoy gourmet s’mores and a special […]

Michelin-rated D.C. restaurants boast local ties

Star chefs In 1900, French tire moguls Ándre and Édouard Michelin found a creative way to get more people to buy their tires: a restaurant and hotel ratings guide that would get people in their cars, on the road and wearing down tire treads going from place to place. By 1926, the Michelin Guide started […]

Vitae Spirits opens for sales and tastings

For Ian Glomski, 2012 was a watershed year. He turned 40 and narrowly escaped a massive wildfire while on a birthday fly-fishing trip in Wyoming. He served as a juror for the George Huguely trial and fought cancer for the first time. “All of that added up,” he says, and with mortality on the mind, […]

Meet Blue Ridge Pizza Co.’s new owners

With its portable wood oven hitched to a pickup truck and fired-on-the-spot pizzas generously topped with local ingredients, Blue Ridge Pizza Co. has been dishing out personal-sized pies at Lockn’, the Heritage Harvest Festival and other social gatherings in town and around the county since spring 2013. Yannick Fayolle, former Clifton Inn executive chef, and […]

LIVING Picks: Week of October 26-November 1

Family Animal Connection Anniversary Party Saturday, October 29 Get Fido and Fifi ready to party in celebration of Animal Connection’s 15th anniversary. There will be free treats and goody bags, plus opportunities to sit for sessions with a pet portrait artist, a pet photographer and an animal communicator. Free, 9am-4pm. 1701-E Allied St. 296-7048. Nonprofit […]

Insane workout creates community

I was driven to Insanity by my wife. “I don’t know,” she said in all seriousness, “there’s just something about it that I think you might like.” I thought she knew me better. Exactly which part of a high-intensity workout was I going to enjoy? Don’t get me wrong; I’ve never had anything against people who […]

LIVING Picks: October 19-25

Food & Drink Fall Foliage Festival Saturday, October 22 Enjoy live music, hay rides, apple-bobbing and other fall-themed activities as well as a seasonal cider release. Free; 11am-8pm. Bold Rock Cidery, 1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Nellysford. 361-1030. Nonprofit Survivor Support Network training Friday, October 21 Train to become a member of UVA’s Survivor Support Network […]

Horton Vineyards adds variety to Virginia wine scene

At Horton Vineyards, you’ll find some of the most important vines in Virginia. On my first visit to see them —back in January 2015—a wind ripped through the dormant vines and stung my cheeks. I wrapped my scarf tighter and scribbled notes with numb fingers, trying not to miss a single detail. I was on […]