Soups for the soul: Perfect for a ‘chili’ time of year

It’s wet. It’s cold. It’s downright frigid some days. Luckily we have a wide range of freshly prepared stews, chowders and bisques that venture to brothy realms, far beyond the canned stuff. It’s difficult to go wrong with so many options to warm us up and soothe our soul. Here’s a short list to help […]

Spin city: Purvelo brings intense cycle workouts to Ix

“The red knob controls your destiny.” That’s what Kristin Watson reminds all her new clients as they nervously clip themselves into an exercise bike for the first time after watching the previous class leave, jelly-legged and drenched in sweat. And she’s not exaggerating. Those little red knobs, which sit below the handlebars and turn to […]

Sweet and sour: The surprising danger of peanut butter for dogs

By now, most pet owners are well aware that chocolate can be toxic to dogs and cats. The fact has a memorable pub quiz flair to it—a simple nugget of knowledge that is simultaneously fascinating, bizarre and useful. And the publicity has no doubt saved the lives of many thousands of household pets. But when […]

Brunch and be merry: A roundup of local, mid-morning eats

Ah, the holiday season. The town is adorned with lights, music fills the air, and 2016 looms on the horizon. Friends and family gather to share the joy of love, laughter, overindulgence and dysfunction. Anticipation builds for what the coming year will bring, and we start to mull over New Year’s resolutions. But, before we […]

2015 Year in Review

Looking back on the last year, it’s clear why Charlottesville was named the No. 2 most exciting city in Virginia (actually, we’d make the case for No. 1). Our town was propelled into the national spotlight for high-profile events such as Martese Johnson’s altercation with ABC agents and Jesse Matthew receiving three life sentences in […]

Hot in the kitchen: Blanc Creatives’ exceptional designs pan out

The founder of Charlottesville’s Blanc Creatives, Corry Blanc, won national attention recently when his hand-forged, carbon-steel cookware was named the winner of Garden & Gun magazine’s prestigious Made in the South awards. Out of thousands of applicants and nominees, Blanc’s products—made right here in Belmont—were selected as the best cookware fabricated by a blacksmith throughout […]