It’s here. After a slow but productive spring and a gorgeous early summer, we’ve hit the gardening doldrums. The heat and humidity are stifling and it’s tempting to give up until September returns with cooler weather and a whole new harvest. But don’t give up yet! The tomatoes are just coming on, we’re awash in […]
It’s here. After a slow but productive spring and a gorgeous early summer, we’ve hit the gardening doldrums. The heat and humidity are stifling and it’s tempting to give up until September returns with cooler weather and a whole new harvest. But don’t give up yet! The tomatoes are just coming on, we’re awash in […]
Summer camp. The very words spawn olfactory hallucinations of mildew, and a paralyzing fear that someone will make me play tetherball. For although I went to a popular girls’ camp every summer ages 9-13, I hated summer camp. For the purposes of this piece, the camp in question will remain the Camp-That-Must-Not-Be-Named, because it’s a […]
In The Foodie’s Beer Book, Horse & Hound co-owners Brooke and Luther Fedora say that when you’re cooking with beer, remember the rule, “one for you, one for the pot.” This is not meant to be taken literally, unless you want to be face down on the travertine when the oven timer goes ding. Turns […]
Park it in Belmont It’s no secret that the lack of convenient restaurant parking can make dining in Belmont a little less than desirable, especially on the weekends. Now, on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 6pm, drivers from Southern Star Valet are on hand outside tavola and The Local to deal with the hassle […]
On Fridays we feature five food finds selected by local chefs or personalities. This week’s picks come from Doug McLeod, chef of Duner’s. McLeod’s picks: 1) Chicken and Waffles at Ace Biscuit & Barbecue. “One of my guilty pleasures, best Southern food in town.” 2) Dried Fried Eggplant Szechuan Style at Taste of China. “I find myself craving them. And the service is […]
Pick your pasta, pick your sauce. It’s a simple concept, and one that Morocco native Karim Sellam hopes will bring more life to his Venetian-inspired restaurant in the Ix building. Introducing Al Dente Pasta Café, a classic Italian restaurant that’s open for lunch, dinner, coffee breaks, and everything in between. Ristorante Al Dente, which Sellam […]
Two coffee shops become one Last week, the owners of Para Coffee, the homey coffee shop tucked away on Elliewood Avenue where UVA students and professors camp out for hours with lattes and textbooks, announced that they’ve purchased Café Cubano on the Downtown Mall. Para owners Eric Kelley, Brad Uhl, and Brandon Wooten, who founded […]
I’ve done this several times, all with the same result. I hand a patron a translucent, orange-tinged beverage. They look at it curiously and shrug, and I wait for them to take their first sip. First their face wrinkles in confusion. Then there is cautious enjoyment. Then, even more intense confusion. What follows for some […]
Charlottesville food is hot. In the last year alone, our area’s food has won praise from national media outlets dozens of times, culminating with a recent nod in Wine Enthusiast as one of “America’s five new foodie cities.” For one of our restaurants, though, national attention is nothing new. Since opening in 2000 at Barboursville […]
It’s 9:30pm on a Thursday. Mono Loco is finishing up dinner service. But the kitchen crew is just getting ready to start things up. They change into their street clothes and head over to Mas. It’s 10am the next day. The Hamilton’s staff is walking toward the Downtown Mall spot for lunch service. A few […]