The new Jeff Hotel above the Jefferson Theater on the Downtown Mall was designed with no common areas. But the strategy had nothing to do with the virus currently scaring folks away from such spaces. The boutique guesthouse relies on modern room-booking trends and technologies to do away with the traditional lobby and onsite customer […]
As any music fan knows, amassing a collection of concert tickets is almost as fun as going to the show. (If you don’t display them, were you even there?) So when Rit Venerus, a business manager for entertainers with Cal Financial Group, decided to renovate his company’s office in the spring, his wife, Barb, enlisted […]
Sure, we always cry “Eat local!” and “Shop local!” and “Drink local!” But, in this issue, we’re putting our money where our mouths are, with more than 20 locally made items to keep on hand in your kitchen, from small-batch granola to a (maybe magic?) syrup that’s both good for your health and good in […]
While many regard wine as something best reserved for special occasions, there are tremendous rewards to be found by integrating it into everyday life. Treat it like a longtime friend—never a special guest—at every meal. Here are a few essentials that can become your “house wines”—staples to keep stocked and ready to be your companion […]
Maybe you like to take it slow. Relax. Stay in one place. With wine. Maybe you’re on the go. Real fast. Keep up the pace. With wine. If you’re inclined to check the first box, C’ville Picnic is for you. The new-to-Charlottesville concept offers upscale picnic experiences at local vineyards. If you’re more into box […]
Tavola continues to try to make limoncello out of its COVID limons; the Belmont Italian oasis’ latest venture is catering services large and small. “We’re trying to do a little bit of everything and put together decent weeks,” chef/owner Michael Keaveny says. “It’s been difficult, but between catering, neighborhood drop-offs, and curbside pickup, we’re doing […]
Rachel De Jong has traveled the world and rubbed elbows with its best chefs. She earned her diplôme de pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu École de Cuisine in Paris. She learned hospitality from The Inn at Little Washington’s Patrick O’Connell. And she traded dessert ideas with Ludo Lefebvre at Petit Trois in L.A. But De […]
Admit it: You’ve succumbed to the pandemic menu blahs. You’re stuck inside all the time, your brain’s frazzled, and it’s easier—but not necessarily more satisfying—to make the same few dishes over and over. But wouldn’t it be nice if you could enjoy something different? Maybe a taste of summer all year round? The Outer Banks […]
Lesly Gourdet had the flu. So he turned to someone he respected as a top infectious disease expert—his mom. It was 1993, and Gourdet hadn’t thought about a wonder tonic his family developed in years. But he took mom’s advice, making and drinking her three-ingredient recipe. He immediately felt better. Gourdet spent the next decade […]
Those who work in business can tell you that success requires hard work, adaptation, and some smiles from fate. Julie Vu Whitaker, founder and driving force behind Vu Noodles, can attest to all three. In 2013, after 20 years as a social worker, Whitaker decided on a career shift. “[While] I still loved it, I […]