Ray Gaines has been involved with sustainable architecture since the energy crisis of the 1970s—long before “sustainability” was a term du jour. So when an old friend approached him about building a house with passive solar functionality and other green attributes, he was more than ready to accommodate. “We talked in generalities,” he says, as […]
Ray Gaines has been involved with sustainable architecture since the energy crisis of the 1970s—long before “sustainability” was a term du jour. So when an old friend approached him about building a house with passive solar functionality and other green attributes, he was more than ready to accommodate. “We talked in generalities,” he says, as […]
Much in the way that giving directions to a newcomer will never not be thrilling (or is that just us?), recommending an essential dining experience is also a rite of passage: It ups your townie cred and, if you’ve steered the novice correctly, shows off our local culinary aptitude. The food scene here continues to […]
While Jon Bray says he can’t pinpoint which particular dish got him into the food industry, he can specify a time (he was 14), a reason (“my parents repealed the Weekly Allowance Act”) and a place (Bellair Market). It was the beginning of a nearly 20-year career in Charlottesville kitchens, bars and dining rooms (you’ve likely […]
Where did all the caviar go? Hard to say, but the fact that it went out of style in our area probably had something to do with the 2015 closing of Downtown Mall seafood joint Blue Light Grill. At least one local restaurant thinks it’s time for a roe revival. Tavern & Grocery has had […]
We’re not fans of the candy corn and skeletons that appear on store shelves in July. And don’t get us started on Christmas merchandise that shows up before the leaves begin to fall. But there’s one holiday-related item we do suggest you think about now: a pasture-raised Thanksgiving turkey from a local farm, which probably […]
If you’re not going to a lot of parties—Friendsgiving, holiday soirées, New Year’s Eve gatherings—this season, you’re doing it wrong. And if you are, but you aren’t bringing a treat to share? Well, that’s where we come in. Knife & Fork reached out to the folks at Found. Market, a brick-and-mortar offshoot of The Bee’s […]
On a picturesque, 92-acre hillside ranch in southern Ivy, native Virginian Alex Toomy and two partners have launched an enterprise centered on a perfect pairing: bourbon and beef. Craft distillery Ragged Branch, now open for business after five years of preparation and two more of whiskey-aging, is poised to make its mark on the Virginia […]
You know the saying—“secrets secrets are no fun, unless they’re shared with everyone”—and though it’s likely been a while since you singsong sassed that to a friend on the playground, we’ll remind you that secrets are no fun unless they’re shared with everyone, and we have one to share: There’s a tiny little restaurant tucked […]
It all began with a little generosity from Mother Nature. “We had a Pinot Gris block come in heavier than expected,” says Joy Ting, enologist and project manager at Michael Shaps Wineworks. “Since the excess had not been slated for a specific wine, and it was early in harvest, we realized we had the time […]
Beyond the county line, it’s not uncommon in our area to find lavish estates with square footage numbering in the thousands. But as these city dwellers know, good things sometimes come in smaller packages. This month, we’re visiting three homes maxing out their (somewhat diminutive) space in different ways—through renovation, interior design or just plain […]