Pleading the fifth
It’s a steamy Friday afternoon in July, and the gates are opening on one of Southside Virginia’s biggest summertime bashes, the Cantaloupe Festival, near South Boston. Cars park on the […]
Distressed signal
In the late 1960s, when Turner Communications was a business of billboards and radio stations and I was spending much of my energy ocean racing, a UHF-TV station came up […]
The little Frenchman who could
A:Well, John, take the first clue regarding the personal history of one Claudius Crozet: As we oh-so-continental locals know, “Crozet” is pronounced “Crow-zay” and not “Crow-zette,” indicating a connection to […]
And the winner is…
RESTAURANT Bizou There is something pretty special about a restaurant that can defeat not one, but two upscale French cuisineries (C&O and OXO) in a close race, only to have […]
Busker’s delight
A: John, take it straight from the Ace’s mouth: Not all are as holy as thou. When it comes to musicians on the Mall, Ace admits there is “a wide variety,” […]
In limb-o
A: Michelle, Ace understands your concern. It’s not unusual for us humans to get attached (sometimes unhealthily) to our verdant friends. Consider Julia Butterfly Hill, who lived in her pet […]
Five-card STUDS
Game on “Oh no!” Twelve-year-old Reid stares at the television in dismay. An Atlanta Braves batter has jacked a pitch deep into the left-center power alley. Reid holds his breath, […]
Motor city
A: If one thing’s clear it’s that you, my dear Pia, have been doing some serious wishful thinking. Not that you’re totally off the mark. The dude in question is […]
Spin city
The scene is straight out of a junior high dance. Though the pack of would-be dancers at R2, a relatively new Downtown club, are clutching beers and cocktails rather than […]
Come here often?
Restaurants help define a place. The world’s great cities are known for their dining rooms: Maxim’s in Paris, Katz’s Deli in New York, Chez Panisse in Berkeley. And Charlottesville is […]