Separate and equal
Being a loyal customer to Fleurie for the last five years, I was incredibly disappointed when I saw the recipe published recently by the “executive chef”, Brian Helleberg, of Fleurie [Food and Drink Annual, October 20]. While he is a chef and owner, it should be noted that he is, in fact, only a portion of the amazing total that is Fleurie and Petit Pois. Anyone who has ever stepped foot into Fleurie for a glass of Champagne, a bite of magical risotto, or a bottle of well chosen Gigondas, would notice a presence that defines Fleurie. Brice Cunningham, chef and equal partner in both Fleurie and Petit Pois, can always be found preparing the skate, selecting the wines, and charming the customers with his world class cooking as well as his French accent. The soul behind these classic French restaurants, Brian, as well as these fine establishments, would be nothing without Brice, the Frenchman who has dedicated his time in Charlottesville to raise the bar and provide this town with top-notch cuisine that would be difficult to match even in big cities around the world.
Amanda Osborne
Charlottesville
Hit the road!
I was quite amused when reading your recent article “Eastern bypass stirs the pot,” [Development News, October 20] which detailed Albemarle County Supervisor Dennis Rooker’s ideas for a proposed road connecting Interstate 64 to Route 29 at Culpeper. Mr. Rooker, who helped create the firestorm surrounding the road when he suggested that the state needed to build a new highway to alleviate traffic problems along 29, seems to think that the ideal solution is to expand the Route 15 corridor through Louisa County and suggests that if counties like Louisa and Orange want to upgrade roads serving their area they should do it on their own turf.
First, I don’t think the congestion problems along Route 29 have much to do with Louisa residents. They really should be attributed to the suburban sprawl in Albemarle County, Mr. Rooker’s turf, and points to the north.
Second, in suggesting that the Route 15 corridor is a good area for expansion, it is clear that Mr. Rooker rarely travels east of “pricey” Keswick into Central Virginia’s hinterlands. Perhaps Mr. Rooker should take a road trip along 15 from Zion Crossroads north at least to Boswell’s Tavern. Rooker will pass through the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District, a pristine swath of farmland home to a bevy of 18th- and 19th-century residences prized by architectural historians.
Louisa County would have a hell of a fight on its hands if it attempted to expand Route 15 to four lanes, as Mr. Rooker says the Supes hope to do, not to mention if a whole new road was put in place, a road that would undoubtedly cut through some Louisa County farmer’s crops.
It is Albemarle County’s responsibility to deal their their own traffic issues and it is Mr. Rooker’s responsibility to deal with the firestorm he helped ignite. Pushing his ill-conceived agenda across the county line is not the answer, especially when it is a county he knows so little about.
Tammy Purcell
Louisa