The Bardo is a new art gallery café curated by Beatrix Ost. Photo: Tristan Williams
Anyone who misses the former Bluegrass Grill & Bakery, known for its hearty and convivial brunches, would tell you it was not a place for peace and quiet. But the new tenant at 313 Second St. SE has other plans. Artist Beatrix Ost says her vision for The Bardo, which opened at the end of January, was “to create a space in which the community can gather for art, conversation, presence, and sensory exploration.”
The Bardo also serves coffee and pastries from Cumbre Coffee & Bakery, as well as the shop’s signature empanadas.
Upcoming events include the Ost-created Soup & Silence, described as “an experiential event in which the participant welcomes nourishment emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.” Turn in your phone and tune in to your thoughts as you enjoy a bowl of broth. Musical performances, poetry readings, and discussions are also part of the event lineup at inthebardo.com.
No getting tipsy at Tribute
Here’s a tip: If you go to Tribute Coffee, don’t try to add on. Tip screens and tip jars have no place at the recently opened café on Arlington Boulevard near Barracks Road.
“I hate it,” founder Jordan Kessler says. “I hate shilling, I hate spinning the machine around, and I just wanted to figure out a way to get rid of that—and the easiest way to get rid of it is to stop doing it.”
A former barista himself, Kessler says he sometimes had a difficult time paying the bills when he was relying on tips. So, he’s paying his staff a living wage. “It was a non-negotiable for me in opening this business,” he says.
Kessler and his wife relocated to Charlottesville six years ago. After working as director of personal training at ACAC Fitness & Wellness and as a barista and manager at Grit, he decided to open his own place.
Tribute serves brews from Waynesboro’s Happ Coffee, as well as beans from around the world: The café’s first international collaboration is a limited edition with Parcel Torrefaction from Normandy, France, with “notes of citrus, peach, and tomato.”
Kessler is also baking gluten-free pastries for Tribute—with increasing frequency. “I started making four loaves of banana bread two weeks ago, and now I’m making 10 loaves of banana bread twice a week. I’m almost a banana bread professional who just happens to have a café.” Tribute is open Tuesday through Sunday. Follow at instagram.com/tribute.coffee.
Making a stand in Keswick
Located at the end of Glenmore Way in Keswick, Goods in the Woods is a self-serve homestead farm stand built from recycled materials, and offering treats such as fresh eggs, brown sugar banana muffins, sticky buns, scones, mini chocolate chip cookies, and dark chocolate sea-salt-covered dates. Other wares include homemade apothecary products and cut flowers when available—so bring a basket and channel your inner Red Riding Hood. The stand accepts Venmo and pre-orders can be made at hotplate.com. Updates are posted on Instagram: @goodsinthewoodsfarmstand.
Mathieu at the Mansion—vive la France!
Birdwood Mansion welcomes guest chef Mathieu Chartron April 22 through 26 and April 29 through May 2 for a special dinner menu. Trained in his native France, Chartron came to America in 2009 to work at Restaurant Guy Savoy in Las Vegas.
After being named a semi-finalist for a 2015 James Beard Award, he returned home in 2015 to oversee his family’s restaurant in Saint-Donat-sur-l’Herbasse. He later opened Maison Gambert in Tain-l’Hermitage, located in the vineyard region of southern France, between Lyon and Avignon.
The six-course feast includes oeuf poché (a farm egg with marinated trout, green chartreuse, and spring peas); a choice of loup de mer (Mediterranean seabass, pan-roasted with asparagus, yuzu hollandaise, and squid ink crouton), or filet de veau (veal tenderloin with smoked baby potatoes, morels, fiddlehead fern, and port wine sauce); and, for dessert, fraise et basilic (strawberry sorbet with olive oil sablé Breton). Find out more at birdwoodmansion.com/dine.
Slice of a past life
Pizza-lovers, rejoice! Beloved old-school ’za spot Barnaby’s*, known for its square-cut pies, is returning in spring of 2027, says longtime employee Brian Weber.
“My life’s greatest passion has been bringing back Barnaby’s with its amazing pizzas to the Charlottesville community,” says Weber, who ran the restaurant from 1974-1984. He tried for a comeback once before, around 2008, but the economy was unstable and investors backed out.
Weber tells us Barnaby’s will open in multiple locations. “Look for missing rental signs on the commercial buildings!” he says.
MORE TO CHEW ON
Saturday 4/4
Art of Charcuterie: A Cheeseboard Workshop. Learn pro techniques, create culinary magic, and impress your friends creating stunning cheeseboards. $95, 3pm. The Opal Lounge at Mockingbird, 421 Monticello Rd. catering.thelocal-cville.com
Thursday 4/9
Tea Tasting. A tasting event held as part of a Global Tea Conference hosted by the University of Virginia. Featured alongside the lecture “The Sensory Evaluation of Tea and What Sensory Qualities and Emotion Responses do U.S. Tea Consumers Want in Specialty Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis)?” by Ann Colonna, Oregon State University. Free, 3pm. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd.
uva.theopenscholar.com
Friday 4/10
White Wine Showcase. Celebrate Virginia wine with a tasting of selections from more than 20 regional wineries. $70–90, 5:30pm. Southwest Mountain Vineyard, 2300 Whipper In Ln., Keswick. smvwines.com
Thursday 4/16
Pie Chest Take Over—Spring Edition. The Pie Chest offers a menu of spring-inspired hand pies, pot pies, and sweet pies by the slices. Event runs through Sunday, April 19. Times vary. Ethos Wine & Tea, 817 W. Main St. ethoswineandtea.com
Saturday 4/18
Sake Sakura: A Spring Sake Celebration. A spring celebration of sake craft, culture, and community, featuring limited release sake and cocktails, food and drink specials. Free, 11:30am. North American Sake Brewery, 522 Second St. SE. pourmeone.com
Saturday 4/25
Seafood Saturday. Nomini Bay Oyster Ranch provides raw, steamed, and grilled oysters along with steamed shrimp and non-seafood items. South Canal Street performs. $12–20, noon. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
The Generous Pour 2026. A chance to meet Virginia winemakers featuring a wine tasting of 20 of Virginia’s best wineries, canapés, a silent auction, and a live auction benefit. $95, 6pm. Hazy Mountain Vineyard & Brewery, 240 Hazy Mountain Ln., Afton. vwb.betterworld.org
Friday 5/1
Hark Spring Wine Dinner. Featuring offerings from The Pie Chest. Price and time TBD. Hark Vineyards, 1465 Davis Shop Rd., Earlysville. harkvineyards.com
