Not tonight, honey, I have a…baby: Sex and parenthood

When I was asked to write an article about how sex and parenthood mix, here’s what I ended up with as a first draft: What sex life? I’m exhausted and there’s a toddler in my bed. The end. Just kidding! But sometimes it does feel that way. It’s ironic that the shenanigans that caused parenthood […]

Charlottesville Sikhs reflect on Wisconsin massacre

One wall in Charlottesville Mayor Satyendra Huja’s dining room is occupied by floor-to-ceiling built-in shelves packed with teapots of every shape and size. “You have to work for your tea,” he said, chuckling, as he and his friend Dr. Narinder Arora settled at the table. “Pick a pot.” The array and the invitation are evidence […]

Cool beans: The buzz on local iced coffee

When a hot afternoon turns sleepy, iced coffee’s the perfect pick-me-up to get you through the rest of the day. Aficionados seem to be split over which method makes better iced coffee. Some say coffee needs to be cold-brewed to temper its bitterness. Others insist that hot coffee-turned-cold is the only way to maintain its […]

Was UVA COO Strine’s position untenable after failed Sullivan ouster?

Leonard Sandridge spent 44 years as chief operating officer of UVA. His successor, Michael Strine, was on the job for 13 months. Initially hailed as an effective leader whose experience as chief financial officer at Johns Hopkins could put the University and its medical center on firm financial footing, Strine’s brief tenure serves as a […]

In historic Louisa County home, the past lives in layers

“How do we touch this and not mess it up?” That was the question that Tim Burgess asked himself in 2010 as he and Sharon Shapiro considered buying an 1860 Louisa County farmhouse. The house wasn’t a museum piece; previous owners had installed a modern kitchen and loft. But the historic nature of the property […]

Bodacious burgers: Get your hands around one of these

When a burger craving strikes, little can be accomplished until you’ve got your hands around a bun with meat juices dripping down your chin. Here’re 10 big-league, non-chain burgers that satisfy (and inspire) the meanest of cravings. Boylan Heights’ Room 121 tops an organic beef patty with American cheese, bibb lettuce, beefsteak tomato, bacon, diced […]

Film review: Beasts of the Southern Wild

The feature debut from writer-director Benh Zeitlin, working with playwright Lucy Alibar and a New Orleans collective, rides in on a murky flood of festival hype. And what caused that anyway? The inevitable Sundance-stamped confluence of poverty porn and indie quaintness? Wow, already this is sounding cynical, but Beasts of the Southern Wild has a […]

Printer and illustrator Thomas Dean makes his mark in unusual spaces

Mention screen printing in Charlottesville, and one of the first names you’ll hear is Thomas Dean. The musician and artist is a prolific screen printer and illustrator, churning out T-shirts, prints, album covers, and gig posters, often for the many bands he’s played in or collaborated with. For local indie rock fans, it’s rare to […]

King of cluck: our judges rate the town’s best fried chicken

Buttermilk or brine? Floured or battered? Peanut oil or lard? Pan-fried or deep-fried? These are just a few of the secrets behind fried chicken so crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside that it’ll make you weep. Each method has its devotees, and nary a one of our 11 contestants spilled the beans […]