Summer favorites are ripe and ready for the sippin’

Cou Cou Rachou may be known for buttery croissants and beautiful baguettes, but the summer months find the bakery chilling in style with vanilla-bean soft serve, available daily. Craving something even cooler? Try the seasonal sour-cherry Coke float, a fizzy-sweet stunner made with Coke (from the glass bottle, of course) and the vanilla-bean soft serve, […]

Monticello Wine Week celebrates all things oeno

Let’s all raise a glass to the Monticello American Viticultural Area, where the award-winning wines are why Charlottesville and its surrounding counties are bubbling over with oenophiles and oenotourism. June 5 kicks off Monticello Wine Week, a celebration of the wines and wine producers of the five-county Monticello AVA. The program is sponsored by the […]

Pressing matters and knowing the good stuff

C’ville on the map (again) Charlottesville’s food scene is stacking up the accolades—again. This month, Condé Nast Traveler dropped a love letter to the Monticello Wine Trail, with stops at King Family Vineyards (Free polo matches May–October? Yes please!) and Pippin Hill, plus shoutouts to local gems like Bodo’s, Cou Cou Rachou, MarieBette, Oakhart Social, […]

Jay Pun in the HotSeat

To say that Jay Pun is a busy guy is an understatement. The musician, restaurateur, educator, and father of two recently authored a children’s book, Som Tum and Sticky Rice, and co-founded VeryAsian VA, which in turn launched the VeryAsian VA Celebration. The fourth annual music event takes place on Friday, May 9, at Ting […]

For a good day, call … Andy McClure

Owner (Citizen Burger Bar, The Virginian Restaurant) and co-owner (Ellie’s Country Club, Belle, Ciaccia, Lucky’s Cheesesteaks, Brightside Beach Pub, Grisette, Jardin, Beaucoup) I have small children, so waking up with them is how I like to start every day. We get going around 7am and drive to school around 8am. After that I take a look […]

Advice for dining at The Clifton’s 1799

Included in the 2024 Michelin Green Guide USA East, The Clifton was built in 1799 as a home for Thomas Jefferson’s daughter Martha and her husband. The property currently houses a boutique hotel and restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Matthew Bousquet. On a crisp November evening, I decided to see what all the excitement was […]