Michael Ketola Chef and general managerMas Tapas, mastapas.com A steak in the biz Without formal training, I entered the world of professional cooking in 1996, when some college friends from JMU mentioned that the steakhouse they worked at was looking for a cook. So, eager to try something new (and not move back home) I […]
Michael Ketola Chef and general managerMas Tapas, mastapas.com A steak in the biz Without formal training, I entered the world of professional cooking in 1996, when some college friends from JMU mentioned that the steakhouse they worked at was looking for a cook. So, eager to try something new (and not move back home) I […]
By Carrie Meslar Whether you’re a visitor from out of town or a local restaurant regular, there’s significant pressure that comes with the query, “Where should we go to eat?” The answer is reliant on any number of personality quirks, dietary restrictions (both real and imagined), and the experience you are seeking. Those in the […]
Brewing beer is about control: controlling ingredients, controlling processes, controlling product. But it’s also about deciding when to let go. Take Three Notch’d Brewing Company. It started small, with brewmaster Dave Warwick, supported by a team of four administrators, making a few hundred barrels of craft beer per year at their Preston Avenue home. At […]
Rachel Pennington Owner: The Pie Chest, thepiechestcville.com A spirit of togetherness “I cook because I have to. I have no other choice. Deep within me resides the desire to please others through a soul-level-comforting pleasing of the palate. “Therein is the secret to a good life. Eating, drinking, and being merry. Through this we commune […]
Take a thoughtful deep dive into food and farming traditions with Michael Carter Jr., who kicks off the Piedmont Master Gardeners’ spring lecture series with Africulture and Unique Organic Vegetables You’ll Want in Your Home Garden. Carter highlights how people of African descent have contributed to U.S. agriculture, and will also introduce organically grown plants […]
How much do I want fried chicken? That question haunted me. It began as a simple test of endurance: How long was I willing to sit in traffic to get lunch? But as I initiated that test again and again, at different hours and on different days, the question began to transform—to molt, much like […]
The first episode of “The Big Brunch” opens on chef Antwon Brinson. He stands almost in silhouette over a hot pan, stirring a sauce that coats some delicious-looking meatballs. Brinson is framed by his steel teaching kitchen, an everything-you-could-need creative cooking space at his business Culinary Concepts AB, located just off Barracks Road. In this […]
Ian Rynecki Executive Chef: Easton Porter Group, eastonporter.com Culinary training: Hands-on, in restaurants Reward “When I began my career as a cook during freshman year of college, there were not many work options available in the evening except for restaurants. “My first job was in a Burlington, Vermont, sushi restaurant where the focus was on […]
As the year draws to a close, I wanted to gain some insight into what wine consumers are drinking by asking local shops what their best-selling beverages were in 2022. While many were reluctant to name specific bottles or producers, the information they provided reveals some interesting trends. Rosé all day It appears that local […]
Woodson’s Mill is alive. The green lawn is speckled with people in conversation. There’s smoke from a wood-fired pizza truck, and a number of vendor tables display local food and handcrafts. Rising above the gathering is the four-story, clapboard mill building that has stood there since the 1790s. Inside the historic building, the sound of […]