As a wine writer, and a peddler of the juice too, I’ve often felt the urge to get defensive when it comes to the much-maligned “tall bottles”: German and Austrian Riesling, Alsatian Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gris, Gewurtztraminer, and sometimes even Muscat. The amount of visceral and intellectual satisfaction that I’ve pulled from these kinds […]
As a wine writer, and a peddler of the juice too, I’ve often felt the urge to get defensive when it comes to the much-maligned “tall bottles”: German and Austrian Riesling, Alsatian Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gris, Gewurtztraminer, and sometimes even Muscat. The amount of visceral and intellectual satisfaction that I’ve pulled from these kinds […]
From the moment you pull in, there is something endearingly unapologetic about the set-up. The converted house suffers gently from dilapidation; the menus are dog-eared (with corrections scrawled in the margins); it’s grab your own utensils from a set of plastic drawers; and Bandamax is generally blaring from the TV set. All this is a […]
Say goodbye to Positively 4th Street. The Downtown Mall spot that’s been serving up appetizers, sandwiches, and brunch since April 2011, will serve its last customers on Saturday, February 1. P4 will be replaced by Red Pump Kitchen, a Tuscan and Mediterranean restaurant featuring a classic Italian wood-burning oven. According to a press release from […]
On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities. Today’s picks come from Andy McClure, owner of Citizen Burger Bar, The Virginian, West Main, Three Restaurant, and The Biltmore. “Loving the idea of this,” said McClure, “and owning five restaurants in town, I thought it best to exclude my own places from contention. So here goes […]
Say goodbye to Positively 4th Street. The Downtown Mall spot at 401 E. Main St. that’s been serving up appetizers, burgers, and brunch since April 2011, will serve its last customers on Saturday, February 1. The restaurant will be replaced by Red Pump Kitchen, a Tuscan and Mediterranean restaurant featuring a classic Italian wood-burning oven. […]
Often when I eat out, I ask if the chefs would make whatever they like. While the request can perplex some servers, a little persistence can usually have it delivered to the kitchen. I figure that no one has a more reliable opinion of a restaurant’s food than those who prepare it. The Japanese have […]
This story is part of our 2014 health issue, which also includes articles on mammography, concussions in young athletes, and rhabdomyolysis. Five years ago, if you’d mentioned the word “gluten,” you might have gotten a raised eyebrow and a question: “Isn’t that one of the seven deadly sins?” Today, you can’t walk through a grocery […]
A popular southern beer is making its debut in Central Virginia. The notoriously hoppy beers produced by the Atlanta-based SweetWater Brewing Company, which was ranked by the Brewer’s Association as one of the nation’s top 25 craft breweries, are now available at several locations around town. The 420 Extra Pale Ale, SweetWater’s flagship beer that […]
Every year around this time, our nation’s president makes a State of the Union address reflecting on the challenges and accomplishments of the previous year, while also looking ahead at the agenda for the upcoming year. While the president’s address typically includes legislative proposals and government-related issues, this State of the Union address is written […]
Ask restaurateurs about the conceit known as Restaurant Week, and you’ll get a variety of responses—some of which they want off the record, some of which would be unfit to print if they allowed it. Owners typically love the idea; chefs typically bitch about it. Because one thing is true across the board—it’s the busiest […]