Five Finds on Friday: Jenny Peterson of Paradox Pastry

Happy Birthday!  Today’s picks in Five Finds on Friday at The Charlottesville 29 come from Jenny Peterson of Paradox Pastry, the outstanding baker of birthday cakes and much more, whose creations have made several appearances in Two for Tuesday.  Peterson’s picks: 1)  Olde Salt Oyster Stout at Champion Brewing Company.  “All of the beers here […]

Hidden treasures: Strip mall food joints are a unique culinary experience

Color me tacky and low-rent, but there’s just something homey and inviting about the naive optimism and dauntless ambition behind a strip mall storefront that has been transformed into an enchanting dining experience with a cozy darkened lounge. The practice must have been perfected in places like Texas, Florida, and Dubai, where the blistering heat […]

Foodie classes, new eats, and growlers to go: This week’s restaurant news

If you’re hankering for something sweet, you can soon visit Pearl’s Bake Shoppe at 711 W. Main St. Co-owners Laurie Blakey and Laura Condrey specialize in 140 iterations of cupcakes, wedding cakes, macarons, and plenty of other tantalizing baked sundries. This will be their second outpost, after the popularity of their Richmond location, Pearl’s Cupcake. […]

Honey, let’s go out: Cheap dates for cheapskates

The cheap date is a tricky proposition. But there are ways to cut corners without necessarily revealing yourself for the broke-ass bounder that you really are. Despite the holdover notion that some here in central Virginia cleave to—the idea that we live in some bastion of Southern rectitude—you needn’t occupy your mind with chivalric conceits. […]