Doomsday drinks to die for

This is it. On Friday, December 21, we’re all going to die. Our Christmas gifts, 401(k)s, and unexpressed love will go unclaimed. It’d be highly irresponsible for me to advise liquidating your bank accounts, but I can suggest liquidating a pearl or two from your wine cellar (or sock drawer) to enjoy with loved ones—and […]

Wine, whiskey, and a Mayan send-off: This week’s restaurant news

Whisky’d away Just in time for holiday shopping, Virginia Highland Malt whisky, from the Virginia Distillery Company, arrived in 80 Virginia ABC stores earlier this month. Grab a bottle of this local offering, which the press release notes has “a lovely acacia honey and ginger flavor from the Scottish whisky with the added notes of […]

Five Finds on Friday: Angelo Vangelopoulos of Ivy Inn

On Fridays, we and The Charlottesville 29 feature five finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Angelo Vangelopoulos, chef and owner of Ivy Inn.  Vangelopoulos’ picks: 1)  Nachos at Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie.  “It’s the first thing that comes to mind when I decide to make the trip to North […]

The ‘first foodie’, Thomas Jefferson, was also a beer pioneer

Like many of us normal folk, Thomas Jefferson enjoyed beer with his dinner. Like others of us, Jefferson enjoyed beer enough to learn how to make it himself at home. He was also wise enough to initially learn the art he performed during his brewdays from his literal alewife, Martha Jefferson. His success with brewing […]

The lost art of the dinner party: Let’s bring it back!

I find few things more exciting than being invited to someone’s home for a dinner party. Not a potluck or cocktail party, but a sit-down soirée with mixed company and food cooked and served by someone other than me. It’s a generous act of yore that seems now to be endangered if not entirely extinct. […]

Wine, gifts, and the return of Caffe Bocce: This week’s restaurant news

Wine dinner is served Join Jeff Meyers, vice president and general manager of Terra d’Oro winery in Amador County, California, for a wine dinner at the Ivy Inn on Tuesday, December 11. Chef Angelo Vangelopoulos will serve up five courses paired with (mostly) Italian varietal wines. Selections include Barbera, Sangiovese, and the School House Zinfandel, […]

Five Finds on Friday: Josh Hunt of Beer Run

“As someone who grew up on the east side of Charlottesville, the Riverside has been an institution since long before I started going in the 80′s with my brothers and step-dad, to the old location on Long St., where the CVS is now. I’ve been all over this country and I haven’t found a better or more classic cheeseburger. Plus, the service is probably the fastest in town.”

Better late than never: Late night options for after-dark diners

This is more about reliability than quality. If you’re looking for something to eat at 1am, how exquisite can you expect the cuisine to be? First thing you need to know is that the place is open. And that alone really narrows the field. And we’re talking mid-week here. We can’t concern ourselves with Friday […]

Good eaters: How to raise an omnivorous child

According to karma, I should have a picky child. (I once threw a fit when my parents stopped at Wendy’s because the hamburgers there are square instead of round.) But not only has Maisie never even eaten a fast food hamburger in her nearly five years of life, but she’s a better, more adventurous eater […]