You had me at B… BLT, that is

The BLT, that divine triumvirate that defines the taste of summer, makes good use of the late season tomato whose flesh isn’t quite as taut as it used to be and whose juices need little coaxing before they’re dripping down your arms. These eight places have their own takes on this glorious sandwich that’s a […]

Virginia Craft Brewers Fest is a soggy success

Saturday, August 25th, was the inaugural Virginia Craft Brewers Fest, held on the grounds of Devils Backbone Brewing Company in nearby Nelson County. With over 22 participating breweries, Virginia’s craft beer surge has certainly earned itself its own day in the sun. Alas, that was not to be the literal case. After moving back into my remodeled home in […]

Small Bites: This week’s restaurant news

Colonial locavores If you think our country’s founding foodies are the only ones with their own shows on the Food Network, think again. Tuesday, August 28, from 6-8:30pm, head to Monticello’s West Lawn for a conversation with Dave DeWitt, author of The Founding Foodies: How Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin Revolutionized American Cuisine. For the $60 […]

A changing of the guard in C&O’s cellar

No story on the C&O would be complete without mention of its wine cellar. We’ve crowned the calligraphied list Best of C-VILLE seven-plus years running and it’s won Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence every year since 1996. But regulars will notice a gaping hole in the list next time they visit—the person who (literally) wrote […]

Always warm, always charming, always C&O

Inside the C&O’s big wooden door, it was cool and dark and reminiscent of lovely evenings spent there—some for occasions, others for a final drink on a night I wasn’t ready to end. Volumes could be filled with patrons’ stories, but it was those of proprietor Dave Simpson (who’s eminently quotable, but especially on the […]

Virginia Craft Brewers Fest caps a month-long celebration of local beer

Crafty brewers Every month’s a good month to celebrate Virginia’s ever-growing craft beer movement, but this month it’s official. And what better way to commemorate Virginia Craft Beer month than with the First Annual Virginia Craft Brewers Fest on Saturday, August 25 (Sunday if it rains) from 2 to 8pm at Devils Backbone Brewing Company. […]

Early Mountain Vineyards celebrates the best of Virginia

Walking into Early Mountain Vineyards never having been to Sweely Estate in the five years that it stood as such before narrowly escaping two foreclosure sales in 2010, I couldn’t help but think, “No wonder.” Jess and Sharon Sweely clearly spared no expense when they transformed the 305-acre Madison County farm into a state-of-the-art operation […]

Cool beans: The buzz on local iced coffee

When a hot afternoon turns sleepy, iced coffee’s the perfect pick-me-up to get you through the rest of the day. Aficionados seem to be split over which method makes better iced coffee. Some say coffee needs to be cold-brewed to temper its bitterness. Others insist that hot coffee-turned-cold is the only way to maintain its […]

Bodacious burgers: Get your hands around one of these

When a burger craving strikes, little can be accomplished until you’ve got your hands around a bun with meat juices dripping down your chin. Here’re 10 big-league, non-chain burgers that satisfy (and inspire) the meanest of cravings. Boylan Heights’ Room 121 tops an organic beef patty with American cheese, bibb lettuce, beefsteak tomato, bacon, diced […]