Designing your dream house, wedding, or wardrobe is a cakewalk with Pinterest—the virtual pinboard that keeps magazine clippings from cluttering your life—but Paradox Pastry owner Jenny Peterson has always been able to visualize her designs. It’s a handy talent to have when the bread-and-butter of your job is producing an average of five multitiered, highly […]
Designing your dream house, wedding, or wardrobe is a cakewalk with Pinterest—the virtual pinboard that keeps magazine clippings from cluttering your life—but Paradox Pastry owner Jenny Peterson has always been able to visualize her designs. It’s a handy talent to have when the bread-and-butter of your job is producing an average of five multitiered, highly […]
Looks are everything. Wait, what? No matter what your mom tells you, looks do matter—especially in a crowded marketplace. When it comes to wine, unless we’ve had a bottle before, we base our buying decision on its label. And thank goodness there are producers who make downright ridiculous labels. How else would we know which […]
What’s not to love about a doughnut? It’s sweet, deep-fried dough for goodness sakes. Here’re a baker’s dozen of Charlottesville’s “holiest” delights. Row by row, left to right: Carpe Donut’s once-roving cart selling irresistible apple cider doughnuts (and pudding-thick hot chocolate) is permanently parked behind C’ville Coffee, but will travel for events. Grab one from […]
Spring’s sprung early everywhere this year and with the buds already breaking on the vines, wineries, breweries, and cideries are ramping up for the year with exciting events and happenings. Here are a few ways to get out this month to drink in the beauty of our backyard. Easter weekend Get closer to nature April […]
Opening a restaurant is always risky business. In a slouchy economy like this, it’s downright ballsy.
Certain wines confuse people just by nature of their multiplicity. It’s easier when a wine has an overarching flavor to define it—like grapefruit in Sauvignon Blanc or black pepper in Syrah —but why scoff depth when there’s shallow pleasure to be had?
I’m usually too busy drinking and writing about wine to really hone my craft. But last month, I received a fellowship from Terlato Family Vineyards to attend the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, where I had four days and four nights in the Napa Valley to do some serious navel-gazing. I normally wouldn’t subject you […]
The top chef When Tom Colicchio comes to the Paramount on Sunday*, call him the winner of multiple James Beard awards or the no-nonsense judge of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Just don’t call him a celebrity chef. “I hate that term,” he said in our recent phone interview. But with nine seasons of the Emmy Award-winning […]
In a good vintage, the hardest job for winemakers is staying hands-off enough to let lovely fruit speak for itself.
Move over Campari, there’s a new liqueur in my life. I first had St-Germain, the elderflower liqueur years ago, but it was in some overpriced abomination of a cocktail, so I never noticed its bewitching delicacy until I had it on its own.