Baking connections

By Julia Stumbaugh In 2018, Charlottesville residents Jessica Niblo and Samuel Kane met for a first date at The Pie Chest. But they were both too nervous to eat the shop’s signature dish. Instead, they sipped coffee. Three years later, in January 2021, Kane proposed to Niblo at the same spot where they’d first met. […]

Keep funding so they can keep feeding

Go with Grace Cavalier Produce has put a creative twist on feeding those in need. The food distributor announced Grace’s Good Food Box Program as a way to get fresh food into homes that need it through a partnership with Loaves & Fishes, PB&J Fund, Louisa County Resource Council, and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s […]

Get out of the zone: Outdated zoning in Rose Hill leaves some lots vacant

Back in 2013, Julie (who asked that we not use her last name) bought a house in Rose Hill, a small, historically African American neighborhood roughly bordered by Preston Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Harris Street. The house had gone into foreclosure during the housing market crash, and had been neglected for a while.  After determining […]

Breakfast is served

From bagels to biscuits to burritos, we dig in to the best meal of the day (and where to find it around town). BY: Brielle Entzminger, Ben Hitchcock, Laura Longhine, and Erin O’Hare Best in biscuits Biscuits are a breakfast staple around here-—but which one is the best? We rounded up our favorites (with top […]

Home sweet home: Cottage please!

Moving is stressful. Moving to an old place that needs a gut renovation is more stressful. Fighting with your spouse every step of the way? That’s a major test. Jason Becton and Patrick Evans, owners of the beloved MarieBette Café & Bakery, were at odds about their new place. “Jason wanted nothing to do with […]

MarieBetter: Bakery adds downtown location

MarieBette Café & Bakery spin-off Petite MarieBette is now open at 105 E. Water St., offering coffee and baked goods (of course!), as well as breakfast sandwiches and grab-and-go lunch. Longtime MarieBette employee Will Darsie co-owns the new spot, and will manage it. The son of a chef (mom) and a farmer (dad), Darsie moved […]

The Clifton’s facelift includes a renewed focus on the food

By Jenny Gardiner The Clifton Inn is undergoing a season of renewal—and a name change to The Clifton. New owners the Westmont Capital Group brought in the coveted design team from Tennessee’s posh Blackberry Farm to put a fresh face on the property, and capped it off by hiring Michelin-starred executive chef Matthew Bousquet, who […]