One man’s reach

Alicia Walsh-Noel met Wilson Richey under difficult circumstances. She was part of the team opening Brasserie Saison in 2017, and it was a cutthroat crew. “Upper management was a toxic boys’ club,” Walsh-Noel says. “The restaurant industry can be a very cruel place, and Wilson was someone that really stood up for just the smallest […]

Loss of local culinary leader

Restaurateur Wilson “Will” Richey died in a single-car accident in the early morning of Tuesday, December 12, according to a statement from the Albemarle County Police Department. First responders were dispatched to the 1300 block of Owensville Road at approximately 1:21am, and Richey, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene. For decades, Richey was an […]

At the Table: Revamped restaurant shows off Virginia’s riches

Is there such a thing as “Virginia cuisine”? It’s an old question, and one I found myself revisiting after learning that Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar has a new motto: “modern Virginia cuisine.” What is Virginia cuisine—modern or otherwise? And, is Commonwealth’s any good? To help answer these questions, I called Dr. Leni Sorensen, who may […]

In brief: No permits, no DP editor, no daycare license and more

Permission denied Minutes before a decision was due, City Manager Maurice Jones denied several special event permits for rallies and counterrallies proposed on the weekend of August 12 in Emancipation, Justice and McGuffey parks—ground zero for the summer’s Unite the Right rally that left three people dead and countless wounded. The first application was filed […]

Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar revamps menu, under new management

Commonwealth Restaurant and Skybar is getting a makeover. And, it’s bringing in some industry experts: restaurateur Will Richey and chef Harrison Keevil. Co-founder of Ten Course Hospitality, Richey has to his name The Alley Light, The Bebedero, Brasserie Saison, The Pie Chest, Revolutionary Soup and The Whiskey Jar. Keevil meanwhile co-owned Brookville restaurant with his wife before closing last year and opening Keevil […]

Power players: the ones making the biggest impact

It’s the time of year C-VILLE editorial staffers dread most: landing on the final names for our Power Issue, followed by the inevitable complaints that the list contains a bunch of white men. Sure, there are powerful women and people of color in Charlottesville. But when it comes down to it, it’s still mostly white […]

Brasserie Saison crafts new options for the local beer scene

The idea of a restaurant and brewery on the Downtown Mall that specializes in Belgian cuisine and beers would have been completely absurd as few as five years ago. Today, with the mainstream dominance of craft beer culture in Charlottesville, it is practically a no-brainer. Charlottesvillians discuss new beers the way farmers talk about the […]