Notes From C-ville

Taste of Charlottesville

2010-10-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

A thoughtful family member brought these when she came to visit. Two of my favorite Charlottesville foodstuffs are Starr Hill beer and Shenandoah Joe coffee. I haven't found their perfect replacements yet.

C-ville Spring

2010-03-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Even reasons 1, 6, 8, and 9 are reasons enough to love Charlottesville in Spring. Check out the other 11 reasons collected by the online UVA magazine.

Virginia State Capitol in Richmond

2010-03-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Virginia State Capital is on a Richmond hill overlooking the James. Now there are buildings largely obscuring that view but when Jefferson originally designed it, it was the tallest building around. Even without its size it would have had the most commanding view. In addition to the history lurking in every hall and room inside, there is the purported most authentic life-size sculpture of George Washington in the center under a dome. It was just as impressive now as it was when I saw it in grade school.
On the grounds are several large tulip poplar trees.
For brunch we ate at Cafe Gutenberg in the bottom - great food, great coffee. The ceilings and walls are covered in old tin panelling.

Old UVA Photos

2010-03-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

The University of Virginia Magazine ran a great feature in its Spring 2010 edition. It contains pictures of UVA sites in the past and present. I think many of the photos were taken by Holsinger, though not attributed in the article. There's also a short video with pictures not in the article.

That Cavalier Tan used to be a movie theater blew my mind.

Even better is the complete Holsinger collection available digitally from the UVA library.

Hollywood Cemetery

2009-12-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

With its entrance in the Oregon Hill neighborhood of Richmond, historic Hollywood Cemetery, laid out in 1847, unfolds over hills and dales up to the James River. Two of the main attractions in the cemetery overlook the James from one of the highest hills in the garden or rural cemetary.
James Monroe, #5, resides in a cast iron cage with this plaque upon his concrete slab.
John Tyler (#10)'s monument, an ornamented obelisk, is the more imposing monument. It's a stone's throw from Monroe's "bird cage".
An obelisk marking the grave of a revered mason is decorated by some interesting imagery.

This impressive monument, made of James River granite and 90 feet tall, was completed in 1869. 18,000 Confederate dead are buried around its base. It's the centerpiece of the CSA section of the burial ground, the part farthest from the river. J.E.B. Stuart and George Pickett are amongst the ranks.

"In eternal remembrance...""...Of those who stood for God and Country"
Here's a view of the cemetery from Belle Isle. The highest bunch of gravemarkers include the presidents.

All Aboard

2009-10-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

My first post visited traveling by rail to and from DC. It seems that this has just gotten a lot easier, and my complaint about the lateness of the trains will no longer be true. There is now daily direct service to DC, as reported by the Daily Progress. By train is still the most romantic way to travel - countless New York City subway rides haven't stolen that away - and in Charlottesville it just became a lot more feasible.

C-ville Food Blog

2009-09-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

I just discovered Mas to Millers, a most excellent Charlottesville food blog worth checking out.

Old Power Plant

2009-07-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

I've written about the old Charlottesville and Albemarle Railway Company power plant before and how to get to it. Here are some photos of the factory and nearby train bridge coutesy of Adam.

Garden Upgrade

2009-06-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

Last week we moved to Brooklyn. I've started the new Brooklyn version of this blog, Notes from Carroll Gardens. Here's what our patio garden looked like in Charlottesville.
Here's what we upgraded to.
Here's the back garden planted with some veggies and herbs.
Although the posts will be much less regular, please let me know if anything on here is egregiously wrong and I'll update it. The email address is at the bottom of the right column.

Thank you Charlottesville for 7 great years!

Take It Away Sandwich Shop

2009-06-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Take It Away is one of the Corner gourmet sandwich peddlers. The others are Revolutionary Soup and, eh, Cafe Europa. They specialize in build your own sandwiches. I favor the cut baguettes for bread, veggies, the cukes and sprouts, provolone cheese, and the special sauce which would make just about any sandwich taste good.

This place gets busy at lunch time, but the kitchen runs with the efficiency of Bodo's. They have as many drinks, bottles of wine included, as one could want. Boxes of chips abound. There's a Take it Away in Williamsbug but no indication these two are associated.

Get the special sauce!

115 Elliewood Ave
Charlottesville, VA 22903-2605
(434) 295-1899

C-ville Coffeeshops

2009-06-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

A notable exception in this round-up is Starbuck's. No matter what this coffeehouse does - give away free songs, help the third world, improve their coffee - it will always be a franchise and never home-grown. I won't refuse a starbuck's gift card, but if it's my money, I'll put it on one of the local coffee shops.

As an aside, the picture to the right drew my attention to the avenue in Elliewood Avenue. It's hardly a main street or thoroughfare.

My order of preference
1. Shenandoah Joe's
2. Mudhouse
3. Para Coffee

Honorable Mention: Higher Grounds. Although I've consumed probably more of this coffee over the last 8 years than any other, it's hospital only location excludes it from a list of top coffee shops. It does win points for its punning name.

Others: C-ville Coffee, Fox Park

I haven't been to Java Java under the new management so I can't comment on that one.

R.I.P. Espresso Royale Caffe

Al Dente

2009-06-13T10:46:00.001-07:00

First located above Escafe, Ristorante Al Dente moved to the Ix building in the Spring of 2008 and then was joined by its companion restaurant Al Hamraa in the Fall of 2008. As the picture above attests, Al Dente doesn't have a grand entrance. The character of the place and space makes up for it.

Having eaten at Al Hamraa more recently and knowing that Karim Sellam is behind both places may explain why the food did not have the Italian flavor I expect. The Sangiovese I chose was great. Salads were "in season" arugala. The fruta del mar mussels, albeit a questionable choice at our inland location, didn't seem right. The gnocchi was dense, layered in a thick sauce. It didn't leave much room for dessert and I would have enjoyed trying the tiramisu.

The prices were a little more than comparable places in town. The restaurant has charming antique silverware and a sturdy outdoor area. (too hot to enjoy one recent night) There are so many restaurants in town to choose from, and I can't figure out the niche this one fits in. Al Hamraa, on the other hand, is a treasure I hope sticks arounds.

IX Buiding
925 Second Street SE
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
(434) 295-9922

Horse and Hound Gastropub

2009-06-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Maya's neigbor, Horse and Hound, opened for business almost two years ago. (reviewed previously). It's touted as a gastropub. Even the sign sports the fancy moniker. And the sign is downright fancy. It's hard to miss when driving down west main.

Gourmet pub food is the best description. The Belmont, a waiter's favorite sandwich at an early visit, is a fancy pulled pork sandwich, topped with dry cole slaw. The french fries were excellent. The fish and chips are also remarkable. Fried to perfection with tartar and those excellent fries, if I didn't like the Belmont so much, I'd go for this.

There's a large indoor dining room. The bar is separate and features a row of large stools and a few high tops. The outside patio is fitted with huge umbrellas which become useful when it rains. In the winter they bring in the heaters.
For drinks they have a number of specialty beers on tap. Guinness is a must some of the time. Currently they have the Blue Mountain Mandolin Artisanal Ale. It's not listed on the Blue Mountain site, but it doesn't need to be. It's a great beer in my opinion.

Dinner for four: $100 (a couple beers each)

625 West Main Street
Charlottesviile, VA 22903
(434) 293-3365

Chiles Strawberries

2009-06-12T04:35:00.000-07:00

At least last weekend, Chiles, just west of Crozet, had plenty of strawberries. They were more picked over than last year when we went in May, but we still harvested 12 pounds ($1.50/lb). Crozet is also a great place for peaches. (See prior post.) The season for that hasn't really started up yet.

With the flat of strawberries we picked along with a few quarts from chesterfield berry farm closer to richmond, we had a family jam session. Mashing berries, mixing in sugar, and boiling pectin took up the bulk of an afternoon, but the fruits of that labor last all year. Not all the strawberries turned into jam. There was a strawberry shortcake and plenty eaten as is. In a head to head trial, these berries wallop the bloated, fibrous versions that come out of california. The strawberry milk shake mixed up by Chile's at their roadside mega-stand is incredible.

Milano Cafe

2009-06-08T17:09:00.001-07:00

Milano moved from the Main Street Market a few months ago. The space there has since been replaced by Calvino Cafe.

Now on South Street in one of the old warehouses, Milano has a little more space, a great outdoor seating area, and access to hoards of Saturday morning farmer's market shoppers. It's serving the same illy coffee and has kept much of the same indoor setup. Its unusual marriage to a furniture store is still alive. The wood farm tables are spectacular.

A small selection of baked goods and a freezer of gelato flavors are offered along with the joe.

100 West South Street
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 220-4302

Downtown One Lane Train Bridge

2009-06-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've always found this bridge overpass interesting. Couldn't it just be widened? As it is now, I wouldn't be surprised to see a horse-drawn buggy waiting on the other side.

Marco and Luca

2009-06-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

A downtown cheap food standby for at least a few years, this noodle and dumpling restaurant serves up one of the tastiest $3 snacks in town. It's located on the downtown mall in Yorktown place, one store front away from Christian's Pizza, which has the cheapest, best tummy filler in town, a $2 slice of cheese with oregano and hot pepper flakes.

The only thing I've ever ordered are the pork dumpling which are provided in a sweet and spicy soy-based sauce. The sauce is incredible and overpowers the dumplings: the combination is heavenly. The health benefits of these seven fried wonders are less clear than their perfect taste.

The place is small but has plenty of seating for its size. Sitting on one of the stools facing the window offers great people watching.

112 E Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 244-2605

Continental Divide

2009-06-01T04:26:00.000-07:00

I just revisited this place last night and updated the previous post. Many restaurants are closed on Sunday nights, but the "get in here" sign was shining. At 8:30 we still had to wait for a table, which wasn't any trouble because there were plenty of seats at the bar. This restaurant never struggles for business.

Cafe Europa

2009-05-28T16:31:00.002-07:00

An easy-to-miss mainstay on the UVA corner, Cafe Europa has been serving sandwiches longer than Rev Soup on 14th Street and nearly as well. The decor is reminiscent of the Seinfeld diner in the mid-90's. The main offerings are pitas, baguette sandwiches, and paninis. There are lettuce and other salad sides. My parisian sandwich, turkey, brie and honey mustard, was served with a hearty serving of potato salad. I really have no complaints about the food. There are fountain drinks and a couple coolers full of pops and juices for refreshment.

Without a good scrubbing or a renovating update, it's hard to consider this place as an attractive Corner lunch option, especially when compared to Take It Away or Rev Soup.

1331 W Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 295-4040

Boylan Heights Happy Hour

2009-05-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

For weeks I've been going to 12th Street Taphouse for happy hour. There's something to say for the 20 ounce beers. Boylan Heights has regular old pint glasses, but on week nights from 6-9 they are only $2. With the students gone for the summer and the recession in full swing, this is a deal. Drinking to forget the world's troubles is rarely this cheap.

12th Street Patio

2009-05-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Since I'm obsessed with this place, I added a picture of the patio to my prior post.

Lathyrus

2009-05-25T07:18:00.001-07:00

This Lathyrus specimen grows on the corner of Wertland Street and 12th Street. I think it is most likely Lathyrus latifolius but I'm not sure. The Audubon field guide states there are 20 Lathyrus spp. in our range. This plant will produce peas which are either edible or may cause neurological disease depending on the source. It seems that in small amounts the peas are safe, but if they are eaten in large quantities, a toxic amino acid contained in the peas causes neuronal damage. This has been the source of epidemic lathyrism in places worldwide when populations resort to eating the wild pea during food shortages. The word lathyrus is derived from Greek, 'la' meaning very and thyrus meaning passionate, since the plant was considered an aphrodisiac.

Monument to the Real Estate Bubble

2009-05-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

The stalled Landmark eyesore made Gawker via a photo from C-villain. How long will we have to look at this concrete shell?

Bodo's Bagels

2009-05-20T04:04:00.000-07:00

Three locations in Charlottesville, a local institution, Bodo's serves up bagels as early as 6:30AM on the weekdays if you're up. It's a good time to go because during regular hours or say 10AM on a weekend you'll have to wait a while before biting into the doughy goodness. Below is the Preston Ave location early one morning.Sticking with an order once I find it, I find the egg on a sesame bagel always satisfying. Bodo's must pack some calories because I'm not hungry for hours afterward. There are multiple cream cheeses to choose from if you're so inclined. They would probably add to the stick-to-the-ribs-ness.
The coffee is never very good. The website isn't clear about what beans are used. Locally roasted beans from Shenandoah Joe's would certainly be an improvement. Fortunately Shenandoah Joe's is right down Preston from this location.

The Corner location is famous for not being open for years. On my visits there I've seen a lot of happy undergrads. The other location, nominally on Emmet could also be considered the bypass location, as in the 250 bypass. The building used to house a Roy Rogers.

When I first moved to town after college before starting school again in the fall, I tried to get a job at the bypass Bodo's. The owner said I was over-qualified. For what looks like an intense, fast-moving work environment, I was certainly not overqualified; perhaps it was his nice way of saying that I wouldn't last.

505 Preston Ave
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 293-5224

Charlottesville Beer

2009-05-20T03:50:00.000-07:00

To take home from Harris Teeter?OR

For the Charlottesville area local beer scene, Starr Hill is one of two bottling breweries in the area. The other is Blue Mountain. South Street and Devil's Backbone brew their own for on-site consumption. Supposedly Kegler's has a limited batch a year, but I still haven't had a chance to try it. If anyone has details about this beer, please let me know.

Over the mountain, there is Queen City Brewery in Staunton and Cally's in Harrisonburg. I went to Queen City once.

The original intent of this post was to announce that The Barracks Road Harris Teeter was selling Starr Hill Beer 6-packs for $6. That was quite a deal.

Bel Rio

2009-05-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

This restaurant is not at all what I thought it would be like. Saxx always looked to me like a comedy club straight out of a 90's Seinfeld intro routine. Bel Rio makes good use of the space, what looks like the top floor of an old industrial building. The name sounds Italian but there's plenty of everything else. The complimentary bread was perhaps a bit salty, but I couldn't stop eating it. The panini had a few more pickled veggies than I would have hoped but it was good. The fries were excellent. I ate my date's second crab cake the next day for lunch and it was very good even after being heated in a microwave.

Before going I had a glass of wine and a cheese and bread plate at Mas, not realizing that Bel Rio would have been a good place to do the same thing.

Their is a full music schedule and an open U-shaped bar. Bel Rio is another great place to hang out in Belmont. With the outdoor patio, I think Mas still has it beat. Some home owners are trying to add their home to the neighborhood's restaurants. The Local still needs to pick up their service. I recently had a three hour meal there that should have been a comfortable two.

Bel Rio
407 D Monticello Rd
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 979-5299

Flowering Dogwood

2009-04-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Cornus florida
Tis the season. This is a pink cultivar in a front yard on Wertland Street.

Lemongrass

2009-04-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

Catering to the undergraduate eater and budget, Lemongrass is located on 14th Street underneath the corner parking garage. It makes the most of a triangle shaped cave.

The food is quite good, although don't get carried away with the spiciness scale. Dinner is comfortable and delicious at 3/10 peppers. 5/10 peppers took the fun out of it. I appreciate a wall of flame or a wall of unpleasant meals, but I don't have any desire to appear on one. If you have any aversion to MSG, this isn't the place.

The Mango Tofu is what I get regularly. It's consistently delicious and takes the guesswork out of a take-out dinner. There's always the old standby Pad Thai.

104 14th St NW
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 244-8424

Fellini's

2009-04-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

A block from the mall and a block from vinegar hill, this place is perfect for grabbing a beer before or after a movie. The wood-lined bar and frequent live piano player add to the draw. They also have larger acts many nights of the week.

The restaurant offers southern Italian food. The entrees are mostly pasta and meat dishes. No one of a party of 7 was disappointed. The meatballs were flavorful. They bent over backward to accommodate a severe food allergy which is not always the case. A big table in the bar sits large parties along two pews. The restaurant proper is attached to the bar. Its brick walls mark it as the older structure. According to the menu history it dates back to the 1850's.

A bubblemaker lives on the roof over the main entrance.

200 W Market St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 979-4279

www.fellinis9.com

Black Maple

2009-04-13T17:08:00.001-07:00

Acer nigrum

After feeding yellow-bellied sapsuckers on warm winter days and squirrels with its buds, this black maple's green flowers bloomed ahead of its leaves this month.

Wertland Street near its intersection with 12th Street.

Eastern Redbud

2009-04-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

Cercis canadensis

Seeming to be everywhere right now, this eastern redbud blooms along Wertland Street. It is also called the Judas tree because legend has it that an Old World relative served as Judas Iscariot's gallows. Three white cultivars reside next to 1222 JPA.

Poplar Forest

2009-04-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Jefferson went all out when he built his octagonal retreat near Bedford VA. It's a square within an octagon with paired stairwells, chimneys and outdoor privies. The tour guide was serious about the house and all the work the Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest has done for the property. Like any old house, there was a fire and multiple owners, who didn't always share Jefferson's symmetric vision. With all this havoc over the last 200 years, there's been plenty of restoring to do. The Corporation has gone to great lengths to restore the house to what Jefferson intended. Currently the house is being renovated in stages which provide examples of every stage of the process.

One of the more interesting facts is that the fire was probably a product of Jefferson's obsession with symmetry. He ran one of the flues from the center room at an angle so it would meet up with one of the four chimneys. It is believed that accumulated soot and debris in the non-vertical flue caught on fire spreading to the house.

On each side of the house T.J. had a mound built. They were popular in Europe at the time. There are mounds like them at the White House called Jefferson's Mounds.

View from a mound To get there from Charlottesville take 29 South to 460 W. Continue for 14 miles. Take a right on T.J. Road (811). Turn right on Bateman Bridge Road (661) which leads right to it. There are signs along the way.

For those more accustomed to Jefferson's Charlottesville area architecture, such as Monticello, UVA, even the Barboursville ruin, Poplar Forest is the place where Jefferson elevated the artistry of a building over its utility, hence the fire.

The New York Times recently had something to say about Jefferson's two Virginia residences.

LOTUS in Yogaville

2009-04-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

At some point I'm going to make a list of must-see places around Charlottesville and this will certainly be on it. Like the Blue Ridge Tunnel, I waited too long to visit Yogaville.

We loaded up on BBQ at Pee Wee's Pit before driving over the James toward LOTUS. After about 10 miles on 20, take a right on 655. Turn right on 601, then a left on 604. You can't miss the entrance.

The drive there is very different from the drive between C-ville and Scottsville. Buckingham County has more trees and less open pasture land. It reminded me of driving through Louisa County, which probably means that it looks like a lot of Central Virginia counties. One stretch of road on the way to the shrine curved through the middle of a clear cut wasteland. Trailers and small homesteads appear around almost every bend. Once you get to the entrance, it truly feels like the middle of nowhere.

Past the entrance there's a split road with driving on the left side. The narrow curving road leads to this view.

Buckingham County's Taj Mahal

Silence is requested between the elephants and the shrine. The inside of the shrine is split into two levels. The bottom level has some information about the world religions since this is the light of truth universal shrine. Upstairs doesn't disappoint. Twelve neon lines lead up to a glowing pink cylinder at the apex.

For a really crazy day, you could get a Christmas Tree and visit a shrine, or just head to Scottsville and keep driving.

Kyp Malone as Rain Machine

2009-04-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

After months of not checking this blog, I was looking for something to do on Friday. I was surprised to find that Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio was playing at the Bridge. He performs under the name Rain Machine and was here for the opening of Adriana Atema's art show. As you can see from the example behind Mr. Malone the art consisted of colorful portraits of people she knows. Mr. Malone had his own circle of wood stage right.

The music was sparse and vocals driven. His voice was recognizable from listening to TV on the Radio. Stripped to just his voice and a few chords, the sound was haunting at times. It only took a few bars to know that coming out for this short set was worth it. The relaxed small setting, the first few rows sitting Indian style, was perfect and very Charlottesville.

A sideshow developed when Zach the inebriated banjo player was invited to improvise. A portrait behind him was in danger until it was removed. It distracted from what Rain Machine was up to but he seemed to roll with it. All in all, I was thrilled to make it to this show/art opening.

Mellow Mushroom

2009-04-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

College town pizza meets perfection at Mellow Mushroom.

For the after-five crowd, there are plenty of empty tables and happy hour beer prices. If it rains beers are half price. A huge sign by the bar says it is so. (I would love a framed print of that sign.) The draft beer selection is extensive. One time a bartender explained that the beer even tastes better at mellow mushroom because the lines are cleaned out every three days. I don't know if this is true anymore, but it sounds good. Also, Guinness is from heaven at the Mellow Mushroom.

Depending on what you're looking for, you may want to avoid late night. There sometimes aren't enough seats to go around. Trivia night is especially popular. On warm days, their outdoor seating offers some of the only patio dining on the corner, although it's not the old corner. Michael's Bistro's balcony will always be the best.

Having found the Kosmic Karma pizza, I've never veered from it. It's as heavy a vegetarian pizza as you can get. Half a small is definitely a meal. The crust is incredible. I'm partial to the thin crust sparseness of a slice of Christian's, but there's a place for bloated calorie-packed Mellow pies.

Even without the psychedelic trappings, Mellow Mushroom would do well in any college town.

1321 W Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 972-9366

Wertland Street Shenanigans

2009-04-01T17:57:00.001-07:00

This TP'd house and post-it noted car (Click picture for larger image) appeared on Wertland Street this AM. April Fool's?

Blue Ridge Tunnel

2009-03-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

I'm surprised that I haven't heard more about this place. The internet doesn't provide any clear direction on how to get there, so that's what I can offer. Completed in 1856, it was an engineering marvel in its day and still is considering it was dug without dynamite. (wiki)

To get to the Waynesboro entrance, park alongside 250 at the train bridge overpass between Rockfish Gap and Waynesboro. (We parked just beyond the guardrail on the Waynesboro side. It seems a little sketchy but there was another car there when we left.) There is a dirt road next to the overpass that leads up toward the tunnel. It's on the Waynesboro side of the bridge on the southern side of the road. It quickly leads up to the tracks. Cross there and then pick up the trail on the other side. Follow it until you get to the tunnel. About a 100 feet from the entrance you'll feel cold air.
We didn't bring flashlights. That's an adventure for another day.

This masonic symbol festoons a drainage culvert along the dirt road just off 250.

The other end of the tunnel is simpler to access. From Waynesboro, head back over the mountain on 250. Take a right on 6 toward Afton. Take a right on Afton Depot Lane before the tracks. Pass the old train station on the left, now an attorney's office. Take the road to the end where there's a spot to park. Follow the dirt road/path to the other end of the tunnel.

This side of the tunnel is hewed granite, whereas the other has the stonework. With all the recent rain, standing water filled the entrance.

Seeing this historic site is definitely worth the quarter mile hike to each entrance. More history and what is planned for the tunnel in the future.

Here's a post with pictures by a better prepared, flashlight toting visitor.

Rick's BBQ

2009-03-29T14:35:00.001-07:00

Waynesboro is what Charlottesville might have ended up like if it didn't have a University. There's old factories and a downtown commercial district with more than a couple vacancies. As we drove through town today the uniformed cadets of Fishburne were drilling on their field. Church was letting out.

A google search of Waynesboro barbecue turned up Kukri's which was closed for Sunday and Peck's which closed years ago. Fortunately, in searching the town for something homegrown and open, we happened upon Rick's on Broad Street downtown. This oasis of food made Waynesboro look a little more like Casablanca.

The owner was incredibly friendly and helpful in helping us map out our adventure to the blue ridge tunnel. The BBQ was North Carolina style with a sweet sauce. A smoker was going in the parking lot. For the rest of the summer they'll be set up on Saturdays in Nellysford and Sundays in Waynesboro. Try it at least once.

Catering available.
540-949-0010
Waynesboro, VA

Saucer Magnolia

2009-03-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Magnolia x soulangianaThis spring greeter is near the intersection of 12th Street and Wertland.

Calvino Cafe

2009-03-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

Calvino Cafe joins the likes of the downtown Mudhouse and Shenandoah Joe's as good places to get a cup of coffee and read. Para is a close runner-up to these three places, but it's a little claustrophobic. I haven't yet tried Java Java under its new management, but like C-ville coffee, the space can't really be described as cozy.

Calvino Cafe is a perfect size for a coffeeshop. It has outdoor seating. It is conveniently located within the Main Street Market complex. There's parking if you need it. I wish they offered more in the way of pastries, Viz. croissants and scones. They do offer panini and other breakfast and lunch items. The food looked and smelled great. I only tried a cappuccino - superb. The staff was very friendly.

Run by the people behind Orzo, it's been open for a few months now. I am certainly going to add it to my weekend coffeeshop rotation.

408 W Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 293-5696

Mon - Sat: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sun: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Check out other C-ville coffeeshops.

Charlottesville Cherry Tree

2009-03-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

Prunus x yedoensis 'ivensii'

A couple weeping white flowering trees have caught my eye the last few weeks. Along with the daffodils and a few other trees and shrubs I hope to show later, spring is certainly here. The two flowering trees hang over JPA in the triangle of land bordered by University, JPA, and the train tracks. I'm not sure of the name of that tract, perhaps George Rogers Clark statue park.

I think it is an Ivensii cultivar of the Yoshino cherry tree, one version of what makes DC a tourist attraction in early April. There are a few other Yoshinos around town, but I walk by these two every day.

Here's a close-up of the flowers.

Hot Springs, VA

2009-02-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

This town is the Homestead, a place very serious about the year 1766, so serious about it that they shave a bush for each numeral. Fortunately I'm a sucker for topiary. Otherwise I might find this number worship a little strange. The Homestead is old enough to expect a major fire to be part of its storied past and lo and behold a fire is commemorated on its old walls. Once you come out of the trees, the Homestead stands as a massive edifice, the Virginian version of The Shining hotel. The hallways are wide, the ceilings high; the prices match the largeness of scale.

For a little break from the stuffiness, we visited Lindsay's Roost on the main street. BBQ, check. Soap operas in the background playing above the bar, check. Overheard conversation about how a woman wondered why she was gaining weight until she woke up with a banana in her mouth, check. Must have been that darn Ambien.

The highlight was the guided tour of the Cascades, a gorge kept temperate by its constant flowing warm spring. Orchids live there. Having gone in February we missed all the flowers. Spring is supposedly the time to go. I was leery of a guided hike, but the guide was good. He peppered the stops with scientific curiosities, such as the allergy fighting ability of honey.

I am skeptical of a place so wrapped up in moneyed trappings, but having found myself there for a meeting, there is a lot to embrace and love about this place.

Devil's Backbone Brewing Company

2009-01-31T13:35:00.000-08:00

This brewpub joins South Street, Blue Mountain Brewery, and Starr Hill on the local beer scene. Even Kegler's Lane sometimes makes this list as it also brews its own beer. Devil's Backbone is most like South Street in the way it's set up. As much a restaurant as a brewery, Devil's Backbone (DB, which unfortunately means douche bag in my world) doesn't bottle its beers for retail. It does offer refillable growlers for home consumption.

Catering to the ski crowd, a recent visit on a Saturday night proves that this place won't have any problem staying open. The large building looks like a western ski lodge. Inside, recycled wood and corrugated metal is decorated with stuffed local wildlife. They plan to have a fairly regular schedule of live music. The stage is a small eagle's nest like area at least 10 feet off the ground in the corner over the bathrooms. It's difficult to imagine more that two people playing up there. The brewing vats are behind the bar. They are not entirely sealed off from the restaurant so when we were there the place was infused with a beermaking smell.

They offer a couple lagers, a weiss, and IPA regularly. Currently they have a stout and I think a Belgian style ale, both with 8.5% ABV. I thought the tastes were less complex than Blue Mountain. A dining companion thought DB beers were better. The food was your typical pub fare but they also have entrees. I had fish and chips. The fries were great, not so hot on the fried fish.

For now, avoid the winter weekend crowds. This place will be a perfect country stop once the weather turns. It's the furthest of the local brewing ventures, but worth a trip to Nelson County.

Devils Backbone Brewing Co.
200 Mosbys Run
Roseland, VA 22967
434-361-1001

Check out other local breweries.

12th Street Taphouse

2009-01-31T09:44:00.000-08:00

Taking its name from the one-block street it faces down, 12th Street Taphouse opened up in late January with little fanfare. With a short life as Spry's Barbecue, and before that Northern Exposure, the space has been renovated over the last few months. A couple weeks ago, a signboard appeared on the sidewalk out front when it was open but it took a while for a sign to appear on the building.

The front of the restaurant, truly a large space, was opened up by dropping a few walls. The stairs to the rooftop deck were removed. It was never a beautiful stretch of West Main to gaze upon while eating. Downtown mall rooftop dining would be a novelty.

There are 14 beers on tap, all served in 20oz. superpint glasses. The Guinness tastes the way it should. I'm not sure what makes Guinness so bad at some restaurants: old kegs or incorrect proportions of CO2 and nitrogen (an interesting topic). Whatever it is, it's good now. The menu is similar to Michael's Bistro. I enjoyed by spaghetti bolognese. My dining partner opted for the steak, but didn't love it. Hey, it's the first month, and it could be argued that steak should only be ordered in a steakhouse.

The few times I've been in, the bar has been bustling. It's a cozy spot and I think as more people realize it's open, it should be bustling by summer. It's proximity to the medical center will certainly keep it in business as long as the food is consistent.

The best part about this place is that there is now a bar on my walk home from work. An outdoor patio is coming this spring, and the rooftop may be functional next year.

Here is a photo of the patio when not open.As reported before, the rooftop space will reopen but probably not until next year.

West Main Street across from the Courtyard at Marriott
434-202-0764

Al Hamraa

2009-01-31T09:31:00.000-08:00

For now, it's not easy to walk to the Ix building from downtown. That didn't keep us from doing it though. Walking down 2nd Street SE past Friendship Court and the construction next to ACAC, we walked straight ahead past the old factory. It's the building where a couple summers ago the homegrown circus entertained. The gate was open which may not always be the case. Once past the factory there's a hill, but the restaurant is in sight by then. A well-lit sidewalk and stairs would certainly help make Al Dente and Al Hamraa more accessible to downtown strollers or those set on making this a walkable city.

Al Hamraa opened two months ago, as the sister restaurant to Al Dente, which has been around for six years (formerly on the downtown mall). Spacious and with a huge painting of an odalisque above the bar, it has amazing atmosphere. With my only point of reference the movie Casablanca, the decor feels morrocan. There are a number of cocktails and martinis to choose from. I opted for the tea, mint, cointreau, rum concoction. It was stiff but good.

The food is utensil optional. I saw some other diners with spoons but they have to be requested. My only other experience with this way of dining was ethiopian and there you have the spongy bread to sop everything up with. This was much messier. We tried the quail with lentils, chicken, and whole trout. There is also rabbit and goat. I don't think you can go wrong. Everything was excellent. At intervals there was a belly dancer. She looked like a performer from the bygone circus mentioned above. A pot of mint tea was a great way to finish the meal.

The restaurant's Myspace page.
Ix Building
(434) 295-9922

Jinx’s Pit Stop

2008-12-18T04:51:00.000-08:00

Once I spent an early weekend morning at the Collier’s towing lot. I was met by an overweight man outside who after finishing his coke crushed the can in his hand and threw it on the ground. I followed him into the house-turned-office where he generated a receipt. He just as easily could have led me into Jinx’s barbecue joint.

Once you cross the threshold you see everything there is to see. There are two booths and a stale tobacco smoke smell. The walls are covered with old tin signs, newspaper clippings, photographs. There are VHS videos and books in an old display case.

It’s a one man operation, a pit in the backyard, smoking away. I don’t think the experience of it can be separated from the food, pulled pork sandwiches on white bread. The cole slaw was excellent. It’s worth the trip, just don’t wear your nicest coat.

1307 E. Market Street
434-293-6904

El Dorado

2008-09-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Why don't you come to your senses?
Opening near McGrady's in the old Monticello Diary building, El Dorado serves up Mexican and Salvadorean food. Since they've recently opened, they do not yet have an ABC license, so ordering a margarita or the sangria will have to wait. It's too bad because the tortilla chips would have been really good with a margarita. The menu is expansive and difficult to digest the first time. The veggie burrito will leave enough for lunch the next day. The combinacion guanaca includes a chicken tamale, a papusa, rice, beans, cabbage, and plantains. Perhaps it is unfair to compare this restaurant to its in town competition at this point. El Dorado joins Guadelajara, Aqui es Mexico (recently just moved into a bigger space), and El Puerto. The yellow walls and cavernous rooms of El Dorado give it a leg up. It looks like the back room will host some festive late nights in the near future. El Dorado is a welcome addition to the food node on that part of Preston.

Para Coffee

2008-09-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Officially opening last Thursday, Para Coffee (pronounced the Spanish way) is serving caffeine to anyone looking for some. It's many merits were enumerated here. I failed to mention they have free Wi-fi.

Turk Mountain

2008-09-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

From the Turk Gap Parking area on the east side of Skyline Drive (Mile 94) the peak of Turk Mountain is 1.1 miles. The parking lot is only 10 miles from the southern entrance to the park. To reach the trail cross Skyline Drive to the western side. Follow the AT south for .2 miles and then follow the trail to the top. The best views are westward across a rock field. Crimora lies closest in the valley below. There are views of the Allegheny mountains across Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountain to the the northwest. On the way up we were surprised by a rattlesnake. By the time we made it down he had slithered away.

Here's his angular head among the leaves and moss.
The telltale rattle.

Para Coffee

2008-09-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

A sign outside Starbucks on the corner usually points the way. Para Coffee opened Monday, September 11, 2008. It's the independent coffeeshop that every college town community needs. It doesn't hurt that it's an alternative to Starbucks and Fox Park wasn't completely filling that niche. Para joins a bunch of other area coffeeshops.

Para has the eclectic furniture, a hallmark of independent coffeeshops. There is plenty of natural light. Outdoor seating is available. The old building, the previous home of Blue Wheel Bikes and then mod, couldn't be a better place for a coffeeshop. The bar is made of a gorgeous wood. The coffee served will be the hometown roasted Shenandoah Joe's. Snacks include Albemarle Baking Company goods and Spudnuts. Most people probably don't care but their plastic cups for iced tea are recyclable and the coffee is served in paper cups.

This place has been a success. There's been a void ever since the ERC (espresso royale caffe) closed, and that place didn't even have good coffee. The only thing going for it was the indie music and the do-it-yourself pizzas.

Admittedly, I've only been in Fox Park a few times, but every time I'm in there they play old Radiohead. In with the new!

Free Wi-fi!
19 Elliewood Ave
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 293-4412

Hours:
M-F: 8AM - 10PM
Sat: 9AM - 10PM

Boylan Heights

2008-09-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

Replacing Orbitz Billiards on the corner of 14th Street and University Avenue, Boylan Heights opened September 5th. It's a burger joint first with about half the beers of the previous establishment. Everything else about it is an improvement. The garage doors are still in place and tonight they were open. A CSX train with five engines, laden with gravel cars, roared by during dinner. The dungeon-like atmosphere of Orbitz has somehow been scrubbed away. The multi-colored wall is painted over and the astronaut hidden by an oversized painting.

This is not your average corner food. The cheeseburger was certainly gourmet and the pulled pork was tasty. It's made with a generous amount of Stubb's BBQ sauce and topped with cole slaw. Sweet potato fries are not yet available, but they will be. Orbitz served a niche for a while but it was time for it to go. Writing this makes me wonder what's keeping St. Maarten's open.

Boylan Heights, in a revamped space with better food, is a welcome addition to Corner restaurants.

Holy crap, happy hour is cheap. $2 dollar pints from 4-7 every day. Thursday the special lasts until 9pm.

Dinner for 2: $22

102 14th St
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 984-5707

Bottles and Cans and Plastic Cups

2008-08-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

In the past it has been prior to the first day of school, but this year the Wertland Street block party was on Saturday night. And they came. At times it was hard to drive through the crowds that poured into the streets. The cops were on hand providing crowd control.
If the size of a party can be measured by the amount of trash left over afterwards, this one was a doozy. Unfortunately the solo cups are not recyclable.

White Oak Canyon

2008-08-10T19:05:00.001-07:00

The Lower Falls and swimming hole.An hour from C-ville, White Oak Canyon is all around wonderful. The drive through Madison County countryside is worth the trip. The pay-lot is $8 per person. The land the parking lot is on is leased from the Graves family. 0.2 miles from the trailhead is the border of Shenandoah Nat'l Park. It's 3 miles to the top of the upper falls. It took us three hours to go up and back at a brisk pace with a break for lunch. Despite the name, there are many species of oaks and a fair number of hickory nuts littering the trail. There are the ever present tulip poplars and a few sycamores. We were warned about rattlesnakes, but all we saw were centipedes and butterflys. This hike is a must for any Charlottesvillian.

To get there take 29 north to Madison. Drive through downtown Madison. After town bear left onto 231 North. Turn Left on Route 670 at Banco. Take Route 643 in Syria to Route 600. Bear left and follow the signs to White Oak Canyon parking area.

Bonnie Prince Billy - 8/09/08

2008-08-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

BPB rolled into the Gravity Lounge last night. Since this was a Satellite Ballroom Presents show, I assume that it was originally intended for the old Corner digs. To accomodate the crowds at the smaller Gravity Lounge, Mr Billy played a 7 and 10PM show. I can't help but think that the 7PM show was for old people like myself. Even if the band was saving up for the 10PM show, it was an amazing performance. BPB, who sounds just like Will Oldham, is touring with his brother and band The Onamoanan. They shared the stage evenly for most of the set. Sarah White came on stage for three of the songs and she sounded great. The show was so good I moved Guatemalan Handshake to the top of my Netflix queue.

Raphine, VA

2008-08-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

Just west of I-81 exit 205 lies the hamlet of Raphine, VA. About an hour from C-ville, we hit the agritourism trio of Wade’s Mill, Orchardside Farm, and Rockbridge Winery. Each place was more bucolic than the last.

Wheat Berries!

Wade’s Mill was founded in 1750. The flour is stone ground and largely unadulterated. There is a water wheel that can run one set of stones, but there are two run by electricity. We were assured by the woman running the shop that the process still hews closely to how it was done a hundred years ago: no heating, no bleaching, no chemicals. The winter wheat and yellow corn comes from the Shenandoah Valley, the white corn from Nebraska, and the buckwheat from Canada. According to the shopkeeper, business is picking up. This has been helped in part by a recent decision by W&L to buy more local food.

We bought three 5-lb. bags or wheat flour. This is in addition to the 1-lb. bag of buckwheat I bought from Foods of all Nations. I’ve been using it to make buckwheat oatmeal bread. If you call Wade’s ahead of your arrival, they’ll fill a 25-lb. bag for you. In the freezer the flour will last 6 months. The shelf life is otherwise shorter than other store bought wheat because there are less preservatives.

Orchardside Farm is just a little further down the road. There is a thornless blackberry orchard and a butterfly garden. On the same property is a small house which serves as a yarn store. Women were sitting around a large wooden table knitting and talking about their children. Dogs ran in and out. There is a wide selection of reasonably priced yarn and the women were quick to help and offer their advice.

Closer to the highway is the Rockbridge Vineyard. This winery includes 18 acres of grapes and looks more like a farm than other wineries in the area. Overall it was an impressive selection of wines. We ended up taking home a couple bottles of Tuscarora Red ($10) and a bottle of Norton. The latter is a candidate for our 100 mile Thanksgiving.

Before heading back to Charlottesville, we ate lunch at the Fairfield Diner at the recommendation of our wine pourer. After lunch we enjoyed a short hike at the St. Mary’s Wilderness Area.

Pizza Roundup

2008-06-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a survey of Charlottesville's cheese pizza slices, for when you're not looking for a whole pie.

1. Anna’s #9

The Slice: thin crust, equal proportions crust and sauce/cheese. Doughy crust with flour dusting.

Price: $2.02

The Place: Amidst the shops at Fontaine, the old shopping center with a drycleaner, Chinese restaurant, and Laundromat. There is plenty of character to go around. The interior clearly has not been renovated since the 70’s (?).

Waste: 1. Best on a reused plastic plate. 2. Unadulterated white paper plate. 3. If not specified, you’ll be thwarted by a Styrofoam box.

Crowd: Locals, Students, Little league teams.

2. Christian’s – Corner

The Slice: thin crust, right amount of cheese and sauce all the way to the edge of the crust. This place is made for pizza by the slice and they excel. They have readily accessible, though chained to the wall, oregano, parmesan, and red pepper flake shakers.

Price: $2 (downtown is $2.50)

The Place: On the east side of 14th St. near the train bridge. There is outdoor seating and plenty of room indoors at high chaired tables. It’s a shiny bright place.

Waste: white paper plate coated with waxy covering on top, all paper below.

Crowd: students.

3. Bolli’s

The Slice: Not outfitted for single slices but accommodating requests, Bolli slices look like shredded cheese from a store-bought pack was sprinkled on top. Things get a little thick on top and these are clearly not high quality ingredients. It’s recognizable as a slice of cheese, just not the ideal.

Price: $1.93

The Place: Classic West Main Street in an old house with a still recognizable old carriageway.

Waste: If you’re eating it there, they’ll serve it on a parquet plate with plasticware.

Crowd: Randoms, deliverymen

4. Christian’s Downtown

The Slice: so variable sometimes, layered with fluorescent orange grease and goopy cheese or aged to perfection. At its best, this is the best slice around.

Price: $2.00

The Place: A corner on the mall really can’t be beat. The exposed brick interior, outdoor seating, fishbowl spots facing the mall make this place fun to visit.

Waste: Same as the other Christian’s

Crowd: As variable as the slice. During the week there are mall regulars, the people who have had their mugs painted by the artists in residence in front of the regal cinemas, and on the weekend there are families and teenage couples.

5. Casella’s

The Slice: Casella’s is set up for the walk-in slice, but most people sit down or take out whole pies. The cheese slice tastes more like New York pizza than most. It’s a little thick for my liking. The taste isn’t sufficient enough to overcome the price and locale.

Price: $2.67

The Place: Barracks Road Shopping Center. Along with outlet malls, places like this belong in their own level of hell.

Waste: served on a top-coated paper plate if to go or it can be eaten there waste-free.

Crowd: hungry shoppers (Charging through Banana Republic, Ann Taylor Loft, and Talbot’s is exhausting), suburban families, teenie boppers.

The Box

2008-05-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

For about a month The Box has been serving asian noodle dishes and other asian fare. It takes the place of Atomic Burrito in the same building as Live Arts on Second Street SE. The name is a little rough, but the food makes up for it. Build your own box or bowl by selecting a noodle, a sauce (yeah panang curry), a skewer (a meat, veggie, or tofu), and add-ons. Cilantro and chopped peanuts are good choices. There’s also asian slaw, which can’t ever measure up to good southern slaw, but it’s good, nonetheless. Scallion pancakes were a good way to start Chase it all down with a choice selection of bottled beers.

Currently Second Street is a bit of a wreck with the gutted façade and demolition of the Boxer Learning building making way for a future nine story hotel. With the Box’s doors opening onto the sidewalk, it’s a bright spot on an otherwise desolate short block. It was our server’s second day but she was rocking the place. A giant Mr. Miyagi portrait looms over the bar. He clearly kicks ass.

The prices are incredible: $5.50 for a small box and $7.50 for a large box. But even without the food, it’s a good place to get drinks without dealing with a crowd.

109 2nd St SE
Charlottesville, VA 22902

L'Etoile

2008-05-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

Next to the railroad tracks, formerly the tea room café, L’etoile is serving up the French name. This place has an exposed downstairs but some more quaint upstairs rooms with original wood floors. Full windows face the sidewalk downstairs and a deck overlooks the tracks. In the winter the front room can get drafty.

This restaurant stands at the western end of the restaurant mile. This evening they offered a salad l’etoile, mixed greens, roasted beets, Roquefort bleu cheese, red onion, pine nuts, and balsamic vinaigrette. The vegetarian entrée option was Lyonnaise Potato Pierogis, tomato salad over local arugala with lemon-chive crème fraiche. For dessert there was a Pot d’crème or a coconut cake.

Two beers were on tap: a red nectar and St. George’s golden ale. The selected wine was a burgundy. The food was delicious, but didn’t seem up to the pretense.

In the dark light of one of the upper rooms, the rough-cut sugar cubes looked like croutons. That led to a surprise.

817 W. Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434)-979-7957

What Remains

2008-05-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

With groundbreaking beginning on April 12, over three weeks of demolition have left only an elevator shaft and one brick wall still standing. A couple large Southern Magnolias did not withstand the powers of disassembly either. But it's hard to argue that what will replace the West parking garage won't be a gift to UVA and the state. The Emily Couric Cancer Center is slated to open in 2011. Here's to three years of another construction project.

Check out the Charlottesville Tomorrow Blog for descriptions of three other upcoming hospital construction projects.

Water plans

2008-05-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

As the population here grows and knowing that droughts will occur again like that in 2002, the City and County are awaiting approval of a plan to expand the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. This decision was vetted through numerous public meetings in which four feasible options were presented.

1. Dredge the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir
2. Build a pipeline to the James River.
3. Build a four-foot crest to raise the height of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir.
4. Expand the Ragged Mountain Reservoir.

A recent Nature Conservancy letter, dated April 30, 2008, stated that organization’s reasons for support of Option #4. “Because dredging the South Fork did not satisfy the water supply needs, the James River pipeline imported water from outside the watershed, and expanding the South Fork threatened the habitat of an endangered species, the Conservancy worked to refine the fourth option.” #1 lost because dredging would need to continue indefinitely. #2 went outside the watershed – a no-no. #4 would allow for the restoration of “natural flows…to the Moorman’s River,” which the Conservancy is a bag fan of.

C-villewater.info has emerged as a vocal proponent of #1, despite the fact #4 is almost a done deal. According to the website, the Sierra Club has thrown its weight into their corner. The Hook seems to run an article every other week in support of dredging and has featured the group behind the website. Since this was the only side I had read I was in support of dredging but the Conservancy letter seems a little more grounded. They also have bought some land abutting the Reservoir that will continue to serve as forest habitat to migrating water birds. The biggest red flag for expanding the reservoir is its proposed expansion beneath I-64. This doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Dr. Ho's Humble Pie

2008-04-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Feeding North Garden and C-ville for a few years, Dr. Ho’s makes some excellent pies. About 9 miles south of Charlottesville along 29, Ho’s sits on the left at the intersection with Plank Road Rt. 692. The shop anchors a white two story shopping center called The Crossroads Store. The décor is hippie, random trinkets and pothead cliches, quite a contrast to the polished exterior of the building. Even with Mellow Mushroom on the Corner, there is enough room in this town for two nexi of drug culture and pizza.

Currently pitchers of Red Hook IPA Long Hammer are on draught for $9. They only have one draught beer but plenty of bottles, Sierra Nevada if you want to join the table reminiscing about Phish tours of yore. Having gone years ago, when the place was under previous ownership, I reckoned a Humble Pie seemed appropriate. A smorgasbord with sweet peppers, onions, mushrooms, Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, cheddar, a humble pie will do much to dampen that beer buzz. No one leaves underfed. Criticized by some for being topping heavy, this is part of the charm of Ho Pie. As a pit stop to or from points south of Charlottesville, Dr. Ho will not disappoint those craving some good old hippie pizza.

3586 Monacan Trail Rd
North Garden, VA 22959
(434) 245-0000

Happy Earth Day?

2008-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

The April 15-21 C-ville ("Picking through your curbside recycling") ran a short article about where the materials collected by the RWSA and City of Charlottesville really end up. It turns out that once a day a truck heads to Richmond where the items are sorted and either discarded or sold in bulk, sometimes to as far away as China. Aw shit! The website doesn't provide much more information about where all the stuff goes. It only addresses how easy it is to contract with TFC. A 19News story gave more of an idea where the trash ends up. For county recyclers, here's the RWSA site. We're moving in the right direction, but it's not perfect yet.

Changes at the Anderson Bros. Building

2008-04-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Cavalier Daily confirmed some rumors today. (see article) It was only a matter of time for Plan 9 on the corner to meet its demise, but Just Curry, Satellite Ballroom, and Higher Grounds are all viable. Having hosted a number of awesome shows in the last three years under the pressed tin ceiling, Satellite Ballroom will be unlikely to reproduce a similar atmosphere elsewhere in town. I think the warehouse next to Atlantic Futon on Commerce Street could be a good spot. It looks empty whenever I've looked in the windows. Just Curry is going to do well in the new transit center location and it sounds like another Corner location may eventually happen. Higher Grounds makes so much money in the hospitals, it may want to just concentrate its efforts, but more coffee places are always a good thing.

Making Room

2008-04-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

There are numerous construction projects going on around town. Some of the more notable ones include the South Lawn Project, demolition of the former Boxer/Central Fidelity Bank building, and demolition of a hospital parking garage to make way for the Emily Couric Cancer Center (which began this last weekend). A trip to NYC a week ago showed that some construction trends are unlikely to catch on here, such as building on top of another building (9th Ave in the 50's) or tearing the back off a church to both save the facade and erect a high-rise apartment building behind it (East Village).

Pete's Park -n- Eat

2008-04-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

Heading to the Northeast from C-ville often takes one on Route 29 at least as far as Interstate 66. The largest town along this road is Culpeper but pulling that far off the Seminole Trail to find food isn't the best option when trying to make good time. As an alternative to the fast food chains lining the four-lane byway, Pete's Park-n-eat in Opal, Virginia offers the same items as the McDonald's across the street, burgers, fries, and shakes, as they were meant to be served.The fries were fryer crisp, the best part of the road snack. The burger was a thin wafer of bland meat substance that left a bad taste afterward. Waiting longer than at a fast-food restaurant creates anticipation, but the burger was a real disappointment. The milkshakes are much better than the chemical ooze McDonald's dispenses. The selection at Pete's is amazing, from pizza and subs to shrimp baskets and burgers. Plus, there are some overgrown little-shop-of-horrors tropical plants standing watch inside the fifty year old building. With all this character, it's worth stopping once, but there are enough other options to and from Charlottesville to keep me hunting for the perfect food stop on James Madison Highway. Bavarian Chef? Madison Pig 'N Steak? Next time.

Pete's Park-N-Eat
Intersection of 29 and 17
10088 James Madison Highway, Bealeton
phone (540) 439-8928

Charlottesville CSA's

2008-04-10T10:48:00.001-07:00

The April 1-7 C-ville Weekly featured an article about area CSA's. The article provided some excellent background information on the growing number of community supported agriculture organizations. I recommend reading it. I had not before heard of the hard times that befell the Best of What's Around (BOWA) last summer. It turns out "members were offered refunds because of a hitch in production, and a large percentage...left the CSA." Of those with workshares, most of them stayed. Perhaps with more invested in time, those with workshares understood the difficulty of keeping up production. Unlike a few of the other featured farms, BOWA still has some shares available this summer.

The article within the article ("Trouble in paradise: Controversy grows over Horse & Buggy Produce", p. 22) discussed Horse & Buggy, which technically isn't a CSA. The title makes it sounds as if there is a controversy. The bottom line is that CSA people are upset because Horse & Buggy takes customers that would otherwise join a CSA. Brett Wilson, an effusive and energetic overalls-wearing man, runs the outfit. He buys produce in wholesale lots, a majority coming from Mennonite farmers near Dayton, VA. Some food may come from as far away as Pennsylvania. Therefore, the food isn't exactly local, but it's better than food from California or Chile. Second, some of the farmers use pesticides. Not mentioned in the article, but something that struck me as counter to the aims of the local, spray-free movement, was that the lettuce is grown hydroponically. Does hydroponic lettuce from Virginia have less of a carbon footprint than organic lettuce from CA? Maybe. So, Horse & Buggy is not a CSA and it's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction. Plus they have excellent bread, granola, chickens, apples, cucumbers, and eggs.

The winner in my mind is Appalachia Star farm. It's family run and there are 2-3 acres in production providing 50 shareholders 40 different varieties of vegetables for 22 weeks for $328. Keep an eye out of them at the downtown market.

The Local

2008-03-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Eating and nightlife options are multiplying in downtown belmont. Joining Mas, La Taza, Saxx, Belmont BBQ, and Crush wine store (their Friday wine tasting qualifies as nightlife), The Local opened a couple weeks ago and hasn't had any trouble generating buzz. Last night at 8 there was an hour and a half wait for two. The place was so busy or unprepared, chairs had to be borrowed from Saxx across the street.

The sleek brick building with interior brick walls and wood floors and ceilings had a months-long renovation documented in installments by the C-ville and Hook. The result is impressively world-class. If that weren't enough, a roof-top deck is promised once warmer weather arrives. Following the bistro or tratorrio model, the pricing is reasonable. The name is suposed to reflect that locals can afford it and local ingredients are favored when available.

It's probably not fair to judge a restaurant's service and food in the first month, especially one that is borrowing chairs from another restaurant. That being said, the waitstaff were spread a little thin and some of the food had cooled by the time it arrived. Those who chose the steak frites were disappointed by the sauce and the french fries (a little too cooked and soggy). However, the vegetarian pasta special and mussels were good, and the booze selection top-notch. When it comes down to it, I like the building and the scene too much to give up yet.

Reservations accepted.
434-984-9749
824 Hinton Ave.
Charlottesville

City Market

2008-03-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Progress Plus! shows up every week or so. Usually it's promptly slipped into the recycling pile, but once in a while there is some article of interest inside. This week an article by Brian McNeill comments on the economics of the Charlottesville City Market.

- Transporting the food to the market over the 30 weeks it's open consumes a calculated 180,000-kilowatt hours. This is the same amount of power consumed by 18 homes annually. This number came from research done by fourth-year UVA student Lauren Doucette.
- The average vendor travels 60 miles to the market.
- There were 311 registered vendors last year.
- "In a conventional grocery store, the average distance that fresh fruit and vegetables have traveled is around 1,600 miles." I'm not sure where this number comes from, but it's outrageous.
- $955,788 were spent at the Water Street market last year.

The market opens in a couple weekends. April can't come soon enough. But then again, it is the cruelest month.

Tip Top Restaurant

2008-03-22T18:12:00.001-07:00

Near the top of Pantops Mountain is a diner that predates the car dealerships and shopping centers around it. It fits in more with the days of motor courts and earnest weekend trips to Luray Caverns (because now they're all ironic). A recent renovation has greatly expanded the space and on a recent Saturday morning the place was ba-jumpin'. For watered down syrup, loud church groups, and an inexpensive food coma, haul your ass up the big hill called a mountain. The prices are as low as this place is high. It is not the place to take relatives if you want to show off Charlottesville, but it's perfect the morning after a late Dionysian Friday or Saturday night.

Is this a placemat or a promotion from 1950's Virginia Department of tourism? At Tip Top, it's a placemat.

1420 Richmond Rd
Charlottesville, VA 22911
(434) 244-3424

Highland County Maple Syrup

2008-03-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

This year is the 50th Anniversary of the Highland County Maple Festival. It began last weekend and continues this coming weekend. Highland County is just west of Augusta County but it's a world away from Staunton and the valley. With only 2500 people, it's Virginia's least populous county. The directions are easier than the actual driving over the mountains. Just take 64 west from Charlottesville to Staunton and then continue on 250 from there. After about an hour and a half of driving, McDowell appears around the bend. A full parking lot beside the Stonewall Ruritan Building heralds the countywide festivities. After the drive this place seems the most appropriate to eat the buckwheat pancakes and homemade sausages available at multiple venues. After filling up on the $7 meal, it's time for the real reason to make the trek. By continuing on 250 W through Monterey, eventually there is a sign pointing toward the maple tree farms. There are two in this area. The first is Rexrode's sugar orchard. The farm features some maple trees over 200 years old. There they use the old fashioned "open pan" system of evaporation with miles of plastic tubing collecting from the trees on the property. A supply of maple syrup is available in one of the buildings. Farther up 637 is Puffenbarger's sugar orchard. Prior to a fire in late February this place used reverse osmosis and oil-fired evaporators to produce its syrup. In the fire they lost about 700 gallons. Even so, they are still offereing maple syrup doughnuts. I never thought a pastry could be too sweet until I tried this dessert. It hasn't stopped the Puffenbargers from selling lots of the doughnuts.

2008-03-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

3rd St. NE is nearing completion. At least the block is passable but not without stepping on black tarps and over bricks. The sand-set bricks differ from the mortared bricks on the mall, the ones that are ailing. The difference begs the question whether there is any plan for uniformity in the city's herringbone walkways.

Botique Hotel Rising

2008-03-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

The construction walls and chain link fence have gone up around the former Boxer Learning / Central Fidelity Bank building. After years of different developers considering the site for a botique hotel, Minor Family Hotels plans to build a nine-story hotel after a $350,000 demolition. The black granite facade along the mall and eight feet of ugly brick down 2nd Street will remain. The $30 million hotel project is slated to take 16 months.

Spry's Closed

2008-02-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

The lights have been out for a couple weeks in the old Northern Exposure building. Within the last week the Spry's signs came down. Read the earlier post here written soon after it opened in September. The doors are now closed for good. A sign on the door says they closed due to the owner's health concerns. There is a number to call with questions and concerns. Now the dark building, stripped of signage, seems even smaller in front of the UVA parking garage that looms over it. The only permanent change to the building is the now white wall that used to be covered by a cartoonish mural of NYC.

Fleurie

2008-02-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day (really the day after) seemed like as good a time as any to visit the fanciest and most expensive restaurant in Charlottesville. Oxo is a close second. (The Barboursville restaruant is outside the city.) Tucked into one of the side streets of the downtown mall on 3rd St. NE, Fleurie has been hosting "special occasion" dinners since 2001. In the home of a former pottery shop, it fills a small space split in two by a divider. The north wall is lined with comfy booths. A bar fills the southeast corner. Small tables are neatly spaced along the front window and along the pale yellow walls.

Upon seating we were offered champagne but passed. The wine list is extensive and all the wait staff seem to know it well. We opted for a lower end Burgundy, but lower end is $40. A prix fixe menu included around five choices each for appetizer, main course, and dessert. The meal started with an amuse-bouche (this place is French after all) of a piece of salmon over a parsley puree. The lobster bisque was less creamy than I expected but excellent. The meal never let up after the amuse-bouche. For the main entrees, there were scallops over green couscous, amazing, and flounder over white beans with a caviar garnish, splendid. We opted for the blueberry souffle with homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert. Just thinking about how good it was makes me want to swear. After that came some tiny pastry treats from the pastry chef: truffles, lemon meringue, and some sort of sweet bread. Settling the tab enforced that the price is steep, but the meal was certainly memorable. Dinner for two was $200 so it's not the place to go when your reason for dining out is that you don't want to have to clean up the kitchen after dinner.

Fleurie Restaurant‎
108 3rd St NE, Charlottesville, VA
(434) 971-7800‎

Monday – Thursday 5:30pm to 9:00pm
Friday – Saturday 5:30pm to 10:00pm

Unfortunately, Fleurie is on the street that's been torn up since late summer. The mess and construction machinery in front of the restaurant is amusing to me, but can't be for the people whose businesses are here.

A conspiracist might suggest that someone at city hall is carrying out a vendetta by trying to shut down a business on the street. The likely explanation is an underprepared contractor. Regardless, I doubt that patrons of Fleurie are deterred.

West Main

2008-02-17T15:35:00.001-08:00

If you're in the mood for southern comfort food in a bar, and Miller's is just a little too smoky, West Main is probably a good place to try. Anchoring the old southwest corner of the Vinegar Hill neighboorhood, with heaps of food at reasonable prices, leaving hungry is not an option. As the first restaurant west of the downtown mall, it's a short walk from there. The historic corner building, old brick and incandescent light, makes it a natural place for a restaurant. The inside bar and upstairs dining areas are decorated with historic pictures of Charlottesville, among them some from Holsinger's studio around the turn of the century. Downstairs there is a larger bar area with a stage that serves as a small-time venue. Unfortunately the place is more appealing than the food.

The burger, a half-pounder with fries, can't possibly be eaten without causing a stomach ache. The entrees come with two sides and a small biscuit. Opting for the Virginia crabcakes seemed appropriate. They come with a spicy sauce, and have their fair share of onions, garlic, and green peppers. At least, I think that what's the green flecks were. The hushpuppies were too crispy. The macaroni and cheese was the best part, thick fusili pasta in a creamy cheese sauce served in a ramekin. The draft beers were flat, the Guinness stale. Since the food isn't the draw, it would be nice to stop by for a drink, but even that isn't desirable.

333 W Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 293-2605

Moore's Creek and Woolen Mills

2008-02-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

A portion of the Rivanna Trail can be accessed from the back of Quarry Park. From the website:

This portion of the trail offers a glance at Charlottesville's underbelly and history.
Walking toward Woolen Mills, the trail follows Moore's Creek and skirts sanitation ponds. Eventually the stench leads to the above outflow into Moore's Creek. Upon reaching Woolen Mills there is the old plant across the creek still used by Allied for storage. From there the train bridge is visible. By hiking up the stone embankment, the tracks can be reached, and to the east, there are the ruins of the Charlottesville and Albemarle Railway Company power plant. This old power plant was under construction in 1913 at the time of the lower photograph.
Now its overgrown and a venue for grafitti. The statue of liberty stencil looks like the work of Banksy.

The C. and A. Ry. Co. (its lettering formed in bricks on the power plant building) was a streetcar company that in powering its cars also powered Charlottesville. According to the billboard C. & A. "keeps your home bright".In addition to the sewage treatment plant and some ruins, this stretch of trail serves as the address for a number of squatter camps. There were many visible from the trail with tents, mattresses, and pants hanging over branches to mark them. One at the end of long dry culvert, in the center of an on-ramp, looked just lived in. A bar of soap still teetered on a log. Having been in this area before, the profusion of such camps seem to indicate an economic downturn. The area along Moore's Creek may never have known good economic times. Just this week the Moore's Creek Restaurant was burglarized. This included a full-sized arcade game. (see story)

Photos thanks to Rufus Holsinger and the University of Virginia.

Fiery Furnaces - 01/26/08

2008-01-27T09:08:00.001-08:00

The Satellite Ballroom became a tropical icey on Saturday night: the Fiery Furnaces with Ki:Theory and Tapeworms warmed the hearts of a medium-sized crowd. Matthew Friedberger sported a shorter haircut than usual and Eleanor rocked it in some sort of 70's-ish outfit. For whatever reason you like the Furnaces - there are a lot - they were on full display Saturday. Mix moments of math rock, a hyperkinetic sultry singer, and a chord change jamboree, and someone will show up. The band played many of the songs off the new album "Widow City" and then took requests at the end. Chief Inspector Blancheflower and Tropical Iceland tied for first in a tally of hand-scrawled paper scraps. Mr. Friedberger calls this "derocmacy". Rock on.

Blue Mountain Brewery and Hops Farm

2008-01-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

Lovers of craft beer and artisanal breweries have had recent reason to rejoice. Opening to the public in October 2007, Blue Mountain Brewery joined the ranks of South Street and Starr Hill. As Starr Hill nears the big time with its recent Anheuser contract, Blue Mountain replaces it as a local brewery content with a local following, at least for now. The beers have started appearing around town since the fall. Draughts of the Rockfish Wheat are served at the Blue Moon Diner and six-packs are sold at Harris Teeter. At least for now, the beer is also on tap at Mellow Mushroom, Michael's Bistro, and Beer Run and bottled beer is available at Wine Warehouse, Whole Foods, Market Street Wine Shops, and Continental Divide.

To get to the brewery from C-ville take 64 West. At exit 107, follow 250 West about 6 miles. Turn left on 151 South (Critzer's Shop Road). The brewery is on the left, 1.3 miles down the road.

The now dormant rows of hops are in front of the barn-like building and down the hill. The building includes the brewing operations and the tasting room. The facilities allow production of 3500 barrels a year. According to a December 7, 2007 article in the Nelson County Times, the brewery is already running at capacity and five weeks into operation had to pull back from distribution in Richmond and Roanoke. Large glass windows divide the brewing tanks from the bar and the tasting room. The large room reminded me of the Veritas tasting room. A small kitchen serves some appetizers with local ingredients.

Of the beers, the classic Lager, the Continental-style lager with more bitterness (hops) than an American lager, would please anyone who doesn't hate beer. These are the six packs I keep taking home from Harris Teeter. To try all the beers, there is a 6 beer sampler for 5 bucks. They are all excellent, tasty, well-balanced beers. Their website gives a better description of them than I could (link below). On the the heels of the movement to eat local, Blue Mountain Brewery makes it easier and enjoyable to drink local. Bring it home in six-packs or fill a half gallon growler for $10.

Blue Mountain Brewery and Hops Farm
519 Critzers Shop Road
Afton, VA 22920
540-456-8020

Check out the local beer scene.

Crabtree Falls

2008-01-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

About 55 miles from Charlottesville is the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. A cascading waterfall, with a total drop of 1,200 feet and single fall of 400, Crabtree Falls backs up into the Blue Ridge Mountains. To get there take 29 South just past Lovingston. Take a right on 56 W and continue for 19 miles. There are signs as you get closer. The parking lot entrance will sneak up on your left.

In the summer crowds flock. Colder weather keeps many people away. Crabtree Falls offers something different and equally amazing in every season. In times of extended cold, the falls can freeze over entirely and sustain ice climbing. The day we went there was plenty of ice but the falls were still flowing.

Starr Hill Brewing Co. and Tasting Room

2008-01-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

Starr Hill Brewery, founded in 1999 in the now papered up Charlottesville location, moved to the old Con Agra building in Crozet in 2005. The grand opening of the new tasting room was July 21 of last year. Viscerally preferring beer to the more intellectual wine, even though they're both so damn good, making the drive west on 250 to 240 had been a long time coming. Heading west, the parking lot is on the left after passing the plant. A short ramp leads to a small side door which enters a storage room for kegs. From there you get a glimpse of the tasting area and the bottling machinery (pic above). The place was busy but it's only open for tours and tastings from noon to five on Saturday. The four staples (Amber, Jomo, Dark Starr, Pale Ale) were on tap, as well as a couple seasonal brews. The six packs are on sale, cheaper than retail, and they'll fill up a growler for $7. That's the real deal. I prefer the Jomo but there's something for everyone. Overall, I expect more taste from a craft beer. Starr Hill's a winner alright: there's a six-pack in my fridge. It's not clear what's missing. Blue Mountain Brewery hits closer to what I want and expect from a microbrewery. (future post to come)

Half of the appeal of the place is the industrial digs. West Main Starr Hill could brew 1,500 Barrels annually. The Crozet home can make 10,000 barrels a year with room for expansion. Help with that expansion will come in part from a distribution deal recently signed with Anheuser Busch. This news, the marriage with Big Beer, and the large shiny plant make it hard to think of Starr Hill as a microbrewery. The amazing thing is that the brand has only existed for nine years. In nine more years it might be the next Sierra Nevada as founder Mark Thompson hopes.

The Con Agra plant has a history that involves one of my favorite subjects, the Albemarle Pippin. The Crozet Gazzette, Feb 2007 edition, which is available online, offered a history of the cold-storage plant, and an article about Starr Hill. Crozet is a small place after all.

Cold storage warehouses on the site go back as far as the first decade of the 20th Century. It rose out of the need to store all the surplus apples coming out of western Albemarle County, such as all the ugly Pippins. Apple storage evolved into slicing and packaging in 1946, but by this time the large-scale apple growers were a thing of the past. A savior for the building and local workers came with the arrival of Morton Frozen Foods in 1953. In 1965, Morton was bought by Continental Baking. At that time there were 1,600 employees and it was Albemarle's largest employer. In 1981, it was sold to tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds. In 1982, it became a unit of RJR's San Francisco-based Del Monte. It joined Con Agra in 1986. Still in 1994 with 732 employees, the plant had the capability to produce 15,000 pounds per hour of pot pie filling and 25,000 pounds per hour of gravy and pasta sauce. Corporate cuts closed the food processing operations in 2000.

A sign next to the tasting room bathroom brings back the old days.

Starr Hill Brewing Co
5391 Three Notched Road
Crozet, VA 22932
434-823-5671

Some more info on the local beer scene.

Bang!

2008-01-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

Situated on the corner of 2nd Street SW and South Street, the little brick house called Bang! touts its cocktails. Besides its inner red glow, little else from the outside of this place resembles a restaurant. Having won Artini!, drinks are good place to start. There are real winners like Wisteria Lane, all raspberry and sweet, and the Bangarita. In lieu of a 'tini, there are some wines ($8 and up) and bottled beers. No draughts. The Dogfish 60 Minute IPA is always excellent. The beverages can be enjoyed at the small wrap around bar, the tables, in booths, or on couches. In warmer seasons, there's an outdoor patio.

It may be best to stop at the drinks. The food is good, rich, spicy, but just misses. The serving sizes will leave you hungry or ill. If visited as a cocktail/appetizer first stop on a night out, then Bang! will have found a purpose in the busy downtown restaurant scene.

For a completely different dining experience, try South Street Brewery next door. For more info about Bang! including menu and directions check out the website.

213 2nd St SW
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 984-2264

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2008-01-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

If the meal calls for spaghetti and meatballs, then have spaghetti and meatballs.
This dessert was provided by a promising local pastry chef.

Sugar Hollow

2008-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

Down Sugar Hollow Road is one of the more popular Albemarle County hiking spots. With parking outside the park proper, there aren't those pesky fees encountered upon entering Skyline Drive. Winter keeps the crowds away. Mild January weather still makes it a great place to hike.

Getting there is easy. Take Barracks Road/Garth Road west all the way to White Hall. At the curve to the right bear left onto Sugar Hollow Road. The road will turn to gravel just beyond the reservoir dam. There is parking along the road and space at the end. The trail heads north from there along the North Fork of the Moorman's River. Just beyond the trailhead, the National Park begins and continues for three miles along the river. There are multiple creek crossings and canyon views with icicles in winter. High water may make some of the crossings more treacherous.

As for the Reservoir, it's not full as the below picture attests. This has accounted for the recent drought warning signs around town. According to the recent C-ville Weekly, the RWSA has downgraded the drought warning to a drought watch. Check out some more about the water situation.

JPJ: Welcome to the Present

2008-01-06T18:37:00.001-08:00

Not all might agree that this is humorous, but I think it is. The JPJ seems to be basking in past glories. It's 2008, right?

Beta House No More

2008-01-06T18:24:00.000-08:00

Discussed in multiple recent articles (here's one from The Hook with pre-wrecking ball photo), the Beta or Compton House did come down despite concerns and a few protests from community preservationists. Now there is room for a planned graduate student center. The wheels of progress?
Check out some more pre- and post-destruction pics here.

Holiday Clean-up

2008-01-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

With the holidays winding down, the Recycling Center on McIntire Road is accepting trees. Check the link below for other locations. After sawing down a tree at a Christmas Tree farm, enjoying it for a few weeks, and dropping it off at McIntire, it will now be mulched. It's just one big cycle with the help of a few gallons of petroleum. Mulch pick-up February 1.

Here's what the county's saying about it.

Monsoon Building

2008-01-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

Monsoon at 113 West Market Street operates in a the Velle House, a building remarked upon in the original Historic Landmark Survey. The converted two story house and its surrounding wall are composed of vermiculated block. Built in 1908 by R.T. Seabrook, the house represents no identifiable style. A string course divides the two floors; a terra cotta frieze lies under the eaves. The second floor facade is unusual for its asymmetric windows.

Department of Community Development Historic Landmark Study, Charlottesville Virginia. The Michie Co. 1976.

Read more about eating there.

South Street Brewery

2008-01-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

Where do you get a good pub burger downtown? This may be the answer. Miller's is a little too greasy spoon; Horse and Hound is a little too fancy. The Nook? West Main?

A singles bar (by design?) with areas for large groups (seating by the fire is best), South Street Brewery brews its own beers behind one of the longest bars downtown. Their beers all have the taste of being unrefined but this is part of their appeal. The Sahti is made like one of beer's progenitors, poured over juniper boughs with the taste of juniper berries. The beer lacks hops which gives it quite a distinctive taste. Their lightest beer is the Hogwaller Kolsch. The J.P. Ale follows in the microbrewery pale ale tradition. Read more about beers brewed locally.

For dinner there is the burger, a carnivore's delight. Satay without the tuna or chicken offers an excellent vegetarian option. The salads are fresh lettuce and veggies and there is a good selection of appetizers.

Along the backwall a playful mural looks down on the booths of diners and the circles of chatting quaffers.

106 W South St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 293-6550

Pocosin Cabin

2008-01-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club maintains a number of cabins within Shenandoah National Park and on its own lands. (see map) Pocosin Cabin lies within the Park along Skyline Drive just north of the entrance on State Road 33.As mentioned on the website, the cabins have rudimentary supplies, utensils, plates, a woodstove, bunks, but food, water, sleeping bags, and light must be packed in. Fortunately or unfortunately, Pocosin Cabin is right off the road, so this is hardly a backcountry experience. Without electricity or running water, time is spent cutting and splitting wood, collecting and purifying water, building fires and cooking dinner. Some of the available cabins once belonged to settlers, which lends some authenticity to the experience. Pocosin Cabin was built by a CCC work crew in the 30's.

The woodstove easily heated up the small one room cabin, so going in December wasn't uncomfortable. Inclement weather closing the parkway is the only seasonal hazard. If this is the case, the cabin can be reached from outside the park, which is about a four mile hike. PATC publishes an excellent map series (#10 - Central District) that makes it easy. I didn't make it but the Pocosin Mission ruins aren't far from the cabin.

As we left, clouds rolled into the hollows.

First Night and Day and Night Again

2008-01-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

It was a big green apple.

Mixed Messages

2007-12-26T15:21:00.001-08:00

This sign is just off 64 when going toward Fork Union. What's wrong with America?

A cultural subtext readily emerges from the association of a dialysis center and a fast food joint. With an epidemic of obesity and rising rates of diabetes and hypertension, individuals with renal failure requiring dialysis must also be on the rise. So, in this one sign are two industries, one springing from the other. UVA nephrologists, dialysis equipment manufacturers, and staff meet the need of those that choose to fulfill their biologic urge to gorge on fat and sugar from a franchise more than willing to supersize them into renal failure.

Gas prices hovering around $3 suggest another glaring problem. Who cares: try the McDonald's salad.

Cassis

2007-12-14T16:06:00.000-08:00

Cassis
210 W. Water Street
434-979-0188

Either because it lies on a block with many other restaurants or its entrance isn't the most inviting, Cassis gets overlooked among downtown eateries. In the vicinity of OXO, Mono Loco, and Bang, Cassis serves up a "fine dining" experience. Four wines by the glass are available to get things started. Salads, soups, the obligatory calamari, and mussels all serve as excellent appetizers. Come to think of it, mussels almost seem obligatory on downtown appetizer lists. For lighter fare, the chevre and roasted pistacchio salad rocked. The bouillabaisse is enough food for two people. The grouper was perfectly portioned; anything with capers wins my vote. If you're adventurous, there's the venison steak. I neglected to ask how a restaurant obtains venison (farms, local hunters, roadkill?), but I like the idea of it. If it comes from out of state, should we be worried about chronic wasting disease?

The space is large, certainly not cozy, and on weeknights it can seem a little empty. But it also means that Cassis is great for large groups, even birthdays, if you're not already headed to the Melting Pot. Don't look here for that review.

http://www.cassisrestaurant.com/

Pee Wee's Pit Barbecue

2007-12-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

Oh my god. This stuff is amazing. On Valley Street in Scottsville, currently undergoing a roadway renovation, lives a damn good BBQ restaurant. I'm not sure if this place is linked to a restaurant of a similar name in Blacksburg. The platter includes a Memphis style pulled pork sandwich topped with cole slaw and two sides. The potatos are popular and it's obvious why. What's in these? Even my mom's don't taste this good. I opted for the bacon beans, but the Mac 'n cheese is apparently the other favorite side.

Pee Wee's is looking to franchise and has the opportunity to please a lot of Central Virginians. The serving sizes won't make them any thinner.

485 Valley St
Scottsville, VA 24590
(434) 286-7744

Foxfire Farm

2007-12-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

Buckingham County sounds much farther away than it is. Passing over the James River at Scottsville brings this faraway place closer. Foxfire Farm invites all in the run-up to Christmas for cut-your-own trees and home-made wreaths. A stand of Scotch Pines around back of the wreath factory barn and parking area offered great views of the mountains.
Beside Scotch Pines, there are Douglas Firs, White Pines, and Norway spruces. Once the tree was felled (saw provided) and carted (also provided) into the barn, the staff packaged it up and helped us secure it to the top of the Honda.
With slight trepidation, the smallish Scotch Pine made it back to Charlottesville atop our car without a hitch.

It's not the only Christmas Tree farm around, but this one visit will keep me going next year. If only they had spiked nog. For more info including a map visit Foxfire Farm.

Las Palmas Bakery

2007-12-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Along the one-way portion of Carlton Road, a couple blocks from Market Street, a small commercial building is filling up. It will be the future home of a beer store on the upper floor, the side facing the tracks. On the lower floor and "backside" of the building is a store with everything Mexican, a Mexican bakery, and a storefront church. The bakery houses a spare operation. The mixing was going on just behind the counter when we walked in. A loud industrial blender was making one hell of a racket. The baked goods are displayed along one wall and in a case next to the register.
Opting for a simple cinnamon & sugar number, I wasn't impressed. Having been raised on sweeter baked goods, next time I'll head to Spudnuts.

Oakencroft and Whitehall Vineyards

2007-12-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

When the weather outside is frightful, it's a good time to drink Virginia wines. The White Hall Cab Sav 2005 is amazing. After a trip there a couple weeks ago, we picked up that and the Syrah. During wine tasting it is sometimes difficult to distinguish wines, especially a glass in, so purchases sometimes don't live up to how they tasted the first time. The Oakencroft Chambourcin, 100% Chambourcin Grape, is a good wine but was not what we thought once it came home. The Cab Sav is excellent.

A mini-trip on the Monticello Wine Trail, driving WNW from C-ville, brings one to Oakencroft and then White Hall. Oakencroft or Jefferson Vineyards are the closest wineries to town depending on where you live. Oakencroft with around 15 acres of grapes produces a strong selection of wines in contemporily designed bottles. The tasting room lies across from a pond. The narrow drive leads into a beautiful pastoral setting. Below is a view of the tasting room entrance.

White Hall is a little further out in the country, nearer to Shenandoah National Park, and therefore has better mountain views.

So a White Hall bottle of wine on a cold afternoon in December (first Sunday in Advent for the church-goers) went well with some cheese and baguette from market street wine shop and then some egg nog cookies. (2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 1/4 cups white sugar, 3/4 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup egg nog, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 2 large egg yolks. 15 minutes at 325 F = yum.) The Egg Nog came from Shenandoah's Pride, at least local in concept. A look at the list of ingredients shows, however, that a gulp contains a fair amount of midwest corn in the form of high fructose corn syrup. I didn't see a brand in Harris Teeter without it. You can't win 'em all.

Henley's Orchard

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This delightful, non-touristy (opposite of Carter's Mtn.) orchard offers great apples and peaches when in season. Being mid-November the harvest is basically over, but there were still some Granny Smith on sale, perfect for a Thanksgiving apple pie. (There was no one to collect the money, so a note with cash had to do.)

There are piles of old apple crates from all over the eastern United States if you look at the names, but they're not for sale.

Mr. Henley was a spokesman for the Albemarle Pippin in a previously referenced Daily Progress Article.

Between Henley's, Mount Air Farm (organic meat), Our Lady of the Angels Monestary (mail order Gouda), and White Hall Vineyards, all within a few miles of each other, quite a meal could be devised. To get to Henley's, put 1917 White Hall Road into Google Maps or head to White Hall and follow the signs during apple season. For more info on the other enterprises try White Hall's web site.

Monticello Wine Trail

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At around 120 wineries in the state, Virginia is certainly establishing itselt as a producing region. The awards have followed for some of the vineyards, notably Barboursville. The Charlottesville area is fortunate to have 24 wineries that together form the Monticello Wine Trail. The fancy brochure put out under that name recommends six vineyards for four wine trails, north, south, east, and west, but six wineries in a day can lead to some rowdy groups of soccer moms and culture-seeking college students. The website offers some pared down trails of no more than five vineyards, which still seems a little excessive.

A 11/09/07 C-ville article presents the idea that supporting Virginia wineries will help resist rural development, and agritourism will help the local economy. In addition to these benefits, supporting local wines over far-flung varieties reduces the use of petroleum in their delivery. Lastly, the benefits of two glasses of red wine in reducing future risk of heart disease and Alzheimer's Disease is well documented. There's no better time than this winter to take advantage of this local resource.

Escafe

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Located on the west end of the mall, across from the ice park, Escafe has been serving up comfort food with a twist since 1995. The outdoor dining is a bit cramped in the warmer months, but then the doors are open to the main restaurant. The indoor restaurant consists of two rooms, one with a long bar and the other with tables and the host/hostess podium. The original pressed tin ceiling still exists.

The online menu isn't currently updated but its a close approximation. I had the salmon on risotto with a lobster bisque and a few spring asparagus. This was a popular choice at the table. The Bogle Petit Syrah 2002 was an excellent choice although mixing reds with fish isn't the recommended combo. Red wine is just better. They were out of the Gran Familia Rioja, the first choice.

The food was good, although a little strained for the prices. Airy and loud, it's a good place to start a night out on the mall or even to get drinks after hours.

227 W Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 295-8668

Human Rights Watch Film Festival

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Almost over, this festival has presented a number of documentaries from the world's current hot spots. Last night "A Lesson of Belarusian" examined the pro-Western candidates that ran for president in March 2006 and the government crackdown than ensued. The people who marched and camped in Minsk's main square on the night of the election were disbanded and arrested. One of the candidates, Alyaksandr Kazulin, still remains in jail. The Charlottesville chapter of Amnesty International was on hand as were members of an organization that brings children from Belarus, affected by the Chernobyl meltdown, to Charlottesville for six weeks at a time. Tonight and tomorrow night there will be two more movies shown in this series.