The local food movement has come a long way in two years. When we heard, in February of 2008, that there would soon be a restaurant in Belmont serving dishes made from Virginia farm ingredients, we thought it was a novel and brilliant idea. The Local opened a month later, and we were one of the first in line. That first meal was everything we hoped it would be – rustic and fresh, simple but whimsical. Unfortunately, all of the meals we’ve had there since have failed to live up to the promise of that first one, and… Read More
Outdoor Seating
Zocalo’s Fresa Negra
Aug 26
When Zocalo’s Joya McMurray recently won Best of C-ville bartender for the second year running, it seemed time to make a return trip to the downtown hot spot for a fancy cocktail. I was looking for something different, although I’m not sure I expected something quite as different as the ominously delicious sounding Fresa Negra (“black strawberry”), a fascinating chili-infused blackberry lemonade with Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Skyy Vodka, or Cuervo Tequila. I chose vodka and awaited the first sip. Surprisingly, it worked: the spice was artfully balanced with the lemonade’s tangy sweetness. It was purple and pleasingly strange and I felt like I was at Happy Hour in a Tim Burton movie. True… Read More
Vivace Bar
Aug 17
My nominee for the most underutilized bar in Charlottesville goes to Vivace, hands down and with great enthusiasm. Yes, the Ivy Road location is a slight drive from downtown. But the reward upon arrival is great. First of all, there’s the popcorn machine where you can fill up old school popcorn baskets as much as you’d like. They… Read More


You don’t go to Miller’s for the food. You go for the party. People-watching over a pitcher of beer in the middle of the mall outside, small jazz and alt music shows or weekday bar-flying on the ground floor, more civilized conversation upstairs, and rough-and-tumble billiards up the side stairs on the top floor. Food is there to assist you in whatever plans you might have at Miller’s that evening, not…
If you’ve taken any road trips in the last 10 years, you’ve surely noticed the Mexican restaurants popping up like Mexican jumping beans in all but the most far-flung reaches of this nation. For years I passed them by with a snicker, imagining the diarrhea-inducing dog food that they must serve at such places. Don’t get me wrong — I felt similarly about many truck stops.


