Citizen beef
Andy McClure’s Citizen Burger Bar opened last Friday just in time for Father’s Day. But while the restaurant’s central theme of burgers, beer, and ballgames is a manly one, the sleek feel of the place (exposed brick, tweed, and leather banquettes, and a cocktail area in the bay window along the Mall) and its modern offerings (a vegan burger combines beets with quinoa and millet) make it a place everyone will enjoy.
QR codes on the menu pull up info on the local farms that supply the beef, cheese, poultry, and produce for much of what’s offered. Brioche buns come fresh every day from Albemarle Baking Company, and behind the bar are 100 beers, top notch wines, and McClure’s brother Patrick mixing up classic cocktails with today’s twists. The huge space (where April’s Corner and Siips once stood) plus the patio seats about 140 people with room for a few at the “kitchen counter,” who’ll get to watch Chef Mitch Beerens (formerly of Mas) in live burger-building action. And being open every day from 11:30am to 2am means that anytime’s a good time for a burger, a beer, and a ballgame—for anyone.
The hills are alive
Hill & Holler, the roving farm dinner pop-up, is setting its next table in the vegetable fields at Bellair Farm on Sunday, June 24, at 6pm. A hayride shuttle will transport you from the reception area, where you’ll sip on wines from Cardinal Point Winery, to the dining table, where Maya’s Chef Christian Kelly will dazzle you with family-style dishes using Bellair’s summer bounty and grass-fed beef from neighboring farm, The Best of What’s Around. The $100 ticket (part of which supports Slow Food, Albemarle Piedmont) can be purchased at hillandholler.org.