It’s almost that time of year again! The Charlottesville City Market, the city’s largest and oldest open-air farmers’ market, will open for its 40th season on Saturday, April 5. More than 100 local vendors are scheduled for the kickoff, including 13 newcomers like Stevie G’s Gluten-Free Bakery from Crozet, Madison Trout, and Sweet Jane’s Kitchen. And back by popular demand are old favorites like Fairweather Farm, Saunders Brothers Orchard, and Radical Roots community farm.
Mark your calendars for a once-in-a-lifetime Charlottesville culinary experience. On April 13, Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, The Charlottesville 29 food blog and McGuireWoods LLP will present a dinner prepared by the five chefs named the Mount Rushmore of Charlottesville chefs in the 2013 C-VILLE Weekly food and drink issue. Ivy Inn’s Angelo Vangelopoulos, Melissa Close-Hart of Palladio Restaurant in Barboursville, Craig Hartman from The Barbeque Exchange, and Tim Burgess and Vincent Derquenne of The Space, Bizou, and Bang! are coming together to prepare an unforgettable meal. Plus, it’s for a good cause: All proceeds will benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Tickets are $250 each, and are on sale now. Check The Charlottesville 29 on Facebook (facebook.com/TheCharlottesville29) for updates on how to purchase tickets.
Can’t get enough Girl Scout cookies? Visit the bar at Clifton Inn to try chef Tucker Yoder’s take on the seasonal treats: a flight of cocktails inspired by the popular Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs. For $16, you get a trio of hand-crafted drinks made with homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Also at Clifton is a special for foodies over 50 —now through April, just share your age with your server, and enjoy 50 percent off the 10-course tasting menu, which is normally $150.
The good just keeps getting better. Barefoot Bucha, a husband-and-wife-owned kombucha company that was started in 2010, recently earned a notable distinction: first in the region to be certified organic by the USDA. Said co-owner Ethan Zuckerman in the press release, “Pursuing Organic certification was a way of committing ourselves to [sustainability] in a formalized way.” You can find the product at Whole Foods, Integral Yoga, Rebecca’s Natural Food, and Mudhouse.
Have a scoop for Small Bites? E-mail us at bites@c-ville.com or call 817-2749 (x38).