Willie Watson, Americana singer-songwriter and founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, brings more than 30 years of musical experience to the stage with songs exploring torment and redemption. Through stories of heartbreak, hurt, hope, and growth, Watson channels old-time American folk, weaving in contemporary reflections on loss, love, addiction, and burdens in a complex world. Expect tunes that function as testimonials to life’s tough times and resilience, and effectively pull on your heartstrings as Watson strums his guitar and banjo.
Saturday 12/7. $25–30, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 First St. S. thesoutherncville.com
There are plenty of reasons why Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has spawned so many adaptations. And whether you prefer the lead miser be played by Michael Caine surrounded by Muppets, Bill Murray learning lessons about 1980s corporate greed, or an animated Jim Carrey in Disneyfied 3D, the main plot point stays the same: Can Ebenezer Scrooge change his ways before his proverbial (and literal) goose is cooked? In a tale of supernatural transformation, the American Shakespeare Center mounts this holiday classic where Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future haunt the dreams of a mean old man and work to thaw his icy heart.
Thursday 12/5 Through Sunday 12/29. Ticket prices and showtimes vary. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com
1799 at The Clifton showcases local ingredients and the talent of chef Matthew Bousquet. Photo by Stephen Barling.
Included in the 2024 Michelin Green Guide USA East, The Clifton was built in 1799 as a home for Thomas Jefferson’s daughter Martha and her husband. The property currently houses a boutique hotel and restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Matthew Bousquet. On a crisp November evening, I decided to see what all the excitement was about. The experience inspired me to put together a guide of my own—a few tips to make the most of your meal.
Do arrive early and get a drink at the bar.
Located in the heart of 1799, The Copper Bar—named for the copper piping supporting shelves of alluringly illuminated bottles—sets the tone for the evening.
Try one of bartender Chris Wellen’s handcrafted cocktails. Leaning into autumn flavors, I ordered the Maple Walnut Manhattan, scented with black walnut bitters, sweetened with maple syrup, and served old-fashioned style on a single, sizable ice cube. My husband opted for The Harvest, a blend of local Ragged Branch bourbon, cinnamon apple syrup, and rhubarb bitters.
Don’t fill up on the bread.
This might seem obvious to anyone who’s ever arrived pleasantly hungry to a restaurant and been tempted by a basket of rolls. But here, there are no baskets, and these are no ordinary rolls. Instead, a Staub cast-iron cocotte appeared, filled with steaming, buttered rolls studded with mustard seeds. Hearty wheat crackers ribboned with red onion offered a crisp contrast. A pat of softened butter completed the offering.
You may wonder what you’re meant to dip the crackers into. The answer? Nothing. And you’ll like it. This first offering stands entirely on its own.
Don’t order the bone marrow escargot.
Unless, of course, you’re ready for the rest of your meal to live in its shadow. This appetizer has officially joined my “last supper” list. From the moment the server set down the marrow spoon, I knew I was in for an experience.
This dish is a balancing act in every sense. Narrow slices of crisp toast teeter against halved bones, interiors shimmering with luscious marrow. The entire dish is drizzled with Pernod butter, greened with parsley, and dotted with a generous scattering of tender escargot. The dish invites a perfect bite: Tear off a piece of toast, spread on the creamy marrow, top with buttery escargot, and dip into one of the artful dollops of tangy lemon gel scattered across the plate.
For my husband, the star of the show was his entrée: the Kunz short rib. Naturally, I stole a forkful. Resting in a silky pool of celery root purée, the tender beef was unexpectedly paired with ginger and mango, alongside familiar accompaniments of spinach and horseradish-dijon cream.
Be prepared to learn.
Not from books, though you’ll see many filling the floor-to-ceiling shelves of the library room where we were seated. Instead, learn from the dishes, your server, and maybe even from your phone (hello, Google).
I don’t pretend to know every ingredient and cooking technique. That’s the beauty of dining out: It challenges you. It teaches you how to taste, layer by layer. There’s meant to be some mystery, some velvet curtain between us and the alchemy of the kitchen.
I couldn’t help but wonder: Who is Kunz, whose name graces the short rib dish? Not the 1799’s Michelin-starred Bousquet, but Gray Kunz, the celebrated chef behind Manhattan’s now-closed Lespinasse. The recipe lives on, skillfully adapted by Bousquet into a dish that feels very at home on 1799’s menu.
Do choose Virginia wine.
I opted for a glass of Lovingston’s 2022 Rotunda Red, vibrant with ripe red fruit, soft tannins, and a hint of black pepper on the finish. If that doesn’t suit your taste, the wine cellar features an array of award-winning Virginia vineyards alongside global vintages. Highlights were a viognier from Pollak Vineyards, and Barboursville Vineyards’ sauvignon blanc, Vermentino Reserve, and Octagon.
Ask about the ingredients.
Tucked among the grounds of The Clifton is a chef’s garden. The burrata, a first course that evolves throughout the year, showcases the garden’s ingredients. This version spotlighted Badger Flame beets, a unique variety tasting of honeyed sweet carrots. Nestled alongside burrata on a bed of tender lettuces, the salad was dressed with fennel pollen butter, a granola vanilla vinaigrette infused with Espelette pepper, and a white chocolate crumble. If a salad could flirt with being dessert, this one came deliciously close.
Let’s revisit the number four. I researched Espelette so you didn’t have to. It’s a pepper cultivated in the French town of the same name, with a flavor somewhere between sumac and Aleppo pepper. Sumac I know—its tart, lemony brightness grows wild in my backyard. But Espelette? It’s new to me, and I love that.
Do order dessert.
The rhum savarin looked like a simple puff pastry but delighted us with its moist, tres leches-like interior. The chocolate lava cake, served in yet another charming Staub cocotte, delivered ooey-gooey bitter chocolate goodness, balanced by poached pears and toasted almonds. It was decadent, warm, and the perfect note to end the evening.
LA LOM, an acronym for the Los Angeles League of Musicians, floats out a dreamy-yet-driving instrumental soundtrack with West Coast cool. More of a three-piece than a league, per se, the band’s sound careens smoothly through adventurous, succinct tracks that lilt with well-placed, heartbreaking chords and trembling guitar riffs. Zac Sokolow’s lyrical lead guitar—reminiscent of Link Wray’s more lucid solos and a dry land Dick Dale—call to mind the best strains of sad ’60s pop ballads. The sensible, syncopated bass line color provided by Jake Faulkner is offset by the danceable heat from Nicholas Baker’s economical drum and percussion-based beats. Baker often opts for replacing the typical snare drum spot with conga hits while kicking the bass drum and riding the hi-hat for an undulating groove.
It makes sense that LA LOM formed in 2019 for a nightly residency in L.A.’s Roosevelt Hotel lobby. Each song moves forward by constructing new scenes, deftly lit and advancing on a road mapped out by Latin music influences (Mexican boleros, Cumbia sonidera, Peruvian chicha), leading to a distinctly SoCal simmer that carries the cinematic history and intrigue of the Roosevelt’s Hollywood Boulevard locale.
On this year’s self-titled debut, tracks like “Ghost of Gardena,” “Rebecca,” and “San Fernando Rose” are offset with piano, strings, and bells in the latter song that play up what could be the opening soundtrack to a West Hollywood-based, Mexican-American James Bond movie. Ultimately, it’s Sokolow’s inventive guitar lines that make the difference for a fully instrumental group such as LA LOM. His wizardry with genuine and passionate leads replaces the need for a vocalist, and captures a breadth of emotion that words often cannot.
Openers The National Reserve represent the other coast’s media Mecca, as the Brooklyn-based five-piece that, ironically enough, flaunts its down-to-earth ’70s rock ‘n’ roll on its most-streamed Spotify track, “California.” The group’s not breaking any new ground but that hardly seems what it’s after.
The Center at Belvedere 540 Belvedere Blvd. “Small Works Art Exhibit,” featuring works under 13 inches by regional artists. Through December 18.
Chroma Projects Inside Vault Virginia, Third St. SE. In the micro gallery, “The Close and Holy Darkness,” sculpture and paintings by Aggie Zed. Through December. First Friday reception 5–7pm.
Aggie Zed at Chroma Projects.
City Clay 700 Harris Street #104. The annual Holiday Sale featuring locally made decorations and functional pottery for your holiday gifts, gatherings, and table. Through December 19.
C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery 118 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Color, Pattern and Design: An Inspiration-sparked Creative Journey with Polymer Clay,” by Judith N. Ligon. December 6–31. First Fridays reception with the artist 5–8pm.
Judith N. Ligon at C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery.
Dovetail Cabinetry 1740 Broadway St. Ste. 3. Monoprints, watercolors, and acrylic paintings by Judith Ely. Through December 30.
The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA 155 Rugby Rd. “Barbara Hammer: Evidentiary Bodies” features an immersive multichannel video installation. Through January 26, 2025. “Structures,” a selection of 20th- and 21st-century works exploring the ways that art can speak to or question the formal, physical, environmental, social, and institutional structures of our world. Through July 20, 2025. “Celebration,” features works by five African American artists highlighting the ways these artists honor history, culture, and heritage through various media. “Vanity,” black and white photography by longtime UVA arts instructor Holly Wright. “Conversations in Color,” new print acquisitions curated by M. Jordan Love. All shows run through January 5, 2025 unless otherwise noted.
Free Union Artisans Open House 4220 Free Union Rd. Handmade gifts from professionals in wood, pottery, basketry, weaving, jewelry, painting, and photography. December 7–8, 10am–5pm.
Nancy Ross at the Free Union Artisans Open House.
The Gallery at Studio IX 969 Second St. SE. “Pieces Of Color: A meeting of color, texture and time,” works by Kim Boggs and Rachel Thielmann. Through December 29. First Fridays opening reception 5–7pm. Artist talk November 21, 5–6pm.
Hello Comics 211A W. Main St, Downtown Mall. “Picture Show,” a cash-and-carry show of original drawings and digital prints by Todd Webb. Through January 8, 2025. Additional works available at Hello Comics Uptown location.
Infinite Repeats Gallery 1740 Broadway St. The Winter Market, featuring 20+ local artists and vendors. Through December 25.
IX Art Park 522 Second St. SE. “The Looking Glass,” an immersive art space featuring a whimsical enchanted forest and kaleidoscopic cave. Ongoing. “Art Mix at IX,” a fun night of painting, music, and cocktails at the outdoor art park. First Fridays, 6pm. Ticketed paint swap party 7–8:30pm.
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA 400 Worrell Dr. “Our Unbroken Line: The Griffiths Family,” screenprints on textiles, ceramic works, and paintings curated by Dora Griffiths. Through December 8. “Shifting Ground: Prints by Indigenous Australian Artists from the Basil Hall Editions Workshop Proofs Collection,” curated by Jessyca Hutchens, featuring work by 22 Indigenous Australian artists. Through March 2, 2025. “Milpa: Stop-motion animation by Spinifex artists,” animated films. December 13, 2024–March 2, 2025.
Milpa, Spinifex Arts Project at Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA.
Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 Fourth St. NW. In the Contemporary Gallery, “Beyond Boundaries: The Sculpture of Alice Wesley Ivory,” metal sculptures of animals by an award winning African American artist. Through December 14.
Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Rd. “Small Works,” featuring interdisciplinary artworks from more than 40 artists. Through December 15. Holiday Soirée, December 4, 1–7pm.
Loving Cup Vineyard 3340 Sutherland Rd., North Garden. BozART presents pastel, acrylic, and photographic works by Judith Ely, Brita Lineburger, and Andy Stafford. Through December 15.
Mas Restaurant 904 Monticello Rd. “Negotiations With Gravity,” paintings by Kris Bowmaster. Through December.
Kris Bowmaster at Mas.
McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. In all galleries, the annual Winter Market. Featuring original art, home goods, prints, ceramics, cards, fiber arts, ornaments, wearables, jewelry, and more. All purchases are cash and carry and support the artists and McGuffey Art Center. Through December 29. WinterFest open house, December 8, 1–5pm. First Fridays, 5:30–7:30pm.
New City Arts 114 Third St. NE. In the Welcome Gallery, “Of the Earth,” abstract landscape paintings and works on paper by Christen Yates and wall-hung sculptures by Jacqui Stewart Lindstrom. December 6, 2024–January 16, 2025. First Fridays reception and artist talk 5–7:30pm.
Northside Library 705 Rio Rd. W. “Landscapes … Landscapes,” oil and pastel works by Julia Kindred. December 2–30.
Julia Kindred at Northside Library.
The PVCC Gallery V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. In the Pottery Studio (D114), the annual Pottery Club sale. Offering handmade mugs, bowls, vases, plates, casseroles, pitchers, and works of art for purchase. Items will be added to the sale throughout the morning and are priced between $5–75. Sales are limited to cash or personal check only. December 7, 10am–2pm. On the grounds surrounding the V. Earl Dickinson Building, the annual “Let There Be Light” light-centered outdoor art exhibition. December 13, 6–9pm.
Ashtin Bowman at PVCC.
Quirk Gallery in The Doyle Hotel 499 W. Main St. “Color As Language,” oil paintings by Jennifer Esser. Through December 29. Please note, this is Quirk Gallery Charlottesville’s last exhibition before the space is repurposed by The Doyle.
Ruffin Gallery UVA Grounds, Ruffin Hall, 179 Culbreth Rd. “New Growth: Ten Years of ArtLab at Mountain Lake Biological Station” celebrates the mission and history of UVA’s ArtLab Residency, merging art and science. Featuring interdisciplinary works by Nancy Blum, Sara Bouchard, Gregory Brellochs, Rob Carter, Zehra Khan, Meredith Leich, Chris Mahonski, Nathalie Miebach, and Ash Eliza Williams. Through December 6.
Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE. In the Main Gallery, “That Feels Good! Labor as Pleasure,” an interdisciplinary group show curated by Francisco Donoso. Artist Talk Bingo, December 7, 10:30am. In the Dové Gallery, “Hannah Diomataris: Sticker Work,” handcut sticker compositions by the Richmond-based artist. Both shows run December 6, 2024–January 24, 2025. First Fridays reception 5:30–7:30pm.
Laura Josephine Snyder at Second Street Gallery.
Visible Records 1740 Broadway St. “Leaving My Eyelids Behind,” interdisciplinary works by Ali Eyal. Through December 13. “Direct Sow,” a group show of works by Visible Records studio members. December 20, 2024–January 25, 2025. Opening reception December 20, 6pm.
