Bye, guys
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is down to two Charlottesville locations. The Downtown Mall spot, which was often bustling with lunch breakers and bar-goers, closed its doors for good earlier this week. The restaurant’s owner did not return calls for comment by press time.
Lettuce celebrate
Next week, Local Food Hub will celebrate five years since its opening day. For the past half-decade, the nonprofit has been working directly with small, local farms, developing a system that distributes their products to large markets. Since its inception in 2009, Local Food Hub has purchased more than $3 million of locally grown fruit, vegetables, meat, and eggs, and distributed it to area restaurants, grocery stores, schools, hospitals, and senior centers. Visit www.localfoodhub.org/get-involved for information on volunteering opportunities.
A midsummer night’s wine dinner
On Saturday, July 12*, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards is hosting an evening of cocktails, custom crush wines, and cuisine featuring the area’s freshest ingredients. The “Summer’s Eve Winemaker’s Dinner” begins at 6pm, and includes a four-course meal created by chef Amalia Scatena, each course paired with a Pippin Hill wine. The menu features shrimp mousseline tortellini, pan roasted chicken breast with grilled Albemarle peaches, and watermelon and lime granita. Tickets are $120, or $100 for Wine Club members. For more information visit www.pippin hillfarm.com/blog.
Relay says goodbye to Whole Foods
Since its humble beginnings in 2007, the Charlottesville-based online grocery service Relay Foods has relied heavily on local businesses and grocery stores like Whole Foods to enhance its food supply. The startup has expanded to include pickup locations and distribution centers across the region. But it’s time for the business to stand on its own two feet. Last week, president and co-founder Arnie Katz announced that Relay will sever all ties with Whole Foods, a step toward becoming an independent grocery store and no longer relying on chains. Relay is phasing out Whole Foods brands 365, 365 Organic, and Whole Foods Market, and while the products can’t be replaced, Katz assured customers that Relay has “worked hard to improve our selection to provide you with very close alternatives.”
Cider to the danger zone
As if the tongue-in-cheek renditions of classic ’80s songs performed by Charlottesville’s bluegrass band Love Canon weren’t enough, the group is now taking a stand to promote the importance of Virginia farmers and local products. Last week, Love Canon announced its new partnership with Bold Rock Hard Cider, the 2-year-old cidery in Nelson County that crafts internationally acclaimed hard ciders crafted with Virginia apples. Bold Rock’s new taproom and outdoor stage are still under construction, but after its August opening, Love Canon will host a number of music events, so you can sip a glass of Crimson Ridge while rocking out to a fiddle-enhanced performance of Kenny Loggins, Cyndi Lauper, and ZZ Top classics.
*A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the event will be held on Saturday, July 14.