As your official source of all things good, better, and best in Charlottesville, it’s always a pleasure when we can introduce you to someone making a splash in the local arts scene. Enter Harold Bailey, the virtuoso pianist and composer who’s making classical cool.
Hailing from Richmond, Bailey began his career as a self-taught musician at age 16, and went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s in piano performance. Throughout his career he’s played at Carnegie Hall, improvised with the late Chick Corea, had his compositions choreographed by Charlottesville Ballet, and now teaches piano at The Front Porch and leads workshops throughout the commonwealth.
With a focus on the classical genre, Bailey showcases the versatility and individuality of the piano, and draws on his own life experiences for original compositions. His live performances are a celebration of musical connection, and often involve collaborations from other pianists and vocalists. Find more information on Bailey’s upcoming live shows at @thebaileybard.
After a couple of years in the dirt, Cville Veg Fest—one of the city’s OG festivals—is regrowing greener than ever. Originally founded in 1997 as the Charlottesville Vegetarian Fest (the inaugural veggie fest of the South), it eventually said so long to dairy, and rebranded to the Vegan Roots Festival. After 2019’s event was canceled, Veg Fest had yet to make a reappearance. Now, thanks to Downtown vegan eatery Botanical Fare, Veg Fest is returning in September for a day-long celebration of all things plant-based and earth-friendly.
With a new location at Ix Art Park, there’s even more room for vegan fun. The first fest back promises plenty of vegan eats and drinks, vendors and exhibitors, speakers, entertainment, games, kids’ activities, and so much more. Plus, it’s a zero-waste, completely compostable event, so plan ahead and bring your own reusable water bottle and cutlery. Find all the deets at veganrootsfest.org.
When it comes to weddings, sustainability is always in. Thrifting centerpieces, upcycling a secondhand gown, and asking for charitable donations in lieu of gifts (do you really need that new set of silver?) are just a few easy swaps you can make that will have the planet—and your wallet—thanking you. To help you get started, wedding planner Marilyn Speight of Just a Little Ditty shares her green tips on everything from food to flowers.—Maeve Hayden
The big question: How can I make my wedding more eco-friendly?
From Marilyn Speight: Sustainability is an incredibly important factor in event planning. Reducing the effect of a celebration on the environment is crucial when navigating a typically high-waste moment like a one-off party. No matter the area or scale, there are so many ways you can be sustainable that are intentional and thoughtful, while still designing a moment that meets your vision. Here are a few areas we consider when trying to make our client’s weddings and events more eco-friendly.
Food & beverage
Here, we really lean into your catering team. Focusing on local or seasonal food and beverages is huge. We’re lucky to live in the heart of Virginia wine country, so many weddings we produce are connected to or take place at vineyards. Serving wine to your guests that was created on-site is about as sustainable as you can get.
Plated dinners require less food than a station or buffet approach. If your goal is to produce less, this is often the way to go. Sometimes, we’ve also been able to donate leftovers to homeless shelters (make sure to check your local health codes).
Florals & décor
The majority of floral designers we work with takes great strides to source their flowers locally, which reduces travel and shipping impacts. We’ve also had couples who incorporate potted plants instead of fresh-cut blooms. From orchids to herbs, there are so many gorgeous options that can be easily reused or transplanted into soil after the shindig is over. That’s always a top goal with any floral approach—to repurpose as much as possible on-site and then give them a second life post-event.
As for other décor, using a solid rental company is one of the No. 1 ways you can positively impact the carbon footprint of your big day. Buying 200 new chargers that you’ll use one time, versus renting that same charger from a company, is inherently sustainable.
Gifts
Welcome or celebration gifts for your guests are one of our favorite ways to show hospitality, and be environmentally conscious. Reusable items made of quality materials go a long way. Fabric bags over paper, glass bottles over plastic, minimal packaging over all the bells and whistles. You can make a big impression on your guests while keeping your impact on nature small.
Charlottesville is well known as a foodie destination—not only because of its vibrant restaurant scene, but because of the well-loved gourmet groceries that make cooking at home (across myriad cultures and cuisines) easy and interesting. Put these family-owned international grocers—with ingredients from Africa, India, China, and beyond—on your must-visit list, and let the owners transport your plate and stretch your palate.
When Fred and Fatima moved to Charlottesville, none of the grocery stores had what they were looking for. Originally from Ghana, the couple couldn’t find any of the ingredients they needed to make the authentic, West African cuisine that tasted like home.
Their only option was packing up the car and road-tripping hours away to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and sometimes even New York to stock up on goods from African markets. With young kids, the drive got old fast.
“We were tired of traveling two and a half, four hours, sometimes more to get our produce and food,” says Fatima. “We had to take our kids and we were just tired of doing that. Looking around this community, we wanted to bring things—to bring a bit of us to the community.”
Photo: Eze Amos
In 2012, the couple opened African Market Place—their way of bringing home to Charlottesville. Housed in a small end-cap space on Commonwealth Drive, the shop’s shelves are full of fresh flavors, produce, and foods from all across Africa.
One of Market Place’s largest sections is dedicated to grains. According to Fatima, African breads are a must-try.
“They’re different, not as much sugar or preservatives,” she says. “Better.”
Beginners can start with a loaf of agege bread, a dense white bread from Nigeria, or a bag of Effie’s International pull-off rolls, made by an authentic African bakery in Alexandria. If you’re interested in getting your hands dirty and kneading your own dough, there are plenty of flour options to choose from.
Maskal teff flour can be used to make injera, a spongy Ethiopian flatbread, and there’s an entire shelf dedicated to varieties of fufu flour.
One of West Africa’s best-known dishes, fufu is a pounded, starchy side dish that can be made with cassava, plantain, cocoyam, and more. It pairs well with flavorful meats or soups.
If you’re new to African cuisine, or any international cuisine, shopping for it for the first time can be overwhelming. Soup is a great place to start.
Photo: Eze Amos
“When it’s cold, we Africans like soup,” says Fatima. “We can have palm soup, peanut soup, soup with cassava leaves. There’s a lot of different soups, it depends.”
Just come in with a general idea of what you want, and Fatima can help you round out your list. Stock up on the essentials, like palm oil (“We use it for everything,” she says.), herbs, spices, and Nina Groundnut Paste (African peanut butter, “No additives, it’s better.”), then pick your meats and veggies. There’s smoked dried fish, flavorful bone-in meats (“It has hard bones, it doesn’t fall apart in soup.”), jumbo snails (“Steam them first.”), massive African yams, and fresh cassava. It’s hearty, starchy, and, in the words of Fatima, “different. It’s better.”
On the way out, grab a bag of plantain chips or a box of McVitie’s Digestives for the road, and make sure to snag a bar or two of African black soap. It’s just better.
Is there anything more satisfying than a simmering bowl of homemade curry or masala?
We don’t think so. And Express Grocery Store probably has all the authentic ingredients you need to make a delicious meal inspired by your choice of South Asian cuisine.
The family-owned shop has been around for a while, but its current owner, Prashanna Sangroula, took over two years ago. Despite running a new business in the middle of the pandemic, Sangroula has been slowly working on expanding the shop’s offerings with the help of family member and longtime business partner Utsav Gautam.
“When we moved here there wasn’t really a store like it,” says Gautam. “We drove to northern Virginia to get our supplies.”
To save others from making the trek north, Express regularly gets shipments of fresh produce, and frequently rotates its stock to keep things novel for customers, who can find items from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and more.
If you have a hankering for curry, make sure to buy dal, rice, spices, paratha (an Indian flatbread), and your choice of meat—chicken, bone-in lamb, or goat, when it’s in stock. There are also plenty of authentic paneers if you want to go vegetarian, and seasonal veggies like pumpkin leaf, bathua saag, tori ko saag, and rukh tamatar.
Photo: Eze Amos
If it’s a frozen dinner kind of night, Express has you covered. Gautam keeps multiple freezers full of every kind of samosa imaginable, plus mattar paneer, chicken tikka masala, and pakoras.
Finish up your shopping with something to sip on and a sweet treat. Express stocks a nice selection of wines and Indian beers, including Taj Mahal, Flying Horse, and Haywards 5000, and has an impressive dessert selection. Sate your sweet tooth with some mango or falooda ice cream, chikki peanut brittle, punjabi cookies, or chocolate burfees.
The sweets—and the snacks—are favorites of UVA students, who get free delivery within a five-mile radius.
Gautam recommends the Kurkure chips, which come in flavors like masala munch, chilli chatka, and naughty tomato, and Maggi instant noodles, Express’ best-selling item.
Depending on the time of year, you might also find seasonal goods. In October, you can find everything you need for a Diwali celebration, including diyas, incense, and makhamali mala.
Milestone achievement
C’ville Oriental celebrates 30 years
In 1994, Xiaonan Wang and Hui Qiao moved to Charlottesville from California.
In California, the Asian community makes up more than 15 percent of the population, and Asian grocery stores are abundant. In Charlottesville in the ’90s—not so much.
“We realized we couldn’t find any Asian grocery stores,” says Qiao. “Coming from California, that was so inconvenient to the Asian community especially. We had to go to Richmond or D.C. to get our items.”
Wang and Qiao would drive far away to get basic items like vinegar and soy sauce. It’s an unfair experience that’s all too familiar for people of international cultures who move to C’ville. Qiao and Wang immediately started thinking of opening their own store.
“I just thought that this is a must,” says Qiao.
That same year they opened C’ville Oriental. Qiao had just started a job at UVA, so Wang took on the day-to-day operations.
“We started in a much smaller space and we just kept expanding and moved three times until our current location at Seminole Trail,” says Qiao. “This is our biggest space so far, and we like the location because of the parking and the space inside.”
The inside is a treasure trove of goods from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Thailand, India, and more. It’s easy to get lost in the aisles of savory sauces, sweet snacks, and fresh produce.
“[Customers] really like our fresh vegetables,” says Qiao. “We have about 20 different kinds of greens. It’s healthy, easy to cook, and cheap.”
Bok Choy, taro, and bean sprouts are a few of the veggies you’ll find, alongside plenty of meat and tofu options, and fun snacks like Pocky and mochi. Every week, Wang makes the drive to D.C. to pick up items a supplier can’t ship to Charlottesville.
“Originally, the store was for the Asian community, but now we have more and more Americans come in,” says Qiao. “Because of the University town, a lot of people have exposure to international cultures. They want to learn how to eat and cook.”
This year marks 30 years in business. Qiao, who recently retired from her UVA position, is now helping out more and more at the shop, which is open 365 days a year.
Qiao and Wang know first-hand how hard it can be to find specialty items, so they want to be there for C’ville residents whenever they need anything, big or small.
“We are very happy that we are able to help the community,” says Qiao. “We feel like we are a part of their life. We don’t have any days off because we feel that’s how important grocery stores are.”
Grand experiment
Mohammed Alazazi is taking his grocery biz one step at a time
Small business owners push hard to keep the gears of entrepreneurship moving and oiled, and Mohammed Alazazi is no exception.
Originally from Iraq, Alazazi doesn’t have a background in the grocery business—encouragement from his culture, wife, sons, and in-laws inspired him to represent and sell the food that feeds them. Hummus Grocery is his first business venture, and he spent a long time debating whether or not to open it.
“My wife supports me so much,” Alazazi says. “Without her, I wouldn’t be able to open this business—or do anything else.”
Alazazi brings most of the inventory from Michigan, where larger Middle Eastern distributors are thriving. He makes the trip—a 10-hour drive one way—once a month.
Hummus Grocery has been open for two years, selling varieties of Middle Eastern beverages, tahinis, spices, dry goods, frozen items. But the real showstoppers are his fresh hummus (obviously) and tabbouleh, which he plans to eventually expand into a full menu.
“Once I get the proper licenses I want to start selling sandwiches, like shawarma and falafel,” he says.
Considering the cost of commercial sinks and other equipment necessities as well as the time for a kitchen buildout, Alazizi is taking the time to learn about his business in the Charlottesville economy. “I’m going to start step by step,” he says. “I’m giving it my best.”—Christina Martin
Mojgan Ghazirad signs copies of her autobiographical
novel 'The House on Sun Street' at a March 12 event at the Staunton Public Library. Photo by Pat Jarrett/Virginia Humanities.
The Virginia Festival of the Book is back in action March 20-24, with five days of panels, parties, and events to celebrate all things literary. Renowned authors flock to our city for engaging talks, everyone on the Downtown Mall has a book or two in their arms, and our too-long reading lists get even longer. This year’s milestone fest celebrates 30 years, with appearances by acclaimed authors such as Roxane Gay, Sarah Weinman, Percival Everett, Jami Attenberg, and Jeannette Walls. Here are a few of our recommendations for lit-lovers looking to indulge their interests, learn something new, or connect with others over the pages of a good book.
FOR THE DISRUPTORS
A UVA prof’s critical look at Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue
Bonnie Hagerman, an associate professor in UVA’s Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, discusses her debut book, answers questions, and signs copies on March 21 at the Omni Hotel. Publicity photo.
Jumping through hoops: Bonnie Hagerman debut reveals the scant media coverage of female athletes
In 1964, Sports Illustrated editor André Laguerre faced a challenge. As the temperature dropped and winter neared, so did the off-season for many sports. With a five-page spread to fill and no games to cover, Laguerre decided to run a travel story with photographs of model Babette March in a white bikini. The inaugural swimsuit issue was born.
Many of us can remember the first time we saw a cover of the controversial swimsuit issue, which catered to the male gaze and didn’t even include female athletes until a 1997 feature on tennis player Steffi Graph became a massive moneymaker. Models like Christie Brinkley, Elle Macpherson, and Tyra Banks posed scantily clad in high-fashion images that couldn’t be more out of place in a sports publication. More recently, Ronda Rousey became the first athlete to show up on the cover in 2016, followed by soccer star Alex Morgan, and tennis champ Naomi Osaka.
Why did it take female athletes so long to show up, and why are they forced to turn into models for this publication that brushes their athleticism under the rug in favor of playing up their sensuality?
Questions like these were catalysts for University of Virginia Professor Bonnie Hagerman’s debut book, Skimpy Coverage: Sports Illustrated and the Shaping of the Female Athlete.
An athlete and collegiate rower herself, Hagerman found her unique specialty of women, gender, and sport in graduate school. What originally started as a master’s thesis turned into a Ph.D. dissertation, and last year, a published book.
“I’d grown up with Sports Illustrated magazines all around the house, and I was aware of the fact that female athletes didn’t show up on the pages very often, and when they did there wasn’t much written about them,” says Hagerman. “I was interested to see which athletes they did portray, and what they did say about them.”
Two decades in the making, Skimpy Coverage dives into SI’s treatment of female athletes since its founding, examining race, femininity, identity, sexuality, stereotypical archetypes forced on sportswomen, and large-scale events such as the Olympics.
The book follows sportswomen of the past, like Wilma Rudolph, who was at one point the fastest woman in the world, and women’s tennis maverick Billie Jean King, to current-day GOATs Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe, using them as case studies to examine female athletes’ lack of media coverage and the hoops they have to jump through for support, despite being the best in the game.
The challenges faced by these women still impact athletes today, at every level. Working at UVA afforded Hagerman first-hand experiences from student-athletes.
“Students in my classes really helped me hone what I wanted to say,” says Hagerman. “To put it in perspective, some of the issues I was seeing female athletes dealing with in the 1950s are things some female athletes in my classes are talking about. Challenges presented by expectations of femininity, the challenges of being a lesbian in sport.”
Think back to the NCAA championships in 2021, when images of the men’s and women’s basketball weight rooms went viral. The men’s much larger, and well-equipped, while the women’s measly room housed a simple rack of dumbbells.
“What was great about that was that people were upset,” says Hagerman. “They realized it was unfair, and there was a swift response.”
Support for women’s sports is growing—just look at the record-setting fan turnout for the UVA women’s basketball game against Virginia Tech. For Hagerman, recognizing these milestones is as important as working to fix what’s wrong.
“There’s been a ton of change since Sports Illustrated’s [swimsuit issue] was first published in 1964,” says Hagerman. “Title IX in 1972, Billie Jean King’s activism for equal pay, Venus Williams following up with that activism for equal pay and being successful, we see more media coverage of women on TV. There have been a number of great moments to celebrate, but we still need to recognize the challenges that remain. There’s a lot to be done.”
Whether you’re a casual Olympics watcher every four years or a die-hard lover of sports, Hagerman’s Skimpy Coverage offers a new lens through which readers can critically watch and cheer for their favorite teams—go Hoos!
FOR QUEER VOICES
Celebrate queer love, friendship, and found family
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant Curtis Chin In his memoir, Chin touches on his upbringing as a queer, Chinese American boy in Detroit in the ’80s. In the midst of homophobia and racism, Chin found sanctuary in his family’s Chinese restaurant. Thursday 3/21 | UVA Bookstore
Better Halves: Romcom Heroines Meet Their Matches Ashley Herring Blake & Lana Harper Try out a new trope at this love-filled panel with two acclaimed romance writers. Blake’s Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date sees sparks fly in a fake dating scheme, and Harper’s In Charm’s Way is a light-hearted, magical enemies-to-lovers romp. Friday 3/22 | Omni Hotel
Alternate Appalachias Jeff Mann, Danielle Chapman & Anya Liftig This three-person panel includes Jeff Mann, author of Loving Mountains, Loving Men: Memoirs of a Gay Appalachian, now in its second edition. Mann discusses his relationship with Appalachian culture and society as a gay man, alongside authors Danielle Chapman and Anya Liftig. Friday 3/22 | New Dominion Bookshop
FOR THE NATURE LOVER
Animals-lovers, gardeners, farmers—it’s all good here.
Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Practice to the Natural World Allison Zak Author and yoga teacher Allison Zak gets to the bottom of the dog in downward dog in her illustrated exploration of yoga poses and their animal counterparts. Then, grab a mat and try out the moves for yourself. Thursday 3/21 Central JMRL Library
Growing Organic Food Tanya Denckla Cobb Learn how to grow your own food with Tanya Denckla Cobb, author of The Backyard Homestead Guide to Growing Organic Food. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, whatever you’re planting, Cobb’s got the info on seed-starting, growing, and harvesting. Saturday 3/23 Omni Hotel
Love for the Land Brooks Lamb Brooks Lamb and fellow farmers Ebonie Alexander, Michael Carter Jr., and Renard and Chinette Turner discuss dwindling farmland in the face of suburban sprawl, racial injustice among farmers of color, and other concerns. Lamb’s moving book highlights stories of small-scale farmers caring for the land. Sunday 3/24 Ivy Creek Natural Area
FOR THE HISTORY LOVER
Stories retold, histories remembered, and ideas reborn.
The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families Karida Brown & Charly Palmer The Brownies Book was originally published as a monthly magazine by W.E.B. Dubois in 1920. Now, it’s reimagined by scholar Karida Brown and artist Charly Palmer as a beautifully illustrated celebration of Black culture, with stories, play excerpts, poetry, art, and more. Saturday 3/23 Omni Hotel
Book Tour: James Percival Everett The acclaimed author is bringing his book tour to town. Get an early peek at James, Everett’s stunning reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this time told by “Jim.” Saturday 3/23 The Paramount Theater
Unsung Women Ruth P. Watson, Virginia Pye & Stephanie Dray Get to know Maggie Lena Walker, the first Black woman bank president, in Watson’s A Right Worthy Woman, then travel to Gilded Age Boston in Pye’s The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann, and wrap it up with Dray’s Becoming Madam Secretary, a look at Francis Perkins. Wednesday 3/20 JMRL Central Library
ICYMI
Don’t miss a second go round of readings by these authors, “as seen in C-VILLE.”
Erika Howsare “The loveliness of deer might go without saying, but still, there it is: The more you look, the more they seduce,” writes Erika Howsare in her debut nonfiction book, The Age of Deer. Howsare appears at the Natural Born Creatures panel alongside Nicolette L. Cagle. Thursday 3/21, JMRL Central Library.
Irène Mathieu Referencing the milky covering that can occur on an infant’s tongue after feeding, Irène Mathieu’s milk tongue is a collection filled with precise, embodied language that explores parenthood, family, and the intricacies of existence in this world. Mathieu appears at the Family Trees & Legacies panel with Remica Bingham-Risher and Lightsey Darst. Friday 3/22, New Dominion Bookshop.
Diane Flynt “Behind each knobby brown orb, underneath every quirky apple name or sprightly flavor, lies a person, culture, and history. And nowhere is this history more interesting than in the South,” writes cidermaker Diane Flynt in Wild, Tamed, Lost, and Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South. Sunday 3/24, James Monroe’s Highland.
Henry Hoke A queer mountain lion in “ellay” is the narrator of Open Throat, a novel by Charlottesville’s own Henry Hoke. If that piques your interest, pick up a copy at Queer Reimaginings, a panel moderated by Hoke with SJ Sindu and Addie Tsai. Thursday 3/21, Omni Hotel.
Building and designing your dream home is usually a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Hours upon hours are spent researching and deciding on every detail, from where to store the KitchenAid to the right shade of white for inside the coat closet. If you’re lucky, you move in and everything is just as magical as you imagined. More likely, though, you’ll wish you’d done some things differently. After all, taste changes and hindsight is 20/20.
So, what if you got to build your dream house twice? You could keep the things you liked, fix those pesky little problems, and drop any passé trends that old you loved.
Helen Kessler is so lucky.
Kessler and her family moved from Norfolk to Charlottesville in 2016, when she built her first dream home, a modern barn-style dwelling. After living there for five years, the family decided to move. A piece of land popped up in Greenwood, they got an offer on their old home, and suddenly they had the challenge of building a new home from scratch in the midst of the pandemic with a tight deadline.
Mitchell Shifflett of Evergreen Builders was brought on as project lead, and Kessler’s friend Kristin Cory as architect. The team got to work using photographs and drawings of the original home, and by summer 2022 the Kesslers had moved into their new one.
Sitting neatly atop nearly 22 acres of the land, the dream house 2.0 is a sleek testament to the beauty of contrasting forms and materials. Dark, concrete composite boards in the shade Midnight Oil wrap the house, broken up by a wall of pale stone. The rich hues of the concrete seamlessly carry up to the gabled roof.
“It’s a very sort of taut, minimalist feel to the outside,” says Cory. “There are minimal overhangs on the roof and minimal trim. Everything’s very clean.”
More contrast can be found in the French gravel patio that leads from the driveway to the front door—a glass window that lets visitors see straight through the house and through the windows at the other end.
When the Kesslers built their first home, they decided to lean into the new-for-the-time modern farmhouse look. The home featured two stories, a flat roof section, an “H” shape, and a white exterior. Since then, the white farmhouse has certainly had a mainstream moment, so Helen looked to Europe for some fresh inspo.
The new build—with its single story, “L” shape, and unique hues—is inspired by Suffolk barns found in the South of England and Scandinavian barn homes.
“It’s a Nordic kind of look and feel without it feeling too architectural or too cold,” Kessler says. “We did want it to feel like a warm and inviting, natural family home, not something that was really stylized and overly designed.”
The doors open to an open-concept living, dining, and kitchen area, which at once feels minimal and clean, yet lived in and homey. Kessler achieved this by using a warm-toned white for the walls and a vaulted ceiling, clever lighting with dimmers (like the white resin antler chandelier by Kathy Kuo Home), and texture through rugs, overstuffed furniture, and pops of color.
One way Kessler incorporated color and added depth into the space is through sparingly placed opulent wallpapers.
“I do love minimalism and that clean, Nordic aesthetic, but I also enjoy some of the richer, more dramatic English wallpapers that you get in some of the country homes,” she says.
Though the front door opens right into the open living space, Kessler was able to create the feel of a separate foyer by papering a botanical wallpaper with flowers and bees on two walls facing each other right inside the door. The bathroom backsplashes also come alive with trippy wallpapers, like the kaleidoscopic pattern in the primary bedroom’s ensuite bathroom, and pink alligator print in the powder room.
In the kitchen, the cabinetry is kept entirely below waist-level, drawing the eye upwards to the dark soapstone countertops and a backsplash made from the same concrete boarding found outside. The center of the kitchen boasts two custom-built islands from local maker Mike Conway of Conway Custom Woodworks, topped with thick slabs of Carrara marble.
Raw materials continue to make appearances in the restoration hardware table, and the radiant-heat concrete floors, which give an earthy feel to the space, and fun details, like a wood-burning stove from Malm, give the house a charming feel.
“I think about, as an architect, what I would love to do differently with a project once it’s done,” says Cory. “That’s what Helen’s been able to do with this house. She lived in the old house, it was her dream house, and she had it exactly the way she wanted. Then she was able to do everything she wanted to do differently, and you can feel that.”
For a lot of us home-decor lovers, the bones of a house are sometimes the least exciting part. We give some thought to what windows will get the best light, and how we want the kitchen to flow, but it’s the finishing touches—patterns, colors, furniture—that make designing a house fun.
Crozet couple Bob and Bev LoPinto have a different outlook. For them, good bones make a world of difference.
The couple started building their home in 2020. They chose Crozet to be close to family, and decided to do a custom build in a Stanley Martin community. Going custom was essential for the LoPintos, who wanted to build their house according to ancient Indian building principles that connect inner spirituality and social harmony with dwelling construction (think feng shui).
The principles go by various names, including vastu shastra (“structure science”) and sthapatya veda (“establishment knowledge”). It all roughly translates to the science of architecture, and it includes directives on orientation, placement, symmetry and proportion, and more.
From the outside, you might not even be able to tell that the LoPinto home is steeped in such ancient traditions. According to Bob, that’s because surface-level design doesn’t really matter, it’s what’s beneath that counts.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity for personal preference,” says Bob. “We went with a Mediterranean, Italian-like stucco exterior for our house.”
It’s perhaps easiest to incorporate vastu into a new build where you have total control over all variables, but if you’re renting or buying, Bob says there’s one rule that’s most important to follow.
“The most important principle of vastu and sthapatya veda is the orientation,” says Bob. “That it’s true east or true north, any other orientation is not ideal. The rest [of the principles] make it even better, but if one has a choice, look for true east and true north.”
The LoPintos chose to face their house east to take advantage of the nourishing influence of the rising sun. Connection to nature is another big part of vastu, and a lot of the rules are designed to help residents take advantage of the benefits of the natural world.
Moving past the unassuming exterior, the house opens into a massive, two-story entryway atrium. While most atriums are grand, and meant to impress, the LoPinto atrium serves another, more intentional purpose.
In the center of the atrium—in the very center of the house—sits a table with flowers, which marks the brahmasthan of the house. The brahmasthan refers to the “silent center,” which is where the intelligence of the house is believed to live. The space is meant to help distribute positive energy, and serves as another reflection of nature, mimicking the “silent” center found in the heart of a cell, a seed, or even a hurricane.
The rest of the house flows from the atrium, and features 10-foot ceilings, lots of symmetry, and plenty of natural light sources. All the dimensions are precisely calculated, and the LoPintos made an effort to be energy efficient and sustainable where they could by installing triple pane windows, a high-efficiency heat pump, all-natural wood flooring, and limestone details.
The kitchen can be found in the southeast corner of the house.
“As the sun goes through the sky, its highest point is in the southeast, and your largest meal of the day should be lunchtime,” says Bob. “So the orientation of the sun coincides with the peak of your digestion, it’s in synchrony with nature.”
If the LoPintos need to take a moment away from all the hustle and bustle, they head to the meditation room in the northeast corner, another area known for conducting good vibes. The 12×12-foot room features soft lighting, and has metal-clad wiring with a built-in power kill switch.
“The bedrooms and the meditation room are all built with power kill switches, so when you’re sleeping you can turn off all the outlets so there’s no electromagnetic influence,” Bob says.
The most notable part of the house is the lit cupola that sits atop the roof and glows different colored hues. A glowing cupola isn’t mandated by vastu—”that was for fun,” says Bob.
For the LoPintos, it’s a design they can feel.
“You walk in and feel uplifted, not imposed upon,” says Bob. “I wouldn’t live in any other kind of house, and once you’re in it you won’t want to leave.”
Due to popular demand for his Caribbean food, Jonathan Wright Jr. went from a City Market stall to opening 434th Street, the latest addition to Dairy Market’s food hall. Photo by Dairy Market.
Taking orders
Dairy Market’s newest vendor, 434th Street, is making a flavorful splash in the food hall’s menu. The Caribbean stall is the passion project of local chef-owner Jonathan Wright Jr., who serves up classic island dishes with a Virginia twist. Wright’s journey to Dairy Market began in 2020 with a humble $30 smoker. His tender braised oxtail and fiery jerked chicken quickly grew popular at Charlottesville City Market, and the demand allowed Wright to move into catering. Four years later, Wright’s cooking in his first brick-and-mortar spot. Grab breakfast on the weekends starting at 8am, or try coconut curry goat or crab fried rice on the evening menu.
Is it real, or is it Krissy Cakes? The bakery recently set up permanent shop at Dairy Market, where it serves up delish cupcakes, hyper-realistic custom cakes, and other sweet treats. Sate your craving with a perfectly frosted red velvet, butter pecan, or snickerdoodle cupcake.
On the Downtown Mall, try the catch of the day at Bonny & Read, a new seafood concept from chef Chris Humphrey, in the former Brasserie Saison space. The swashbuckler-inspired menu includes she-crab soup, pan-roasted arctic char, and clever cocktails like the Sao’s Seduction, a refreshing sip of matcha, Ceylon cinnamon, white chocolate, marigold, and oat milk.
The renovated Omni Hotel boasts two new spots to nosh. Start your day at the Hillock Neighborhood Kitchen with some buttery grits or a warm breakfast bowl with sweet potato and chorizo, or build your own French omelet. For lunch or dinner, the lavishly decorated restaurant and bar The Conservatory features shareable plates, bigger bites, and a customizable cocktail menu with options to build your own highball—just choose your spirit and mixer.
Kick back with a frozen marg and nachos from the expanded menu at Fiesta Azteca Tap House and Mexican Kitchen. The family-owned eatery changed names and moved from its previous spot in Crozet to the former Ivy Road House building off route 250. In Charlottesville, the team behind Tacos Gomez food truck is serving up sweet and savory Mexican bites at Desayuna Con Gomez, a Pantops brick-and-mortar breakfast and lunch spot. Try fresh-from-the-oven pan dulce, including polvorones, naranja mantecada, and conchas.
Drink your vegetables at Clean Juice, an organic juice and smoothie bar at The Shops at Stonefield. The locally owned franchise also serves up healthy wraps, sandwiches, acai bowls, and wellness shots.
Moves and news
Sandwich-lovers rejoice—Littlejohn’s is back. New owners are reopening the iconic delicatessen in its original spot on the Corner, with a menu that includes nostalgic favorites like the Nuclear, Wild Turkey, Five Easy Pieces, and the Sampson. Keep an eye on @ljs_on_the_corner on Instagram for the official opening date.
In ’cue news, Vision BBQ moved its smokers next door, into the vacated Siren space. The larger venue means the Southern eatery can now offer table service, an expanded menu, live music, and bevvies from the full bar.
There’s a familiar face in Common House’s kitchen. Laura Fonner, previously of Siren and Duner’s, is the new chef at the social club. Starting February 10, non-members can make reservations to check out Fonner’s mouthwatering brunch menu.
Guajiros Miami Eatery has settled into its new spot at 114 10th St. NW. Swing by Wednesday through Friday from 5-10pm to try an all-new food and drink menu at Guajiros After Dark.
This in from the town crier—The Thomas Jefferson Foundation is purchasing Michie Tavern. Visitors can still enjoy the same 18th-century inspired fare, but we’re excited to see what fun changes the acquisition may bring.
Hot hot hot
We’re sweet on MarieBette’s hot chocolate month. The bakery, and its sister spot Petite MarieBette, are pouring a decadent new flavor every day for the month of February. Sip on a frothy mug of lemon peel, white chocolate rose, or ancho chili-flavored hot chocolate, topped with pillowy housemade marshmallows.
Foods of All Nations has the scoop on SugarBear—literally. The small-batch, locally made ice cream is now available by the scoop or as an ice cream cake at the gourmet grocery.
It’s time to preorder your King Cakes. Great Harvest Bread Co. is baking the colorful confections later this month, and Albemarle Baking Company’s version can be picked up through February 13.
Storied sips
Three Notch’d Brewing and Ivy Creek Foundation teamed up to release a collaborative brew in support of the Historic River View Farm and the Carr/Greer family. The farm land was purchased by Hugh Carr, a formerly enslaved man, in 1870. His family would go on to play influential roles in advocating for the education of African American farmers and children in Albemarle County. After touring the 219-acre farm and preserve, Three Notch’d brewers created the River View Farm Legacy Ale, a golden ale brewed with oats, wheat, and corn—all crops that Carr grew at River View. Sample it at Three Notch’d on February 8, or snag a four-pack to take home—a portion of proceeds go to the Ivy Creek Foundation.
Three Notch’d Brewing and Ivy Creek Foundation launch their new collaborative brew, River View Farm Legacy Ale, on February 8 at 5pm. Register to attend the launch party at ivycreekfoundation.org. Photo by Three Notch’d Brewing.
Vals & Gals
’Tis the season of love, and C’ville’s restaurants are here to help make Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day extra special. Spoil your loved one at a special prix fixe dinner at upscale spots like The Ivy Inn, Birch & Bloom, and Tavola, or celebrate the girls at the Galentine’s Sip, Sparkle, and Paint class at South and Central Latin Grill.
Izabelly Gleed started ballet when she was 4 years old. “A doctor suggested [dancing] for my feet instead of correction boots,” says Gleed. “I actually wasn’t thrilled at first and often would try to escape ballet classes early on!” Now, Gleed is rounding out her seventh and final season as a company artist with Charlottesville Ballet. She’ll take the stage on February 2 and 3 at CB’s Heartbeats, an intimate, hour-long performance of contemporary choreography and classical favorites, including the Grand Pas de Deux from Le Corsaire. Stick around after the show to meet and mingle with Gleed and other dancers. charlottesvilleballet.org
Name: Izabelly Gleed.
Age: 33.
Pronouns: She/her.
Hometown: Vitória, Brazil.
Job(s): Ballerina and dance teacher with Charlottesville Ballet.
What’s something about your job that people would be surprised to learn: How hard it actually is to dance for hours and look effortless while doing it. It takes a lot of endurance and daily training to create the beauty you see on stage.
First role you danced: The Bluebird variation from the famous ballet Sleeping Beauty.
Favorite ballet move: Petite and grand allegro (the little jumps and big leaps).
Favorite role you’ve performed: Kitri in Don Quixote—this was with the Cuban ballet school Espaço da Dança, and my partner was my ballet teacher.
Dream role: Myrtha in the romantic ballet Giselle or George Balanchine’s Serenade.
What’s on your pre-show playlist: A lot of Brazilian music and all of them from different genres. I also enjoy Coldplay to balance the Portuguese.
Best part of living here: How gorgeous Charlottesville is. It doesn’t matter which season we are in, there are so many amazing views in all of them.
Worst part of living here: The chaos and indecision on inclement weather days in the winter.
What’s your comfort food: For a meal, I go with a good dish of meat, rice, and beans … and I always want chocolate as comfort food.
How do you take your coffee: For everyday coffee, I take it with cream, and for special days I go with a vanilla latte. Charlottesville Ballet’s downtown studios are next to JBird Supply, which is dangerous.
Who is your hero: I have to say my mom, who is a true inspiration to me.
Best advice you ever got: Everything has its own time. If it hasn’t happened yet, maybe something else will and you might even prefer it.
Proudest accomplishment: Being able to do what I love. Lots of little girls dream of being a ballerina, but very few make it into this competitive career and I feel lucky to be one of those few.
Describe a perfect day: Any day that I get to spend time with people I love.
If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would you be: My puppy because she has everything she could ever want and lives the best life.
If you had three wishes, what would you wish for: To travel the world, to be able to spend more time with family and friends, and to never get another injury.
Most embarrassing moment: My bachelorette party back in 2019.
Do you have any pets: Yes, a very cute English bulldog named Clara, who’s named after the lead character in The Nutcracker.
Favorite movie and/or show: Right now it’s “Reacher,” but it depends on the month and what mood I’m in.
Favorite book: Honestly I have many of them since I read a lot, but the first one from my childhood that will always be with me is Harry Potter. I’m also into Stephen King right now.
What are you listening to right now: Coldplay and Taylor Swift.
Go-to karaoke song: “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay.
Best Halloween costume you’ve worn: A cow onesie, complete with a pink udder on the front. My students love it, and it sometimes makes appearances at the theater to keep my body warm backstage.
Who’d play you in a movie: Jenna Ortega.
Celebrity crush: Henry Cavill.
Most used app on your phone: WhatsApp and Candy Crush.
Last text you sent: Love you (to my husband).
Most used emoji: Laughing crying face and heart.
Best journey you ever went on: Moved to the U.S. from Brazil without really knowing anyone, got a job, made friends, and ended up finding an amazing person, who’s now my husband, in the process.
Next journey: I am retiring from dancing professionally this spring, which is bittersweet for me. I will still work closely teaching students and being a manager at Charlottesville Ballet Academy, and I cannot wait to see what life has for me in its next chapter.
Favorite word: Saudade, which doesn’t have an exact translation to English, but it’s similar to missing something or someone.
Hottest take: Air fryers don’t work as well as the real thing.
What have you forgotten today: To buy eggs at the grocery store—I was too focused on planning my ballet classes!
Annie Yuan's “Fuzhu,” made of cardboard, paper, wire, foam, and plastic bags. Photo by Erika Phillips.
Plastic bags, candy wrappers, puzzle pieces, and leaves don’t usually top the list of materials used to create the fancy frocks we see on catwalks and red carpets. Except, that is, at the annual St. Anne’s-Belfield Wearable Arts Runway Show, where upper-school students like Annie Yuan (left) repurposed and recycled existing materials to create the one-of-a-kind garments that were on display Saturday, January 20, during two shows. Greek mythology was the theme for this year’s event, which featured the work of more than 20 student-designers, as well as performances from St. Anne’s-Belfield musicians.
