Categories
Best of C-VILLE Food & Drink

Best bakery 2013: Albemarle Baking Company

Albemarle Baking Company

418 W. Main St.
293-6456
albemarlebakingco.com

Runner-up:
Chandler’s Bakery
Albemarle Square Shopping Center
975-2253
chandlersbakery.com

In Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team,” he describes his lover’s face as “crumbling like pastries.” And while that lyric is arguably one of the worst ever written, he must have had the treats at ABC, which break apart ever-so-deliciously and burst with flavors both sweet and savory, in mind. Chandler’s takes the runner-up spot with its classic confections in Albemarle Square Shopping Center.

Categories
Best of C-VILLE Entertainment

Best local radio station 2013: 106.1 The Corner

106.1 The Corner

Runner-up:
91.9 WNRN

It’s an easy assumption that working for 106.1 is almost as great as listening to its programming: One of the best things about the station is the Corner Lounge, where artists performing in town stop by to record acoustic versions of their hit songs. To be a fly on the wall in that office, amirite? With listener-supported station WNRN, you get back what you put in. The nonprofit continues its nearly 20-year tradition of giving back to the community through events, internship programs, and love of music—everything from acoustic and bluegrass to country and ska.

See more:

WNRN co-founder Mike Friend sues station for commission

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Best of C-VILLE Services

Best hairstylist 2013: Claibourne Reppert

Claibourne Reppert at The Honeycomb

310 E. Market St.
977-0616
facebook.com/pages/The-Honeycomb

Runner-up:
Jonathan Nuckles
104 14th St. NW
227-2277
nucklessalon.com

In a C-VILLE interview with Claibourne earlier this year, her brother-in-law, who was sitting in on the conversation, said this of her hair salon: “You can read People or you can look at some cool art.” That’s because Claibourne’s salon, The Honeycomb, isn’t just a salon. It’s also an art gallery, showcasing the kind of art that draws the kind of clientele she’s seeking. “There’s a nice crossover,” she told us. Jonathan Nuckles, who recently celebrated 10 years in the Charlottesville style scene, flattens the competition again this year and earns himself the runner-up spot.

 

What’s Claibourne passionate about in Charlottesville?

1. Old Love: Herb Mayonnaise from Bellair Market
2. The bridge when coming from 250 out to Ivy in front of the intersection of Ivy road and Bellair. It always had the best/worst graffiti on it.
3. New Love: Peppers at Citizen Burger Bar
4. How upset the city of Charlottesville is about the ‘bums’
5. The Charlottesville’s Flower Man sign on Cherry Avenue. The sign is gone now but might have to become my next tattoo… I loved him.
See more:

Queen bee: Honeycomb’s Claibourne Reppert grows her style empire

Categories
Best of C-VILLE Retail

Best jewelry store 2013: Angelo

Angelo

220 E. Main St.
971-9256
angelojewelry.com

Runner-up:
Keller & George 
1149 Millmont St. 
293-5011 
kellerandgeorge.com

In 1862, Czar Alexander II, the Emperor of Russia, purchased a 260.37-carat oval-cut blue sapphire brooch at the Great London Exhibition for his empress, Maria Alexandrovna. That must have cost a pretty penny. And while you’re likely to encounter something in a more reasonable price range at this year’s winner, Angelo, you’ll find a piece that’s just as meaningful. The Downtown Mall store stocks original work from owner Lee Marraccini, and selections from designers at home and around the country. At Keller & George on Millmont Street, find diamonds, fine jewelry, and estate pieces.

Categories
Best of C-VILLE Food & Drink

Best cidery 2013: Bold Rock Cidery

Bold Rock Cidery

1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy. (Nellysford)
361-1030
boldrock.com

Runner-up:
Albemarle Ciderworks
2545 Rural Ridge Ln. (North Garden)
297-2326
albemarleciderworks.com

Bold Rock makes cider so tasty you could almost bathe in it. In fact, in the 14th century, that’s what people did: As it was often more sanitary than water, kids were baptized in cider. We can’t imagine a better scenario, especially if the tub had been filled with one of this year’s top performers. In Nellysford, Bold Rock combines the talents of a Blue Ridge Mountain farmer and cidermaker from New Zealand. Albemarle Ciderworks in North Garden, founded in 2009, is the elder statesman of the cider revival and grows its own fruit under the name Vintage Virginia Apples.

Categories
Best of C-VILLE Food & Drink

Best server 2013: Emma Whittington

Emma Whittington at Beer Run

Runner-up:
Deidre Carpenter at Whiskey Jar

Donald Trump once left a waiter at a Los Angeles restaurant a $10,000 tip. We’re guessing Emma and Deidre have never been quite that lucky, but that’s not because they don’t deserve it. When it comes to service, readers say there are no two better ladies to take care of your dining needs.

What’s Emma passionate about in Charlottesville?

1. Thomas Dean/Adam Smith Dance Parties at Mono Loco. My favorite spot to get down. The Tecate flows like water and you’ll surely see a mix of familiar faces and total oddballs. At some point you’ll probably get to hear some Prince.
2. House Pickles at Bellair Market. I don’t even know if these are made in-‘house,’ but they are everything I could want in a pickle. Briney, massive, and pulled straight from a barrel.
3. Bookstores on the Mall. There are so many wonderful little bookstores on the Mall, but the best place to completely lose yourself is Daedalus, which is labyrinthian and narrow and claustrophobic in the best way possible. Telegraph, though not strictly a bookstore, is a great place to find incredibly and memorable gifts for loved ones.
4. Seasonal fruit-picking at Chiles Orchard. Strawberries in early summer, peaches in late July. Staggering views year-round!
5. Wandering Through Woolen Mills at dusk. An excellent place for exploration. I like to start somewhere near Riverview Park and walk along the sandbars of the Rivanna until I hit any of the abandoned buildings in the area. Take friends just in case.

See more:

Best Beer Selection 2013: Beer Run

Best place to buy beer 2013: Beer Run

Best Bloody Mary 2013: Beer Run

Five Finds on Friday: Hernan Franco of Beer Run

Five Finds on Friday: Josh Hunt of Beer Run

Best Bar 2013: Whiskey Jar

Categories
Best of C-VILLE Retail

Best place to buy beer 2013: Beer Run

Beer Run

156 Carlton Rd. #203
984-2337
beerrun.com

Runner-up:
Market Street Wineshops
311 E. Market St.
305 Rivanna Plaza Dr., Suite 102
964-9463
marketstreetwine.com

Tucked into what’s essentially a mini mall on industrial Carlton Avenue, Beer Run doesn’t look like the kind of place you’d find 400-plus different kinds of beer. But it is—and with 18 on tap, you can sit and toss one back while chowing down on a hot dog in a pretzel bun. And as for Market Street, you know how we mentioned those tastings and events? They do that for beer too. We’ll cheers to that!

See more:

Best Beer Selection 2013: Beer Run

Best place to buy beer 2013: Beer Run

Best Bloody Mary 2013: Beer Run

Five Finds on Friday: Hernan Franco of Beer Run

Five Finds on Friday: Josh Hunt of Beer Run

Best place to buy wine 2013: Market Street Wineshops

Categories
Best of C-VILLE Retail

Best vintage clothing store 2013: Vintage Vixen

Vintage Vixen

300 E. Market St.
244-0778
vvclothing.com

Runner-up:
Glad Rags
1923 Commonwealth Dr.
979-1816
mygladrags.com

Coco Chanel famously said, “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” Readers know that in order to achieve both of those things, they need to go vintage. After all, you can’t do “classic” without “class,” right? Vintage Vixen stocks everything from Dolce & Gabbana and Versace to Valentino and, yes, Ms. Chanel. At Glad Rags, you’ll get a few vintage designer pieces sprinkled in with choice secondhand options. Check the rack on the north wall—so many sparkles!

See more:

Best consignment shop 2013: Glad Rags

Categories
Best of C-VILLE Food & Drink

Best brewery 2013: Blue Mountain Brewery

Blue Mountain Brewery

9519 Critzer Shop Rd. (Afton)
(540) 456-8020
bluemountainbrewery.com

Runner-up:
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
200 Mosbys Run (Roseland)
361-1001
ddbrewingcompany.com

The ancient Babylonians took beer so seriously that if you brewed a bad batch, you were drowned in it. Luckily, that punishment is seriously outdated. Though, even if it wasn’t, that wouldn’t matter—there’s never a bad batch at Blue Mountain Brewery, the Nelson County spot grows its own hops and hand crafts more than 20 kinds of brew, keeping 10 on draft at all times. Also in Nelson, Devils Backbone boasts eight beers on tap in its taproom, as well as live music on Fridays and other special events.

See more:

Best outdoor dining 2013: Blue Mountain Brewery

Categories
Best of C-VILLE Retail

Best place for pet supplies 2013: Petsmart

Petsmart

Hollymead Town Center
964-9213
petsmart.com

Runner-up:
Pet Food Discounters
607 Woodbrook Ct.
974-6060

Talk about happy accidents: Sir Isaac Newton, who discovered the principles of gravity, also invented the cat door. That’s just one of the things you’ll find at Petsmart. Readers agree it’s the best spot in town to find what you need—from food to toys to, yes, cat doors—for your furry friends. Pet Food Discounters, on 29N, stocks eats for dogs, cats, birds, and the like.