Tag: Starr Hill Brewery

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Culture Food & Drink Living

Beers in the wild and wine in your trunk

Kristen Musselman is the new Chief Hiking Officer for Devils Backbone Brewing Company. Publicity photo

A Woman with Backbone

How’s this for a job description: Hike East coast mountains, drink beer, take pictures, and get paid $20,000. That’s the deal Devils Backbone Brewing Company announced this year, and unsurprisingly, outdoor enthusiasts flooded the brewery’s inbox with applications. After reviewing thousands of eager hiker-drinkers’ pitches, DBBC appointed UVA alum Kristen Musselman to be its first Chief Hiking Officer.

Musselman, who currently works as a wilderness therapy field guide in Colorado, says she’s ecstatic to be spending the next six months hiking through all 14 states of the Appalachian Trail, while exploring little-known paths and outlooks along the way. “Like most things, there is no guidebook or roadmap that could have properly prepared me for how to be alone on this trail adventure,” says Musselman. “It’s the skinned knees, sweaty back, failed summits, and wrong turns that have continued to teach me how to be an outdoors woman and have given me the courage to continue taking on new challenges.”

Part of the hiking officer’s job is to visit each state’s best overlook, as chosen by Devils Backbone Instagram followers. To commemorate the journey, the brewery partnered with artist Dr. Tyler Nordgren to create Savor the View Vienna Lager labels that feature images of the overlooks.

“My three big passions are movement, people, and spending a ton of time outside, which is exactly what the CHO position was offering,” says Musselman. “I have such love for the outdoors and for connecting folks to the things that build them up.”

As for her recommendations for unknown hikes around Charlottesville? “First of all, I love Devil’s Marbleyard for a stunning boulder field climb, the Rivanna Trail for a trail run, or one of the many wineries, breweries, or coffee shops around the C’ville area for a post-hike read,” Musselman says. “Venturing a little further, a trip to Wintergreen, Sky Meadows State Park, Raven Rocks, or Bearfence Mountain are well worth the drive.”

Follow Kristen Musselman on her interstate journey via the brewery’s Instagram @devilsbackbonebrewingcompany.

Love of nature

Starr Hill Brewery is also connecting with the outdoors. The beer maker recently announced its Love Your River campaign, in partnership with the James River Association. For the month of May, one dollar from every six-pack sale of The Love, its unfiltered wheat beer, will go to river cleanup efforts. Additionally, Starr Hill is hosting two designated cleanup days for the James, in Lynchburg on May 2, and in Richmond on May 16. Volunteers will receive a T-shirt and an invitation to a thank-you reception. As the JRA says, “Be a James changer!”

Splendy’s back

C’ville frozen dessert lovers got some good news last week: Splendora’s Gelato is back. Its new brick-and-mortar location in The Shops at Stonefield is not open yet, but gelato (including many classic flavors) is available for pickup or delivery on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The virtual-for-now shop is also offering a variety of vegan cupcakes, with some of the proceeds going to AAPI Women Lead, which is dedicated to advancing the rights of Asian and Pacific Islander women in the U.S. Check out @splendyscville Instagram to see what gelato flavors are currently on tap, and text (757) 408-0719 to place an order.

Wine-ing back up

Another sign that life is returning to normal, or at least getting close: Market Street Wineshop will welcome shoppers inside beginning May 1. The local mainstay has kept the vino flowing during COVID by maintaining a personal connection with customers, and those services won’t change, says co-owner Sian Richards. “We have customers who drop us a line when they need a restock, and we put together a case of wines to their taste and budget,” she says. “Others ask us to pick out what we think will go with dinner that night, or their weekly menu, and then they just pop by to grab their order curbside.”

Special beer packs, a continuation of virtual wine tastings, and a refresh on the food and cocktail selections are among the reasons to keep your card on file at MSW. To learn more, visit www.marketstwine.com. —Will Ham

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Culture Food & Drink Living

Fresh fare and spring specials are on the menu this month

Shadwell’s Restaurant is shuckin’ things up through Sunday at Oystravaganza. file photo

Setting new tables
Ivy Road House is a new restaurant that focuses on familiar comfort foods while taking inspiration from a wide variety of cuisines. The menu includes everything from tzatziki-laden lamb meatballs, to roasted chicken with onion jam and maple glaze, to a veggie-based lasagna. Created by Christian Kelley, co-owner and executive chef at Maya, and realized in the kitchen by Chef de Cuisine (and Albemarle native) Malek Sudol, Ivy Road House is open for dining in and takeout.

The Ridley—named for Walter N. Ridley, who had to persevere through years and layers of resistance to earn his doctorate in education from the University of Virginia in 1953—opens on April 1. Hospitality partners Warren Thompson and Ron Jordan aim to provide a city dining atmosphere complemented by a sophisticated combination of Southern and coastal cuisines.

Located in The Draftsman Hotel at 1106 W. Main St., The Ridley will add to the growing number of local Black-owned businesses, and a portion of profits from the restaurant will go to the Ridley
Scholarship Fund, which supports diversity and equity in education.

Following a successful preview weekend in February, Broadcloth, the fine-dining addition to the Wool Factory complex, is set to debut March 26. The eatery features locally sourced seasonal fare with options of four and six courses, plus the ultimate chef’s tasting menu, with up to 10 dishes. Chef Tucker Yoder has been rustling up grub in Charlottesville for over 20 years, and he plans to use his decades of experience to wow the limited number of guests the restaurant will serve each night. Tables are by reservation only.

Shell out for this
Shadwell’s Restaurant, located on Pantops, hosts its annual Oystravaganza through March 28. The Charlottesville fave will serve up oysters on the half shell, plus oysters stewed, stuffed, and fried. Cast a wide net and get your fill with a three-course sampler for $44.

Spring for this
The Catering Outfit is offering takeout Easter dinners for about $50 a head. Order by March 30 for rosemary-crusted rack of lamb, deviled eggs, and hearty spring vegetables cooked with a locally sourced honey glaze. Á la carte dishes and kosher versions of the meals are available too.

Beer with me
Dairy Market continues to grow in popularity and size with the opening of Starr Hill Brewery’s new taproom this month. Starr Hill Downtown offers a curated selection of beers brewed in-house, including well-known classics plus limited-run specials, so there will always be something new to try.

Crust this one
Luce is expanding its housemade gelato menu this week with two new flavors: caramel banana bread and almond biscotti, and fans of the Italian take-away spot will be relieved to see both stuffed-crust pepperoni pizza and spaghetti carbonara returning to the Luce lineup. —Will Ham

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Culture Living

Brewin’ through it: Oktoberfest is canceled. Autumn beers are not.

Devils Backbone’s O’Fest Lager has a 5.9 percent ABV, and will appeal to beer drinkers who find other festbiers too light.

Sadly, the largest and most famous Oktoberfest celebration, held annually in Munich, Germany, has been canceled this year due to COVID-19. Oktoberfest traditionally begins in mid- September and continues into October. Of course, autumn isn’t canceled, and as it arrives in Virginia, local breweries and beer drinkers can look forward to the release of beers appropriate for the season.

In Germany, the term Oktoberfestbier is legally defined with strict regulations about ingredients, brewing methods, alcohol levels, etc. In the United States, breweries have a bit more leeway, but beers that are specifically for Oktoberfest fall primarily into two categories: festbier or märzen. Märzen is the darker, fuller-bodied style many identify as the beer of fall, and was once the beer served in Germany for Oktoberfest. However, recently there’s been a move away from this style to the lighter-bodied festbier style. Festbier, a pale lager with low alcohol content, is more refreshing, making it easier to drink, and easier to drink more of.

Whether your personal preference is for a lighter- or a fuller-bodied style, local breweries have you covered.

The Festie Oktoberfest Lager from Starr Hill Brewery is available only during the months of September and October. It’s traditional in style with a low alcohol level of 4.8 percent ABV (alcohol by volume), and a pale golden color that is accompanied by a malty, biscuit nose and a light yeasty bread palate with just a hint of Hallertau hops. Interestingly, the beer is labeled “märzen-style” but falls squarely in the festbier category. It’s also available as part of the brewery’s Fall Tour variety pack that includes Starr Hill’s Grateful Pale Ale, Reviver Red IPA, and Last Leaf Maple IPA too.

Devils Backbone also has a festbier, the O’Fest Lager. It comes in slightly heavier at 5.9 percent ABV. It’s golden in color with a bit more fullness on the palate. A light nose of cracker and lemon peel leads to malty and toasted bread flavors, with a drying finish and slightly lingering hop bitterness. Very classic in style, this will appeal to those who find other festbiers a bit too light.

The 13.Five Oktoberfest Lagerbier from Blue Mountain Brewery takes its name from German regulatory laws requiring beers served at Oktoberfest to have an original specific gravity of 13.5° Plato. This number is related to the final alcohol level, which is 6 percent ABV in this case. The beer is medium amber in color, with a nose that is malty and bready, with hints of toasted sesame. On the palate, it is rich with lots of biscuit and cracker and well-balanced hop character. This märzen-style brew is a clear nod to tradition and is a good example of what many expect of Oktoberfest beer.

Just released, the Märzen Oktoberfest- style Amber Lager from Random Row Brewing Co. comes in at 5.8 percent ABV and brings malty, yeasty flavors with hints of rye bread. There is a touch of citrus- flavor hops on the slightly drying finish. Very pleasant and easy drinking, it’s available on tap and in four-packs of 16-ounce cans.

Three Notch’d Brewing Company’s limited release Oktoberfest beer is cleverly named Hansel and Kettle Imperial Oktoberfest. Available in 16-ounce. cans, this is a full-bodied märzen-style beer with higher alcohol (8 percent ABV), a dark caramel color, and a weighty palate. The sweet biscuit nose leads to flavors of toast and dark caramel and a long finish that has just a hint of bitterness. Very enjoyable for those looking for a fuller style märzen.

Champion Brewing is really getting into Oktoberfest this year with the release of four German-style beers: a festbier (5.5 percent ABV), a märzen (also 5.5 percent ABV), a kölsch (5 percent ABV), and Lagerboi (a zwickelpils, which is an unfiltered pilsner-style beer that is becoming more popular with American beer drinkers and comes in at 4.8 percent ABV). Hunter Smith, president of Champion, shared that he is excited to also feature the festbier and märzen on tap at his Brasserie Saison restaurant.

One of the newest breweries in town, Selvedge Brewing at The Wool Factory, is also offering a traditionally German style for the fall. Corduroy is a bock, typically darker in color and a little higher in alcohol than beers made for Oktoberfest. At 7 percent ABV, it’s a deep amber brew that’s still smooth on the palate. The nose is reminiscent of rising bread dough. Full flavors combine malty, yeasty, and roasted nuttiness with a slight sweetness. The overall impression suggests warm, toasted brioche, and it’s a perfect beer for chilly autumn days.

Lastly, for some the fall season would not be complete without flavors of pumpkin or maple. While the explosion of pumpkin beers that was seen a few years ago has seemed to subside, Rockfish Brewing Co. offers a seasonal pumpkin ale for those who are looking. The previously mentioned Last Leaf Maple IPA from Starr Hill will entice those who love maple syrup with a flavor that isn’t overly sweet, but reminds them of freshly made pancakes on a Saturday morning.

Whatever your fancy, local breweries are offering a variety of beers to tempt your palate this autumn. Even if you can’t travel to Germany, it’s still possible to celebrate Oktoberfest and good beer here in Virginia.

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Living Uncategorized

Eat, drink, repeat: A new chapter for Starr Hill, and other tasty news

Starr Hill Brewery plans to return to its Charlottesville roots next year, anchoring the multi-vendor food hall at Dairy Market, now being built on Preston Avenue. Rendering: Stony Point Design/Build

We thought summer was a time to relax. Not afraid to admit it—we were wrong. Restaurant openings, the arrival of a hot new chef, a unique Parisian-style wine-and-food event, and the return of a familiar player on the Charlottesville scene show that there’s no time like the present to charge ahead. Never mind the heat. A little sweat is good for the heart and soul. And the appetite, too,

A Starr is reborn

Starr Hill Brewery will celebrate a homecoming of sorts when it opens in 2020 at Dairy Market, now under construction on Preston Avenue. Although the brewery’s flagship is in Crozet, Starr Hill first operated as a music venue on West Main in Charlottesville, and featured acts like My Morning Jacket and the Avett Brothers from 1999 to 2007. Starr Hill’s departure from the city coincided with its incarnation in Crozet—in the former Conagra frozen food plant—where the emphasis shifted to beer, but music also remained on the menu. At the Dairy location, says Duke Hill, Starr Hill’s VP of sales, the music “will be local singer/songwriter focused” and “complement the overall feel of the room.”

It’ll be nice to have Starr Hill back in town—occupying 4,200 square feet inside and a 1,000-square-foot patio, no less. A five-barrel brewing system will allow the brewer to experiment with small-batch beers, as it joins 14 other Virginia food-and-drink purveyors, and artisans, following the food hall model found in other cities.

Before moving to Crozet, Starr Hill operated as a music venue on West Main Street from 1999 to 2007. Photo: Courtesy Starr Hill

Wining and dining

Will and Priscilla Martin Curley promised ambitious offerings when they became owners of the Charlottesville Wine Guild earlier this year, and they are about to deliver. Their debut event, Bar Naturel, is a pop-up wine bar with a Parisian-style menu by chef John Shanesy of Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar, and baked goods by the chef’s brother, Scott Shanesy, of She Wolf Bakery in New York City. Will Curley will serve wine by the glass and bottle from a list hewing to the “naturel” theme: wines made with native yeasts and grapes that are organic, biodynamic, and sustainably grown, including a super-trendy orange wine too. The menu, with small to large plates priced at about $8-20, will feature French cheeses, housemade charcuterie like boudin noir and paté champignon, oysters on the half shell, sardines with goose fat and apricots, and the traditional delicacy lièvre à la royale, made with wild hare, foie gras, and polenta. Intrigued? You can satisfy your curiosity from 6-11pm, July 12, 19, and 26, at Citizen Bowl, 223 W. Main St., on the Downtown Mall. 202-4223, wine guildcville.com

Special sauce

A top food destination in Staunton is The Shack, domain of Ian Boden, twice a semifinalist in the James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic category. Boden’s inventive use of Southern ingredients shines in dishes like grilled pork loin with fermented sweet potato grits, guinea hen with Carolina gold rice and butter beans—and also in The Shack’s sorghum yellow mustard barbecue sauce. Bloomberg Businessweek magazine recently chose the sweet-but-zippy stuff as one of the nation’s five best BBQ sauces in a taste test by 30 editors, declaring, “It’s equally at home on duck breast or baby back ribs.” Pick some up at The Shack (and use the 80-mile round-trip drive as an excuse to stay for dinner), or order online at theshackva.com/shop.

Open-and-shut cases

The Shops at Stonefield’s Midici: The Neapolitan Pizza Company has disappeared from the websites of both the restaurant chain and the shopping center, and no one is answering calls at the upscale joint. Evidently, the Charlottesville shop has gone dark, and we hear it will be replaced by an outpost of Matchbox, the Washington, D.C.-based wood-fired pizza conglomerate. Meanwhile, in the Pantops Shopping Center, Mi Casita has opened, offering “Latin American breakfast, burritos, tacos, pupusas, and much more,” according to its website. A fan of the new restaurant called C-VILLE Weekly to rave about Mi Casita’s food, which is centered on the cuisines of El Salvador and Honduras (hence, the pupusas). Finally, Madison’s Early Mountain Vineyards welcomes a new executive chef, Tim Moore. A sous chef for the past seven years at the renowned Inn at Little Washington, Moore steps into the kitchen at Early Mountain on the heels of Ryan Collins, now of Little Star on West Main Street.  

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C-BIZ Magazines Uncategorized

Cross-pollination: C’ville to RVA and back

Charlottesville-born Champion Brewing opened a Richmond location in 2017. Photo: Ash Daniel

Is love in the air? It appears so–at least between the cities of Richmond and Charlottesville, as witnessed by the number of businesses that have decided to open locations in both cities. Charlottesville, with its beautiful setting and college town vibe, has long made lists of best places to live and work. And in the past few years, Richmond has experienced a renaissance of sorts, with praise seemingly pouring in weekly for its long-underrated, still burgeoning arts, dining, and entrepreneurial scene. So it’s not surprising that a mutual admiration society has developed between the two cities.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Sugar Shack donuts, both born in the River City, added Charlottesville locations on West Main Street–Hardywood in February 2017 and Sugar Shack in June 2018 (bringing with it sister business Luther Burger not long after).

Also coming to Charlottesville in early 2020: Quirk Hotel, which first debuted in Richmond in 2015. Why are they interested in C’ville? “First and foremost, the numbers indicate that Charlottesville is a stronger hospitality market than Richmond,” says Quirk Hotel co-owner Ted Ukrop. “Second, UVA is a major and sustainable economic and cultural engine. Having said that, there are also plenty of innovative companies, organizations, and people that align with Quirk’s brand.” The proximity to Hooville–just an hour away–also made a second Quirk location appealing, Ukrop adds.

Meanwhile, Richmond has already experienced an influx of Charlottesville-based businesses, like Roots Natural Kitchen (opened July 2018 in the VCU area), Three Notch’d Brewing Company (opened in 2016 in Scott’s Addition as the RVA Collab House), and Citizen Burger Bar (also opened in 2016, in Carytown). The city’s developing reputation as a supportive, destination craft beer scene was a big draw for Hunter Smith, who founded Champion Brewing in Charlottesville and opened a Richmond location in January 2017 on Grace Street downtown.

“The two cities and their respective governments operate quite differently, which was informative from a business perspective, and has helped me to evaluate additional locations,” says Smith. “I appreciate [chef] Jason Alley from Pasture and Comfort for introducing me to the beautiful former bank space we’re now lucky enough to occupy.”

Up next? Starr Hill Brewery, which is opening Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition this summer. Also coming soon: Common House, the “contemporary social club” that opened in C’ville in 2017, will make the RVA’s Arts District its home sometime in 2019. You’ll be able to find the newest Common House at 305 W. Broad St., just steps away from the original Quirk Hotel.

“Richmond feels like it’s in the midst of a cultural revolution that we are anxious to participate in,” says Common House co-founder Derek Sieg. “The food is world-class, the art scene is electric, and the energy in the entrepreneur community rivals that of any city its size.” While Sieg says his team has been looking at other creative markets in the Southeast in anticipation of growth, the proximity to Charlottesville helped clinch the second location.

“We have a lot of Richmond-based members who use Common House as a landing spot when they’re in Charlottesville, and vice versa, so we see this cross-pollination firsthand and look forward to being a fruit of that pollination ourselves,” he says.

Categories
Living

But baby it’s cold outside: Wine and beer delivered to your door

Market Street Wine’s Thadd McQuade says the shop delivers anywhere downtown, up to a case or two for free. Photo by Eze Amos

In case you need one more excuse to avoid going out in the frigid weather, Wegmans is now offering beer and wine delivery through Instacart.

“We know our customers are busy, and the holidays are no exception,” says Erica Tickle, Wegmans e-commerce group manager. “We wanted to help our customers spend less time prepping and more time celebrating.”

You can place your order on Instacart online or through the app, and orders will be delivered between 9am and 10pm.

It turns out wine delivery isn’t altogether new in the area, as several local wine shops have long provided delivery service.

Market Street Wine has been delivering for 30 years, say new owners Thadd McQuade and Siân Richards.

“This was established by [previous owner] Robert Harllee and we have carried it proudly on,” McQuade says. “We’ll deliver anywhere downtown—up to a case or two for free. We have a number of long-term clients who order a case from us every few weeks. We do everything from single gift bottles to large parties and weddings, and have delivered as far as 100 miles away.”

Foods of All Nations has also long been on board with this courtesy.

“We deliver whatever customers want, wherever they want, whenever they want, and we have for many, many years—as long as you’re 21 or older,” says Tom Walters, the store’s wine consultant. “We have some older clientele and regulars we deliver to on a regular basis and we deliver for special events, catering and things like that as needed too.”

Erin Scala, owner of Keswick’s In Vino Veritas, says she provides free neighborhood deliveries on certain days of the week—Glenmore and nearby get free Thursday delivery and Pen Park and downtown customers have free Friday deliveries. She adds that any order of $200 is eligible for free local delivery.

And Doug Hotz, manager/owner of Rio Hill Wine & Beer, says he also delivers within a 10-mile radius of the store, although there’s usually a fee. He adds that most people simply call ahead or email their order and pick it up at the shop. “It’s ready when they get here and they pull up and we load it up and they go.”

Anything to stay warm and dry.

Beer for a cause

Local breweries Devils Backbone, Champion, and Starr Hill have joined Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s effort to raise funds for California wildfire victims—with a collaborative beer.

Sierra Nevada, which originated in Chico, California, released its Resilience Butte County Proud IPA in a campaign to aid those who lost homes and property in the devastating Camp Fire in Northern California. They’ve enlisted brewers nationwide to also brew Resilience and donate 100 percent of beer sales to the Camp Fire Relief Fund.

A Blue Moon by spring?

Blue Moon Diner owner Laura Galgano is counting the minutes till she can open the doors to diner regulars.

“Our hopes were that we’d be back in business by January 1, but it’s looking more like March at this point,” she says. “We should be back in the space by January, but we won’t finish with our portion of the renovations until late February or early March.”

The beloved diner closed in May, 2017, in preparation for construction of Six Hundred West Main, the six-story apartment building (featuring a private art gallery as well as retail space) going up behind the restaurant. The complex didn’t end up breaking ground until almost a year after the diner closed, and is now set to open in fall 2019.

“We are very anxious to return to our wonderful, wonky diner space, and our wonderful, wonky diners!” says Galgano.

Tavern & Grocery hires a “Top New Chef”

Tavern & Grocery has hired Joe Wolfson, named one of the Top 100 New Chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine, to be its executive chef.

“He brings an exciting new menu to Tavern & Grocery, with dishes including sweetbreads, duck, and osso buco,” says restaurant owner Ashley Sieg, adding that in January the West Main eatery will introduce a Sunday Suppers feature, served family style.

Wolfson was the executive chef at the Old Stone Farmhouse on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Ms. Rose’s Fine Foods in Charleston, South Carolina.

Categories
Living

LIVING Picks: Week of October 4-10

Enjoy rides down the Rivanna River in handmade wooden boats, and learn about one of the most seasoned travelers: monarch butterflies, at the Boats and Butterflies Festival.

FAMILY
Fall Fiber Festival
Saturday, October 7, and Sunday, October 8

Bring the whole family for craft workshops, sheep dog trials, Celtic music and dancers and more at this 30th annual festival. Adults $5, children 16 and under free, 10am-5pm Saturday; 10am-4pm Sunday. James Madison’s Montpelier, 11350 Constitution Hwy., Montpelier Station. fallfiberfestival.org

FOOD & DRINK
Cheers for Charity
Wednesday, October 4

This kickoff event for Starr Hill Brewery’s October Cheers for Charity recipient, Common Ground, includes music by Stan Marshall, free chair massages, mandala coloring and more. One dollar for every pint sold in October goes to Common Ground. 5:30-7:30pm. Starr Hill Brewery, 5391 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet. 218-7677.

NONPROFIT
Boats and Butterflies Festival
Saturday, October 7

Enjoy rides down the Rivanna River in handmade wooden boats, and learn about one of the most seasoned travelers: monarch butterflies. Artists young and old can contribute butterflies to the collage painting. $7, 10am-4pm. Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center, Darden Towe Park. lewisandclarkvirginia.org

HEALTH & WELLNESS
Trails Crew 5K Race
Saturday, October 7

Start your morning off right with the eighth annual Crozet Trails Crew 5K Race and Kids 400m Fun Run at Claudius Crozet Park. The race precedes the Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival held at the park from 10am-6pm. $20-25, 8am Kids Run; 8:30am 5K race. Claudius Crozet Park, 5300 Park Rd., Crozet. crozettrailscrew.org

Categories
Living

Caleb Warr leaves his post at Tavola and other food and drink news

Dylan Allwood, current chef de cuisine at C&O Restaurant, says he’s excited to explore his passion for Italian food as Tavola’s new head chef. Photo courtesy of Natalie Jacobsen.

After showcasing his mastery of Italian cooking at Tavola, Caleb Warr is leaving his post as the eatery’s head chef. Dylan Allwood, current chef de cuisine at C&O Restaurant, will take his spot.

Warr, a Louisiana native, arrived in Charlottesville seven years ago with a desire to cook. He didn’t attend culinary school, but with dedication and hard work, he won spots in some of Charlottesville’s best kitchens—Zinc, The Rock Barn and Mas among them—and is in the running for the coveted title of best chef in our 2017 Best Of C-VILLE poll.

Warr’s last day at Tavola (which is co-owned by C-VILLE arts editor Tami Keaveny) will be June 10, after which he’ll relocate to Cape Cod with his family and run the kitchen at an athletic center while getting to know New England food and culture before deciding what’s next. He says he’s proud of what he’s accomplished at Tavola, most of all passing knowledge along to other hard-working cooks.

“I’ll miss my staff the most,” says Warr. “General manager Priscilla Martin and owner Michael Keaveny and I have developed something very special recently. Walking away from this was not easy, but I leave it in very great hands between them and my kitchen staff in conjunction with Dylan. I will also miss other chefs and cooks in this town—there are too many to name, but a few are very special to me.”

Allwood feels similarly about his departure from C&O. The restaurant “has an extremely talented team…some of the best in the business,” Allwood says, both in the front of the house and the kitchen and bar. “It’s very much like a family, and it will be difficult to leave—even for such a great opportunity.”

Allwood got his first kitchen job when he was 15, washing dishes at a local restaurant in his hometown of Locust Grove. He eventually worked his way up to line cook, then attended the Culinary Institute of America and worked at the Clifton Inn and at Lemaire in the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond before cooking at the now-shuttered Brookville Restaurant. After serving as sous chef to Brookville’s Harrison Keevil, Allwood was sous chef and later executive chef at Rocksalt Charlottesville before landing at C&O.

“I’ve always had a passion for Italian food but have never had the opportunity to explore that in any of the kitchens I’ve cooked in previously,” says Allwood. “And this is my chance to explore that passion with some of the best in the business.” Plus, “Tavola has some of the best food in Charlottesville. I’m looking forward to being part of that tradition,” he says.

Breaking bread

Throughout the month of June, the Charlottesville chapter of the Rumi Forum for Interfaith Dialogue and Intercultural Understanding will hold a series of cultural Ramadan Iftar dinner programs that are free and open to the public.

During Ramadan, a holy month of prayer, introspection and fasting for followers of Islam, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset; at sunset, they break their daily fasts by sharing a meal with friends and family.

“It is the meaning of Ramadan to share the food, promote friendship and give charity and foster social harmony wherever you live in the world,” says Charlottesville Rumi Forum volunteer Omer Faruk of the group’s community Ramadan dinners, which will serve a mélange of Turkish cuisine, such as meat-based main dishes, rice, mezes, salads, pita bread, borek (a baked filled pastry), fruit and two kinds of desserts.

That deeper sense of understanding that comes with sharing a meal is part of what prompted the organization to sponsor the community iftar (“breakfast” in Arabic) dinners, says Faruk.

“The idea is a very simple one: loving one another is as easy as breaking bread,” says Faruk.

Register online for the meals, which will take place from 7:15 to 9:15pm Friday, June 2, Tuesday, June 6, Friday, June 9, Friday, June 16, Sunday, June 18 and Friday, June 23. Email cville@rumiforum.org for more information.

Eater’s digest

Carpe Donuts can now be ordered on Amazon.com. According to a post on Carpe Donuts’ Instagram account, the donuts—both the apple cider cinnamon sugar and plain options—are sold in batches of 24, 48 or 72 and will be made fresh in Charlottesville and delivered via expedited shipping throughout the continental U.S.

Starr Hill Brewery’s Grateful Pale Ale will taste a little different this summer. According to a press release, the brewery has updated the beer “with an enhanced recipe” that “showcases a fruitier hop aroma, more citrus hop flavor and a smoother, fuller body.”

Categories
Living

Oktoberfest events abound in Charlottesville

Firefly staff and customers are encouraged to don their dirndls and lederhosen for the stein-hoisting competition Thursday, September 29. Photo by Martyn Kyle

It’s Oktoberfest season, and breweries, restaurants and bars all over town are celebrating one of the world’s largest festivals, which has its origins in an 1810 mid-October royal marriage in Munich. So dust off your dirndls and lederhosen, Charlottesville, and get thee to a bierhaus.

Kardinal Hall

Oktoberfest “is in the nature and history of this place, of getting everyone together to celebrate,” says Chris Cornelius, general manager at Kardinal Hall, where they’re rotating many German beers through the taps during an ongoing celebration. You’ll find the approachable Bitburger German lager, Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Märzen, Weihenstephaner Oktoberfestbier and Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen, a classic German hefe that Cornelius says is the best he’s ever tasted. “It has beautiful balance, not too banana, not too clove.”

Kardinal Hall will hold a stein-hoisting contest Saturday, October 1, before wrapping up its Oktoberfest on Tuesday, October 4, with a $30 per plate all-you-can-eat dinner of bratwurst, sauerkraut, spaetzel, pretzels and gingerbread (read more about Kardinal Hall’s German food on page 49).

Starr Hill Brewery

Starr Hill offers German-style brews all year round—The Love Hefeweizen and Jomo Vienna-Style Lager—but this year’s Oktoberfest afforded brewmaster Robbie O’Cain the chance to develop two new ones, a tart Berliner Weisse and the Basketcase American Helles Lager. Those beers, plus The Festie Oktoberfest Lager, Helles Bock and Warehouse Pils, will be on tap for the brewery’s Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, October 1, from noon to 7pm.

For the beer nerds, Starr Hill’s brewers will conduct a “bier session” on the history of German brewing techniques and beer styles. And if German food is your thing, check out the audience-decided bratwurst battle, where three local chefs will go knife-to-knife in hopes of being crowned brat king of the Blue Ridge.

Tickets are $17 and include three tokens, each redeemable for one beer or food serving.

Firefly

Firefly’s 12-day Oktoberfest celebration ends Oct. 2, but there’s still time to taste some official Munich Oktoberfest beers—such as the Hacker-Pschorr Hacker-Festzelt and Pschorr-Bräurosl and the Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier. General Manager Brett Cassis says they’ve also got some märzens on tap from Seven Arrows, Devils Backbone, Left Hand, DuClaw and others, and will have schnitzel, sausages, cabbage and pretzels on the menu, plus a stein-hosting contest on Thursday, September 29.

Blue Mountain Brewery

Over the next couple of weeks, pair Blue Mountain’s 13.Five Ofest lagerbier with some schnitzel, gulasch or a pretzel. If you’re lucky enough to snag a seat on Saturday, October 1 or 8, you can devour your Bavarian-inspired fare to the tune of a traditional oompah band. Dying to add to your Oktoberfest memorabilia collection? Blue Mountain’s Steal the Stein Night is Thursday, October 6.

Michael’s Bistro & Tap House

Michael’s keeps things a bit more traditional, with lederhosen- and dirndl-clad servers dishing out dinner specials such as wild boar and elk sausage alongside official Munich Oktoberfest beer offerings. “When you drink a märzen or a wiesn [this week], you know you are sharing that experience at that moment with people all over the world,” says owner Laura Spetz.

Categories
Living

LIVING Picks: Week of September 7-13

Photo by Rammelkamp Foto

Food & Drink
Farm to Feast dinner
Sunday, September 11

Enjoy a family-style meal of locally sourced food at Blenheim Vineyards’ Farm to Feast benefit dinner, which supports Local Food Hub and Farm Aid. In addition to dinner prepared by acclaimed chefs, there will be passed canapés, a teepee “cocktail” lounge and live music from Small Town Rodeo. $125, 5- 9pm. Blenheim Vineyards, 31 Blenheim Farm. bleinheimvineyards.com

Nonprofit
Cheers for Charity
Through September

Wild Virginia and Starr Hill Brewery are partnering for the Cheers for Charity fundraiser. One dollar for every pint of beer sold at the Starr Hill Tap Room this month will go to Wild Virginia, which works to protect our state’s national forests and stop the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Starr Hill Brewery, 5391 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet. 823-5671.

Health & Wellness
Be Bold 5K trail race
Saturday, September 10

Enjoy panoramic mountain views during this flat-course race, registration for which includes a commemorative tasting glass and post-race party with cider samples from Bold Rock. $40, 9am. Bold Rock Cider Barn, 1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Nellysford. 361-1030.

Family
Cville Jr. Idol 2016
Friday, September 9

The Black Box Players and Cville Jr. Idol are celebrating 30 years of the community theater with a chorus of children, teens and adults singing and dancing to some of the most memorable songs from the last three decades. You can also vote for your favorite Idol Jr. contestant, who range in age from 8 to 14. $10, 7pm. Burnley Moran Elementary School, 1300 Long St. blackboxplayers.com