Food

New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

Around the world, as both a beverage and a pastime, tea is steeped in history and ritual. From the casual to the ceremonial, tea is a throughline for many cultures, and now, it’s enjoying a renewed interest from beverage pros who are drawn to tea’s unique flavor characteristics, health benefits, and cultural connections. Recently, two […]

by Stephanie Ganz

Brew Like a Pro

“There’s a few main rules to live by when it comes to starting to make better coffee at home,” says Stephanie Wein of Pinup Coffee Co. By the time it reaches the customer’s hands, high-quality coffee has already been through a lengthy, detailed, international process. The last thing you want to do is ruin it […]

by Hope Cartwright

Owners of Famed Chateau Bet Big on Virginia with Purchase of Iconic RdV Vineyards

As the first rays of morning sun fall over the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Joshua Grainer is already in the vineyards at Lost Mountain. He’s walking up and down vineyard rows checking on the vines before meeting with the vineyard team to discuss the plan for the day. He knows these vineyards well. […]

by Frank Morgan

Unveiling Coffee’s True Flavors: Virginia Coffee Roasters’ Specialty Brews

Coffee—the universal good morning, driving force behind business superpowers, perhaps the most prolific beverage in all pop culture—is naturally bitter. Aside from the addictive properties of caffeine, what inspires such fascination in coffee is a mystery to those who question the initially unappealing taste. Haden Polseno-Hensley, co-owner of Red Rooster Coffee in Floyd, recalls growing […]

by Hope Cartwright

Virginia’s Wide World of Wines

Virginia’s world of wines is rich and diverse, and the 67 restaurants throughout the state that received Wine Spectator’s recently announced 2024 Award of Excellence are proof that a ticket to Napa or Burgundy isn’t necessary to enjoy outstanding food and wine. The Commonwealth has plenty of world-class options. The Wine Spectator awards extend far […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Slow Sips at Solstice Farm Brewery

To Ed and Anna Shore, founders of Solstice Farm Brewery in Catawba, their brewing post nestled in the Roanoke Valley amid scenic peaks and woodlands is more than a spot for drink; it’s a community organization. “I call it an indigenous brewery,” Anna says. “We use things from the area to make our beer, […]

by Hope Cartwright

New Staunton Restaurant is a Delightful Surprise

For fans of star chef Ian Boden and his famed, hole-in-the-wall, Staunton fine dinery The Shack, a visit to the newly launched Maude & the Bear culinary inn begins with a series of delightful shocks. A thoughtfully landscaped parking area gives way to the arched porch of a 2,500-square-foot, English-style Montgomery Ward kit-home-turned-restaurant that dates […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Goochland’s Greenswell Growers Go Big

The “lettuce connoisseurs” at Greenswell Growers in Goochland, as CEO Carl Gupton has dubbed himself and his team, produce about 700,000 pounds of lettuce a year—all out of an acre-and-a-half streamlined greenhouse facility. There, the plants grow from seed to salad-ready without any human hands. And though the indoor expanse of bright green sproutlings seems […]

by Hope Cartwright

Cooking Like the Colonists with Rebecca Suerdieck

If you’ve ever wondered what it means to live to work, you need to know Rebecca Suerdieck. Her business card is humble—historian and educator provide a few hints—but the wattage of her smile gives it all away. This is a woman who absolutely loves what she does. Suerdieck grew up in Colonial Williamsburg, where her […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Can They Rival NYC’s Best?

The great bagel debate. A hot button argument over breakfasts across the country comes down to this: what makes a bagel a real bagel, and can one be found anywhere outside of the Big Apple? Luckily, Virginia bakers haven’t been deterred by naysayers and New York bagel sticklers yet—they, and their bagel dough, rise to […]

by Hope Cartwright

Made in Virginia Awards 2024: Drink

2022 Cabernet Franc Eastwood Farm and Winery – Charlottesville $32, EastwoodFarmAndWinery.com Morgan describes this glass of wine as “a delicious expression of Cabernet Franc that is decidedly Virginian.” Eastwood Farm and Winery aims to deliver a profile with notes of cherry, peppercorn, and coffee, suggesting pairing it with hearty dishes like risotto or everyday eats […]

by Hope Cartwright

Christmas Classics at this Cookie Decorating Class

When I can’t sleep and I’ve exhausted every social feed and no TV show can hold my attention, I turn to Facebook reels. Those videos are to me what “Baby Shark” is for babies. My absolute favorites have always been cookie-decorating videos, where tantalizing icing swirls onto smooth sugar cookies with ease. I’ve always wondered […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Made in Virginia Awards 2024: Food

8-Slice Variety Cake Tasting Box Cake Bloom – Charlottesville $80, CakeBloom.com Upon opening this artfully arranged sampler box, Ganz couldn’t help but feel like a bride-to-be. Cake Bloom’s message is clear: “You don’t need to be engaged to enjoy a cake tasting.” Each month, the box features eight rotating cake flavors, so beautifully presented that […]

by Hope Cartwright

The Virginia House-Wife Celebrates 200 Years

From the nuances of frying veals’ feet to how to dress a lamb’s head, Mary Randolph was the 19th-century’s answer to Ina Garten. Generally considered the country’s first cookbook author, she wrote the wildly popular The Virginia House-Wife in 1824, which enjoyed brisk sales and 19 printings until the outbreak of the Civil War. To […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Virginia Breweries Bring Awards Home From World Beer Cup

Breweries from all over the globe gathered in Las Vegas in the spring for the largest beer competition in the world, the World Beer Cup. 9,300 beers, 2,060 breweries from 50 countries, and 290 judges from 37 countries turned out for the event. Nine Virginia breweries brought medals home. Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co. from […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

How to Master Muddling: Expert Tips from MurLarkey

Muddling is a mixology technique sometimes taken for granted—listed as an instruction on countless classic cocktail recipes with no explanation given for the amateur, at-home bartenders following along. But George “Papi” Zwetkow, master distiller at MurLarkey Spirits in Bristow, bets that most cocktail drinkers are muddling already without even knowing it. “If you get a […]

by Hope Cartwright

Sip Zero-Waste Cocktails at this Charlottesville Bar

The kitchen at Birch & Bloom, the modern steakhouse and bar at Kimpton The Forum Hotel in Charlottesville, presents no shortage of fresh Virginian ingredients—veritably high-quality and invaluable to the flavors found on plates and in cocktail glasses. For Daniel Beedle, the hotel’s chief mixologist and assistant food and beverage director, every last scrap of […]

by Hope Cartwright

Stock Bistro Serves a Taste of Scandinavia in the Blue Ridge

My wife and I were browsing Euro-chic goods at a cosmopolitan furniture shop when a stylish waiter brought out candles and place settings to a teak dining table on the sales floor. Four diners were then seated, and a server delivered an appetizer board of cured fish and caviar. We soon headed to the bar […]

by Craig Stoltz

Quick Pickle Revelation

–By Clare Osdene Schapiro I’m as enchanted as the next person by a shelf full of glistening jars of pickles. To me, it’s like perusing a high-end jewelry store. Gorgeous gem-tone wares, carefully arranged to show varieties—but even more, sheer abundance. As a young woman obsessed with cooking, I briefly delved into the world of […]

by Staff

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Events

July 4, 2025

Fourth of July at Stratford Hall

Stratford Hall

July 4, 2025

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

Virginia Repertory Theatre

July 5, 2025

Yorktown Market Days

Riverwalk Landing

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Eight Virginia schools received the National Blue Ribbon 2024 award for their high performances. The Exemplary High Performing Schools are Spring Hill Elementary in McLean, Green Run Collegiate in Virginia Beach, Bethel Manor Elementary in Hampton, and St. Andrew the Apostle School in Clifton. The Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are Central Academy Middle […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

The University of Virginia has climbed to No. 4 among public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges rankings, advancing one position from last year. The university maintained its No. 24 overall ranking, tying with Emory and Georgetown universities. UVA’s commitment to accessibility and student success stands out in several key metrics. […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Can’t-Miss Spots in Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park offers breathtaking views, scenic trails, and diverse wildlife—the perfect prescription for nature lovers. Some spots to add to your itinerary include: This article originally appeared in the Best of Virginia 2025 issue.

by Stacy Watkins

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The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

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