Food

Café du Soleil Expands in Alexandria’s Old Town

Francophiles in Alexandria’s Old Town had reason to celebrate when the beloved tiny gem announced it would open a sister café on Jefferson Street in 2025. Both Café du Soleils sit about a mile from one another and both offer a rapturous mix of simple but delicious French-inspired cuisine, gourmet coffee drinks, local culture, and […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Holiday Recipes: Glühwein and Æbleskiver in Virginia

If you asked me about magical Christmases, one place comes to mind: Copenhagen, where I studied abroad. For four months, I lived like a Dane, savoring Nordic art, cuisine, and culture. Even the dark skies and bitter cold enchanted me, a native Michigander. Christmas time there meant streets strung with lights, hygge on every corner, […]

by Hope Cartwright

Tired of Cooking? Dine Out for Thanksgiving in Virginia

To serve or to be served … the real Thanksgiving dilemma. But no matter which table you end up at—your own, your family’s, a restaurant’s—what truly matters is who’s at the table. For those who would rather dine out for the big Thanksgiving meal, Virginia Living has compiled a list of some of the state’s […]

by Sadie Porter

A Guide to Grabbing a Bite in Bristol

Bristol may be best known for country music and NASCAR, but the city’s restaurant scene has a lot more to offer than Southern-fried cuisine. Here are some of our favorite dining spots in this bustling border town. Vivian’s Table: Situated in the historic Bristol Hotel, Vivian’s is a classic chophouse with an upscale yet approachable […]

by Erica Jackson Curran

Philanthropy Through Food and Hospitality at Keswick Hall

It was the early ‘90s when Molly Hardie volunteered at her close friend’s kindergarten class. There, she witnessed firsthand how many children went to school hungry. The teacher quietly fed her students each day, and Molly’s heart broke every time. Now, Molly and her husband, Robert Hardie, own Keswick Hall, a premier resort destination near […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Unpacking the Gluten-Free Hype

Earlier this year, National Geographic quoted several dieticians, a gastroenterologist, and five recent, peer-reviewed studies to make this point about gluten: Don’t believe the hype. Sounds easy enough, but a blitz of advertising spend for gluten-free foods—set to exceed $9 billion in 2025—is determined to oversimplify the current landscape of gut health. That landscape is […]

by Janelle Alberts

Heirloom Recipes with Virginia Living

The holidays bring out the best recipes—and the most closely guarded family secrets. AtVirginia Living, our staff finally share the dishes that disappear fastest from their holiday tables—from savory sides that spark dust-ups over seconds to desserts that have cousins clamoring for the recipes. You won’t find these in glossy cookbooks or trending on social […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

The Ancient Roman Roots of Thanksgiving Stuffing

The holidays are coming. The usual suspects arrive at almost every Thanksgiving table: turkey, cranberry sauce, pie, and stuffing. The starchy, savory mixture complements its counterparts so well, it’d be natural to imagine the first pilgrims serving up an early version. But the history behind it takes a much older and surprising route. The world’s […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

The Sweet Secret Behind Virginia Ham

Every holiday, “Buy the ham” gets scribbled on a Post-It note and stuck to my laptop. I’m known as the worst cook in my family, so the least I can do to contribute to our holiday feast is grab a ham. Hams are forgiving entrées for the culinarily challenged, thanks in large part to the […]

by Janelle Alberts

George Washington’s Christmas Pie from Mount Vernon

There’s a magic to holiday recipes that seems to turn back time—to grandma’s kitchen, school snow days, a first Christmas with your sweetheart. This one, though, goes much further, all the way back to George Washington’s days, when streets were full of horses and tables full of pie. Mmm … pie. The phrase “Christmas Pie” […]

by Hope Cartwright

Cheese Slaw: A Roanoke Classic Lives On

What happens when you take Dutch-rooted coleslaw and marry it with the South’s beloved pimento cheese? You get Roanoke Valley’s most treasured culinary mashup: cheese slaw. Renowned caterer and longtime Roanoke resident Lib Wilhelm didn’t just serve food—she created edible folklore. Her signature cheese slaw graced tables throughout the region for decades, becoming so deeply […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Cuz’s Uptown BBQ Is Still Going Strong in Southwest Virginia

Brash and opinionated Mike Thompson loved to cook and was the irreverent spirit behind Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque—a Tazewell County staple located in the old milk bottling building of the Thompsons’ farm. When he died in 2018, the easy play for his widow, Yvonne Thompson, would have been to shut the place down, move on with […]

by Bill Lohmann

6 Virginia Apple Orchards You Don’t Want to Miss This Fall

As October descends, memories of apple picking begin to resurface. Chilly mornings, driving up winding roads, and admiring the changing leaves—it’s autumn … A childlike type of joy reignites as you get on your tippy-toes to reach the biggest, shiniest apple on the tree. Here’s where to go apple picking in Virginia. Carter Mountain Orchard […]

by Sadie Porter

Celebrate Halloween with Pumpkin-Shaped Bagels

Picture this: You’re scrolling through Instagram and suddenly stop dead in your tracks. Is that a pumpkin? Wait, no—it’s a bagel shaped like a pumpkin, and it’s so realistic you’d swear it just rolled in from a roadside farmstand. Welcome to Bobby’s Bagel Café, where carbs meet creativity in the most spectacular way possible. Back […]

by Lauren Stanley

Eastern Shore Figs are Virginia Royalty

For just a few fleeting weeks, usually late in the summer, Virginia’s Eastern Shore figs debut. Featuring an array of shapes, hues, flavors, and backstories, this tiny fruit (technically an inverted flower) is royalty. Despite its short season, many strive to celebrate each harvest, like Eastern Shore Fig Co.’s Paula Henao. Founder of the Cape […]

by Rachel Kester

Meet Virginia’s Most Enthusiastic Fig Fan

Nancy Thompson can’t pinpoint the moment figs entered her life. Unlike the ubiquitous bananas and apples of childhood, figs arrived quietly, almost mysteriously. “I don’t remember having them as a kid,” she admits, but somewhere along the way, this unassuming fruit captured her completely. Today, she’s transformed into Virginia’s most devoted fig evangelist. Her passion […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Why Apple Cider Donuts Rule Autumn

Nothing captures the essence of fall quite like the warm, spiced aroma of apple cider donuts wafting through crisp autumn air. These beloved treats have become synonymous with apple harvest season, drawing crowds to farms and orchards during apple-picking time. A staple throughout New England since the ’50s, these flavor bombs signal fall’s arrival. So […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Whitney Cardozo’s Delicious Detour at Chez Foushee

What do you do when you’re sitting at your desk and a listing for an “architecturally interesting restaurant” lands in your inbox? If you’re Whitney Cardozo, you buy it. The owner of Richmond’s beloved Chez Foushee never intended to become a restaurateur, but sometimes the most rewarding journeys begin with unexpected detours. A Kitchen Awakening […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Apple Cider Donuts Recipe: Your New Favorite Fall Treat

Makes 12 donuts and holes Ingredients 2½ cups apple cider 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided 2 or 4 teaspoons baking powder (see Recipe Instructions) 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated ½ cup packed […]

by Madeline Mayhood

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Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

If you happened to be standing near the I-81 exit for Mt. Crawford in the early morning hours of this past June 30, you’d have witnessed a spectacle. Shoppers flooded into the parking lot and shuffled into block-long lines in hopes of being among the first through the doors of Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s travel station. […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Norfolk Harborfest Returns for Its 50th Anniversary

From June 19–21, Downtown Norfolk welcomes a fleet of over 60 international and U.S. tall ships to celebrate VA250. “Harborfest celebrates the rich maritime and naval heritage that defines Norfolk and the Hampton Roads region,” says Jordan Lett, marketing director of Norfolk Festevents. “With something happening throughout the waterfront each day, Harborfest offers an immersive […]

by Abby Borgeson

U.S. News & World Report Names This Virginia School as One of The Best in The Nation

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology’s streak of hard-hitting accolades continues this year with a glowing review from U.S. News & World Report. The outlet recently crowned it the top high school in Virginia—and fifth best in the nation—for 2026. The ranking praised the Fairfax-based magnet school’s STEM-focused curriculum that builds toward a […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Food

Café du Soleil Expands in Alexandria’s Old Town

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Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

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Café du Soleil Expands in Alexandria’s Old Town

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Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

Norfolk Harborfest Returns for Its 50th Anniversary

U.S. News & World Report Names This Virginia School as One of The Best in The Nation

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