Food

What’s Behind Cirrus Vodka’s New Richmond Tasting Room Menu

The sun-warmed stone patio at Ballast, the new mixed-use development off Summit Avenue in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition, beckons passersby with its striped umbrellas, outdoor seating galore, and inviting sounds of chatter. Cirrus Vodka’s new tasting room, which opened April 24, sits beside the bonny courtyard across from specialty food shop Yellow Umbrella—evoking Mediterranean beach town […]

by Hope Cartwright

Flipping Burgers Since 1935

In Charlottesville, Riverside Lunch hits the spot. (Photo by Thomas McGovern) The Riverside, as regulars call it, has been serving up burgers and baskets of fries since 1935. With its friendly staff, unbeatable prices, and consistently good food, nobody seems to mind that the burgers arrive on white paper plates. In fact, […]

by Staff

What’s in a Name

Once exclusive to Switzerland and France, Gruyère gets redefined. (Photo courtesy of Meadow Creek Dairy) When a Virginia judge ruled that the name Gruyère could be applied to cheese made outside of the Gruyères region, even some U.S. cheesemakers raised an eyebrow. The ruling came from Judge T.S. Ellis III of […]

by Stephanie Ganz

Mad for Mahjong

In this Arlington speakeasy, mahjong’s the name of the game. (Photography by Mariah Miranda Photography) There’s more than dim sum on the menu at Sparrow Room in Arlington. This speakeasy-style bar serving craft cocktails also doubles as a mahjong parlor. Mariah Miranda Located in the back of Bun’d Up […]

by Ashley Hunter

Labor Day Getaway

Before the summer ends, head over for some southern fare and fun at Primland. (Photo Credit: Auberge Resorts Collection) Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection is excited to welcome renowned Pitmaster, Chef Elizabeth Karmel, to close out the summer this Labor Day with a weekend-long celebration at the Blue Ridge Mountain retreat complete with BBQ workshops, exclusive […]

by Staff

In Praise of Ham Biscuits

For Virginians, out of one culinary obsession, come many. Ham biscuits. Two words that sound straightforward enough to our other 49 states. But in Virginia, where they turn up at weddings and funerals, Christmas parties, and football tailgates, they’re often not a biscuit at all. The variations are handwritten on recipe cards, […]

by Staff

Seafood Revolution in Gwynn’s Island

With her award-winning “seafood,” Monica Talbert is making culinary waves. Monica Talbert is calling from Gwynn’s Island, still delirious from the news: her Mind Blown scallops have just won another award, this time first place, beating out thousands of “natural” grocery store brands for a coveted Nexty. What’s mind-blowing about this news […]

by Madeline Mayhood

All Aboard the Pink Dinghy

This playful Virginia Beach restaurant brings a world of flavor. It’s hard to miss the Pink Dinghy in Virginia Beach’s hip ViBe District. Just look for the vibrant mural or the (literal) pink dinghy on the roof. Wes Anderson meets Miami Beach in this small restaurant that’s both playful and authentic. The […]

by Stephanie Ganz

Churn It On

Recipes for 4 homemade ice cream classics, reimagined.

by Stephanie Ganz

Riviera Dreaming

Anina Belle of Le Chef’s Wife makes French cuisine accessible for home cooks. McLean, VA (Photography by Scott Suchman) Sometimes, fairytales do come true. When she left her home in British Columbia for a semester in the South of France, Anina Belle couldn’t foresee the life-changing impact that decision would have on […]

by John Haddad

Authentic Appalachian Flavors

For Chef Travis Milton, his newest restaurant is a passion project. KIRK CHAMBERS Travis Milton has been a standard-bearer of Appalachian cuisine for the past decade. He’s already pouring his passion for the region’s flavors into Nicewonder’s inaugural restaurant, Taste: Wood-Fired Kitchen, which serves small plates and casual fare. Born and raised […]

by John Haddad

Patty O’s Cafe

The Michelin three-star chef brings casual dining to “Little Washington.” Across the street from the famed Inn at Little Washington, chef Patrick O’Connell has given the namesake village Patty O’s Cafe, an elegant and warmly approachable bakery, pastry shop, café, bar, and—of course—patio. The first new restaurant from the Michelin three-star chef […]

by tesauro jason

Santé at the Ritz

Pentagon City hotel delivers Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. (Photo by Greg Powers) On the menu at Santé, the new Mediterranean restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City, grilled Virginia oysters happily coexist with shrimp saganaki and chickpea fries. “It’s an experience that transports, yet feels familiar all the same,” says Matthew Felix, the hotel’s […]

by Constance Costas

Dinner with a View in Old Town

Ada’s on the River heats up Alexandria’s waterfront. Is it someone’s birthday?” our server asks when she bounces up to our table. My family is dining at Ada’s on the River, on the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria. We look at each other and laugh. We are celebrating life, and Ada’s feels […]

by Staff

Let Them Eat Cake … Doughnuts

These homemade delights are the perfect bite-sized indulgence. Tyler Darden Lynchburg donuts, gluten-free Tuesday Apple cider and doughnuts at Mama Crockett’s. Photography by Tyler Darden They don’t call it Fat Tuesday for nothing. The day of revelry before the austere Christian observance of Lent is known as much for its merrymaking as it is […]

by Stephanie Ganz

Seasonal Roots

The newest way to eat healthy and support local. Looking for healthy, seasonal eating options while simultaneously supporting Virginia farmers? Seasonal Roots is an online farmers market started in 2011 that delivers products created and grown by 75 Virginia farms (like Deer Run Farm in Hanover or Saunders Brothers Orchard in Piney River) […]

by Staff

The Pakalachian

This food truck dishes up Southern fare with a Pakistani twist. Comfort foods from Appalachia and Pakistan come together in this Abingdon-based food truck with a decidedly down-home vibe. “It’s all very familiar, like mac ‘n cheese, on the one hand,” says Katlin Kazmi, coowner of the Pakalachian, with her husband Mohsin. […]

by Madeline Mayhood

A Taste of Paris in Charlottesville

With Cou Cou Rachou, Rachel De Jong brings authentic French baking to the Blue Ridge. (Photo of Rachel De Jong by Fred+Elliot) Long before we met in person, I met Rachel De Jong’s lovely sourdough bread at Charlottesville’s Broadcloth restaurant. The loaf left a lasting impression. So when I heard that she […]

by John Haddad

What Foods Say Spring?

We asked five chefs around the state. “Foraged ramps and morels. I love the combination. I pickle and dry them to last the whole year. I also love the first leaves of tender lettuce simply dressed with olive oil, sea salt, and lemon.” —Matt Hill, Ruthie’s All-Day, Arlington RuthiesAllDay.com […]

by Staff

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A New Experience at the Virginia Scenic Railway

Virginia Scenic Railway Adds Dome Car for Spectacular Valley Views The popular Virginia Scenic Railway just upped its game with a vintage dome car offering breathtaking 360° views of the Shenandoah Valley. The “Shenandoah”—built in 1948 as the “Silver Palace” for the California Zephyr—now gives passengers an unmatched vantage point on three-hour excursions from Staunton. […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Mom Hiked the Appalachian Trail with 13 Kids in Tow

Nikki Bettis stood on the jagged summit outcrop of Shenandoah National Park’s 4,011-foot Stony Man, awed by westward panoramic views. Her heart swelled with emotion as she turned to watch her 13 kids shoulder their loaded backpacks and fall into a clamorous single-file line heading back to the Appalachian Trail (AT). “We were in an […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Williamsburg Archaeologists Uncover Secret Garden

In Colonial America, a grand garden was the ultimate status symbol—the 18th century equivalent of a Lamborghini. So when archaeologists at Colonial Williamsburg uncovered John Custis IV’s property, they struck horticultural gold: the remains of a football field-sized garden alongside his Jacobean manor house. Custis, a tobacco magnate and Martha Washington’s first father-in-law, went all […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Food

What’s Behind Cirrus Vodka’s New Richmond Tasting Room Menu

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Preservation Tours: Lost Buildings of Alexandria-The Waterfront

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A New Experience at the Virginia Scenic Railway

Mom Hiked the Appalachian Trail with 13 Kids in Tow

Williamsburg Archaeologists Uncover Secret Garden

Food

What’s Behind Cirrus Vodka’s New Richmond Tasting Room Menu

Current Issue

Events

Preservation Tours: Lost Buildings of Alexandria-The Waterfront

Milk Tide

Living Flower Arrangement Container Workshop

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

A New Experience at the Virginia Scenic Railway

Mom Hiked the Appalachian Trail with 13 Kids in Tow

Williamsburg Archaeologists Uncover Secret Garden

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weekly newsletter: VL Today

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