The Circus at JPJ

So when I was a kid I went to the Circus and I was amazed at all the acts and how fantastical everything was. Everything just seemed larger than life. 20 years later.... A friend of mine had two tickets to the Circus at John Paul Jones Arena that he wasn't going to use, so Betsy and I decided to take them off his hands. Let me tell you that the circus is a lot different when you are 24 than when you are a little kid. The whole thing seemed pretty small and most of the acts were kind of lame. The highlights of the show were the elephants (duh...) and a really funny clown who wasn't really a clown at all. He was more like a silly Frenchman who does bicycle tricks. (I should mention that his outrageous French accent slipped into an Australian accent sporadically) The climax of the show (for me anyways) was this silly Frenchman riding a bicycle that was about 10 inches long through a hoop of fire. We enjoyed ourselves, but we probably wouldn't spend $20 on tickets again.

Lee's Grill

This is a small restaurant just east of 14th and University on the Corner. It has very good cheap Asian food. It has Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and other Southeast Asian dishes. I had a Vietnamese beef noodle soup and Betsy had a grilled beef dish. Both dishes were very good, and at the right price this place will become a once-in-a-while lunch stop for me. The service was excellent and the waitress made us feel very comfortable. I think they do take out too, so it might give us a break from Asian Express.

O Suzannah

O Suzannah is an adorable stationary (which I love) store on one of the side streets off the downtown mall. I had had a few friends recommend I check it out. The store is much bigger than it seems and is packed with journals, calendars, cards, books, pens, and other knick-knacks. The owner apparently loves planners so I already felt a kinship with the store :) We were there right before Christmas so it was pretty crowded. I doubt this is the norm so I'll have to check it out again when I can take my time browsing. A great place for gifts and cute office supplies.

Posh Style

On our C'ville exploration day today, we stopped in any stores we had been meaning to check out but had never gone in. My mom told me to pop into Posh as she met the owner and loved her. First thing - a little old lady was sitting on the couch right in front of the door and greeted Charlie and I with "you are welcome". The store carries vintage jewelry, gloves, purses, and other nic-nacs but they also carry some cute quirky clothes - some Michael Kors mixed with some designers I haven't seen anywhere else. The store smelled like Charlie's grandmother's house and definitely had some charm. I might stop in again if I'm looking for a little vintage gift. Worth checking out at least once.

Eloise

I am in love with this store! I could just sit in here for hours and love my life.

The clothes are super cute - and you should see their clothes for kids - expensive, but cute. Sitting right on Water Street, Eloise carries Nanette Lepore, Theory, fabulous jeans and tees, James Perse, and super fun jewelry. They have a bargain bin the back of the store and a great couch area for boyfriends (or fiances) who have been dragged along.

You have to check it out!

Wonderful, just wonderful!

Splendora's

This gelato parlor on the downtown mall is quite fabulous and they have tons of fun flavors, including a newly discovered Apple Cider flavored gelato. I think this flavor may be a close second to Turkey Hill's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (not like they are very comparable). It was delicious and very comforting while at the same time fresh and refreshing.

Charlie highly recommends any of their coffee flavored gelatos.

I just get the bambino sized cup (just one scoop) while Charlie opts for the small - which gives you the option of having two flavors.

Mmm Mmm

Erin McDermott

I started teaching/subbing at a day school and found out that one of the preschool teachers I work with makes jewelry when she isn't busy teaching. Erin McDermott is super cute, friendly and I just checked out her website. Several Charlottesville papers have interviewed/reviewed Erin and her jewelry and have loved her.

The names of her designs are fabulous and fun and while I don't really wear jewelry other than a crappy, tiny pair of diamond studs and my engagement ring, each of her designs is totally adaptable to whatever style you are wearing and are totally flirty and cheerful.

Just a little shout out.

Little John's

This place is great. I have been here for lunch many times, and I have had many of their sandwiches (it is mainly a sandwich joint). For the price, it is probably the best place for lunch on the corner. Everything I have had there is good, and I have had a lot. My favorite is the "Five Easy." They heat their sandwiches in a very hot oven right behind the counter. The sandwiches are delicious, and not pretentious like some of the other sandwich places in town. The staff is very friendly, and very good at what they do. They move a lot of people through the line very quickly during lunch. Also, I am not sure if they make them on-site, but their muffins may be the best I have ever had. Little Johns is on the corner, right in the middle of all the shops and restaurants on University Avenue. I highly recommend this place, even if you are not on a graduate student budget. Also, it is open 24 hours, and apparently their breakfast is good too.

Bristles

So I have been hearing about this hair place for years (my sister would splurge here when she was an undergrad at UVA) and decided to try it out. I have been going back and forth between short hair or long hair, bangs or no bangs...and eventually end up getting so fed up with this hair that I either get it chopped or cut my own bangs over the bathroom sink. Charlie waits by the doorway terrified of how I'm about to freak out because I just ruined my hair and will now need to rush to a hair salon to fix the bangs I just messed up. Needless to say, I have had sideswept bangs of some sort for almost 4 years now and don't see them going anywhere anytime soon.

This recently happened but the hack job was not too horrible that I had to rush to the salon. Instead, I was able to make an appointment for a trim (and a bang rescue) at Bristles. The stylist actually took time to check out my hair and talk to me about what I was looking for and how I wore my hair regularly. I usually throw my hair up in a pony tail within minutes of blowdrying/styling...but so far (and it has been a week) I have worn my hair down every day. The hair cut is super cute and something I can wear anyway I want. I even had a crush on the girl's hair who went right before me...short, shaggy, awesome bangs. And my favorite part - I didn't have that helmet head that you often have when the hair stylist sprays half a can of hairspray on you just before you leave the chair.

Overall, well deserving of the Reader's Choice Awards they have received for 10 years in a row.

(and if you want the name of the stylist who did my cute new do, Bristles is offering a 25% discount for referrals for both parties) :)

Mellow Mushroom

I have been here a couple of times for lunch. My favorite pizza is very thin crust New York style and although this is not what they make at Mellow Mushroom, they do make excellent gourmet style pizza. I especially like their "Gourmet White" pizza, which has a couple of different cheeses and fresh vegetables. It is a little on the pricey side for lunch, especially because I usually get their delicious cinnamon sugar pretzels (in general I usually end up spending 8 or 9 bucks), but I will probably continue coming here for lunch every month or so. The Mellow Mushroom is on the corner, east of 14th street on Main St.


Betsy says "my older sister had our family all together for dinner at Mellow Mushroom before her wedding and everyone loved it. Grandma was a little confused as to what 'shrooms' were but enjoyed her sandwich even with the mysterious shrooms on it. I made my own pizza with meatballs, sausage, and olives on it and it was very good. Their salads are also fab and fresh."

feast!

So, we live right behind the Main Street Market (which is fabulous) and recently discovered Feast! - a gourmet deli and grocery store. Their prosciutto mozzarella sandwich is now my new favorite lunch item. While the deli closes at 3:00pm, there are fresh pre-made sandwiches available. The sandwich I had had proscuitto, fresh mozz. slices, a roasted tomato spread and fresh basil on an ABC baguette. It was surprisingly light and fulfilling. The fresh limeade is also delish.

Charlie had been there before and bought an italian sandwich. He says it was "mmmm delicious".

While the sandwiches are a big hit in our house, the groceries are somewhat pricey. We bought a chunk of cheddar that is quite good, but cost more than a comparable cheddar at the traditional grocery store. Charlie bought a last minute carton of eggs one evening, and while organic and from a farm nearby, they were double the price of organic eggs at the grocery store.

Check out the sandwiches (around $8 each) and enjoy the cute and fresh atmosphere.

South Street Brewery

After a movie on the Downtown Mall, Charlie and I went to South Street Brewery with some of his classmates. The brewery makes their own beer (that has won several awards) and has some good menu options. I had a cider and a bite of their pizza - delish. One of our friends got a chicken pita that looked awesome and everyone enjoyed their drinks. The food is a little bit pricey ($10-$20) unfortunately so it won't be our go-to spot but it will be fun to go back. The brewery is right near Bang! one block west of the Mall. Supposedly, there is live jazz on Monday and Wednesday nights, so I'm sure we'll be back (Charlie is a big live jazz fan). I'm going for the food!

Charlottesville cops

This weekend, there was a little incident in our neighborhood. One of our neighbors had a little too much to drink and could not get into his house at the end of the night. Assuming someone was in the house, Teddy (what we will call him here) became outraged that no one would let him in to his "own g'damn house". Teddy paced around the yard, yelling and calling people on his phone to continue his tirade. We live behind an impound lot and there are guard dogs that are let out every evening. These dogs whine or bark all night and Teddy decided to give them a talking to. After his dog lecture and his pounding on the windows and yelling for about 10 minutes, Teddy decided to break down the front door (which is made of glass) with a porch chair. One of our neighbors had called the cops who arrived just as Teddy dove through the front door. He even bolted the front door in order to evade the 5 policemen who raced up the walk - they stepped through the shattered doorframe. After a little scuffle and some very funny conversations, Teddy was escorted, barefoot, in handcuffs, to jail.
The point of this post is not to "out" our neighbor or make fun of what really was a hysterical situation, but rather to comment on the professionalism of the Charlottesville cops. If I ever get arrested, I hope it is in Charlottesville by the cops who showed up nextdoor. Each cop, after realizing the situation was not dangerous, called another cop just to see and laugh at what was happening. They reenacted the arrest, calling our friend Teddy "ol' Tubby" and continued asking Teddy questions just to laugh at his answers. They asked him his name over and over again and Mr. Teddy would not tell them - but he would give them an ID number repeatedly. The cops picked up some mail and got his name quite easily.



After his drunk in public charge and a night in jail, it turns out Teddy had his keys on him the whole time.

Montpelier

Last weekend, Charlie and I drove through the country and visited Montpelier - James and Dolley Madison's home in Orange, VA. The entrance fee was $14 (they may have different children/senior fees) and I think it was totally worth it. The visitor center is beautiful. There is a short video on the restoration project that they are working on at Montpelier and it includes a little intro to James and Dolley's lives. They also have a museum in the visitor center where you can see Madison's will, one of Dolley's dresses, and some other documents from Madison's life. The center offers a grounds/house tour after the video. While the house is still under restoration, you are able to walk through most of the house and get a good feel for the history of the place. There are no wall coverings up yet, as the plaster (the mixture is the same used when the original house was built) takes almost a year to dry. There is also no furniture in the house for the same reason. You can see some of the house's original furniture in a museum on the grounds.
Shortly after James Madison died, Dolley had to auction the house off and eventually ended up in the duPont family. The duPont family added 30+ rooms onto the house (using many of the original house's wood and fixtures). After the last duPont family owner passed away, the house was willed to a foundation with the instruction to return the house to the way it was when James and Dolley lived in the house. The exterior renovations have taken years and are finally complete.
After the house tour, we walked around the gardens, saw some of the horses (Montpelier was a famous horse breeding/training facility when Marion duPont Scott lived in the house), visited the museums and enjoyed the grounds.
I definitely recommend going and seeing Montpelier. While it is a historical home similar to many others and Madison is not as widely revered as Jefferson or Washington, I think Montpelier might be more enjoyable than either Mount Vernon or Monticello (bold statement, I know). It just seemed less commercial, I enjoyed learning about a President I didn't know very much about, and the renovation details were very interesting.

Betsy's Top Ten - Movies

1. Sound of Music
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
4. Shawshank Redemption
5. You've Got Mail
6. Green Mile
7. Singing in the Rain
8. Philadelphia
9. Pretty Woman
10. Father of the Bride

(not in any particular order)

Charlie's Top Ten - Movies

1. Lolita
2. Dr. Strangelove
3. Royal Tenenbaums
4. The Departed
5. Godfather - Part II
6. Pride and Prejudice - BBC version
7. The Bridge on the River Kwai
8. Princess Bride
9. A River Runs Through It
10. Barry Lyndon

(not in order)

AsianExpress Take 2

We tried AsianExpress for a second time tonight. This time, I tried the sushi (shrimp tempura roll) and Charlie had the Hunan Beef. Both were delicious! Take out/delivery sushi - I'm set!

Charlie's Favorite Things - a rebuttal

Betsy - my beautiful fiance
Bayley
Pittsburgh Steelers
Playing golf and basketball
Good expensive food
Short shorts
Going to museums
Margherita's pizza from Newark, DE
Miles Davis in the 1960s
Top Chef
Jane Austen
Stanley Kubrick

SPCA Charlottesville

So we've been talking about getting a puppy #2 to add to our brood and as a playmate for Bayley - but we need to settle in a little bit more and I need a job. Despite the fact that I know we can't get another dog yet, I like to look at puppies anyway. Charlie and I went to the Charlottesville SPCA and were very pleasantly surprised at how nice the facilities are. Neither of us had ever been to a shelter before and were a little apprehensive. All the dogs seemed to be very well cared for and the staff was very helpful and knowledgable. If you are looking for a new addition to your family - definitely check them out. The shelter also had quite a few cats to adopt. The SPCA is located at 3355 Berkmar Dr. It's behind the Lowe's shopping center on 29N.

Philadelphia Soft Pretzels to add to "My Favorite Things" post

My favorite recipe (courtesy of Country Home - Jan/Feb 1998):

4 - 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 slightly beaten egg white

In mixer bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and the yeast.
In a saucepan, heat and stir milk, sugar, oil, and 1 teaspoon salt just until warm.
Add to flour mixture.
Beat on low to medium speed 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl.
Beat on high speed 3 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much remaining flour as you can.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.
Knead in enough remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes).
Shape into a ball, place in greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
Cover, let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 1/4 hours).
Punch dough down.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface.
Cover, let rest 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, grease 2 baking sheets.
Roll dough into 12x10 inch rectangle.
Cut into 20 12x1/2 inch strips.
Pull each strip into a rope about 16 inches long.
Shape into pretzels.
Place pretzels 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake in a 475* oven for 4 minutes.
Remove from oven; reduce temperature to 350*.
Regrease baking sheets.
Disolve 2 tablespoons salt in 3 quarts boiling water; reduce heat.
Lower 4 or 5 pretzels at a time into simmering water.
Simmer 2 minutes, turning once.
Remove with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels for a few seconds.
Place pretzels 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.
Brush pretzels with mixture of egg white and 1 tablespoon water.
Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake in 350* oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from sheet, cool on wire rack.

Makes 20 pretzels

Scarpa

What a fabulous shop! They have so many things - none of which I can afford but I love it! Scarpa is rated for being one of Charlottesville's best shoe shops - they carry a lot of European designs and a fun selection. They also have a small selection of clothes, jewelry and handbags. The staff is great and very friendly. "Things you never knew that you couldn't live without" - absolutely true!

Scarpa is in the north wing of the Barrack's Road shopping center.

Their sister store is RockPaperScissors - a stationary store on 2nd Street NE - that I also love. Stationary is so soothing to me - strange, I know. And the shop has plenty of cute options. I will most likely check it out when I start thinking about wedding invites!

My Favorite Things

anthropologie
stationary stores - russell and hazel, paper-source
j crew
my speedy
sweat pants
mark haddon
jonathan adler pottery
fresh cucumbers with ranch dressing
philadelphia soft pretzels - see recipe above
my pup
"paula dean" - my new car
getting magazines in the mail
josh kelley
diet coke
the smell of fall
bradford and ella
target
john and kate plus 8
french fries
sales
going to concerts
dinner and movie dates
"vacuum rows" on carpets
julie andrews
faith hill
march madness brackets
my alma mater
the deltones
sweaters
turkey hill chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream
project runway, grey's anatomy, desperate housewives
ellen degeneres
hotel beds
hosting parties

Main Street Market

On West Main St. between 4th and 5th streets there is a large purple building on the south side of the street. This is where you will find the "Main Street Market." We first heard about this place when it was featured in a Washington Post article about food in Charlottesville ( see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/06/ST2008050601974.html). There are some great vendors in the market.

The Albemarle Baking Company has some truly delicious bread. We have had a few of their loafs, and plan to have many more. They make different bread everyday, so check out the menu on their website to see all of the good stuff that is available each day. I also intend on going there in the morning for a cup of coffee and a pastry. The bread we have had so far is pain de campagne, pear buckwheat, and olive thyme. All delicious!

There is a fishmonger and a butcher in the building. We have had the fish and meat on multiple occasions, and it is good stuff. There is an excellent display of wild caught fish everyday, along with other goodies like sushi. I am not sure where the butcher gets his meat, but I would assume its from somewhere close by. I will find this out and update the post. We like to cook at home, so the butcher and fishmonger will be frequent stops for us after work.

The grocer there, FEAST, is a little on the expensive side, but they have local food and a lot of gourmet cheeses and meats. There is also a sandwich shop in FEAST that looks delicious, although also a little pricey. We will try it out soon though, for sure.

There are a few other vendors in the market that we have not checked out yet, so we will update once we know more.

The website for the Main Street Market is:
http://www.charlottesvilleonline.com/cville/Shopping/MainStreetMarket

AsianExpress

We got Chinese take-out the other night from AsianExpress. It's on Main St. close to the hotels and Amtrak station. We have to agree with the rating given in "The Best of Charlottesville" - the food was good and pretty cheap. I am big fan of lo-mein and AsianExpress made it really well. They also serve sushi - which we'll have to try next time.

There seem to be a wealth of Asian restaurants around, from cheap takeout to more upscale pan-Asian or Indian. Hopefully we can find a Thai place as good as our favorite place in DC (Regent Thai), but that is a very high standard. I think next up for Asian is another visit to BANG! or a visit to one of the Indian places on the mall. But in the meantime, AsianExpress will probably become our go-to cheap take-out place.

helpful information

helpful information about Charlottesville courtesy of the UVA Law School

Christian's Pizza

The first night in our new house - we picked up some highly recommended pizza from Christian's. We got sausage, peppers and mushrooms and it was delicious. I was especially surprised by how good the pizza was reheated. Charlie has been back several times and ordered by the slice for a cheap lunch. " I haven't had a bad slice yet", he says. Christian's is named in Charlottesville's Best Of and we would agree. There is a shop on the Downtown Mall on the west end close to the Omni and there is also one on the Corner (14th and University). Enjoy!

Rapture on the Mall

We went here one night with some new friends of ours and had a very nice time. The place was busy, but not too crowded. We were able to grab a bar table, drink $2 PBR's, and watch the Olympics on a couple of flat screen TVs. There was a large dance room in the back that was completely empty, but that may have been because we were there a little early. There was a good mix of people there, and the place seemed pretty unpretentious overall.

A few days later I went there with an old friend for lunch on a weekday. They have patio seating out on the mall, which was nice. The selection of sandwiches was impressive. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with roasted red peppers and jack cheese and other assorted goodies on it. It was delicious. The fries that came with the sandwich, although a little too salty, were also very good. For some reason I did not expect the food to be that good, but it was. I recommend this place for a bite to eat or to get a drinks with friends.

Sandwich shops

Take it Away - behind the Corner on Elliewood (near some fun bars) is a small sandwich shop. While the menu only lists simple deli meat options, what makes the sandwich is the awesome house dressing - don't get a sandwich without it and if you do, at least get it on the side. The shop offers sprouts, cucs, and watercress as your sandwich toppings (no traditional tomato, lettuce, onions) and you do have the option to add cheese. Don't forget to pick a fun bread option! With toppings a sandwich will run you about $6. Probably my favorite sandwich shop in a while. There are some seats inside and you have the option to bring your lunch to the grounds right across the street.

The Market at Exxon - Up 29 is an Exxon gas station (prices for gas aren't too bad either) with a little white shop that sells wonderful sandwiches. You can get the Thomas Jefferson that has a great herbed mayo, cranberry sauce and turkey. There is also The Birdwood that has turkey, avocado and chipotle mayo. The combos sound a little funny bute every sandwich I have had there so far has been great! Sandwiches run about $6.50 and don't forget to get a frequent buyer card that allows you a free sandwich after purchasing 5. There are even seats inside so you can enjoy your "pit-stop". There is another "The Market" on Ivy Rd. on the right as you head west out of Charlottesville towards Crozet.

Zocalo

We had brunch on Sunday the 3rd on Zocalo's cute patio. Unfortunately the brunch menu isn't listed on the website (www.zocalo-restaurant.com) but the menu that is listed looks fabulous and worth another try not during brunch hours. Zocalo is right in the middle of the downtown mall next to a little french bistro Petit Pois that we are planning on trying too. The waitress was super friendly and the food was wonderful. Charlie's mom ordered an arugula salad with strawberries and a vinaigrette that she loved. Charlie had "The Scramble" - eggs, onions, mushrooms, spinach - delicious. And I had a smoked salmon entree. The salmon pieces were layered on matza crackers, jalapeno cream cheese (very light) with some greens, tomato, and a drizzle of some green oil concoction (possibly jalapeno again). It was delicious and had a little kick to it that made it interesting. The food was definitely a little more costly but didn't break the bank. And the vibe of the place was fun and quirky. Charlie and I are looking forward to checking it out again and maybe going even for the bar and to soak in the atmosphere. My favorite part: the bathroom - be sure to check out the sink!

BANG!

Betsy was out of town on Tuesday night, and I went to a place called BANG! with some friends near the downtown mall. We sat out on the porch, which was very nice. The menu is Asian fusion. I had the "Sixty Second Sirloin" and also tasted some of the food my friends ordered. The sirloin was excellent, but the Chicken Satay was a little dry and flavorless. For the most part everybody loved their food and had a good time. The one strange thing is that the average plate size was a little between a normal entree and a tapas style plate, and it seemed that there was a lot of variation in plate size. Where in a tapas place I would usually order 3 or 4 plates, I think ordering 2 plates is about right at BANG! The atmosphere was very nice, especially out on the front porch where we sat. I will definitely bring Betsy back here because I want to try some of the appetizers and more of the entrees, especially their take on Thai cuisine, and also because the atmosphere was great.

Trash

So, if you live in the City of Charlottesville you need to buy a sticker for your trash can in order for your trash to be picked up from the curb. The city site (www.charlottesville.org) has a map and schedule of trash pick up days. Charlie picked up two can stickers and some bag stickers at City Hall (right on the downtown mall) and said that everyone there was super friendly. The trash can stickers or "annual trash decals" run you about $95 for a 32 gallon container. The decals are labeled with your home address so they are non-transferable. The city also picks up recycling with your trash and you don't need a sticker for your recycling bin.

Hi!

I'm Betsy and I'm Charlie. We just moved from DC to Charlottesville at the end of last month and are hopefully starting to figure things out and get settled. Charlie is starting a PhD program at UVA in Economics and Betsy has come along for the ride. We hope that over the next several years, Charlottesville will become our home and we will be able to explore as much of it as we can. When we started looking at Charlottesville "things-to-do" it was hard to get a general idea of what was around and what in Charlottesville would become the "things-we-love"...So we're going exploring and you are invited to come along and share thoughts, ideas, and new things for us to try.