Recently I stopped by Red Cap Patisserie’s shop on Meadow Street to try out the croissants and pastries. The shop is small, with only a little space for seating, but has plenty of display space for their sweet and savory pastries, including pain au chocolat, kouign amman, scones and more. The staff are friendly and… Read More Red Cap Patisserie visit
School’s out, and it’s time to find some fun this summer. Virginia has plenty to do, especially if you’re a foodie or history buff. A handful of Virginia wineries rely on volunteer labor to harvest and bottle their wines. In exchange for working in the vineyard or the processing facility, volunteers receive credits towards purchases… Read More Virginia Summer Fun
Living in Virginia, I’m spoiled by having access to the best of everything. Whether it’s beaches, lakes or rivers you want to visit, or mountains and wineries, Virginia has a bit of it all. About an hour away from our house are some of the best wineries in Virginia, and there are plenty of antique… Read More Drinking, ruins and antiques
Summer in Virginia is a time for festivals, and the best festivals celebrate the foods the Commonwealth is known for. Here are some of the best: *Gordonsville’s Famous Fried Chicken Festival – Saturday, May 20, 11 AM-5 PM, Gordonsville Fire Company Fairgrounds – Celebrate the “chicken-leg center of the universe” and Gordonsville’s long history of… Read More Summer Food Events in Virginia
Fall is prime time for foodie events, and there are plenty to choose from in the mid-Atlantic region. These are some of the best: Fire, Flour and Fork (Richmond, VA) – Nov. 17-20. Since its inaugural year in 2014, this Richmond food extravaganza has evolved into a premier food showcase. This unique event offers an… Read More Mid-Atlantic Fall Foodie Events
This summer, rather than a weeklong vacation to one location, we’re trying to take smaller overnight trips to places closer to home. This weekend, we headed to the mountains of Virginia for a quick trip to visit some of my favorite places in the state. We started by heading to the Green Valley Book Fair,… Read More Quick trip to the mountains
Virginia has been home to many traditional foods since the colonial era. From tomatoes to seafood, wine and beer to barbecue, Virginia has historically been home to a blend of foods and preparation techniques handed down from generations of native peoples, enslaved Africans and European settlers. If you’re traveling around Virginia this summer, make sure… Read More Summer in Virginia – Foods and Events
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take a tour of the A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Master Distiller Brian Prewitt led our special tour as he explained the distillation and aging process of A. Smith Bowman’s bourbons. From the giant stills to the high-quality barrels to the final bottling, the… Read More Smoking Barbecue with Bourbon Barrel Char
The weather’s getting warmer, and that means historic sites across the Commonwealth are hosting spring events, many of which focus on culinary history. Virginia is also gearing up for a busy year of food festivals, and nearly all parts of the state have a special dish or food they’re known for. Explore Virginia’s many food… Read More Spring Food History Events in Virginia
Recently, a co-worker of my husband’s offered him several pounds of homemade sausage. Apparently every year his co-worker and a friend go down to Smithfield, Virginia, home of the finest hams in the country, to buy a whole hog and make their own sausage. The ham industry in Smithfield dates from colonial times, as early… Read More It’s a Sausage Fest!
Dogwood Dispatches 