There is a number of great places to get a hamburger in Charlottesville, but one of the best (and often overlooked) spots is Martin’s Grill at Forest Lakes. They are known for their hamburgers and they have them all the way from a single burger to a Quadzilla with 4 patties, and all cooked on a stove top grill. My understanding is that Ryan Martin, the founder of Martin’s grill, once worked … [Read more...]
A Murder of Crows
They call a group of whales a pod. A gathering of rattlesnakes is a rhumba and a bunch of crows flocking together is a murder. Last week I witnessed a murder - a murder of crows. For much of the year, crows keep selected company, usually 3 or 4 birds together, often family members. Young crows stick around several years before leaving their parents as they help in babysitting chores. But for … [Read more...]
Turkey Wing Soup
Which is best? Chicken soup or turkey soup? No contest. Turkey overwhelmingly make the best soup and we have it often. My favorite is Turkey Wing Soup. I usually have to go to Food Lion to find fresh turkey wings, but I saw some on display this week at Kroger’s and picked up a package with a pair of wings. When turkey wings are available, they are almost always a good buy. There is lots of … [Read more...]
Nancy B’s House of Lights
TOOL OF THE RESIDENTIAL LIGHTING TRADE Have you ever had a home built? Or a deck? Maybe a screened porch? I work with builders and help their clients with lighting. I’ve walked many homes that were in the process of being built to help with the proper placement of lighting. I don’t often think of some of the necessary tools a builder requires. My brother was a builder and he … [Read more...]
That’s A Nice Opah
You don’t see an Opah fish like this one very often. In Virginia, it’s like never. But last week a bunch of fishermen out of Hampton ventured out to the Norfolk Canyon, some 80 miles off Virginia Beach and tried their hand at swordfish. No luck on the swords, but just as they were ready to call it a day, they had a bite. A big bite. It was a 143-pound Opah, sometimes called a moonfish. … [Read more...]
Check Mate
There is a program streaming now on Netflix – Queen’s Gambit. It is a fictional account of a young orphaned girl who becomes a brilliant chess player. If you have Netflix, it’s a must-watch series. If you don’t have Netflix, it’s a good reason to sign up. Nancy and I watched each episode, spell bound, sometimes 3 episodes in a single evening. It reminded me of the chess mania that swept this … [Read more...]
Road Kill
One by one, they are dropping like flies. Restaurants, that is. They have been deemed non-essential by our Nanny State with Spartan restrictions. and many are going out of business. One of the latest is the Wendy’s restaurant on what used to be 29 North across from Fashion Square Mall. That was before VDOT and the Never-by Passers created the 29 North Tunnel that effectively cut Wendy’s, Hardy’s … [Read more...]
The Name is Bond, James Bond
They finally got James Bond. Maybe it was Dr. No, but probably Goldfinger. Yes, James Bond died this week. The real and only James Bond – Sean Connery. The others were imposters. They were like Mall Santa’s. Sean was the real deal. I read my first Ian Fleming book back in college. I had seen a review in Playboy Magazine (I only bought it for the articles). I couldn’t put the book down. Just … [Read more...]
Finally, a Decent Brisket
I don’t do briskets very well. I have tried smoking them, grilling them and have used various and sundry oven tactics and they usually turn out tough, dry or both. But I am a determined chef - hard-headed, my wife might say. So I bought another one last week for French Dip Sandwiches. I went with a small brisket because my confidence was lacking. I decided to put the brisket in a slow … [Read more...]
Well, Hello!
It was the middle of the day. My wife Nancy was putzing around the house when we had a visitor. A young male deer was on our carport peeking inside. “Well, hello,” Nancy said. “Can I help you?” The deer said nothing, just turned and walked away. He had one thing and one thing only on his mind. Ladies. This, you see, is the the rutting season for deer. It’s a time that hunters savor and … [Read more...]
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