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...]

They closed our Long John Silver’s here in Charlottesville about 7 or 8 years ago and Nancy and I have been in mourning ever since. Long John’s was often our go-to place on Sunday night when we wanted something fast and tasty and didn’t want to cook. Often, we couldn’t decide between their chicken and their fish, so we ordered a big combo. By the time we finished off multiple pieces of fried fish … [Read more...]

Deerfield, Virginia. Population 132 people, 60 cows, 15 sheep and two dozen chickens. Deerfield is a sleepy little own in Augusta County on Deerfield Valley Road, Rt. 629, which connects West Augusta on Rt. 250 and the Goshen area on Rt. 39. There’s no a lot of traffic through Goshen. No reason to be there. Deerfield consists of a handful of farms, some old plantation homes, a post office, a … [Read more...]

Got an e-mail from my pal Sherman Shifflett about a good place to get a bite to eat. It’s called Luv’N Oven and it’s in Scottsville. “The food I ordered was darned good,” he said. “I got the chicken breast, mashed potatoes, pinto beans and rolls. The coconut cake was very good. Ava ordered a BLT and it was good,  too.” Luv N Oven is a locally owned diner-type store front restaurant in … [Read more...]

For years, The Outback Steakhouse in Charlottesville’s Albemarle Square was our go-to restaurant. The service with rare exception was excellent and the food consistently good. More often than not, we skipped the waiting with the buzzer in your pocket deal (there was always a waiting line) and squeezed in at the bar. The bartender was Charlottesville’s finest. He was quick with drinks and water and … [Read more...]

  If you find yourself in Urbanna after 4 PM and you’re hungry, and if you’d like to sit and relax and soak in some spectacular scenery and enjoy a fine dining experience, head down to Urbanna Creek and visit Portside Grill. We have been coming to Urbanna for nearly 15 years, generally to the Oyster Festival in November, but this year we slipped away for a long weekend to enjoy a little … [Read more...]

  We have not had dinner guests other than immediate family since it became popular to wear face masks to Lowe’s and Kroger’s. We have eaten out a time or two, with no noticeable effects, so we decided to live on the edge – to invite another couple to dinner. Even though the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors recommend virtual dinners, where you stay at home and watch the other … [Read more...]

    We had played a round at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg and were headed back across the mountain. I suggested we stop and eat at Log Cabin, a barbeque restaurant in Elkton, not far from the entrance to Massanutten. I had eaten there before on several occasions and found the food very good – not as good as Lexington Barbeque, of course, but still good barbeque The … [Read more...]

About once a month we do take out for Chinese. Our go-to place used to be Flaming Wok – great food, good prices and super quick turn-around, but The Wok is no more. Some brilliant real estate agent decided he could sell that entire strip of property on 29 north as a site for a hotel, so they didn’t renew the lease for the established Chinese restaurant, That was about five years ago, and the … [Read more...]

Timberwood Grill delivers great food for pickup, but they are also back in action delivering spot-on food in their restaurant on Worth Xing at Forest Lakes. Well, not exactly inside their restaurant – they don’t feel comfortable with that yet, but they are serving outside on their large, shaded patio. Last week – after a bad experience at Texas Roadhouse - we called for reservations at … [Read more...]