CurbPlaces Blog

What are you up to for the long weekend?

Fridays After Five- Down Til Now based in Charlottesville, they play a mix of original and cover music.

Monticello’s Naturalization Ceremony will be on Saturday from 10-11, the Charlottesville Municipal Band will play at the ceremony and it’s a free event on their West Lawn.  Tickets to tour Monticello can also be purchased.

Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville: 5K run, 7:30 am on the July 4th, $21 early registration or $26 on race day.  Includes t-shirt and refreshments

Town of Scottsville July 4th Parade: 30-45 minutes from Charlottesville on Route 20.  Contact Dorris Jones at 434-286-3817 for more information.  I heard the parade is a lot of fun and there will be activities all day in Scottsville.  The parade is at 10, but get there early because they block off a lot of roads so that the parade can come through.

Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration: Henrico County, there will be musical entertainment, patriotic arts and crafts, face painting, a petting zoo, contests, games, pony rides, watermelon feast, Uncle Sam on stilts, Jugglers, patriotic performance from the color guard, drum and fife music and Matt Wigler, a 15 year old blues and jazz player from North Carolina. 1-5 pm

McIntire Park: 6-9 Food, Fireworks, Games, Family Activites- it might be the last year inless someone steps up and Saves the FIreworks.

King Family Vineyard Cookout: 12-4, $10 includes tasting, hot dogs, chips, lemonade, cake, live bluegrass music by Whiskey Rebellion

Today everyone decided to bring their dog to work.  We didn’t even discuss it beforehand!  We have Cooper: 4 pound yorkie pup, Capone: 10 pound yorkie, Drako: 70 pound German Shephard/Chow/Akita mix, and the dog who always comes to work, Tyrone: 120 pound Great Dane.  Jenn looks like a dog whisperer in that picture, Cooper is very brave.

What’s going on with Zinc?  I’m a big fan of Zinc, especially in the summer, their patio has to be one of the biggest in Charlottesville and yet whenever I drive by, it’s pretty empty.  Is it because it’s hard to explain where it is?  Parking?  They have a parking lot in the back, not a ton of spaces, but enough.  Last night The Club of Charlottesville and Cville First Wednesdays went to Zinc and it was really plesant.  It’s that awkward in-between of not downtown but not the corner.  I don’t feel like Maya has that problem though.  What do you think of Zinc?

Last night Cloudbrain had a mixer with Gibson Design and Hotelicopter.  We’re all on the downtown mall so we decided to meet up after work for some sake bombs.  It was pretty fun.  We met at Miyako in the York Place building.  I’ve eaten at Miyako one other time and the sushi is always made for you upon ordering, so it is fresh.  I learned something new last night, the correct way to do a sake bomb!

I don’t think Miyako encourages customers to order sake bombs, but they were polite about it none the less.  First our waitress brought out plastic cups (so we wouldn’t break their nice glass ones) and a shot glass for everyone.  We poured a little of our Japanese beer in the bottom of the cup and filled the shot glass with warm sake.  Then, you put 2 chopsticks on the top of the cup and place the shot on the chopsticks.  Try to spread the chopsticks as far apart as you can while still having the shot resting on the chopsticks.  This makes it easier for the shot to drop into the glass of beer.  Then you say “ichi…ni…san…SAKE BOMB!”  Which means 1…2…3…SAKE BOMB!  Hit the table with your two fists when you say SAKE BOMB!  I was skeptical that hitting the table would make all our shots drop in, but it did.  It was slightly embarrassing as the other diners stared, but we had a good time.  The picture is of Alexandra explaining how the process is done!

The one night a year that the old abandoned IX warehouse is packed is the night of Artini.  The IX sits over on Monticello Avenue a block off the downtown mall.  Second Street Gallery took the space from just an abandoned warehouse to the biggest dance party in Charlottesville on Saturday night.  Over 500 tickets were sold including 100 vip tickets to party goers that wanted to see the IX transformed.

It’s hard to throw a really good party at the IX.  I was on the committee, but there were a couple girls that really took charge to make everything come together.  You could tell they really put a lot of thought into every detail of the event.  You have to think of everything and bring everything to the space including light, sound, and furniture.  Starting off with the bathrooms, using trailers this year was the greatest idea.  Wearing a cocktail dress and using a port-a-potty is gross.  The trailers were nice and had a rug, mirror, light, sink and soap for each individual bathroom. Great idea!

I previewed the artinis at the Wednesday night preview events and I was impressed by how similar the Minimalist and the Modernist were to the martinis that I had sampled.  The Post Feminist was quite a bit different at the party than with the previews.  The poprocks turned my mouth bright red and it was really sugary.  But, if martinis weren’t your thing there were plenty of other choices including beer and cokes.

The dj was set up in the middle of the space towering over the dancers.  He really did a good job keeping the energy high.  The dance floor was always crowded and there was rarely a seat around the room to rest.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves up until 1am, when everyone was rallied together to leave the party.  Waiting outside was Hamdinger’s, just keeping it classy in Charlottesville.

Stop by Chiles Peach Orchard to pick your own peaches (Sentry-the yellow ones) right now.  Cherry season is short, you missed it already!  My family and I took a drive, only 15 minutes from Charlottesville, to Chiles to pick some cherries yesterday, we were sad they were all gone.  You’re still in time for peaches though!  Their peach milkshake is sooooo good!  You can follow them on twitter to find out what’s in season.  They’re open 9-6 Monday-Saturday and 10-5pm on Sunday.

Photo Credit

Courtesy of Edible Cville, Rita’s has closed!  Rita’s was always first choice for me whenever I was on the corner.  I still love treats flavored like Cotton Candy.  Their cotton candy icey was my favorite (Actually, Bruster’s Cotton Candy Explosion is my favorite, but there isn’t a Bruster’s in Cville.)  Now where will I go?  I feel like I’m the only person in Cville who’s not in love with Arch’s.  I decided to never get their yogurt again after an experience last summer.  I was walking along with a chocolate and peanut butter swirl from there, immersed in conversation, the treat began to melt, but, the only thing that melted was the color, right off the yogurt! Gross.  I’m also happy to say I’ve never used the phrase “want to go get some fro-yo?”  Someone had to explain the significance of the phrase to me because I’d never heard of it.  Must be like asking someone if they want a coke instead of a pop?

Photo Credit

Tonight at midnight, voting will end for Best in C-ville.  There are a few categories where I’d like to see a change this year.  Remember to vote, because it’s only fun if the categories win that we actually support!

Most Honest Car Repair Place: Auto Clinic (specifically Don)- This place is so small.  You’d miss it if you didn’t know it was there.  It’s off 29 on your left, out toward the mall.

Auto Clinic-450 Westfield Rd,Charlottesville, VA 22901-1642 (434) 295-9151

Electrician/Plumber/Handyman: Scott Watson- He’s so nice and doesn’t try to rip you off for things that need to be done around your house.  He can pretty much do anything and his new thing is concrete countertops.  He just created one for my sister and installed it and it’s beautiful.  He makes them himself.  He can also build you a deck or shed and repair just about anything around the house.  434-806-9607

Best Hairdresser: Jonathan Knuckles- No one has ever been able to get my hair straight until Jonathan.  Some have tried and end up pulling out half my hair and it still ends up puffy.  He got it the straightest it has ever been.  The best part is that he gives a really amazing head massage.  He just opened his own salon on the corner.  His receptionist was on America’s Next Top Model.

Best Pizza: Mellow Mushroom (I’m sooo sick of Christian’s winning, they do not have yummy pizza!! I’m never sitting at home and think that I would love to get some Christian’s.  But, Mellow on the other hand, I could eat it every single day.)

Best Burger: Boylan Heights (more original than Five Guys) and they’re trying to be environmentally friendly.  Somehow even the plastic cups you drink out of are able to break down easily.  And don’t forget about their Brunch!

Internet Company: Cloudbrain of course!  Don’t forget to vote for us!

Who would you like to see win?

It’s Tuesday, it isn’t anyone’s birthday today.  Our day at Cloudbrain just got so much more exciting because of a giant cupcake gift that Lindsey brought over.  Avery looks particularly excited.  Feel free to stop by for a piece!

I haven’t mentioned it lately, but Artini is coming up this weekend on Saturday night!  Make sure you get your tickets since they usually sell out.  Tickets are $50 and that includes your drinks.  Bring some cash if you want Hamdingers…because hotdogs and martinis go so well together??  As of right now, it’s not supposed to rain on Saturday night.  It rained for the Artini a few years ago and it was still a really fun time, you won’t want to miss it!

DJ Western Front (Wes Webb) will be playing the music for the event and he always knows how to get people to dance.  He mixed for the Happy Rickshaw fundraiser a few months ago and the dance floor was always crowded, you can also catch him at Cassis.  The money raised from the dance party will go to support Second Street Gallery.

Will I see you there?