Fardowners Restaurant in Crozet

Do you know what a "fardowner" is?  I didn't, until we visited the so-named restaurant in Crozet a while back.  You can find out by visiting their website at http://www.fardowners.com/, and you can check out their list of upcoming music performers--there are two this weekend.  Right about now, the tasting flight of four locally brewed beers for $5.00 looks pretty irresistible!

This picture is from the Fardowners web site--check it out to see more fun times and great performers.

Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival

As we wend our ways through September, approaching the last day of summer, it isn't too early to start planning our visit(s) to the fall edition of the Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival.  The Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9 this year at Claudius Crozet Park, and is a not-to-be-missed event!  It's the best place ever to start (or finish) your Christmas shopping.  It also provides a great opportunity to taste a wide range of Virginia wines, all under the same roof.  We love the live music and the great food, too--explore their website for the entertainment schedule and the wineries who will be there, as well as lots of other great info.  Visions of kettle corn and funnel cakes dance in my head!

Micah's Coffee OMG!

Okay, best new find in Waynesboro, for me anyway.  "Micah's Coffee" at 1000 Broad Street, has got to be the most wonderful product and the friendliest service in the smallest space ever!  It's easy to miss if you're in a hurry because of its relatively small stature (see photo), but I won't ever pass it by again.  (Find Micah's in the parking lot next to Ace Hardware, right across from the shopping center with Peebles in it.)  Our Stone Soup friends steered us to Micah's when we asked what coffee they use, because the coffee there is always extraordinary.  Stone Soup always buys whichever particular coffee is featured in the week they buy, so we followed suit and brought home a pound of "Mrs. Heatley's" beans.  Even before tasting the coffee this morning, I could smell how wonderful it was going to be.  So, thank you Micah's Coffee and your wonderful staff--we'll see you again soon!

A Visit to Stone Soup

Our friends at Stone Soup Books in Waynesboro have planned a plethora of not-to-be-missed events for the next few weeks, so take note!  Check their site at http://www.stonesoupbooks.net/ to see the schedule.  Local author, "Jack" Scruby will be signing her new book at a luncheon on Saturday, September 24, then on Tuesday, September 27, their Chef Laura will be showcasing "tastings" from the "King Arthur's Wholegrain Baking" cookbook.  I love King Arthur flours and other products, I love baking, and I love tasting, so I expect I should be there!  We had a yummy lunch at Stone Soup today, and here's a picture I took, featuring their coffee station and some of the current display of artwork.

Still Here!

My apologies to my blog and anyone who might happen upon it, for the complete lack of entries over the past few weeks.  I haven't forgotten Whistle Stops, but I do have a new job and a new schedule, and busy weekends at the moment.  Rest assured that there are plenty of fun things going on in our area at this time of year, so use the links on the right side of this page to connect to some of the best places or to read about interesting happenings in Crozet, Waynesboro, and the Rockfish Valley. 

Crozet Pizza Prizewinner

On my first night of a distance-ed graduate school course several years ago, all of us were asked to introduce ourselves and give our geographical location, since the class was composed of students from all over the continental U.S. as well as several international students.  When I mentioned Crozet, VA, a student in Minnesota exclaimed "Crozet?  I had the best pizza in the world once at Crozet Pizza!"  Look out world, Crozet Pizza has just won the Food Network award for "Best Slice in Virginia," for its white mushroom pizza (see the Crozet Gazette article for more info).  Way to go Crozet Pizza!  We'll be over again soon...

August Wine

White Hall Vineyards is celebrating August by featuring their 2009 Pinot Gris as wine of the month.  See their newsletter to find out about the process that makes this particular wine special, and to see the special pricing on it for August, which is almost over, folks.  I also noted that their 2009 Petit Verdot and Viognier took home silver medals from the Virginia State Fair, and cannot imagine how any other Viognier beat out the one from White Hall.  I know from experience (repeated, I must say) that it is a delightful wine. 

This lovely photo is from the web site for Monticello Country Ballooning.  Visit their site for lots of interesting ideas for fun things to do! 

All is Calm

Need something to settle your nerves after today's 5.8 magnitude earthquake?  Mosey over to Over the Moon Bookstore & Artisan Gallery in Crozet and let their literary experts help you find just the right book to help you get your calm center back!  See the comfy armchair in the picture in the linked page?   I sat there one Saturday morning and looked through about 8 wonderful book-purchase possibilities, all pointed out to me by one of the owners, and found just what I wanted.  This store is one of several in our area that bring something wonderful and special to our community--they deserve our support and encouragement, so I say, "shop on!" people.

Nelson Community Day August 20!

Look what's happening in Nelson County this weekend!  The inaugural edition of Nelson Community Day will be held on Saturday, August 20, from 10 AM to 3 PM at Nelson County High School.  If I could get there, I would love it--check out the list of participants and the list of activities.  Good luck to all the folks who have worked hard to get this great idea off the ground!

Tins for Tunes at Cardinal Point

As their web site says, "great music, great wine, great cause!"  On Saturday, August 20, (yes, that's the one coming up...) Cardinal Point Winery is hosting another edition of their "Tins for Tunes" event from 5-9 PM.  In this case, "great music" translates to "Jolie Fille" playing Cajun punk!  Pay $10 to get in, or bring five cans or otherwise non-perishable items of food as your admission fee per person.  All the food goes to area food banks. 

(Cardinal Point's "Tins for Tunes" logo)

Chef's Tastes at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Books in Waynesboro is always up to something fun!  On August 20 (Tuesday) at 6:30 PM, they will feature some tasting samples, prepared by their Chef Laura, of recipes from the book "The New Southern Garden Cookbook."  Ten bucks will reserve you a tasting spot, and I, for sure, will want to be on hand, both for this one and for the tasting in September (Tuesday, the 27th) for the session on King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking.  I've been making bread from a sourdough starter for over 20 years, and prefer King Arthur flour, so I'm already a believer, but always interested to learn something new.

UNC Press says, of "The New Southern Garden Cookbook:"  "Sheri Castle aims to make "what's in season" the answer to "what's for dinner?" This timely cookbook, with dishes for omnivores and vegetarians alike, celebrates and promotes delicious, healthful homemade meals centered on the diverse array of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown in the South, and in most of the rest of the nation as well."

Nelson County Farmers' Market Treasures

Even though the weather was drizzly and gray this morning, the atmosphere under the tents at the Nelson County Farmers' Market was sunny and bright.  A considerable crowd, undeterred by the threatening skies, circulated slowly along the center aisle, flanked by local farmers, bakers, bee-keepers, soap makers, jewelry artists, purveyors of organic meats, poultry and cheese, flowers, herbs, and just about anything else local, organic, and artisan-made that you can imagine.  I have much less shopping to do at the local grocery store now, thanks to having found pears, peaches, tomatoes, corn, and lavender soap!  The market is a great place to grab a cup of exquisite coffe, something baked to go with it, find a spot on a bench, listen to some mostly-acoustic music, and watch folks of all ages enjoying the bounty of our very blessed region.

Southern Way Cafe = Yum!

Stopped at The Southern Way Cafe today after church and oh my goodness, y'all!  My brunch included the lightest, fluffiest and most delicious biscuit ever (see the picture at left).  Although this was our first visit to The Southern Way (across the street from Starr Hill Brewery/Music Today in Crozet), I expect we're on the way to becoming regulars.  We loved the cheerful ambience and eclectic nostalgic/Americana decor as well as the superb food and quick, friendly service.  I also found out the true meaning of G.R.I.T.S, which is Girls Raised In The South; yee haw!

Art at the Flying Fox

Garden view at Flying Fox

Flying Fox Vineyard's wines must have some of the most engaging labels ever.  And some of the most delicious wines ever.  And now they are hosting a wonderful display of paintings by Crozet artist, Carolyn Ratcliffe, all of which highlight the beauty of our local landscapes.  Visit the Flying Fox Vineyard online site to see digital versions of some of the paintings, and take the scenic route to the tasting room just off Rt. 151 to see the originals and sample the offerings from the vineyard.  Tally ho!



Dulcimer Old Time Music in Waynesboro

Our friends at Stone Soup Books in Waynesboro have provided info about what looks like an excellent opportunity to hear some good music, eat some good food, meet some good folks, and learn some good stuff!  Check out the Mountain Music Festival, to be held in Waynesboro from August 12-14.  How could we not go to something called "Streams and Dreams"?

Music in the Mountains

This past weekend, we went up to Wintergreen to a concert which was part of this year's Wintergreen Summer Music Festival.  What a jewel this festival is!  Professional musicians from all over the country playing selections by well-known favorite composers as well as more contemporary, new-to-us ones.  We heard Cherubini and then a Chopin piano concerto played by a young, brilliant pianist with the inspired accompaniment of the festival orchestra.  The music was so entrancing that we temporarily forgot the heat and humidity, swept up into the passion and pathos of Chopin well-played.  Bravo!

The view from the concert hall (tent) at Wintergreen

Holloway Corn

Even though I am probably the only person reading this at this moment, today being the blog's first day and all, I must tell everyone that corn from heaven is here at the Crozet Great Valu, and you should not miss it!  I am told that people wait all summer for this particular corn to arrive, and I can see why.  This week, the corn was 4 ears for $2.00--a true bargain!  I also saw a sign saying they have Holloway Corn at the little Village Market on Rt. 250, just west of the Greenwood Gourmet store.  So get out there!

Welcome to Whistle Stops!

This is a brand new blog!  Its purpose is to publish items of interest from the region just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia.  I figure there are lots of people that would like timely updates about the goings-on in the neighborhoods of Crozet, Ivy, White Hall, Nellysford and possibly Waynesboro (even if Waynesboro is on the other side of Afton Mountain)!  The blog is called "Whistle Stops" because its intention is to spread the news quickly and in small bites, as people did from train cars before other forms of communication arrived on the scene to speed up the process.  My home base is Crozet, a town known for its railroading past, and still bi-sected by the rails.  So check in here frequently to see what's new, and send me anything interesting you find in your own travels in the region.