Monday, February 26, 2007
Yes, I'm Lame.
This will not come as a surprise to those of you who know me, but I am lame, especially when I am getting ready to go on vacation. That is the case now. I haven't been out much (saving money, cold weather, excuse, excuse...), so I don't have much to report. I do want to alert you to an event coming up, though, which is sure to be fun and will help a great cause. The event name is "Scandalous" and it is being held at the Satellite Ballroom on March 15th. All ticket and raffle proceeds will benefit the Music Resource Center. The event is centered around the fact that Justin Timberlake and Pink are coming to town. There will be quite a few songs by them being played, as well as other great dance stuff. Ticket info can be found at www.satelliteballroom.com. I will be there, as I will be back from the Keys by then.
Thanks for continuing to visit cvillehipper. I promise to be more 'hip' after my vacation. I will actually be very 'hip' during my vacation, but what happens in the Keys, stays in the....well, you know how that goes.-A
Thanks for continuing to visit cvillehipper. I promise to be more 'hip' after my vacation. I will actually be very 'hip' during my vacation, but what happens in the Keys, stays in the....well, you know how that goes.-A
Monday, February 19, 2007
No Mas
Brunch is my favorite meal. When else can you combine the tasty goodness that is eggs with a tuna steak. Beth and I decided that we would try Mas (the Tappas place in Belmont) for brunch yesterday, since we both love it for other meals. Beth arrived before me and was placed on a wait list before two seats opened up at the bar. Upon my arrival, she had been at the bar for a few minutes. No one had acknowledged us, but it was quite busy. So, we waited...and waited...and waited. After 20 minutes, Beth asked the hostess who was supposed to be waiting on us. She told us 'the bartender' and we assumed that she would alert the bartender to our thirst and hunger. I guess she didn't, since we sat there for another 10 minutes before heading out to find a new brunch place. What a shame. We ended up at McGrady's in the old Monticello Dairy building. Neither of us had been there, and we saw the open sign, so what the heck. Talk about opposite end of the spectrum! We were greeted as soon as we walked in and the bartender/waiter was at our table pronto. The menu had so many things on it that we had a hard time deciding. We started with the perogies (sp?), which were deelish. I ended up with the buffalo chicken cheesesteak and Beth got the turkey reuben. (Not very brunch-y, I know, but by the time we got there we were ready for a full on lunch.) My sandwich was yummy. At the end of the meal, one of the owners came over to see how the meal was. He chatted with us for a while and even played our cashier when the check came. Will I go back to McGrady's for brunch or any meal? Yes! Mas? No Mas. - A
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Upcoming Cool C'ville Events...
First of all, I hope that you had a wonderful Valentine's Day, whether you spent it with your honey or at one of the many anti-Valentine's Day parties. Here are some cool things you might want to do in the upcoming days...
Saturday, February 17th: John Paul Jones Arena - It's the Charlottesville Shootout at 6pm. Fun for the whole family with this exhibition game between top-ranked high school squads. $8-$25. 888-JPJ-TIXS.
Sunday, February 18th: South Street Brewery - Mardi Gras Party from 6:30p until 10p to benefit schools in the New Orleans area hit by Katrina. Nawlins cuisine. Music by Murphy's Law. Tix available at Greenberry's and South Street Brewery. $20 advance. $25 at the door. 106 South Street. Wear your Mardi Gras best, and I might give you some beads!
Saturday, February 24th: Old Cabell Hall - UVA Jazz Ensemble Winter Concert at 8pm. John D'Earth led band classes it up. $10 general. $5 students. 924-3984.
Saturday, February 17th: John Paul Jones Arena - It's the Charlottesville Shootout at 6pm. Fun for the whole family with this exhibition game between top-ranked high school squads. $8-$25. 888-JPJ-TIXS.
Sunday, February 18th: South Street Brewery - Mardi Gras Party from 6:30p until 10p to benefit schools in the New Orleans area hit by Katrina. Nawlins cuisine. Music by Murphy's Law. Tix available at Greenberry's and South Street Brewery. $20 advance. $25 at the door. 106 South Street. Wear your Mardi Gras best, and I might give you some beads!
Saturday, February 24th: Old Cabell Hall - UVA Jazz Ensemble Winter Concert at 8pm. John D'Earth led band classes it up. $10 general. $5 students. 924-3984.
Monday, February 12, 2007
A Slice Of The Big Easy...
right here in lil' ole Charlottesville! As is fitting for my company, we held our annual Christmas party last night at Zydeco on Elliewood Avenue. (Yes, we do realize that it's February, but I've seen quite a few of your houses with the Christmas decorations still up. So don't judge!) I had seen the sign for Zydeco as I drove down Main Street near the corner, but had never thought to venture down the little side street. After dining there last night, I will tell you that it is well worth the detour. With a menu straight out of Nawlins, you will feel like having a hurricane and throwing some beads after eating there. They have a nice assortments of appetizers, but I was partial to the catfish nuggets...a little spice, just like I like 'em. Steve enjoyed the corn chowder and chicken wings and said stuff like "delicious...chew chew chew...nice flavor...slurp slurp." That's my man alright. With my glass of yummy chardonnay in hand, I tried the etouffee. It was spicy and full of crawfish. The rest of my table said that the ribs were the best they had ever had, and that is saying a lot, because theyz some rib eatin' fools! The prices were very reasonable, and Alex (co-owner and part-time bartender pictured here) couldn't have been more welcoming and friendly. While I do plan on going to New Orleans for the Jazz Festival this year, I know exactly where to go here in Charlottesville for my N.O. fix...Zydeco on Elliewood. Take a detour with me! - ASunday, February 11, 2007
Out With The Old...
and in with the new! The RAV4 had been with me many years, but I could tell from its moans and groans that it was ready to go to that SUV place in the sky. Behold, the new Angiemobile...the Ford Escape! After 24 hours, I am still in love with it. Though I probably shouldn't post its picture, because now the cops know what to look for:-)
Last night was a typical night in the Ville for me and Steve. We hit up Blue Light (on the downtown mall) for dinner with our friends, Devan and Justin. While Blue Light has always been a favorite of mine to visit for adult beverages, I haven't had dinner there in quite some time. Now I remember why. Don't get me wrong, the food is excellent, but I had to take out a loan just to pay for the tuna entree I had. Add to that a glass of wine and a shrimp appetizer, and I am officially broke and may have to take my new vehicle back! Another thing...I left hungry. The portions are a little small for what you are paying. The service was excellent, though (thanks Jason), and everything tasted great. If you plan on going, it's basically a good amount of seafood selections with an extensive wine and beverage list. You will want to save up for it. For the next little while, I'll stick to going there for drinks. You see, I have a car payment now!...-A
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Kinda Like the Hell's Angels...
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...because it isn't what you expect. I'll explain in lengthy detail.
If you live here, you know that Charlottesville is a giving town. There are an over-the-top amount of events for charity. (Hopefully, I will be letting you know more about those as they come up, as I love to go, especially to the ones where you get to dress up.) So, I suppose I should've expected the generosity I saw last night, but the situation would leave some to say "Huh?" Yes, gamblers were actually giving money away! I use the term 'gamblers' loosely, because there is no money involved in the Charlottesville Poker group, but these folks ARE serious about their poker. Last night's tournament at O'Neill's, however, was all about helping others. You may have heard about the UVA students who lost pretty much everything they had in a fire recently. I can't imagine that horror. So, the poker club (led by the guy pictured here, Justin, and his non-pictured gal pal Devan) gathered money last night to give to one of those victims. What a great feeling it was to be a part of that. So, it's kinda like when you see the Hell's Angels pull up to a toy drive with a ton of toys to donate. Unexpected, but very, very cool. (Support the Charlottesville Poker Club by clicking on their link in the left-hand column!)
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By the way, congrats to the UVA Men's basketball team! In between hands, I was able to watch the game and MAN, what a nail-biter in the end. And thanks to Megan, my fav bartender at O'Neill's for making sure the TV was in full view at all times!
Monday, February 05, 2007
Commercials Sucked! Prince Didn't!
If your team is not in the Super Bowl, there is typically only one reason to watch, right? The commercials! Even though my Redskins were nowhere near getting to Miami for the Big Game, Steve and I decided to head over to our friends' house to watch those other two teams play in hopes of seeing some good ads and maybe win a little green. We were sadly disappointed on both fronts. The one year that we both had 'good numbered squares,' the teams missed extra points to make the scores freaky. To make matters worse, the only commercial that I thought was remotely funny or entertaining was the one where a mouse was getting squished. Being an animal lover, I am still feeling guilty for laughing my butt off at that one. Leave it to Prince to make it all worthwhile. I've always known that he was/is an incredible showman. But last night, he showed that he is a true professional, as well. With the rain pouring down, he performed one of the best halftime shows I have ever seen. (My husband is not a fan and was laying down money that Prince would get shocked since he was playing an electric guitar. Men!) Also impressing me last night was the culinary talents of our hosts, Tracy and Todd. Thanks guys!Once home, I honestly saw better commercials during a rerun of Zoolander on Comedy Central than I did during the "Big Game." I also made more money, since I hadn't really bet on whether Derek would actually kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia or not. (Although, I knew the result of that one.) Now if only Prince had been in that movie somewhere, I would know exactly what to do the next year!
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