Things To Do

Food Food Food Food

Roots / Cava / Pearl Island Catering: Each serves bowls with great vegetarian/vegan options. Ethan lived on Roots bowls during 1L and 2L - the El Jefe was his go-to, sub the pita chips and corn for pickled onions and roasted broccoli. And Pearl Island + Cava have been E+LP COVID staples

Bodo's Bagels: Some people say that Charlottesville Bagels rival New York bagels. But we all know that Uncle Gary's bagels > all.

Lampo: Pizza. So so good. The olive and garlic clove starter, too. Wow. They shifted to only to-go during COVID, but hopefully reopen for dine-in this summer. You cut your pizza with scissors. Pizza. Scissors.

Some of our other favorites

Brunch: First Watch | Fig

Mexican: Brazos Tacos | Guadalajara (good cheap margs!)

Burgers: Jack Browns | Riverside Lunch

Indian: Kanak | Milan

Thai: Silk Thai | Monsoon Siam

Vegan: Vu Noodles

Sandwiches: Ivy Provisions | Tiger Market Delis (The Market at Preston; Belair Market)

Bakeries: MarieBette / Petite Maribette

Wineries, Breweries, Cideries, and just some Cool Spots

The Dairy Market: Food, cocktails, beer.. Charlottesville's take on the SF Ferry Building

Tonic: Snacks and cocktails. @Papa, their Chicken Pate is to die for.

Draft Taphouse: @Aaron's happy place. Walls on walls of taps, where you pour your own beer and pay by the oz.

Champion: Where Laura and I often (accidentally) end up for an afternoon beer when we take Charlie for a walk. Sometimes they accidentally serve us soft pretzels with cheese and mustard, too. Whoops.

Potters: Great cider served on a lovely, hill-top field that is oft' filled with evening music on hot summer nights.

Kardinal Hall and Three Notch'd: Two other beer-halls that are walking distance from E & LP. Three Notch'd makes a killer gose.

Some of our other favorite places:

Breweries:

South Street Brewing Co | Rockfish Brewing Co | Starr Hill Brewing Co (in The Dairy Market)

Random Row Brewing | Pro Re Nata | Devil's Backbone

Cideries:

Albemarle Ciderworks | Bold Rock (@ Carter Mountain)

Wineries:

Blenheim (Dave Matthews' winery) | Pippin Hill | King Family

Keswick | Knight's Gambit | Veritas | Mount Ida

Tilman's wine bar (on the Downtown Mall, owned by same owners as Tonic)

Things to See

The Rotunda and The Lawn

UVA's "Main Grounds" are worth at least an afternoon stroll. Thomas Jefferson built Monticello so he could oversee the construction of the University of Virginia, which was of his own design. Scope out the secret society lettering on the buildings and the red brick architecture that Laura goes wild for.

Monticello

TJ's home, and a very cool historical site. See website for information https://www.monticello.org/visit/tickets-tours/.

The Historic Downtown Mall

Our Home for the last two years. There are coffee shops, quick bites and amazing restaurants lining the walking pedestrian mall. For the East Coasters, it is often compared to Juddy's hometown Burlington pedestrian mall. Please feel free to park in our apartment's parking lot (Norcross Station Google Maps) - if you're going to stay for more than a couple hours, let us know and we'll get you a guest pass.

Carter Mountain Orchard

Apple picking, alcoholic slurpees, and amazing views (in the same vicinity as Monticello). Ethan debated proposing to Laura here, but thought that Laura might not appreciate being distracted from the fruit picking.

Places to Play

Pickle ball

Pen Park. Laura and Ethan have been training diligently for our rematch with Liza and Misha. Date, TBD. Prize, everlasting glory.

Exercise studios:

FlyDog Yoga

Zoom (Spin, Cross Training)

Crossfit: Crossfit Charlottesville; Solidarity Crossfit

Laura and Ethan's Peloton

Charlie: He'll let you throw a ball to him until kingdom come. He'll also occasionally forget about the ball and eat the ground instead.