Hungry Times Two

Who turned on the damn furnace? Whew, it is way too hot way too early here in the D.C. nether-region. Despite temps inching towards the 90 degree Fahrenheit mark, we made it to Charlottesville this weekend for some fun! Thanks to the perusing of this C-ville blogger , our trip was peppered with tasty experiences all weekend long. After a short and traffic-free two-hour drive, we pulled into the parking garage in downtown Charlottesville just in time for the last hour or so of their kickin' farmers market. We ambled around to see the market vendors selling everything from jam to jewelry, and all in between some pretty swell looking produce. Scott couldn't resist the strawberries, so we snagged a quart of them for lunch. We decided to grab some lunch from a downtown spot and drive west to Skyline Drive and Shenandoah Nat'l Park. Luckily, Baggby's on the downtown pedestrian mall had some delectable-sounding sandwiches, so Scott scored the Cold Grinder and I chose ...

Holy Moses, a three day weekend is just a few hours away. I got a little giddy while enjoying my less-crowded-than-usual commute this morning, and then I reminded myself why we have Monday off in the first place. Respect to our military and those who have served. Scott and I hit the road tomorrow for Charlottesville, where we'll rendezvous with two college friends and roam around the Shenandoahs. For food recommendations, I'm relying on this C-ville blogger for some tips. Some places we plan to hit up: Starr Hill Brewery , the Bluegrass Grill , and this yogurt joint that supposedly is crazy good. We hope that whatever your plans are this weekend that you have fun and taste something wonderful!

So, here's a random run-through of my summer. Erin's already gotten a lot the choice writing out of the way, so I'll leave this as more of photo montage with comments, etc. LuLu's, a great restaurant next to Richmond, VA's old train station and farmer's market. The sign itself has a cool Bauhaus-like vibe. That chef should be mixing up a batch of Duke's Mayonnaise, given that it's one of C.F. Sauer's signature products. Perhaps Richmond, VA is a hidden food-town? Funky painting at comfort, a Richmond, VA restaurant with few pretenses and knock-out comfort food. The name says it all - along Broad St., Richmond, VA.

Confession: Visiting Richmond, Va. this weekend, I had a couple moments where I seemed to channel my late grandmother of fabulousness , Coxey . Whenen taken aback by a sinfully wonderful dessert or food, she would exclaim (with hand to her chest as if clutching a strand of imaginary pearls) "My my, that is almost too rich to eat." I held off from breaking out her famous little expression but if the truth be told, I would have worn myself out using it. I didn't know it before I visited, but Richmond has some pretty amazing restaurant offerings. Big ups to my friend and resident of Richmond, Victoria, for selecting unique and gobsmackingly -good places. Let's get started with Lulu's , which started our trend of visiting comfortable, intimate cafes with lots of original, local-themed artwork this weekend. Though originally we planned on visiting the Shockoe Bottoms Tomato Festival, the 106 degree weather killed that plan, so we hit up Lulu's for some A/C and co...