When it comes to planning and executing a styled shoot, you have to be prepared to roll with the punches.

While we had planned to photograph a historic-meets-modern tablescape outdoors, mother nature decided otherwise. March 27 was looking clear as a bell up until the morning of our planned shoot; out of nowhere, it seemed, the forecast called for heavy rain and thunderstorms that afternoon/evening and that’s exactly how it played out.

Nevertheless, the Lynchburg Living team made it work, thanks to the extremely hospitable Mikael (Taste contributor) and Traci Blido who helped us carry out our vision in their sunroom and even let us forage for extra fresh greenery in their backyard.

Most of the props—from the plates to the old books to the linens—were rounded up from everyone’s houses. Art Director Chris Meligonis lead the way in assembling the table from the first piece of greenery to the last lighting of a candle.

Photographer Ashlee Glen traded her usual step ladder for a much taller version to help us capture the best overhead angles of the heritage-inspired recipes created by Mikael.

Meanwhile, Editor Shelley Basinger sat on the couch watching everyone work while drinking wine. (Kidding. She helped too. But there was one small wine break.)

Read the full feature, learn some local fare history and get a little hungry, starting on page 96!

2021 marks 10 years since our very first Lynchburg Restaurant Week, marking a decade of delicious dishes and great deals at diverse eateries across the region.

Even during the height of the pandemic last year, we kept this beloved community event going strong. Now, as restrictions are slowly lifted and many are returning to in-person dining, we hope you will join us to continue supporting Lynchburg’s thriving restaurant community June 12-19, 2021.

We are thrilled to showcase 13 local restaurants this year, each with its own handcrafted menu specifically for Lynchburg Restaurant Week.

Flip through the following pages to see what’s cooking and start planning out your stops today.

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A Forest Home Renovation Sparkles Like the Sea

In a design world often filled with grays and neutrals, Rachele Novak sees her home in color. Though it didn’t begin that way when Novak purchased her house 12 years ago in a well-loved Forest neighborhood. The upsides of the home at the time included good bones and a decent layout, but dark cherry kitchen cabinets, brownish-green backsplash tile, and peachy taupe paint told the tale of a builder-grade home that had been sitting on the market for a year following the 2008 recession. Then there was the driveway, which slants sharply toward the garage.

“I was just driving around the neighborhood, and I drove by this house and I thought, ‘What idiot would buy that house with that crazy driveway?’” Novak recalled with a laugh. But the home did have one major selling point in her eyes. “It has a phenomenal private backyard with a creek and spectacular sunsets,” she said.

Today, both that “crazy driveway” and “phenomenal backyard” act as welcome mats for Novak, her two teenage children, and their 8-year-old Shih Tzu named Honey. Thanks to some grading and landscaping help from Southern Landscaping Group, the driveway is no longer the first thing visitors notice. Instead, the front door, painted in Ming Jade by Sherwin Williams, acts as a wink and a nod to the colorful surprise awaiting inside.

Stepping through the door, a shimmering flush mount light envelopes the foyer with glamour and warmth. To the right of the foyer is a lush “piano room” as Novak calls it, though the room no longer holds a piano. To the left, a dining space gleams bright with a chrome and crystal chandelier above the dining table, deep blue grasscloth on the walls, and large-scale art above the sideboard.

“Art for me is really interesting and calming,” Novak said. “The art in the dining room—I call it ‘The Asian Lady’—is actually a mosaic when you get up close to it. And that just fascinates me. I can just sit in there and look at that for a long time and that engages me.”

The art in the first two rooms of the home is a fitting preview to what the rest holds. Lush with texture, tile, and textiles, a calming green and blue colorway runs from the foyer to the back deck and beyond, paying homage to Novak’s childhood by the water in Virginia Beach. The finished product is the result of Novak’s instinct that the house could become something special, and her wisdom in bringing in expert help six years after she moved in.

An accountant for her family’s company, Velocity Construction, Novak knows what she likes but she also realized her limitations, so she hired interior designer Kate Avello to guide and bring her ideas to life.

“I just think she is phenomenal. I can’t say enough how well she picks up on what you want and what you like and pulls that into a vision, even though your vision might be in 15 different places,” Novak said. “She just had a whole vision and brought it all together and it was true to the house structurally.”

Because there were multiple design projects to tackle, they decided to start in the kitchen, removing a large arch that visually cluttered the area and adding a clean white column for structural support and an open air feel. Novak’s budget led to some creative innovations when it came to the original dark kitchen cabinets, with Avello leading the charge on how to cut meaningful corners while splurging on key details.

“Cabinets are super expensive—I have no idea why but they are—and we hated the cabinets so we knew we would paint them but Kate said you need to get new door fronts and drawers because the existing ones were so traditional,” Novak explained. “We found an online source for it and it was super cost efficient to do it that way, to not have to order entirely new base and upper cabinets. We just changed those out.”

Once the cabinets were refaced, the uppers were painted a crisp white, the lowers went light gray, and trim board was added to the room-facing side of the lowers to create the illusion of custom moulding. New cabinet pulls and quartz countertops were installed, a glittering sun-catcher style pendant was hung above the high-top eating bar, and a lucid blue tile backsplash was stacked vertically in modern rows. Novak also had a wall of custom wood cabinets made and installed just beyond the eating area for more pantry and storage space.

As the kitchen was transforming, so did the adjacent living room. Custom drapes and pillows by local seamstress Michelle Bonheim brought in patterns with Eastern world flair, and a teal crushed velvet ottoman, recovered by Phil’s upholstery in Lynchburg, added more color and texture sitting beneath a glass coffee table. But the home’s transformations didn’t end there.

“As we started to open things up, Kate said if you want to do anything in your master bath, this is the time because we have the ceiling open which exposed all the plumbing and I wanted to put in a heated tile floor. So that brought in my master bath. I’m still not sure how the powder room got brought into that, but it did!” Novak recalled.
The last minute choice to redo the powder room is still one of Novak’s favorite decisions. The geometric wallpaper alone is a show-stopper, boasting on its label that it is “on order to her Majesty the Queen.” That alone would have made many a homeowner happy but Avello and Novak weren’t finished and kicked the dazzle up a notch further by adding glimmering 3D glass tile above an aqua vessel sink and artwork by Novak’s 16-year-old daughter, Elle.

Upstairs, the master bath also underwent an overhaul with the installation of a large soaking tub, glass-enclosed shower, and sparkling wall tile reminiscent of mermaid gills above the double vanity. The master bedroom itself also received a modern makeover. Soft custom made drapes and linens by Bonheim line the room with luxury, while a wooden sleigh bed, intimate art by NYC artist Kristen Somody Whalen, and abundant mirrors create a calm but colorful atmosphere. The showpiece of the master bedroom, however, is undoubtedly the ceiling. Avello transformed the tray ceiling into a work of art by creating a pattern with moulding, topped with a crystal chandelier.
“My bedroom is my sanctuary. To me, it feels like a spa,” Novak said. “Sometimes I stare up at my ceiling because I love the geometry of it and the whole room is very soothing.”

Soothing is also how Novak describes her back yard, which she has a bird’s eye view of from her new deck. The Trex seating area, cable railing, and black spiral metal staircase lead down to a stone landscaped area with a firepit, all of which were created by Southern Landscaping Group.

“In the summer, everything is in bloom and grows up like a jungle and you feel like you are just in privacy, on your own,” Novak said.

From the emerald front door to the scenic backyard, Novak’s total home transformation took several years but these days, when she often works from home, she finds each detail well worth the investment.

“This whole house is my happy place,” she reflected. “I am just so comfortable here. I can relax and I feel safe. It’s just kind of everything to me.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARYL CALFEE

Laura Beth Davidson never set out to be a professional photographer. With her newly purchased camera and a few online classes under her belt, she just wanted to have decent photos of her daughter without paying someone else to do it.

“I found this online community called Clickin Moms, which was designed to help moms take better pictures of their kids,” she joked. “But a lot of them end up being people who actually start taking pictures of other people’s kids.

It’s a funny cycle.”

That was 10 years ago. Now Davidson is a professional who does just that—however with three more daughters in tow. She and her husband, Andrew, call Lynchburg home after moving to Virginia a few years ago.

“I was always a creative person,” Davidson said. “[Photography] just ‘clicked’ as an outlet for my creativity. Having a cute toddler [at the time] as a subject made it so there was always something to take pictures of.”

As she began to expand her portfolio of her daughter, Jane, Davidson started with a fine art style, but quickly learned that she loved photojournalism.

“I loved shooting things that weren’t posed or directed,” she said. “My favorite clients have been the ones who just let me come into their homes and do this documentary approach, where I basically just spend a day with them at home or whatever they do normally and just fade into the background to capture the ‘real life,’ not just the perfect moments.”

Davidson decided to take that approach with her own family after reading about a social media trend called “100 Days of Summer,” where photographers would take a photo every day between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

“Sort of by accident, those first few photos I took [when I started in 2018] had all four of my girls in the frame,” she said. “I thought, ‘This would be a fun challenge.’ At that point, my twins were not quite two and the oldest was seven.”

Davidson said she loved the challenge, especially as a stay-at-home mom with four kids home during the summer.

It gave her a creative outlet and a task, but also a great collection of her girls.

“It’s very tricky not to repeat yourself with your photos,” Davidson said. “That’s what I love about it. I try to play a lot with reflections or shadows to try to make it clever so there’s a wide variety. When you have hundreds of photos, there are some that tend to duplicate, but the other side of that is that there are some that I’ve tried to recreate as an interesting marker of where they are each season.”

On the hard days where creativity doesn’t strike, Davidson said sometimes she’s not happy with the shot she does manage to get.

“But I did [get a shot] and the next day I’ll try to do better,” Davidson said. “That’s my goal.”

As someone who likes control, Davidson the project has helped her let go of her ideas of perfection.

“It makes photos where I really nail it so much better and they are special to me,” she said. “I’ve just had to accept that the light isn’t always going to be nice. I’m not always going to have great composition, but some days I will.”

The girls, for the most part, enjoy being part of the process, Davidson said. She says it helps that she doesn’t make them pose and that they put all the photos in a book at the end of the summer. She even got the opportunity to display a collection of her work titled, “Ordinary Time: A Visual Record of the In-Between” at the Academy Center of the Arts this March.

After focusing on the summer for the past few years, Davidson decided in 2020 she would focus on getting a picture every day: 365 days. Though the pandemic threw the Davidsons into a new season of life, documenting photos became even more important after Alice, one of the twins, was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor late last year.
“It’s the first time that one of them has experienced something that the other three girls haven’t,” Davidson said. “They have no idea what the experience has been like because of the pandemic. The girls haven’t been allowed to visit Alice when she’s in the hospital. We tell them what’s happening, but the only way they get to experience it is through the photos I take.”

Davidson hasn’t shied away from the harder days with Alice because she has always wanted her photos to be an honest look at life.
“It’s crappy,” she said. “She’s four and a half. She has a fantastic attitude and is just a happy kid. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that this is a big deal for her. I don’t think she fully understands it. I didn’t have any idea of what it was going to look like as a parent, and I’ve even thought about what I’m going to do with these photos after it’s all over.”

Davidson said continuing to be raw during painful moments is still hard, but she always looks back to that first summer when she started.

“Just like how starting [the project] gave me something to focus on as a stay-at-home-mom with four small children, I feel like this helps me compartmentalize or process it in a way. [Alice] has to sit here and have this needle stuck in her and she’s not going to like it. There’s nothing I can do about it in that moment so instead of sitting there and feeling broken by it, I can use that energy to frame a photograph that is heart-wrenching, but it gives me a role to play. We’ve had to hand off so much to the doctors, it really gives me something to do when I can’t be Alice’s primary caregiver.”

Documenting Alice’s journey is something that Davidson believes will help all the sisters process better in the future.

“Whenever they’re ready to know the full extent of what she’s going through, I think they’ll be able to experience it through the photographs in a way they can’t now because of their age and COVID,” Davidson said. “It’s almost like making this time capsule.”

With treatment for Alice scheduled until July and the world slowly reopening, Davidson said setting some expectation of what she wants to shoot this year often leads to disappointment.

“I try to keep an open mind about it,” she said. “But I do want to continue to photograph the girls’ relationships with each other. I’ve also been taking pictures of Alice’s appearance as she loses her hair and weight, gets more dark circles under her eyes. I want to make sure to document that as well as she dips and as she comes back up because the prognosis is very good. But I want to document Alice coming out of this and her sisters processing it as well.”

As she looks back, Davidson believes she could have never started out as a documentary photographer—that transformation happened during motherhood.

“I think having four children [changed that],” she jokes. “It was more than I bargained for, and some days we’re doing the best we can. I think that’s mirrored in my photographs: choosing the things you can control—like where I’m standing in relation to the girls or having patience not to just go for the first shot. That’s part of the beauty of it. When you look back at the photos, it’s obvious I’m not telling them what to do. It is really like I’m not even there. That’s the goal.”

Bringing a Taste of Puerto Rico to the Hill City

With new owners and a slight change in name, The Latin Place, located downtown on Jefferson Street, is the place in Lynchburg to find authentic food and hospitality straight from Stephanie Domena and Luis Rodriguez’s home island of Puerto Rico.

“Our main goal is to keep sharing our culture,” Domena said. “We were born and raised in Puerto Rico, so we are bringing the dishes we were raised with.”

Domena and Rodriguez moved to the United States from Puerto Rico 13 and eight years ago, respectively. Before coming to Lynchburg, they lived near Tampa Bay, Florida, where they met and were married, with their children Genesis, 4, and Luis Jr., 2.

The couple planned to open a Puerto Rican food truck in Florida, before Domena’s mother connected them with Harry and Josephine Rivera, the previous owners of That Latin Place in the same location.

“We came to Lynchburg to visit, and we loved it,” Domena said. “It resembles a lot of our capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico.”

Since the restaurant’s official re-opening in mid-January, customers have flocked in to try the authentic Latin food and meet the couple.

Rodriguez loves making some of his traditional favorites, which he learned to cook from his grandmothers when he was growing up. The restaurant serves everything from tostones and empanadas, to Tripleta and “El Jibarito,” a plantain sandwich with choice of meat, lettuce, onions and drizzled with the Puerto Rican favorite mayo-ketchup.

Navigating the COVID-19 guidelines has been the primary obstacle for The Latin Place, which began serving only carry-out and recently opened a small amount of indoor seating.

“We just want to make the guests feel like family,” Rodriguez added. “In Puerto Rico, we are huggers.”

For Domena and Rodriguez, one of the joys of running the restaurant is meeting the many Hispanic customers that come in to get a taste of home.

“They come and they start [talking to us] in English, and then they say, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m Hispanic or I’m Puerto Rican,’” Domena said. “Not all of them being Puerto Ricans, but a lot of them Hispanic and wanting to try something Latin. It’s been really great.”

The Latin Place is not only for Hispanics, however. Domena and Rodriguez hope their restaurant will be a hub for anyone looking for great food and wanting to learn more about Puerto Rican culture.

“I would like to make an environment where people can feel like they are back in Puerto Rico,” Rodriguez said. “And give the opportunity to those who haven’t traveled there, to know a little bit about it.”

“Even if they haven’t been,” Domena chimed in. “When they come visit us, they can say that they know a little bit of Puerto Rico because they came to see us.”
Words & Photos by Christian Weaner

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The Latin Place
901 Jefferson St., Lynchburg
(434) 616-6414
Find on Facebook: @thelatinplace

You’re Welcome
It was a delight working with Lonnie Hoade and Paul Webster, of T.C. Trotter’s Moose Mix for Bloody Marys, on our March/April feature, “Lynchburg is for Bloody Mary Lovers.” Lonnie sent a message to Editor Shelley Basinger after seeing the article in print for the first time: “Oh my goodness Shelley. I just saw the article. It’s amazing. And you two (photographer Ashlee Glen) did a fantastic job on those pictures. Thank you so much!” – Lonnie Hoade

Private School Omission
We unintentionally left a local private school off of our listing in the Lynchburg Area Private School Guide included in the March/April issue. World Community Education Center is located in Bedford, offering a Montessori education to children in grades pre-K through 12th grade. Learn more about the school at worldcommunityedu.org.

Social Media Buzz
Our 2021 Idea House had some of you chatting online: “Swoon!” said Hill City Mom @heireysays on Instagram. “Exquisite,” wrote FUSE Electrical, LLC on one of our Facebook posts. It was even prettier in person! Check out the recap of our Idea House open house weekends on pages 23 and 24.

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We Want To hear From You!
Send us an e-mail to shelley@lynchburgmag.com. Correspondents must identify themselves; names may be withheld on request. Lynchburg Living may edit or condense.

Avoid These Five Pitfalls to See Success

I love our Virginia summer mornings when the fog lays low over the fields as a bright new sun stretches its sleepy arms. Usually, the heat of the previous day is subdued in the night, and the mornings are cool and comfortable. This is when I find myself most productive. I have a cup of coffee, take a few minutes to greet the day from the porch, and then stroll over to my favorite part of my yard: my vegetable garden.

Many people, myself included, find gardening to be a sort of soul-affirming ritual. It makes us feel closer to the earth and for me, closer to God. It slows down our thoughts and narrows our focus while we care for things small and tender. It gives us something to share with our friends and neighbors (and gardeners love to share) and it allows us to enjoy the fruits of our own hard work, directly.

A lot of people are hesitant to start a vegetable garden. It can seem a bit overwhelming. Still, 2020 saw a worldwide spike in home gardening as people developed pandemic-inspired anxieties about food security, and suddenly had the time to test out their green thumb. Growing your own food isn’t hard to do and it ensures healthy, accessible nutrition for you and your family, even in uncertain times.

I say, “it isn’t hard,” but also acknowledge that there are a slew of factors that cause new or amateur gardeners to get overwhelmed. Here are some pitfalls to avoid
so you won’t give up this season.

Pitfall One: Stretching yourself too thin
My eyes are sometimes bigger than my appetite. When you’re tending to everything from a veggie patch to fruit trees to gourd trellises to chickens, it can be a bit much. For your first season, set reasonable goals. You don’t need to go from zero to a five-acre farm. A 10×10 patch is a whopping 100 square feet, is manageable by one person, and can really pack a ton of produce. There’s nothing wrong with going smaller, either.

Also, beginners are better off starting in the spring when the weather is pleasant and the ground is warm and soft before attempting winter growing. You’ll want to pick a spot that gets plenty of sun—at least six hours a day. It also needs to be convenient. Make sure your hoses reach, you don’t have to hike to it, and it isn’t in the way of your other outdoor activities. These little inconveniences can cause a gardener to neglect their patch.

Pitfall Two: Not paying special attention to your soil
Good dirt covers a multitude of sins. It’s arguably the most critical component of successful gardening, so we’ll spend a minute here. It’s worth having a soil test done to find out what you’re lacking. You’ll want to do it as soon as possible, and you can pick these up for cheap at any garden center. You’ll send off a sample of your soil, and the lab will send you a report detailing your pH and nutrient levels. I know this sounds like it could get complicated, but it really isn’t.

There are many nutrients found in healthy soil, but the three that plants need the most are: nitrogen for healthy green leaves, phosphorous for strong roots, and potassium for overall plant hardiness and disease resistance. On garden fertilizers, you’ll see these nutrients identified as N (nitrogen) P (phosphorus) and K (potassium). When choosing a fertilizer, it’s a good rule of thumb to get a complete fertilizer with a higher middle number (phosphorous). Something in the 10-20-10 range is a good start. Organic additives such as compost are also great for adding nutrients to the soil.

Of course, in order for plants to have full access to these nutrients, proper pH is absolutely critical. Most garden plants prefer a pH range of six to seven. If your pH is low, you can bring it up by adding agricultural lime. If it’s high, you can lower it by adding aluminum sulfate or sulfur. You can find all of this at a garden center. Most soil tests even include advice for how to amend soil for certain issues.

Pitfall Three: Planting garden enemies together
First off, I highly recommend starting from seed. Read my article in our previous issue, (“Starting from Scratch,” March/April, available online) to learn all about seed starting. While it’s a little too late for that this year, there’s always next season.

Select your plants from a local garden store. You can find decent stock at department store garden centers, but your local stores will have a wider variety of stronger, healthier plants.

When it’s time to actually put your plants in the ground, remember this: Everyone likes to spend time with friends, and vegetables are no different. Some plants do better when grown near their companions, with whom they have symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationships.

On the contrary, some plants do not get along. For example, tomatoes love how basil repels the insects that threaten them. However, tomatoes do not appreciate the way broccoli competes for much needed nutrients in the soil. Meanwhile, zucchini and squash have a great relationship with beans, which replenish nitrogen for the hungry squash. But zucchini and squash should not be planted near pumpkins, which are unruly and can cross-pollinate, infecting the flavor of your squash.

Another thing to keep in mind is don’t plant tall plants at the “front” southern-facing side of your garden, where they will soak up all that long-day sun but overshade smaller plants in the back. I like to plant my taller plants on the sides of my garden (east and west) and leave the long center open for shorter plants.

Pitfall Four: Neglecting routine maintenance
It’s so important to visit your garden every day if you can. Your plants will thank you, and so will your mind and body. Remember, gardening is good for you!

When you check on your garden, make sure that you’re not letting weeds encroach on your veggies as they eat up vital soil nutrients and choke out your plants. Ensure that your plants get regular waterings, and when mother nature isn’t providing enough rain, get out the hose! Feed your plants if they start to look wilted or discolored. Side-dress with a little compost or a gentle water-soluble fertilizer.

Pitfall Five: Getting lazy during harvest time
Reap the rewards of your hard work! Fruits left on the plant can quickly grow too large, which causes them to lose flavor or be eaten up by wildlife. Also, regular harvesting is another component of routine maintenance, since it encourages new growth for most garden favorites.

The best part about learning to garden is that the first season is the toughest. But there is some kind of spiritually satisfying joy that comes from plucking a snap pea or a cherry tomato off the vine and snacking as you tend to errant weeds under the summer sun. After your first successful season, you’ll be hooked for life.
Be careful—gardening is addictive!

Five Tips from 2 Birds Meal Prep

For 2 Birds Meal Prep owner Ivy Olivier, food and community are inextricably linked. After working in restaurants for more than a decade, she switched to a career as a social worker before ultimately realizing that her passion lies where food and community intersect.

Shortly after launching an Instagram account showcasing her meal prep for her family, Olivier began getting an influx of requests to purchase her meals. She also read a book called Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Greg Boyle, which is about a café in Los Angeles that hires ex-gang members. These events inspired Olivier to take a leap of faith and start her own meal prep business.

“Between my love for food and my desire to give back to the community, I saw a need that could be filled with 2 Birds Meal Prep,” she says. “I enrolled in culinary school and wrote a business plan! It’s very exciting to transition from my career in social work to owning my own business. I think my background definitely helped prepare me to serve people in our community in a unique way.”

Olivier preps and sells a variety of individual and family meals, many of which are also available as vegan meals. Olivier herself is a vegan and is determined to offer delicious plant-based options. “We don’t want to make food that tastes ‘almost as good’ as the carnivorous version,” she says. “I want to present a happy medium to people—like, here’s how to eat in a way that doesn’t hurt the only earth we have, but it’s also so delicious you’d order it either way!”

After taking a short break, 2 Birds is slated to reopen by May 1st with an even greater emphasis on community outreach. “We have partnered with a local church to be able to do more ministry work and give back to the Lynchburg community in a big way,” Olivier says.

Olivier is also passionate about sharing her meal prep knowledge.

Here are five of her top tips!
1. Start Small
Although a certain amount of enthusiasm is necessary when it comes to meal prep, resist the urge to pre-prepare every meal—doing so will inevitably cause burnout. “Remember, this is something that is supposed to help you, not be a massive, overwhelming burden!” notes Olivier. “If you’re prepping for yourself, maybe start with just one family-sized meal (or double one if you have a large family) so you’ll have leftovers for lunches.”

Olivier adds that preparing single versatile items rather than full meals is also optimal. “Here’s an example: if you roast a chicken on Sunday, you could have shredded chicken to use in enchiladas, make some chicken salad to eat for lunch, and use the bones to make soup,” she says.

3. Shop Selectively
Choosing high-quality foods is an essential part of any healthy and delicious meal prep plan. Olivier recommends shopping at farmers markets when possible. “There are so many benefits to shopping farmers markets: you support local farmers, you know exactly where your food is coming from, and it gives you the opportunity to eat ‘in season,’ which can keep you from getting bored eating the same old thing week to week,” she notes.

Shopping selectively also means staying true to yourself and your preferences. “Do not prep anything for yourself that you don’t like to eat,” says Olivier. “This is a mistake I see so many people making. If you hate kale, don’t force yourself to eat it. There are literally hundreds of other veggies. Eat the ones you like!”

2. Don’t Underestimate Staples
Integrating basic foods into your meal prep plan is ideal in more ways than one. Not only do many staples lend themselves perfectly to advance prep, but they are also budget-friendly. “If you want to prep healthy on a budget, keep it simple,” notes Olivier. “Stick with the staples: apples, carrots, potatoes, a bag of salad, frozen steam veggie bags, canned tuna, pouches of salmon, peanut butter, etc.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
Beans are Olivier’s personal favorite staple. “Dry beans are my number one favorite versatile ‘cheap’ healthy food,” she says. “They go great in wraps, stews, as a stand-alone item. I make a big pot of rice and beans pretty much every week because they’re so versatile.”

4. Explore Different Cuisines
If you find yourself getting into a meal prep rut, Olivier suggests incorporating foods from other cultures or simply from outside your comfort zone. “I stay motivated by exploring new cuisines often,” she says. “For the home chef, try to make something complicated once a month to remind yourself why you love cooking. Cooking can be a form of self-care, and there is nothing better than surprising yourself with a new flavor combination you haven’t tried yet!”

5. Don’t Get Discouraged
As is the case with any venture, meal prep will have its share of hiccups. Embrace the process and try to view mistakes as opportunities rather than obstacles. “If you try something and it’s gross, don’t be discouraged!” Olivier exclaims. “Every chef will tell you that they have made some questionable concoctions before. It’s just part of the process. The only way any of us got better at this thing was through experience.”

Mark Your Calendars May/June 2021

Sunset on 7th Concert Series
May 8, June 19, July 17
The Academy Center of the Arts is back and ready to party this summer! The Sunset on 7th Series will be held in the Pacific Life parking lot, featuring the No BS! Brass Band in May, Joslyn & The Sweet Compression in June and The Hackensaw Boys in July. Enjoy the show from your own personal parking space “pod” with up to 10 guests. Learn more at academycenter.org.

Memorial Day 10K
May 31, 8 a.m.
For the past five years, Lynchburg Road Runners Club and Type 1 Diabetes Experience have partnered together for this race that supports local families living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. If a 10K isn’t for you, try the shorter two-mile walk to support the cause. Learn more at runsignup.com.

Steel Magnolias
June 3-27,
various showtimes
Join Truvy, Shelby and the rest of the gossiping gang as Wolfbane Productions brings this Southern classic to life at its Appomattox Wolf Den venue. The hilarious repartee and heartbreaking moments make this a beautiful show you won’t forget. Learn more at wolfbane.org.

Outdoor Summer Job Fair
June 24, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Dust off your resume and save the date for this free job fair at the Forest Public Library, sponsored by the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce. Advance registration is not required.

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Discover Your Downtown

Raise a Toast to River Restoration

During the month of May, you can enjoy one of Starr Hill Brewery’s award-winning beers while supporting an impactful nonprofit at the same time.
Starr Hill’s “Love Your River” program is a partnership with the James River Association. Every time someone buys The Love Wheat Beer in May, the brewery will donate $1 to the JRA.

“All great beer starts with great water,” says Brewmaster Robbie O’Cain. “We are encouraging our fans to support river restoration and show their ‘Love’ for the largest river in Virginia. As a brewer and a fisherman, I know how important it is for our community to maintain our waterways and we hope that the craft beer community will support this exciting and important program.”

According to the JRA, more than 2.7 million Virginians rely on the James for their drinking water.

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Local Openings & Closings

Hello! to The Ridge, formerly Phase 2. The entertainment venue has new owners after being up for sale since 2019.

Hello! to the Backyard in Forest, featuring multiple food trucks and gathering space.

Hello! to Kaleidoscope Studios on Fifth Street.

Hello! to women’s clothing

store Carter Bates inside River Ridge Mall.

Hello! to Main Street Sports Bar and Grill on Main Street.

Goodbye to Chestnut Hill Hardware, a fixture on Fort Avenue since 1948.

Hello! to Popeyes on Candlers Mountain Road.

Hello! to a new location of Blue Mountain Barn in River Ridge Mall.

Hello! (again) to Gary’s Garden Center, now on Leesville Road.

Hello! to The Chicken Coupe Boutique in Amherst.

Hello! to the second location of Elite Realty on Graves Mill Road.

Hello! to Hearts & Kisses on Leesville Road offering wedding gown and formal dress rentals.

Hello! to Fratelli Italian

Kitchen, now open on the Bluffwalk downtown.

Hello! to Alpaca by Jaca, moving to a new location inside River Ridge Mall.

Hello! to Findings, a unique curated art gallery in the Boonsboro Shopping Center.

Four longtime Lynchburg restaurants that have kept us coming back for almost a century

There’s nothing like enjoying a meal in a place with endless memories of yesteryear—perhaps once frequented by your parents, even your grandparents. The stories told about these historic, and sometimes humble, eateries not only connect us to our local past but they also show how the shared bond of “going out to eat” has prevailed through the generations.

While Lynchburg has a diverse and outstanding selection of locally owned restaurants, we wanted to take some time to focus on the spots that have stood the test of time. These four restaurants, with a combined total of 335 years under their belts, have weathered war, economic depressions and everything in between—but what they all say has been the biggest challenge so far is COVID-19.

The World Famous Stadium Inn
This local hangout spot opened in 1927 when it was converted from a substation into a beer and burger joint. The owner now refers to it as the “greatest little bar in Lynchburg.”

Owner Daryl Burgess purchased the building in 2017 when he saw the restaurant had closed. “I just felt that couldn’t happen,” he said. “It’s a landmark and has such cool history.”

Burgess kept the restaurant closed for two months while he renovated the space into a clean sports bar and grill offering cold beer, low-price eats and TVs.

He threw away old equipment with 50 years of smoke on it including the grill, oven, fryers, photos on the wall and cleaned the windows 27 times until all the smoke was gone.
With all that work under his belt, it’s no secret that The World Famous Stadium Inn is no longer a smoking bar. Under Burgess’ direction last year, they now have a high chair for the first time to accommodate families. They’ve also worked hard to clean up their image in general.

“The servers know everyone and we make sure customers get home,” he explained. “There’s a three-strike rule… It’s now a family-friendly beer joint. The hardest thing I had to do was overcome the character of the place.”

Burgess is also the owner of The Filling Station in Amherst and knows his way around hamburgers, hotdogs and wings, so he incorporated all those items at the Stadium Inn.

During the pandemic, Burgess converted the restaurant into a mini-convenience store for two months selling steaks, hand sanitizer, paper towels and toilet paper.
But ultimately the business still suffered like most others and saw a 75% decrease in sales.

Now, thankfully, with lighter restrictions, Burgess said the restaurant has been filled to its allowed capacity every weekend.

With the growth in mind, he has plans to open an outdoor pavilion soon to provide for more seating. Burgess expects it to be a place for Lynchburg Hillcats fans to hang out after games at City Stadium.

“If you haven’t checked it out, you don’t know what you’re missing,” he said. “Come see us, say hi and you won’t leave unhappy.”

The Dahlia
Located on Bedford Avenue, this hidden gem is a little less hidden thanks to the recent boom of its neighborhood, which is now home to Golf Park Coffee and Small Batch Barbecue.

Angel Olds, who believes she is the 17th owner of The Dahlia, said the micro-local restaurant is home to some of the best seafood in town. Olds and her late husband used to own the Blue Marlin Seafood Market next door, so she knows her shrimp, scallops and fish.

When it opened in 1947, the restaurant was originally called The Blue Dahlia after a film noir of the same name. It was a popular local spot but over the years the restaurant received a bad reputation and went downhill, according to Olds.

“It became known as a dive bar. Men would come but wives wouldn’t step foot in the place,” Olds said. “Now it’s the opposite.” The upstairs is a little more upscale, while the downstairs, referred to as “the cellar,” has a more relaxed, English pub–style vibe.

After Olds purchased The Dahlia 11 years ago, she gutted the entire place and has since created a causal, family-friendly pub that focuses on quality food.

Though it’s more well-known now, she said her customers enjoy that the restaurant isn’t a run-of-the-mill chain and newcomers still have to plug the address into their GPS and hunt around for the front door.

“We are kind of secluded, but I’m hoping to get new signage for Bedford Avenue,” Olds said. Out of 74 years, Olds said the restaurant has only been closed for two years.

“It’s an institution. It’s weathered history,” she said. “It’s a very old restaurant that has been reborn several times. It’s still here alive and kicking.”

Texas Inn
You know you’re a local to Lynchburg if you know exactly where to find a “greasy cheesy.” That’s, of course, at The Texas Inn, better known as the T-Room, which operates its flagship downtown and a more recent addition in Cornerstone.

In 1949, the restaurant, once located at 602 Main St., was sold for $10,000 by H.D. White to H.W and T.W. Wright. In the 1970s, it was torn down and relocated to its current location at 422 Main St., which once served as a service station.

The 86-year-old restaurant has seen multiple owners but current owner Dave Saunders remains true to founder I.N. Bullington, a former circus advance man.

Ever since purchasing the iconic restaurant in 2018, Saunders has worked tirelessly to bring the T-Room back to its roots, starting with a six-month search for the original chili recipe.

Today, the T-Room is obviously known for its cheesy western—a hamburger with relish, a fried egg and cheese—and chili, better known as a “bowl.”

Saunders has kept some of the quirkier menu items that no one orders, such as the Denver, an egg and cheese sandwich on a bun topped with relish, or the Funny, a hot dog bun with no wiener topped with relish and chili.

He took cheese sticks off the Cornerstone menu because he felt it didn’t fit the character of the establishment, and the relish is made three times a week instead of just one.

Since its opening in 1935, the T-Room has witnessed The Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and a handful of recessions, but COVID-19 has tested the tavern with its ability to only seat customers at its 15-seat counter.

Saunders placed a picnic table outside but it’s still the only establishment in town that has less than 50% capacity. “People have been really loyal ordering to-go and delivery,” he said. “They really saved our bacon.”

In the end, Saunders said the T-Room is the oldest continuously running restaurant in Lynchburg for a reason. “We serve good food fast and cheap,” he said.

The Cavalier
“The Cav” as locals know it might be as hometown as you can get. It’s known for its no-frills and relaxed atmosphere serving up to-die-for burgers and fries.

Located right off Rivermont Avenue, down the street from Randolph College, the dive bar is decorated with side-by-side license plates on the ceiling and walls and its wooden booths are covered with carvings of initials and notes from who once sat there.

Opening in 1940 under the name “The Cavalier Store,” the Cav started out as half grocery store, half restaurant where customers could shop and order a beer and hot dog. It was that way until the late 1960s or early 1970s and the wall between the two was torn down.

In 1987 Wells Duffy purchased the bar and continues to operate it to this day. He is responsible for adding in the main bar and the smaller bar near the ATM machine.

Jake Hill, a bar manager at The Cav, said it wasn’t uncommon for 1940s women to come in, buy cigarettes and smoke because their husbands wouldn’t allow them to light up at home. The restaurant is still an icon in the city and known as a bar reliable to always be open.

“It’s a good ‘ol neighborhood restaurant,” Hill said. “Anyone and everyone is welcome. We consider ourselves the Cheers of Lynchburg because everyone knows each other and if you don’t, by the end of your visit you’ll likely have some new friends.”

There is no question that customers keep coming back for the burger, which has been glorified by all walks of life. It pairs perfectly with the seasoned fries and homemade ranch.

In the past 34 years that Duffy has owned The Cav, he’s never experienced anything quite like the pandemic. He’s never had to adjust his hours and the restaurant has always stayed open seven days a week—but that was put on pause last year.

“Even with bad weather, we’re known as a reliable spot that will always stay open,”Hill said. “He’s never had to deal with anything like this.”