May 19, 5:30 p.m.
Old City Cemetery Sunset Rose Tour
Stroll through the beautiful gardens of Old City Cemetery at sunset and learn about the history of the roses there, along
with tips on how to care for them. This event is one of several rose-related occasions happening at OCC in May. For tickets and information about all of OCC’s upcoming events, visit gravegarden.org.

May 21, 12 – 5 p.m.
BBQ & Blues Festival
The Sedalia Center’s popular BBQ & Blues Festival is coming back to Big Island with delicious barbeque, exciting live music, and plenty of family fun. Teams from across Virginia will be competing and hoping to impress the judges—and you—with their barbeque offerings. Keep an eye out for more information about the center’s Juneteenth celebration on June 18 as well. For tickets and a complete calendar of events, visit sedaliacenter.org.

May 27, 7 p.m.
National D-Day Memorial Annual Patriotic Concert
Don’t miss an inspiring concert of patriotic music performed by the Jefferson Choral Society and an accompanying band at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. This family-friendly event will honor veterans and active duty military in an awe-inspiring hilltop setting. No pets or coolers are allowed, and concertgoers should bring their own chairs. For ticket information, visit dday.org or call 540-586-3329.

June 10-11, 6 p.m. and June 11, 2 p.m.
Central Virginia Ballet Presents: Art in Motion 2022
Join Central Virginia Ballet for their 11th year of Art in Motion, a beautiful dance showcase, at the Historic Academy Theatre at the Academy Center of the Arts. For tickets and more information, visit academycenter.org.

June 10-11, 17-19, & 24-25
Anne of Green Gables
Renaissance Theatre is excited to present a youth/adult production of Peter DeLaurier’s adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. Based on the beloved 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the play follows the adventures of energetic orphan Anne Shirley as she transforms the residents of a small, stodgy Canadian town. For showtimes and more details, visit renaissancetheatrelynchburg.org.

June 25, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Virginia Summer Solstice Wine Festival
Celebrate the start of summer at the 12th Annual Virginia Summer Solstice Wine Festival at Lazy Days Winery in Amherst. Enjoy great wines from local Virginia wineries, live music on two stages, tasty festival foods, craft vendors, belly dancing, and more! Wine tasting tickets include a souvenir glass. Admission is free for children 12 and under. No dogs are allowed, but lawn chairs and blankets are welcome. For tickets and more information, visit summersolsticefestival.com.

Local Openings & Closings
Hello! to Val’s Comfort Kitchen on Memorial Avenue

Hello! to The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar Lynchburg on Forest Road

Goodbye to LYH Coffeehouse in Cornerstone

Hello! to Cava (Mediterranean fast casual restaurant chain) on Old Forest Road

Goodbye to Zoës Kitchen on Old Forest Road

Hello! to Maverick Nutrition on Forest Road

Goodbye to The Trivium Estate and Conference Center in Bedford

Hello! to Cakes and Pipers Bakery (new storefront) on Forest Road

Unique boutique hotel opens in Roanoke

As you enter the grand hotel lobby of The Liberty Trust, it’s clear the building was formerly a bank. A vault is open at the end of the long lobby, which was once lined with teller windows. By the end of the summer or early fall, the teller spaces will serve as a bar and restaurant.

The newly renovated boutique hotel opened in mid-March after painstaking efforts to preserve as much of the history of the structure as possible. “We really tried to repurpose everything we possibly could,” said Rebecca Heefner, director of sales for Savara Hospitality, which owns the building.

When the building first opened in December 1910 as the First National Bank, the French Renaissance-Beaux Arts building was called a “Temple of Finance” by a local newspaper, and it remained a bank for nearly 100 years. The building was designed by John Kevan Peebles, considered the “dean of Virginia architects” during the early part of the last century. Peebles served on the architectural committee for the restoration of Virginia’s State Capitol in 1902 and the board of design for the Jamestown Exposition in 1907. He was also chair of the architectural committee for the University of Virginia.

The lobby is graced with soaring ceilings, chandeliers, and Doric marble columns. A giant clock sits above the vault, and though the new owners could not find anyone to repair it, it’s still impressive, as are the giant Roman numerals for 1909, the year the building was complete. The original green marble and granite and much of the flooring was left intact, as required for tax credits for a historic renovation. The copper-clad doors, which now grace several of the 54 hotel rooms, are likely the only ones of their kind in Roanoke.

When the bank was built, electricity was relatively new to the city and made the seven-story skyscraper possible with the installation of elevators. During a tour of the hotel, Heefner said her favorite historical gadget is an on-off light switch composed of two buttons.

The much-anticipated opening of the new hotel received recognition from Forbes magazine, which in December named The Liberty Trust one of eight hotels in the country to consider for travel and business.

Much of the national and international attention to the renovation was thanks to the Salvage Dawgs’ DIY Network show, which was created by Black Dog Salvage, a Roanoke-based salvage and repurposing firm.

In 2019, prior to the renovation of the building, the Salvage Dawgs’ crew filmed an episode at the Liberty Trust for Season 11, their final season. The crew explored the building from roof to basement to find and remove architectural elements such as plumbing, lighting fixtures, and two dangerously heavy safe doors, which weighed nearly 1,000 pounds apiece.

“We harvested some cool stuff,” said Mike Whiteside, CEO and co-founder of Black Dog Salvage, adding they wanted to harvest a lot more items, but tax-credit requirements didn’t allow it. He said the best items were some in-ground urinals, which might be used in period-piece movies. Black Dog Salvage used the decorative parts of one of the safe doors to build a small consult table, and Whiteside said he would like to build a second, slightly large consult table for the front lobby of the hotel.

Two of the original six safes were left in place, though only one is visible to the public. The safe will become a tasting room, and guests can already enjoy an espresso there.

As guests wait for one of two elevators, they can see the original U.S. mailbox mounted in the wall to the right. Letters can still be posted from the seventh floor down via a chute, and according to Heefner, the mail is picked up daily.

The Liberty Trust rooms, which once served as offices, come in six different configurations, Heefner said. They range from Petite Queen rooms, which span 200 square feet, to Deluxe King rooms, which span 500 square feet. Each room features an old-fashioned teller lamp and telephone, as well as a copper mirror on the backs of the doors for a historic feel among the comfortable beds and spacious bathrooms. “A lot of the rooms are oversized and quite luxurious,” Heefner remarked.

From the windows of the 54 rooms different iconic Roanoke structures can be seen, including the Roanoke Star on Mill Mountain, the Hotel Roanoke, and the Taubman Museum of Art. During a recent stay, my husband and I were rewarded with an incredible view from our third-floor window of a full rainbow in the afternoon. We also enjoyed the view of a lovely sunrise that highlighted the mountain-like architecture of the Taubman Museum, where we headed for a morning visit.

Located at the corner of Jefferson Street and Salem Avenue, the hotel could not be more convenient to those visiting downtown Roanoke. The historic Roanoke City Market, one of the oldest continuous markets in the country, is a short walk from the hotel, as is Center in the Square, which houses science, art, and pinball museums, as well as the Mill Mountain Theatre.

Many established restaurants are nearby, including Alexander’s, which is literally next door and offers fine contemporary dining. On our visit, we enjoyed shrimp etouffee and scallops, with a decadent chocolate pudding cake as a perfect dinner finish.

Heefner noted that when The Liberty Trust bar and restaurant open later this year with cocktails and small plates, “We hope to be the before-and-after place where people hang out.”

The original First National Bank opened the day after Christmas in 1910 and was the first financial institution to be founded in Roanoke. The bank facilitated the commercial transactions of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, forerunner of the Norfolk & Western Railway. Roanoke is still a busy railway hub, and though the tracks are only a block from The Liberty Trust, the well-insulated building kept us from being disturbed by nighttime trains during our overnight stay.

In 1926, the bank merged with National Exchange Bank, becoming First National Exchange Bank. The same year, the Liberty Trust Company bought the building and occupied the first floor. Liberty Trust remained there for 20 years until it merged with The Colonial American National Bank and relocated.

In the years that followed, the Liberty Trust building was home to a number of financial institutions including People’s Federal Savings and Loan, and in the 1980s, it began serving as office space for a number of companies.

Savara acquired the building in 2018 and began construction at the end of 2019. COVID-19 required a pause, but construction restarted in January 2022 with a remarkably quick turnaround.

Most of the key project participants in the renovation are local businesses. The general contractor is R.L. Price Construction, which is based in Salem. Architect Robert Pilkington of Roanoke’s Balzer & Associates worked with the developers on the renovations of the building. Hill Studio was a consultant on historic restoration and preservation. The project was financed locally by Roanoke-based Freedom First Credit Union.

The Liberty Trust Bank Building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Virginia Historic Landmark. The Liberty Trust hotel is the only member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts in Virginia’s Blue Ridge—and one of only six in the state of Virginia. Savara also operates the historic Linden Row Inn in Richmond, Virginia, and the Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

For more information, visit libertytrusthotel.com, or better yet, visit the hotel in person.

By Shannon Brennan | Photos courtesy of The Liberty Trust

Our 11th annual Lynchburg Restaurant Week is here to remind you that you needn’t travel far for amazing food—but you’ll still want to have your passport on hand. We are excited to introduce our new Lynchburg Restaurant Week passport program, which will allow you to eat some of the best food in Lynchburg while also giving you the chance to win an awesome prize!

Tear-out the passport card and take to any—or, ideally, all—of this year’s 14 participating restaurants. Simply enjoy a meal, get your passport punched (once per restaurant), and mail your card to us by July 8. The person with the most punches will win a weekend stay at the gorgeous 2022 Lynchburg Living Smith Mountain Lake Idea House (featured in this issue)!

In the event of a tie, a random drawing will be conducted to determine the winner. Please see the passport card for additional details.

Start planning your Lynchburg Restaurant Week (June 18-25) itinerary now by feasting your eyes on the participating restaurants’ mouthwatering menus, found in the pages ahead.

Thank You, Readers
As a local, community-focused magazine, nothing makes our Lynchburg Living team smile more than hearing that one of our articles made a difference.

Tracey Dixon, director of nonprofit Lynchburg Daily Bread, sent a note to former editor Shelley Basinger saying: “Thank you so much for the amazing spread you did on Daily Bread in your November/December issue. It helped us tremendously with donations—and at a time when we really needed them.

Because of the article, we have had a lot of new financial donors. Your readers definitely responded!”

Social Media Shout Outs
Roger Price, Jr. was quick to pass along the “thank yous” after reading our March/April feature about Madison House of the Arts: “Thank you Madison House of the Arts for giving me a comfortable, nonjudgemental space to go and experience and grow in my photography. Thank you Lynchburg Living for the amazing piece you did on the Madison House and for choosing my photos to be featured in it.”

Send us an e-mail to megan@lynchburgmag.com. Correspondents must identify themselves; names may be withheld on request. Lynchburg Living may edit or condense.

Charcoal Artist

Lynchburg Living: Nakila, tell us a little about yourself.
Are you from the area?

Nakila White: I was born and raised right here in Lynchburg. Growing up I tried my hand at several different hobbies and the one that seemed to stick the most—and that I really had a passion for—is art!

LL: When did that passion for art begin?
NW: Art has always played a pretty big part in my life since I was little. I used to take any piece of paper I could find and make illustrations either from my imagination or a cartoon I was obsessing over. It wasn’t until after high school that I started getting serious with what I wanted to do with it. My art teacher at the time, Mrs. McDonald, gifted me with a bigger sketchbook and different mediums to try out, which slingshot my interest in creating on a larger scale. Once I realized portraits were what I wanted to do, I focused more on trying to perfect methods and narrow down which medium I preferred.

LL: That leads us to the next question. Is charcoal your primary medium?
NW: I’ve dabbled in colored pencils, normal graphite and, very briefly, paint—however after not really meshing well with any of them I turned to charcoal and instantly fell in love. I purchase charcoal blocks in bulk, place them in a small container and crush them up myself into a fine powder. Using normal paint brushes and small eyeshadow brushes, I dip the brushes into the powder and apply it directly to the paper over and over until I achieve the tone I want. After applying details with either a charcoal pencil, kneaded eraser or mono zero eraser (which is just a very small mechanical eraser) I smooth everything out with Puffs Plus Tissues with Lotion! Puffs Plus is the only tissue that allows a light layer of charcoal to be lifted while also creating a smooth skin type texture.

LL: What are some of your favorite pieces you have created so far?
NW: Each piece I’ve created has its own special place in my heart due to the challenges each one presented that helped me to become a better artist. However my “In Moonlight, Black Boys Look Blue” series, which I finished in 2020, is always the one I find myself looking at over and over again. In a close second is my more recent “No One’s Laughing Now” based off Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker. This was the first portrait I’ve done with a not-so-normal skin texture due to his face being covered in paint.

LL: What types of challenges have you faced as an artist?
NW: At the end of the day, I am my biggest critic. The process of drawing is long, mentally and physically exhausting and very time-consuming—from picking out a photo reference that has the right amount of expression and detail to the very end when I hang the portrait on a wall and stare at it for hours at a time finding the smallest of inconsistencies. There have been plenty of times I get halfway through a drawing and, because I didn’t make sure I was in the right headspace when I started, I ended up scrapping the entire thing and starting over.

LL: What are you currently working on?
NW: By the time this article comes out I should be elbow deep in commissions! The recent amount of love and support I’ve gotten since my art show at the Academy Center of the Arts in February is very overwhelming in the best way possible! Knowing that so many people appreciate my art to the point they trust me to draw their loved ones or favorite celebrities means the world.

LL: What advice do you have for future artists?
NW: There are no rules or regulations that need to be followed. And that’s what I love so much about it. No matter what your medium or style is, at the end of the day, if you love it, it is art. And if you’re proud of what you created, then that’s the best success anyone could ask for.

Just in time for barbecue season, two of the region’s top pitmasters are here to help you up your game

It’s one of the oldest cooking techniques around and requires hours—if not days—of preparation, along with a sizeable amount of “trial and error” experience, to be successful.

Despite all of this, we can’t get seem to get enough of those delicious smoked meats.

“Barbecue is already something that people gravitate toward down South,” says Ken Hess, owner of County Smoak on Timberlake Road. “People are drawn to the smell of smoke and fire. It’s something in our genetics.”

Add in reality TV shows such as “BBQ Pitmasters,” the introduction of new and improved barbecue technology, and lots of time at home during a worldwide pandemic, and it feels like everyone we know is spending their weekends gathered around their backyard grill or smoker.

Hess has been mastering his barbecue technique since working as a catering chef at the Greenbrier more than two decades ago. In 2002, he participated in his first barbecue competition right here in Lynchburg. He later returned to Central Virginia to open County Smoak in 2020, and a cult following for the restaurant’s mouthwatering meats was soon to follow.

Luckily, you don’t have to have a culinary degree to get really, really good at your smokin’ skills. Marvis Trent, owner of Blue Ridge Barbecue, laughs when reminiscing about his humble beginnings many years ago.

“First thing I ever tried to smoke was chicken on a Weber grill,” he recalls. “And it was awful, absolutely awful.”

Trent, who has been a part of the local restaurant industry since 1976, also recalls a failed attempt to add a barbecue menu at Cattle Annie’s when it first opened.
“We thought if we had the equipment, that’s all we would need,” he explains. “The right equipment helps, but knowing about rubs and cook time… there is a lot of trial and error.”

Trent took his passion for barbecue to his own backyard—where there was less pressure—slowly improved his end result, and opened his own business that’s become a local favorite, Blue Ridge Barbecue, in 2010. They have expanded to two locations: one on Timberlake Road and another in the Graves Mill Shopping Center.

While they are experts now, these two men know what it’s like to be at the beginning—and they also know the pang of disappointment you might feel when you take a bite of your 48-hour project and it’s just not quite what you wanted.

Read on for their insight and advice as we kick off grill and smoker season.

You’ve gotta know how to use it.

First things first: we want to speak directly to the folks who are in the market for a new grill or smoker. There are so many different types of products on the market—and a limited number of pages in this magazine.

Hess is a big advocate of ceramic cookers, such as The Big Green Egg, for their versatility. (He actually owns six of them and admits that “it’s a bit of a problem.”)
Trent adds that right now, Oklahoma Joe’s products—a brand of offset smokers and grills—are having a moment. There are also pellet grills, cabinet or vertical smokers—the list goes on and on.

But here’s the thing: it’s not about which type of grill or smoker you have or how much money it cost you, but rather whether you know how to use it.

“The general backyard enthusiast can go to Lowe’s and walk away with something for $150 using wood or charcoal and come exactly in line with what they would find in any barbecue restaurant,” Trent says.

Hess adds, “Whenever someone asks me which kind of grill or smoker to buy, I always ask them three questions: what’s your budget, how much involvement do you want, and how much room do you have?”

Answer these questions, talk to your friends about their experiences, and know that you can be a successful smoker—if you put in the effort.

Splurge on a really good thermometer (or two).

A thermometer is the one piece of barbecue equipment that is non-negotiable.

“Most cookers now, whether it’s a propane cooker or charcoal, have pretty decent temperature gauges. But there is no such thing as too many thermometer probes,” Trent says.

Hess adds, “Thermometers are the key because a lot of times people are like ‘it’s been cooking for 12 hours, it’s got to be done,’ but each pork butt is different. We have a target for 203-210 degrees for our pork butts, but sometimes it could be 212 degrees before it’s ready.”

Hess uses Thermapens at his restaurant and at home. You can even find thermometers and smokers with Bluetooth capability so you can check the temperature of the meat from your phone any time, anywhere.

Timing really is everything.

We could also title this section: “Get used to counting backwards.”

Let’s say you have a big family dinner set for Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Hess says you should plan to pull out your meat by 3:00 p.m.

“Give the meat plenty of time to rest and let the juices redistribute,” Hess explains. “The bigger the piece of meat, the longer you need to let it rest.”

You will also need to factor in plenty of time before cooking for seasoning. Trent has friends who start seasoning their meat days before they plan to cook.

“They want that seasoning to permeate the meat as much as possible,” he explains, adding that he brines all of his poultry at least 12 hours in advance, 24 hours if possible.

“A brine is just a salt and water solution and brown sugar or white sugar to offset the saltiness,” he adds. “It helps whatever you are cooking hold in moisture a lot better.”

Leave it alone!

Whether it’s to show off your prized piece of meat or to just “make sure” everything looks okay, you have to train yourself to stop opening the lid of your grill or smoker.

“Every time you open the lid you are letting heat out,” Trent says. “It adds at least 20 or 30 minutes to the cook time. The meat cooks better if it’s a constant temperature versus a fluctuating temperature.”

Hess agrees and says a long period of low, regulated temperature (aka “low and slow”) is truly the foundation of good barbecue.

“If you are cooking it at 250 degrees, you have to keep it at 250,” Hess says. “When we put the meats on at about 6:00 in the morning, we don’t open the smoker again until noon to check temps.”

Once you get closer to the end of the cooking time, it’s okay to check, because according to Hess, it doesn’t take long for a meat to go from undercooked to overcooked: “You have a 15- to 20-minute window to where it might jump to 220 and it’s overcooked.”

Less is always more.

From your rubs to your wood choice, there are an endless amount of choices and combinations.

Keep in mind that smoking meat was historically a very simple affair.

“I had a customer who brought me barbecue and it was moist like it should be but it felt like you were chewing on a piece of charcoal,” Trent recalls. “I asked him how many different types of wood he used, and he said he used five [different types].”

There are some complementary wood combos out there, such as oak/hickory and apple/oak, Trent explains. If you choose any more than two wood types, however, you may end up with an unintentionally unpleasant flavor.

The same rule can be applied to rubs. Start with one that you like and then experiment with combinations from there.

Hess suggests keeping a barbecue journal—including details such as seasonings, wood, length of time cooked, etc. He used to do this back when he started. If you aren’t pleased with the end result, don’t completely overhaul your technique.

“When you make changes, change one thing,” Hess says. “Don’t change the charcoal, the rub, and the wrapping all at once. One thing at a time.”

Get in touch with your (meat) feelings.

You know how your Grandma just “knew” when a pie crust was ready to roll out by the way it looked or felt?

The more you smoke meats, the more you’ll start to get a sense of how they feel, which can tell you if they are ready.

“When we are training new cooks, it takes a good three to four months of pulling meats every day to for them to get the feel of it,” Hess notes.

He adds that the thermometer you use can be a good gauge of “readiness.” If the thermometer is hard to remove, your meat isn’t done; on the other hand, if the thermometer comes out easily, also described by Hess as a “hot knife through butter,” then you are probably good to go.

As we already mentioned, every piece of meat is different. The good and the bad part about barbecue is that there are no strict rules or cook times. It’s an industrious art full of endless options, “feelings,” and delicious dinner options.

Now that you know some of their “smokin’ secrets,” Hess and Trent also wanted to pass along their favorite recipes for you to try at home this summer.

Korean-Style Sticky Baby Back Ribs
Makes: 2 slabs of ribs
Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 4-5 hours

Sauce
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (ground)
1/2 teaspoon Gochugaru chili flakes (Korean chili flakes)
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh grated garlic
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons water

Binder
3 tablespoons Chinese mustard

Rib Rub
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (ground)
2 1/2 teaspoons Gochugaru chili flakes (Korean chili flakes)
1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Mop
2 tablespoons Gochujang paste
(Korean chili paste)
1 cup ginger ale

Meat
2 baby back ribs (average 3 pounds)

Directions
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce (except the cornstarch and water) and bring to a simmer.

Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry to thicken the sauce. Slowly add the slurry until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. You can make this a few days ahead of time.

Combine all the rub ingredients in a bowl. This can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container.

Set your grill or smoker up for indirect grilling. You do not want to cook these ribs directly over a fire. The rub and sauce for these ribs contains sugar and can burn.

Get your smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. While the grill is preheating, remove the membrane from the back side of the ribs. Rub the Chinese mustard on each side of the baby back ribs. Then, season each slab with the dry rub. Place the ribs on the smoker.

Heat the Gochujang paste and ginger ale until the Gochujang dissolves into the ginger ale. This mixture will now be the mop sauce for the ribs.

After 45 minutes, brush or mop a light coat of the mop sauce on the ribs. (If you mop too early it will wash the spices off the ribs. Make sure the rub has set to the ribs before applying the mop sauce.) Mop the ribs every 30 minutes.

Continue to smoke the ribs until they become tender. (This can take 3 more hours.) You can check this by lifting the ribs and seeing how they bend. Another trick is to push two rib bones in opposite directions to see if the bones pull away from the meat.

If the ribs are close to being tender, apply the Korean barbecue sauce to each side of the ribs.

Cook for 10 more minutes or until the sauce becomes tacky.

Cut the ribs into individual ribs, garnish with chopped peanuts, if you would like, and serve.

Spicy Asian Coleslaw
Makes: 12 side servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2-4 minutes

Ingredients
1 shredded head cabbage
1 shredded carrot
2 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon rough chopped cilantro
1 red bell pepper, julienne cut
Salt and pepper

Dressing
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 jalapeño pepper deseeded
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Gochugaru chili flakes (Korean chili flakes)
2 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoons sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions
Add the dressing ingredients into a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the shredded cabbage, carrot, and bell pepper. Add the dressing and mix well. Season the slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

Roasted Southwest-Style Pork Loin
By Marvis Trent

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 1/2-3 hours

Ingredients
3-4 pound pork loin
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chipotle seasoning
(McCormick’s or Mrs. Dash)
1 16oz. bottle of Tony Chachere’s
jalapeño butter injectable marinade
1 16oz. jar of Herdez salsa verde

Directions
Preheat smoker/cooker to 275 degrees.

Inject pork loin with TC marinade following instructions on bottle.

Rub untrimmed pork loin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and rub in minced garlic and chipotle seasoning. Sear all sides of the pork loin to a light golden brown.

Put 4 to 5 ounces of hickory wood chips into smoker box on cooker and then cook pork loin for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove pork loin from cooker and place in roasting pan. Make 3 cuts from end to end about 1½ inches deep. Pour ½ jar of salsa verde over pork loin, making sure salsa fills the cuts. Place back in cooker and cook another 45 minutes.

Remove from cooker and pour remaining salsa verde over pork loin. Wrap pan in aluminum foil and cook for another 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, then remove from cooker and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and dicing into smaller chunks. Spoon pan drippings over finished product.

Serve in tortillas with usual condiments, such as pico de gallo, avocadoes, or Herdez street sauces.

By Shelley Basinger | Photos By Ashlee Glen

The Authentic and Awe-Inspiring Restoration of Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest

After more than three decades, the restoration work at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest is nearly complete.

Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, began construction at Poplar Forest in 1806 and took 14 years to complete the house. According to Travis McDonald, Director of Architectural Restoration at Poplar Forest, it is Jefferson’s most perfect work of architecture.

With restoration beginning in 1989, staff began peeling back the layers of the house, understanding more and more what Jefferson had built.

There were also two big periods of change after Jefferson’s lifetime. The first was a fire in 1845, after which the house was rebuilt as a farmhouse rather than a modern Villa retreat. Then, a century later, the farmhouse was converted into a country house with five bathrooms and a kitchen.

The board put together a professional team including staff and consultants who were restoration architects at Monticello and the University of Virginia, as well as an architectural advisory panel of well-known restoration experts.

“The board members, some of whom were local, always let the professional team determine how the project should be run, which really made it one of the most ideal restorations in the country,” McDonald said. “It could easily have been done wrong, but the attitude was to do it as well as we could.”

The project has been a long and wonderful journey, McDonald said, adding that visitors from all over the country have come year after year to see the work progress.

“We were open to visitors during all phases of the restoration so they could see what we were discovering, and they were also treated to watching a Jeffersonian process of putting everything back together,” he noted.

All of the interior moldings we created by hand using antique tools and even antique wood from the Poplar Forest property.

“The fact that people could come and see the process so closely has given us a national reputation,” he remarked.

“We tried to make our process exactly the same as Jefferson’s, using the same materials, the same techniques, and the same craftsmanship.”

Aside from Monticello, Poplar Forest is one of the most documented early American homes, McDonald said. This is partly because Jefferson was stuck at The White House for the first two years of construction and asked for very detailed letters from his workers.

The historical restoration staff at Poplar Forest uses three sources of information. The first is written documentation and drawings, the latter of which Jefferson sent to his workers for guidance. The second is the investigation of the house itself, which sometimes tells staff as much as the written documents do. Thirdly, Poplar Forest can be placed in the middle of Jefferson’s lifetime as an architect and builder, so McDonald was able to look at what he worked on before Poplar Forest: Monticello. Jefferson used the same workers, the same materials, and the same classical sources for Poplar Forest and Monticello. McDonald was also able to look at the work Jefferson did at the University of Virginia.

“Poplar Forest had kind of been the missing link to understanding all of his work, but because he was very consistent in Roman moldings, finishes, and construction techniques, we have a huge amount of information,” McDonald said. “We’re also dealing with the same architect and builder, as well as the same features that Jefferson used, in a consistent way over a long period.”

One of the biggest physical changes occurred after the fire of 1845. The family living in the house reduced the volume of the central dining room—which had been a 20-foot cube with one of the few skylights in America—by demolishing the upper eight feet of wall and dropping it down to a 12-foot ceiling in order to put in an attic space.

“What had been this soaring light-filled space for Jefferson became the darkest room of the house,” remarked McDonald. “When we restored that space up to the 20-foot ceiling and put in the skylight, that was really one of the biggest structural and spatial things that we did. That was something you walked into and felt.”

They finished the most basic piece of that project in 1993 just hours before Mikhail Gorbachev came on site for a big dinner to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jefferson’s birth. Shortly before Gorbachev arrived, McDonald said staff took the scaffolding out of the middle room and revealed a large space which nobody had seen since the 1840s.

“That was really one of the big moments,” he recalled.

After that, it’s just been one project after the other—all of which have been exciting to McDonald, who said that picking his favorite project would be like choosing a favorite child.

Completing the four-room service wing that had been done like the wings on Monticello was another big undertaking. According to McDonald, putting that wing back together took nine years. Half of it was missing completely and half of it was altered into two separate buildings. The wing was torn apart and rebuilt in the 1840s.

The staff has worked meticulously to complete the restoration in the same way that Jefferson did it, which has meant reliving some of his challenges and frustrations.

Sometimes Jefferson wanted a particular material and it had to come from Europe on a ship to Richmond. Then, it had to either come on a wagon or come up the river on a bateau boat to Lynchburg before traveling another 10 miles to Poplar Forest.

“Sometimes we had to have the patience of Jefferson to get materials, and sometimes we had to order things from Europe just like Jefferson did,” McDonald said. “We never settled for the quick and easy and cheap thing. The time it took and the cost didn’t matter to us; we always had to get the proper thing. Our board of directors always stood behind the project and said, ‘You do what’s right and we’ll find the money.’”

The staff installed new moldings—classical moldings that typically go above Greek or Roman columns—in the dining room and parlor.

Poplar Forest plans to wrap up almost all of the interior restoration this year and is still trying to track down the Italian marble that Jefferson used for his fireplaces. A stair pavilion next to Jefferson’s bed chamber also needs to be restored.

The last big project is the painting of the entire interior, aiming to be completed this summer by the only two people in the country who still hand-make traditional paints.

“That’s going to be a really revealing process because all the finishes in the house—the polished oak floors, the varnished walnut doors, the moldings, the plaster, and the windows—were special choices of Jefferson,” McDonald noted. “These finishes made it a very modern house for America, much more like the things he saw in Paris when he lived there for five years. The colors are going to be kind of the wonderful triumph of finishing the interior.”

Also being completed this year is the two-mile Parkway entrance off of Enterprise Drive.

There is still so much to interpret about Jefferson’s life here with his family and the lives of the enslaved population. McDonald said that staff will probably reconstruct some slave quarters and some agricultural buildings in the future. For instance, two buildings from the 1850s that housed enslaved people need to be restored.

“There are plenty of projects for another generation of people to go work on,” he said.

McDonald feels grateful that staff has been able to do this in the correct way and has no regrets.

“I feel satisfied,” he said. “We’ve always done the right thing, and I’ve documented the restoration in every conceivable way I can for future historians. What we’ve done is very authentically restored this setting, which was, I think, Jefferson’s most intimate place. Jefferson is still the mystery man, but if he was ever himself anywhere, it was at Poplar Forest.”

He said the nuances of accurately restoring the interior and the exterior of the site give visitors a much better way to connect to Jefferson.
“If there’s any portal to understanding the inner Jefferson, it’s probably at Poplar Forest,” he remarked. “I feel really good that we’ve been able to put this back in the right way for anybody in the future to kind of enjoy and understand. Very few people have had the privilege of working with Jefferson every day for 30 years, and that’s been the highlight of my career.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON’S POPLAR FOREST

When it comes to planning your family’s summer, balance is key. There is much to be said for the lazy, hazy days that find you laying outside with a good book and a glass of lemonade, but having too many of those days—especially when kids are involved—is a no-go.

Luckily, adding structure to your summer also adds fun and excitement! The following pages are full of family-friendly events, outstanding organizations, and adventurous activities that will make your summer memorable—and the furthest thing from monotonous.

The Bower Center for the Arts
Looking for an ARTVENTURE this summer? The Bower Center for the Arts is offering a perfect summer outlet for children to expand their imaginations and artistic talents with a full lineup of fun-filled Art Camps in June and July. Weekly themes will allow youth to express their creativity in all mediums!
Visit bowercenter.org for details.

FEKS Martial Arts Center
Shalom (Hi), My name is Bruce Rubinberg and I am the proud owner and head instructor of FEKS Martial Arts Center. FEKS has been a local staple in the Lynchburg and Forest communities for more than 44 years and has trained thousands of people in our beautiful communities. We are offering a FUN and COOL summer activity as a way of saying THANK YOU for all the love and support you have shown us. Enjoy “8 weeks of summer fun” for $99. Every week is a
different theme, packed with self-defense techniques, exercise, and fun drills. 20 spots available. Reserve yours today!
For more information, call 434-219-4207.

Imagination Station
We are keeping little minds growing and creating through art. Masterpieces will be made on different canvases, ceramics, glass, tiles, or wood, while learning to use a variety of mediums. These consist of but are not limited to acrylic, watercolors, oil pastels, gesso, charcoal and much more. Pack a NUT-FREE lunch with a drink and get ready to create.
Visit imaginationstationstudios.com for more information.

James River Association
The James River Association’s historic batteau trips are back for the 2022 season! Book a batteau trip or one of our guided paddle trips featuring stories about the wildlife, natural resources, and history of the James. Protect the river you love and find your adventure at www.jamesriveradventures.org!

James River Day School
Summer is here and full of possibilities! Sign your child up for a summer camp at James River Day School to watch the FUN begin! There are adventures for children coming into kindergarten through students going into 8th grade. Kids can get outdoors, be locavores, become math whizzes, explore artistic mediums, dive into books, play basketball, get ready for the fall sports season, and even engineer their own projects. Kids come from all over to have tons of summer fun at James River, so make your choice and sign up SOON! Check out all the possibilities at jrds.school/summer-fun/.

Lazy Days Winery
Kick off the start of summer at the 12th Annual Virginia Summer Solstice Wine Festival on June 25 from 11-6pm at Lazy Days Winery. Celebrate great wines from local Virginia wineries, live music on two stages, great festival foods, craft vendors, belly dancers, a petting zoo and more! Wine tasting
tickets include a free souvenir glass. Tasting tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. Admission is free for kids 12 and under. For more information and tickets: summersolsticefestival.com

LCA Theatre Camp
The LCA Theatre Camp will meet for two full weeks from July 5 through July 16. This comprehensive theatre camp is open to students who will be entering the second through the ninth grades. Campers will attend sessions in the areas of makeup, costuming, choreography, musical theatre, improvisation, characterization, acting and theatre. Each child will have the opportunity to take part in a Camp Cabaret or One Act production, where they will memorize lines and demonstrate their skills on the final day of the theatre camp. At the end of camp, various awards will be presented to campers who have distinguished themselves in various areas.
For more information or to register go to payit.nelnet.net/form/UcmOBqFr.
For additional information, email Ray Jones at LcaTheaterDepatment@gmail.com.

Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre
Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre specializes in yearround mountain activities open to Liberty University students, faculty, staff, and the general public. Blast down one of our Neveplast tubing runs or ski in all four seasons on our Snowflex® slopes. Our popular Combo Pass includes 2 hours of skiing, snowboarding, tubing, sledding, trampolining, and rentals!
Learn more at Liberty.edu/Snowflex.

Little Town Players
Little Town Players is proud to present the Tony-award winning musical The Secret Garden this Spring. Based on the story by Frances Hodgson Burnett, orphan Mary Lennox discovers her late aunt’s hidden and abandoned garden. As she revives its beauty, the sadness that has covered the garden and her bereft uncle is lifted. Directed by Mark Foreman and starring newcomer Maleigha Jeffcoat.
For more information, visit littletownplayers.com.

Lynchburg Parks & Recreation
Lynchburg Parks and Recreation manages 17 parks, more than 40 miles of trails, and 9 recreation centers throughout Lynchburg. Our department contributes to a healthy, active, and educated community and provides stewardship and management of parklands, trails, and facilities while also creating opportunities for all to participate in a variety of recreational activities. We invite you to Find Your Fun with us!
For more information, call 434-455-5858 or visit lynchburgparksandrec.com.

Natural Bridge Zoo
Natural Bridge Zoo is the wildest place in the state of Virginia, full of fun and excitement for any age! We allow you to get close and personal with
a wide variety of rare and endangered animals. Stare into the eyes of a huge white tiger, feed a giraffe, hug a llama, and have a parakeet land on your
hand in parakeet landing. Experience an elephant ride by looking at the world from a different view point while feeling the gait of the elephants walk (offered scheduled days/times). See a wide variety of beautiful birds, colorful goats, monkeys, deer, mountain lions and many more. Spend a wonderful day at the Natural Bridge Zoo creating lasting memories with the whole family.
For more information, call 540-291-2420 or visit naturalbridgezoo.com.

Patrick Henry’s Red Hill
Patrick Henry’s Red Hill is the final home and burial place of Founding Father, American Revolution hero, and five-time Governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry. Visitors can tour Patrick Henry’s reconstructed home, kitchen, and blacksmith shop, as well as his original law office and family gravesite along with other structures. This summer, come walk numerous trails around the property, pack a picnic lunch to eat outside, and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of over 1,000 of Patrick Henry’s original acres.
Red Hill is open year-round but offers special events throughout the warmer months including an Independence Day Celebration, Lantern Tours, Star-Gazing Nights, and Living History Days. Plan your visit to Patrick Henry’s Red Hill, a place he called “the garden spot of the world,” this summer!
Visit redhill.org for more information.

Putt-Putt Fun Center Lynchburg
Every summer has its own story. We hope you’ll choose to make lasting family memories at Putt-Putt Fun Center™ where cool activities abound for all ages to enjoy!

Feel the Breeze
Jump into the driver’s seat and zoom around our track for a rush of pure adrenaline. We have karts for single riders, as well as karts that can accommodate a parent and child.

Get Wet
A cool splash on a water ride is a great way to beat the summer heat. Battle it out with friends during a whirling, twirling and wet ride on
our bumper boats equipped with water cannons.

Indoor Fun
Escape the heat and challenge friends to a game of laser tag. Guaranteeing nonstop excitement, our laser tag arena is the only two-story arena in Lynchburg. With neon lights and dark colors, our arena is the place to escape sunburn and see who really the ultimate champion is.

Be Cool
Our arcade is the place where “cool” kids hang and parents come to “cool” off. Test your gaming skills with all sorts of arcade games from classic air hockey to our Typhoon Roller Coaster simulator. After you’ve won all the points you can, turn them in at the redemption counter for awesome prizes.

Loop the 18
Our two 18-hole Putt-Putt® Golf courses are the perfect way for the family to stay active, on their feet, and soak in the Vitamin D. You may even get lucky and ace your shot on our skill-based par 2 courses!
Visit PuttPutt.com/Lynchburg-VA to start the fun!

YMCA
The YMCA is committed to strengthening individuals and communities. At the Y, we’re here to help you find your “why” – your greater sense of purpose – by connecting you with opportunities to improve your health, support young people, make new friends and contribute to a stronger, more cohesive community for all. Through the support of our community, the Y works to empower every child, adult, and family to be healthy, confident, and connected, regardless of age, income, or background. Through outreach swim lessons, cancer survivor programs, community health initiatives, education and enrichment programs, and strategic partnerships, the Y creates solutions to some of our community’s greatest needs.
To learn more about the YMCA, visit ymcacva.org.

Season of Change

Hello, Lynchburg, and greetings from Virginia Beach! I am the Editor-in-Chief of Coastal Virginia Magazine, a lifestyle magazine similar to Lynchburg Living and, like this publication, a member of the VistaGraphics publishing family. I had the privilege of working alongside Lynchburg Living’s former editor, Shelley Basinger, for almost three years and, like you, I will miss her talent, tenacity and dedication to the Lynchburg community.

Not long after I came on board at Coastal Virginia Magazine, I had the chance to take a road trip to Lynchburg along with Lynchburg Living’s wonderful art director Chris Meligonis. We spent some time exploring the downtown area, strolling the Bluffwalk and checking out the Craddock Terry Hotel. And, after a fun photo shoot for the magazine, we grabbed some pints and bites at Grey’s restaurant. I hope to visit again soon.

I think I speak for Shelley and Chris and the entire Lynchburg Living team in extending a big “thank you” to one of the magazine’s regular contributing writers, Emily Mook, for stepping in to assist with the production of this issue during a time of transition.

Have your napkins ready because this is the food issue, and you’ll find plenty to dish about including all of the participating restaurants in the 11th Annual Lynchburg Restaurant Week, happening June 18-25, as well as a guide to summer fun and a preview of Lynchburg Living’s Smith Mountain Lake Idea House.

Finally, I am thrilled to share that Megan Williams has accepted the Managing Editor position at Lynchburg Living. Megan comes to us with an impressive and diverse background in publishing and marketing that includes a key role in the establishment of this very publication and, most importantly, a passion for the community and culture of Lynchburg.

By the time this issue is published, Megan will have been on the job for just a couple of weeks. I hope you, our readers, and the Lynchburg community will embrace and support her in her new role. I have no doubt she will be a tremendous asset, and you will hear much more from her in our July-August issue. Welcome, Megan!

Happy summer and bon appétit.

Leona Baker, Editor-in-Chief, Coastal Virginia Magazine
Leona@CoastalVirginiaMag.com

Calling all foodies! As you likely already know, Lynchburg’s restaurant game is strong.

The eateries featured in this issue, those participating in Lynchburg Restaurant Week, and a myriad of others boast delectable dishes and drinks that are undoubtedly worth a venture out. That said, the Lynchburg area also has plenty of offerings for discerning foodies that can be prepared and enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. Read on for details about five of our favorites!

Blackwater Bitters Co. Bitters
Blackwater Bitters Co., owned by Christy Christmas and Katie Elliott, is dedicated to producing high-quality and handcrafted bitters for foodies who want to add some zest to their drinks and food. Their small-batch production process often involves use of a tincture-based method, in which each agent is extracted individually, steeped from one to four weeks, and then combined. Products include cedar, orange, mocha, lavender, aromatic, celery, and rosemary bitters, and purchases can be made online or at select retailers in Lynchburg. For more information or to order online, visit blackwaterbitters.com.

T.C. Trotters Moose Mix for Bloody Marys
After T.C. Trotters Restaurant & Bar closed its doors, the company continued to produce its famous Moose Mix for Bloody Marys and sell it online and at various retailers. Then, near the end of 2020, owner Paul Webster opened a storefront on Commerce Street where the mix is made and where customers can sample the mix at a tasting bar. Each bottle is handmade and hand-poured, and the mix is bold, hearty, and just the right amount of spicy. It also doesn’t get watered down no matter how long you nurse it, and it tastes great with vodka or on its own. For more information or to order online, visit tctrotters.com.

Gunnoe Sausage Co. Country Sausage
Gunnoe Sausage Co. has been making fresh country sausage in Goode, Virginia since 1965. According to owner Craig Gunnoe, the formulations and flavor profiles haven’t changed, and the Gunnoe family recipe, which spans four generations, continues to impress. Country sausage varieties include sage, mild, and hot. Gunnoe products can be found in Virginia grocery stores and in stores throughout the mid-Atlantic. For more information, visit gunnoesausage.com.

Scratch Pasta Co. Pasta
Scratch Pasta Co. was created in 2017 by Chef Stephanie Fees, who is passionate about sharing her love of high-quality pasta with others. The pasta combines simple, fresh, and carefully-sourced ingredients with hand-made textures that are ideally suited for sauce. From spinach fusilli to spicy garlic mohawks to squid ink campanelle, Scratch Co. offers unique and flavorful options for every palate. You can purchase Scratch Pasta Co. products at the Lynchburg Community Market and online. For more information or to order online, visit scratchpastaco.com.

Stone Spice Company Spices
Stone Spice Company offers unique handcrafted, small-batch dry rubs and seasonings. Owner Josh Stone is dedicated to using the highest-quality spices to produce his original recipes, and he uses organic products as often as possible. Offerings include several varieties of the sweet and salty “BBQT,” including “Kickin’ BBQT,” “Screamin’ BBQT,” and “Buzzin’ BBQT,” along with “Sketti Sprinkle,” “Everything Sprinkle,” “Hot Toddy,” and more. Stone Spice products are available for purchase online and at many retailers throughout Virginia. For more information or to order online, visit stonespicecompany.com.