I love rice. It does not matter if it is brown or white, short grain or long grain, boiled or fried—or puffed! I love the versatility, the taste, and how quick and easy it is to make. I eat rice several times a week and always keep multiple varieties on hand.

And it appears I am not alone. According to data from UNICEF, rice is the most important food crop with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than 20% of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.

Rice is the seed from a grass plant, related to other grasses such as wheat, oats, and barley. It completes its entire life cycle within six months, from planting to harvesting. The rice grain is made of three main layers: the hull (or husk), the bran and germ, and the inside kernel (or endosperm).

Once the protective husk is removed, the rice grain becomes what we call brown rice. Because it still contains the rice germ and outer bran layers, brown rice contains more fiber and vitamins than white rice.

Gentle processing removes the germ and bran layers from the grain to expose a white starch center. The polished white starch center is what we know as white rice.

It was hard to pick my favorite rice recipes since rice plays a part in so many wonderful dishes, but these two are very different and great in their own ways. Enjoy!

Scandinavian Rice Pudding with Cinnamon Sugar

This rice pudding makes for a great breakfast and is traditionally served in a bowl with milk and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. It’s easy, fairly quick, and filling enough to be a meal!
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients
2/3 cup of short-grained rice, such as Arborio
1 tsp. kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal brand)
4 cups whole milk
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar (2/3 sugar and
1/3 cinnamon) for sprinkling on top

Instructions
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, stir together the rice, salt, and milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Be careful because milk has a tendency to bubble over once it starts boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer until all milk has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir often to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If the rice is not soft and creamy, add a bit more milk. Remove from heat. Add the butter and sugar and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar is incorporated. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve warm in a bowl with more milk!

Fried Rice with Chicken, Eggs, and Vegetables

Fried rice is best when made with day-old rice. If your rice is coming from the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature before stir-frying it. If you are making the rice the same day, spread it out on a baking sheet to cool for a couple of hours. This recipe works best with a wok.
Stir-frying happens quickly, so be sure to have all ingredients measured out and lined up before you begin.
Servings: 4

Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 carrot, peeled and cut into
1/4-inch pieces
4 oz. dark meat chicken, cooked and cut into roughly, 1/2-inch pieces
4 scallions, sliced
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas

Instructions
Turn your burner to medium-high and heat the wok. In a bowl, whisk eggs lightly with a fork. Add 2 tsp. of the oil to your hot wok. When the oil is rippling, add the eggs and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the egg is non-liquid, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.

Next, add 1 tsp. oil to the now-empty wok and reduce heat to medium. Add carrot and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with eggs.

Add half of the sliced scallion and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to the wok. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until combined. Sprinkle pepper and remaining 1 tsp. salt evenly over rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently while also breaking up clumps, 2 to 5 minutes. Add peas, egg mixture, and remaining scallion, and cook about 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

For These Top Local Ice Cream Shops

You know you want it. Everyone does. Especially on a hot, sunny summer day. Sweet, creamy, smooth, velvety, cold, crunchy, fruity, chocolatey—however you enjoy your ice cream, Lynchburg has plenty of outrageous options.

As a self-professed foodie who is always checking out new additions to the local restaurant scene (and who also happens to have a sweet tooth), I was asked by Lynchburg Living to pick my top five ice cream spots in town and highlight their top treats.

Check out my recommendations on the following pages—and be sure to visit these spots this summer!

The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar (pictured above)
Graves Mill Shopping Center, 18013 Forest Rd., Forest

The Scoop: This newest addition to the Lynchburg sweets scene is the store’s fifth location and is just as described—crazy! Touted as an “ultimate dessert destination,” their milkshake-filled mason jars are topped with indulgences such as Pop-Tarts, cake, fruit, doughnuts, maybe even a waffle—the choices are endless! But they don’t stop there. The menu hosts other artistic desserts, ice cream sandwiches, unique monthly specials, and even funnel cakes.

Creams of the Crop: Exclusive to the Lynchburg store, I recommend you try the Heart of Virginia Shake. This delectable delight begins with strawberry and cake batter ice cream with a red marshmallow swirl that was custom-designed for Lynchburg, Virginia. It boasts a vanilla frosted rim rolled in red candy hearts and then topped with a Virginia-shaped sugar cookie, crushed blue rock candy pieces, fresh strawberry, an apple slice and whipped topping. (Perfect for IG!)

MayLynn’s Creamery
4925 Boonsboro Rd., Lynchburg;
1016 Jefferson St., Ste. B, Lynchburg
maylynnscreamery.com

The Scoop: MayLynn’s serves out sweets from a food truck at its founding location in the Boonsboro Shopping Center, where you will usually find a long line of folks ready to beat the heat with a few cold ones. If you prefer to head downtown, grab a shake and enjoy a stroll on the Bluffwalk. Also important to note: both locations serve up non-dairy options so there is nothing holding you back from enjoying some MayLynn’s.

Creams of the Crop: I personally love their Frozen Banana (a frozen banana dipped in chocolate and then rolled in either sprinkles or nuts) because I can get away with thinking it’s healthy-ish! My family also thinks the Peanut Butter Bliss is pretty decadent and delicious—and it’s one of the most popular items on the MayLynn’s menu! It’s what these guys call a “stacker”— chocolate ice cream, Reese’s Cups, peanut butter, and hot fudge are stacked into one tasty treat. The stackers come in all sorts of varieties and combinations, and you can even customize your own. (Don’t mind if I do!)

Outside the Cone
1305 Enterprise Dr., Lynchburg
outsidethecone.com

The Scoop: If you have not been to this super special spot in Wyndhurst yet, what are you waiting for? The owners say their goal is to make the best ice cream in Virginia—and they do it by using only the freshest and finest ingredients and making many of their “mix-ins” in-house. You’ll also notice some very innovative flavors and flavor combinations. For example, the Bee My Honeycomb contains honeycomb they make in-house with a precise recipe they have developed. Bee My Honeycomb was named best new flavor of 2020 in a national contest sponsored by the North American Ice Cream Association.

Creams of the Crop: While flavors often sell out and change frequently, I love when we can catch “It’s All Greek to Me” on the Outside the Cone menu. They start with homemade baklava with layers of phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and honey from local Dry Branch Apiaries. Chunks of baklava and a sea salt Greek caramel swirl are then wrapped into their vanilla ice cream. (Drooling!)

Mister Goodies
21556 Timberlake Rd., Lynchburg
Find on Facebook

The Scoop: At Mister Goodies, you get all the nostalgia of a carnival ice cream stand, without the price of admission. From the street, you can’t miss the huge ice cream cone on top of the building with bright lights showcasing ice cream, soda floats, cookie sandwiches, apple dumplings, banana splits, and much more. In addition, they offer lower-sugar and lower-calorie options. This year, Mister Goodies added homemade hard serve to the menu, something that was not available in the past.

Creams of the Crop: The aficionados behind Mister Goodies are so passionate about what they do—and Lynchburg Living readers definitely notice. Mister Goodies is a consistent winner in the Best Of Awards, even winning Gold for Best Frozen Dessert last year. With so many tasty menu items, it was hard to narrow down a favorite, but I just love the Strawberry Dole Whip. And believe it or not—it’s dairy- and gluten-free and vegan. The Dole Whip also comes in several other flavors such as mango, pineapple, and watermelon. (If you know, you know.)

Rookie’s
174 Norfolk Ave., Lynchburg;
16129 Forest Rd., Forest

The Scoop: The great folks at Rookie’s started out in Forest and now have a second Lynchburg location off of Rivermont Avenue (conveniently located next to Rivermont Pizza—a match made in heaven, if I may say). With a selection of delicious handmade ice cream sandwiches in classic combinations such as chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream or sugar cookie with strawberry ice cream (my personal favorite), you really can’t go wrong. They also serve vegan and gluten-free options and tasty coffee if you’re in the mood for something warm.

Creams of the Crop: Not really feeling a sweet sandwich? You can always just enjoy Rookie’s traditional cookies paired with ice-cold milk. Or for something different, we like the Affogato al caffe from Rookie’s. I choose the Nutella ice cream as my base; it is then drowned in hot espresso, resulting in a magical amalgamation of sweet and bitter, cold and hot. (Trust me.)

The Farm Basket Thrives Under New Ownership

Since purchasing The Farm Basket last summer, Alex Wood and her husband, Sackett, have made a few changes to the beloved Langhorne Road gift shop and café—but to the delight of many customers, the pimento cheese remains the same.

Wood closed the shop for a couple of months to make way for interior and exterior renovations before reopening last October 1.

The Woods purchased the property from Rie and Eddie Godsey and their dining and catering company, Meriwether Godsey. They are the third owners in the shop’s 57-year history.

Wood was working doing interior design—mainly residential—but said she always wanted to own her own home décor shop with a mix of old and new items.

“The previous owners of the Farm Basket were looking to sell, and they wanted the business to continue running similarly but not exactly the same,” she said. “It’s such a historical landmark in Lynchburg, and I grew up coming here. The owners approached us and asked if we would be interested, and I was so excited before I even really thought it through.”

Wood said owning the shop is a more extensive endeavor than she had originally envisioned.

“I knew there was a café and I had eaten here many times, but the restaurant is much more of a daily demand than I initially realized,” she remarked.

As such, Wood immediately hired a manager for the café and said that was the best thing she could have done.

The previous owners sold pretty much all of the inventory before Wood took over, leaving a mostly empty slate for her to work with.

First, she had to learn quickly about the timing and quantity of ordering inventory.

“I went to market in July, which was critical,” she noted. “We got all the new inventory, but inventory is hard to come by right now and it was late. Usually you place Christmas orders in January and we didn’t do it until July. I didn’t know how silly I was to think that.

I didn’t even have it on my schedule on the calendar.”

She also learned the vast importance of certain inventory. She looked around at what was working in the store and what wasn’t necessarily flying off the shelves.

“I initially thought, ‘Wow, there’s not enough room for baby and dog [items],’ and it turns out those are major gifts and are an important part of the business,” she said. “Those things didn’t seem important to me at first. I had to kind of get in there and figure that out.”

Thankfully, most of the staff stayed on and helped guide Wood in those first few months.

She also hired some new employees who had been working in retail stores that closed due to COVID-19.

“I feel like I nailed the whole hiring part,” she said. “Everybody’s been so good.”

Under Wood’s ownership, three local businesses have found a secondary home at The Farm Basket.

Golf Park Coffee opened another location in the shop, Thistle Ridge Farm will sell vegetables out of the gazebo in the parking lot during the warmer months, and Sackett Wood will bring in some pieces of furniture, bags, and accessories for the front retail space from his employer, leather goods company Moore & Giles.

Plans are in place to repave the parking lot this summer. Once that project is complete, electricity and water will be installed in the gazebo.

New jewelry lines have also been introduced along with a small capsule line of clothing. Wood said the clothing selection will be highly specialized because those sales are pretty narrow in the shop, which has limited space.

The café keeps The Farm Basket steady, which comes as no surprise. Customers continue coming back for not only the pimento cheese, chicken salad, and various sandwiches and soups, but also for the tranquil backdrop of the Blackwater Creek in the shop’s backyard, where picnic tables adorn the lawn.

“It’s always been a great café and there’s nothing like the setting and nothing like sitting by the river on a beautiful day,” noted Wood. “I think our food has gotten even better, though, and we have some of the best sandwiches in Lynchburg.”

She hopes that with the help of a newly launched website, The Farm Basket will reach people from all over the country and will be the place shoppers go for that perfect piece for their home or for their wedding registries.

“I’d like to be more of a destination for people to just come in and look for their own home and a really great gift,” Wood said. “I do think we’ve really carefully curated what we have here and I think our offerings are some of the best. You don’t need to go to Charlottesville to get a great gift.”

She is working on bringing in inventory that can only be found at the shop, such as Supergoop, a skincare and sunscreen line.

“I’m hoping to bring in more lines like that that aren’t found anywhere else in Lynchburg,” she remarked.

At the end of the day, Wood wants the shop to evolve and add fresh inventory while also continuing to offer tried-and-true products.

“I think if people haven’t tried The Farm Basket in a while or they don’t know what’s back there, they should just stop in and just check it out because it’s pretty special,” she said.

By Olivia Carter | Photos by Ashlee Glen

At age 19, Lynchburg native Seth Westgate realized his passion for food service thanks to the infectious joy of local pizza truck proprietor Al “Vito” Vassallo.

“When we got busy on the food truck, Vito would get excited,” Westgate recalled. “He’d start dancing around and just being silly, messing around. That instilled a passion for [food service] in me. I love to be busy, and I love serving people food that I know is quality.”

Six years after he started working for Vito’s Pizza, Westgate is now the owner and operator of 5th Street Vito’s, downtown Lynchburg’s newest pizza shop. Along with his two brothers, Myles and Ethan, he is laying the foundation of a family-run business he hopes to continue for years to come.

After working alongside Vassallo in his food trucks, Westgate got the initial opportunity to try his hand at running his own business when Vassallo decided to retire.

“I worked with Vito for a couple of years, and then he retired,” he noted. “He told me to build a truck and that I could have all his spots. That’s where it started with the food truck.”

Westgate had success and enjoyed the food truck business, often traveling to businesses around Lynchburg to serve company lunches and setting up at community events.

Everything changed in March 2020.

“I did [the food truck] full-time for a few years,” said Westgate. “Then, when COVID-19 hit, I really didn’t have a choice but to do something different.”

He knew his best move was to try to find a brick-and-mortar location for his business.

One place stood out to Westgate in particular: the building on Fifth Street that formerly housed Daughters and Sons Pizza. The building sat empty for over a year and was not put up for lease, but in April 2021, the Westgate family’s fate changed.

“One day, my dad was driving by and saw it was up for lease,” Westgate recalled. “I called and signed the lease two days later.”

Westgate, his two brothers, and their parents spent the next five months tearing down, reconstructing, and redecorating much of the inside of the building.
Finally, on December 10, 2021, 5th Street Vito’s opened its doors to the public.

Westgate said that while there has been a learning curve for him, running the restaurant has been a blessing.

The three Westgate brothers make all their products in-house—everything from wing sauces to dry rubs to blue cheese dressing—and are consistently honing their craft to make the best pizza, sandwiches, salads, and wings for their customers.

“I am going for the best pizza in Lynchburg this year,” Westgate said.

“I want to get that award.”

Photos Courtesy of Downtown Lynchburg Association

Soup 22 Will Serve Lynchburg Community One Bowl at a Time

There’s something about a steaming bowl of soup that makes one feel all warm inside, literally and figuratively. This summer, Michelle Ayers is bringing that feeling to downtown Lynchburg with her new soup shop, Soup 22.

The significance of Soup 22’s name goes beyond the year it’s being opened. Twenty-two is a very special number in Ayers’ life: it’s her birthday and the opening day of Soup 22, June 22. Throughout her life, the number has been a sign that she is on the right track.

“Twenty-two has kind of been a confirmation between God and me,” Ayers said. “Any time I’m struggling or overwhelmed, God kind of shows me confirmation in twenty-twos. It’s just always been a positive thing for me to know to keep moving forward and keep pursuing my dreams.”

One of her longstanding dreams has been to open a soup shop.

“I’ve just always wanted to have a soup shop,” she noted. “Out of everything I’ve done, this is probably the thing I’ve been wanting to do for the longest time.”

Ayers is no stranger to the food business; it has been a part of her life for the past 20 years. She has owned a couple restaurants and continues to run Purple Door Gourmet Kitchen and Catering here in Lynchburg.

Faithful customers of Ayers will notice some similarities between Purple Door and Soup 22: sandwiches, salads, mini charcuterie boxes, and desserts will be offered to accompany the soups.

“There will be a feel of Purple Door, an extension of Purple Door,” she said. “I think when people come in and taste the food and recognize the style, they’re definitely going to think of Purple Door.”

Twenty types of soups will be available year-round, from chicken noodle to Brunswick stew. Some fundamental soups will be on the menu regularly, along with soups that will be switched out depending on the season. During the summer, chilled soup options will be available.

No matter what they order, customers will be able to get their food fast with Soup 22’s grab-and-go setup. Additionally, customers will be able to place orders online and pick them up at the shop.

“Everything is going to be made fresh every morning, but in a grab-and-go style,” noted Ayers. “That’s going to take up a good part of the floor space. I want us to be able to serve a lot of customers and serve them quickly.”

After having lived downtown for eight years, the area holds a special place in Ayers’ heart.

“It lends itself to good street traffic and walking traffic, which I think will be really good for the residents downtown,” she said. “People who work downtown will be able to stop and get soup on their way back to their offices.”

Another reason Ayers chose the downtown location was its proximity to Lynchburg Daily Bread. Soup 22 will be providing more than just soup: one dollar from every soup sale will be donated to the nonprofit, which serves free lunch to those in need seven days a week. Ayers has seen the positive effects that have come from Daily Bread.

“They serve a lot of different purposes,” she noted. “There are a lot of things that go into running an organization like that. I think that raising money for them—and not just giving them food—will be very helpful.”

Ayers hopes to see Soup 22 have a positive impact on the Lynchburg community. She is looking forward to seeing customers warm up with a cup of soup on chilly fall and winter days in the future.

“Soup is a comfort food,” she said. “It literally warms the soul.”

By Ellowyn Steele | Photos by Ashlee Glen

Since 1985, the James River Batteau Festival has been a cherished event in downtown Lynchburg. Crews build replicas of 18th- and early-19th century wooden cargo vessels and then make an eight-day trek to Richmond down the James River. The launch of the 37th annual event is set for June 18 at 11 a.m. at Percival’s Island.

Visit vacanals.org/batteau to learn more.

Photo by Michael Yeatts

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

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.

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.