Something definitely seems to be up with Buddhist Biker Bar, one of the oldest drinking spots on the corner, as rumors have started circulating that the longtime grad student hang out has closed its doors, perhaps for good.  The #1 Charlottesville bar on Top10.com, a somewhat questionable travel review site, lists the “$3 sandwiches & cheap PBR” as highlights, along with staff and decor rounding out the positives.

We called the only listed number (434) 971-9181, and found it to be disconnected currently.  Any Villains have the scoop on this one?

[Credits Chris C.]

A very heated incident also occurred this past Friday on the Corner.  Apparently a fire broke out within Christians Pizza, requiring cutting power to a number of locations including the White Spot, which by our maps is on the opposite side of the street.  Perhaps the city was looking for more of a crowd as they attempted to resolve the situation, as they also evacuated Boylan Heights & Baja Bean.

Bystanders reported seeing smoke and smelling something which was once delicious, but was now slightly over done.

The cause of the fire is still undetermined, and damage to the building was minimal.  Did anyone manage to snap any photos of the incident?  If so, please e-mail to gossip @ cVillain . com.  [Info]

Cantina. I’d heard lots about this new Mexican joint on the corner, but had yet to pay a visit for myself. When I heard that Illville Crew, a rising local hip-hop outfit was descending upon the place on Saturday, I decided to check things out. So, I threw on  my Led Zeppelin hoodie, a pair of torn jeans and my trusty cowboy boots and set off Corner-bound. I wasn’t quite sure where the place was, so I parked in the Corner parking lot,  behind the university bookstore. As soon as I stepped out of my car, however, I knew where I was going. One could hear the grooves echoing all through the block. The place was located next to Coupe Deville’s, on  Elliewood Ave.

I quickly found there to be a very generous crowd gathered in the small patio area, and Illville were already at it. Frontmen Quentin (Q*black) Walker & Marquis Monroe were throwing down their solid rhymes in the flawless way that only they can, with Bobby McLaren aka DJ Ducktape laying down the back tracks. The boys kept ‘em coming, announcing that it was Q*black’s birthday and bringing up the full-band; Jay Chowdhry on guitar and keys, Gabe Engel on bass & Chris Doermanm on drums. The beer was cheap and available right there on the patio. The crowd continued to grow. Looking around, I saw a sea of sun dresses and polo shirts and was instantly reminded that I was on the corner; not a hipster in sight (don’t hipsters like hip-hop too?).  I briefly second-guessed my attire. Inside, Cantina sported awkward color schemes with various pin-up girl paintings on the wall and a very “homey, mysterious vibe” as frontman Q*black later explained to me:

“…I had never went went, but when I did, it’s close, personal, like someone’s house. The coolest part is that people hear us before they can even see the place. It is always a good time; probably our favorite place to play in town because its not too big!”

Overall it was an amazing show and I was quite impressed with what Cantina had going on (and you HAVE to check out “el baño”). I highly recommend checking out both Cantina & Illville Crew (I heard rumor that they would be back on the 26th?). I also got a brief chance to ask Quentin what was in store for the group.

“We’ve got a lot of stuff that is diverse and  a little bit everywhere; now its time to work on putting a casing on what we have and focusing on making the best music we can that will keep the party going.”

[written by Lys]

[pic]

Speaking of snow (which i LOVE), guess what snow-like summer treat is coming to the corner (okay, I know it’s a stretch)… Rita’s Water Ice! »Read More

I figured out that referencing NY Times Magazine articles and fussing over risotto recipes wen’t winning me any more popularity around here [than when I tied with BusRider for "favorite writer" in our readers poll], so here’s the cynical Lilith you know and tolerate. And yes, I did vote for myself, as a matter of fact. Do you think less of me? Oh you’re about to. I have a conscience, FYI, and it’s barely okay with… »Read More

[pic]

I love reading the Hook and C-VILLE’s “Dish” and “Restaurantarama” features each week. I don’t doubt for a second that their sources are legitimate –they’re the restauranteurs themselves!– but sometimes, things just change. Do you know the rest of the story with these items?

Arch’s on 29 North?
C-VILLE, 2006
C-VILLE did an advance on an Emmet Street location for Arch’s in 2006. I’d eat at Arch’s more if there was a location with fewer college canoodlers in line in front of me. If you build it, I will come!

Bar scene at Petit Pois?
The Hook, June 2005
Apparently, when Brian and Brice opened Petit Pois in 2005, they foresaw a late night bar scene. This, we know, is not the case, unless we count summer nights when employees and co. hang out on the patio.

Boheme’s kitchen caters?
C-VILLE, November 2006
When Restaurantarama announced Boheme’s arrival to Market Street last year, the owners said “half-seriously” that it was a “front” for their preexistent catering business, Paragon Catering. A Google search of the business confirmed that the owners are the same but produced an address on Route 20 (and a website).

Get mod?
C-VILLE, December 2006
When C-VILLE interviewed Derek Breen about his plans for the blue building on Elliewood Avenue, “Mod,” food was in the picture. But a visit to the corner or the website will suggest otherwise. The original plan sounded cool, but I thinK Charlottesville does fine without a venue specifically for brooding and pontification. We can do that anywhere, and boy do we!

Midnight sushi?
The Hook, March 2004
The Dish announced Blue Light would offer a late-night sushi menu back in 2004. I must have been on hiatus (or not yet cool enough to be hanging out there) because I don’t remember it happening. I’m not saying it didn’t. I just want to know why it didn’t last!

Slightly Stoopid

Satellite Ballroom music home

Tonight: Pat McGee Band with Josh Kelly and the Sons of William

Pat McGee brings me back to the days of beating guys’ kegstand records in skirts, skipping class to rope-swing into a river, and browsing collegehumor.com pictures (I was pre-video, people) at 4am. And I won’t be seeing their concert tonight for that reason. It had a time and a place… and OH MAN it was fun.

But Sons of William? Who the hell do they think they are? They’re sons of William, apparently.

Sunday: Slightly Stoopid with Fishbone and the Supervillains

Slightly Stoopid is a great live band! Like Pat McGee, though, I’ve only ever see them play in a venue where the pot smoke can naturally ventilate into the atmosphere, and I recall there being more of it at Slightly Stoopid’s shows. I have two concerts by each under my belt, and if I had to pick one to see, I’d go back to Slightly Stoopid. The music is happy music, for lack of a better word, pot or not. I also think Slightly Stoopid is slightly more famous, and I’m definitely of the school of thought that I should see concerts that future generations will be impressed to hear I attended. Yes, I am that determined to be a cool old fogie.

Thursday: Melt Banana with Hex Machine and Worn in Red

I know nothing about the bands except that their band names ROCK, so they must rock too.

From First Impressions of Hell by S. Adams:

These flocks would stroll down to the corner billiards club, Orbit (if you recall, an orbit is an imaginary circular dance electrons perform around the nucleus of an atom), or further down, a pizza pub called Mellow Mushroom (which has a ’special’ pizza unlisted on the menu you can only order it if you know who to ask). »Read More

[not the cville one]

I won’t help you win, but I will help you not look like an idiot when you go for your first time.

1: Go early, but not that early.
If you’re going with a group of four or more and want to sit at a table, you should arrive by 7:00. I’ve had friends be so committed to trivia night that they’ll save a table by drinking by themselves until friends arrive. The friends are so appreciative that they buy the staker-outter drinks. Then they’re too drunk to play. Just make your friends go with you.

2: Make up a funny team name, but don’t expect anyone to laugh at it.
Bunny rabbits die when the team names are announced. They’re disgusting. Do not think you can come up with the funniest team name ever. Trust me. You can’t. Start out with something simple like, “I [did] K-Fed and now my [crustaceans with pincers] have [STD that rhymes with slurp]. Don’t look at me like that.

3: Don’t wait for the TV.
The questions get called out over a loudspeaker and you submit your answers on paper. It’s not Damon’s. Go to the table in front of the TV and collect one score sheet and way more answer sheets than you need. (I don’t have to tell you to do this. You’ll do it anyway.)

4: Make your table shut up while the questions are being asked.
You might feel rude, but how do you plan to dominate Trivia Night if you can’t hear the question? Once the question is out, they can go back to singing Toto.

5: Know how to score.
Three categories are announced before each round, and you’re supposed to decide then whether to assign 1, 3, or 5 points to each category, based on your confidence in knowing the answers. The antes are upped in the second half. Once you write your answer down, the table “bitch” brings it to the front to be scored.

I’ve learned over “the years” that Trivia Night is neither for the weak of intellect nor weak of liver. So unofficial #6: Keep track of what you’re drinking. Lame? Well, if you like having your boss still be able to smell beer on your breath at 5pm Thursday, go ahead and drink two pitchers of Blue Moon. If you want to avoid Rule 6, invite your boss to join your team, but let them make up the team name. Good luck!

Tired of dealing with a new barista every day at Starbucks? Well, meet Rick Johnson, owner and operator of the newest addition to Charlottesville’s already long roster of java shops: Fox Park Coffee Bar, located on The Corner.

After finding that he enjoyed barista-ing more than bartending (stimulants > depressants?) at a previous job, Rick decided to open up his own place, modeled after the cafes he visited in Rome. The grand opening is either today or tomorrow, depending on when the paperwork gets done and assuming no coffee gets spilled on it.

If your finely-tuned neuroses/foodie-ism require you to try a different type of tea every day of the month, Fox Park has you set through at least mid-November; with 30 different teas and over 30 different syrups to go with your Italian roast espresso, you might even be able to make it into December. And if your New Years resolution calls for some serious good karma, you can even start experimenting with Rick’s different roasts of Fair trade Haitian coffee.

The cafe has indoor and outdoor seating (enjoy it while you can!), baked goods from the Baker’s Palette, and free WiFi–perfect for frequent checking of cVillain.

Despite working long hours alone (7am-7pm Monday-Saturday, 7am-2pm Sunday), Rick has enough caffeine and amiability to get through the day; let’s hope it’s enough to get through those difficult first few weeks of business, too.

Fox Park Coffee Bar
1325 West Main, Shop 3
(Located behind Cavalier Tan, near El Patio of Baja Bean Co.)