A Weekend in Charlottesville

• Written on February 27, 2017 By Skylar Doerwaldt

Hey there! My name is Skylar and I've worked for Stanley Martin Homes for almost 3 years now. I've been in Charlottesville for over 7 years, as I attended the University of Virginia for my undergraduate degree. I stayed in Charlottesville after graduating because I fell in love with the town. There's always something to do here!

Last weekend was a pretty typical weekend for me. On Friday, I met a friend for a late happy hour at the new Draft Taproom on the Downtown Mall. We were both eager to try out the self-serve, pay-by-the-ounce system. They have 60 beers and ciders on tap. It was a lot of fun and a great atmosphere. Not only was my tab cheaper than any other restaurant or bar I've been to in town, but 100% of the gratuity is given to local charities.

From there, I walked down the walking mall to Oakhart Social on West Main Street to meet my friend and Stanley Martin co-worker Caitie for dinner. We both love Oakhart's small plates, friendly staff, and welcoming atmosphere. We shared the charred carrots and pork belly, but our usual go-tos include the burrata, shaved salad, and Brussel sprouts.

After dinner, I headed over to Lost Saint, a speakeasy in the basement of Tavern & Grocery. The building housing Lost Saint was built in 1820, so you really do feel like you're stepping into a speakeasy from the prohibition era. The room is small with dim lighting and brick walls. They only allow about 30 people in at a time, so when I arrived, the speakeasy light wasn't on. Fortunately I had friends waiting for me inside, so I was allowed to enter. I spent the rest of my evening chatting with friends before heading home for the night. Had I not been tired, I would have joined my friends at Mono Loco, a tex-mex bar and restaurant that was hosting a dance party/DJ for the night.

On Saturday morning, I walked to the Charlottesville City Market. I get a majority of my weekly grocery items at this farmers market every week. There are over 40 local farms and vendors who come between April and December. On this particular morning, I picked up some vegetables from various vendors, gluten free bread from Orange Dot Baking Company, goat cheese from the Caromont Farm, and grabbed a pint of kombucha from Mountain Culture before walking home.

Sunday morning, I attended Portico Church for 9 AM service, then went to ACAC Fitness & Wellness Center Downtown to workout. I really love ACAC, so much so that I'm there almost every day. Not only do they have an expansive array of cycle, yoga, and various workout classes, but in the warmer months, they have an adults-only rooftop pool. Charlottesville is a super fit and active town, so it's not uncommon for me to run into more than a few friends at ACAC!

After the gym, I stopped by the new Wegmans to grab a few items I couldn't get at the market the morning before... I went in for seltzer water and dishwasher detergent and left with a Christmas tree, $15 of hot bar food, and a cake. Oops!

• in Charlottesville