|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Events |
|---|
This Week:
Dear Friends,Liza and I have been overwhelmed and deeply touched by the torrent of support and consternation that the closing of The Batesville Store has provoked in the community. I have received almost five hundred emails in response to last Friday's incident, and we have been hearing about the waves of protest and concern that have been directed toward state and county officials and politicians.
Who would ever have thunk it?!! A humble country store in the middle of Wheretheheckarewenowsville that had some pretty doggone good homemade food and some darn fine live music seems to have generated enormous loyalty--and true sadness about its closing. It goes to show that while other places might mouth sweet sentiments about the importance of their so-called "community," Batesville and its environs truly are a wonderful and caring community.
What Liza and I would love to do to thank you for your support is to give you a famous Scallet chocolate chip cookie or a brownie or a scoop of homemade ice cream.We can't do that in reality, but then again, has our store ever been quite real? So let's all pretend that we are sitting down together one last time on our excess seating and are having a big sweets party . . . with Eli Cook or The Pollocks or Rick Olivarez or Bobby Read or Willie D-E or Brad Bryant or Bluzonia or Jim Wray or Hod O'Brien or Billy Caldwell or Lulu and the Virginia Creepers or Sarah White playing in the Wine Cellar.
Ain't that a fun fantasy?
Many of you have asked us what we plan to do next. The short answer is that we don't have a clue. We are still recovering from last Friday's ambush and its immediate consequences. We need some time to recover our bearings and consider our options. Whatever we decide to do, I promise that y'all will be the first to know.
In the meantime, we had considered opening the store tomorrow--Saturday, June 18--to continue our big blowout sale, but we have so little left to sell that we've decided to stay closed tomorrow after all.
Thanks ever so much for the amazing support you've offered over the past week and everything you've done over the past four-plus years to make The Batesville Store the finest commercial establishment in the area.
Fondly,
Cid
Dear Fans of The Batesville Store,
As you know from yesterday's email, the state has given us no option except to close The Batesville Store.
For the past five years, we've attempted to serve the community by keeping this classic, historic country store alive and thriving.Ironically, our success has proven to be our undoing.
Although we have always operated with an eye toward Virginia State Health Department guidelines (and have never been cited for a health code violation of any kind), we were in fact defined by the state as a country store and thus fell under the governance of the state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. We were regularly inspected by the Ag Department and were never informed of any significant problems with our operations.
However, the state representatives who suddenly appeared yesterday afternoon and shut us down without warning told us that it was decided (note the passive voice, please) that we do too much business to remain a country store. They went on to say that our only option for remaining open was to convert the store into a restaurant that would comply with all Virginia Health Department regulations.
Our kitchen is basically in compliance with Health Department regulations now. But the legalities of the store's historic status as well as the limitations of the building itself make it impossible for us to meet the state's other requirements for operating a restaurant.
We would have to make a host of changes in the facility to stay open legally, but because of a combination of the law and practical realities, we cannot make those changes.
So much to our regret, we are closing The Batesville Store . . .
AND SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS WITH A HUGE BLOWOUT SALE - TAKEAWAY ONLY (NO TABLE SERVICE)
The sale begins tomorrow--Sunday. We will open at noon and close at 7:00 p.m.
EVERYTHING EXCEPT BEER AND WINE IS 50% OFF THE STICKER PRICE
BEER AND WINE . . . BUY ONE, GET ONE OF EQUAL VALUE FOR 50% OFF
When we say "everything," we mean EVERYTHING.
Everything from the deli and bakery. All of our drinks. All of our groceries. All of our baking and cooking supplies. All of our serving dishes and plastic products and cooking equipment. All of our tables and chairs. All of our baskets. All of our t-shirts and caps.
WE WILL ALSO BE OPEN MONDAY AND TUESDAY NEXT WEEK (OR UNTIL EVERYTHING GOES) FROM NOON UNTIL 7:00 P.M.
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET BATESVILLE STORE FOOD OR A MOMENTO OF WHAT WAS GENERALLY REGARDED AS THE FINEST COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT IN ALL OF BATESVILLE
Thank you once again for your ridiculously wonderful support since we opened in 2007.
Fondly,
Cid and Liza
Dear Friends of The Batesville Store,
I have some sad news:
The Batesville Store is closed until further notice.
Earlier today two representatives from the state of Virginia showed up at the storewithout warning, informed us that we were not in compliance with certain state regulations, and basically gave us no choice except to close immediately.
This came as a complete shock to Liza and me. We believed that we had been operating in compliance with all state regulations since we opened in April of 2007, and we received no indication otherwise from anyone representing the state.
In fact, we have been inspected regularly by Warren Ollinger, the representative from the state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services who is responsible for inspecting the store, and he has always given us favorable reports on our operation. He never suggested in any way that we would encounter what happened today. The two representatives who showed up this afternoon told us that Mr. Ollinger initiated the complaint and the subsequent review that led to the decision to close us down.
Liza and I intend to explore this matter further. I will let you know by email about any important developments.
We cannot find words to thank you properly for your support for our humble establishment. So I hope a simple "thank you" will suffice for now.
Fondly,
Cid
Past Events:
--So the other day I was shooting the breeze with Aaron Spring, the gifted saxophonist for The Moon Rats, who will be returning to the Wine Cellar this Friday evening, June 10, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
At one point, I noted that the group's name was somewhat unusual and asked him if there was a back-story.
"Umm, gee, Cid. That's a good question. We got together one night and talked names, and, well, we considered several. Umm . . . we chose this one."
"But umm, gee, Aaron. Moon rats are possums, right? Is there some message there?"
"Shoot, Cid, gotta run to rehearsal . . . ."
If their name seems a bit . . . umm, gee . . . inscrutable, the reasons for their success are anything but a mystery. Featuring the graceful vocals of lead singer Elizabeth Davies and the multi-instrument dexterity of the group's other five members,The Rats offer elegant arrangements of both original tunes and a ridiculously broad range of classic covers. Describing themselves as a "blue-country-rock-grass orchestra," the group will follow Foxy Lady with God Bless the Child and Shamba Lamba Ding Dong, and they'll do it with a certain "look, ma, no hands" insouciance. In a different era, the group would have been called "hip." Kids today would call them "sick." How 'bout if we agree on "hipick"?
While the Rats are doing their thing in the Wine Cellar, Liza and her krack kitchen krew will be orchestrating another more-interesting-than-not All You Can Eat Burgers & Fries Cookout. Glide on over to the front counter with $10.99 in hand, pick up a plate, then cover it with these classic edibles:
Hamburgers and Cheeseburgers
Homemade Veggie Burgers
Sliced Eggplant Topped with Veggies & Cheese
Hot Dogs
Italian Sausages
Barbecued Chicken Breasts
Mac & Cheese
French Fries
Onion Rings
Chili
Baked Beans
Tossed Salad
Caesar Salad
Cole Slaw
Potato Salad
Cookies and Brownies
Need I mention that our unparalleled adult beverage needs manager, Callum, will be ready for you when you return to the front counter for your . . . well, adult beverage needs? Need I say that he will have two kegs, lots of bottled beer, and wine galore at his disposal? Need I say that I will be at the ready as well, though ready to do what is still to be determined?
Need I write any more rhetorical questions to get my point across?
Shall I assume that your answer is no?
So come on down to our humble hamlet Friday evening and discover for yourself why there's no playing possum with fun when The Moon Rats are inhabiting the Wine Cellar.
--If you're like me, you like your live music to be distinctive and original, a touch different from the ordinary, painted outside the lines, defiant of the cookie cutter.
If you're like me, you will love checking out Richmond-based Blue Line Highway, who will be returning to the store this Saturday evening, June 11, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Known for their layered harmonies and evocative instrumentals, BLH dish what appear at first to be somewhat standard folk and modern country with echoes of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers. But once you've been captured by them, you start to realize that you are hearing something truly unusual. Perhaps it's that they play almost all original tunes, many of them penned by guitarist Melissa McKinney. But even their occasional covers have a distinctive style to them, a depth, a controlled intensity.
The unique vibe stems in part from the compelling voice of lead singer Julia Dooley, who brings it as well as any singer who graces our store. But Julia's voice alone does not carry the magic; it's the way it is woven with the backup vocals of Melissa and John Leedes, underpinned by Ray Alfano's bass, and spiced up with Doug Austin's mandolin and Joe Connor's accordion. The result is a sound that Style Weekly describes as "a diverse mix of country, jazz, and bluegrass that is both lush and dramatic."
While Julia and her friends are dishing their great sound in the Wine Cellar, Liza and her kitchen kompanions will be serving up some serious food magic in the form of an All You Can Eat Smokarama Buffet. Make your way to the front counter and pick up a plate, then do some pro-active self-distribution of this feast:
Smoked Spareribs
Smoked Kielbasa
Smoked Chicken Breasts, Wings, and Drumsticks
Smoked Catfish
Pulled Pork Barbecue
Mac & Cheese
Mac & Cheese with Veggies and Smoked Mozzarella
Artichoke & Spinach Frittata
Baked Beans
Deviled Eggs
Cole Slaw and Potato Salad
Caesar Salad and Tossed Salad
Crescent Rolls and Corn Bread Muffins
Apple Pie
Chocolate Cupcakes
Blue Line Highway can get gigs just about anywhere they want to play. We feel lucky--and sort of cool--that they've chosen to motor to our humble place in the heart of Geewemaybelostville when they could be playing at a larger and more accessible venue.
Come on down Saturday evening and share in the coolitude!
--Our humble store will be one very classy place when the elegant singer/songwriter Gina Sobel makes her debut in the Wine Cellar this Sunday afternoon, June 12, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
A fixture on the Charlottesville music scene, Gina plays with the Rock River Gypsies, has a standard Friday evening solo gig at The Boathouse Restaurant, and often sits in with the Chicken Head Blues Band and the legendary Hogwaller Ramblers.
This Sunday she'll be showcasing a bevy of original songs that draw on influences as various as sixties folk, American roots, and Memphis soul, creating what ReverbNation describes as "an arresting sound" that evokes Patty Griffin and Nina Simone. Many of the songs will be from her new CD, "Seeds of Change," which she released to rave reviews this past February.
So come on down to the store Sunday afternoon, kick back, and let Gina's dreamy stylings lull you into dreaming that maybe--just maybe--the weekend will never end.
--If you are a fan of mid-century popular music in general and Frank Sinatra in particular, you'll want to make it over to the store for the monthly appearance of the Swinging Sinatrans this Thursday evening, June 2, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Accompanied by Batesville citizen Jim Wray on piano and Lou Morrison on bass, the amazing drummer and vocalist Danny Barrale takes the lead for the group, his voice so uncannily evocative of Sinatra that you half-expect him to be wearing a tuxedo with bow tie untied and have a half-smoked cig in his right hand as he sings. Danny and his two buddies work through one great popular song of the mid-50s after another with enormous expertise and great enthusiasm, particularly when they are dishing Sinatra tunes arranged by Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, and Billy May.
So come on down to the store Thursday evening, order some food from the deli or a dessert from the front counter, treat yourself to an adult beverage, and kick back to a one-of-a-kind musical treat.
--Those crazy boogie-bluesing dudes from the 'hood, Bluzonia, will be back at it in the Wine Cellar this Friday evening, June 3, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Featuring Arin "The Kid" Bennett on bass, John "Sticks" Stubblefield on drums, Spencer "The Mouth" Gay on harmonica, and frontman Doug "Fingers" Hedstrom on the roilingest guitar this side of Eli Cook, the Boys from the Zone of Blue dish a full-body slam of Chicago blues, Memphis soul, and some of the finest old-style "Route 66" rock & roll in Batesville history. Bluzonia has played in the store about seven-point-eight billion times, and every time they're here they huff and they puff and they blow the house down.
While the bluzin' dudes are cooking in the Wine Cellar, we will be cooking . . . Out!
Yes, dear denizens, we are back with another pretty doggone okay All You Can Eat Burgers & Fries Cookout. Come by the front counter with $10.99 in hand and pick yourself up a plate, then head to the buffet and . . . well, dish this:
Hamburgers and Cheeseburgers
Homemade Veggie Burgers
Sliced Eggplants Topped with Veggies & Cheese
Hot Dogs
Italian Sausages
Chicken Breasts
Mac & Cheese
French Fries
Onion Rings
Chili
Baked Beans
Tossed Salad
Caesar Salad
Cole Slaw
Potato Salad
Cookies and Brownies
Whew! If you're like me, just reading this list of pig-out inducers has made you thirsty. Which is why I'm sure that you will be happy to learn that Callum, our adult beverage needs manager, will be on hand Friday evening with beer and wine within easy reach. Of course, I'll be on hand as well, ready to do something.
Would I dare to suggest that you'd be square if you weren't there for the fun Friday night? Why yes, I would.
--Expect another highly charged evening of great music when F.U.S.E. returns to the Wine Cellar this Saturday evening, June 4, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Led by the ubiquitous music impresario and pianist extraordinaire Jim Wray, F.U.S.E. galvanizes its audience with a magnetic battery of musical genres, intermixing modern jazz with a strong current of blues, R & B, and the Caribbean beat.
Jim gets ample support from an amalgam of local jazz stars that includes the brilliant singer and guitarist Steve Michael Smith, who also writes the group's original music; the rock-steady bassist Peter Matthews, who travels all the way from Lexington to play in our humble joint; the voltaic drummer Sam Brown; and local legend Darrell Rose, a master of the hand drums and other African percussion instruments.
When this quintet heats up, the vibe gets cooler than cool. It's no wonder that the Charlottesville Weekly writes that F.U.S.E. "melds musical minds to become one cosmic entity."
While Jim and his buddies are creating their own musical HVAC system, Liza and her kool kats in the kitchen will be heating things up their very own selves with their always-popular All You Can Eat All That Jazz Buffet, which features dishes based on the favorite recipes of famous jazz artists. Drop by the front counter with a bit of financial wherewithal in hand, pick up a plate, and go after these estimable edibles:
Winton Marsalis's Seafood File Gumbo
Branford Marsalis's Fried Catfish
Randy Weston's Couscous Chicken
Shirley Horn's Beef & Beer
Rashied Ali's Anise Chicken
Herb Ellis's Salsa Pizza
George Coleman's Penne Arrabiata
Illinois Jaquet's Vegetable Roast
Gregory Davis's Mac & Cheese with Shrimp
Tito Puente's Cold Cod Salad
Don Cherry's Sweet Potato Salad
Max Roach's Fried Corn
Clark Terry's Beer 'n' Beans
Sheila Jordan's Endive, Walnut, and Apple Salad
Les McCann's Love Cake
Renee Rosne's Nanaimo Bars
Milt Jackson's Peach Cobbler
Meanwhile, Callum, our one-of-a-kind adult beverage needs manager, will be doing the fuse thing as well, bringing together a rich admixture of beer in kegs, beer in bottles, wine by the glass, and wine by the bottle for your imbibitional pleasure. You'll get a real jolt out of working with him, I'm sure.
So short-circuit the hassles of C'ville and come on down to Batesville's finest jazz club for your Saturday evening entertainment. The atmosphere promises to be downright electric.
--When we last heard David Wood, aka Wood Man, he was seriously occupying the Wine Cellar on a Friday evening with his unique musical stylings. If you missed his energetic performance that night, or saw it and can't wait to hear more, you're in luck:
David is back for another set or two this Sunday afternoon, June 5, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. A native of Albemarle County, David has played around--like everywhere! He has taken his made-for-the-blues voice and deftly wielded slide guitar to four continents, making a mark for himself as a purveyor of a hybrid mix of mountain blues and honky-tonk country--with a dash or two of classic soul and rock thrown in for good measure.
So come on down to the store this Sunday for a bite or six of lunch, a dessert or three, and a heaping helping of great music from a true original.
--If you like freshly minted music performed by the artist who created it, you'll want to stop by the store for our second annual Omega Survivors Songwriters Benefit this Thursday evening, May 26, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.
Twelve years ago, twenty-five songwriters from across the country got together in upstate New York for a workshop that was so successful that many of the original attendees have convened every May since then to collaborate on songwriting and performance.
This year, two dozen singer-songwriters will be getting together once again, this time at Camp Albemarle, for a week-long workshop, and Thursday evening represents their "final exam." They will play solo and in groups, presenting music that they created during the workshop and celebrating their work together as artists and musicians.
Last year, the folks who were lucky enough to attend the benefit performance were enthralled by the immediacy of the music and the joy exuded by the players who were collaborating on it. It was one of the most special evenings we experienced in the store last year, and we are truly looking forward to hosting the songwriters once again this year.
As usual, there is no cover charge or admission fee. But the Omega Survivors will ask for and welcome donations. The money will go to Camp Albemarle, which is used for environmental education by our regional 4-H Club as well as area schools.
--The Big Ugly is back!
Yes, dear denizens, we are wheeling out our "ruggedly handsome" grill--think Charles Bronson in The Magnificent Seven--for our first cookout of the season this Friday evening, May 27, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.
It'll be just like last year's cookouts, only different.
Sure, we'll be charcoalizing a suitable excess of burgers, cheeseburgers, homemade veggie burgers, hot dogs, chicken breasts, and Italian sausages.
Natch, we'll be enhancing the grillage-type experience with French fries and onion rings.
Of course, we will also be putting out tossed salad, Caesar salad, cole slaw, potato salad, and other cold sides.
And need I even have to say that Mac & Cheese will be happening in a prominent way?
But get this, cookout denizens of yore:
We are adding eggplant-mushroom sliders to the excess. And our award-winning chili. And cookies and brownies. And at least two special mystery dishes that are so special, we have to keep them a mystery.
And get this, food excessivillians:
Instead of offering this feast-out a la carte, we are making it All. You. Can. Eat. For only $10.99.
I know what you're thinking: how the heck do they do it? The answer is simple: by reminding ourselves hourly that we are doing it for you, our esteemed pig-outateers.
Suffice it to say that in most other commercial establishments in Batesville, a gustatory extravagance like Friday's cookout would be more than plenty for their customers. But not at our place. No way. Not here. Here there's more:
A little thing called musical entertainment.
And what better way to inaugurate CookoutLive2011™ than with the debut of a group whose name is almost too perfect for our joint: New Best Recipe.
Dishing the tastiest honky-tonk this side of a Texas roadhouse, Recipe's ingredients include Landon Fishburne on guitar, Stan Marshall on banjo and vocals, Jared Lawson on mandolin, Darrell Muller on bass and vocals, and Luke Wilson of Sons of Bill on guitar and vocals. These rambunctious dudes mix in a few original tunes with covers of iconic artists from Bill Monroe and Jimmy Martin to Ernest Tubbs and Willie Nelson, and they season the concoction with a heaping helping of Hank Williams classics. When these boys get going, whoopin'-n-hollerin' becomes an existential necessity.
While the noise is eventuating, Callum, our highly respected adult beverage needs manager, will be at the front counter, quietly pouring ten different beers and twelve different wines, and yours truly will be . . . well, doing something, I'm sure.
So come on down to our . . . um . . . [air quotes] "house by the road" Friday and help us welcome back The Big Ugly. It should be a beautiful evening.
--You'll want to truck on down to the store when the traffic-stopping rockers of Failure To Yield return to the Wine Cellar this Saturday evening, May 28, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Featuring Batesville's own Brad Bryant on vocals and the wondrous Steve McKinney on lead guitar, Mike Barnes on drums, Trey Mitchell on bass, and Larry Waters on the keys and trombone, the Failures (not!) play some seriously excellent original music when they aren't dishing the tunes of Van Morrison, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, and other classic rockers. No other group who frequents the store time-travels the world of music like these dudes, and riding along with them makes for both a riotously fun nostalgia trip and a timeless musical treat.
While Brad and his buddies are filling your ears with musical fun, Liza and her kitchen kompadres will be continent-travelling to come up with another "just what you'd expect in a Southern country store" feast to fill your tummies with gustatory pleasure . . . our All You Can Eat Asian Buffet. Pull up to the front counter, take a plate, and motor on over to the buffet for these classic Chinese and Thai dishes:
Phak Tom Kati (Thai Vegetables in Coconut Sauce)
Panang Curry with Beef
Lemongrass Chicken
Drunken Noodles
Sukhothai Pad Thai
Firecracker Beef
Teriyaki Chicken
Yum Yum Shrimp
Pork with Cashews
Mixed Veggie Delights on Udon Noodles
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Turmeric Rice
Coconut Rice
Fried Rice
Spring Rolls
Thai Pineapple Salad
Spinach Salad with Asian Soy Ginger Dressing
Almond Cookies
Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango
Fortune Cookies
Travelling this kind of time and distance can leave you with a serious liquidity deficit, which is why Callum, our esteemed adult beverage needs manager, will be parked at the front counter with Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale and Stella Artois on tap, lots of bottled beer, and enough wine to fill a panel van.
So cruise on down to the store this Saturday evening and experience for yourself why we take a backseat to no other commercial establishment in Batesville when it comes to great music and food.
--It's hard to say what's more fun: listening to store fave Billy Caldwell play a request or trying to stump him with a request.
You can decide for yourself when Billy returns to the Wine Cellar this Sunday afternoon, May 29, from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m.
With deftly played guitar in hand and a voice that is (James) Taylor-made [sic] for his repertoire, Billy dishes some of the finest rock and folk covers you're ever going to hear, and his playlist is so long and deep that it's almost impossible to request a song that he doesn't know.
But it has happened, and when it does it leads to another feature of a Caldwell performance that we've come to love--his great repartee with his audience as he finesses the requests, negotiates a different song from the same artist, or asks the person requesting the song to help him "learn" it by humming a few bars or singing a verse or two.
All in all, whether he's playing groovy tunes or playing around with his crowd, Billy never fails to please.
So come on down to the store this Sunday for a late lunch or a mid-afternoon sweet treat, find yourself a seat near the Wine Cellar, and have some fun with Billy!
--As the premier live events purveyor in downtown Batesville, we are always on the lookout for new ways to entertain you, our esteemed denizens.
That's why we've invited the region's most acclaimed humor provocateurs, the Bent Theatre Comedy Improv Troupe, to come on down to Laughingloudlyville and mess up the Wine Cellar this coming Thursday evening, May 19, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Using "What's My Line" as a model, Bent perform short-form improvisation, using suggestions from the audience to produce brief sketches or games. They are not averse to incorporating crowd members into their skits, and they are famous--or if you will, notorious--for their occasionally bawdy word play, physical shtick, and general all-around silliness. They are also . . . well, sort of bent.
And hilarious.
As usual, there will be no cover charge for this performance.
We will be serving out of the deli Thursday evening, and Liza has indicated that there will be more than a few specials for your dining pleasure.
--Eli's coming . . . back!
Yes, Cookarians, the astonishing Eli Cook is returning to the Wine Cellar this Friday evening, May 20, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
You know what that means, right?
He'll pick up his guitar and get it wailing, but he won't stop at merely working the strings with his fingers. No way. He'll slap the top of the guitar as if it were a drum. He'll use the palm of his hand on the back of the neck. And before you know it, he will have made music with every inch of the instrument.
Shoot, he'll even be using the guitar case, stomping on it to keep the beat and create what has to be the most unusual rhythm section you'll ever hear from a solo artist!
The guitar isn't doing all the work. Travelling on top of the rhythm is Eli's astonishing old man's voice, which growls the words to his original blues or classic rock covers in a way that gets under your skin a bit, riles the blood--and is one of the most strangely beautiful voices you can hope to hear.
And as you listen to him put guitar and voice together in wondrous ways, you will tell yourself once again and for the tenth time that Eli cooks up great music like no other player around. The kid is just plain good.
Also really good, if not quite that good, is our extremely well named All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. For a mere ten bucks, you can wail on these goodies:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Hamburger Sliders with Blue Cheese
Chicken Pot Pie (Eli's Favorite) and Jambalaya
Nachos and Tacos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Minestrone, and Chicken Noodle Soup
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adding to the general all-around gooditude will be none other than our esteemed adult beverage needs manager, Callum, who will be on hand to help you deal with any number of different beers and wines. I will also be on hand to . . . well, I'm sure that I will be doing something.
Eli will be touring the country most of the next couple of months, and this is your last chance to see him at the store until July 23. You won't want to miss this performance!
--Fresh off a month-long national tour with Bruce Hornsby, the renowned saxophonist Bobby Read returns to the store with another one of his modern jazz ensembles this Saturday evening, May 21, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.
Joining Bobby will be Robert Jospe, one of the region's most distinguished percussionists. Known far and wide for his performances with the likes of John D'Earth, Pat Metheny, Joe Henderson, and some dude named Dave Matthews, Jos creates music that, as Mike Joyce of the Washington Post says, "is charged with great spirit and imbued with the kind of romantic lyricism that gets under your skin."
Bringing the chops on piano will be Bob Hallahan, who has performed as a solo artist at the Kennedy Center, has played as a sideman with Clark Terry and Freddy Hubbard, has been featured on NPR's Jazz Set, and performs regularly with the widely acclaimed local jazz ensemble, The Free Bridge Quartet.
Rounding out the group will be the bassist Chris Muir, a budding superstar on the local music scene who has turned the heads of local jazz critics and aficionados with his stand-out appearances as a member of UVA's Jazz Ensemble and as an occasional guest with The Free Bridge Quartet.
It's a tribute to Bobby's talent as a frontman that musicians as accomplished as Robert, Bob, and Chris have agreed to travel all the way out to Wemustbelostville to play jazz with him in our humble space.
While Bobby and his friends fuse their talents to produce high-energy modern jazz, Liza and her friends in the kitchen will be debuting our latest international food feast, an All You Can Eat MediterrIndian Fusion Buffet. Improvise your way to the front counter and grab a plate, then allow yourself to be transported to a very happy food place by dining on this melange of Greek and Indian classics:
Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Moussak (Eggplant and Beet Casserole)
Samah Tahini (Perch Baked with Sesame Seed Sauce)
Souvlaki (Pork Kabobs)
Spanokopita (Spinach and Cheese Pie)
Tabbouli (Cracked Wheat and Parsley Salad)
Pasticcio (Macaroni with Beef and Cheese)
Baklava (Honey and Nuts in Filo Pastry)
Karithopita (Honey Walnut Cake)
Biryani (Basmati Rice Topped with Vegetables)
Matar Paneer (Cheese and Peas in Sweet and Spicy Sauce)
Palaak Paneer (Spinach and Peas in Sweet and Spicy Sauce)
Sweet Potato and Apple Curry
Sambar Chicken (Chicken with Red Chili Peppers)
Dal Makhani Masala (Black Lentils and Kidney Beans)
Vegetable Curry
Naan (Flatbread)
Gajar Halva (Carrot Pudding)
As always, our very own budding superstar of adult beverage provisioning, Callum, will be at the front counter with a distinctive ensemble of beer and wine. Pay him a visit. You won't regret it.
If you've never heard great live jazz in a club environment, or have and miss it, then fret not. You do not have to travel to D.C. or New York City for the experience. All you have to do is hop in the car Saturday evening and motor on down to Club Batesville. To find the joint, look for the intersection of Plank Road and Jazzutopia Street.
--When Peter LaBau on dobro, Jack Boylan on guitar, andthe incomparable Mary Beth Revak on stand-up bass and vocals brought their eclectic Americana stylings to the Wine Cellar last month, they had an important piece of news:
An actual name for the trio!
And what an excellent name it is . . . The Flinders.
Now if you're like me when I first heard this name, you're saying to yourself, "Cool name. What does it mean?"
I'll let Peter speak for the group:
"The name comes from Huck Finn. There's an exchange between Huck and Jim:
'What raft, Jim?
'Our ole raf.
'You mean to say our old raft warn't smashed all to flinders?'
"It really knocked me out, that word flinders. It seemed like a contraction of 'cinders,' 'splinters,' and 'fragments.' I walked around for several days chuckling whenever I thought of that word. It was so quirky. Then a friend looked it up in a good dictionary and read it to me over the phone. The word is middle English--'splinters, small pieces, or fragments.' Leave it to Mark Twain to describe what we do best: pick up bits and pieces of arcane American music to play. Now we are The Flinders!"
So dear denizens, for the first time I'd like to announce that The Flinders will be inhabiting the Wine Cellar this Sunday afternoon, May 22, from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m.
--When it comes to live performances at Batesville's most popular music venue, how can you beat an evening of classic jazz from a gentleman who is generally regarded as the finest be-bop pianist of the past fifty years . . . a "long haul" musician who has recorded 15 albums as a band leader and 37 more as a sideman since 1955 . . . an epic stylist who has been called "an unsung hero of jazz, an extraordinary, distinguished musician, a quiet and true jazz genius"?
In other words, how can you top another appearance by the legendary Hod O'Brien in our humble store?
Here's how:
Hod O'Brien joined by a woman described as "one of the most important singers in the world today" by the New Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz . . . an acclaimed studio artist who has recorded seven albums remarkable for their "vocal virtuosity and broad range of material" (New York Times) . . . "a perfect jazz singer" (Swing Journal) who "swings and sings scat with authority, evoking Ella and Sarah without sounding derivative" (Washington Post).
Yes, folks, Hod will be joined once again by his wife, the astonishing Stephanie Nakasian, for an evening of classic jazz this Friday, May 13, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Beat that, other music clubs in Batesville!!
If you love jazz the way it used to be played and sung, or if you simply love jazz, then you won't want to miss the opportunity to let the amazing stylings of these two hall-of-fame performers capture you and delight you.
Nor will you want to miss out on the chance to let Liza and her kronies in the kitchen feed you by way of our quite-decent-in-its-way and aptly nomenclatured All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet, which consists of these hard-to-resist food stylings:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Italian Sausage Lasagna and Three-Cheese Lasagna
Nachos and Tacos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Chicken Noodle Soup, and Lentil Soup
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Fancy Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
While your ears and mouth are getting all worked up, Callum, our critically acclaimed adult beverage needs manager, will be on hand with his own contribution to the evening's delightful delights, namely a couple of kegs of beer and a suitable array of fine wines. I will also be on hand, receiving acclaim for something.
So come on down to the store Friday evening and join us in getting all jazzed up by another sure-to-be-wondrous performance by Hod and Stephanie.
--There's gonna be some serious whoopin' and hollerin' at the old store when The Buzzard Hollow Boys make their debut in the Stillhouse--oops, I mean the Wine Cellar--this Saturday evening, May 14, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.
The Buzzards have been bringing classic "front porch" music to venues large and small across the region for more than twenty years. Meshing the vocals and rhythm guitar of frontman T.A. Anderson with Sonny Layne's bass, Jeff Saine's pedal steel and accordion, and Kurt Dressel's lead guitar, the group takes a high-energy tour of the great Americana songbook with stops along the way to dish some 40's country, Texas swing, bluegrass gospel, 60's folk, Deadhead rock, Memphis soul, Delta blues--and more. They will be joined by two special guests Saturday evening, Eddie Hall on drums and Bill Allard on backup vocals, and have hinted that other local roots and country stars will be stopping by the Stillhou . . . the Wine Cellar for a tune or two.
As T.A. and his buddies fill up the old joint with their rollicking riffs on classic American music, Liza and her kitchen kohorts will be producing a bit of vintage magic their own selves in the form of our All You Can Eat Store Classics Buffet. Stop by the front counter and grab a plate, then dish yourself a heaping helping--or four--of these goodies from the great Batesvillestoreiana cookbook:
Chicken Pot Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Veggie Pot Pie
Pulled Pork Barbecue
Jambalaya with Veggies
Jambalaya with Sausage and Smoked Chicken
Mac & Cheese
Spinach, Feta, and Tomato Quiche
Bacon and Swiss Quiche
Artichoke Frittata
Smoked Chicken Salad
Chicken Salad
Tuscany Bean Salad
Cous Cous Salad
Cole Slaw
Caesar Salad
Tossed Salad
Ginger Snaps
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Doing the vintage thing as well will be Callum, our adult beverage needs manager, though his riffin' and dishin' will be with the twelve different vintages of wine we will have on hand to help you realize your imbibitional aspirations. As usual, he will also have at the ready any number of beers, including a couple of local brews on tap.
So come on down to the store Saturday for another one of our ten-barrels-o'-fun parties. It's going to be a classic evening.
--We're in for another special treat when Generation Jazz returns to our humble space in Ohsobeautifulsville this Sunday, May 15, from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m.
The eight kids who make up Gen Jazz always energize the store with their technically deft and utterly charming interpretations of classic jazz standards.
And their rapport with the pianist who accompanies them, the legendary Hod O'Brien, shows that when it comes to great music, there is no such thing as a generation gap.
Directing the group with a loving hand is the esteemed jazz vocalist Stephanie Nakasian, who is not averse to joining the group on the occasional tune with a scat run or two--and has been known to sing with Hod during breaks.
This is great music for the entire family. Bring 'em!
--Our house band, The Pollocks, are back in the Wine Cellar and rarin' to go this Friday evening, May 6, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.
Blending distinctive original tunes with ridiculously enjoyable rock covers, The P's feature rock star Jason Pollock on guitar and lead vocals, the elegant Maryline Pollock on backup vocals, the irrepressible Mike "The Cleminator" Clem on electric bass and trombone, the awesome-and-then-some Thomas Gunn on guitar, and America's favorite drummer, Stuart Gunter, anchoring one and all. These folks inhabit the Wine Cellar as if it were their own "house," and they dish music that is as tasty as grandma's home cooking--or Liza's!
Speaking of Liza, she and her kitchen kompanions will be laying out another beautifully named and so-far-so-good All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. Cruise on over to the front counter, lay out a mere ten bucks, grab a plate, and make this feast your own:
Pork Barbecue, Ham Cake, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Jambalaya
Nachos and Tacos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Minestrone, and Chicken Tortilla Soup
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Fancy Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies and Mini-Brownies
Need I say that Callum, our adult beverage needs manager, will be at the front counter with beer and wine at his disposal for your down-the-mouth disposal? Need I add that I will also be at the front counter, doing what I do best, which is anyone's guess?
So come on down to the store Friday evening and help us get the weekend off to a (rock and) rollickin' start!
--Our favorite day of the Spring, Batesville Day, is coming up this Saturday, May 7 . . . and by "this Saturday," I mean all of Saturday.
The day begins at 8:00 a.m. with one of the more famous road races in Virginia, the Batesville 10K. The race follows a tough course that is so replete with natural beauties that the physical pain is worth the visual gain. Every entrant will receive a Batesville Day t-shirt, and awards will be given to top finishers as well as age group winners.
The store will be open at 7:00 a.m., and the front counter will be filled with muffins, coffee cakes, and all sorts of other goodies for runners and spectators alike.
Next up is the parade, which will start around 11:00 a.m. and last for about a half-hour.
We aren't talking about the Rose Bowl Parade here. That'd be way too boring. We take irony and gentle humor very seriously in Batesville, and the parade reflects it. There will be floats and marching bands, but also some less than--how shall I put it?--less than "conventional" entries.
The parade is followed by the big fair in the field. Local artists, artisans, and writers will have exhibits. Numerous civic and charitable organizations from the area will also have a presence. There'll be fun activities for kids of all ages.
And there will be great live music in the field courtesy of Bluzonia, our locally based blues and "hillbilly boogie" band. Watching Doug Hedstrom, the group's frontman, play the guitar behind his head would be worth the price of admission alone Saturday if there were an admission price. The boys from the blues zone will start playing as soon as the parade ends and will go at it for a couple of hours.
Food will be provided by the best deli-bakery in downtown Batesville, namely The Batesville Store. We're going to be selling pulled pork barbecue, veggie wraps, sandwiches, mac & cheese, cookies, water and soda--and lots more.
The fun in the field will end around 2:00 p.m.
But that doesn't mean the fun in Batesville is over for the day.
That's because we will be holding a very special music and food extravaganza in the store from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.
Inhabiting the Wine Cellar Saturday evening will be Rusty Speidel and Tom Goodrich from the legendary local folk group SGGL. Brilliant guitarists with superb voices made for harmonizing, Rusty and Tom make music that is irresistibly engaging, and the joy they exude while they play is infectious.
To complement these local legends, Liza will be putting out our suitably named All You Can Eat Local Legends Buffet, which will feature chicken pot pie, ribs, mac & cheese, and fifteen other dishes that have made the store famous throughout greater Batesville.
So come on down to Batesville this Saturday and indulge in our unique vibe. You'll experience why our little town in the heart of the heart of--where?--is known far and wide as the coolest place to establish citizenship in Virginia.
Bring mom to the store for lunch this Sunday and her dessert is on us!!
We're here for her. And you.
Also here for both of you Sunday is our favorite old-timey group, Lulu & The Virginia Creepers, who will be returning to the Wine Cellar--ceremoniously renamed the Stillhouse whenever they play in the store--from 1:30 until 4:00 p.m.
Featuring Tucker Rollins on mandolin, Lori Rollins on guitar, Michelle Prisby on fiddle, Sheila Scott on stand-up bass, and John Woodell on banjo, Lulu is just about the fiddlingest, mountain-musiciest, kick-back-and-have-some-funnest band around.
Mom will love 'em.
Heck, dad will love 'em, too. And Uncle Joe and Aunt Flo and the kids and the cousins and the cousins of your cousins.
Lulu is so good, they can make the entire family tree sway with good vibes!
--It will be all about sweet harmonies when Richmond-based Blue Line Highway motors from the big city to our humble hamlet for their third appearance in the Wine Cellar this Friday evening, April 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. (Please note the later-than-usual start.)
Known throughout the region for their layered melodies and rich instrumentals, Blue Line cruises down a broad highway of musical genres, taking their audience on a rollicking road trip of song stylings that covers Americana, blues, contemporary pop, and down-to-the-bone country. Above all else, they meld harmonies as sweet as one of Liza's cookies sandwiched between scoops of our chocolate chocolate chip ice cream.
Fronting the group is Julie Dooley, who makes beautiful sounds with guitarists and backup vocalists Melissa McKinney and John Leedes, while Ray Alfano keeps the rhythm rumbling with his lively upright bass. The result is "lush and dramatic music" (Style Weekly) that, as Acousticmusic.com observes, you'll want to "listen to when ya wanna feel good, need a bounce in your step, and wanna walk through the day humming and snapping." We can certainly harmonize with that vibe at The Batesville Store!
Harmonious as well is our pretty doggone good buffet this Friday evening and the name of the buffet-the Friday Night Buffet. Travel down the line to the cash register, plunk down ten American-style dollars, pick up a plate, and meld your mouth with these food entities:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Fried Catfish, Chicken Fried Steak, and Ham Cakes
Nachos andTacos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Minestrone
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Fancy Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Enhancing the convergence of music and food will be none other than Callum, our adult beverage needs manager, who will be at the ready with his usual assortment of beer and wine. There's no telling where I'll be.
So hop in the car and drive down to Tinytownsville for an evening of music provided by a bona fide big-city group and kick back to their sophisticated harmonies while dining on our somewhat fine buffet. You'll be anything but blue by the end of the evening.
--It's always a special treat when the inimitable Rick Olivarez graces the Wine Cellar with his acoustic jazz trio.
But it's going to be an even more special night than usual when Rick returns to the store this Saturday evening, April 30, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., for a project that is near and dear to his heart:
"Electric Django," a tribute to the virtuoso guitar master Django Reinhardt.
Joining Rick will be his longtime sidekick, the superb rhythm guitarist Jeff Cheers, but Rick and Jeff will be plugged in for a change--and joined by Batesville's favorite drummer, Stuart Gunter. And get this: making a very special appearance with Rick and his local friends will be the esteemed bassist FJ Ventre, a citizen of North Carolina who has played with Rick up and down the East coast. This is truly an all-star group that can do justice to the complex, challenging, and compelling music of Reinhardt.
They will be focusing on the master's later period-from the mid-1940's until his death in 1953-when Reinhardt, already a legend, pushed his musical genius to new levels . . . and took several other jazz greats with him, including Tchan Tchou Vidal, Stephane Grapelli, and Patotte Basquette, stylists whom Rick and his compatriots will also cover Saturday evening.
While Rick's quartet is paying tribute to the music of mid-century Eastern Europe, Liza and her compatriots in the kitchen will be laying out a food extravaganza that honors another great cultural phenomenon of the continent--Italian cooking. Stop by the cash register with sixteen stylish dollars or their plastic equivalent in hand, grab a plate, and lend your mouth to this All You Can Eat Italian Buffet:
Rigatoni with Vodka Cream Sauce
Shrimp Alfredo
Shells Stuffed with Kale & Ricotta
Linguine with Clams
Italian Pizza
Blanco Vegetarian Pizza
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage & Meatballs
Chicken Tetrazzini
Polenta with Veggie or Meat Sauce
Ratatouille
Italian Lentil Salad
Caesar Salad
Tossed Salad with Tortellini, Tuscany Bean, and Artichoke Hearts
Insalada Caprese
Foccacia Bread
Italian Hard Crust Bread
Tiramisu
Biscotti
It says a lot about Rick Olivarez that he is is so strongly committed to honoring the history and influence of the great acoustic jazz guitarists who have come before him. It says even more about him that he can honor them in such fabulously skillful and deeply felt fashion.
It promises to be a wondrous evening of music and food this Saturday. You won't want to miss this one!
--We're going to have a big old barrel of fun when the Red Drum Ramblers make their debut at the store this Sunday, May 1, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Featuring Afton citizens Tim Scruby on clawhammer banjo and Jace Goodling on fiddle and vocals, the Ramblers are known far and wide for their high-energy old-time stylings and "just having a good old time" stage presence. They have performed at Stone Soup in Waynesboro, the Nelson Farmer's Market, and numerous other venues around these parts. Tim describes them in this way:
"We play 'old time' music, not bluegrass. And we like to stay fairly loyal to the old time mountain music songs as we learned them: ragged but right."
Ragged but right sure seems like a perfect match for our humble joint, doesn't it?
--Let's do the math:
Take one kid with serious musical chops whether he's plugged in and playing rock covers or unplugged and dishing his own original folk and blues.
Add one legendary veteran of the local music scene who fronts just about the best rock cover band in the universe.
Multiply by two and a half hours in the Wine Cellar at The Batesville Store.
Result?
More fun than the sum of their parts, raised to the nth degree.
Helping us with this can't miss math will be Batesville citizens Willie Denton-Edmundson and Brad Bryant, who will be inhabiting the Wine Cellar this Friday evening, April 22, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.
The lead guitarist and vocalist for the dynamic teen rock band The Wave, Willie has also been performing acoustically with his trio all over the region, including several times in his neighborhood joint. Combining haunting vocals with ridiculously deft guitar work, Willie has created a fascinating, absolutely compelling acoustic style that has made him a super-fave at the store.
His buddy Brad has also played numerous times in the store as the frontman for Failure To Yield, which dishes highly seasoned rock and folk-rock covers in a wildly crowd-pleasing fashion that has made the group one of the store's most popular draws. A superior guitarist with a voice that is made for classic rock, Brad knows how to reach out and grab an audience-and hold them tight through set after set.
Willie and Brad started fooling around with dueling guitars a few months ago at Brad's house, and before they knew it, they were making excellent music together-so excellent, in fact, that they have decided to get out of the house and play around a bit. They will be making their official debut as a duo this Friday evening. Cool beans!
While Willie and Brad mess around with their music in the Wine Cellar, you can fool around with a plate or four of food from our always okay and well-named All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. Drop by the front counter with ten bucks and pick up a plate, then head on over to the buffet line and pile on a mess of this:
Hamburger Sliders with Blue Cheese
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Potato Skins and Mac & Cheese
Nachos and Tacos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Butternut Squash Soup, and Beef Stew
Pasta Salad and Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
While you dine, it might be fine to return to the front counter and let Callum, our adult beverage needs manager, help you with the food-in-mouth process by pouring you a beer from one of our two kegs or a glass of wine from our extensive under-the-counter wine "seller." Wave hello to me while I'm resting on a chair behind him, supervising.
Meanwhile, let's have some more fun with math:
Great music + great food + a taste or two of an adult beverage + a laid-back setting = another Friday evening at The Batesville Store.
Now that's one seriously winning formula!
--The atmosphere will be electric when F.U.S.E. returns to light up the Wine Cellar this Saturday evening, April 23, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.
Led by local impresario and pianist supreme Jim Wray, F.U.S.E. lives up to its full name--Funky Urban Southern Ensemble--by dishing a battery of smooth jazz and R & B licks that you might hear in clubs in D.C or New York, but with strong undercurrents from the Southern roots tradition, particularly New Orleans jazz and Delta blues.
Jim will be joined as usual by two high-energy performers who are quite well known around these parts: the magnetic singer and guitarist Steve Michael Smith, who also writes most of the music for the group; and the galvanic percussionist Darrell Rose, who just last weekend brought the crowd to its dancing feet time and time again during our fabulous Haitian fundraising party. Rounding out the group are Peter Matthews, one of central Virginia's most sought-after bassists, and Brian Mesko on the jazziest-rockiest-bluesiest drums around.
Put these charismatic individual performers together on a stage with Jim "fusing" them into a jazz-and-then-some ensemble, and you end up with what the Charlottesville Weekly calls "one cosmic entity."
While F.U.S.E. is taking us to another world, Liza and her krack kitchen krew will be honoring the group's Southern roots here in the always-funky urban core of Batesville with one of the store's more popular food extravaganzas, our All You Can Eat Southern Classics Buffet. Stop by the front counter with sixteen dollars in hand, pick up a plate, and charge your batteries with this ridiculous ensemble of ingestible substances:
Sassy Oven Fried Chicken
Chicken Fried Steak
Fried Catfish
Baked Ham
Mama's Yams & Apples
Green Bean Casserole
Pineapple Casserole with Ritz Crackers
Mac & Cheese
Baked Cheese Grits with Shrimp
Mess 'O Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings
Mrs. Rowe's Corn Pudding
Creamy Coconut Slaw
Black Eyed Peas
Southern Vegetables Bourguignon
Ambrosia Salad
Apple Sauce
Yam Biscuits
Corn Bread Muffins
Peach Cobbler
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Coconut Cake
If just reading this menu makes you as thirsty as it does your humble correspondent, then you'll doubtless want to return to the front counter Saturday evening and spend some quality time with Callum, our adult beverage needs manager. He will lend you a sympathetic ear and then recommend a beer or glass of wine from our extensive list of alcohol-anchored whistle-wetters. I will be around as well, doing something.
Let's review:
Great music from Jim Wray and his F.U.S.E. buddies. A rich-as-tons-of-butter-and-cream spread of classic Southern food. Excellent beer and wine. Electric atmosphere.
Now that is one fine ensemble of fun!
--We plan to celebrate Easter at our humble white edifice by doing something a bit different from what most other food and music spots plan to do this Sunday:
Doing what we always do on a Sunday.
That's why we will be open from noon until seven o'clock.
That's why we will have a deli full of sandwiches, quiches, soups, salads, and comfort food delights.
That's why we will make sure that the front counter is spilling over with brownies, cookies, pies, cakes, and cupcakes, and why our bread table will feature Liza's French bread right out of the oven.
That's why we will fill up our freezer with homemade ice cream and have cones, toppings, and sauces at the ready.
That's why we will have two beers on tap and lots of wine by the glass.
And that's why we have asked one of our favorite Sunday afternoon musical artists, Billy Caldwell, to inhabit the Wine Cellar from 1:30 until 4:00 p.m.
To hear Billy is to love Billy. A talented guitarist and distinctive vocalist, Billy concocts a tasty playlist of classic rock and folk covers seasoned with a few of his original tunes. If you request it, he will play it. If you don't request it, the chances are good that he'll play it anyway. He is the perfect antidote to the "geez, this holiday is getting old" blues. But don't get me wrong: he also plays the blues . . . if you request it.
So come on down to Everydayisaholidaysville this Sunday for a very different kind of Easter celebration: the same old same old stuff from The Batesville Store. It doesn't get any more special than that!
--How would you like to help me itemize the Batesville Store Toolkit of Fun for this Friday evening, April 15, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.? Happy to.
Cool. Here we go:
Take a casual drive into the country to soak in the outrageous beauty of Spring in the greater Batesville area? Check.
Pull into the store's main parking lot and ease into one of several open spaces? If you say so.
Trip slightly on the high threshold at front door? Natch . . . who doesn't?
Head to the front counter, plunk down ten American-style dollars, then implement our somewhat awesome and shrewdly titled All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns Chimichangas, Enchiladas, and Burritos Nachos and Tacos with Beef and Smoked Chicken Chili, Tomato Soup, and White Bean & Andouille Sausage Soup Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Fancy Cole Slaw Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces Chocolate Chip Cookies
Been there, will do it again. And again.
Return to the front counter for a consultation on wine and beer with Callum, our adult beverage needs manager? Hopping to it.
Undertake coordination of eating mouth with happy ears and tapping feet as Sarah White & The Pearls inhabit the Wine Cellar and proceed to dish their wondrous alt-everything original tunes? Sounds right.
Recall the last email from yours truly about Sarah and her buddies . . . ya know, the one that talked about Sarah's "edge-of-tears, catch-in-the-throat, and flat-out heartbreaking" voice? And included this shout-out from Dave Matthews: "Sarah's music kills me; beautifully from the ground up, no plastic. I got stuck behind a logging truck today. I was listening to Sarah. It was great"?
Yes. Recalled.
And this:
"When she's not in the studio, Sarah plays around a little bit . . . like everywhere. She has shared the stage with Hall and Oates, Loudon Wainwright III, the Hackensaw Boys, and a who's who of Charlottesville talent that includes Sons of Bill and Jim Waive and the Young Divorcees. And she has headlined shows at the Jefferson Theater and the Charlottesville Pavilion with her coolarific backup band, The Pearls, featuring Ted Pitney on guitar, Michael Bishop on bass, and the ubiquitous Stuart Gunter on drums"?
Yes, yes. Recalled, recalled.
Kick back to the great music for a couple of hours and realize that no written description of The Pearls can even begin to do justice to their talent and charisma? For sure.
Join the rest of the audience in yelling, "MORE!!" at 9:00 p.m., when Sarah and her buddies are supposed to stop? You betcha.
Get more and love it? Oh, yeah!
Finally, reluctantly, slowly--but happily--call it an evening and take your leave of Shangribatesvillela? If it must be.
Inventory completed? Yes. Toolkit filled to the brim and spilling over with fun!
Thanks for your help.
--If you're like me, you have a somewhat ambivalent attitude toward a hardy perennial in the world of email spam: the vacation package come-on that offers a certain number of magical nights on some Edenic Caribbean island.
You know that the fantastic nights are usually taken up with mandatory attendance at time-share presentations, and that the island paradise is now choked with concrete high-rise condos and beach vendors.
Still, it's tough to resist reading the spam, if only to allow yourself to dream of escaping to an island. Tomorrow. And for the next several days. Or years.
We can't quite offer you palm trees and white sand beaches at our humble establishment in the heart of Dreamsville. But we will be evoking a bit of island magic when we hold our All Star Caribbean Blast and Haitian Fundraiser this Saturday evening, April 16, from six to ten p.m.
There'll be no fast-talking salesmen making noise at this funfest, just great local musicians. Rock star Jason Pollock and the evening's master of ceremonies, Haitian native and bassist extraordinaire Lesly Gourdet, will lead an all-star lineup of players that includes Terri Allard, Rick Olivarez, Darrell Rose, Nathan West, Gary Green, and Betty Joe Dominick . . . as well as Mike Clem, Maryline Pollock, and Stuart Gunter from our house band, The Pollocks. Jason has intimated that other regionally renowned musicians will be making special guest appearances.
The music will have a Caribbean beat, and we're clearing space in front of the Wine Cellar so that you can move your dancing feet.
There's certainly no spam in the ridiculous All You Can Eat Caribbean Feast that Liza and her friends in the kitchen have concocted for the evening. Mosey on over to the front counter with sixteen dollars in hand, then surf your way through this panoply of tropical treats:
Main Courses
Shrimp with Garlic, Papaya, and Avocado Salsa
Haitian Shrimp
Griots (Haitian Fried Pork Cubes)
Haitian Patties
Picadillo (Haitian-Style Sloppy Joe)
Chicken Island Style
Jerk Chicken
Caribbean Smoked Fish Pie
Sunshine Pollock Fillets
Fish Pan Do
Sides
Diri Jon Jon (Rice with Dried Black Mushrooms)
Diri Et Pois Coles (Haitian-Style Red Beans & Rice)
Callaloo Voodoo (Greens with Crab)
Fried Plantains
Curried Vegetables in Coconut
Salads
Congo Pineapple & Chicken Salad
Calypso Salad with Avocado Dressing
Salad Pomdete (Haitian Potato Salad)
Reggae Boys Salad
Haitian Chiquetaille (Salted Cod Salad)
Breads
Sweet Potato Pone
Johnny Cakes
Jamaican Cherry Ginger Bread
Desserts
Key Lime Pie
Rum Allspice Pound Cake with Jamaican Sauce
Pina Colada Cheesecake
A spicy feast like this surely requires the presence of Callum, our adult beverage needs manager. Present he will be as he pours from two kegs and exercises his corkscrew chops on twelve different kinds of wine.
We will honor our usual no-cover-charge policy Saturday evening, but we will be passing the hat a few times over the course of the festivities. Donations will go to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti.
The Batesville Store will match the first two hundred dollars raised and will add another one hundred dollars if we reach our goal of twelve hundred dollars.
If you would like to offer a matching donation of your own, please contact me at cid@thebatesvillestore.com.
As I mentioned in last week's email buzz, our neighbor Charley Page, whose family owned the store from 1913 to 2004, has generously agreed to let us use his field directly across from the store for parking, weather permitting. There will also be parking at the United Methodist Church one-eighth of a mile west of the store. Gerry, our burly parking manager, will be on hand to help if you need it.
So let's review. We have ourselves some awesome Caribbean music from a host of terrific local musicians. We have ourselves a splendid buffet of Caribbean-style food. We have ourselves a fine selection of beer and wine. We have ourselves a great opportunity to give to a wonderful cause.
Now that's one magic-filled package of fun that no spam filter would ever catch!
--The clock will tick very slowly once again in the perpetually time-challenged environs of Batesville when Apple Jack Jam, aka Bud Branch and Anne O'Brien, return to the Wine Cellar this Sunday, April 17, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Yes, denizens, Bud on banjo and Anne on guitar and vocals are back to help you laze away another afternoon at our humble establishment. Mixing folk, bluegrass, and Appalachian-style country, Bud and Anne fill the air with great music that the whole family can enjoy.
So come on down to the store, kick back, and let an Apple Jack Jam Sunday happen to you. Who knows . . . Monday may never come.
You've loved him with Hod O'Brien. You've dug him with his jazz fusion group, F.U.S.E. You've been blown away by his keyboard work when he's played solo jazz at the store.
He's Jim Wray, one of the region's true music impresarios, a master of the keys, a good neighbor who lives in the western 'burbs of Batesville--and one of the store's all-time favorite musical artists.
You'll be sure to groove on him again in a very large way when he returns to the Wine Cellar with a new group, the aptly named Jim Wray Trio, this Thursday evening, April 7, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Jim has put together his new trio with one goal in mind: swing, swing, swing like the Count's band at the Roseland Ballroom in the late '40's.
Joining Jim on bass is Bob Bowen, who had a regular gig for years at the Greenbriar Resort and has toured with Merl Saunders, The Rain Forrest Band, Widespread Panic, and Charlottesville's own swing band extraordinaire, The SwingKats.
Rounding out the trio is the classic crooner Dan Barrale, who has regaled audiences throughout the region with vocal stylings that are dreamily evocative of Frank Sinatra in his Big Band days. The trio will be dishing a lot of tunes that Sinatra made his own, but they will also swing around the jazz spectrum, offering up an evening that is equal parts jazz history and just plain old good old fun.
We will be serving out of the deli Thursday evening, and Liza has told me that she plans to prepare several specials for your gustatory enjoyment.I guess I needn't say that we will also have a bit of beer and wine available. I won't, then.
So take a break from your usual weeknight routine and swing by the old white edifice Thursday evening for a big dish of weekendish fun.
The store is going to become a very upbeat place when the great Charlottesville-based roots-and-soul band, The Downbeat Project, makes its debut in the Wine Cellar this Friday evening, April 8, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Project is led by the sweet-singing Clarence Green, who also plays guitar and wrote many of the group's supremely ear-pleasing original tunes. Backing Clarence are drummer supreme Rob Hubbard, whose Western Albemarle High School jam band was the first musical group to play in the store in early May of 2007; stand-up bassist and John D'Earth acolyte Gerald Soriano; mandocello master Zach Blatter; and the ridiculously versatile guitarist Landon Fishburne. Whether dishing one of Clarence's soulful pop songs or covering genres ranging from Americana to classic reggae, these dudes groove to a beat that can't be beat.
While Clarence and his buddies are exuding happy noises from the Wine Cellar, Liza and her friends in the kitchen will be tending to our deftly titled and so not-terrible All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. For the soul-soothing price of only ten bucks, you can groove on these dishes:
Jambalaya,Cheese Lasagna, and Quiche
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, White Bean & Andouille Soup, and Butternut Squash Soup
Mac & Cheese with Shrimp, Pasta Salad, and Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
You'd think that a lineup of music and food like this would be incomplete without some liquid-based reinforcement, and you'd be right. Our estimable adult beverage needs manager, Callum, will be pulling the keg handle on three different beers and uncorking at least a dozen wines of a most vinolicious nature.
In an interview with a local music station, Clarence was asked why he played music. He replied,"I just have some things to say and music is how I want to say it." Come on down to the old joint Friday evening and listen to what Clarence and his buddies have to say . . . and dig the great vibe they create in saying it.
Today's philosophical questions comes courtesy of our esteemed adult beverage needs manager, Callum.
He and I were hanging out at the front counter last Friday and not even pretending to work as we listened to local legend David Wood, aka Wood Man, finish two one-hour sets of great solo blues. Callum turned to me and asked, "Can it get any better than this?"
Silly young man. Of course it can get better than this. How 'bout more than thirty great blues players doing their thing for five hours?
And do their thing they will when the Central Virginia Blues Society holds it bimonthly jam at our humble establishment this coming Saturday evening, April 9, from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Musicians from all over the region will be will be rotating in and out of the Wine Cellar in groups of two and three and six and twelve, filling the joint with heaping helpings of Delta, Memphis, and Chicago blues heavily seasoned with big chunks of rock, soul, and R & B.
And then, toward the end of the evening, all of the musicians that remain standing will come together on stage and blow us away with an epic jam within a jam, an uber jam if you will. The music-makin' will be downright scintillatin'.
And Callum and yours truly? We'll be behind the front counter as usual, philosophizin'!
But fear not. Callum and I won't allow our deep thoughts to get in the way of serving you, our esteemed denizen, when you mosey up to the front counter to pick up a plate for our All You Can Eat Mexican Fiesta, which will run from five until nine p.m. We will not only hand you a plate but kindly take some money then guide you toward this uber jam-the-mouth-with-food-a-plenty plenitude:
Enchiladas with Chicken or Black Beans
Tamales with Cheese, Chicken, or Chorizo Sausage
Taco Bar with Smoked Fish, Smoked Chicken, or Ground Beef
Burritos with Spicy Mole Sauce
Chimichangas with Shrimp and Chicken
Quesadillas with Shrimp
Chili with Meat or Veggies
Stuffed Jalapenos
Spicy Mac & Cheese
Black Bean and Corn Casserole
Potatoes and Peppers
Mexican Rice
Cactus Salsa
Mango Salsa
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Corn Bread
Beer Bread
Chipotle Brownies
Flan
Tres Leches Cake
If merely reading through this menu has made you thirsty, then you'll doubtless be happy to learn that Callum will be managing three kegs and twelve different wines Saturday evening. I will be nearby, admiring his management style.
So come on down to our rumblin' roadhou . . . oops, I mean our historic country store . . . to experience for yourself one of Batesville's most fundamental philosophical verities:
When the blues jam happens, fun am.
We're in for another great afternoon of music when our favorite old-timey group, Lulu & The Virginia Creepers, returns to the Wine Cellar this Sunday, April 10, from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Featuring Tucker Rollins on mandolin, Lori Rollins on guitar, Michelle Prisby on fiddle, Sheila Scott on stand-up bass, and the irrepressible John Woodell on banjo, the Lulus dish old-time fiddle tunes from Southern Appalachia and beyond, evoking front porch get-togethers in West Virginia hollers and, yes, Sunday afternoon pluckathons in classic old country stores.
You can always count on a lulu of a performance from these fiddlers.
--Back in the olden days of The Batesville Store, when we were actually open early in the week, we'd send customers looking for live music on evenings when the Wine Cellar was dark to our favorite place outside downtown Batesville for pizza and groovy tunes, Dr. Ho's in North Garden. On more than a few occasions we'd hear back from them that they not only had great pizza in a way-cool setting, but experienced equally fun music courtesy of a gentleman who called himself Woodman.
So who should drop into our joint a few weeks ago? Yep, you guessed it. Woodman his very own self. We talked. We grocked. We agreed that he needed to play in the store. And play he will, this Friday, April 1, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. No fooling!
Woodman has played around. A native of Albemarle County, he has taken his distinctive solo stylings to several continents and numerous countries, including Texas. As he puts it, "I have paid my dues to play the blues." With slide-guitar in front of him, Woodman draws on the music of mythic artists ranging from Robert Johnson to B.B. King to produce an amalgam of regional styles that he describes as "mountain blues."
While Woodman is sliding his guitar and bluesing his voice, our crack kitchen krew will be laying out our neatly monikered and darn good Friday Night Buffet. Pay your dues in the form of ten American dollars and travel through this lineup with elegant black plastic plate in hand:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
JambalayaChili, Beef Stew, Tomato Soup
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Fancy Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Tiramisu and Cheesecake
Callum, our esteemed adult beverage needs manager, is back after completing his workshop on corkscrew implementation techniques in Winesburg, Ohio, and he has two kegs and several great wines at the ready. I will be watching him work hard.
So come on down and check out the music of an authentic blues dude. This is one store debut that you "woodn't" want to miss!
--It's all about teamwork and leadership this coming Saturday evening. It's about physical dexterity and intensity of focus. About picking each other up and covering for mistakes. Grace under pressure. Set plays and disciplined improvisation. Enthusiastic fans and cold beer. And yes, even a bit (or several bits) of showmanship.
No, silly. I'm not referring to the Final Four at Reliant Stadium in Houston.Shoot, you can TiVo that.
As Dickie V might say, I'm referring to the Bobby Read Quintet! In the Wine Cellar!! At The Batesville Store!!! Live!!!! 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.!!!!!
Talk about a Fab Five, baybeeee . . . !
There's Bobby Read his very own self. A citizen of greater metropolitan Batesville who plays the sax with both of Bruce Hornsby's bands, Bobby is also widely known for his own jazz compositions, including the critically acclaimed CDs Monkfish and Simbia, and for his talent at putting together and fronting superb jazz ensembles. Witness the group that he's asked to team up with him Saturday evening: Adam Larrabee on guitar, Brian Caputo on drums, Randall Pharr on bass, and Bob Hallahan on keys. If this ensemble were playing against any other jazz band on the east coast Saturday evening, they'd be so heavily favored that Las Vegas would not even bother posting odds.
While all this great jazz is happening in the Wine Cellar, Liza and her ace supporting cast in the kitchen will be laying out a can't-miss food extravaganza, our All You Can Eat "All That Jazz" Buffet, which features the favorite recipes of famous jazz artists. For sixteen American dollars--or the price of a hot dog and small soda in Houston--you can get in touch with your inner Rick Majerus by exercising a pick-and-roll (down the buffet) on these items:
Smoked Spareribs with Dave Brubeck's Barbecue Sauce
Dizzy Gillespie's Salmon and Hominy Grits
Winton Marsalis's Seafood Gumbo
Branford Marsalis's Fried Catfish
Gregory Davis's Mac & Cheese with Shrimp
Randy Weston's Couscous Chicken
Shirley Horn's Beef & Beer
Larry Coryell's Shrimp & Pasta
Rashied Ali's Anise Chicken
Herb Ellis's Salsa Pizza
McCoy Tyner's Western Omelet
George Coleman's Penne Arrabiata
Illinois Jaquet's Vegetable Roast
Don Cherry's Sweet Potato Salad
Max Roach's Pan-Simmered Corn
Clark Terry's Beer 'n' Beans
Les McCann's Love Cake
Terrence Blanchard's Bread Pudding
Milt Jackson's Peach Cobbler
So let's see. You can watch a bunch of wildcats, huskies, bulldogs, and rams in baggy shorts go running around a hardwood court like chickens with their heads cut off.Or you can kick back to the sweet strokes of a quintet of hep cats holding court on a 130-year-old hardwood floor. Looks like a slam dunk to me.
--They may still be a musical group in search of a name, but they certainly aren't lacking in musical talent. They done got plenty-o-that!
They are Peter LaBau, Jackson Boylan, and Mary Beth Revak. They play restaurant-quality Americana, western swing, and folk leavened with a bit of vocal jazz. And they are back in the Wine Cellar this Sunday, April 3, from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Peter will be picking away on banjo and dobro, demonstrating why he has been called a "fingerstyle maestro." Jackson will work his guitar seamlessly with Peter's instruments--and add his growling bass voice for good measure. And the elegant Mary Beth, who doubles as the lead singer for Acme Swing Mfg. Company, will stand up with her bass and work magic with as fine a voice as we hear at our humble joint. Combining impressive technical virtuosity with ridiculously infectious enthusiasm for playing together, these folks never fail to leave our Sunday afternoon crowd as happy as a kid eating one of Liza's chocolate chip cookies for the first time.
So what's in a name, anyway?
--Leading off another weekend of ridiculously fab music at our little store in Soundsgreatsville is our fave teen phenom from the 'hood, Willie Denton-Edmundson, who will be returning to the Wine Cellar this Friday evening, March 25, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
While Willie is perhaps best known as the lead guitarist and vocalist for the plugged-in teen rock band The Wave, he has provoked a lot of buzz in recent months for his acoustic shows with two other young musicians who will be playing with him Friday evening, Simon Evans on stand-up bass and Brenning Greenfield on percussion.Tight as a veteran band, the group does a beautiful job of balancing Simon and Brenning's rhythms with Willie's haunting vocals and dynamic guitar work, creating great harmonies whether they're playing Willie's original music or dishing folk-rock covers. These dudes may be young, but they carry a lot of musical wisdom onto the stage with them.
Joining the trio for a few songs Friday evening will be the renowned singer/songwriter and guitarist Carl Anderson. Now touring in support of his new CD, 20 Something Blues, Carl is bringing his unique "Acoustic New Wave Americana" to our humble establishment for the first time. We hope that it won't be the last.
Meanwhile, our kudo-riffic kitchen krew will be dishing a bit of their own wisdom in the form of our aptly named and pretty doggone fair Friday Night Buffet. For the stunningly appropriate price of ten bucks, you can mess up your mouth with this collection of store goodnesses:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Fish, Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Beef Stew, and Minestrone
Veggie Pot Pie, Mac & Cheese, and Pasta Salad
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies
Callum, our esteemed adult beverage needs manager, will be attending a two-day seminar on corkscrews and keg taps in Winesburg, Ohio, this weekend. But yours truly will be on hand at the front counter, ready to handle your wine and beer needs. Yes, yours truly will actually be working this weekend.
So come on down to the store Friday and kick back to the special groove of the Willie DE Trio. It should be a phenom-enal evening.
--We are in for another musical treat this Saturday evening, March 26, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Hod and Stephanie are back!
That's Hod O'Brien and Stephanie Nakasian, of course, the internationally acclaimed jazz artists who have classed up our humble joint numerous times in the past year.
Generally regarded as the finest be-bop pianist of the past fifty years, Hod has thrilled audiences all over the world with his mastery of the keys. He has played with the likes of Stan Getz and Freddie Hubbard; ran his own jazz club in New York City in the 1970s; and has compiled a discography that reaches as far back as 1957, when he recorded with Donald Byrd and Art Farmer, and is as recent as Solo for Chet in 2009. Reviewers from LA to Copenhagen have described Hod as "an unsung hero of jazz . . . an extraordinary, distinguished musician . . . a quiet and true jazz giant who is revered by his peers." But for my money, it's the great jazz critic Nat Hentoff who sums up Hod and his music the best:
"Many in his audiences know that he was a vital part of the bop scene, but to most listeners, he's just a guy who makes you feel good on up-tempo numbers and who can get inside your memories on ballads."
Joining him on many of those numbers and ballads for the past thirty years has been his wife, the astonishing Stephanie Nakasian. Described as "one of the most important jazz singers in the world today" by the New Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, Stephanie has performed with the likes of Clark Terry and Bobby McFerrin and has recorded seven critically acclaimed albums.John Wilson of the New York Times has commented on her "vocal virtuosity and broad range of material." Mike Joyce of the Washington Post gushes that Stephanie "swings and scats with authority, evoking Ella and Sarah without sounding derivative." The Swing Journal calls her "the perfect jazz singer."
The Swing could easily have added, "Put her together with Hod O'Brien at The Batesville Store on a Saturday evening and listen to the magic flow."
While Hod and Stephanie are classing up the Wine Cellar, Liza and her friends in the kitchen will be laying out a fancy All You Can Eat Quiche, Soup, Salad, Bread, and Dessert Buffet. Swing by the front counter with sixteen stylish American dollars in hand, pick up one of our elegant plastic plates, and demonstrate your own mouth-oriented virtuosity by dining on this broad range of edible material:
Steak, Mushroom, and Cheddar Quiche
Shrimp, Asparagus, and Brie Quiche
Bacon, Pancetta, and Parmesan Quiche
Crab, Leeks, and Gruyere Quiche
Smoked Chicken, Broccoli, and Smoked Mozzarella Quiche
Artichokes, Roasted Red Peppers, and Goat Cheese Quiche
Zucchini, Roasted Tomatoes, and Blue Cheese Quiche
Spinach, Kalamati Olives, and Asiago Quiche
Crab and Corn Chowder
Butternut Squash Soup
White Bean and Potato Soup with Andouille Sausage
Classic Caesar Salad
Tossed Salad with Spinach, Apples, and Blue Cheese
Artisan Greens with Mixed Veggies
Arugula and Endive with Walnuts, Cranberries, and Goat Cheese
Crescent Rolls
French Bread
Cheesecake
Chocolate Cheesecake
Cheesecake with Berries
Tiramisu
As always, we are also here for you with a couple of kegs--Blue Mountain Classic Lager and Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale, to be precise--and lots of wine. That's just the kind of classy folks we are.
So let's see. Hod and Stephanie will be making great music. Liza will be making great food. And you will be enjoying a great beverage. Now that's a funography that any critic would rave about!
-- I don't know about you, but this Sunday afternoon, March 27, I plan to be ensconced at the store's front counter, and I ain't movin' for a couple of hours. Sure, I work the front counter at the store every Sunday, or pretend to be working, and I fully intend to pretend to be working again this Sunday.
But what I'll actually be doing is listening intently to The Acorn Sisters, aka Sarah White and Sian Richards, who will be livening up the joint from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
When Sarah made her debut in the store a few weeks ago with her backup band The Pearls, she blew us away with two hours of wide-ranging music, demonstrating that in a region brimming with talented singer-songwriters, she is way up near the top of the list, if not heading it. Her covers were as uniquely hers as her original music, and her rapport with The Pearls was exquisite. It was truly a magical night.
This Sunday, Sarah is back and will be joined by her good buddy Sian. They will be doing what The Acorn Sisters do best, playing a bunch of alt-country originals and covers--and mixing in some Americana and old-timey just for the fun of it.
So come on down to the store Sunday afternoon and join me at the front counter. I'll put you to work . . . . listening to great music. It's a tough job, but I think that we are up to it!
Just think of all the pre-fixed choices available to you this Thursday evening if you'd like to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the C'ville area.
There are the places that begin with "Mac" and "O'." And the tavern near all the courthouses that serves about two million different stouts. And the restaurant in Crozet which bills itself as a pub.
There are the buffets with green food and the happy hours with green beer.
And . . . and . . .
I don't quite understand. Why are you yawning? Are you bored?
I know what it is. You've been there and done that. Right?
If so, we are here for you . . . with a St. Paddy's day celebration that will leave traditional party-goers green with envy:
An "Irish reggae" blast brought to you by our good friend and local wigwam dweller David Hoffman, who will be occupying the Wine Cellar with a few of his best buddies this Thursday evening, March 17, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.
Imagine the Wailers meeting the Dubliners on the road to Kilkenny and jamming an off-beat version of "The Irish Rover." Then have another sip (or several) of beer or wine and go from there!
But on your way, you may want to stop at our All You Can Eat Anything-But-Irish-Food Buffet. For the Luck of the Irish price of $7.77, you can dine on this no-corned-beef-no-hash plenitude:
Smoked Chicken Pot Pie
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole
Chicken Tortilla Soup, Lentil Soup, and Chili
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Applesauce
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Cookies and Brownies
So come on down to our very own piece of alternative reality this Thursday evening and feast on some great music and food. You'll leave the joint as happy as a leprechaun dancing to Stir It Up.
We believe in the educated consumer here at the store.
Consider, for instance, our guided tours of the front-counter brownies, complete with information about their rating on our proprietary gooey-sweet scale.
Or our buffets, which provide hands-on experience in how to pile sixteen to eighteen items on a single ten-inch plate.
Or what is perhaps our most popular interactive seminar: how to find and claim a parking space on the weekends in the urban core of a dense metropolis like Batesville.
Our continuing commitment to your edification has led us to ask our favorite professors of rock history, Failure to Yield, to return to the Wine Cellar this Saturday, March 19, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Featuring Batesville's own Brad Bryant and local legend Steve McKinney on guitar and vocals, Trey Mitchell on bass, Mike Barnes on drums, and Larry Waters on keys and trombone, this group of seasoned pros has regaled store audiences numerous times with their as-fun-as-perpetual-recess interpretations of rock through the ages.
Spend a few hours listening to these guys and you'll learn why classic rock is so . . . well, classic.
While you're attending Saturday evening's school of rock, you'll doubtless want to make room on your schedule for a trip to our "cafeteria" and foodify yourself with our All You Can Eat Buffet, which will feature Liza's masterly presentation of these store classics:
Chicken Pot Pie
Veggie Pot Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Mac & Cheese
Jambalaya
Curry Sweet Potato and Apple
Crab Cake Sliders
Barbecue Sliders
Quiche
Caesar Salad
Tossed Salad
Greek Potato Salad
Redskin Potato Salad
Fancy Slaw with Raisins and Coconut Milk
Creamy Cole Slaw
Cookies and Brownies
While you're digesting the music and ingesting the food, you might want to add a bit of beer or wine to your gestalt. If so, Callum will be at the front counter as usual, tap and cork ready. Now that's one elective every learning environment should offer!
So come on down to the store Saturday evening and let us school you in the art of having fun. This will be one class you won't want to skip.
When Lulu & the Virginia Creepers, also known as our favorite old-timey group, played in the store a few weeks ago, I took attendance:
Tucker Rollins on mandolin? Check.
Sheila Scott on stand-up bass? Present.
Michelle Prysby on fiddle? Yep.
Lori Rollins on guitar? Yes sir.
And the irrepressible John Woodell on the finest banjo in town? Here and nowhere else.
And then I posed the question that inquiring minds have wanted to ask since the Creepers first visited the store last year:
Where is Lulu?
Smiles all around, crafty smiles, we-know-something-you-don't-know smiles.
Was she in jail? Uh, uh. On sabbatical? Not. Existentially alienated? Naw . . . .
And then Tucker finally let me in on the joke:
There is no Lulu. They made up the name.
Can you imagine a better match of music and venue than a group with a fictitious name and a town that's often confused with Brigadoon?
If you can't, then you'll want to high-tail it down to the store this Sunday afternoon, March 20, and check out the Luluites, who return to the Wine Cellar from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. You'll have an unreally great time!
--So I was reading Martha Stewart's blog the other day--no, really, I was--and I came across an entry on how to keep the feng shui of one's house fresh and lively. Martha's advice was as simple as one of her financial deals: Balance the old feng with a bit of new shui by re-arranging things a bit and mixing in some different furnishings.
Now here's the part where we strike up the theme music from The Twilight Zone. It turns out that rock star Jason Pollock, the frontman for our house band, The Pollocks, must have been visiting Martha around the same time as yours truly.
He and his group of merry music-makers will be returning to the Wine Cellar for another evening of riotous fun this Friday evening, March 11, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Feng as usual. And he will be joined by the lovely chanteuse Maryline Pollock and stalwart Stuart Gunter on drums. Feng as always. But he's also channeling Martha by adding some serious new shui to his musical house (band).
Joining the fengulars will be two local musicians with as many chops as a New York butcher shop stocked for a busy Saturday morning. On pedal steel will be none other than Bahlmann Abbot and on bass will be the estimable Thomas Gunn, both of whom have graced our joint with their musical wisdom several times before. These two veteran pros combine technical mastery with a penchant for lyrical improvisation that makes them as snug a fit with the Pollock vibe as a fresh coat of Martha Stewart paint on vintage wainscoting.
Shuit!
Shuit as well will be the cookies and other dessert goodies in our somewhat well-known All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet, which will also feature these pretty doggone good ingestible substances:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Hamcakes
Jambalaya
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Tomato Soup, and White Bean & Ham Soup
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Fancy Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
So come on down to the store Friday evening for some great musical fun and far-from-terrible food. It should be a fengtastic evening.
--Soon after we started doing the music and food thing a couple of years ago, folks kept telling me that we had to make room on the schedule for this local guy who played the blues like no one else around. Never one to bow to pressure, I decided on my very own to ask him to play, in part because his name seemed to be a great match for a store that features food made from scratch out of its own kitchen.
So on the Saturday evening that he's supposed to play, his roadie shows up, equipment in hand. The kid was as slim as a guitar string, and he kept brushing his blond surfer-dude hair to the side as he set up the equipment. Before I could thank him for prepping things for the musician, he sat down on a stool, grabbed one of the acoustic guitars that he'd left for his boss, began tapping his boot-clad right foot very sternly on a guitar case, and proceeded to make music. Loud music. Very loud music. And very amazing music!
He virtually pummeled his guitar with what a more erudite reviewer might describe as "an existential fury," and then these amazing sounds started to come out of his mouth as if he were suddenly possessed by a seventy-year-old roadhouse wailer from the Mississippi delta. It dawned on me that this kid wasn't setting up for the evening's musical entertainment . . . he was the evening's entertainment.
Eli Cook was in the house. And wow, did he ever cook!The treat he concocted out of guitar and voice made for the first night of truly great local music in our humble establishment, and it gave us our first glimpse of our future as Batesville's primary venue for roadhouse-style musical magic. Since then Eli has become a player of national note, touring from coast-to-coast when he isn't playing major local venues with his band. Nowadays he seldom plays solo and seldom plays acoustically. But get this:
Eli will be doing both at our joint this Saturday evening, March 12, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
And if past is prologue, he will settle himself down in the Wine Cellar, drop his head to his guitar as if whispering sweet nasties to it, turn slightly away from the audience as if a bit embarrassed about the effect he's having on them, and proceed to play like a "legend in the making"(Guitar Edge Magazine) who "has what it takes to be the best blues singer of his generation"(AllMusic.com). He is simply that good.
Simply good as well is our classic All You Can Eat Smokarama Buffet. Drop by the front counter with sixteen dollars in hand or on card, grab a plate, and concoct your own magical taste treat from this menu:
Smoked Spareribs
Smoked Kielbasa
Smoked Chicken Breasts, Wings, and Drumsticks
Smoked Chicken Pot Pie (Eli Favorite)
Smoked Catfish
Pulled Pork Barbecue
Mac & Cheese
Mac & Cheese with Veggies and Smoked Mozzarella
Artichoke & Spinach Frittata
Baked Beans
Green Bean Casserole
Yams & Apples Casserole
Cole Slaw and Potato Salad
Tossed Salad
Crescent Rolls and Corn Bread Muffins
Applesauce
Peach Cobbler
Tiramisu (Eli Favorite)
Callum, our adult beverage needs manager, will be tapping kegs of Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale and Abita Amber Ale, and he will have corkscrew at the ready if you would like him to pour you some wine from our extensive list.
So come on down to the store Saturday evening and let Eli infect you with a serious case of the blues. You'll never feel better!
--Today's philosophical question: Is there a more perfect pairing than The Batesville Store and the greater Batesville metropolitan area?
Today's answer: Yes.
Surprised?
You won't be if you come on down to the store and kick back to the memorable musical stylings of Rusty Speidel and Tom Goodrich this Saturday evening, March 5, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Tom and Rusty are two of the founding members of the iconic folk-rock group SGGL, which began playing at UVA fraternity houses in the early 80's, became a major draw on the college circuit in the late 80's, and continue to perform before sold-out audiences at Wolf Trap and the Birchmere in D.C., Eddie's Attic in Atlanta, the Wetlands in New York, and other renowned venues on the East Coast.
Legends in their own right, Tom and Rusty team up to craft compelling guitar and vocal harmonies whether they are playing classic folk-rock or their own original tunes. Perhaps just as striking as their music is the infectious joy they exude when they are making it, their enthusiasm as performers creating a vibe that leaves their audience happily humming and calling for encores. They are truly a dynamic duo.
Inspired by this heavenly musical match, Liza and her friends in the kitchen have concocted an All You Can Eat Classic Food Pairings Buffet for Saturday evening. Drop by the front counter, hand me sixteen green or its plastic equivalent, then grab a plate and sample these classically compatible comestibles:
Green Eggs and Ham
Barbecue and Cole Slaw
Cheese Lasagna and Garlic Bread
Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Ribs and Mac & Cheese
Pancakes and Bacon
Pizza and Salad
Polish Sausage and Baked Beans
Apple Pie and Ice Cream
Milk and Cookies
If you feel the need for some liquid augmentation for ear and mouth, you will want to return to the front counter, where you will encounter another classic pairing: Callum, our adult beverage needs supervisor, who will be at the ready with two kegs and twelve different wines; and yours truly, who will be that guy in every organization who does nothing except get in the way.
So come on down to the store Saturday night pre-paired for something that's so much fun, you'll end up sure to double your pleasure.
--We're not heavily into the laws of time and space here in Batesville. They're nice to have around as frames of reference and all that, but when it comes to our little village in the state of ShangriOzutopia, they have their limits. Want proof?
Then flash back to the last Saturday in January, when the Bobby Read Quartet took off from the Wine Cellar and transported us with them to the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village by way of Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit. It was a jazz lover's fantasy ride.
Or flash forward to this coming Friday evening, March 4, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., when the Bobby Read Quartet returns to the Wine Cellar to carry us away with another evening of timeless jazz. The group is led by Batesville citizen Bobby Read, who is nationally renowned for his work as the saxophonist for the Bruce Hornsby Band but is also a terrific frontman in his own right, bringing together some of the best musicians in the region for his ensemble-oriented jazz gigs. He will be joined Friday evening by three widely celebrated jazz artists: Randall Pharr on bass, Brian Caputo on drums, and Bob Hallahan on piano.
For those of you who are familiar with the region's jazz scene, I assure you that the information in the last sentence is accurate. Bobby will indeed be joined by Randall Pharr, Brian Caputo, and Bob Hallahan. Yes, all three of them. With Bobby Read. In the Batesville Store. This Friday evening. I know what you're thinking:
UNREAL!!!!
While Bobby's group is taking your ears to unearthly heights, you can move the rest of you over to the front counter, contribute ten bucks to the greater good of the Batesville Store, then head on over to our aptly named Friday Night Buffet and dine on this somewhat celebrated ensemble of edible items:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Minestrone, and Beef Stew
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Fancy Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sometimes it's not about the destination but the journey. Sometimes it's not about the journey but the destination. Then there's our humble store in the heart of planet (un)earth, where we couldn't care less what it's about as long as it involves great music. That's our only law of time and space. Call it The Bobby Read Principle.
We're taking down the pottery on the alcove shelves and covering the front of the glass display case with plywood. The bottles in the Wine Cellar have been secured in Al Gore's lockbox. We'd be battening down our hatches if we had hatches. We've bought hard hats for our workers.
There's a big blast that's going to shake, rattle, and roil Batesville this Saturday evening, February 26, and what a blast it'll be:
The Central Virginia Blues Society will be holding its first "meeting" of the year at our joint, and the agenda calls for a FIVE HOUR jamathon!
Lighting the fuse at FIVE p.m. and roaring away till TEN p.m., as many as twenty-five of the region's finest music-makers will fill the air with Delta, Memphis, and Chicago blues, and they'll be jamming until their heads are about to explode. They will huff. They will puff. And they will blow the house down.
While the bluesers are mixing it up in the Wine Cellar, you can engage in your own jam session by stuffing the mouth cavity with gobs and gobs of edible substances from our All You Can Eat Italian Buffet . . . which will be stocked from FIVE p.m. until NINE p.m. Check in at the front counter with sixteen bucks then check out this plenitude:
Rigatoni with Vodka Cream Sauce
Shrimp Alfredo
Shells Stuffed with Spinach & Ricotta
Linguine with Clams
Grilled Eggplant
Italian Pizza
Blanco Vegetarian Pizza
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage & Meatballs
Four Cheese Ravioli in Spicy Marinara Sauce
Chicken Tetrazzini
Polenta with Veggie or Meat Sauce
Italian Lentil Salad
Broccoli in Tetrazzini Sauce
Caesar Salad
Foccacia Bread
Italian Hard Crust Bread
Tiramisu
Biscotti
Need I say that such a feast for mouth and ear needs serious fluidic augmentation in the form of a couple of kegs of beer and at least a dozen different wines, and that we are always here to handle your needs? I don't? Then please delete this paragraph.
But don't delete this Saturday evening's jam on your calendar. It's going to be a dynamite affair.
We like to think that we are just about the coolest commercial establishment in downtown Batesville. Shoot, in the past few months we've even been pushing the needle on the 100-degree Koolometer scale as high as 35 or 40 on particularly cosmic days. (And yes, I know what you're thinking: it might improve the Koolometer reading if I avoided words like cosmic.)
But there's cool . . . and then there's way cool. Cool that's so cool it's white hot. Cool that sends the Koolometer scale spinning past 3.5 million degrees . . . Which is how cool our joint is going to be when Sarah White and The Pearls inhabit the Wine Cellar this Friday evening, February 25, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Drawing on a voice that has been described by C'ville Weekly as "edge-of-tears, catch-in-the-throat, and flat-out heartbreaking," Sarah has released several CD's of original music in the past decade, one of which, White Light, evoked this response from another well-known musician who has spent some time in the area, Dave Matthews: "Sarah's music kills me; beautifully from the ground up, no plastic. I got stuck behind a logging truck today. I was listening to Sarah. It was great."
When she's not in the studio, Sarah plays around a little bit . . . like everywhere. She has shared the stage with Hall and Oates, Loudon Wainwright III, the Hackensaw Boys, and a who's who of Charlottesville talent that includes Sons of Bill, Sian Richards, and Jim Waive and the Young Divorcees. She was a featured performer at last year's Crozet Music Festival. And she has headlined shows at the Jefferson Theater and the Charlottesville Pavilion with her coolarific backup band, The Pearls, featuring Jason Butler on guitar, Michael Bishop on bass, and the ubiquitous Stuart Gunter on drums.
And to think: Sarah and her gem friends are journeying out to our humble village on Friday to share their talent with us. As Liza likes to say, "Cool beans!" Heck, it's cooler than just beans . . . it's as cool as the entire family of legumes.
Not nearly as cool but still full of beans--of the lentil and chili persuasion in particular-- is our appropriately named All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet, which we will be laying out again . . . well, this Friday. Dish me ten bucks at the counter then dish yourself a plate or seven of this:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Lentil Soup
Mac & Cheese, Pasta Salad, and Fancy Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
So come on down to the store Friday for another evening of great music and not-half-bad food. But dress in layers. It's going to get so cool in our old joint, it'll be downright hot.
So the other night Liza and Cid were doing what they like to do for the two hours a day when they aren't working hard to find new ways of making our humble store better for you, our esteemed customers: They were surfing the tube.
And they came across Casablanca. In their household, we have a simple policy when it comes to Casablanca . . . if you run across it while surfing, you surf no further.
They caught the movie early enough to see the great scene in Rick's nightclub when all sorts of interesting stuff is going on while Corrina Mura plays "Tango Delle Rose" on solo guitar. After she finished, Cid turned to Liza and said, "Not bad. But if Bogey wants the real deal, he should book the Rick Olivarez Trio."
But not this Saturday, February 19, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. No. Way.
That's because the Rick Olivarez Trio will be in our fantastical place on Saturday evening, and we have them and no one else can have them. So there, Humphrey. Go get yourself Django Reinhardt or some other lesser practitioner of European and gypsy jazz.
Featuring Rick Olivarez on guitar, Jeff Cheers on rhythm guitar, and Dave Berzonsky on double bass, the Rick Olivarez Trio combine dazzling technical brilliance with mesmerizing harmonies and deeply felt melodies, evoking a world that is not quite real and not quite contemporary, a world of Cointreau aperitifs, plush leather booths, and tuxedo-clad gentlemen leading bejeweled ladies around the dance floor. This Saturday evening, our place will be Rick's.
And you don't have to travel to Morocco to find us. Just get yourself to the corner of Plank and Oz, then look for Shangri-la.
When Rick is not entrancing audiences with his guitar, he's eating Mexican food, and he knows from personal experience that we serve better Mexican cuisine than just about any other country store in greater Batesville. At his request, we are preparing a modest, 29-item All You Can Eat Mexican Feast. Make your way to the front counter and hand me sixteen American dollars, then have your way with this light fare:
Tamales with Cheese & Black Beans, Pork, or Chicken
Enchiladas with Black Beans or Chicken
Burritos with Pork or Pinto Beans
Chimichangas with Shrimp & Chicken
Quesadillas with Shrimp or Steak
Chili with Veggies or Beef
Black Bean & Jalapeno Ravioli
Taco Bar with Smoked Blue Marlin, Smoked Chicken, and Ground Beef
Spicy Mac & Cheese
Potatoes & Peppers
Black Bean & Corn Casserole
Stuffed Jalapenos
Cactus Salsa, Pineapple Salsa, and Traditional Salsa
Mexican Rice
Corn Bread
Beer Bread
Chipotle Brownies
Wedding Cake Cookies
So come on down to the store Saturday evening and let yourself be transported to another time and another place. You'll be travelling first class all the way.
You approach the simple wood door on the porch of the homely country store in Batesville. You hear fascinating sounds emanating from the interior. What kind of music is it? You know it's acoustic, but acoustic what?
It's high-energy folk. That's it. But is it? Not quite. You simply have to explore things further.
You open the door and your ears tell you that you're listening to old-timey. No, that's not quite right, either. Then you have it: those foot-stompin', big-smiling, raucous dudes in front of the wine shelves are playing reggae. Yes, that has to be it. Something on the offbeat.
But it can't be reggae because, well, every reggae offbeat seems to lead to something--how to describe it? Something bluegrassy without the banjo. Something you'd hear in a country store in a hollow somewhere in the Appalachians. Mountain reggae? Reggaepalachian?
Then you give up, stop thinking in musical categories, and simply let the happy happy sounds wash over you.
Welcome to the unique vibe that the Avid Often Band, led by our favorite neighborhood wigwam dweller and merry-music-maker David Hoffman, create whenever they play in the store.
And play in the store they will this Friday evening, February 18, from sometime around 7:00 p.m. until they decide to stop playing, which can be just about any time after 9:00 p.m.
Genre-defying as well is our not-quite-newsworthy but not-half-bad Friday Night Buffet. For an American bill with a zero after a one, you can join the joyful crowd that David always draws as they wind through a food extravaganza that's equal parts bar food, comfort food, Mexican food, and just plain good food:
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Cumin Crookneck Soup
Mac & Cheese, Spicy Mac & Cheese, and Fancy Cole Slaw
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
While David and our krack kitchen krew are bending genres, you can bend your elbow with a sampling of our (un)usual selection of beer and wine. Regard it as happy happy augmentation.
You will want to be there . . . if you don't want to be square.
House . . . (hous), n. A facility, such as a theater or restaurant, that provides entertainment or food for the public: a movie house; the specialty of the house.. -- The American Heritage Dictionary
Band . . .(band), n. A group of instrumentalists playing music of a specialized type: rock band; calypso band; mariachi band. -- Dictionary.com
House Band . . . (hous-band), noun. The Pollocks. Saturday, February 12, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. -- The Batesville Store Dictionary
Yes, folks, returning to our "facility that provides entertainment or food for the public" this Saturday evening is a "group of instrumentalists playing music of a specialized type." Yes, they are our house band, The Pollocks. Yes, they may be a noun, but what they dish is pure action verb.
Featuring rock star Jason Pollock on lead guitar and vocals, Mike Clem on bass, Stuart Gunter on drums, the lovely Maryline Pollock on backup vocals, and various musically inclined friends from the neighborhood on whatever instruments they've brought with them, The Pollocks deliver a ridiculously fun and crowd-pleasing mix of original tunes and classic rock covers. This is one house band that needs no renovations.
We would certainly be definitionally amiss if food were not offered as well as entertainment in our facility this Saturday evening. So we are going to lay out version 7.8 of our can't-miss All You Can Eat Local Favorites Buffet. Fork over sixteen bucks, then grab a plate and define for yourself the meaning of moderate excess by indulging in this collection of greater Batesville's most requested dishes:
Crab Cakes, Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd's Pie
Jambalaya, Smoked Spareribs, Sweet Potato Curry
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Mac & Cheese, Veggie Pizza
Tuscany Bean Salad, Creamy Cole Slaw, Beet & Goat Cheese Salad
Deviled Eggs, Crescent Rolls, French Bread, Caesar Salad, Tossed Salad
Chocolate Chip Cookies, Apple Pie, Brownies, Ginger Snaps
Another local favorite, our adult beverage needs supervisor Callum, will be at the front counter as usual, ready and willing to pour you a beer or a glass of wine. I will be standing by him as usual, offering moral support as I define the term "management" downward.
Look up the word "fun" in the dictionary, and there'll be a picture of the store this Saturday evening. But why bother with Merriam or Webster when you when you can actually be there . . . if you aren't square.
This Friday evening, February 11, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., head on down to Batesville's best commercial emporium for the thrilling mixture of proven ability and star-quality potential, no one around these parts quite matches our fave teen phenom, Willie Denton-Edmundson. Want proof?
A local rock star who forged his reputation in the region as the lead guitarist and vocalist for the great teen band The Wave, Willie has been playing acoustically in the store for the past several months, dishing an evocative, quietly intense melange of original tunes and classic covers. He will be joined by two young musicians who have appeared with him before at the store, Simon Evans on stand-up bass and Brenning Greenfield on percussion.
And get this: Joining Willie for his first set will be the legendary singer/songwriter--and Batesville resident--Terri Allard.
If it's Friday evening, it must be time for our aptly named and not-half-bad All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. For the downscale price of 10 bucks, you can dine till you burst on this plenitude:
Barbecue Pizza - Willie's (latest) Favorite!
Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef and Smoked Chicken
Chili, Beef Stew, and Corn Chowder
Mac & Cheese, Fancy Cole Slaw, and Twice-Baked Potatoes
Salad Bar with Classic Toppings and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rumor has it that in addition to the music and the buffet, we will have a couple of kinds of imbibing fluid called "adult beverages," namely beer and wine. Far be it for me to spike such a rumor.
So come on down to Didwemakeanotherwrongturnville and kick back to the great vibe of a kid who isn't coming close to making any wrong turns in his music.
--This Saturday, February 5, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., our favorite blues-inducers from the ‘hood, Bluzonia, will be taking over the Wine Cellar.
Featuring Doug Hedstrom on guitar, John Stubblefield on drums, Arin Bennett on bass, and Dave Connolly on harmonica, Bluzonia dish a beefy stew of Delta and Chicago blues, rocking jazz, and “hillbilly boogie” that provokes all sorts of bodily action in the audience, including the tapping of the feet, the humming of the mouth, and even a bit of the rolling of the head. Dancing happens. Fun is impossible to escape. Happiness is inevitable. You’re in the zone of blue, and resistance is futile.
We have a saying at the store, “Bluzonia plays, therefore a barbecue feast am.” We wouldn’t dare mess with our own cogito, so we have asked our ‘cuemaster, Kyle, to load up the smokers with heaps of barbecue-worthy food products and our crack kitchen team to prep all sorts of suitably synergistic sides. The result is the deep philosophical truth known in common parlance as an All You Can Eat Barbecue Buffet. The food gathering process is quite simple. You make it to the front counter. You pay sixteen bucks. You pick up a plate. You graze the buffet. You pile your plate as high as a freak flag flies with this:
Smoked Ribs and Polish Kielbasa
Smoked Blue Marlin
Smoked Chicken Breasts, Drumsticks & Wings
Pulled Pork Barbecue
Grilled Veggies
Baked Beans
Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, and Dill Pickles
3-D Mac & Cheese with Veggies and Smoked Mozzarella
Artichoke & Spinach Frittata
Tossed Salad
Crescent Rolls
Chocolate Cupcakes
Rice Krispie Treats
See, that was easy, wasn’t it? But wait. There’s more . . . a challenge before you of a more philosophical nature, to wit:
Do you pick up an adult beverage on your way to the buffet or on your way back from the buffet?
The answer to this question is yours and yours alone to make here in the liberty-loving People’s Republic of Batesville. But rest assured that whatever you end up deciding to do, my trusty sidekick Callum and I will be at the front counter, ready to help you exercise your freedom of will--and whistle--with a collection of great beers and wines by the bottle and glass. Here in Hellandgoneville, freedom’s just another word for lots of beverages to drink.
So come on down to this old place Saturday night and catch a case of the blues. You’ll never feel better
--This Friday, February 4, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., the high degree of coolitude the Bobby Read Quartet brought to the store is certain to remain at peak levels when Hod O’Brien and Jim Wray inhabit the Wine Cellar.
Generally regarded as the finest be-bop pianist of the past fifty years, Hod has played with a veritable who’s who of jazz greats, including Stan Getz and Freddie Hubbard, has owned his own jazz club in New York City, and has compiled a discography that must be seen to be believed--check it out at www.hodobrien.com. In the past year alone, he has been featured on the cover of Jazz Journal and was the subject of a lengthy piece in Jazz Times.
The kid with whom Hod will share the Wine Cellar, Jim Wray, ain’t too shabby himself. When he isn’t playing with Hod, he’s out and about as the frontman for several groups, including F.U.S.E., the fabulous jazz quintet that has played in the store several times. Jim’s high-spirited ivory tickling is a neat contrast to Hod’s elegant keyboard work, and the two play off each other like one of Liza’s chipotle brownies with cinnamon ice cream on top. Their music is like dessert for the ears.
This Friday evening also marks the return of our somewhat promising and cleverly named All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. Drop by the front counter with ten American-style dollars, pick up a plate, then swing your way through this jazzy collection of comfortably comforting comfort food:
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Homemade Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef, Smoked Chicken, and Hot Cheese
Chili, White Bean with Ham Soup, and Winter Squash Soup
Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, and Twice-Baked Potatoes
Salad Bar with Gobs of Lettuce, Classic Toppings, and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Chocolate Chip Cookies
To assist you in the comforting process, Callum, our adult beverage needs manager, will be on hand with Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale and St. George Porter on tap as well as a worldly wise assortment of fine wines. It may be a new year, but he’s still here for you.
So come on down to Batesville’s finest commercial establishment Friday evening for dinner and a taste of some great jazz. It should be quite a treat.
--This Saturday, January 29, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., Bobby Read plays jazz in the store with a few of his friends.
Perhaps best known as Bruce Hornsby’s go-to sax player, Bobby has also been widely celebrated for his own jazz compositions and CDs, including the superbly crafted Monkfish and Simbia. He will be joined Saturday night by two other repeat performers at the store: Peter Spaar, the esteemed bassist who plays regularly with the nationally renowned Free Bridge Quartet, and the astonishing jazz guitarist Adam Larrabee, who has repeatedly brought the audience to its feet with his charismatic style in his previous appearances in the Wine Cellar.
Rounding out the group will be a very special guest artist, the percussionist Robert Jospe. The winner of more music awards than can be recounted here, Jos has played with a who’s who of local and national musicians, including John D’earth, Pat Metheny, Joe Henderson, and some guy named Dave Matthews. Whether leading his own group or playing as a sideman, Jos creates music that, as Mike Joyce of the Washington Post describes it, “is charged with great spirit and imbued with the kind of romantic lyricism that gets under your skin.”
While Bobby and his buddies are making musical magic once again in the Wine Cellar, Liza and her friends in the kitchen will be making food magic that is also a repeat of a great thing worth repeating: our fabulous All You Can Eat All That Jazz Buffet, which features the favorite recipes of famous jazz artists. For a mere sixteen dollars, you can walk the line and pile up your plate with this ensemble of jazzitudinous food:
Wynton Marsalis’s Seafood Gumbo
Branford Marsalis’s Fried Catfish
Randy Weston’s Couscous Chicken
Shirley Horn’s Beef & Beer
Rashied Ali’s Anise Chicken
Herb Ellis’s Salsa Pizza
McCoy Tyner’s Western Omelet
Illinois Jacquet’s Vegetable Roast
Dizzy Gillespie’s Salmon and Hominy Grits
Gregory Davis’s Mac & Cheese with Shrimp
Don Cherry’s Sweet Potato Salad
Max Roach’s Fried Corn
Clark Terry’s Beer ‘n’ Beans
Les McCann’s Love Cake
Terrence Blanchard’s Bread Pudding
James Williams’s Apple Cobbler
With all this great jazzy food before you, I am sure that you’ll feel the need to participate in another store experience that is well worth repeating: ordering beer and wine from Callum, our kudo-rific adult beverage needs manager. In keeping with the spirit of the evening, Callum will be offering two beers on tap that are proven winners at the store -- Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale and St. George Porter -- as well as our usual assortment of great wines. Barkeep, pour us another . . . .
So come on down to our little place in the heart of Arewelostagainville this Saturday evening and check out the scene, it’ll be an experience that you’ll surely want to repeat . . . again and again and again.
--This Saturday, December 18, 2010, check out our All You Can Eat Five Course Holiday Feast, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
For a Santa-friendly price of only $14.00, you can work your way through this hearty groaning board until you groan, “No more”:
Hors d’oeuvres - Mini-Quiches, Polenta Puffs, Spinach Balls, Artichoke Frittata, and Pigs-in-Blankets
Salads - Caesar, Classic Tossed, and Spinach with Apples, Blue Cheese & Pecans
Soups - White Bean & Country Ham, French Onion, and Sweet Potato
Main Course - Shrimp Alfredo, Turkey Tetrazzini, Penne Pasta in Vodka Sauce, Meat Lasagna, Cheese Lasagna, Chicken Cacciatore, and Spaghetti with Italian Sausage, or Meatballs
Dessert – Cheesecake and Dessert Tray with Holiday Brownies, Cupcakes & Cookies
As you treat your mouth like a big old Christmas stocking and stuff it to the brim, you can kick back to the ebullient musical stylings of our favorite blues-n-rockin’ dudes from the ‘hood, Bluzonia. Featuring Doug Hedstrom on guitar, Arin Bennett on bass, John Stubblefield on drums, and Dave Connolly on harmonica, Bluzonia dish a ridiculously entertaining musical groaning board that fills the ears with heaping helpings of blues, highly seasoned sides of rock and jazz, and a special stew that the boys like to call “hillbilly boogie.”
Meanwhile, our adult beverage needs consultant, Callum, will be offering St. George Porter and Rolling Rock on tap and twenty different beers by the bottle, all for the “tis the season to be very jolly” price of only $2.50. Or you can ask him to open one of our twelve different vintages of wine. As always, he is here for you.
So come on down to the store Saturday evening for our last party of the year. You’ll groan with regret if you miss it!
--This Friday, December 17, 2010, Willie Denton-Edmundson will be back in the Wine Cellar for another evening of acoustic stylings from 6:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. He’ll be joined by Brenning Greenfield on percussion and Simon Evans on upright bass. Come on down to the store and let yourself be astonished.
Our favorite neighborhood music phenom (Willie) showed up in the Wine Cellar a few weeks ago and proved that his great teen rock band The Wave may have disbanded but he was here to stay with some of the finest sounds we’ve heard in the store this year.
Defying his reputation for straight-on, plugged-in rock-and-roll, Willie sat back in a chair like some middle-aged folk artist and created an acoustic sound that was mesmerizing, almost haunting in its low-key intensity. He produced beautiful, evocative harmonies with his music-mates, a bassist and a percussionist, as he worked through a playlist that was equal parts original music and classic covers. At times, he sounded a bit like Dylan (only on key); at times, he sounded a bit like Beck; at all times he was distinctively Willie D-E. The music he made with his buddies was great in its own right—and even cooler for those of us who have been watching Willie grow as an artist.
In the meantime, our crack kitchen krew is planning to offer their own unique stylings in the way of our pretty-doggone-good All You Can Eat and Generically Named Friday Night Buffet. For a mere $8.50, you can astonish your stomach with these classic comfort food better-than-goodies:
Chicken Fried Steak, Philly Cheese Steak, Pulled Pork Barbecue, and Veggie Sliders on Homemade Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef, Smoked Chicken, Smoked Fish, and Hot Cheese
Veggie Chili, Veggie Lentil Soup, and Chicken & Rice Soup
Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, and Potato Chips
Salad Bar with Tons of Lettuce, Classic Toppings, and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Astonishing as well will be our beer list Friday evening. We will be serving two different keg beers as well as fifteen different kinds of bottled beer for the across-the-board price of $2.50. And as always, we will have twelve different wines for your imbibitional pleasure.
This is our last Friday evening party of the year. If you are not there, you are square—for the rest of 2010!
--This Saturday, December 18, join us for for a special Holiday Jewelry and Art Show from 11:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
We had so much fun in October when Sue Chase and Nancy Maxson had their annual Fall Jewelry and Art Show in the store that we asked them to come back and display their elegant ware once again.
And come back they will . . .
Sue’s beautifully made original jewelry is permanently on exhibit in the store’s glass-fronted display case, but her work makes an even greater impact when laid out all together on our farm table so that one can see the creative intelligence that unifies the pieces, giving them a unique quality that only a very fine artisan can produce. This is not the kind of jewelry you’d see at Reines or Kay’s. Oh, and by the way, Sue’s pieces are also ridiculously reasonable in price.
Nancy’s lovely watercolors and charming art cards are also permanently on display at the store in what we cleverly call “Nancy’s Corner.” She tells me that she’s going to bring in several new prints and a number of new cards with holiday themes. There are few certainties in life, but this much I can say with supreme confidence: Nancy’s holiday cards will be like no others you find in the area. Spare and elegant, they are like Sue’s pieces in their reflection of a unique artistic sensibility.
If you are still searching for extremely affordable and distinctively original holiday presents—or if you simply like looking at pretty things—get thee to the store this Saturday afternoon, visit with Sue and Nancy, and let them give you a guided tour of their work.
--This Saturday, December 11, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. We're notcing there is something special about this time of year. You know what I mean? It’s in the very air itself, a certain murmurous something, a slightly muted echo of a slightly mystical . . . something. And when I sense it, I react in a way that I’m sure you can appreciate:
I walk into the kitchen at The Batesville Store and sing out to everyone and no one in particular: “T’is the season for another All You Can Eat Mexican Feast!!” And what a feast it promises to be!
Pay us a visit at the front counter, slap down some holiday cheer in the form of $14.00, pick up one of our always-festive plastic plates, then find tidings of great joy in this repast:
Tamales with Cheese & Black Beans, Pork, or Chicken
Enchiladas with Black Beans or Chicken
Burritos with Pork or Pinto Beans
Chimichangas with Shrimp & Chicken
Quesadillas with Shrimp or Steak
Taco Bar with All the Fixings
Spicy Mac & Cheese, Potatoes & Peppers
Black Bean & Corn Casserole, Stuffed Jalapenos
Cactus Salsa, Mango Salsa, and Traditional Salsa
Mexican Rice, Corn Bread, Beer Bread
Chipotle Brownies, & Wedding Cake Cookies
As you dine, you can kick back to the “every gig is a party” vibe of our house band, The Pollocks, returning to the Wine Cellar for the 2.76 millionth time and determined as always to roil our world with their upbeat melange of alt-rock originals and classic covers. The (un)usual suspects will be on hand: rock star Jason Pollock on lead guitar and vocals, the irrepressible Mike “T-Bone” Clem on bass and trombone, the sometimes-repressible Stuart “Lather” Gunter on drums, and the exquisite Maryline Pollock on backup vocals. Rumor has it that there will be lots of Elvis covers happening Saturday evening, which for some reason seems just right for a holiday party at The Batesville Store. Shoot, for all we know, He may be in the building.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a holiday celebration without a couple of special adult beverage concoctions. And concoct we will with our unique twist on traditional egg nog--keg beer in the form of St. George Porter and North Coast Red Seal Ale—and our equally unusual approach to hot apple cider: twelve different bottles of wine ready to be convivialized into our elegant plastic wine cups. Now that is what holiday spirits are all about!
So come on down to our humble establishment this Saturday evening for what promises to be something mystical, something magical, something . . . What is it? Oh, wait. I know: Two and a half tons of rollickin’ holiday fun!
--This Friday, December 10th, we are in for another great night of music when the remarkable jazz stylist Bobby Read returns to the Wine Cellar from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
A denizen of one of Batesville’s more elegant western suburbs, Bobby is probably best known as Bruce Hornsby’s sax player, but he is also widely renowned for his own jazz compositions and CDs as well as his role as the front man for two groups, The Bobby Read Quartet and Secret Sauce. Friday night he will be leading Secret Sauce, a jazz fusion ensemble that features Bobby on sax, drummer supreme Brian Jones, and the “sick” guitarists Adam Larrabee, Trey Pollard, and Darrell Muller. Seasoning a saucy base of modern jazz with heaping spoonfuls of funkadelic rock and soul, these boys blend up a savory musical treat for the ears.
While your ears dine, your mouth can match their pleasure with goodies from our almost-newsworthy All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. For the “sick” price of only $8.50, you can spoon together your own funkadelic fusion of comfort food treats from this ensemble:
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, Veggie, and Tofu Burger Sliders on Homemade Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef, Smoked Chicken, and Hot Cheese
Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Corn Chowder
Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, and Potato Chips
Salad Bar with Gobs of Lettuce, Classic Toppings, and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
To enhance the sound and taste absorption process, our esteemed adult beverage needs supervisor, Callum, will be tilting our fancy plastic beer cups under kegs of St. George Porter and Red Seal Ale. A highly accomplished drinks multi-tasker, Callum will also have his cork poised to open any or several of the dozen different wines we’ve chosen for Friday evening. As always, he’s here for you.
Start with a base of great music. Drop in some serious comfort food. Top it off with a libation or two. The result: a saucy evening at The Batesville Store whose not-so-secret main ingredient is a ton of fun.
--This Saturday, December 4, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Renowned throughout the region for their rich melodies and tight instrumentals, Blue Line Highway dishes a lyrical hybrid of Americana, blues, contemporary pop, and traditional country music. Fronting the group is vocalist Julie Dooley, who makes sweet harmonies with guitarists and side vocalists Melissa McKinney and John Leedes, while Ray Alfano anchors it all with his upright bass. The result is music that, as Acousticmusic.com observes, you’ll want to “listen to when ya wanna feel good, need a bounce in your step, and wanna walk through the day humming and snapping your fingers.” We can get behind that vibe at The Batesville Store.
Meanwhile, as BLH are doing their thing in the Wine Cellar, you’ll want to bounce your way to the front counter, plunk down fourteen American-style dollars, and visit our All You Can Eat Italian Buffet. Rich mono-syllabic grunt-like melodies will emanate from your mouth as you are yummified by these feel-good dishes:
Rigatoni with Vodka Cream Sauce
Shrimp Alfredo
Shells Stuffed with Spinach & Ricotta
Linguine with Clams
Four Cheese Lasagna
Meat Lasagna
Grilled Eggplant
Italian Pizza
Blanco Vegetarian Pizza
Chicken Cacciatore
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage & Meatballs
Four Cheese Ravioli in Spicy Marinara Sauce
Chicken Tetrazzini
Caesar Salad
Foccacia Bread
Italian Hard Crust Bread
& Tiramisu
While you are musifying and foodifying yourself, our adult beverage needs manager, Callum, will be at the front counter to ensure that you are properly drinkified as well. He will be drawing from kegs of Red Seal Ale and St. George Porter, and he will have his cork in the “on” position, ready to open one of the twelve wines we’ll have on hand Saturday evening. If all this sounds too good to be real, then get yourself down to the store Saturday and embrace the unreal. After all, it is Batesville.
--This Friday, December 3rd, the weather dudes are calling for a big winter chill in Batesville, but it will be plenty toasty in our humble emporium when Jazz Collective #9 inhabits the Wine Cellar from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Formerly known as the Baja Jazz Collective, Number 9 is a group of loosely affiliated veteran jazz players from the region who come together periodically to jam them some serious bop, swing, Latin, and soul. Inspired by Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Cannonball Adderly, the group who will be riling up our joint Friday evening is a who’s who of the local jazz scene: Jaye Urgo on guitar, Allen Ponton on sax, Tommy Bibb on trumpet, Audrey Goldsmith on piano, Bob DuCharme on upright bass, and Monte Parsons on drums.
Those of you who have been to our bi-monthly Central Virginia Blues Society jams know how hotted up and wildly fun the store can get when terrific musicians are having a great time hanging out with each other and paying tribute to the music they love to make. You can expect a similar vibe this Friday evening.
Meanwhile, we’ll be laying out food that we know you love to eat . . . our incrementally buzz-worthy All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. For the scandalously low price of $8.50, you can improvise your way through this collective of comfort food delights:
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, and Veggie Sliders on Homemade Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos, and Burritos with Beef, Smoked Chicken, and Hot Cheese
Chili, Vegetarian Lentil Soup, and White Bean & Andouille Sausage Soup
Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, and Potato Chips
Salad Bar with Gobs of Lettuce, Classic Toppings, and Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
To assist you in the food ingestion process, I have arranged with some of the area’s veteran beer providers to make available kegs of Red Seal Ale and St. George Porter, and as usual we’ll have twelve different wines on hand and ready to uncork. So come on in out of the cold this Friday evening and join us for some seriously cool fun.
--This Saturday, November 27th, Inhabiting the Wine Cellar once again from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. will be the Rick Olivarez Trio, the masters of European and Latin instrumental jazz who have mesmerized us every time they’ve played in the store. As you watch these iconic area musicians perform, you’ll find yourself entranced by the technical brilliance and emotional intensity displayed by Rick Olivarez on guitar, Jeff Cheers on rhythm guitar, and Dave Berzonsky on the most beautiful double-bass you’ll ever see. Whether evoking classic guitar-based jazz in the tradition of Django Reinhart or covering modern standards, the trio, as The Hook puts it, “is not only fascinating to listen to but a great accompaniment to dinner or a romantic evening with lighter fare.”
And lighter fare there will be—well, “lighter” in Batesville Store terms—in the form of our All You Can Eat Quiche, Soup, Salad & Dessert Buffet. For a “let’s give thanks” price of only $14.00 ($7.00 for kids under 12), you can dine on these turkey-free delights:
Quiches
Steak, Mushroom & Cheddar
Asparagus, Shrimp & Brie
Bacon, Onion & Parmesan
Corn, Crab & Gruyere
Pancetta, Leeks & Havarti
Artichokes, Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese
Zucchini, Roasted Tomatoes & Smoked Mozzarella
Spinach, Kalamati Olives & Asiago
Soups
Cream of Mushroom
White Bean & Potato with Andouille Sausage
French Onion with Liza’s Famous Croutons
Salads
Classic Caesar
Spinach, Apples & Blue Cheese with Bacon Add-Ons
Artisan Greens with Walnuts, Cherries & Goat Cheese
Bread & Desserts
Crescent Rolls
French Bread
Cheesecake Three Ways
Lemon Gem Cookies
Brownie Tray
Personning the front counter will be our adult beverage needs manager, Callum, and he’ll be fast a-tappin’ kegs of Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale and Abita Brown Ale. He will also have the corkscrew ready to open one or several of the twelve different wines that we’ve chosen for the party. He is here for you.
--This Friday, November 26, The Pollocks, our now-official house band, are here for you from 6:30 p.m. until at least 9:00 p.m. Round up your family and house guests and kick back to the original and classic rock perpetrated by Jason Pollock on lead guitar and vocals, Mike Clem on bass, Stuart Gunter on drums, and the ethereal Maryline Pollock on back-up vocals.
Also here for you is our increasingly interesting All You Can Friday Night Buffet. For the family-friendly price of $8.50 ($5.00 for kids under 12), you can work your way through this collection of gobble-rich substances:
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, Hamburger & Veggie Sliders on Homemade Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos & Burritos with Beef, Smoked Chicken, Beans & Hot Cheese
Chili, Corn Chowder & Chicken Tortilla Soup
Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw & Pasta Salad
Salad Bar with Gobs of Lettuce, Classic Toppings & Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ones, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
While you partake of this gourd-free, turkey-not repast, you’ll doubtless give thanks to our adult beverage needs manager, Callum, who will be on hand to pour you cups of Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale or Abita Turbodog Brown Ale on tap or uncork one of our twelve wines for absorption by the glass or the bottle. Be here. Or be bored.
--This Friday, November 19, the day’s philosophical question is from the realm of metaphysics: Is there a more happy place in the universe than The Batesville Store when Second Draw is inhabiting the Wine Cellar?
You can pursue the answer to this question for yourself by getting thee to the store when our favorite bluejammers from the ‘hood join us for the half-millionth time from 7:00 p.m. until at least 9:00 p.m.
Blending original, high-energy bluegrass with tasty morsels of rock, jazz, and Americana, the Boys of Draw (Deux) are so happily engaged in playing music that you begin to wonder if their smiles are permanent and their enthusiasm a chronic condition. If you haven’t experienced them before but plan to check ‘em out Friday, I should warn you: When it comes to the ridiculous fun they offer, resistance is futile.
While your ears are busy reaching their Happy Place, your mouth can share in the fun by opening wide for our irresistibly not-too-shabby All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. Visit yours truly at the front counter with $8.50 in hand, grab a plate, and start your eating engines on this:
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa & Veggie Sliders on Homemade Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos & Burritos with Beef, Smoked Chicken, Beans & Hot Cheese
Chili and Two Soups of the Day
Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw & Side of the Day
Salad Bar with Gobs of Lettuce, Classic Toppings & Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ones, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
But wait. There’s more. Our crack kitchen crew thought that it might be fun to add French fries, onion rings, and our oh-so-yummy hamburger sliders to the buffet menu. Who am I to deny them their fun? And who am I to deny you if you’re over twenty one and return to the front counter for an adult beer-type or wine-kind beverage?
So let’s review: We have us some great music. We have us some serious food. We have us some fine liquid refreshment.
And voila! We have the answer to today’s metaphysical question: No.
--This Saturday, November 20, it’s still November, so it must be time again for our favorite holiday of the year. I’m not talkin’ turkey here. Or yams or pumpkin pie. Or anything having to do with cranberries. No. Way. I’m talking about heeing the gumbo ya-ya of a store filled with denizens throwing down. About a fais do-do worthy of Tchoupitoulas Street. About a food and music extravaganza that would fill a regular at The Orpheuscapade with envy.
Yeah, mes cheres, I’m talking about Mardi Gras at The Batesville Store! And it’s happenin’ this Saturday evening from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
The store kitchen krew be making groceries and opening the pan-tree for an All You Can Eat Mardi Gras Feast that is as fat with Cajun and Creole goodies as a Vieux Carre restaurant on the Tuesday before Lent. For a mere $14.00 (fo true!), you can pass a good time indulging in these classic City That Care Forgot dishes:
Shrimp Etoufee, Jambalaya with Sausage and Chicken, Jambalaya with Veggies
Crayfish Ravioli with Creole Sauce. Cajun Catfish, Seafood Gumbo with Chicken, Crab, Oysters & Shrimp
Muffuletta Sandwiches on Authentic Muffuletta Bread, Maque Chox Corn, Cajun Candied Yams and Apples
Louisiana Red Beans & Rice with Veggies, Louisiana Red Beans & Rice with Andouille Sausage
Creole Style Grits, Caramel Praline Rolls, Corn Bread, Bayou Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
& Peach Cobbler Smothered in Praline Sauce
As you dine, FUSE will be inhabiting the Wine Cellar and letting the good sounds roll. Featuring Batesville impresario Jim Wray on piano and trombone, the legendary Darrel Rose on percussion, and store fave Steve Michael Smith on vocals and guitar, FUSE plays ensemble jazz that’s as sweet as pralines and cream on a warm summer’s evening. Joining them Saturday night will be saxophonist extraordinaire Charles Owens, who blew us away when he made a cameo appearance with FUSE a few months ago. Prepare your ears for jazz that would make Winton Marsalis trumpet his appreciation!
You better be fixin’ ta be dere for that fun, or you’ll be as square as Thanksgiving dinner at the Cracker Barrel.
This Friday, November 12th: What do you do if you were a member of a high school rock group that disbanded [sic] because everyone graduated and scattered to different colleges? If you’re Batesville native Willie Denton-Edmundson, the front man and lead guitarist for the wildly successful and much-missed local teen band The Wave, you start messing around with acoustic guitar, experiment with some jazz and blues and even a bit of classic folk, find yourself a bassist and a percussionist . . . And arrange to play on a Friday evening at the best music venue in your neighborhood, The Batesville Store.
If you haven’t caught one of Willie’s previous performances at the store with The Wave, you’ll surely want to mosey on down to Shangrilasville this Friday evening so that a few years from now, when Willie is a star, you can say to friends, “I saw that dude playing live at The Batesville Store before he was even old enough to drink!”
While Willie and his buddies are messing up the place with their eclectic stylings, you can mess up your mouth with a plate (or two or three) from our not-half-bad All You Can Eat Friday Night Buffet. Drop by the front counter and contribute $8.50 to the greater good of the Batesville community, then gobble on these goodies:
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa & Veggie Sliders on Homemade Mini-Buns
Nachos, Tacos & Burritos with Beef, Smoked Chicken, Beans & Hot Cheese
Chili and Two Soups of the Day
Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw & Side of the Day
Salad Bar with Gobs of Lettuce, Classic Toppings & Three Dressings
Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
If you are somewhat older than Willie and feel the need to enhance your music-slash-food absorption process with liquid substances of an adult nature, we are here for you with kegs of Blue Mountain Lights Out Scottish Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as well as our usual assortment of terrific wines. That’s just the kind of folks we are at The Batesville Store.
Willie the Kid will start playing about 6:30 p.m. You can start playing with your food from the buffet around the same time. The fun will end at about 9:00 p.m.
--This Saturday, November 13th, two of the region’s long-time stars, Rusty Speidel and Tom Goodrich, join us once again for an evening of sure-to-be magical music. Rusty and Tom are two of the founding members of the legendary C’ville group folk group SGGL, which began playing at local fraternity houses in the early 80’s, became major stars on the college and club circuit, and continue to perform at Wolf Trap and the Birchmere, Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta, and other venues on the east coast.
Legends in their own right, Rusty and Tom play acoustic guitar and create absurdly harmonious vocals on both classic folk covers and original tunes. Above all else, even though they’ve been playing together for decades, they still perform with the infectious enthusiasm of rising stars. In their previous appearance at the store, the old joint was a happily humming place, and Rusty and Tom never seemed to stop smiling. It was a classic evening.
As these two folk stars do their thing in the Wine Cellar, we are laying out our own star-heavy treat, an All You Can Eat Store Classics Buffet that features dishes which we never get tired of serving and our esteemed clientele (read: you) never seems to tire of gobbling. Dish out fourteen bucks at the front counter then dish yourself a heaping plate of the following oh-so-good goodies:
Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Sweet Potato & Apple Curry, and Smoked Spareribs
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Crab Cakes, Mac & Cheese, and Veggie Delights Pizza
Deviled Eggs, Beet & Goat Cheese Salad, Tuscany Bean Salad, and Cole Slaw
Crescent Rolls, Corn Muffins, and Tossed Salad
Apple Pie, Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Ginger Snaps
Personning the front counter to help you with suitable liquid pairings for this feast will be our Adult Beverage Needs Coordinator, Callum, who will be drawing from kegs of Blue Mountain Lights Out Scottish Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale when he is not uncorking one of the twelve different wines we have chosen for the evening.
The stars will align themselves in the Wine Cellar around 6:30 p.m., and they’ll keep the starry starry night a-twinkling until at least 9:00 p.m.
--This Saturday, November 6th: If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it . . . well, at least once:
No other commercial establishment in Batesville can lay out on an All You Can Eat Asian Buffet that even begins to rival ours. Skeptical?
Then mosey on down to Remotesville, make a fourteen dollar contribution to the greater good of the community, and stick your chops into these wok-induced wonders:
Dumplings, Spring Rolls, Egg Rolls
Shrimp & Seaweed Cakes, Firecracker Beef
Pork with Cashews, Sweet & Sour Chicken
Tofu Stir Fry, Yum Yum Shrimp, Sesame Noodles
Teriyaki Chicken, Mixed Veggie Delights in Ginger Sauce
Fried Rice, Spinach Salad with Asian Soy Dressing
Almond Cookies, & Fortune Cookies
While you’re yum-yumming and firecracking and spring-rolling your way to food heaven, you can kick back to the great vibe produced by the rock-n-roll band Failure to Yield. Featuring Batesville’s own Brad Bryant on vocals and the incomparable Steve McKinney on lead guitar, these veterans of the Wine Cellar play terrific original tunes when they’re not covering classic rock and folk hits. When it comes to Brad, Steve, and their buddies, Failure is a Very. Good. Thing.
Heaping helpings of food and Failure will be available from 6:30 p.m. to about 9:00 p.m.
--This Friday, November 5th, something new and exciting is happening at The Batesville Store...
At least two store denizens, and maybe as many as three or four, have expressed wistful longings for our somewhat noteworthy Thursday evening cookouts of the past summer.
Alas, The Big Ugly Grill is firmly secured in its winter quarters, Kyle the Grillmaster has put away his charcoalization paraphernalia, and the evening chill has put a slight damper on the cookout vibe.
But fret not, wistful longers. As part of our perpetual commitment to being there for you and all your food and music needs, we have come up with a stunning new concept in Batesville Store dining.
Ladies and gentlemen and the rest of you, I hereby announce the inaugural appearance of our latest kitchen-induced funfest this Friday evening from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. . . . our certain-to-be-slightly-renowned All You Can Eat Food Bar Buffet. Plunk $8.50 on the front counter, pick up one of our famous black plastic plates, head on over to the Corner Buffet, and have your way with this:
Slider Bar with Pulled Pork Barbecue, Kielbasa, Veggie Stacks & Homemade Mini-Buns
Nacho/Taco Bar with Beef, Smoked Chicken, Beans, Hot Cheese, Toppings, Tacos, Chips & Wraps
Soup Bar with Chili and Two Soups of the Day
Salad Bar with Romaine, Bibb & Artisan Lettuce Plus Three Dressings & Salad Toppings
Side Bar with Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw & Side of the Day
Condiment Bar with Numerous Add-Ons, Add-Ins, and Dipping Sauces
Meanwhile, inhabiting the Wine Cellar will be Billy Caldwell, making his first Friday evening appearance at the store after several immensely crowd-pleasing performances on Sunday afternoons in the past year. Billy’s original music—a blend of Americana, alt-rock and R&B that he calls “Roots & Roll”—is top-notch, but he’s also made a name for himself with his clever audience repartee and distinctive covers of classic rock and folk hits. He takes requests and will talk back atcha, so come prepared!
--This Saturday, October 30th, we’re looking forward to another beautiful fall weekend here in the prettiest place on earth, replete with the season’s most spectacular colors. Burnt Oranges. Deep yellows. Flame Reds. ... And blues, blues, blues galore.
Yes, blues. As in the Chicago, delta, Piedmont, boogie, and country blues that the Central Virginia Blues Society will be playing in their bi-monthly jam at the store from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
More than fifteen of the region’s finest blues players will be rotating in and out of the Wine Cellar and riling up the joint with some serious harmonicizing and hornifying and guitarilatin’ and vocalitudin’.
While they’re always great, the last time they were here the Society truly blue us away, ending the evening with a 12-person omni-jam that featured players ranging from a 13-year-old sax player to a somewhat older dude playing the guitar behind his neck. It was an amazing finish to an evening that was pure music magic. Will magic happen again this Saturday in Fantasiaville? You can bet Batesville’s beauty that it will.
While the bluesers are mouth-harping away, you can do some serious mouth-work yourself by plunking down fourteen bucks and engaging in your own jam session on our All You Can Eat Pizza Buffet. Ruminate on these pizza, salad, and dessert offerings:
Four Cheese with Mozzarella, Asiago, Romano & Parmesan
Philly Cheese Steak with Steak, Mushrooms, Onions, Peppers, Bacon & Provolone
Blanco with Arugula, Mushrooms, Ricotta & Goat Cheese
Mexican with Black Beans, Corn, Red Peppers, Pepper Jack Cheese & Jalapenos
Greek with Feta, Black Olives, Artichokes, Red Onions & Goat Cheese
Cajun with Hot Ham, Andouille Sausage & Cajun Shrimp
Pesto Chicken with Pesto, Smoked Chicken & Mozzarella
Italian with Salami, Pepperoni, Provolone, Prosciutto, Peppers & Tomatoes
Caesar Salad with Liza’s Homemade Croutons
Tossed Salad with Fancy Italian Toppings
Spinach Salad with Apples, Pecans & Blue Cheese
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Pizza Cake
I feel what you’re feeling right now—a feast for the ear and mouth like the one Saturday evening deserves something special in the way of liquid enhancement—and I have empathically arranged to have kegs of Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale and Old Richmond Brown Ale on tap for you, along with some great Virginia and international wines. I’m just that kind of guy.
So come on down to the store Saturday evening and catch a case of the blues. You’ll never feel better.
--This Saturday, October 23rd, get thee to the Wine Cellar from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., for an evening of modern jazz presented by the Bobby Read Quartet.
The quartet is led by the prolific sax and keyboard artist Bobby Read. A denizen of the store who lives in one of Batesville’s western suburbs, Bobby is probably best known as Bruce Hornsby’s longtime go-to sax player, contributing to most of Hornsby's studio albums and touring with him since the early 90’s. But he is also widely renowned for his own jazz compositions and CDs, particularly the innovative Monkfish and my personal favorite, the critically acclaimed Simbia.
Bobby will be joined by three heavy hitters from the region’s jazz scene. When he is not teaching at VCU, the acoustic guitarist Adam Larrabee plays bluegrass, rock, and jazz with equal skill. Pete Spaar, a faculty member in UVA’s Music Department, has played with John D’earth and the Free Bridge Quintet. The widely acclaimed jazz drummer Brian Caputo, a veteran of Sons of Bill, has played a major role in all of Bobby’s jazz recordings. When these dudes get together with Bobby, they cook up some serious jazz.
Which inevitably leads to today’s second philosophical question: While the jazz is cooking in the Wine Cellar, what’s cooking in the store’s kitchen?
And the answer is a simple one: Some seriously jazzy food.
Liza and Roberta have put together a ridiculous All You Can Eat “All That Jazz” Buffet that features the favorite recipes of famous jazz artists. For a mere fourteen dollars, you can exercise your chops on this:
Winton Marsalis’s Seafood File Gumbo
Branford Marsalis’s Fried Catfish
Milt Hinton’s Millionaire Meatloaf
Randy Weston’s Couscous Chicken
Shirley Horn’s Beef & Beer
Larry Coryell’s Shrimp & Pasta
Smoked Spareribs with Dave Brubeck’s Barbecue Sauce
Herb Ellis’s Salsa Pizza
McCoy Tyner’s Western Omelet
George Coleman’s Penne Arrabiata
Sonny Rollins’s Vegetable Stew
Dizzy Gillespie’s Salmon and Hominy Grits
Gregory Davis’s Mac & Cheese with Shrimp
Don Cherry’s Sweet Potato Salad
Max Roach’s Fried Corn
Clark Terry’s Beer ‘n’ Beans
Les McCann’s Love Cake
Terrence Blanchard’s Bread Pudding
& James Williams’s Apple Cobbler
Hear jazz. Eat jazz. Love jazz. Now that’s a philosophy we can get behind here in Jazzville.
--This Saturday, October 16th, we are in for another “it’s wonderful, it’s marvelous” evening of great jazz, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Returning to the Wine Cellar are the internationally acclaimed jazz artists Hod O’Brien and Stephanie Nakasian.
In his many appearances at the store, Hod has shown us why he is generally regarded as the finest be-bop pianist of the past fifty years. From his days in the New York “loft scene” of the 50’s, Hod has enthralled audiences with his astonishing mastery of the keyboard. He has played with a veritable Pantheon of jazz greats, including Stan Getz and Freddie Hubbard, and he has compiled a discography that is too lengthy to list here. Recently he was featured on the cover of Jazz Journal Magazine in England and was the subject of a lengthy piece in Jazz Times.
Described as “one of the most important jazz singers in the world today” by the New Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, Stephanie has appeared numerous times on NPR, performed with the likes of Clark Terry and Bobby McFerrin, and recorded seven critically acclaimed jazz albums. John Wilson of the New York Times has commented on her “vocal virtuosity and broad range of material.” Mike Joyce of the Washington Post gushes that Stephanie “swings and scats with authority, evoking Ella and Sarah without sounding derivative.” But perhaps it’s the Swing Journal that has the final say: “The perfect jazz singer.”
Together Hod and Stephanie have played at jazz festivals all over the world, at the Moscow International Performing Arts Center, at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center . . . And at The Batesville Store! And they’re playing here again. W.O.W.
To celebrate the elegant sophistication of this unparalleled jazz duo, the store’s own sophisticated cooking duo, Liza and Roberta, have put together quite the classy food treat for Saturday evening, an All You Can Eat Quiche, Soup & Salad Buffet. Visit the front counter with fourteen American dollars in hand or on plastic, pick up one of our chi-chi plastic plates, and dine on this:
Roasted Tomato, Arugula and Smoked Mozzarella Quiche
Spinach, Olive, Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Quiche
Artichoke, Tomato and Asiago Quiche
Shrimp, Okra and Goat Cheese Quiche
Asparagus, Crab and Cream Cheese Quiche
Turkey, Leek and Havarti Quiche
Ham, Peppers and Gruyere Quiche
Bacon, Onion, Swiss and Fontina Quiche
Corn and Crab Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Minestrone
Caesar Salad with Asiago-Drenched Croutons
Spinach Salad with Apples and Blue Cheese
Mixed Greens Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries and Goat Cheese
French Bread & Crescent Rolls
Tiramisu & Double Chocolate Cookies
Need I mention that we will have our usual array of adult beverages, including Blue Mountain Oktoberfest and Smutty Nose IPA on tap as well as eleven different wines? No? Then I won’t. So let’s see. There’s the CD release party for The Pollocks on Friday evening. Apple Butter Day and Lulu & the Virginia Creepers on Sunday. And Hod and Stephanie at the center of it all on Saturday evening. Should I set up cots in the store’s loft so that you can spend the weekend on premises and save yourself the car trip back and forth?
--All of Batesville is a-buzz with planning for Apple Butter Weekend, our great celebration of community sponsored by the local Ruritan club.
The weekend begins with the preparation of the kettles on Friday afternoon and continues all day and all night Saturday with the ritual peeling of the apples and then hours and hours of kettle-stirring.
The fun culminates on Sunday with a pancake breakfast beginning at 8:00 a.m., followed by the jarring of the apple butter around 10:00 a.m. The apple butter will be available for purchase from noon until at least 2:00 p.m. in the field across from the store and then in the store until we close at 7:00 p.m.
The Ruritans still need volunteers to help with the weekend’s activities. To participate, send an email to events@batesvilleva.org or put your name on the sign-up sheet at the store.
We will be opening the store at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday and offering an even more outrageous collection of baked treats than usual. The coffee will be hot and fresh, and our world-renowned Momma Boggs' Hot Chocolate will be in plentiful supply. We will be serving from our regular deli menu all day—and featuring homemade soups and quiches.
You’ll also be able to kick back to the rompin’ tunes of our favorite old-timey group, Lulu & the Virginia Creepers, who will be doing their thing from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
So come on down to our little slice of heaven this weekend and experience the magical spirit of community that makes Batesville such an amazing place to live—and visit. The apple butter ain’t half-bad, either!
--This Saturday, October 9th, we are going Hog-wild, and we are as happy as pigs in slop about it. Yes, fans of great local music, the iconic Hogwaller Ramblers will be back in the Wine Cellar from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. to pork over another evening of raucous, good-hearted, crazy-good musical entertainment.
An ensemble group anchored by founding member and lead vocalist Jamie Dyer, the Hogs can best be described by those closest to the group—themselves. To wit:
“We pull in blues, jazz, bluegrass, country, rock ‘n’ roll, classical, and funk . . . infused with our own neuroses.”
“Our show can be laid back and funky . . . or rocking, if we get a nap that afternoon.”
“We’ve toured extensively through Albemarle County.”
“We're the only unsigned band to have played the main stage at Farm Aid.”
“We play American music, dammit.”
And dammit if it isn’t just about the finest American music we hear in the store. While the Hogs ramble through their great playlist, you can pig out at our All You Can Eat Southern Classics Buffet. Hoof on over to the front counter, plunk down fourteen American-style dollars, and go whole-hog on these exceedingly healthy, heart-stoppingly good comfort food delights:
Sassy Oven-Fried Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Catfish
Baked Ham, Pulled Pork Barbecue, Southern Veggies Bourguignon
Green Bean Casserole, Baked Cheese Grits, Creamed Corn, Black-Eyed Peas
Mama’s Yams and Apples, Deviled Eggs, Ambrosia Salad, Cole Slaw, Apple Sauce
Yam Biscuits, Corn Bread Muffins, Peach Cobbler, & Coca-Cola Cake
If you’d like to enhance the ear-and-stomach experience with a soothing adult beverage, you can belly on up to the front counter and get yourself a Beck’s Oktoberfest or Blue Mountain IPA on tap—or sample one of the eleven wines on our in-store list this weekend.
So head on down to the store Saturday evening, pork yourself at a table, and kick back to some of the swinest music and food that you’ll ever experience in the greater Batesville metropolitan area.
--This Saturday, October 2nd, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., we’re all about tradition once again when we present one of our favorite music and food match-ups—those blues-a-rockin’ dudes from the neighborhood, Bluzonia, and a classic All You Can Eat Barbecue Blowout.
When the Bluzonia boys pay us a visit and dish their high-energy “hillbilly boogie blues,” they never fail to rile up the store with equal parts great musicianship and ebullient showmanship. Enter the store Saturday expecting to experience the customary Bluzonia-induced foot-stomping and mouth-humming and head-twitching. (And yes, for those of you who have noticed, I am seeking the Guinness World Record for hyphenated words in one sentence.)
Also customary when Doug, Dave, John, and Arin play here is a ridiculous heap of barbecue-oriented food substances laid out buffet-style. Drop fourteen American-style dollars on the front counter and then go hog-wild on this:
Smoked Ribs, Smoked Blue Marlin, Smoked Chicken Breasts & Wings, Smoked Polish Kielbasa
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Grilled Veggies, Baked Beans, Chili, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad
3-D Mac & Cheese, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Tossed Salad, Crescent Rolls
Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Rice Krispie Treats
As you multi-task with ear and mouth, you will almost certainly want to engage in another store custom—what we like to call the “Imbibing of the Adult Beverage.” You can practice this ritual till you perfect it by exercising quality control on kegs of Blue Mountain Oktoberfest and Green Flash IPA or eleven different wines. It is at this point when my emails traditionally end with the gentle reminder that you will be square if you are not there. There’s a lot to be said for tradition.
--This Saturday, September 25th, as a matter of principle we are putting together a virtuously excessive feast for ears and mouth from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Inhabiting the Wine Cellar will be none other than the great alt-rock group from the ‘hood, The Pollocks, who are making their first Saturday evening appearance after numerous crowd-pleasing performances at our Thursday evening cookouts this summer. Featuring former Seven Mary Three lead guitarist and Batesville denizen Jason Pollock, the P’s weave their way through a playlist that is equal parts wistfully rendered original tunes and ridiculously engaging rock covers. When Jason gets it going with groupateers Mike Clem on bass, Stewart Gunter on drums, and Maryline Pollock on backup vocals, the P’s evoke this simple piece of wisdom from Nietzsche:
“Without music life would be a mistake.”
To which Liza and Roberta might add, “Without food . . . well, you eventually die.”
But more to the point, they would also say that it’d be no mistake Saturday evening to indulge in our moderately excessive All You Can Eat Italian Buffet. For the diet-sized price of $14.00, you can dine in purely principled fashion on these seventeen items:
Penne Pasta in Vodka Cream Sauce, Shrimp Alfredo
Shells Stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta, Linguine with Clams
Four Cheese Lasagna, Meat Lasagna, Grilled Eggplant
Polenta with Veggie or Meat Sauce, Portobello Mushroom Pizzas
Chicken Cacciatore, Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Meatballs
Ravioli in Spicy Marinara Sauce, Caesar Salad, Foccacia
Tossed Salad with Tortellinos, Tuscany Bean Salad, and Artichoke Hearts
Italian Hard-Crust Bread, Tiramisu
While you dine, you may find further virtue in a moderate sampling of our Blue Mountain IPA or Blue Mountain Oktoberfest on tap, or in one of the ten wines on our in-store list. Remember, virtue is its own reward.
--This Saturday, September 18, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., you drop by our humble store for lunch or dinner and spend several minutes contemplating our modest seventy-item menu. Your eyes dart from the menu board to the food on display in the deli and back to the menu board. You spend some quality time ruminating on the quiche and soup list. You decide to consult with your dining partners but they’re involved in their own journey toward food nirvana. You take a deep breath and scan the menu again, only to be distracted by the daily specials displayed on the deli counter. And suddenly you find yourselves saying to no one and everyone in particular: I want one of everything!
Alas, you know that can’t have one of everything. Even in Ozville.
But you can come right-close by dining a-plenty from our All You Can Eat Country Store Tapas Buffet. Issue forth fourteen American-style dollars and let your fingers do the walking through this modest menu of Batesville store deli-cacies in miniature portions:
Fried Green Tomato BLT’s, Crab Cakes
Asparagus Spears Wrapped with Ribeye
Corned Beef Reubens, Spinach Balls
Quiches, Pork Barbecue Sliders
Polenta Puffs, Bacon-Wrapped Medjool Dates
Cajun Meatballs, Spicy Wings, Stuffed Mushrooms
Smoked Sausage Pigs-in-Blankets
Pinwheel Wraps, Artichoke Fritatta
Dessert Tray with Bite-Sized Cookies & Brownies
While your fingers are doing the tapas tango from plate to mouth, you can let your ears taste the rich musical stylings of F.U.S.E. Featuring Jim Wray on piano, Steven Michael Smith on guitar and vocals, and local legend Darrell Rose on percussion, this superb jazz ensemble swings and be-bops across so many jazz genres that they create their own musical version of our country store tapas.
Call it food-music synergy if you must. We like to think of it simply as a ton of fun in a million (food) bits and (sound) bites. You know the feeling.
--This Saturday, September 11th, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., we take comfort in certain verities at our little store in How’dWeEndUpHereVille In an increasingly uncertain world:
The best mac & cheese in the universe. The most eclectic dining room tables known to humankind. The gooiest brownies on the North American continent. The best sample trays in American history. Roberta. And of course, the best live music . Ever.
This last Truth comes our way once again, when the Central Virginia Blues Society holds another one of its ridiculously fun jams. More than a dozen of the region’s finest blues players will be strutting their considerable stuff in the Wine Cellar, dishing a world’s worth of Delta, Memphis, and Chicago blues. They’ll be harmonicizing and guitaritating and drummifying and hornicating till the joint feels the blues so deep, the walls themselves will be shaking with happiness. Ain’t that the Truth?
But truth be told, this is only half the Truth. Verily, when there’s live music at The Batesville Store on Saturday evenings, it is accompanied by the best buffet known to civilization. This Truth will out Saturday evening, when we spread before you an All You Can Eat Mexican Feast. For the humble price of fourteen dollars, you will have the opportunity to seek stomach-induced philosophical certainty by munching on these items:
Enchiladas, Burritos, Tamales
Chimichangas, Tacos, Chili
Gazpacho, Black Bean & Jalapeno Ravioli
Spicy Mac & Cheese, Black Bean & Corn Casserole
Quesadillas, Stuffed Jalapenos, Potatoes & Peppers
Beer Bread, Corn Bread, Salsa, Chipotle Brownies
Mexican Wedding Cakes, and more!
In truth, it can be a real challenge to dine on a spread like this without a close encounter of the adult beverage kind. We will be offering eight different wines as well as kegs of Blue Mountain Tribute IPA and Nectar Hemp Ale. In vino veritas. Yeah, and brewskies, too.
--This Saturday, September 4, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., classing up the Wine Cellar will be Laura Wortman, who grew up two miles from the store, and her husband Kagey Parrish, otherwise known as The Honey Dewdrops.
The winners of The Prairie Home Companion’s “People in Their Twenties” national talent show in 2008, Laura and Kagey tour nationally when they aren’t hanging out at their home in the area, and they have wowed audiences and critics alike in venues small and large with their distinctively original music. When they played here last September, their melancholy-as-mountain-mist harmonies and deeply felt lyrics seemed to etch permanent smiles on the faces of an incredibly appreciative crowd. It was a magical evening in our humble little store.
We thought that it was only fitting to complement these local kids made good with a big taste of our own contribution to the local movement—our food. Drawing on the “feed”-back from our friends in the greater Batesville metropolitan area, we have put together an All You Can Eat Local Favorites Buffet that features our most popular original productions. Localize fourteen American-style dollars on the front counter and fill your plate with these classic Batesville Store goodies:
Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Smoked Spareribs
Jambalaya with Veggies, Sausage, or Chicken
Sweet Potato Curry with Shrimp, Pulled Pork Barbecue
Mac & Cheese, Veggie Quiche, Chicken Salad
Smoked Chicken Salad, Tuscany Bean Salad, Creamy Cole Slaw
Quinoa Salad, Beet & Goat Cheese Salad, Deviled Eggs
Crescent Rolls, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Apple Pie
Cinnamon Vanilla Ice Cream, Brownies Four Ways
While you’re listening and munching, you won’t want to forget to support the other local products available Saturday night: Blue Mountain Brewery’s Tribute IPA and a wine list that features whites and reds from vineyards within minutes of the store. So honeys, dew drop in Saturday evening for a celebration of all things local. You’ll see why folks around here seldom feel the need to travel to big cities like Charlottesville and Crozet for music, food, and all-around good times.
--This Thursday, September 2, we’re going to be suffering another serious case of the blues in downtown Batesville, and our smile is as big as one of Liza’s legendary chocolate chip cookies.
Mississippi Conjure returns to our humble joint. Featuring Jack Roy on guitar, Andy Burdetsky on bass, Jason Ward on drums, and Wave Milor on harmonica and lead vocals, MSC dishes out a zesty stew of Mississippi Hill Country blues flavored with a few dashes of Chicago Electric and a heaping spoonful of Son House. Whenever they play at the store, they conjure up some real-live, escape-it-you-will-not music voodoo.
While your ears ingest the stew of blues, you can allow your mouth to engage in the food implementation function known as The Batesville Store’s somewhat renowned Thursday evening Burgers and Fries Cookout. Kyle will be managing the Big Ugly as usual, charbroiling up half-pound burgers, Roberta’s homemade veggie burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and Italian sausages. We’ll also be laying out French fries, onion rings, the universe’s best mac & cheese, baked beans, and several deli salads. If you’re on the outs with cookouts, you can order from our regular deli menu.
Word has it that there might also be a couple of kegs hanging around, daring someone to tap them. Your intrepid store owner feels that he’s up to the challenge. The conjurin’ begins about 6:30 p.m. and ends about 9:00 p.m. Why not avoid being square by simply being there?
--This Saturday, August 28th, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., the inimitable Dallas Wesley & The Lost Highway Band will be playing here—yes, right here--in our humble store in Remotesville, VA.
Yes, that Dallas Wesley . . . the kid whose uncanny portrayal of Hank Williams in the hit play Hank Williams: Lost Highway received universal kudos from theater-goers and critics alike. Wow-wow! And yes, that band . . . the group whose four members—Dan Sebring, Thomas Gunn, Jeffrey Justice, and Bahlmann Abbot—also earned universal applause for their performance as The Drifting Cowboys, Williams’ backup band. Wow-wow-wowsers!
I guess you could say that I’m pretty doggone excited about our music this Saturday evening. It’s not every day that we have the opportunity to listen to a group which gets these kinds of reviews:
“The band could turn even a confirmed jazz lover into a country music fan.” - The Culpeper Star-Exponent
“An all-star band that’s bound to bring you to your feet and have you singing all night long.” - WTJU Radio
“For anyone who cares about the roots of authentic American music, the presentation of Hank Williams’ immortal songs hits the mark.” - The C’ville Weekly
“I was at the opening night performance of [the play] and enjoyed it very much. All of the musicians were top-notch.” - Mary Chapin Carpenter
Dallas and his four buddies usually play in venues with steep cover charges or hefty admissions fees. With that in mind, we feel that we should charge . . . well, nothing. As we always do. So come early and stay late. You won’t want to miss a single song.
Nor a single dish from our All You Can Eat Southern Classics Buffet. (You didn’t expect an all you can eat New England classics buffet , did you?) Swing by the front counter, slap down 14 authentic American bucks, pick up a classic American plastic plate, then fill ‘er up with any or all of the following:
Fried Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Catfish, Baked Ham, Pulled Pork Barbecue
Southern Veggies au Gratin, Mama’s Candied Yams & Apples, Green Bean Casserole, Baked Cheese Grits
Cole Slaw, Creamed Corn, Black-Eyed Peas
Ambrosia Salad, Coca-Cola Jello Salad, Yam Biscuits, Corn Bread Muffins
Peach Cobbler, Coca-Cola Cake, Shoo-Fly Pie, Vanilla Ice Cream
For those of you who might want to drop a tear in your beer in Hank’s honor, we will be tapping two kegs. So don’t sit home Saturday feeling so lonely you could cry. Move it on over to the store instead and participate in an evening of classic American music and food that could warm even the coldest of a cold, cold heart.
--This Saturday, August 21, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. school may still be out in the real world, but class will be in session at The Store. And what a classy class it promises to be! The inimitable pianists Hod O’Brien and Jim Wray return to the Wine Cellar for another evening of classic jazz. These two keyboard masters carry great wisdom in their fingers, and the music they make is always a seminar in how unique artists can mesh their individual talents to create both provocative tonal contrasts and elegant harmonies. Come and learn. It’ll be the most fun class you’ve taken in ages.
Never one to be schooled in the fine arts, Roberta has created a fancy All You Can Eat Quiche & Salad Buffet that is as sophisticated as it is inventive. For a tuition fee of only twelve dollars, learn why even unreal men eat quiche at The Batesville Store by experiencing this advanced seminar in food combinations:
Seafood Quiche with Crab, Shrimp, Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Parmesan
Ham & Prosciutto Quiche with Leeks & Gruyere
Chicken & Broccoli Quiche with Blue Cheese
Spinach & Mushroom Quiche with Roasted Tomato & Asiago
Roasted Red Pepper & Olive Quiche with Feta & Rosemary
Local Summer Squash Quiche with Tomatoes & Goat Cheese
Mexican Quiche with Homemade Chorizo Sausage & Queso Fresco
Quiche Lorraine
Caesar Salad
Spinach Salad with Bacon, Apple, Eggs & Blue Cheese
Oregano & Endive Salad with Nuts, Cranberries & Goat Cheese
Mixed Artisan Greens with Local Vegetables
Crescent Rolls
French Bread
Brownie Sundaes
For your educational edification only, you will also have the opportunity to discern the differences between varieties of beer--thanks to kegs of Blue Mountain Classic Lager, The Love from Starr Hill, and Smutty Nose IPA—and varietals of wine, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Zinfandel, Shiraz and four more vino styles. This will be one multiple choice test that you will probably enjoy taking. So come on down to our humble one-room schoolhouse this Saturday evening. It will be a truly classy experience.
--This Saturday, we believe in serendipity at The Batesville Store, if only because the word itself sounds just right for a reality-defying emporium at the intersection of Oz and Shangri-la.
So too must Rusty Speidel, Thomas Gunn, and Mike Clem, three brilliant local musicians who ran across each other by happenstance a year ago, decided to play some tunes together for the fun of it, and—voila!—became Rusty Speidel & Friends, an astonishing marriage of folk/rock/bluegrass talent who will be playing in our humble store this Saturday evening, August 14, from 6:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
You probably know each of these fine players individually. Rusty is the capital “S” of the legendary C’ville folk group SGGL, a masterly guitarist and singer who has played just about every venue on the East Coast, including Wolf Trap, the Birchmere, and Atlanta’s Eddie’s Attic. When Rusty played here last March with his good buddy Tom Goodrich (the first “G”), the store was a truly gleeful place. Thomas also played at the store a few months ago, blending the best of regional folk and bluegrass into a unique sound that brought a hugely positive response from his audience. He demonstrated what can happen when a terrific artist is at the top of his game—musical magic. And then there’s Mike, a great good friend of the store who has played with The Pollocks here in Serendipityville. When he’s not doing his thing at the store, he works as the bassist for Eddie from Ohio, which has been named the best folk group in the mid-Atlantic by the Washington Area Music Association. These three artists have played numerous gigs across the region since their fortuitous meeting, meshing their distinctive styles and individual artistry into a sound that I can’t quite describe in words. Which means that you’ll have to come to the store this Saturday, listen to them, and find your own words!
While you grasp for words, you’ll also have the chance to grasp a huge plate-load of food from our All You Can Eat Barbecue Blast. For the lean and mean price of twelve American-style dollars, you can dine on these classic “que”goodies:
Smoked Ribs, Sausage & Chicken, Smoked Blue Marlin,
Pulled Pork Barbecue, Grilled Veggie Kabobs,
Artichoke Frittata, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans,
Corn Bread, Corn on the Cob, Deviled Eggs,
Cole Slaw, Potato Salad & Dill Pickles.
For music and food augmentation purposes only, we will be drawing on kegs of Blue Mountain Classic Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Smutty Nose IPA. Is there any doubt in anyone’s mind that you will be totally square unless you are totally there?
--This Saturday, August 7th, we’re having an All You Can Eat Pizza Party from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.—and you’re invited! Swing by the front counter, plunk down a mere TEN BUCKS for adults and SIX BUCKS for kids under 10, pick up a plate, head to the spread, and dine on these classic pizza styles till ya-bout-ta-bust-a-seam:
Four Cheese
Veggie Delights
Cajun
Philly Cheese Steak
Italian
Greek
Smoked Meats
Blanco
You’ll want to save room on your plate for a heapin’ mound of tossed salad or Caesar Salad. And be forewarned: there will be somewhat significant quantities of Liza’s signature chocolate chip cookies available with the meal. Bust. A. Seam.
I know that you are now pondering a philosophical question: Can it really be a pizza party without rock music? No, it can’t.
That’s why we’ve invited ClassX to play in the Wine Cellar for the first time. Featuring local legend Lesly “Monsieur ” Gourdet on bass, John Sentell on drums, Drew Kimball on lead guitar, and Jerry Eck on just about everything else, the X boys have generated enormous buzz in the area for their easy-listening blend of classic and Southern rock. Think Cream jamming Beatles tunes with the Allman Brothers. How could you even imagine being so square as not to be there?
--This Saturday, July 31st, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., A month of buffets featuring great international cuisine, aka “The Inter-Continental Yummilicious Tour,” concludes this Saturday evening, with a back-by-greater-Batesville-acclaim All You Can Eat Asian Feast. We’ll be going stir (fry) crazy fixing up the items below, which you can access and mouth-process through the simple act of plunking twelve bucks (¥ 81.96) on the front counter and grabbing a plate:
Dumplings, Spring Rolls, Egg Rolls, Shrimp & Seaweed Cakes,
Firecracker Beef, Pork with Cashews, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Tofu Stir Fry,
Yum Yum Shrimp, Sesame Noodles, Teriyaki Chicken, Mixed Veggie Delights in Ginger Sauce,
Fried Rice, Spinach Salad with Asian Soy Dressing, Almond Cookies & Coconut Ice Cream,
& Fortune Cookies.
Open your fortune cookie and it will doubtless say that great music is to be found where you eat. That’s because Failure to Yield will be returning to the Wine Cellar. Featuring Batesville’s own Brad Bryant on guitar and vocals, this quintet of veteran musicians mixes original tunes with supremely groovy covers of Neil Young, Van Morrison, and other classic rock artists. When Brad and his buddies play at the store, Failure is inevitable.
--This Saturday, July 24th, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. it’s all about the new in the old store. Making their debut in the Wine Cellar will be the unruly dudes of Strange Attractor. A blues-based rock band with a streak of garage grunge about them, Strange features three adults who have never quite grown up: Mark Williams on guitar, Darrell Wiley on drums, and Batesville urban core resident Stuart Berr on bass. They all sing, they all play with a polite rudeness, they all have more fun than respectable members of the community should be having. In my humble opinion, that makes them just right for our dainty and proper establishment.
While Stuart and his peeps are bringing new sounds to the joint, our head cook Roberta and her good friends in the kitchen will be debuting a buffet as varied and richly seasoned as a Saturday evening crowd at The Batesville Store . . . an All You Can Eat Indian Feast. Plunk down twelve bucks and make your mouth a milan for these amazing dishes:
Sweet Potato & Apple Curry, Jammu Lamb in Masala, Palak Paneer, Matar Paneer,
Coconut Chicken Curry with Cashews, Shrimp Patai, Vegetable Vindaloo, Dahl,
Beef Kabobs, Raita, Pickled Onions, Tomato Salad, Nan, & Mango Ice Cream.
Just reading the above menu makes me hungry—and thirsty. So thirsty, in fact, that if it were Saturday evening right now, I’d be stopping by the front counter and asking Callum, our adult beverage needs manager, for a cup of Abita Amber Ale or Terrapin IPA on tap. Then again, I might seek his assistance with a glass of wine from our list of eight whites and reds.
The forecast is for sizzling heat Saturday evening. It’ll probably be almost as hot outside the store. You will be there . . .or you will be square.
--This Saturday, July 17, from 6:30 p.m. till at least 9:00 p.m. the Central Virginia Blues Society holds its monthly “meeting” at our store. More than a dozen of the area’s finest blues players will rile the joint with high-energy Delta, Memphis, and Chicago blues heavily spiced with classic rock and R & B. They’ll be mouth-harping and guitaring and vocalizing and horning till we feel the blues so strong, it’s like eating one of Liza’s chocolate chip cookies in one bite. What delightful excess!
As if the CVBS’s feast for the ears weren’t enough, we’re also offering a feast for the mouth, an All You Can Eat Italian Buffet. For twelve dollars, you can tip the needle of your inner excessometer by dining on this:
Meat Lasagna & Four Cheese Lasagna, Penne Pasta in Vodka Sauce, Grilled Eggplant,
Shells Stuffed with Ricotta & Spinach, Shrimp Alfredo with Mushrooms, Chicken Cacciatore,
Polenta with Veggie Sauce or Meat Sauce, Linguine with Clams,
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage & Meatballs, Ravioli in Tomato Sauce,
Caesar Salad, Tossed Salad with Fancy Italian Toppings, Focaccia Bread,
Italian Hard-Crust Bread, Gelato, & Tiramasu.
Let’s review. Great music? Check. Awesome food? Check. Excessive fun? Check and double check! Don’t even dare to be square . . . Be there!
--This Saturday, July 10th, 6.30 - 9.00 p.m... Ah, those white-hot summer nights. It’s been more toasty than a strip mall parking lot in a suburb of Hades all day--and it’s still steamy enough to make your eyebrows sweat. The temperature and the humidity have met the Devil at the crossroads, and He’s matched them up like dirty-dancing teens at an after-prom pool party. You want to kick back and chill but wonder how you’re going to make that happen. And then you realize:
The real world may be dishing the heat, but The Batesville Store on a Saturday night always brings it cool. Especially when the great Eli Cook is riling things up with his astonishing solo acoustic blues. Eli will be climbing onto his stool at our new music space, The Wine Cellar, and doing his inimitable guitar-and-voice-of-a-seventy-year-old-Delta-bluesman thing. He will stomp on his guitar case to create his own percussion section, he will drop his head to his guitar neck as if whispering sweet nothings to it, he will avert his eyes from the crowd as if knowing that the effect he’s having is not quite pure. And when he finishes, we’ll all shake our heads and realize that sometimes a music dude can be so hot, he’s cool. Eli Cool.
If there’s nothing cooler at the store than Eli heating things up, a close second has to be our All You Can Eat Mexican Buffet. For the hefty price tag of 120 dimes (or 48 quarters), you can feast on the following till your stomach politely but sternly asks you to cease and desist:
Chicken Enchiladas, Tamales Three Ways, and a Taco Bar with Five Fillings,
Burritos with Spicy Mole Sauce, Shrimp Chimichangas, and Beef Empanadas,
Chili Two Ways, Black Bean & Corn Casserole, and Mexican Potatoes with Peppers,
Spicy Mac & Cheese, Cactus Salsa, Mango Salsa, Corn Bread, and Beer Bread,
Cinnamon Ice Cream with Hot Pepper Chocolate Sauce,
Chipotle Brownies and Mexican Wedding Cakes.
We know that asking you to take in Eli and our Mexican food extravaganza in one sitting is asking a lot. To help you make it through the evening, we will be tapping kegs of Brooklyn Lager and Smutty Nose IPA and uncorking several terrific red and white wines. We’re here for you.
As the great worldly philosopher and Eli muse Jimi Hendrix once said, “Where are you on this ah hot cold summer? Where are you on this ah hot cold summer? Where are you on this ah hot cold summer night?”
You’re at The Batesville Store on this coming hot cold summer Saturday night. If you’re cool . . . .
--This Saturday, July 3rd, from 6.30 - 9.00pm Liza and Roberta will be showing off their patriotic bona fides with their latest food extravaganza, an All You Can Eat All-American Buffet. Plunk down twelve bucks (six dollars for kids) and chow down on these “Made in America” classics:
Fried Chicken, Franks & Beans, Sloppy Joes, and Pepperoni Pizza, Veggie Spaghetti and Cheese Pizza, Ann Landers’ Spinach Casserole, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Tater Tots, Doris Day’s Potato Salad and Roberta’s Three Bean Salad, Waldorf Salad and Caesar Salad, Deviled Eggs, Red, White, and Blue Jello Salad, Red (Cherry), White (Apple) & Blue (Blueberry) Pies, Bonnie Blair’s Peanut Butter Cookies, Liza’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Vanilla Ice Cream.
While you are exercising your freedom as an American to gobble massive loads of food without fear of government restraint, our favorite teen band The Wave, fronted by our hometown’s own Willie DE, will be demonstrating the self-evident truth that when the kids come to play, the store rocks away. As if their usual musical pyrotechnics weren’t enough, the Wavers will also be launching their latest CD Saturday evening with a preview of some of the new tunes and special pre-release CDs at a bargain price. Ah, the entrepreneurial spirit—it’s as American as . . . well, the Fourth of July, or some other day close to the Fourth.
Wait. There’s more. Local gossips are spreading the word that there might be fireworks in the neighborhood toward the end of the evening. Are these rumored fireworks the literal or the figurative kind? I s’pose you’ll have to venture down to Batesville to find out for yourself! Be here. It’s your patriotic duty.
--This Saturday, June 26th, from 6.30 - 9.00 p.m. it’s Mardi Gras at The Batesville Store! Wait... I know what you’re thinking: The mad webmaster from The Batesville Store has finally gone over the cliff. Mardi Gras is in February, and here he is in June, announcing . . . well, Mardi Gras! But you see, we don’t really subscribe to the conventional time measurements here in Batesville. We follow FST, or fun standard time. As in, “If it’s fun, it’s time for it.” And since we had so much fun last February when we held our first Mardi Gras party, we’ve decided that the time has come to laissez les bon temps rouler again.
And what a roll it’ll be when you plunk down twelve bucks, pick up a plate, and pass a good time feasting on this Mardi Gras in June Buffet:
Shrimp Cakes, Jambalaya with Veggies and Jambalaya with Shrimp, Sausage & Chicken, Crayfish Ravioli with Creole Sauce, Cajun Catfish, Creole Smoked Chicken Seafood Gumbo with Chicken, Crab, Oysters & Shrimp, Muffuletta Sandwiches on Authentic Muffuletta Bread, Louisiana Red Beans & Rice with Veggies and Louisiana Red Beans & Rice with Andouille Sausage, Maque Chox Corn, Cajun Candied Yams and Apples, Creole Style Cheese Grits, Yam Biscuits, Corn Bread, Louisiana Crunch Cake, Bayou Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce, Homemade Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
Meanwhile, while you are feasting, we’re also going to let the good sounds roll! Bringing the jazz big and easy will be the Jim Wray Trio, featuring Jim Wray on piano and trombone, Peter Matthews on guitar, and the incandescent jazz vocalist Susanne Fitzgerald. When Jim’s trio plays at the store, Bourbon Street is a kiddy cocktail compared to Plank Road. So come on down to the store Saturday night, throw down and shake your funky feathers loose.
--This Saturday, June 19th, escape our current heat wave by kicking back to the ultra-cool sounds of the ridiculously talented teenage music star, Willie Denton-Edmundson. Willie DE has played numerous times in the store as the front man and lead guitarist for The Wave, the white-hot rock and roll band, but in his first set Saturday evening he’ll be mixing things up a bit, gathering a few of his friends from the local music scene for some seriously sick jazz-funk-fusion licks.
Willie will then go into “Wave Mode,” ending the evening with classic rock and roll. Word has it that a couple of more friends who also happen to be members of the region’s most famous band not named DMB will be joining Willie for this set. If they weren’t so cool, these guys might heat things up so much that they’d set trees on fire all over the neighborhood.
While Willie and his buddies are making your ears happy, we’ll be doing all we can do to make your stomach happy. For the seriously sick price of twelve bucks, you can get down on this All You Can Eat Barbecue Feast:
Smoked Spareribs, Smoked Polish Kielbasa,, Smoked Blue Marlin,
Smoked Chicken Breasts, Drumsticks and Wings, Pulled Pork Barbecue,
Grilled Veggie Kabobs, Artichoke Frittata, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob,
Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, Corn Muffins, Dill Pickles, Deviled Eggs, & Watermelon
For music and food augmentation purposes only, we will also be tapping kegs of Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale and Yuengling Lager and pouring six great wines by the glass. The fun begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts till about 9:00 p.m. Be here, ya hear!
--This Saturday, June 12, from 6.30 - 9 p.m.. As purveyors of Batesville’s swinest pork spareribs and pulled pork barbecue, we feel that we know good pig when we see it. So we can state with our usual humble confidence that there will be some seriously excellent pork product in the Corner Lounge this Saturday evening. Hog, actually.
As in the iconic Charlottesville band, The Hogwaller Ramblers, who are playing in the store for the first time. Soo-weeeet! There is a lot that can be said about the Hogs, but nothing quite compares to how they say it. So here they are, squealin’ for themselves:
“Composed of some of the finest musicians in the area and a guy that scratches doggerel because it itches, we pull in blues, jazz, bluegrass, country, rock ’n’ roll, classical and funk . . . infused with our own neuroses.”
“We've traveled extensively through Albemarle County. In addition to Fellini’s on Sunday nights, many funerals, wakes, Bar Mitzvahs, polo matches and sewage treatment plant openings have all been blessed by our presence. We like to stick close to home, but out of town gigs have included some side stage work for a local band called DMB, and once we played at a friend's house in North Carolina. She was a great cook.”
“Our show can be laid back and funky . . . or rocking, if we get a nap that afternoon.”
“We play American music, dammit!”
While the Hogs holler in the corner, you will have the chance to pig out at our All You Can Eat Southern Classics Buffet. Pork over twelve bucks and you can boar into this artery-enhancing trough of food:
Fried Chicken, Baked Ham, Pulled Pork Barbecue, Chicken Fried Steak & Fried Catfish
Collards, Candied Yams and Apples, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Mac & Cheese, Corn Bread Muffins & Yam Biscuits
Ambrosia Fruit Salad, Coca Cola Jello Salad, Watermelon, Peach Cobbler, Shoo Fly Pie, Vanilla Ice Cream, Peach Ice Cream & Sweet Tea
After you’ve larded up your plate, you’ll want to hoof it over to the front counter and do that special food-augmentation exercise we like to call “ordering beer or wine.” We have eight great wines on our list and two kegs, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Yuengling Lager, both of which I’d like to pig-pun on but can’t quite find the words to do it. So ramble on down to the store Saturday evening and waller in the fun. I promise you that it won’t be a pig in a poke.
--This Saturday, June 5th, there will be a certain special something floating in the air around 6.30 - 9 pm when The Rick Olivarez Trio performs in the store’s Corner Lounge. It’s hard to describe it because it is felt but not quite palpable—present but not quite real. Rick will sit on a stool slightly turned away from the main room and do astonishing things with his lead guitar, while Jeff Cheers stands to his right, his rhythm guitar creating sweet harmonies. And behind both of them, Dave Berzonsky will wrap himself around his elegant stand-up bass and smile and nod as he creates the tapestry that his friends weave their magic on.
As you sit back and listen to the trio move seamlessly from gypsy to Latin to continental jazz, you are transported to a different time and place—a Parisian bistro in the 1930’s, or a New York City nightclub in the 1940’s. You half-expect Fred and Ginger to walk in and begin to dance. And who knows? Maybe tonight is the night that they actually do!
It’s too easy to say that the result is some of the finest acoustic jazz you’re going to hear anywhere. There’s more to it than that!
When Rick is not playing his guitar, he’s eating Mexican food, and he knows (from experience) that we serve better Mexican cuisine than any other deli/bakery in greater Batesville. At his request, Liza and Roberta are cooking up another epic All You Can Eat Mexican Buffet. Pass twelve dollars over the counter to yours truly and fill yourself up on this till your guitar string snaps:
Chicken Enchiladas, Tamales Three Ways, Roberta’s Award-Winning Chile, Burritos, Chimichangas, Pan-Fried Empanadas, Spicy Mac & Cheese, Black Bean & Jalapeno Ravioli, Shrimp Quesadillas, Taco Bar, Corn Bread, Beer Bread, Cactus Salsa, Guacamole & Chips, Cinnamon Ice Cream (with or without Hot Pepper Chocolate Sauce), Chipotle Brownies, and Mexican Wedding Cakes.
We will also be serving eight different wines and tapping two kegs. So come on down to the store Saturday evening. It’ll be dreamy.
--This Saturday, May 29, Eli’s coming! The absurdly talented Eli Cook will be ruling our world once again from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. A “legend in the making” (Guitar Edge Magazine) who “has what it takes to be the best blues singer of his generation” (AllMusic.com), Eli has opened for B.B. King, played top-tier blues clubs from New York to L.A., cut three CDs, and headlined numerous music festivals in the region. And to think: he actually plays at our modest establishment in the heart of the heart of nowhere.
Which leads to this week’s philosophical question:
Why?
The answer is quite simple, actually. Eli has a serious jones for our food... Which leads to a philosophical revelation:
We can’t help folks around here play the blues like Eli, but we can give ‘em the chance to eat like Eli. So we’ve put together a huge All You Can Eat Buffet of Eli’s Favorites. Slap twelve bucks on the front counter, grab a plate, and gobble on this heap of good stuff till your stomach sings the blues:
Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Smoked Ribs, Fried Chicken, Pulled Pork Barbecue Sandwiches, Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, Green Bean Casserole, Tuscany Bean Salad on Tossed Greens, Collards, Corn Bread, Watermelon, and Tiramisu.
To help you deal with all these artery-enriching substances, we’re tapping kegs of Blue Mountain Rockfish Wheat, a local delight, and Humboldt Hemp Ale, which has generated a lot of buzz since its arrival in the store a few weeks ago. We also have a great lineup of wines this week. So come on down to Eli’s world this Saturday evening and enjoy what’s cookin’!
--This Saturday, May 15, we’re hosting another monthly “meeting” of the Central Virginia Blues Society... but we’re trash-binning the PowerPoint slides, stashing the LED projector, and disabling the laser pointer. That’s because we know from experience that the twenty superfine musicians and singers from the area who will be heating up the Corner Lounge with Delta, Memphis, and Chicago blues don’t need any fancy-pants paraphernalia to work through their one-item agenda:
Play. The. Blues. Till. We’re. Blue. In. The. Face.
We also know from experience that when the CVBS pays us a visit, our store is the blues-rockingest commercial establishment in all of downtown Batesville. You can count on it! While the bluesers are jamming in the Corner Lounge, we’ll be putting out an All You Can Eat Mexican Extravaganza that is, as the kids like to say, “sick.” For twelve dollars, you can stand back and appreciate the majesty of this menu or, better yet, you can pile your plate high with massive quantities of it:
Chicken Enchiladas, Tamales Three Ways, Taco Bar with Five Fillings, Burritos with Spicy Mole Sauce, Shrimp Chimichangas, Black Bean & Jalapeno Ravioli, Spicy Mac & Cheese, Black Bean & Corn Casserole, Huevos Rancheros, Mexican Rice, Chili Two Ways, Cactus Salsa, Corn Bread, Beer Bread, Cinnamon Ice Cream with Hot Pepper Chocolate Sauce, Chipotle Brownies.
As if this weren’t enough, we will enhance the food processing process with kegs of Heineken and the amazing New Orleans-made Abita Amber Ale. I know, I know. We’re “sick.” And here for you. The music begins at 6:30. The food feast begins at 6:30. The fun begins at 6:30. I s’pose you could say that there’s a pattern here—but with one element missing. You. Complete it!
--This Saturday, May 8, from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Hod O’Brien and Jim Wray will be classing up our humble store once again. Generally regarded as the finest bebop pianist of his generation, Hod O’Brien has played with Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard, and many other jazz giants, and for years he had his own jazz club in New York. (For more on Hod, check out www.hodobrien.com.) Now a resident of Greenwood, one of Batesville’s finest suburbs, Hod began playing “dueling pianos” with Jim Wray two years ago in the store—and the rest, as they say, is history. We feel very fortunate that Hod and Jim still find time in their busy touring schedules to stop by occasionally and do their thing for us.
And what a thing it is! When these two hep cats start jazzing it up, the music they make together is like Batesville Store ice cream on a warm brownie with chocolate sauce dribbled on top. Sweet!
Equally tasty will be Liza and Roberta’s gustatory masterpiece for Saturday night, an All You Can Eat Italian Feast. Fork over a mere twelve dollars then fork these items onto your plate:
Linguine with Clams
Chicken Alfredo
Lasagna
Penne Pasta in a Vodka Cream Sauce
Ravioli
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Meatballs
Eggplant Rolitini
Italian Bread
Caesar Salad
Tossed Salad with Tuscany Beans and Artichokes
--This Saturday, May 1, if you just can’t get enough of Batesville Day, or if you can’t make it to the festivities in the morning and afternoon, fret not. We are extending the fun into the evening with a huge All You Can Eat Cookout and music from our great friends from the ‘hood, Second Draw. For a mere twelve bucks, you can fill your plate and fill it again (and again) with these grill-based Kyle-mastered goodies:
Half-Pound Burgers, Veggie Burgers, Hot Dogs, Italian Sausages, Chicken Breasts, Chicken Legs & Thighs, Veggie Kebobs
But wait. There’s more. For the same twelve dollars, you can heap on these contributions to the greater good of your stomach from Liza and Roberta:
Crab Cakes (if there are any left after I fulfill my role as the store’s quality control specialist), French Fries, Onion Rings, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, Cookies
While you dine, the music will be fine. The Boys from Draw have been playing regularly in the store for two years, and it’s been a ton of fun watching their music evolve from straight bluegrass to neo-bluegrass to “blue-jam,” the term they now use to describe their exciting, free-flowing blend of Americana, alt-rock, and bluegrass. The shindig begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends around 9:00 p.m. We’ll have tables outside. So come on down to the store. We’ll be here for you.
--This Saturday, April 24, nosey on up to the store around 6:30 p.m.—and your proboscis starts twitching. You sniff. You sniff again, deeply. You smell it, right? That spicy sweet scent of caramelizing barbecue sauce. That wafting fragrance of seasoning blends. That intoxicating aroma of hickory-infused smoke.
Yes, you’ve just had a nose encounter with the store’s smokers, which are chock-full of baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, chicken breasts, chicken wings, salmon, and catfish. And I sense you nose why: We are having another bigger-than-Cyrano’s-beak All You Can Eat Barbecue Feast.
For the ridiculous price of 1200 scents, you can fill your plate with all of the above—and add a whole mess of grilled veggies, homemade cole slaw and potato salad, the world’s best mac & cheese, fresh-picked collards, kosher dills, and deviled eggs.
But wait. There’s more. We are here for you, as we always are, and we want to make sure that your ears are not neglected. So we’ve asked Bluzonia to inhabit the Corner Lounge for the evening and rile us up with their unique “hillbilly blues.” When Dave, Doug, John, and Arin are bringing it hot and the mysterious chanteuse who often sings with them turns up the heat even more, you know that you’re witnessing the ultimate in Batesville Cool.
--This Saturday, April 17, when you come in to our Store you will find yourself moving through our latest international food extravaganza, an All You Can Eat Asian Buffet. For ¥ 81.96, or 12.00 American dollars, you can pick up a pair of chopsticks and dine on this:
Dumplings, Spring Rolls & Egg Rolls,
Shrimp in Seaweed Cakes,
Firecracker Beef,
Cashew Pork,
Sweet & Sour Chicken,
Tofu Stir Fry,
Curry Shrimp,
Sesame Noodles,
Teriyaki Chicken,
Noodles with Mixed Delights in Oyster Sauce,
Fried Rice,
Spinach Salad with Asian Ginger Dressing,
Almond Cookies & Coconut Ice Cream,
Fortune Cookies
While you’re sticking food in your chops, bringing more than major chops to the Corner Lounge will be Failure to Yield. Featuring Batesville’s own Brad Bryant on guitar and vocals, this veteran quintet plays original tunes when they’re not covering music by Neil Young, Van Morrison, and other classic rock artists. When it comes to Brad and his buddies, Failure is definitely an option.
The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m.
--This Saturday April, 10, take an evening to recover after a long week and head to The Store for one of our favorite regular events: The monthly “meeting” of the Central Virginia Blues Society.
Blues players from all over the region will be jamming into the Corner Lounge and jamming up a Spring storm’s worth of great blues tempered with a slight breeze of rock and occasional gusts of soul. If you haven’t been to one of these jams yet, get thee to the store Saturday. These folks bring it!
Not to be outdone on the plenitude of fun scale, Liza and Roberta are piling on with a ridiculous All You Can Eat Pizza Buffet featuring these ten different styles:
Four Cheese, Italian, Blanco, Mexican, Smoked Meats, Seafood Delights, Hawaiian, Greek, Philly Cheese Steak, and Veggie Veggie Veggie
For a minor outlay of twelve bucks, you can pile your plate high with pie, add a helping or eight of our House Salad or Caesar Salad, and top it all off with a few munchies from the dessert tray and a scoop of ice cream. We’re talking about plenty of plenitude here, folks!
The fun stuff begins at 6:30 p.m.—note the later time, please—and ends around 9:00 p.m. You know by now that you’ll be square if you aren’t there . . . ..
--This Saturday, April 3, spring will have sprung here in beautiful downtown Batesville. Temperatures are rising. And the fun promises to get downright sizzling Saturday night.
Wonderin’ why?
‘Cause we’re putting tables outside and having our first block party of the year!
Things will be heating up inside as well. Playing some seriously hot jazz and R & B licks in the Corner Lounge will be F.U.S.E., featuring the irrepressible Jim Wray on piano and trombone, Steve Michael Smith on guitar and vocals, Peter Matthews on bass, Brian Mesko on drums, and the legendary Darrell Rose on percussion.
Meanwhile, Liza and Roberta will be fancying things up with a smorgasbord of Amazing Appetizers, including crab cakes, bacon-wrapped medjool dates, polenta puffs, stuffed mushrooms, spinach balls, cajun meatballs, smoked sausage pigs-in-blankets, mini-quiches, bruschetta on crustini, endive boats, clam dip, and lots more. You can munch on all this till you can munch no more—and top it all off with a brownie (or ten) and a scoop of ice cream—for a mere twelve bucks.
Now that’s a sizzlin’ hot deal! So hot, in fact, that we’re bringing in kegs of Blue Mountain Classic Lager and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale to lower your temp.
So come on down to the hot town tonight. You’ll be square if you aren’t there.
--This Saturday, March 27 , it ‘s going to be a legendary evening at the store.
In the Corner Lounge will be Rusty Speidel and Tom Goodrich, two of the founding members of the legendary folk group SGGL, which began playing at local fraternity houses in the early 80’s, quickly became rising stars on the college and club circuit, and continue to perform before sold-out crowds at Wolf Trap and the Birchmere in D.C., Nashville's Blue Bird, Atlanta's Eddie's Attic, New York's Wetlands, and other venues up and down the East Coast.
Legends in their own right, Rusty and Tom play beautiful acoustic guitar together and share vocals on both classic folk covers and original tunes. Above all else, three decades into their careers together, they still perform with great good cheer and infectious enthusiasm. As Rusty recently told the C’ville Hook, “We love to play. As long as the audience is enjoying it as much as we are, there’s no reason to stop. It’s just a fun, reasonably humorous, approachable kind of show.”
We thought that it was only fitting to honor these two legends of the area’s music scene with a buffet of our own store legends—dishes that we never get tired of serving and our esteemed clientele never seems to tire of munching. For twelve dollars, you can eat till you can eat no more from this menu:
Chicken Pot Pie, Mac & Cheese, Jambalaya & Smoked Ribs,
BLATs, Reubens, Chicken Salad & Pulled Pork Barbecue – all on Liza’s homemade bread,
Quinoa Salad, Beets & Goat Cheese, Hummus & Deviled Eggs,
Apple Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mancatcher Brownies & Maple Walnut Ice Cream,
But wait. There’s more. We don’t want you to listen and dine on this special night without special liquid refreshment, so we’ll be tapping kegs of the Richmond-based Legend Brown Ale and Legend Lager. Was there really any other choice? The fun begins at 6:00 p.m.
--This Saturday, March 20, Hod O’Brien and Jim Wray play classic piano jazz together, which always makes for a special evening at the store.
If you do a Google search of Hod, you’ll read about his long career as the finest bebop pianist of his time. You’ll see that he’s played with Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, Kenny Burrell, and scores of other jazz giants over the years. You’ll discover that he’s cut eight CDs as a band leader and played as a sideman on more CDs than you can count. You’ll trace a performance history that has taken him from New York to LA to just about every other major city in the world. You’ll read reviews that describe him as “an extraordinary, distinguished musician” and a “quiet and true jazz giant” who is “revered by his peers.” If you come to see him play Saturday evening, you’ll also learn that words alone do not convey the serene, masterly joy he brings to his performances. Hod makes his piano sing.
Jim Wray, Batesville’s own keyboard master, began playing “dueling pianos” with Hod at the store two years ago, and now tours the region with Hod when he’s not fronting his own group, the Jim Wray Trio. Jim weaves his own distinctive style with Hod’s in ways that create an elegant tapestry of sound. The two make beautiful music together.
fancy soups and quichesthat will also include two different salads and a dessert bar featuring several of Liza’s most famous brownies and cookies. Eat till you fancy it’s time to stop for twelve dollars. The fun begins at six o’clock.
--This Saturday, March 6, is our new date for a fabulous, long anticipated music group, Batesville Produce. They were scheduled to make their world debut in our humble store on the last Saturday in January, but there was a spot of winter weather that weekend—remember?—that forced us to cancel the event and re-schedule it for this Saturday, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Yes, the Produce will be harvested this week!
Here’s what band member Peter LaBau, who has obviously been reading too many of my emails in the past year, has to say about them:
“Introducing Batesville Produce . . .
Batesville Produce is a freshly harvested band of heavily seasoned musicians all living in the Charlottesville area. Hydroponically grown to fill a coveted performing spot at the Batesville Store, the band features American acoustic roots music drenched in a thick southern sauce composed of the four basic food groups--bluegrass, old time country, western swing, and blues. This musical stew is concocted by four musicians. Jack Boylan cooks on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and vocals. Mary Beth Revak, song bird extraordinaire, channels a who's who of American stylists from Patsy Cline to Ma Rainey, while stirring in a heaping helping of her own vocal genius. Peter LaBau grills up sizzling banjo, dobro, guitar, and vocals. This Stew's base stock owes it all to Lew Burrus, every discerning musician’s first choice on the menu of area bass players. Jack, Mary Beth, and Lew are all key members of the locally renowned Acme Swing Manufacturing Company. Peter has participated in many a jam session at the Store. He returns with his musical compatriots to have their way with Cid and Liza's loyal patrons for another fabulous Saturday night food extravaganza. Be there!”
We thought that it’d be fun to match the band’s first public appearance with the debut of a new all-you-can eat buffet—“Viva Italia!” For a mere twelve American dollars, you can feast on manicotti, polenta, penne pasta in vodka cream sauce, chicken alfredo, clam linguine, eggplant rollatini, minestrone, Italian wedding soup, smoked pepper ravioli, and more.
We will enhance the feast with an assortment of adult beverages, including a couple of excellent Italian reds.
Need I say that you have to be there or be square? After all, it’s not every night that you can eat eggplant rollatini at a 130-year-old country store while kicking back to hydroponically grown music.
--This Saturday, February 27, The Central Virginia Blues Society will be calling their monthly meeting to order this Saturday evening at the store, and they have only one item on the agenda: Jam. The. Blues.
Twenty of the area’s finest blues players will be moving into and out of the Corner Lounge in groups of five or six, dishing a heap of Delta, Memphis, and Chicago blues spiced with healthy doses of blues rock and R & B. There’ll be no PowerPoint presentations at this meeting, just raucous consensus on one key issue:
They may call it the blues, but that doesn’t mean it won’t make you feel soooo good.
Since this is a friendly, down-home meeting, Liza and Roberta feel that it’s only appropriate to have a Pot Luck Dinner. But never fear. We’ll provide all the food—and the pots to put them in. All you have to do is plunk down twelve bucks, grab a plate, and dine on these classic “bring a dish” dishes until you are blue in the face:
-Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, and Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes
-Mac & Cheese and Creamed Spinach
-Tuna Casserole with a Potato Chip Topping
-Green Bean Casserole and Cheese Bake with Broccoli
-Yankee Doodle Noodles
-Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, Pasta Salad, and Jello Salad
-Deviled Eggs and Cornbread
As usual, we will also be tapping a couple of kegs and pouring from our list of eight different wines.
And as usual, the fun begins at 6:00 p.m. and will end around 9:00 p.m.
--This Sunday, February 28, playing from 1-4pm, Big Boss Sausage & The Pacifist of Fury, a New Jersey-based band on its annual East Coast tour, is stopping by the store for an afternoon of musical hijinx. Calling themselves “Iceland’s Favorite Band,” this group of musical post-modernists blend absurdly clever lyrics with a bit of performance art and straight-to-the-heart acoustic blues, Americana, and what they call “FO-CO-RO-PU”—folk, country, rock, and, well, something smelly. Here’s the way one recent reviewer describes their performances:
“Their live shows are hilarious, high energy, soul bearing experiences that typically make the audience laugh, cry, think, and wonder why. Have you seen the Sausage and the Pacifist? You won’t know what didn’t hit you!”
A group like this deserves a special tribute from the store, and we’re providing it in the form of cheap beer. We’ll be tapping Pabst Blue Ribbon for FIVE BUCKS A PITCHER and Starr Hill Jomo for TEN BUCKS A PITCHER. They’re a class act, and so are we.
--This Saturday, February 20. Le Boeuf Gras has been consumed. Lundi Gras . . . c’est finis. The King of Rex has paraded by. Tuesday is no longer Fat, and the gumbo ya-ya of street parties has given way to the low hum of business as usual. Word has it that even the Super Bowl parties are finally winding down.
The City That Care Forgot is taking a nap. But that doesn’t mean our appreciation of all things New Orleans, particularly in this month of Mardis Gras and football history, has waned. To prove it, we’re putting out a Mardis Gras Buffet that would make a denizen of Da Quarter proud. For a mere $12.00 (fo true!), you can pass a good time feasting on these classic Crescent City dishes:
Jambalaya with Shrimp, Sausage & Chicken, Veggie Jambalaya, Cajun Catfish, Andouille Sausage, Crawfish Ravioli with Red Sauce, Seafood Gumbo, Louisiana Red Beans & Rice, N’awlins Muffuletta Sandwiches, Maque Chox Corn, Creole-Style Cheese Grits, Cajun Candied Yams & Apples, Yam Biscuits, Corn Bread, and King Cake.
If just reading the menu makes you thirsty, fear not. In addition to our usual assortment of wines and bottled beers, we will be tapping a keg of New Orleans-brewed Abita Amber Ale.
Of course, there’s no such thing as a tribute to the Birthplace of Jazz without . . . well, some jazz. Bringing it big and easy will be the Jim Wray Trio, featuring Batesville’s own Jim Wray on piano and trombone; Steve Smith on guitar and vocals; and local legend Darrell Rose on drums.
So come on down to the store Saturday evening . . . . et laissez le bon temp rouler!
-- This Saturday, February 13, the inimitable Rick Olivarez Trio will be in the Corner Lounge, beguiling us with their acoustic jazz stylings. Whether raising our blood pressure with their technical expertise or seducing us with their rich harmonies, the trio evoke champagne cocktails, cigarettes in ivory holders, and soft kisses slyly stolen when the lights are turned down low. Don’t be surprised if Rick and Ilsa show up for the second set.
Not to be outdone, Liza and Roberta are putting together a buffet of “Fancy Finger Food” redolent of a private reception at the Hotel Claridge in Paris circa 1933. For a mere twelve dollars, you can enjoy endive boats with goat cheese, crab cakes, polenta puffs, mini-quiches, bacon-wrapped medjool dates, artichoke fritatta, and six other delectable delights. Included in the price is a dessert tray of seductive sweet treats. Meanwhile, yours truly will be tapping a bit of love—Starr Hill’s The Love, to be precise—and popping the cork on the amazing Virginia sparkling wine, Thibaut-Janisson. So you will be our Valentine? We knew you didn’t have the heart to resist! The party begins at six o’clock, and goes through nine.
--This Saturday, January 30, **weather permitting**, we are presenting a double-decker treat for our weekly evening House Party.
A fabulous new music group, Batesville Produce, will be making their world debut in our humble store. Here’s what band member Peter LaBau, who has obviously been reading too many of my emails in the past year, has to say about them:
“Introducing Batesville Produce . . .
Batesville Produce is a freshly harvested band of heavily seasoned musicians all living in the Charlottesville area. Hydroponically grown to fill a coveted performing spot at the Batesville Store, the band features American acoustic roots music drenched in a thick southern sauce composed of the four basic food groups--bluegrass, old time country, western swing, and blues. This musical stew is concocted by four musicians. Jack Boylan cooks on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and vocals. Mary Beth Revak, song bird extraordinaire, channels a who's who of American stylists from Patsy Cline to Ma Rainey, while stirring in a heaping helping of her own vocal genius. Peter LaBau grills up sizzling banjo, dobro, guitar, and vocals. This Stew's base stock owes it all to Lew Burrus, every discerning musician’s first choice on the menu of area bass players. Jack, Mary Beth, and Lew are all key members of the locally renowned Acme Swing Manufacturing Company. Peter and Jack are flavored with 40 years of performances with area bluegrass groups, and have participated in many a jam session at the Store. They return with their musical compatriots to have their way with Cid and Liza's loyal patrons for another fabulous Saturday night food extravaganza. Be there!”
If you’re like me, just reading this blurb has made you hungry. Fear not. Liza and Roberta plan to match the band with some serious produce of their own: an All You Can Eat buffet of fancy quiches and soups, plus homemade rolls and two different tossed salads. Eat elegantly but comprehensively for twelve dollars. Yours truly will be tapping Blue Moon Belgian White and Starr Hill Jomo Lager and pouring eight different wines by the glass.
Need I say that you have to be there or be square? After all, it’s not every night that you get to eat quiche at a 130-year-old country store while kicking back to hydroponically grown music.
--This Saturday, January 23, the blues-a-rockin’ dudes of Bluzonia will be bluesing and rocking in the Corner Lounge. In their previous three appearances in the store, Dave, Doug, John, and that kid on bass came at us with a bit of Delta and Chicago blues, a dose of jazz, a hint of swing, a measure of country—and a heaping barrel full of musical fun. Expect the same Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, we are going to put out a seriously ridiculous spread of smoked baby back ribs, chicken, sausage, salmon, and catfish. And pulled pork barbecue. And grilled veggies. And mac & cheese. And baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, corn muffins, and dill pickles. Had enough? No? Then go ahead and get some more. It’s All You Can Eat. And it only costs ya twelve bucks (eight dollars for kids under 10).
To help you deal with all the music and food, I’ve arranged for our esteemed local beer distributors to drop off a keg of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and a keg of St. George Porter. They do treat us well, don’t they?
As usual, there is no cover charge. But we would like to pass the hat around for donations to the Haiti relief effort. The money we collect will go to Doctors Without Borders, the relief group chosen by Lesly Gourdet, a native of Haiti, long-time teacher at Western Albemarle High School, and great friend of the store who has played his stand-up bass here many times.
So come on down to Batesville Saturday evening and help us put a smile back on the building!
Thomas is European-reared but an American music master through and through. He has hitchhiked over most of the country, learning regional music and blending it all into a unique sound that has won kudos both locally and nationally. His CD, Sleeping Giants, combines timeless ballads and acoustic pop songs with smart lyrics and elegant melodies.
Bahlmann and Thomas, good friends and near-neighbors, began collaborating earlier this year and have created new music that combines the best of both artists. They are bringing their unique sound to the store for the first time. We certainly hope that it won’t be their last.
They will begin playing around 7:30 p.m. There is no cover charge.
We will be serving light dinners and snacks from a limited deli and dessert menu. I’ll be tapping kegs of Yuengling and Blue Mountain Lights Out, and we’ll have our usual selection of great wines by the glass.
--This Saturday, December 5, from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Sue Chase and Nancy Maxson will hold their semi-annual art and jewelry show in the store.
Sue specializes in original jewelry designs with antique, vintage and modern beads. Her work is on permanent display in the store’s glass-fronted jewelry case, but Saturday she’ll have many more original pieces with an emphasis on great holiday gift choices.
Nancy’s delicate water colors are permanently on display in “Nancy’s Corner” by the front window, and her charming, cleverly designed greeting cards are in several places throughout the store. She plans to bring in several new water colors as well as holiday cards, earrings and assorted other gift items.
If you are looking for a reasonably priced present from “the neighborhood,” you’ll definitely want to drop by the store Saturday and check out Sue and Nancy’s lovely art work.
--This Sunday, November 29, a fabulous new trio, Trifecta, will be playing in the store from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. With Lesly Gourdet on bass and Jason Collier on guitar, the trio features the astonishing voice of Tara Mills, who sings classic folk music as if she were born to it. This is an opportunity to “be there” for a groundbreaking performance by a local group that promises to become “the next big thing” in the area’s acoustic music scene.
--This Saturday evening, November 28, we will provide a bit of yang to Thanksgiving Day’s yin, balancing the Great American Gobble-Fest with some lighter fare—a buffet featuring seven different kinds of quiche and five different kinds of soup as well as a Caesar salad and a tossed salad. Dine lightly until you can dine no more for ten dollars ($7.50 for kids).
Music will be provided by the inimitable Rick Olivarez Trio, the astonishing jazz masters who mesmerized us a few weeks ago in their debut performance in the store. Whether evoking classic guitar-based jazz in the tradition of Django Reinhart or covering modern standards, the trio, as The Hook puts it, is not only “fascinating to listen to but a great accompaniment to dinner or a romantic evening with wine and lighter fare.”
We’ll have St. George Porter and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap, and we’ll be pouring eight different wines from Virginia and around the world.
The affair runs from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.