Ask any old-time Lynchburg local about the Dahlia, and you will get avarietyof responses, ranging from tales of barstool glory days to scrunched-face grimaces. “That was the type of place visited and didn’t tell your wife about,” notes one Lynchburg lifer.
Although the original Dahlia — first opened in 1947— was a staple of Lynchburg’s nightlife, it had the reputation of being a bit of a dive. The spot was closed in 2008 and spent a few years becoming a mossy Bedford Avenue eyesore. However, since being purchased by James West, owner of the neighboring Blue Marlin Seafood, the restaurant has been reopened and revamped.

Since its debut on Christmas Eve, the Dahlia has become a local hotspot. With a terrific feature in the Lynchburg News & Advance, the restaurant and bar has received even more traffic, from the working crowd dropping by for lunch to a rowdier bunch at night. With only eight tables and a handful of bar stools, the space is always packed and alive the buzz of laughter and conversation.

The Dahlia’s menu features unique choices ranging from Beer Cheese Soup to Organic Salmon, so whether you’re a lover of pub-grub, southern style fare (just what exactly is a hoe cake, anyways?) or high quality seafood, you are sure to find something appealing. With a fresh new face and glossy wood interior, the Dahlia is back in business and ready for action.

Stop by the Dahlia, located at 2221 Bedford Avenue, or them a call at (434) 846-0601.

Celebrating it’s second year, the Summer Solstice Festival brought together all of the area’s finest wineries for a delicious tasting on the longest day of the year: Saturday, June 19.

Several new vineyards made their appearance, including Democracy Vineyards and DeVault Vineyards.

Here is a quick run-down of some of our favorite wines:

Democracy Vineyards:

• Village View Gold fruit wine, 100% Ginger Gold Apple Wine

Mountain Cove Vineyards:

• Skyline Rose:  blend of red and white
• Apple:  red delicious, granny smith and golden Delicious with Fuji
• Peach: peaches from Nelson county

Delfosse Vineyards and Winery

• Deer Rock Farm Red: red blend aged in French oak barrels

Flying Fox Vineyard

• Fox White: sweet version of Viognier; porch wine
• Trio: red blend with a deep oak flavor

Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery

• Mountain Apple Wine: the best apple wine EVER!
• Lavender Metheglin mead wine

Lazy Days Winery

• Sweet Lazy Days: off-dry bled of vidal and chardonnay

Wintergreen Winery

• Three Ridges White: atlantic seaboard wine competition silver medalist, made with Petit Manseng grape
• Raven’s Roost cabernet franc: medium bodied cabernet franc with raspberry and violet

Rebec Winery

• Gewurztraminer: a smokey semi-dry white, soft but spicy
• Landmark Sweet: light and sweet with honeydew and mango

Cardinal Point

• CS + PV + CF: A blend of blackberry from Cab. Sauv, cherry from P. VErdot and Pepper from Cab Franc

By Alex Mebane, Young Professionals of Central Virginia

If you happen to find yourself in Sweet Briar’s neck of the woods, a great spot to grab a bite to eat is The Briar Patch Restaurant in Amherst. The Briar Patch opens at 11am for lunch and stays open through dinner.

Whether it is SBC faculty with their family, locals, or friends just hanging out, there is always a full dining room. It has a cozy, family style atmosphere, and you will notice that most of the diners know everyone that comes through the door. If they haven’t met you, chances are you may find them smiling and saying hello to you or even formally introducing themselves.

www.bunnypatch.biz

883 S Main St

Amherst, VA 24521

(434) 946-2249

By Eddie Sitzler, The Sitzler Insurance Company

I moved to the Lynchburg area about 7 years ago and have constantly talked up its finer points – such as access to great outdoor activities… but tried my best to ignore the lack of great culinary experiences.

It doesn’t help that I grew up in Louisville, KY – which is renowned for its availability of dining diversity! After years of avoiding the subject of “where’s a good place to eat?” when family and friends visit, I now have found a few places to brag about! 

The first truly ‘must-do’ experience is Milan Indian Cuisine located at 2124 Wards Rd near Burlington Coat Factory. The exterior of the building is nothing to write about, but the atmosphere inside is perfect for an Indian restaurant. At lunch time they have a buffet which is great for first timers to sample the exotic dishes and they also serve a full menu. The service is very good, but don’t expect too much explanation of the menu; they will help pick dishes to meet your taste but if you are green about Indian food, just wing it and try something! They do offer combination dinners which are great.

On our last visit we were joined with another couple and ordered family style. This is a great way to experience a few different dishes as their menu is quite substantial and intimidating if you don’t know much about Indian food. They have a full bar but I have never made it past the wine and beer menu. There are a couple of Indian red wines that tastes great and are available by the glass, I’ve never even heard of Indian wines, but am now a fan. The beers from India are also quite good. I suggest the King Fisher or Taj Mahal.

We started with Samosas, a very common Indian appetizer. One order has two samosas and was enough for the four of us.

 

For dinner we had Lamb Tikka Masala which could be ordered as chicken, beef, or vegetable.  

Our vegetarian dish was Palak Paneer: my personal favorite dish of sautéed spinach with cubed ‘cheese’ which reminds me of tofu; quite simple but oh so good. 

We then had chicken vindaloo which was wonderful. We ordered a bread basket which is an assortment of their flat breads; the garlic naan is tough to beat. Everything is served with wonderfully spiced basmati rice; I don’t typically like rice but this stuff is great!

Their dishes are served from mild to Indian hot to meet everyone’s palate. I love my food spicy but my wife can’t handle the hot stuff. The medium is usually a great compromise for us. The hot and Indian hot are nothing to fear if you can handle a bit of heat; the flavors still come through loud and clear.

           

To really excite your taste buds, give Milan’s a try. Be adventurous if you are new to Indian food or order your favorites; this is a great spot! 

Go to Milan’s Website >

I visited Isabella’s this Sunday (4/19) with three of my friends. The first thing that struck me was the homage to the old Isabella’s in the Vestibule – the walls were yellow and the painting of Isabella hung on the wall. However, this is the ONLY remembrance of the past. The new restaurant is chic, metro, funky, and very sleek. It is decorated in muted grays with minimal decor. There is a great lounge section with funky Zebra stools in the bar area. There is a back room with a fireplace that can be curtained off for private parties. And the best part is that they kept the old Meriwether’s bar which keeps the place feeling like home to those of us who miss it.

Okay – on to the really good stuff. Besides having excellent service, we were treated to some culinary delights that will keep this self-proclaimed culinary snob coming back for more.

Our first course was a little decadent for a Sunday afternoon, but we wanted to celebrate and decided to start with cocktails. Anyone who has been to Isabella’s before knows that they offer amazing Bellinis and this was the perfect way to start our brunch.

Of the four of us who ate, three ordered the Italian Eggs Benedict served on Rosemary Focaccia, with Pancetta, spinach, and a basil hollandaise. I LOVE eggs Benedict and this one ties for my most favorite EVER. The bread was nice and crusty, the pancetta added the perfect balance of salt, the eggs were cooked to perfection, and the hollandaise was light with a subtle hint of basil. We all cleaned our plates!

One guest got the Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes and I can happily report that these are not your Mother’s pancakes. They were huge, fluffy, loaded with blueberries and yummy!

Reviews of Isabella’s Italian Trattoria:

http://www.10best.com/

http://www.yelp.com/