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Charlottesville, Virginia Vegetarian Festival Serving Up Healthy Choices!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Oct 13, 2013 in Charlottesville, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Eclectic, Features, Veg Fests | 0 comments

by Lisa Harris

The Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival, held at the end of September (28th), although not as crowded as years past was still very pleasant and packed with useful information and services that were beneficial to those interested in eating healthier, gardening, fitness, pet care and the environment as a whole. Children played freely, adults ate and mingled, and dogs both large and small rested under the slightly overcast sky.

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We are sorry to report that Uncanny Kitchen is now closed for business. Uncanny Kitchen – Southwest Virginia’s Most Socially Responsible Restaurant!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Aug 10, 2013 in Abingdon, VA, American, Features, I-81, Living Plant-Strong! Profiles & Articles | 5 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Not the tiniest detail was overlooked in creating Uncanny Kitchen, hands-down the most socially responsible restaurant in the region. It just doesn’t get much better than this!

The secret to the appeal of Uncanny Kitchen is in the partnership between owner David Basinger and his girlfriend of three years, Lisa Sykes. If David is the chef and the creative culinary mind behind Uncanny Kitchen, Lisa is its social conscience and marketing force. Aside from their talents, experience and market savvy, these two are a couple of seriously nice people!

David with freshly baked bread

David, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Western Culinary of Portland, OR, has had opportunities to work in large restaurants and run the kitchens of high-dollar establishments in other areas of the country. He preferred, however, to bring his talents home to serve the community he grew up in, offering wholesome, delicious food at affordable prices.

It is important to David to connect with the farmers in the area. When he was at culinary school, one of the things he liked best was the opportunity to join the co-op. He was instrumental in the development of the Farm To Table program in Portland. He often volunteered at Sauvie Island, where the school had some land. He peeled potatoes or turned compost on his off time. He’d pick berries and volunteer with Sauvie Organics who gave him plants to grow at the school. He came to see the value of working within a community of agricultural entrepreneurs and he liked this model of doing business. (more…)

We are sorry to report that Uncanny Kitchen is now closed for business. Uncanny Kitchen

Posted by Danielle on Aug 2, 2013 in Abingdon, VA, American, I-81 | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

When Uncanny Kitchen of Abingdon, VA first opened in early summer they set the bar for being the only vegetarian, mostly vegan, restaurant in the area using quality organic, locally grown produce. Uncanny Kitchen goes the extra mile in serving only GMO Free edibles! This restaurant is a new and very welcome addition to the casual dining scene in Abingdon, VA. The name refers to the concept that everything is made from scratch. Nothing owner David Basinger makes comes from a can.

Cornbread Salad

Uncanny Kitchen is the only restaurant in Abingdon Rich and I frequent because it is the only restaurant in town where we can be assured of a healthy, plant-based meal. The restaurant is small and the dining room is tiny, with only four tables. It was originally envisioned as more a take-out kind of restaurant and the number of clientele who have opted to eat in came as a bit of a surprise to the owner. Still, even considering the steady stream of traffic in and out of the restaurant, I’ve never had to wait for a table. (more…)

Whole Health Center, Abingdon, VA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jul 12, 2013 in Abingdon, VA, Grocers, I-81 | 1 comment

by Danielle Bussone

If you find yourself low on organic supplies while tooling down Interstate 81, pull off at exit 19 in Abingdon, Virginia and stock up! Just a couple minutes from the Interstate on Main Street is a small family owned health food store called Whole Health Center. You can find organic bulk items, some fresh locally grown vegetables, packaged items like Bob’s Mills grains, coconut oils, date sugar, Braggs Amino Acids, Coconut oil, essential oils, soaps and the ubiquitous shelves of supplements.

Sean and Donna Bossie bought Whole Health Center two years ago from, Charlie, its former owner of 27 years. They had been visiting Abingdon from North Conway, New Hampshire, where they owned a coop. Their daughter had moved to Abingdon where she teaches school. The winters in New Hampshire on White Mountain were as brutal as the name suggests. Their children were grown and moved away and there didn’t seem to be much tying them to their home in the north. When Charlie commented one day, “You know, if you ever want to move closer to those grandbabies… I’m thinking of selling if you are thinking of possibly buying,” the wheels begin to turn in the Bossie’s brains. After a year of negotiating through snail mail (Charlie was not computer savvy), Whole Health Center became theirs and Abingdon, Virginia became home. (more…)

Richmond Vegetarian Festival, June 15, 2013 was a blast!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jun 25, 2013 in Features, I-64, I-95, Richmond, VA, Richmond, VA, Veg Fests | 8 comments

Richmond Vegetarian Festival was all a vegetarian festival should be. Rich and I drove the 300 miles from Abingdon, VA with our monster, Phoenix, happily settled in the back of our Subaru Forester. We stopped en-route in Charlottesville, VA and reviewed a marvelous Afghani restaurant called Ariana Grill Kabob House (see post). We sat outside and enjoyed our meal while Phoenix basked in the attention of passersby, her favorite activity. After checking into our clean, dog-friendly hotel, (Candlewood Suites near the airport) that evening, we visited India K’Raja, renown as Richmond’s best Indian restaurant since 1995, and for good reason (see post).

On the day of the festival, which took place in the verdant Azalea Gardens at Bryan Park, we arrived just before noon, which is when it was scheduled to begin. The gods were smiling on us as the weather could not have been more perfect with lots of sun, shade trees and a cool breeze. The event was free of charge and parking was plentiful. Even the parking lot was lovely. We were immediately greeted by animal rescue groups which had plenty of trained and health-certified adoption ready animals to take home. They had children’s bathing pools of ice for animals to help themselves to a cool drink at this pet friendly event. Towards the end of the event we saw a Labrador climb in and make use of this pool’s original purpose! We had to walk past these groups quickly and with resolve as we already have our maximum limit of monsters (the collective name for our beloved animals) in our home. (more…)