/ Whimsy in Winchester

Farmers Market

Saturday, May 30, 2015

The Winchester Farmers Market is open for the season and with a new location at the Taylor Pavilion. There are many vendors that are selling a variety of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and baked goods. You can stop by and get some cool, refreshing drinks and chat with the vendors and volunteers. Musicians will be performing each Saturday so be sure to set aside some time each week to support our community and check out the variety offered at the market.

Friday, March 13, 2015

If you're looking for for a comic shop that can meet all your needs with incredibly helpful and happy staff look no further. Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia can provide you with comics, comic merchandise, board games, card games, and expansion sets. They're easy to spot as they have a signature blue color on the outside of their shop on Weems Lane. Check them out on facebook, then stop in to say hi to the owner, Mike.

When you walk through the door staff will great you with a smile and ask if they can help you find anything. They're willing to offer personal advice on games or comics and can guide you in the right direction if you're new. Occasionally the shop hosts board game events such as a recent one for the 7 Wonders board game. You can't go wrong, whatever you choose, at Four Color Fantasies. Think about some new hobbies you may be interested in, grab a friend, and step into Winchester's local comic shop.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Posh Pets is a boutique on the Loudoun Street Mall that caters to pet owners. They offer a variety of merchandise including leashes, pet outfits (and coats), toys, jewelry, bumper stickers, and dog beds. We often stop in when we're downtown just to pick up some handmade treats for our dog, Odin. The treats are often themed with the recent or soon-to-be holidays.

On top of the merchandise, Posh Pets also offers training classes, grooming, and special events such as photos with Santa and Pet Parades. These can be really fun activities and the money for tickets or photos is usually passed on to a rescue organization. If you can make it out to one of their parades, it's a sight to see with all the pets dressed to the nines. On top of it all, Posh Pets helps with animal adoptions; they work in conjunction with several rescue and foster organizations. This coming Saturday, for example, Shirley's Angels Boxer Rescue will be present in the store with a few boxer pups that are available for adoption. You can find this local business at their facebook page or website to see when they offer certain courses and adoption dates through their partner organizations.

So if you're into animals and want to make your pet posh stop on in and say hi. The staff is very friendly and would love to meet some more animal lovers in Winchester.

{Our boy waiting patiently in the store, knowing a treat will come his way}

{Lots of stylish leashes and collars to choose from}

{Some of the many toys for sale}

{Jackets to help dogs keep warm}

{The handmade treats}

{He knows what Posh Pets means!}

Monday, March 2, 2015

Today kickstarts Winchester's annual Restaurant Week. This is a great weeklong event that is put on by local businesses downtown to entice customers to try new places and new foods. If you have old favorites you can still stop in for some varying menus and affordable food. Most participating restaurants are either offering three course meals for $25 or 2 for $25 deals.

Our first stop is a little non-traditional this week. Jack Knuckle Gourmet is participating in Winchester's Restaurant Week and is creating meals for two people for $25. What's unique about them is that they are a food truck that roams around the town. You can check out their Restaurant Week Menu here. For the event week the truck is parked right behind Winchester Towers on Cameron Street. Grab some friends and try out their soups, sandwiches, and sides.

Tonight my husband and I tried out the gourmet grilled cheese, cream of asparagus soup, and falafel along with two drinks all for $25. Since it's a little chilly out and we live close to downtown we decided to eat at home, but you could sit along the wall on Cameron Street to eat and chat if you desire. As we were getting our food, three more families showed up to try out the food truck. The employees delivered service with a smile and I'm interested in testing out their other sandwiches in the weeks to come.

Interested in finding out what other businesses are participating? There are a bunch in our historic downtown and you can check them all out on their website or facebook page.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Saturday invited in the second annual Chocolate Escape in downtown Winchester. A plethora of business (both shops and restaurants) created delicate chocolate desserts that were sold for $2. Each participating location proudly placed a red balloon outside of their venue.

Pictured above are chocolates from some of the participating venues including The Half Note Lounge's fudge bars, Brewbakers' cupcake and macaroons, Union Jack's trio of truffles, The Bright Box's "All You Can Eat Chocolate", and samples from both Murphy's and Flavor Pourfection. It was a lot of fun to go around with friends and take the chocolate tour of local businesses. Our personal favorite ended up being Brewbakers' desserts and I would love to see them added to their permanent menu.

Many locations participated and some specialty shops that don't work with chocolates (such as Murphy's Beverage Company and Flavor Pourfection) had their own tastings to invite the people of Winchester into their stores. Murphy's had a table in their entryway where customers could come in and try two wines with sample bites of chocolate that you could nibble at while perusing their store. Flavor Pourfection had free olive oil, vinegar, and jelly tastings for the public. Sample cups were all around the shop and you could try different herb and cheese flavors in your oil or grab a miniature spoon and sample jellies (that ranged from your standard raspberry to jellies made with brandies and wines).

All in all it was a great event to bring people into new shops and businesses on the Loudoun Mall that they may never have visited before and it ran pretty smoothly overall. The only issue our group kept running into was that businesses had run out of chocolates around 4pm (when the event ended at 5pm), but with this being only the second time the event has been hosted we can forgive some snags like that. I suspect we'll see an even better turnout in participating locations next February and if you get the chance, come on out. If you participated in the event, leave a comment and share your thoughts on your favorite chocolates!

Monday, January 26, 2015

Bonnie Blue is a little restaurant on the corner of Bowscawen and Amherst Street in downtown Winchester. It makes for a convenient lunch spot and lots of people order their food to go from here. There are a few tables inside the building as well as a handful outdoors, which can get packed during the summer on sunny days.

Their menu is written on a chalkboard over the kitchen, which opens into the seating area. Most of the menu consists of meat platters and sandwiches such as pulled pork and smoked chicken (you can see their full menu here). They also serve Route 11 potato chips, a favorite in Shenandoah Valley, along with other sides including collard greens, fried apples, potato salad, cole slaw, and mac & cheese. I will say there's practically nothing vegetarian, so if that is your diet choice be prepared to eat a combo of different side dishes. However, if you eat meat you'll be in heaven. They've got lots of fresh cooked choices for you.

All in all I would say you have to try it if you live in Winchester because there's no other place in town quite like it. It's a local joint that serves some regional food with a unique style and flair. Service has always been quick and friendly at Bonnie Blue. While stopping in, you can also try out some coffee from Hopscotch since one of their branches is inside the restaurant along with some pastries and artisan breads that are available throughout the day.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

One of the best parts of the revival of downtown Winchester has been the addition of the Bright Box Theater. It's a venue where musicians, comedians, and dancers can come to perform and it's an excellent way to spend a Friday or Saturday night enjoying the arts with some food and drinks.

If you're looking for a hot band to see, keep your eye on the group Terry Oates and the Mudcats. These guys know how to put on a show. They've got a bluesy rock vibe and the lead man, Terry, sure can get an audience riled up. The band tends to hit up places like the Bright Box, the George Washington Hotel, and other venues for local events. Be sure to look out for them. I'll share with you a blurb from their webpage that describes their playing style.

"Terry Oates and the Mudcats are a high energy blues band based on traditional blues influences with a modern flair. We draw inspiration from the original greats such as BB King, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, and many others in our original material while paying homage to these icons of the blues by playing some of their greatest performances in the way they were originally recorded. The concept of our original material has been inspired by discussions on the theory of the blues, concept of recording in the early days, instruments used, and the artist themselves!"*

You can check out a list of their upcoming gigs here. There is some outstanding talent in this town and The Mudcats have so much that they're practically swimming in it. Ideally you should grab some tickets with a date or a group of friends for a Friday night at the Bright Box because you really need to hear this band at their full performing capacity. Singing and dancing abound at the theater when the Mudcats are playing live.

Stop by their facebook page and say hi.

*Description is from terryoates.com

Whimsy in Winchester

Farmers Market

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Four Color Fantasies

Friday, March 13, 2015

Posh Pets

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Restaurant Week: Jack Knuckle Gourmet

Monday, March 2, 2015

Chocolate Escape

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Bonnie Blue

Monday, January 26, 2015

Terry Oates & The Mudcats

Thursday, January 22, 2015

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