Jackson Landers about to skin the tail of an invasive green iguana in the kitchenette of his pop-up camper on Big Pine Key, Florida.
PHOTO FROM LANDERS’ BLOG

In July last year Jackson Landers wondered on his blog if anyone would be interested in a semi-formal class on how to hunt deer from a locavore’s perspective. Boy, was he on to something.

In short order, the local insurance broker and brother of über-blogger Waldo Jaquith (and son of Hook award-winning essayist Janis Jaquith) was the subject of a story in the New York Times, got a publishing contract for his book A Locavore’s Guide to Deer Hunting, has partnered with New York City chefs to serve game, and he’s hard at work on a new book called Eating Aliens, about hunting and consuming invasive species (lizards, frogs, and the like), for which he also has a reality TV proposal. (See the trailer here at rumur.com/aliens.)

Just recently, Landers was the subject of another New York Times article as he heads to the Big City to show folks how to cook Canada Geese, which, as recently happened in Charlottesville [Unfriendly skies: Forest Lakes, the Miracle on the Hudson, and Canada Geese, September 2, 2010], were slaughtered in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park over the summer due to concerns about the dangers they present to commercial airplanes. Indeed, it was into the Hudson River that US Airways Flight 1549 landed in January 2009 after geese flew into its engines, and since then authorities have been thinning the population. Last summer, 1,235 geese were rounded up and killed at various sites around New York City, but the Prospect Park thinning (more)

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A Dunkin’ Donuts which doubles as a Baskin Robbins has finally opened on The Corner in the old Rita’s space. So what does that mean for students and Corner goers? Coffee, coffee drinks, donuts, bagels, muffins, sandwiches, and ice cream will be available 24-hours a day, seven days a week! Lately, the chain has been expanding in the area, with a locations in Ruckersville and Palmyra.

“We’re excited to be opening our third restaurant in the Charlottesville area, and especially this location across from UVA,” said franchisee and Charlottesville resident, Andy Rod, who says he’d been looking for a good location like this for five years. “My family and our team look forward to serving Charlottesville guests for many years to come.”

They’re having a Grand Opening today at 1pm and word on the street is that there might be some tasty give-aways. There will also be day-long events on Saturday, including contests, a fundraiser for the Virginia Institute of Autism, prizes, and a chance to meet  “Joe the Cup”

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Chipotle founder Steve Ells and chef Jamie Oliver dressed up as bad food.
PHOTO COURTESY CHIPOTLE

Chipotle’s Steve Ells and chef Jamie Oliver have teamed up to underscore the importance of eating wholesome, unprocessed foods.  So, to help illustrate their point, they are asking you to support a good cause while getting into the spirit of the Halloween season with a special promotion that focuses on a terrifying topic: the frightful eating habits of many of our citizens who seem to be addicted to processed foods.

“We have begun a national movement to change the way America eats,” says Oliver, a celebrity chef and creator of the Emmy award-winning program, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

It’s called “BURRITO 2010: The Horrors of Processed Food,” which is a bit different than the fastfood chain’s BOORITO promotion of years past where you could wrap your self in aluminum foil, walk into a Chipotle, claim to be dressed as a burrito and get a free burrito for the trouble.

Here’s how the new promotion works: stop by any Chipotle on Halloween, Sunday, October 31 between 6pm and closing time dressed up as a Horrific Processed Food item and, as a thank you for a $2 donation, you will get a huge, gourmet burrito made to your specifications. Chipotle will then donate up to $1 million dollars to Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

Not only that, there also will be an online costume contest that will win one really creative Chipotle lover $2500 for the best horrifying processed food outfit. Five runners up will be awarded $1,000 each. And, twenty honorable mention winners will each receive a burrito party for 20 guests at the Chipotle location of their choice. Take a photo of yourself in costume at a Chipotle on Halloween and post it online at chipotle.com/boorito for judging.

“We have a long-standing tradition of rewarding our customers who dress up as their favorite Chipotle menu item with a free burrito on Halloween,” says Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “It’s always been a fun promotion, but we wanted to do more with it this year and use the opportunity. to reinforce with our customers our belief in the importance of eating wholesome, unprocessed foods.”

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Women’s Health Virginia is holding its annual Take Thyme for Women’s Health dinner and silent auction this Thursday, October 21, at Keswick Hall. The fundraising event features a four-course feast, with each course created by a different area chef and paired with wine from a local vintner. The silent auction will include artwork by local artists and merchandise and gift certificates from local businesses and personal service providers.

This year, it looks like they have an impressive line-up of chefs, inlcuding Amalia Scatena of Keswick Hall (a venue just named the #1 small resort in America by Condé Nast Traveler), Alex Montiel of Brasserie Montiel, Angelo Vangelopolous of The Ivy Inn, and Jenny Peterson of Paradox Pastry. Featured wines will be from Bradford Reed Wines, Gabriele Rausse Winery, Montfair Vineyard, and Thibaut-Janisson Winery, with folks from each winery on hand to discuss their selections.

“We value the great support we receive from this community and are happy to have new and old friends enjoy wonderful food and wine while they contribute to our efforts,” said Mimi Bender, CEO of Women’s Health Virginia. “We appreciate the generous participation of the chefs, restaurants, wineries, and silent auction donors that will make Take Thyme for Women’s Health memorable.”

The reception begins at 6:30pm with dinner seating  at 7pm. Individual tickets are $95, patron tickets are $150, and sponsor tickets are $250. (Payment per ticket in excess of $50 is tax-deductible). Reservations can be made by mail, with payment by credit card or check payable to Women’s Health Virginia, at 1924 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 203, Charlottesville 22903, online at womenshealthvirginia.org, or by phone at 434-220-4500.

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Participating restaurant Cocina del Sol in Crozet appeared packed Friday, October 8.
PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER

Charlottesville’s first-ever “Dinner on a Dime,” a sort of discount version of the successful Restaurant Week, wrapped up on Sunday, October 10. The details on how much money was raised for the food bank by the Hook-sponsored event will be revealed no later than next week.

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