Virginia Festival of the Book

This will be quick, as I'm going to rise early tomorrow for the Virginia Festival of the Book.

Charlottesville plays host each year to the biggest book festival in the Mid-Atlantic. This year's event runs from March 17-21 with dozens of author readings each day. The events are scattered around Charlottesville and UVA. Most everything is free.

You can create a "book bag" of selections and e-mail it to friends.

Here are a few in my book bag:

Business Breakfast with Michael Gelb

Wed. March 17th, 2010 - 7:30 AM

Michael Gelb, author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, speaks on "Thinking Creatively in Tough Times." A pioneer on creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership, he is a Batten Fellow at the UVa Darden School this spring.

The Flavor Bible: Talk and Booksigning

Wed. March 17th, 2010 - 6:00 PM

With Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, authors of The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity,Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs, which won the 2009 James Beard Book award for Best Reference and Scholarship.

Reporting from the Front Lines of Pakistan and Afghanistan

Thu. March 18th, 2010 - 4:00 PM

J. Malcolm Garcia (The Khaaijee: A Chronicle of Friendship and War in Kabul) and Nicholas Schmidle (To Live or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan) discuss their recent work as reporters in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Staunton's Mockingbird Cafe

Brunch was a highlight of our day trip to Staunton. The choices seemed endless:

• The Beverly Restaurant
• Mill Street Grill
• The Dining Room
• Zynodoa
• Depot Grille

We finally settled on the Mockingbird, a charming downtown restaurant that has live music on Sunday morning and assorted other evenings.

It's the kind of place with cool tin ceilings, chalkboard specials, and local artisan bacon. Yum.

What to order?? We finally picked out the ricotta pancakes with citrus butter (and also with surprise blueberries!), and an assortment of sides. Everything was delicious, but the pancakes and bacon were the best.

Just what we needed to fill our tummies before going to see Woodrow Wilson's childhood home ...

Stroll around Staunton

We're on spring break right now, a glorious 11 days between Quarter 3 and Quarter 4.

Some of my classmates went to India. Or Spain. Or Swedan. Or Miami.

I went to Staunton. About 45 minutes west of Charlottesville, this sleepy town plays host to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Mary Balwin College, and a vast assortment of brunch spots.

It's a pretty cool little day trip. (Although... don't go on Sunday, my friends, unless you want to look longing in the closed bookstore and the nifty Pen and Paper Shop, picture above.)

I liked all the signs.

Some were whimsical ...

(And unfortunately, this ice cream shop was closed, too.)

... others transported us back to 1950 ...

... or maybe 1975 ...

... hey, did you see the stained-glass bacon and egg??

No? Let's go in for a close-up...

Such silly, old-timey names, too:

And the architecture was interesting. If you like learning about the history of buildings, pick up an architecture brochure and map at the visitors center. It identifies noteworthy buildings all around downtown.

The last wacky thing we saw, before we were about to leave, is this humongous watering can. It must be a distant relative of the World's Largest Thimble, or something.

And look at the other side of the bridge – what's that rusted metal thing?

We had to find out.

Giant people-sized pots??

How do FY Darden exams work?

When I was a prospective MBA student, I had my list of questions. Are the classes interesting? (Yes; the case-study method really helps there) Are the professors actually accessible? (Yes, far beyond my expectations) Are the students down-to-earth? (Yes, wonderful and nice, and OK, yeah, I'm biased)

I never thought to ask about the exam format.

So let me ask for you: What are exams like at Darden?

A: Long

Each first-year exam is allotted five hours, with one per day. During Q3 exam week, for instance, we had Decision Analysis on Monday, Strategy on Tuesday, Finance on Wednesday, Global Macroeconomics on Thursday. (I should note: This post details the format for first-years this year, but it could always be different next year.)

That means I've taken 70 hours of exams.

Seventy hours. So far.

Let us pause for a moment of reflection.

Whew.

Each exam day, the test is available in paper or online that morning. You can't start until 8 a.m., at the earliest, and you must hand in your work by 3 p.m. Of those seven hours, you pick the five continuous hours for the exam. Bathroom breaks, lunch, walks around the room to clear your head – they all count as part of the five hours. Honor code. Seriously.

However, all the things I was excited about with this exam format turned out to be totally not cool.

Like: Pick your time. Awesome! No more getting up at 7 a.m.!

Potential disaster alert. I tried in Q1 to eek out as much extra brain slumber as possible. And in at least one exam, I ended up sprinting to grounds at 2:58 p.m. Rookie mistake. Now I wake up early and nap after 3 p.m.

Like: open-book, open-note. Great, right? How hard could this possibly be?

Well. If you don't understand what's going on, all the textbooks in the world won't help you in a mere 300 minutes. By the time exams come, you either get it or, well ...

Like: Take the exam wherever you like. A coffeeshop? Your room?

Except: Coffeeshops are noisy. Five hours is a long time to nurse a mocha. And even at home, distraction are EVERYWHERE! What's in the fridge? Maybe I should make some tea. Hmm. Maybe I should see if it's nice outside. NO. NO. NO.

The secret, I have finally realized, is to be lucky. And enter the room lottery.

Learning team rooms and conference rooms at Darden are the money. There is a drawing to be assigned a room, all to yourself, for the entire week. Finally, after losing out Q1 and Q2, I hit the jackpot in Q3.

And this is the best part:



Yes, it's a printer. I know, not very sexy. But it means you avoid the madhouse at the community printers at 2:43 p.m.

Ah, it's all the little things your heart turns on when you are a student again ...

That ends our Exam Pontification. Now back to your regularly scheduled trips and eats.

Danish Dinner with Professors

Until last week, I don't think I had ever had authentic Danish food.

(No, gooey American pastries don't count.)

But that accidental omission been fixed. Last week, my Q2 finance professor – who hails from a Danish family – and his wife hosted eight students, along with my Q2 decision analysis professor and her husband, for dinner. We students had won the dinner as part of a Section B auction for charity back in Quarter 2. (Well, rather, I got lucky when another Bird had to go out of town and sold me her spot. Thanks, dear!)

The dinner was wonderful. Delicious, homemade, fascinating food with terrific company.

First up: Smorrebrod – herring, cheese, and gravlax on rye bread (rugbrod)

These little bite-sized open-face sandwiches came with thinly sliced cucumber, or smoked salmon and a paper-thin lemon, or Danish bleu cheese on top of lettuce, or harvarti, lettuce and grapes:




Then came my favorite: Fulskager (pork and veal stuffed dumplings) with salt.

These dumplings were so tasty. Try to envision the most flavorful, moist meat mixture tucked inside a pipping-hot savory dumpling. Dipped into a dusting of salt, they were addictive.

We then migrated to the table for the first course.

The Frikadeller (pork and onion meatball) with Braised Cabbage was delicious. Imagine the best hamburger you've ever had, but better, without the bun, and with this sweet/vinegary/melt-in-your-mouth cabbage bits. (The chopping job, I should note, was top-of-the-line.)

(Can you make out my little nametag?)

Then came Corn Soup with Smoked Salmon ...

... followed by Fruit-Stuffed Pork Loin with Ginger and Prune Sauce, Potatoes, and Broccoli.

(You might be thinking, aren't you stuffed by now?? Aren't you ready to call it a night? No way! How could we be, when it's all so delicious?!)

And for the sweet finale ...

Rodgrod (red courant and raspberry porridge) with Blueberries over Ricotta Cheese in a Pastry Shell.

So, incoming first-years, save up your dollars from your jobs now for the auctions next year –and bid fiercely. This was a Darden evening I'll remember 25 years from now.

Darden Bookstore's Hidden Perks

We have our own bookstore at Darden. It carries, well, books. Big massive tomes about finance and accounting. And notebooks, pens, the requisite parental Xmas gifts of Darden sweatshirts, plus Darden-emblazoned bibs and socks and ties and hats and jackets. All the usual stuff.

Bookstore, check. Moving on, right?

Except that it seems each month I discover something useful is available there. And I'll smack myself in the forehead, and think: Why have I been running around town? Who else doesn't know this?

Let's compare notes. The Darden Bookstore offers ...

1) Rolls of quarters. Yes, Ivy residents with laundry staring at you in the face before spring break, the bookstore has your quarters.

2) Stamps. U.S. and international. Even UPS shipping.

3) Dry-cleaning. Drop it off early, even pick it up the next day, with no additional fee. From what I've heard, the prices are typical, nothing crazy. Also: wash and fold services, and even shoe-shining.

4) Free notary.

5) Advil, Tylenol, all sorts of 7-11-type help in a pinch.

6) Great prices on Moleskines. Cheaper than B&N.

7) Transfers from the main bookstore. If you need something and don't have time to go on main grounds, they can get it brought over to Darden, sometimes by the next morning.

8) Fax services.

I'm sure there are more. What have you discovered?

Snowstorms of 2010

Spring is tiptoeing into Virginia.

After several snowstorms, the ivory turf is beginning to show its natural green. Optimistic birds (nevermind that groundhog dude) are chirping. Mount Chipotle may or may not have shrunk a few inches.

Winter has surrendered! We're free to embrace the next season! Spring break, Foxfields, Virginia baseball, Orioles Opening Day – here we come!

Then I fly to New York City for a day-long conference.

And the city promptly gets deluged with a record 11.5 inches of snow in one day.

This is the view out the stairwell window of the conference I was attending. The university was technically closed, but hundreds of MBAs still made it to panels, sessions, and a cocktail reception.

Still, I admit, it makes for a pretty-as-a-postcard view.

Mr. J. Frost, can we call it quits now?

Restaurant tour of Charlottesville

With the help of friends, I'm slowly starting to make a dent in the massive list of intriguing Cville restaurants. (Q3 is also helping. So long, high-maintenance Q1 & Q2!)

A few visits worth a repeat:

Shebeen

247 Ridge-McIntire Road, Charlottesville

This cozy South African restaurant is near the downtown mall. A friend and I ended up there the Friday of Valentine's Day weekend, when the usual celebratory spots were packed. (The celebration centered around Batten Incubator news – another post for another time.) Shebeen had a lively vibe that is still conversation-friendly, an elusive combination.

The menu is filled with delicious-sounding things, like peri-peri wings, curried crab dip, and samosas. And those are just appetizers.

We weren't all that hungry, so we split the Sadza Cakes ($17). "Rich Parmesan polenta cakes topped with eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, sugar snaps, shiitake and portabella mushrooms with lemongrass beurre blanc." Totally delicious.

Beer Run

156 Carlton Road No. 203, Charlottesville

Beer lovers (and I don't mean Bud Light fanatics), take note: This is a spot worth driving across town. The shelves are stocked with all sorts of microbrews. On Wednesdays, a rep from a brewery, usually somewhere on the East Coast, will offer free samples. Even the weekly e-mail lists great descriptions of upcoming tastings and what's on tap right now.

But Beer Run is more than a beer market. It's a bar and a cafe. And it serves up a pretty tasty brunch.

Though be forewarned: Brunch is only on Sundays. Saturday morning, you'll have a choice of tacos, instead.

We ended up there on 2/14, which meant the dishes came attached to silly names. This delicious crab omelet was called, oh, Sweetheart Crab Delight, or something like that.

Talk about decadent. No, the French Toast isn't burnt to a crisp here. That's dark chocolate shavings. With strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. Completely yummy.

Zinc

420 W. Main Street, Charlottesville

Eating out as a treat goes one level up when you find another foodie. Ordering takes twice as long, but it's also twice as much fun. And you can have dinner that includes escargots and sardines and mussels. (Yes, that's a good thing. Though not, I agree, every day.)

Zinc is a French-style bistro nestled inside a converted garage. The plates are small, the waitress warned us, similar to tapas. She recommended 2-3 plates a person.

Can you guess what these are?

A.

B.
C.

D.E.

F.

Answers:

A. Lentil salad. Nice, but not the best thing on the menu.

B. Mussels and fries. Lots and lots of succulent mussels and crispy fries. I almost thought we had gone to Brussels.

C. Zinc rounds out its beer and wine menu with cocktails. This kir was concocted from champagne and what we guessed was raspberry liquor, but now (thanks, Wikipedia), I think it was a black currant liquor (creme de cassis).

D. I ordered this "Happy Ending" first and ended up with Bailey's, kahlua, and ice cream even before the bread basket arrived. A mistake or a brilliant move? Brilliant, I tell you.

E. This mysterious photo is actually escargots (that would be snails) with pesto. I've usually (as in 3 times ever) had escargots in its shell, accompanied by a torture-looking device that could be used to pluck out eyeballs. (Sorry. Not appetizing.) These escargots were yummy guys, if you like soft pockets of salty happiness.

F. Sardines. Am I the only one who didn't realize that sardines are not tiny, like anchovies? Once the bone gets extracted, you are left with little fillets of tender, meaty goodness. Really tasty and full of flavor.

Siips

212 E. Main Street, Charlottesville

A charming wine bar on the downtown mall, Siips becomes my favorite stop when Acme Swing plays. This local jazz band might, on any given night, include a fiddler or an accordion player – plus a handful of groupie lindy hoppers. And there is no cover.

The bonus is the encyclopedia-ish wine menu, so comprehensive that it comes in a binder. Pours can be as little as 1 ounce for port or 3 ounces for wine. We tasted two ports from Portugal, a 10-year Croft and a 10-year Taylor Fladgate and tried to discern the patchwork of flavors. Raisin? Grass? Apricot? Pretty delicious.

Snacking between dancing can be a treat, too. This brie/dessert plate included ice cream, crepes, chocolate balls of some sort, walnuts, dried apricots and other fruit.

That's all for now. Cases are calling. Any recommendations for where to try next?