Harrisonburg has known for 96 years where to go for a juicy hot dog or a savory burger: Jess’ Quick Lunch. Since 1922, people have flocked to Jess’ for a quick, freshly made meal at an affordable price. Recent upgrades and additions to the beloved Harrisonburg fixture reflect its new name: Jess’ Downtown Restaurant. It’s not just for a quick lunch anymore. Don’t worry -- all the items you’ve loved for decades are still on the menu: burgers, hot dogs, and the BLT. But now they offer more options to appease everyone in your household. more
On the evening of Tuesday, April 11, every barstool, patio chair, and indoor table is occupied. There’s a friendliness in the air—the kind in which a stranger will scoot over so that you can have your own space at the bar, and the bartenders ask how your day was before taking an order. As bustling as the taproom is, it feels more like a community’s living room, filled with the laughter and chatter that you hear during a distant family’s holiday get-together. In front of most of the patrons is a pint glass; many ordering at the bar request Arrant (Pale Fire’s newest IPA), with it’s name descending from Shakespeare’s writing. In fact, even the establishment’s name derives from one of the founder’s favorite books, Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov and an excerpt of Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens, “[t]he moon's an arrant thief, And her pale fire she snatches from the sun.” more
Excitement and rejuvenation fill the former Pure Eats space in the Ice House as Rocktown Kitchen gets ready to open a full-service, casual yet upscale dining restaurant in downtown. With locally sourced meats, vegetables, craft brews, wines, and décor, Rocktown Kitchen brings a farm-to-table experience to guests who will begin enjoying this new spot in May. That’s right…less than a month away! more