…IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

HEY, WHY IS EVERYONE HEADED DOWNTOWN? Oh, yeah, the Charlottesville City Market opened for its 38th season April 2. Brand new this year, share your love for the market—and give the perfect present—with gift certificates available from the Market Central table. Yay, we no longer have to guess what size eggplant Aunt Gertie likes!

AND WITH THE RETURN of farmers’ markets also comes the return of Seasonal Cook’s popular Market Basket cooking classes, in which a chefinstructor rounds up the freshest local ingredients at market and then shares techniques for turning them into several flavorful dishes. Class sizes are small and fill up fast, so check with the store for a schedule.

ONE OF THE MANY REASONS we love Moroccan-inspired Aromas Café is the spicy, tomato-based Habiba sauce that kicks the tasty falafel up a notch. Now we can bring that kick home, since chefowner Hassan Kaisoum is jarring the stuff for sale. It’s all natural, and terrific with just about everything (though we’re partial to chicken).

SHOPPERS DRAWN IN by Anderson Carriage Food House’s new emphasis on local foods are rediscovering that it has always been a go-to spot for seasonal, regional fresh seafood. Ted Anderson tells us that Virginia oysters are a mainstay, shad and shad roe will be around through May, and—yes!—Virginia blue crabs are coming in for spring.

REAPING MORE THAN YOU CAN USE from your garden is a good problem to have—and it just got better. L’étoile chef Mark Gresge is inviting green thumbs to bring in their favorite produce, which he will use to prepare a special on the bistro’s weekend menus. Best of all, the proud grower and a guest are treated to the delicious results.

FIVE OF CHARLOTTESVILLE’S BEST CHEFS make the Happy Cook’s Chef Week the foodie place to be April 25 through 29. Nightly classes will feature signature dishes made by Matthew Hart (the Local), Luther Fedora (Horse & Hound Gastropub), Melissa Close (Palladio), Christian Kelly (Maya), and personal chef Ingrid Berger. Reserve a spot in advance for just $10, with all proceeds benefiting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

REGULARS AT Foods of All Nations’ specialty cheese and dairy departments are used to picking from an array of local goodies, and now Leesburg’s Blue Ridge Dairy has joined the selection. Sure, you can taste its delicious applewood-smoked mozzarella and plain or honey yogurts at FOAN’s big Food Fair on June 12, but why wait that long?

TENDER ASPARAGUS is a sure sign of spring, and a sure way for Feast Café to lure us to lunch. Must we have the “spring salad” (mixed greens, roasted asparagus, Edwards country ham, champagne vinaigrette) or the “spring grilled cheese” (Manchego, asparagus spread, Albemarle Baking Company focaccia)? We must…have both!

WHAT LANDS ON YOUR DOORSTEP Sunday mornings and is full of good news? A crate from Arganica Farm Club, since the Ruckersvillebased local-food delivery operation has (at last!) expanded to Charlottesville. Members order from a weekly “menu” of local produce, meats, fish, cheeses, and breads. And artisan items such as duck eggs, wine vinegars, and squid-ink noodles. And goat’s milk! And wine!

WE ALWAYS FEEL A BIT WORLDLIER after a trip to Oil & Vinegar, and with its Andalusia event during May, the culinary shop is introducing us to the flavors of southern Spain. Try the new single-estate, extra-virgin olive oil, cracked green olives, and especially the famous smoked paprika, ground from peppers dried over an oak-wood fire for a week.

JEFFERSON DRANK HERE! That’s what Wine Festival at Monticello attendees might think as they join 13 Virginia wineries on Monticello’s West Lawn May 14. And for folks who really like to sip their presidential history, there are also the Montpelier Wine Festival (May 7 and 8) and the Virginia WineFest (May 21 and 22, at Ash Lawn—Highland).

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY (April 22) can help you work up quite an appetite, so take time to drop by Integral Yoga Natural Foods for a special event showcasing local foods and planet-saving ideas. Check ahead for times and more info.

VEGETARIANS OFTEN GET SHORTED by restaurant menus, but not at Zinc, where chef Justin Hershey will create entrées especially for vegetarian diners based on their preferences and available ingredients, including those harvested from the patio garden. Discerning carnivores are spoiled too, by house-made sausages, terrines, and pâtés.