Feature Articles

Farmasea takes dining out at the Rivah to a new level

The service, cuisine and atmosphere all make The Farmasea Restaurant in Gloucester an exceptional dining experience. Think date-night dinner on steroids. A few weeks ago, my husband and I double-dated with good friends to the newish-eatery on Gloucester’s Main Street and were more than pleasantly surprised. I’d heard the...

Making “here” your happy place

by Tom Chillemi -  Why does Friday seem to take so long to arrive, but the weekend goes by so quickly?  And, have you ever noticed that it seems to take longer to get some place that you really want to be, like the Rivah; while the trip home seems to...

Rivah Rewind: Taken away by Dragon Run

In honor of 30 years of The Rivah Visitor’s Guide we are featuring stories that have previously been printed throughout our 30 year history. This feature story appeared in the Fall/Holiday 2014 issue. by Tom Chillemi -  I push off from shore, breaking gravity’s bond. A thin layer of water floats...

Best of The Rivah 2023 Winners

We asked. You voted. Once again, our readers let us know what makes the Rivah special in our 8th annual Best of the Rivah Contest! From wineries to oysters, chicken to bait, art to ice cream and much, much more… you have chosen our area’s favorites. Thank you for helping us...

Life in a Salt Marsh: Where land and water converge

Discovering the beauty and significance of coastal marshes It is a sunny day and Haven Beach Beach in Mathews County is full of your typical summer at the beach activity. Families are picnicking, playing in the water and building sandcastles, while just behind them a few feet away, a very...

District of Columbia Fishing Club met at Mundy Point starting in late 1800s

by Larry Chowning - The year 1874 was a signature year for the community of Mundy Point in Northumberland County as during that year the District of Columbia Fishing Club and the community of Mundy Point became synonymous. Sometime during that year, a group of men came to Mundy Point...

Prince Street Cafe at Hobbs Hole is thriving

When fire ripped through Tappahannock’s historic downtown in July 2022, it destroyed Prince Street Cafe but not the dream of owner Maria Esquer. Fast-forward a year, the restaurant is flourishing as Prince Street Cafe at Hobbs Hole, where it’s in the clubhouse overlooking the public 18-hole golf course. Esquer...

Recipe for good health— straight from the Earth

For Sadie Shay, cooking is a means of fueling and healing, and the ingredients are medicinal. “The foundation of health is nutrition,” she said. As a mother to Isabella, 19, and Christian, 13, Shay said she’s taken the role of the gatekeeper of her home, children’s health, and her...

Rivah Rewind: Oktoberfest…To health, to health, to cheer and good times…

In honor of 30 years of The Rivah Visitor’s Guide we are featuring stories that have previously been printed throughout our 30 year history. This feature story appeared in the September 2015 issue. by Audrey Thomasson -  We’ve all seen them—the oompah bands, beer-guzzling men in lederhosen and women in dirndle...

After a steep decline, sturgeon numbers up in Chesapeake Bay

by Larry Chowning -  One of the great fish of Chesapeake Bay is the prehistoric Atlantic sturgeon. Considered a “living fossil,” the fish are caught in muddy, deep river holes in brackish waters of the Rappahannock, Potomac, York and James rivers. The fish survived from the Paleozoic age and in 130...