Feature Articles

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...

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...

by Tom Chillemi -  There are mysteries in the Rappahannock River, known only by a few. Forgotten but not gone are relics, sinking in river mud at Tappahannock. Their stories would be lost except for those who have taken time to learn about the past and bring them forward to...

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 August 2013 issue. by Tom Chillemi -  A dollar doesn’t buy much any more, but it’s amazing how far your dollars...

Chef Gary Whitecotton is a cook who teaches others how to hone their craft. After 30-some years in the hospitality industry as a chef, Whitecotton said he now finds “more passion in the giving back and teaching young people how to do this.” That’s why he left the Country Club...

When you walk into the cleverly named DeltaPie Pizza and Specialty Market, you immediately know you’re in for a treat. Or should I say treats, since nearly half of the restaurant is devoted to specialty foods and drinks designed to encourage sampling and pairing. Gourmet cheeses, antipasti, pickles and...

It’s a common sight this time of year: a newspaper or brown paper “tablecloth,” a time-worn pile of wooden mallets and knives, a bottle of apple cider vinegar, a jar of Old Bay (or J.O. Scroll down), melted butter and plenty of paper towels. As the bright red steamed and...

When weekends begin looking like hot summer nights beneath stadium lights, sounding like country music coming through the speakers, tasting like concession stand cheeseburgers and Old Bay French fries, and feeling like a neighborhood reunion in the stadium bleachers…you know the boys of summer have come back to town. Deltas When...

Occasionally, a brick-n-mortar restaurant can trace its roots back to a diner on wheels. That’s the case with The Seafood Shack in Mathews, where Amy Blanock Hudgins’ and Robert Martin’s mobile seafood market evolved into a food truck and then a popular eatery. The transformation took less than five...

Experience is a good teacher. Here are a few things learned the hard way in my 40 years of motor boating in a 20-foot boat. This list was compiled with the help of J.C. “Bo” Burton of Mathews, who was a Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) law enforcement officer for...