From the outside, Brix Marketplace looks like a deteriorating gas station or a typical roadside stand. But after passing through the rustic doorway of this hidden treasure, visitors will be overwhelmed by the scent of fresh baked bread and gourmet cookies wafting in from the kitchen.
Travelers with a craving for road trip food of a higher caliber than Snickers bars do not have to look farther than Simeon, Va., located about 20 minutes east of Charlottesville and home of the Brix Marketplace. This gourmet eatery along the Thomas Jefferson Parkway offers up selections such as asparagus quiche or hot chocolate on a stick, just for starters.
"It's sort of an upscale wine country marketplace," said Brix Marketplace owner Karen Lataere of her unique roadside store.
A faded white sign bearing the name "Simeon" still hangs from the front of Brix Marketplace as a historical reminder of the past. Simeon is a tiny historic town nestled between Ashlawn and Monticello.
Once inside Brix Marketplace, visitors are greeted by an overwhelming selection of gourmet sandwiches, pastries, wines and cheeses alongside decorative candles, picnic baskets and scented hand lotions.
Popular with tourists and townspeople alike, Brix Marketplace bustles with activity during lunch hour.
"We didn't want a big meal at Michie Tavern," Adolf Wood said in a distinctly British accent about the nearby museum and restaurant. His wife Dawn Keeler sat with him at a small metal table next to Brix Marketplace's gift counters.
The couple, traveling from London, stopped by Brix Marketplace on their way to tour Monticello. They were staying in Lexington, Va., while giving lectures at Washington and Lee University.
|
Wood, the editor of the Life supplement of The London Times, had spoken at W&L on the history of the newspaper. He described his wife Dawn as a former actress who does dramatic adaptations of classical novels.
Dining on egg salad and grilled chicken sandwiches, the couple compared Brix Marketplace to its European counterparts.
"There are country pubs, but they're not very nice. We have plenty of McDonald's," Keeler said with a laugh. "Brix is perfect for what we want."
Building on history
Brix Marketplace opened its doors in June 1999, but before then, the location was not always the home of delicious wine jellies and hand-painted glass bottles. The story of the Simeon landmark starts in the 1930s, when it first served as a gas station and then remained open for the next 30 years.
Lataere said that Earl Bishop owned the gas station and "never closed it a day of the year," including holidays.
Bishop is buried right across the street from Brix Marketplace next to St. Lukes Chapel. His headstone can still be seen among a small scattering of graves overlooking Jefferson Vineyards. The graveyard serves as a reminder to Lataere about the historical nature of the site - a visual link to the past.
For Lataere, owning Brix Marketplace is the fulfillment of a life-long vision. She fondly recalled stopping at a place called Oaksville in northern California, the area of the country where she grew up. Lataere described Oaksville as "a little special, unique place."
The idea of a country wine store was "always in the back of my mind," she said.
When Lataere and her husband decided to move across the country from California in 1992, they simply took out a map of the country to pick their destination. It was the University's recruitment of her husband, who is currently a senior respiratory therapist at the hospital, that led them to relocate in Charlottesville.
Lataere said she got interested in the food business when she served as catering director at the Barracks Road eatery Hot Cakes.
After a few years, though, "I decided I wanted to, needed to do something on my own," Lataere said.
Taste of small-town life
After renovating the building, Brix Marketplace opened on June 3, 1999. In keeping with the country and wine themes of the store, Lataere cleverly chose the name Brix, which is the measurement for the sugar content of wine.
Brix Marketplace even has its own award-winning wines.
"Brix wine is produced exclusively for us at Jefferson Vineyards," Lataere said, noting her personal contacts at the vineyard. The vineyard came up with several varieties of wine, and Brix Marketplace picked which would carry their name. The Brix red wine won a bronze medal at the 2000 Governor's Cup, a local wine-tasting competition.
Brix Marketplace's specialty foods are also a big winner with customers.
"I serve more of the kind of food I like to cook," Lataere said of the dishes at Brix Marketplace, which include tastes ranging from Mediterranean to country flavor.
A welcome break from the usual fast food roadside fare, Brix Marketplace's menu includes a wide variety of gourmet sandwiches such as grilled portabello mushrooms with smoked gouda and pepper crusted roast beef with white cheddar. A mouthwatering selection of desserts such as white and dark chocolate covered pretzels, "Southern Happiness Cakes" and homemade cookies attract chocolate lovers and people of all ages with a sweet-tooth.
While enjoying their food, customers may browse the unique assortment of gifts, including wicker baskets or a "Feeling Better Bag," a moist aromatic heating pad.
Each January, Lataere closes Brix Marketplace and journeys to a gift show in Atlanta where she can "pick and choose" the quality of the foods and gifts she brings back to the store.
"I want [customers] to experience something really fun," Lataere said of the market's food and atmosphere.
The customers seem to like what Lataere has done with the place - they keep coming back for more. On a typical day, Brix caters to both one-time tourist visitors and local regulars.
"It's such a variety," Lataere said of the daily clientele. "It could be the VDOT guys on [Route] 94 coming in for a Coke, the ladies from Keswick looking for gifts, the Glenmore folks. It's a wide range."
Fancy but familiar
Becky and Jim Hockman of Forest Lakes, Va., say they have been loyal customers almost since the market opened two years ago. They make the half-hour drive twice each month but recently have been going more often.
"I like the variety and the fact that it's not fast food," Mr. Hockman said.
As the couple sat and laughed with friends outside the gourmet roadside eatery, Mrs. Hockman observed, "The view is pretty, and you can sort of picnic outside."
Besides serving travelers on the Thomas Jefferson Highway, Brix Marketplace also caters for "high-end clientele" and serves at events such as the local Democratic and Republican fundraisers, Lataere said.
Her job enables her to provide for and reach out to the local community, she added. Each year the store donates to the University Children's Medical Center. It also has sponsored a special exhibit at the Bayly Art Museum.
"It allows me to do what I want, but also to give back to the community," Lataere said of her job. "I have the choice and freedom to be creative."
Loyal customer Caroline Dessouky of Charlottesville appreciates Lataere's hard work and creativity.
"I love this place," Dessouky said excitedly, her voice filling the tiny store as she waited in line for her favorite lunch items. "It's similar to Hot Cakes on Barracks Road, but what fun is Barracks Road?"
She loves to bring out-of-town guests to the market for a take-out picnic lunch, she added.
Dessouky summed up the wonderfully distinct experience of Brix Marketplace.
"They've preserved an old building into a new use," she said. "They keep the old and make it functional."
The moral of Brix Marketplace's story: Don't judge a book by its cover. Those who venture east of Charlottesville to the wilds of Simeon will uncover a treasure in the most unlikely of places.
Read More
Breaking my silence
By Cecy Juárez | 1 hours agoI, Cecy Juárez, am one of the three “squirrels of U.Va.” running the @thesquirrelsofuva page.
Lending a hand during the finals push
By Abby Snowdon | 2 days agoThe race to the end of the year has begun, and University groups have set up pit stops along the course to help students get to the finish line.
The spring fashion trend for you based on your college lifestyle
By Malone Morchower | 2 days agoIn 2024, decades of different styles have come back, culminating in a casual yet exciting fashion.
