Continuing the story of our extended and activity-packed weekend, we got up early and went out to see the revamped Pottery in Lightfoot. It was a huge disappointment.
I should say that we have been visiting Williamsburg as a couple since we went there on our honeymoon in late 1973. There were barely any restaurants or shops; we spent our time touring Colonial Williamsburg since we are big history fans, and particularly local (Virginia) history. People had told us not to miss the Pottery and so we went. At that time it was a crazy hodgepodge of merchandise at low prices (kinda like Big Lots, if you’re familiar with that emporium of a crazy hodgepodge of merchandise at low prices). Not anymore. They’ve remodeled it and I think seriously misjudged their demographic. The merchandise is predictable, of poor quality, and overpriced. (Other than that, it’s great.) It’s too bad.
One purchase we made while there in 1973 became part of our family lore–it was a Sabatier knife which is a chef’s knife and we use ours daily. We don’t call it “the Sabatier,” although we very well could. We call if “the Williamsburg knife.” and so it is and so it ever shall be. It is one good and sharp knife.
So, after about an hour of being disappointed at the Pottery, we took ourselves to more predictable places. Becky has evolved a shopping ritual to find the best merchandise at the best prices. She is a whiz at this. In the years since 1973, we have visited the town at least once a year, and more often when Amy was a student at William and Mary from 1995 until 1999 (the year of their tri-centennial…not too shabby) and the Chorale has sing a Christmas candlelight concert at Bruton Parish Church in the Colonial area for about ten years. Becky provides Chorale members and friends with her personal guide to shopping and eating in Williamsburg called “Beck’s Best Bets in the ‘Burg. I’ll reproduce it below if you want to check out some of these sites yourself.
We went over to Merchants Square, close to the William and Mary Campus (and the intersection of Richmond Road and Jamestown Road, called aptly by the students “Confusion Corner. They also call Duke of Glouchester Street, the main drag in CW, D.o.G. Street). We ate lunch at a new place, which I think was called the DoG Street Pub. It was very good, if a little pricey. Then Becky was off to hit all her favorite shopping places while I made a circuit of the immediate area to collect some of our favorite local foodstuffs. That included a quart of pork barbeque from Pierce’s Pitt Barbeque and a quart of Brunswick Stew from Old Chickahominy House Restaurant. Becky in the meantime ordered six ham and cheese sandwiches for our girls and ourselves from the Cheese Shop in Merchants Square. I continued my circuit by taking Route 199 ( relatively new sort of “beltway” for the area) back to our motel where I put the food in the refrigerator. Then I completed the circuit where I betook myself to the Barnes and Noble at Merchants Square where I caught up on email, Facebook and a little fiddling with my novel. We met up about three and went back to the motel.
The evening deserves a post of its own as I tell about a good meal and an inspirational speaker, probably next week.
Tomorrow: Top Ten Films of All Time, a list compiled by some Brits, for Technology Wednesday
And here are…
BECK’S BEST BETS IN THE ‘BURG 2012
Biscuit City 
Let me second (tentatively, as I haven't been there in a while) Le Yaca. One of our other 'must's is the Edwards ham store–get the boneless country ham and the peppered bacon–and the sausage is pretty darned good, too. And you left Berret's off the list of restaurants! It was always good. I've heard The Fat Canary in Merchants' Square is great as well. Have to admit we gave up finally on Pierce's Pitt–it has ballooned out of control: long lines and bad crowds every time we've tried in recent years. Sad to miss it, but it was just too much. We also do The Old Chickahominy House: ham biscuits to die for.