Reviews

Zynodoa

Jun 2

Posted by Stephanie in Reviews | 2 Comments

Zynodoa’s (mostly) locally sourced food is cooked to perfection and has made Staunton a foodie destination in Central/Western Virginia with good reason. When chatting up the diners at the adjoining table we found that one couple had come from Richmond and the other from Portsmouth (via a weekend trip to Charlottesville) to sample this menu.

We started with ginger pear martinis. The vodka was from Virginia and infused with ginger and mixed with pear nectar. The ginger was subtle, but present and you could definitely taste the pears in the drink. Their wine list is impressive, but after those martinis, we stuck with water to drink.

The buttermilk chive biscuits that were served as bread were light and… Read More

Tags: Neighborhood: Staunton, Rating: 4 stars, Restaurant: Zynodoa

Peter Chang’s China Grill for Lunch

Apr 3

Posted by Kaitlin in Reviews | 11 Comments

I, along with the rest of Charlottesville, have been waiting for months for Peter Chang to come to Charlottesville (again). On a whim, my boyfriend and I decided to go to Peter Chang’s China Grill for lunch one Saturday afternoon. I had heard that you needed a reservation, but we popped in to see if they had any openings. Luckily, they had just started to take walk-ins and the hostess seated us moments later. Given that one of my areas of specialty here at Mas to Millers is cheap eats, we had hoped to be able to order some of the very affordable lunch specials, but unfortunately they were not available on the weekends. What… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Chinese, Good for Vegetarians, Neighborhood: 29/Barracks Rd, Rating: 4 stars, Restaurant: Peter Chang's China Grill

Savour

Mar 26

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 4 Comments

Drinking the last of our wine at the table with Chef Ed Nafei hours after the other diners and servers had left the restaurant was the finale to a truly memorable and amusing dining experience at Savour. How did we get to that point? We have our friend and dining companion Liz to thank, as well as Chef Ed’s appreciation for a challenge and his uncanny ability to read people. When we were seated at our table several hours earlier, Chef Ed had warmly greeted us right away and asked if we had any questions about the menu. As he started to describe the three fish specials, Liz – who has a discerning palette… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Lunch, Neighborhood: 29/Emmet St, Parking, Rating: 4 stars, Restaurant: Savour

Buttz BBQ

Feb 28

Posted by Kaitlin in Reviews | 2 Comments

When considering the range of late-night food options on the Corner, one could wonder what more they could ask for. Between pizza, sandwiches, and burritos, it seemed that any eater could get their fill after midnight. Now, Buttz BBQ has stumbled onto the scene, and is serving delicious barbeque from 11:30 pm – 3 am. What’s even better than barbeque that tastes great at 2 am? Barbeque that tastes just as good at 7 pm. That’s exactly what Buttz delivers.

Buttz offers several types of meat and many different accompanying sides. After hearing rumors that this joint was serving up worthwhile barbeque on… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: BBQ, Neighborhood: The Corner, Open Late, Rating: 3 stars, Restaurant: Buttz BBQ

Basic Necessities for Brunch

Jan 9

Posted by Jed in Reviews | 6 Comments

If you like any of the following things, you should get into your car and race out to Basic Necessities at your earliest opportunity:

Scenic drives in the country that end with sausage.
Cozy, fireplace-warmed dining rooms with friendly harpists strumming large harps.
Enormous goblets of mimosas.
Powdered sugar.
Spectacularly fluffy pancakes.
Cookies shaped like pretzels.

Tags: Brunch, Cuisine: Breakfast, Neighborhood: Nellysford, Rating: 4 stars, Restaurant: Basic Necessities

Semolina

Nov 9

Posted by Jed in Reviews | 3 Comments

Why you gotta do this to me, Semolina? You and I had a special thing going when you were just another item on Basil’s menu. There were only a few pizzas to choose from but that was all we needed. When you told me you were going to move out and get your own place I was optimistic that this could be the right move for us. But you’ve changed. You’re different now. And not in a good way.

Sitting in Semolina’s vacant but charming second-story dining room on the Corner, we thumbed through an impressive menu of pizzas. Lamb with tomatoes and feta and mint, venison-blueberry… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Italian, Cuisine: Pizza, Neighborhood: The Corner, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Semolina

Fry’s Spring Station

Sep 26

Posted by Jed in Reviews | 11 Comments

It’s hard to screw up pizza. We can debate the virtues of thick vs. thin, doughy vs. crispy, but the baseline pizza experience is almost always positive. Many a restaurant has ridden on the greasetrails of crappy baseline pies to mild success, whether by virtue of their proximity to drunken people, good delivery options, or a location free from better food options. But if you’re a start-up in the saturated (fat) Charlottesville pizza market, you’ve got to aim above the baseline to make it work, and Fry’s Spring Station isn’t doing that.

The restaurant space itself is fun. Charlottesville loves its gourmet and converted service… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Pizza, Neighborhood: Fry's Spring, Rating: 3 stars, Restaurant: Fry's Spring Station

Brookville

Aug 25

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 11 Comments

There’s an exciting restaurant newcomer in town that’s upped the ante on the local food scene. We’ve only had one meal at Brookville, but it was a delicious, memorable dinner that celebrated the best this season and area has to offer.

Brookville is located in the former Upstairs/Al Dente space above Escafé. It’s more out of the way than other mall spots that easily attract passersby, so I hope the spot won’t be tough for them. It’s a welcoming space that was far too empty for the delicious meal we were about to have. The entry room includes a large bar, exposed brick walls, bookshelves filled with cookbooks to thumb through, and a communal table… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Cuisine: Local, Neighborhood: Downtown, Rating: 5 stars, Restaurant: Brookville

The Downtown Hotdog Company

Aug 15

Posted by Jed in Reviews | 3 Comments

Ah, the hot dog. Baseball and barbecue staple, street minute-meal for the suddenly starved. Proud poster child of American no-nonsense-ness, butt of mystery meat and wiener jokes.

Or so it was. The arrival of The Downtown Hotdog Company, along with such international crazes as Japadog, heralds a new era of thinking about and eating hot dogs. No longer content to be monopolized by Oscar Meyer or confined to white buns, Heinz ketchup, French’s mustard, and maybe some diced onions or pickle relish, the noble wiener is going gourmet.

At the Downtown Hotdog Company, you can pick from a dozen arrangements – including such stand-outs as “The Dragon” with… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Neighborhood: Downtown, Rating: 3 stars, Restaurant: The Downtown Hotdog Co.

Bamboo House

Jul 6

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 2 Comments

There have been many interesting theories about the mysterious, windowless Bamboo House north on Route 29. 1) It’s a cocktail bar acting as a front for the dreaded central Virginian mafia. 2) It’s a strip club/Asian massage parlor. 3) It’s some sort of mason, rotary, Kiwanis-type clubhouse. 4) It is a tasty Korean restaurant. If you suspected the answer was option 4, you’re right! Well, at least you’re right about the fact that it serves Korean food. Sadly it is not tasty, but it’s worth a visit for the delightfully peculiar experience.