Posts Tagged Cuisine: American

Ham, Goat Cheese & Plum Panini at Feast

Apr 15

Posted by Jed in Food Finds | 2 Comments

Until a few years ago, the thought of fruit and meat together made my stomach turn. Maybe it’s because a friend of mine used to always make me try the strawberry-beef jerky she bought at the Chinese market. While that was unequivocally disgusting, this latest permanent addition to the Feast sandwich menu – one of three new sandwiches added this week – is delicious.

It’s a simple concoction – arugula is the only ingredient not in the name – but it hits all the right notes. The chutney is just the right balance of sweet and spicy, rounding out both the… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Cuisine: Local, Cuisine: Sandwiches, Lunch, Restaurant: Feast

Food Find: Miller’s Fried Green Tomato Salad

Apr 7

Posted by Erin in Food Finds | 2 Comments

Miller’s has stepped it up for the warmer months with some new menu items, including a twist on my favorite Southern summer staple. While a Fried Green Tomato Salad may sound like a healthy makeover of this classic, please remember this is Miller’s we’re talking about: healthy need not apply.

This salad consists of five deliciously fried tomato slabs covering a miniscule sprinkling of salad greens. The genius of the dish comes in the goat cheese and cucumber salsa that is layered over the tomatoes, adding a cool creamy balance to the hot fried deliciousness. Buttermilk dressing generously tops it all for a decadent dish best experienced with a midday beer on the patio… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Good for Vegetarians, Neighborhood: Downtown, Restaurant: Miller's

Aberdeen Barn

Jan 30

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 13 Comments

Sometimes you can only take so many organic vodka drinks and fusion tapas at swanky places downtown. You need something different for date night. You need the Aberdeen Barn. The Barn is a Charlottesville classic that takes you back to the days when the drinks were strong, the steak was red, the lettuce was iceberg, and one only heard rumors about people called vegetarians that lived in California.

On our recent visit, we got gussied up and headed to the red barn off Rt. 29. The hostess led us into the dimly lit room that was awash with white hair patrons and bow-tied waiters. We tucked into our cozy… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Good for Dates, Neighborhood: 29/Barracks Rd, Restaurant: Aberdeen Barn

Bloody Mary Bar at Fellini’s

Jan 18

Posted by Erin in Drinks | No Comments

Maybe I just like my Bloody Marys swimming in Worcestershire, but something about the make-your-own approach makes any brunch more festive. I’m not sure how it took us so long to discover that Fellini’s has a make your own Bloody Mary bar on Sundays, but it’s far too many weekends missed.

First, you’ll be served a great mix that’s hearty, nicely seasoned, and with just the right hair-of-the-dog balance. Then you walk over to the bar and the real fun begins. All the fixings are there: eight different kinds of hot sauce, horseradish, A-1, bbq sauce, Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemons, limes, carrots, olives, celery, pickles, and (my favorite touch) pickle… Read More

Tags: Brunch, Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Neighborhood: Downtown, Restaurant: Fellini's

The Local

Jan 13

Posted by Jed in Reviews | 5 Comments

The local food movement has come a long way in two years. When we heard, in February of 2008, that there would soon be a restaurant in Belmont serving dishes made from Virginia farm ingredients, we thought it was a novel and brilliant idea. The Local opened a month later, and we were one of the first in line. That first meal was everything we hoped it would be – rustic and fresh, simple but whimsical. Unfortunately, all of the meals we’ve had there since have failed to live up to the promise of that first one, and… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Local Food, Neighborhood: Belmont, Outdoor Seating, Rating: 3 stars, Restaurant: The Local

St. Maarten Café

Dec 7

Posted by Jed in Reviews | No Comments

Before there was Cheeseburger in Paradise there was St. Maarten Café. Tucked away on the dark side of the Corner, backed up against the railroad tracks, St. Maarten’s has been inconspicuously serving up juicy burgers, solid wings, and beachy cocktails for almost twenty-five years. It won’t win any prizes for popularity, but it’s not for lack of things to like.

The entrance is as drab and non-descript as a speak-easy, but the interior is festive, draped with enough ocean-faring paraphernalia to make Captain Quint feel at home. There are fish tanks, giant marlins on… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Neighborhood: The Corner, Rating: 3 stars, Restaurant: St. Maarten Café

French Toast Cage Match: West Main vs. Blue Moon

Nov 20

Posted by Jed in Cuisine Cage Matches | 4 Comments

Let’s get ready to [have a stomach] rumble! Even if you’re not normally a French toast person, which I wasn’t until recently, this French toast is going to kick your derriere and leave you sucking your thumb in the gutter. This French toast is going to smash your face and send you to the dentist. Okay, so French toast doesn’t have the muscle to do all that, but it has all the cunning and sneak-attack deadliness of French Savate boxing, and cinnamon to boot. Don’t come crying to… Read More

Tags: Brunch, Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Cuisine: Breakfast, Restaurant: Blue Moon Diner, Restaurant: West Main

Food Find: Eppie’s Turkey Chili

Nov 3

Posted by Erin in Food Finds | 3 Comments

If it’s Tuesday and the weather is brisk, there are few better lunch options than Eppie’s fabulous turkey chili. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Eppie’s, the downtown lunch staple offers up consistently good comfort food: the portions are large, the prices are low, and the menu appeals to kids and office workers alike. There’s a different lunch special every day, but for my lunch Tuesdays are king. The made-from-scratch turkey chili is tomato tangy but still has a good kick. It comes with a delicious cornbread wedge (filled with real corn pieces) and a healthy serving of cheese or sour cream on the side. This is no puny soup cup but an enormous bowl that will… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Neighborhood: Downtown, Restaurant: Eppie's

Beer Run

Oct 20

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 9 Comments

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Beer Run on Carlton Road, here’s the premise: take a convenience store and fill it with beer and wine, throw in a cheap menu with bar classics like nachos and burgers, and add some picnic benches outside. This simple but smart idea has created a popular spot that’s great for the casual and devoted drinker. But I must admit – bring on the ire of the Beer Run devotees – I’m perplexed when people get really enthusiastic about this place. Maybe I just need to change my perspective. As a convenience store to grab a six pack on your way to a party, it’s a gold medal winner. As a casual… Read More

Tags: Brunch, Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Neighborhood: Woolen Mills, Outdoor Seating, Parking, Rating: 3 stars, Restaurant: Beer Run

Food Find: The Tavern’s Pumpkin Pancakes

Oct 13

Posted by Jed in Food Finds | 8 Comments

Though I have a bias for all things pumpkin flavored, I think I’m being objective when I say that the pumpkin pancakes currently featured at The Tavern are the best food in the history of cooking. Thick but delicate, rich but balanced, and threaded through with cinnamony ginger pumpkin deliciousness, they have enough body to satisfy a hearty breakfast appetite, the edibility of a light pumpkin bread, and the fun of a holiday cookie. Even if you don’t add a whisper of whipped butter and a few ribbons of syrup as I do, you’ll be amazed by the flavor. Whether you’re a Tavern fan or not, a pancake eater or omelette eater, consider swinging by… Read More