Cuisine: Italian

Crozet Pizza 

crozet-pizza-01When someone says they love or hate a fine French restaurant, dissenters will shrug and disagree. Maybe they’ll say they don’t understand what the fuss is about. When conversation turns to beloved or be-hated drinking holes, the response is the same. But when it comes to pizza or hamburgers, prepare for thermonuclear war. No other cuisine is so dangerous to discuss, and if you observe such a belligerent cuisine conversation in progress, you’re likely to find Crozet pizza at ground zero.*

In the 90′s, things were relatively peaceful. Some people said Anna’s was the best around, but the rest of us thought that the quaint little place just west of town was far superior. As Crozet pizza’s… Read More

Tags: , , , , , ,

Camino 

Camino on Market Street by Vinegar Hill TheaterI remember when Erin and I discovered Il Cane Pazzo. It was a cold autumn night, and we had decided to see a movie at Vinegar Hill. In the ticket line, Erin craned her neck to take in the warm glow of the restaurant next door. “Why have we never noticed this place?” she said. I shrugged and went over to look at the menu. Just a few items, classic Italian with a twist here and there, not cheap. As it turns out, it was also fantastically delicious. Some of the best Italian either of us had ever had. When it went away and Camino took… Read More

Tags: , , , , ,

Brat Pizza at Blue Mountain Brewery

Brat pizza at Blue Mountain BreweryWhen we last visited Blue Mountain Brewery, we made the mistake of ordering only beer. We thought the food, though more creative than expected, was there for no other reason than to anchor the beer drinking. How naive we were!

Though our waiter eagerly pointed out the veggie pizza as his favorite item on the menu, we were inexorably drawn again and again to the brat pizza. We both spent a good chunk of our formative years in the mid-west, so sausage rarely gets past us uneaten, especially if it has wurst in its name. Besides, pizza with apples, balsamic… Read More

Tags: , , , ,

Pizza Cage Match: Christian’s vs. Vita Nova

Spicy Chicken at Christian's PizzaSpicy Chicken at Vita NovaFor years, Christian’s has been the undisputed champ of the by-the-slice division. With four stores in the Charlottesville area and a following so rabid that there is at least one vanity license plate around town that features the name of a signature slice,* Christian’s is Charlottesville’s own Italian Stallion.

In the last few years, however, a new contender entered the ring, threatening to topple the aging giant. Its name was Vita Nova – “New Life” – and with its youthful energy and ravenous appetite, not to mention a manager who had previously… Read More

Tags: , , , ,

Food Find: Mona Lisa Fresh Pasta

mona lisaThis isn’t exactly a dining-out food find, but it’s so good we had to talk about it. For those of you who are self-proclaimed honorary Italians like my wife Erin, who is freakishly obsessed with meatballs and mob movies and James Gandolfini, and even for the rest of us who enjoy but don’t go nuts over Italian food, Mona Lisa on Preston is an amazing resource. They have all kinds of Italian imports and local goodies but the crown jewels in their Italian arsenal are the many varieties of fresh raw pasta that they’ll hand-cut for you in whatever quantity you want. If you think you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between fresh and… Read More

Tags: , ,

Vivace Bar

vivace bar - 7My nominee for the most underutilized bar in Charlottesville goes to Vivace, hands down and with great enthusiasm. Yes, the Ivy Road location is a slight drive from downtown. But the reward upon arrival is great. First of all, there’s the popcorn machine where you can fill up old school popcorn baskets as much as you’d like. They… Read More

Tags: , , , , ,

Tavola 

tavola - 8
Tavola, the latest Belmont restaurant in the former Crush Wine Shop space, has been open for less than two weeks and I’ve already heard stellar reviews from three people.  After dinner last night, I’ll add my stellar review to the chorus.

The owners did a great job transforming the space: it’s cozy without feeling cramped, specials are on the chalkboard, and the kitchen is open (which foodies always love)…

The menu is… Read More

Tags: , , , , ,