Oh, fine French dining: the setting for a fancy night out to celebrate a promotion, propose a marriage, or, if you’re in a movie, to inevitably stumble into a waiter when he is carrying an enormous platter of heavy and very loud dishes.
I love fine dining settings. I love the candles, flowers, long wine list, and most of all, I just love feeling special. I don’t, however, always love the fancy French food that comes with these settings. Maybe I have a low tolerance for butter or some lingering rebellion against my Francophile mother. Regardless of the reason, after years in Charlottesville, we had never been to one of the poshest places… Read More
My 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… 
Duner’s is without a doubt one of the finest restaurants in central Virginia. Its menu, which changes almost daily, features rich game meats, excellent seafood, and farm-fresh produce. The food arrives artfully arranged on plates in a candlelit atmosphere that feels like a gussied up farmhouse dining room. The masterful service is always both friendly and formal, prompt but not hovering. If it weren’t for our most recent dining experience there I would definitely be giving it five stars… 
Best in Chow
