Being born in Vermont and now a Charlottesville townie, it only slightly pains me to say Absolutely Forget about Ben & Jerry’s and Arch’s. Just don’t even bother (with the gentle exception of gooey brownie). The best ice cream you have ever eaten in your life is only an hour or so away, straight up 29 at Moo Thru. For your own sake, and the sake of your wardrobe which does not appreciate being drenched in summer sweat, take a field trip somewhere up 29 and stop by Moo Thru. The silkiest deeply flavorful farm fresh milk turned into fresh cold treats will draw your eyes into the back of your head and make your eyes smile and… Read More
Posts Tagged Good for Families
Moo Thru 
Jun 24
Mykonos Cafe 
Jun 16
It’s curious that the only reason I knew Mykonos Cafe existed was from walking past it from time to time. Regardless of their advertising shortcomings, the Greek-born owners know how to make tasty Greek food. This is not a restaurant with any conspicuously trendy leanings towards organic or local food, and the chefs certainly have no formal training in texture, contrast, or artful arrangement. However, I’d like to imagine that if I had a Greek family, this is exactly the food they would make for me. Just don’t tell Michael Pollan.
The spanakopita “spinach pie” was crispy, flavorful, and huge, while my gyro… Read More
Crozet Pizza
Jun 21
When 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
It’s currently 92 degrees out with the usual June humidity adding an extra level of discomfort. And yet I’m choosing to sit outside on the downtown mall, withering more in the sun with every passing moment. Why subject myself to this Virginia heat? Because soon it will make a cone of Chaps ice cream even more delicious and appreciated.
Chaps isn’t about espresso chile sorbet or ginger passionfruit gelato or mini mochi toppings or anything else fancy. It’s about ice cream, pure and simple. The ice cream is handmade, the flavors are classic, and the setting looks like the Peach Pit grew up and went through some rough times. Chaps is… Read More
Tip Top Breakfast
Aug 28
It doesn’t require a lot to make my weekend mornings happy ones. No alarm clock, a nice cup of coffee, hearty eggs, and some fried potatoes go a long way. Tip Top seemed like a sure bet given its constantly crowded parking lot on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Counter seating and cozy booths for classic diner ambience? Check. Swiftly delivered food at bargain prices? Check. Friendly service? Check, with a big “what can I get you, sweetheart?” and smile. All the elements were in place.
The food, sadly, was not. Now, let me say up front that people we’ve talked to are big fans of the Tip Top lunch… Read More
Bodo’s Bagels
Aug 20
If you live full-time in Charlottesville and have a mouth and haven’t had a bagel from Bodo’s you should be the subject of one those psych experiments at UVA where they pay you $10 to breathe through a juice-box straw for an hour while asking you questions about whether you think you’re… Read More
Riverside Lunch
Aug 16
We were out celebrating a friend’s birthday the other night and after a few beers the guy sitting next to me said, “Crozet Pizza and Riverside are the two most overhyped restaurants in the Charlottesville area.” I bit my tongue and told myself to find a happy place and then I asked… Read More
Arch’s Frozen Yogurt
Aug 13
I remember when frozen yogurt first arrived. For me this was at a deli in Dayton, Ohio called “The Upper Crust.” At the end of the counter there was a huge metal machine that looked like something out of a 50′s science-fiction movie. You pulled the handle and out came pale pink strawberry goodness similar to ice cream but fluffier, and good for you too!
Fast-forward a few years and several hundred miles to Charlottesville in the mid-90’s. I’m at UVA with a really bad haircut… Read More
El Agave
Aug 9
If you’ve taken any road trips in the last 10 years, you’ve surely noticed the Mexican restaurants popping up like Mexican jumping beans in all but the most far-flung reaches of this nation. For years I passed them by with a snicker, imagining the diarrhea-inducing dog food that they must serve at such places. Don’t get me wrong — I felt similarly about many truck stops.
Which goes to show how much of a snob I can be… Read More
Doctor Ho’s Humble Pie
Aug 1
Dr. Ho must have gotten his degree from the University of Damn That’s Good! The pizzeria is about a 15-minute drive south from downtown Charlottesville and well worth the trip. Although it’s easy to drive by the exterior, the inside feels homey with a dash of hippie. The menu has a… Read More
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