I count seven Thai restaurants in the Charlottesville area, which is something to celebrate in a town of this size. But none is worth celebrating as much as Lime Leaf, the delicious gem tucked away north on Route 29 in the Rio Hill Shopping Center. I get a case of food rage every year when I read “Best of C-ville” and Thai ‘99 tops the Asian category yet again. I’m not sure how C-ville voters continue to prefer one of the least impressive Thai places instead of the obvious best, but I hope anyone who hasn’t yet visited Lime Leaf will make the trek north to give the true deserving Thai champion… Read More
Good for Vegetarians
Lime Leaf 
Jan 10
Milan 
Dec 13
If you read cVillain or spend time on Charlottesville-Dining.com, you have witnessed the absurd mudslinging battles between two of Charlottesville’s three or four Indian restaurants. I won’t go into detail now — I’ll save it for the curry cage match coming later — but suffice to say that Milan considers itself the premier Indian restaurant in town, and many people I know would agree. I personally find it the least good of all of them.
We were with a big group on our most recent visit, so we ordered a dozen different dishes. We had the Samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer, Chili Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, and Shrimp Masala… Read More
Taste of China
Dec 6
We started to get excited after reading various food blogs about a renowned yet mysterious Szechuan chef who had attracted a devoted cult of followers in DC before disappearing. After sightings in Atlanta and Knoxville, there was a rumor that THE Peter Chang was behind the new nondescript Taste of China restaurant in Albemarle Square. I tried to keep my expectations in check, but they shot up when we arrived to see the restaurant name in neon Chinese, as well as English, outside the strip mall exterior. And up even further when we walked in to an absolutely packed place featuring very little English, with a menu… Read More
Mas
Nov 1
I’m ambivalent towards tapas. On the one hand, it’s fun to try a variety of flavors over the course of an evening, and since they’re built for sharing they promote a more social dining experience. On the other hand, my taste buds are usually sufficiently excited by the standard two or three courses of a non-tapas meal, and I’m not a good sharer. Regardless of which camp you’re in, this hip bacony beacon in Belmont will make a believer out of even the least adventurous and sharingest among us.
The physical space of Mas is unusual. Situated funkily in the hairpin elbow of Carlton Avenue and Monticello Road, the yellow-umbrella’ed patio, which would… Read More
