Neighborhood: Ivy

Tokyo Rose 

Tokyo Rose - 5I’m perhaps the least qualified person ever to review a sushi restaurant. I avoid raw fish and hate the taste of seaweed. Yet I’m a big fan of Tokyo Rose, so consider this a heartfelt yet unqualified restaurant review.

Apparently back in the day this Ivy Road spot was a hot destination spot with great live music. Now, not so much. Since Tokyo Rose’s reopening in 2005, every time we visit there’s always a sprinkling of patrons but it doesn’t exactly scream nightlife. The setting is nice enough with a sushi bar that I’ve never seen anyone sit at and a private room with traditional Japanese floor seating. Supposedly there’s a downstairs karaoke bar but we have… Read More

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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

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Duner’s 

duners - 03Duner’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… Read More

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Arch’s Frozen Yogurt 

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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

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