The local food movement has come a long way in two years. When we heard, in February of 2008, that there would soon be a restaurant in Belmont serving dishes made from Virginia farm ingredients, we thought it was a novel and brilliant idea. The Local opened a month later, and we were one of the first in line. That first meal was everything we hoped it would be – rustic and fresh, simple but whimsical. Unfortunately, all of the meals we’ve had there since have failed to live up to the promise of that first one, and… Read More
Outdoor Seating
The Local 
Jan 13
Beer Run
Oct 20
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Beer Run on Carlton Road, here’s the premise: take a convenience store and fill it with beer and wine, throw in a cheap menu with bar classics like nachos and burgers, and add some picnic benches outside. This simple but smart idea has created a popular spot that’s great for the casual and devoted drinker. But I must admit – bring on the ire of the Beer Run devotees – I’m perplexed when people get really enthusiastic about this place. Maybe I just need to change my perspective. As a convenience store to grab a six pack on your way to a party, it’s a gold medal winner. As a casual… Read More
Maya Brunch
Oct 5
We have an unhealthy relationship with brunch. And by unhealthy I mean not only that we invest an alarming portion of our happiness in a positive brunch experience every weekend, but also that it is literally unhealthy. I eat lots and lots of bacon, and Erin eats lots and lots of fried potatoes. Our favorite brunch places and dishes are so entrenched in our lives that it’s an act of tremendous will to go somewhere else, as we did one recent Sunday when we went to Maya. It was fine, but I missed our usuals.
Maya offers a brunch menu that… Read More
Hamiltons’
Sep 21
Hamiltons’ is one of those places that arouses in me only the mildest flicker of interest when I’m thinking about a night on the town. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the ethnic-American menu, which features stir-fry, spaghetti, and rack of lamb dishes right there next to each other. Or it could be the fact that no one ever recommends it to me or otherwise seems to be talking about it. Or maybe I would just prefer that the comma in their name come before the “s” instead of after. Whatever it is, I never feel much like going, which is still how I feel after our last visit.
We ate outside… Read More
Baggby’s 
Sep 11
If there is one thing that Charlottesville over-serves it’s sandwiches. We have a lot of spinach-artichoke dip and egg rolls and jalapeño poppers too — sometimes all on the same menu — but sandwich shops are squished into this city’s limits like so many turkey cold cuts. Some of them are skippable, but many serve up fresh ingredients in creative, well-executed combinations that are more than worthy of your lunch hour. Baggby’s is one such establishment. In addition to old faithfuls like egg salad and pastrami you can find newfangled genre-benders like the Sedona… Read More
La Taza Coffee House
Sep 8
When the sun is shining and the temperature is warm, there’s nothing like a weekend brunch at La Taza. The patio is large, scenic, and dog-friendly. The coffee is strong, delicious, and fair trade. The juice comes with champagne (if you want it), and the food has a Latin American flair.
Humbly called a coffee house, I think La Taza has one of the more interesting brunch menus in town. Their Huevos Benicio is potatoes layered with ham, pepper jack cheese, and eggs covered in salsa and sour cream with tortillas on the side, while the Machaca includes scrambled eggs, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, tortillas, and… Read More
Zocalo’s Fresa Negra
Aug 26
When Zocalo’s Joya McMurray recently won Best of C-ville bartender for the second year running, it seemed time to make a return trip to the downtown hot spot for a fancy cocktail. I was looking for something different, although I’m not sure I expected something quite as different as the ominously delicious sounding Fresa Negra (“black strawberry”), a fascinating chili-infused blackberry lemonade with Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Skyy Vodka, or Cuervo Tequila. I chose vodka and awaited the first sip. Surprisingly, it worked: the spice was artfully balanced with the lemonade’s tangy sweetness. It was purple and pleasingly strange and I felt like I was at Happy Hour in a Tim Burton movie. True… Read More
Miller’s
Aug 18
You don’t go to Miller’s for the food. You go for the party. People-watching over a pitcher of beer in the middle of the mall outside, small jazz and alt music shows or weekday bar-flying on the ground floor, more civilized conversation upstairs, and rough-and-tumble billiards up the side stairs on the top floor. Food is there to assist you in whatever plans you might have at Miller’s that evening, not… Read More
Vivace Bar
Aug 17
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… 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
