Posts Tagged Parking

Bellair Market

Sep 11

Posted by casey in Reviews | No Comments

As much as I love a homemade meal or an elegant dinner, there are some days – or weeks – that don’t allow for leisurely dining. Though I’ve been known to knock back a couple Wendy’s junior cheeseburgers during a busy week, I decided to take a more local, and less greasy, approach to quick eats during this past week of moving and class-related chaos. Bellair Market, Tiger Fuel’s Ivy Road location, has always been my favorite sandwich stop in Charlottesville, but I’ve never loved it more than during a quick lunch break last Wednesday.

Though the shop consistently draws a large crowd from 12-2 on any given day of the week… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Cuisine: Sandwiches, Lunch, Neighborhood: Ivy, Parking, Rating: 3 stars

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards

Aug 27

Posted by Jed in Reviews | 2 Comments

Go. To here. Now. Seriously. Stop reading and go while there’s still some daylight to illuminate the view. Go before 5pm, while they’re still serving food. Because there are great views to be had elsewhere – King Family or Veritas, for example – and then there’s this. There is perfectly fine food to be had elsewhere in the region – Blue Mountain or Dr. Ho’s, for example – and then there’s this.

If you ever went to… Read More

Tags: Cuisine: French-American, Good for Dates, Good for Families, Neighborhood: North Garden, Parking, Rating: 4 stars

Aqui es Mexico

Jul 20

Posted by casey in Reviews | 6 Comments

Charlottesville is home to many fine Mexican restaurants of all sizes and modes – think Baja Bean for students, Guadalajara for margaritas, the farmer’s market for tacos al pastor. But Aqui es Mexico, tucked away in a shopping center in Belmont, offers something special: a unique combination of Salvadoran and Mexican cuisines, an expansive menu, and a comfortable interior.

The restaurant itself is spotless, brightly decorated, and well-lit, with many seating options suitable for different party sizes and a rather impressive curved bar. The service was friendly yet not overly so; my server seemed interested in my enjoyment of the food… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Mexican, Good for Families, Neighborhood: Woolen Mills, Parking, Rating: 3 stars, Restaurant: Aqui es Mexico

Plank Road Exchange

May 22

Posted by Kip in Reviews | 4 Comments

The closing of the Batesville Store was a miserable shame, and to the people responsible: what you’ve done is bad and you should feel bad. It was the perfect nearby getaway, music venue, food destination, the quintessential small town hangout. However, as one door closes, one more opens.

The brand new Plank Road Exchange is of course different from the Batesville Store with different guiding forces and a different overall feel. However, it basically looks the same and still offers delicious house-made foods and specials, frequent live music, and the lovely small-town charm. It’s new, of course, and still has kinks to work out, but the Exchange offers a wide selection… Read More

Tags: Cuisine: American, Cuisine: Sandwiches, Neighborhood: Batesville, Parking, Rating: 3 stars, Restaurant: Plank Road Exchange, Restaurant: The Batesville Store

Aromas Café

Jul 11

Posted by Jed in Reviews | 3 Comments

People have funny ways of communicating deliciousness. Our friend Rachael’s eyes bulge as she stares at you in silence, thoughtfully liquidating her food like a cow chewing its cud. My mom slaps her hand on the table so hard that the silverware clanks and jumps, and then she says, “Y’all gotta try this” in a way that suggests your very life depends on it. My wife Erin’s reaction, however, is the scariest, as I remembered during our last trip to the always delicious Aromas Café in Barracks. More about her reaction below.

Aromas participates in the tradition of “strip mall chic” that restaurants like Lime Leaf and Copacabana – not to mention every… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Mediterranean, Cuisine: Moroccan, Good for Vegetarians, Neighborhood: 29/Barracks Rd, Outdoor Seating, Parking, Rating: 4 stars, Restaurant: Aromas Café

Savour

Mar 26

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 5 Comments

Drinking the last of our wine at the table with Chef Ed Nafei hours after the other diners and servers had left the restaurant was the finale to a truly memorable and amusing dining experience at Savour. How did we get to that point? We have our friend and dining companion Liz to thank, as well as Chef Ed’s appreciation for a challenge and his uncanny ability to read people. When we were seated at our table several hours earlier, Chef Ed had warmly greeted us right away and asked if we had any questions about the menu. As he started to describe the three fish specials, Liz – who has a discerning palette… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Lunch, Neighborhood: 29/Emmet St, Parking, Rating: 4 stars, Restaurant: Savour

Bamboo House

Jul 6

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 3 Comments

There have been many interesting theories about the mysterious, windowless Bamboo House north on Route 29. 1) It’s a cocktail bar acting as a front for the dreaded central Virginian mafia. 2) It’s a strip club/Asian massage parlor. 3) It’s some sort of mason, rotary, Kiwanis-type clubhouse. 4) It is a tasty Korean restaurant. If you suspected the answer was option 4, you’re right! Well, at least you’re right about the fact that it serves Korean food. Sadly it is not tasty, but it’s worth a visit for the delightfully peculiar experience.

If David Lynch was scouting locations for his next movie in Charlottesville, the Bamboo House would inspire quite a flick. As anyone… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Korean, Neighborhood: Madison, Parking, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Bamboo House

The Palmer at Zinc

Mar 22

Posted by Erin in Drinks | 6 Comments

It’s that perfect time of year when the first warm weather brings scores of gleeful people out of hibernation to toast in the sun. So it was great timing this past Saturday to discover my new favorite seasonal drink at the always delightful Zinc.

The Palmer starts with an invention that, like the paper clip and sliced bread, is so simple and yet so brilliant that it’s a miracle it took this long to discover: Sweet Tea Vodka. That’s right, it’s the alcoholic cousin of the classic southern refresher. Zinc uses Firefly sweet tea vodka, made in South Carolina, and tops it with lemonade on the rocks to make an Arnie Palmer… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: French-American, Neighborhood: Main Street, Outdoor Seating, Parking, Restaurant: Zinc

Lime Leaf

Jan 10

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 14 Comments

I count eight 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

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Thai, Good for Vegetarians, Neighborhood: 29/Rio Hill Shopping Center, Parking, Rating: 5 stars, Restaurant: Lime Leaf

Taste of China

Dec 6

Posted by Erin in Reviews | 3 Comments

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