I’ve always felt like the number of BBQ joints in town is out of sync with the quantity and enthusiasm of pork-consuming Charlottesvillians. Consider the fact that we have at least 9 Thai restaurants, 26 Mexican restaurants, and 27 Chinese restaurants.* Many of the proprietors of these establishments have traveled 1000s of miles to set up shop in our fair town and have taken a gamble on forging a viable business out of a foreign cuisine where there are nevertheless many established competitors and where authentic ingredients can be harder to come by.
Now look at BBQ. Five restaurants in Charlottesville… Read More
The closing of the 
When I heard that Escafé was moving over to the old OXO space, ushering in a wagon wheel saloon specializing in affordable spins on rustic Southern fare, I was skeptical. Known less (to me) as a restaurant and more as a place to drink Red-Bull-vodka-laden Orange Crushes while dancing on the bar to Lady Gaga, Escafé featured a kind of grinding that had little in common with that now being employed by Whiskey Jar chefs to produce their delicious boiled peanut hummus. Unfortunately, my skepticism was confirmed after my first two visits. Fortunately, it was unconfirmed after my last two. 
For those of you who have been here awhile, you may remember Monsoon Café’s origins as an artsy second-story Thai restaurant above the current Downtown Grille.* There were funkily painted chairs and wall-hangings, a couple of intimately capacious seating areas, and an appealing and unusual menu. I don’t know exactly when it moved from that privileged evening-on-the-town location to the decidedly less savory house on the corner of 2nd and Market (
Newcomer restaurant Tempo (in the challenged 5th Street space that was home to Ventana) was much anticipated as we watched renovations and preparations for months. While its opening may have been overshadowed by the Commonwealth phenom, our initial meals suggest it’s a promising addition to the downtown dining scene and worth a visit. 
Best in Chow
