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
Rating: 3 stars
The Local 
Jan 13
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
St. Maarten Café
Dec 7
Before there was Cheeseburger in Paradise there was St. Maarten Café. Tucked away on the dark side of the Corner, backed up against the railroad tracks, St. Maarten’s has been inconspicuously serving up juicy burgers, solid wings, and beachy cocktails for almost twenty-five years. It won’t win any prizes for popularity, but it’s not for lack of things to like.
The entrance is as drab and non-descript as a speak-easy, but the interior is festive, draped with enough ocean-faring paraphernalia to make Captain Quint feel at home. There are fish tanks, giant marlins on… Read More
Tokyo Rose
Nov 10
I’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
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
Tara Thai
Sep 24
I am deeply skeptical about Asian chain restaurants. So while I was initially excited to hear that a new Thai restaurant was coming to town, my enthusiasm fizzled when I heard it was a chain restaurant. That was going into Barracks. Chain restaurant, shopping mall, meh.
We went to Tara Thai with lowered expectations and left mostly satisfied, if not awestruck. Outside Tara Thai is the typical madness of Barracks, inside it’s swanky nightclub meets aquarium. The ambience is much nicer than expected and definitely a welcome departure from the usual dependence on fluorescent in many local Asian joints… 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
