Aug 27
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
Jul 31
For most people out and about past a certain hour in the evening, the inevitable late-night snack attack hits. The Corner does a fair job of catering to the ravenous college set, what with Christian’s special hours at its 14th Street and West Main location. But what are the options for good food downtown after 9 o’clock, especially in settings where more fun — and alcohol — are still to be had?
The C&O, one of Charlottesville’s most venerable fine dining restaurants, offers a fairly extensive late-night menu to meet almost any bargoer’s cravings. Especially gourmet ones – pizza and burgers do not make the… Read More
Jun 25
After the farmer’s market last Saturday, I found I’d strolled a little too far down the mall on a nice warm summer’s day, so I detoured down 5th St. SE where I was greeted with red Chinese lanterns I had never seen before and a sign boasting ‘Homestyle Chinese Cooking’. The snickering red devil on my left shoulder said, ‘Are you KIDDING ME? It’s home-style Chinese food time!’. The serene white angel on my right shoulder considered for a hot second and shrugged, ‘There’s no General Tso here, don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
Song Song’s Zhou and Bing… Read More
Jul 11
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
Jun 2
Zynodoa’s (mostly) locally sourced food is cooked to perfection and has made Staunton a foodie destination in Central/Western Virginia with good reason. When chatting up the diners at the adjoining table we found that one couple had come from Richmond and the other from Portsmouth (via a weekend trip to Charlottesville) to sample this menu.
We started with ginger pear martinis. The vodka was from Virginia and infused with ginger and mixed with pear nectar. The ginger was subtle, but present and you could definitely taste the pears in the drink. Their wine list is impressive, but after those martinis, we stuck with water to drink.
The buttermilk chive biscuits that were served as bread were light and… Read More
I, along with the rest of Charlottesville, have been waiting for months for Peter Chang to come to Charlottesville (again). On a whim, my boyfriend and I decided to go to Peter Chang’s China Grill for lunch one Saturday afternoon. I had heard that you needed a reservation, but we popped in to see if they had any openings. Luckily, they had just started to take walk-ins and the hostess seated us moments later. Given that one of my areas of specialty here at Mas to Millers is cheap eats, we had hoped to be able to order some of the very affordable lunch specials, but unfortunately they were not available on the weekends. What… Read More
Mar 26
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
If you like any of the following things, you should get into your car and race out to Basic Necessities at your earliest opportunity:
Jun 21
When someone says they love or hate a fine French restaurant, dissenters will shrug and disagree. Maybe they’ll say they don’t understand what the fuss is about. When conversation turns to beloved or be-hated drinking holes, the response is the same. But when it comes to pizza or hamburgers, prepare for thermonuclear war. No other cuisine is so dangerous to discuss, and if you observe such a belligerent cuisine conversation in progress, you’re likely to find Crozet pizza at ground zero.*
In the 90′s, things were relatively peaceful. Some people said Anna’s was the best around, but the rest of us thought that the quaint little place just west of town was far superior. As Crozet pizza’s… Read More
Jan 3
We thought we knew all the top restaurants in Charlottesville and vicinity. Clifton Inn, Duner’s, Mas, Tavola. Maybe Palladio and Ventana, too. Whenever someone asked for a fine dining recommendation, we pulled something off this list. How silly we were. How naive! One of the best restaurants in Charlottesville has been right under our noses for years, tucked away above an antique store on Court Square.
A walk up the stone and brick steps leads you into a romantically lit lobby, with the dining room beyond. Both are lushly furnished with fine antiques and pristine white linen. The atmosphere is hushed, maybe even to a fault, depending on the kind of evening you’re looking for… Read More
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