Well we are late to the game, but it’s clear we aren’t worthy of “press release” material. The Hook reported that Fuel Co. will shut its doors. Despite its aggressive “Free French Fry Fridays” or Quadruple F-ing as I like to call it, it burned through the Kluge riches quickly enough to warrant a shut down. Despite the odd pairing of petrol and food, it had a God-awful location. I think the restaurant concept has potential, just stick it on the downtown mall and don’t sell petroleum product. Course, that would ruin the name, but oh well.
Anyway, here are my predictions for C-Ville’s future restaurant failures in 2007:
- The Nook – Freezer Bag Food won’t cut it on the downtown mall.
- O’Neils - The rumor on the street is that O’Neils is for sale. Given its dwindling popularity in the heart of UVA and the dilapidated nature, this restaurant will go down the tubes. I’d lease that space though… Let me know how much it costs (so long as the owner agrees to fix it up).
- West Main Restaurant- I’ve never heard anything good about this place. Sticking a college themed bar in Midtown (haha got you guys) is a horrible idea.
- Ten- This one is a tough call because it’s an obvious niche for the Capshaw portfolio. Let’s not forget the expensive food and the lame-o bar scene. I do think Ten will undergo enough of a makeover to make it a much difference restaurant come 2008. Also, let’s not forget our favorite bartender isn’t there anymore.
Maybe I missed something. What do you think?
Related posts:
- CRUSH Sold to Michael Keaveny (former Capshaw Restaurant Group Manager) and Will Become a Italian Winebar/Restaurant
- Any idea what’s happening with The Tavern (restaurant on Emmett St, formerly Sarge’s)?
- Petit-Pois: A little slice of French heaven
My sources tell me that O’Neills and Biltmore are for sale as a package, though there may be people who are interested in buying one or the other, whether the owners will split the sale is yet to be determined.
West Main Restaurant isn’t going anywhere any time soon. It’s extremely popular, and I’ve mentioned several times on the forums and in comments that it’s a great place. I’ve been there dozens of times in the last year and always had a great experience. It is NOT a college-themed bar, and anyone who has ever been there would know that. The food is great. Just go and judge for yourself.
It’s no surprise that the Fuel Co. is going out of business. It is the single most pretentious bar I’ve been to in Charlottesville (and that says a lot). It’s also really expensive. I paid 8 bucks for a glass of wine, which was probably the price of the bottle at Food Lion.
Ethan, West Main leaves much to be desired. Are you connected to that restaurant or its owners in any way? Also, that spot has been notorious for killing off restaurants. I’d like to hear from others on this one, but I am pretty sure West Main will die.
I’m not connected with it in any way, but I can tell you that they have plenty of business. It just won Best of CVille 2006 in some category. I like it because the food is great, the atmosphere is great, the prices are pretty reasonable, and the bartenders are pretty cool.
Actually, I shouldn’t really be that surprised that people on this site have nothing positive to say about it because it seems like most people here are into the really snobby bars. I’ll bet you $20 West Main Restaurant will still be there in a year.
Ethan, sorry, you’re wrong. The food is NOT great and it has nothing to do with snobbery. Some of the food is really good at times, but it is so erratic, you never know what you’re going to get. Ask me about the time my friend ordered a Lamb Shank special and it came to the table…..frozen. Not cold, mind you…….frozen. Other times, I’ve had great apps there. For atmosphere, I love that I can choose to sit upstairs, in a more quiet environment, or go downstairs and have more social interaction. Atmosphere great? Yes. But the food? No.
Again, nothing to do with snobbery. I can have a great meal at Mel’s; it’s consistent and I know what I’ll get when I order. West Main is trying, but the inconsistency is ridiculous.
Don’t even get me started on the calimari that is rubbery. And also don’t get me started on the downstairs bartenders that are clearly drugged out when they are working. One of my favorite bartender quotes ever came from there, after I had ordered my drink for the 3rd time: “What?? A drink? Sorry, I know you ordered, but I’m a little out of it, I had SUCH a good time last night, err, this morning. I bet you’re jealous.”
Seriously.
I have to second West Main being fine. I wouldn’t call it a college bar either, it’s a more low-key place, which personally I enjoy going to more anyway. I sure hope it doesn’t go out of business, I’d be pretty disappointed, even though I’m not a regular patron. For the gatherings I went to there, it seemed to be in the college-age range, but a little less baseball cap-ish.
I like being able to hear the person I’m speaking to talk, and I enjoy the ‘coziness’ of the West Main downstairs.. it manages to be a small bar, and still operate well with a decent sized crowd.
As for the upstairs dining area, I have no idea. And no, I have no connection to West Main, other than potentially eyeing them for being a kickball sponsor bar, which they may have no interest in anyway.
The other choices on the list.. seem good to be, except for maybe The Nook. Food seemed ok, but tradition still goes a long way, and apparently it’s been there for a while. I love diner-type places.
What I find absurd is that I can’t get scrambled eggs or pancakes anywhere on The Corner at night! When I leave a concert, I’m craving breakfast.. and yes, the Gus Burger is fantastic, but would it kill you to throw a couple eggs on that skillet? In all seriousness, that’s probably one of the top things that irks me about C-Ville .. I’m not driving up 29 to IHOP at that time of night, give me my damn pancakes and eggs.
Ethan, you said in the “On vacation” comment that you’re 23? I think the snobby bars aren’t snobby, it’s more that the crowd skews older and the establishments use more quality ingredients, hire more experienced servers, and maintain more sophisticated interiors, and, as such, charge more. (Flower arrangements on every table: expensive!) With age comes expendable income (in most cases). And because nightlife is more consequential for adults, either because there’s a babysitter on the clock or because our extra pillows are literally collecting dust, we tend to dress up, make an occasion of it, and pay for the $9 glass of pinot or $12 Artini. But I also see your point. I’m glad West Main is “your” place, and yes, it appears to be a nice restaurant, and I complain on this site, often, that more restaurants don’t offer entrees in the $8 to $15 range. (See the new About profile.) I know another regular who loves it and similarly did not like hearing me critique the service. Unfortunately, if the good experiences are in the minority, the cost-revenue matrix will go awry.
i’ve been to west main 4-5 times, only 1 of which i would deem satisfactory. i am a fan of their meatloaf BLT, but other people i have gone with have found their meals to either be incorrectly cooked or just poor quality.
my main problem has been with the poor service. i once waited to be seated for about 5 minutes without seeing anyone who worked there (at the host stand and the upstairs bar) so i just left. this was following a couple other occasions where i waited almost that long just for someone to notice my presence in the restaurant (and this was around a typical dinnertime hour).
i’m not someone that needs to be coddled in a restaurant, but if they are going to be that indifferent me and those that are with me, and then serve very inconsistent (and sometimes near unedible) food, i’m not going to waste my time there anymore.
Don’t give me that age = sophistication crap, Lilith. I don’t think twice about dropping 8 bucks on a bottle of Chimay or Duvel. I’m sorry that a lot of you haven’t had good experiences at West Main. It happens, I guess. But don’t pretend that places like X-Lounge and the like are sophisticated. I’ve been there, and it’s full of people who walk around like their shit don’t stink. They’re just as vacuous at 27 as they were when they were at 23 as they were when they were at 20. That’s why I tend to do most of my drinking at South Street on non-Tuesdays (or early in the evening on Tuesdays).
Ethan, you seem to have an axe to grind, and I’m not sure where the hostility and defensiveness come from. You’re entitled to your opinion, and Lilith (and others) are free to agree or disagree. Considering this discussion is a pretty harmless one, I don’t really see the need to get so worked up.
Enough with the diplomacy. West Main is a goddamned travesty of a restaurant. Poor service, incompetent kitchen, and no non-smoking section. I have no doubt that people like the place and have eaten good food there. Hell, I don’t doubt the fact that there are a few good items on the menu–I just haven’t experienced them. Screwing up pub grub is, I think, an unparalleled bit of culinary blasphemy. Paired with indifferent waiters, I prefer to take my money elsewhere.
Fuel deserved to fail. The Nook deserves to fail. Many others make that list, but I’ll refrain from mentioning them. As an outsider and recent transplant, it seems that locals are too eager to give Charlottesville a bigger city vibe, and not without reason. Unfortunately, the restaurant scene here seems to be more about appearances than actual delivery. (There are, of course, several outstanding exceptions.) The restaurant business is a volatile one–and that holds true in Cville–but in most major markets, an establishment that cannot perform well will go out of business within a very short timeframe. There’s turnover here, too, but why doesn’t it happen sooner?
We don’t have to go to Mas just because it brings tapas to Charlottesville. I know Spanish food is the trendy cuisine du jour, but Mas just isn’t that good. Why pretend otherwise? We shouldn’t be in the business of charity when it comes to our food. To varying degrees, we pay for the privilege of dining out and should hold restaurants accountable for their performance (or lack thereof). Trendy doesn’t equal good; price doesn’t equal quality. If a chef puts a plate in front of you–at any price point–that doesn’t satisfy, don’t continue to frequent his or her establishment.
Wake up, Charlottesville. Grow a set of balls. The Stu Rifkins and Coran Capshaws of the world don’t own your tastebuds. Neither do their names, applied to whatever venture, mean quality. Restaurants in this town need to follow a simple formula to achieve (at least momentary) success: set up a pricey bar, deck out the interior in modern decor, add colored mood lighting, and price all entrees between $22 and $35.
There’s so much more to food than this, and I sincerely hope that people in this city will take a step back to realize that in many cases, they’re paying for a trend, and not good cuisine.
Oh…and go to the theatre and see Ratatoille if you love food above all else.
Sorry…that should be “Ratatouille.”
BusRider, I lol’d. Ethan, I agree that people can transcend age in confidence, experience, and intellect, the ever-ambiguous terms of”sophistication,” and I regret the implication about “haves” and “have nots” of age groups. Not so. I was trying to get at the idea of snobbery being a perception. With age can come a lifestyle that outwardly projects what I think is associated with snobbery. It’s simply age and nothing else. I hope that clarifies. Unless people are being rude to me personally, what do I care how they present themselves? Maybe we’re all snobs to somebody.
Oh boy oh boy. I’m gonna repost BusRider’s rant on the front page in the morning.
Sorry, I was in a bit of a pissy mood yesterday, and I was insensed at the prospect of West Main closing since I know a lot of people that work there.
In any case, the reason I didn’t enjoy Fuel Co. is not necessarily the price, but rather the clientele that happened to be there the night I went. I went to enjoy Matt Wilner & co. play some jazz numbers, but there was a large group of what were obviously undergraduate students getting wasted. There are times and places for doing shots, but that particular time and place didn’t seem like the right one. On top of that, it wasn’t that great of a glass of wine, and it was probably on 3-4 oz., which is well below the $8 I paid for it. Compounded with its miserable location, I can easily see why it would fail.
Ethan – No worries, we like pissy moods!
I agree re:The Nook and O’Neils — they’re just wasting valuable real estate at this point. The Downtown Mall could use a nice bar on the east side, so go ahead and close already, Nook.
I went to Ten last week and it was pretty great — expensive, but I prepared myself for that before I went. The tuna was amazing, and not just Charlottesville-amazing… so I hope it doesn’t close. But the bar is in a weird location. They should’ve split the space up so that the bar section faces you when you walk up the stairs (the light area), with the restaurant section taking over the bar area (btw, I remembered people talking about the photo-reactive lights at their bar when I went, and had a great time playing around with them. Yeah, I had a few by then.)
I’ve never been to West Main, ever. No particular reason, outside of my assumption is was just some dank pub. Now that it appears my assumption was fairly correct, I don’t think I’ll be stopping by any time soon.
Is the real estate on the Corner really that valuable, well, at least compared to downtown? I’ve actually seen O’Neill’s packed quite a bit and the Biltmore/Fratmore is probably the most popular place among undergrads. If that gets sold, it’s probably not on account of its inability to generate stable income. The food at Biltmore is not very good, and you don’t want to eat there anyway since it constantly smells like stale beer, but it’s still really packed on weekend nights.
Michael’s Bistro seems to be the nicest bar on the corner, and there are a few other decent college-y bars, but overall, the corner seems to lack hallmark drinking spots. There’s way more happening in that department in the Downtown area (with an entirely different clientèle, obviously), and I suppose it’s because fraternities and sororities continue to dominate the college party scene, even for those 21 or over. I went to college at Penn State, and no one 21 or over would be caught dead at a frat party, so the bar scene was much better. Aside from Halloween, the corner is incredibly boring, which is surprising for a town that claims to have such a college atmosphere. Personally, I think the atmosphere of the greater Charlottesville area is generated entirely from its non-students.
Additionally, when I was walking home from work, I noticed the Tropical Smoothie place between the College Inn and O’Neill’s is now closed.
I really only drank at Maarten’s when I was in school.
And in my experience, nobody went to fraternity parties much after second year, but I hung out with a pretty non-typical UVA crowd (drama geeks, you know) so I’m not sure if that was the norm. We mostly went to non-Greek off-grounds parties, Maarten’s or Michael’s Bistro. I only went to the Biltmore for lunch, for the California salad. Yum.
We did go to one other bar (name escapes me, I think it was across the street from the Biltmore), but only for the brief period of time when one of my sorority sisters was sleeping with the bartender. Heh.
This is perhaps late and no one will read this, but it appears that Jabberwoke on the corner has also closed.
WHAT?!
Are you sure it didn’t just shut down for the summer?
I think its laughable that some of you “Jackasses” can doom a retaurant to failure without even going there(West Main Restaurant- I’ve never heard anything good about this place. Sticking a college themed bar in Midtown (haha got you guys) is a horrible idea. – Thor)!?
West Main is not going anywhere anytime soon!
Talk about happy hour specials, $4 Grey Goose from 4-6…forget about it. Their aps are $2 off, and their quesadilla is one of the best in town.
They have some very good/different items on the menu, Meatloaf BLT, Crab cake hushpuppies, bacon wrapped scallops(Yummy bacon!), and a deep fried sandwich!!!
I will agree that the service can be a wee bit slow from time to time, although the bald bartender upstairs looks like an octopus at times. He is nut funny(Thinks he is.), however he is quick.
Phishface – Are we hypothetically Jackasses or just Jackasses?
Hey, we encourage participation and if you have a better idea of a place please comment or post. This website is about interaction. I have an opinion and I’ll stand by it. I’ve seen 3 restaurants fail in that same location and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one did as well.
P.S. If we could actually doom restaurants (as opposed to predicting) I would find that awesome. We would really be cVillains!
tHor
” we encourage participation and if you have a better idea of a place please comment”
I did comment! See…
” think its laughable that some of you “Jackasses†can doom a retaurant to failure without even going there(West Main Restaurant- I’ve never heard anything good about this place. Sticking a college themed bar in Midtown (haha got you guys) is a horrible idea. – Thor)!?
West Main is not going anywhere anytime soon!
Talk about happy hour specials, $4 Grey Goose from 4-6…forget about it. Their aps are $2 off, and their quesadilla is one of the best in town.
They have some very good/different items on the menu, Meatloaf BLT, Crab cake hushpuppies, bacon wrapped scallops(Yummy bacon!), and a deep fried sandwich!!!
I will agree that the service can be a wee bit slow from time to time, although the bald bartender upstairs looks like an octopus at times. He is nut funny(Thinks he is.), however he is quick.”
HEE HAW!
Mr. Face
I love West Main!