Bluegrass Grill
313 Second Street SE
What to expect: On a typical Sunday, you will wait up to an hour for a party of four, and I think it’s worth it! First-timers often experience some confusion about what to do when they arrive, so here’s some help: go in and add your name to the sign-in on the wall to your left. If you’re lucky, there will be open seats at the bar. It’s first come, first served. First-timers should also come with cash or checks. The crowd skews young and hungover, but families should not be deterred.
What you wouldn’t expect: I’ve had a lot of the menu these past few years, and I’m still pleasantly surprised each time. The biscuits aren’t buttermilk, they’re better. The gravy doesn’t have sausage in it, but it doesn’t need it. They don’t do bloodies, but I probably shouldn’t have one anyway. My coffee comes in a different mug each time. The best surprise came recently with the mushroom omelet, with a sage spread. Who’d have thought? Quest for the perfect omelet: OVER!
Blue Moon Diner
512 West Main
What to expect: It’s a diner! Smoking is permitted (and done with frequency), and the tables are small. The menu has breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, and a full bar. Regulars typically line the bar.
What you wouldn’t expect: Please leave any negative diner stereotypes at home. The restaurant is clean, and the food tastes fresh. I like it!
Boheme
609 East Market Street
What to expect: With menu items ranging in price from about $7 to $13, brunch is a frugal way to enjoy Charlottesville’s newer French bistro on East Market, across from the police station. Though I still recommend dinner, Boheme’s brunch is among the best I’ve yet had in Charlottesville and offers the unpretentious cuisine of an American in Paris (or perhaps Provence): Eggs Florentine, Shrimp and Brie Grits, and a Steamed Artichoke, with egg, to name a few.
What you wouldn’t expect: I wasn’t surprised with how perfectly my meals have been cooked and seasoned, but I thought I’d be paying more for such attention to detail, creativity with traditional fare, and generosity in portions. I also recommend sitting on the patio. I’ve left untouched by sun and mosquito alike.
Fellini’s #9
200 West Market Street
What to expect: Federico would be proud. Watch any of his movies, and you’d think the entire cast had just come from the Bloody Mary bar at #9, parading through the bubbles cascading from the second story window. Spumante! Squisito!
What you wouldn’t expect: I was so distracted by DIY pickled peppers and worcestershire that I wasn’t even concerned with my frittata last time, but the frittata was impressive. I’m planning to go back for the Italian sausage gravy over focaccia soon. I’ll admit I’ve always been surprised with the subdued, wooden interior. It works well for the live music on weekends, but it’s too dark for Sunday morning. If that roof can hold people and tables, it would make a perfect patio…
Maya
633 West Main
What to expect: If you’ve been enjoying Maya for dinner, go for Sunday brunch. It’s a modest selection of contemporary takes on American comfort food.
What you wouldn’t expect: I had no surprises except my garnish in my bloody. It was a very good surprise, too!
Tavern
1140 Emmet Street North
What to expect: An experience. Whether the experience is good or bad is not the point at the Tavern. It’s just an experience. You’ll eat with hungover sorority women and Earlysville farmers alike. You’ll get heaping portions of whatever, and it will be greasy. If you have a delicate palate, enjoy your meal, but don’t sit at the bar and watch it get cooked. Actually, if you have a delicate palate, just don’t. We tough it out and love it in spite of itself, because it makes no apologies for its scrapple. (All this said, I haven’t been there in two years, and I’m pretty sure it hasn’t changed.)
What you wouldn’t expect: If you do sit at the bar, watch the waitresses really closely. You’ll find out how they stay so mellow, dealing with morning-afters for years on end. Also, when you approach the building from 29 North, take a good look at the lettering on the roof. Something just ain’t right about “townpeople.”
Popularity: 3% [?]
Tagged as: Charlottesville, Downtown Mall, French Food, Raves, Restaurants, Restaurants/Bars, Reviews, Weekends
Lilith - Great Post.. perhaps someone can add La Taza and Mas to this list. Let’s not forget Belmont
Rapture has a really good brunch; I’ve been there several times. I usually get the brandied apples on French toast.
West Main Restaurant (I know people here don’t like it) also has a good brunch. It’s the only place I know of that has biscuits and gravy.
The Korner Restaurant (the diner on Cherry and Roosevelt Brown Blvd or whatever it’s called now) is always packed in the morning, but I’ve never gotten around to eating there. I wonder if they have scrapple…
Is Forest Lakes CVille enough? Timberwood Grill has a nice weekend brunch. I was planning on heading up there Sunday. I’ll file a report after I refresh my recollections of the place.
Ethan- there’s great sausage gravy at Blue Moon and Maya, Bluegrass on request, and Fellini’s with Italian sausage that, as I said, I’m looking forward to trying. I didn’t do West Main for the very reason that I want brunchers to decide what they think for themselves. I love Mas brunch, actually, of late. Its party atmosphere, beautifully sunlit space, and sausage/polenta drastically improve otherwise blah Sundays. I’ve had quite a few Monday hangovers…
Also, I want to add that all of these places cost about the same, $15-$20 for a brunch entree and bloody or mimosa with tip.
Somehow, The Tavern has managed to pack three errors onto the sign on their roof.
Waldo, I love it when you drop by!
As far as I’m concerned, The Tavern is the only place in town to get god pancakes. Their blueberry corncakes are delightful, and it’s an interesting place to go from a people-watching perspective.
Blue Moon is another breakfast favorite. I don’t have much faith in their dinner menu, but the artisan bacon is worth a try, even at $4.75 a side. And Dave, the dreadlocked mall harmonica player, used to sit at the bar and smoke hand-rolled cigarettes every Saturday morning. By the way, haven’t seen him around. Is he dead?
Bluegrass really isn’t good enough to warrant the wait. Biscuits are edible, but if you’re in the South and serving anything other than buttermilk biscuits, you need to get your fucking brain examined. Everything is tasty enough at the Bluegrass, don’t get me wrong, but not nearly good enough to make me wait an hour next to the hangover squad.
And while I’m here, after a long hiatus, I’d like to commend Lilith for finally writing something worth reading. After several weeks of suffering through the most vapid, unimportant shit imaginable, a gem! (By the way, the “Thor SNORE” comment is far more applicable to you, recently). I mean, who knew that, like, C&O had stylish, wanna-be emo stars grace its bar? That’s so totally cool.
I know diners. I love diners. I’m writing this from the Mecca of diners (NJ) and I can’t wait to eat at my favorite one tomorrow morning.
Blue Grass is my favorite place to see people I know and hear about the events of the weekend. The food is very good (the boyfriend loves the biscuits and gravy there). I like the vibe there…they don’t just feed, they entertain (with games, puzzles, and activities). I’m so glad they’re back.
Now, for the closest thing to an authentic Jersey diner, go up Pantops to Tip Top Diner, next to CarMax. The waitresses have those gravely voices that seem required for such a position and they’ll call you “honey” as they scribble three letters on their recipe pad to symbolize the massive breakfast you just ordered. There’s always a wait, but that might change when construction to add to the dining room is complete.
Can I just take a moment to throughly sing Maya’s praises for their shrimp and grits. Please, everyone, do yourselves a favor and go get that dish. Rich creamy coarse grits with ample shrimp and one of the prettiest patios in town. It’s not an enormous amount of food, which on a hot Sunday morning seems to be exactly the right amont. Just go and let me know what you think…
Where I would not reccommend going (at least until they get their feet under them a little more) is Horse and Hound. Ridiculous prices for pathetic portions. I really really want them to do well, so my hope is that we were just there on an off day.
I went to Boheme this past Sunday and was sorely disappointed. First off, the menu is __very__ limited, with 90% of the options including poached eggs. Second, they allow for now substitutions, period. What the hell is that? If I want a salad on the side instead of potatoes, is it really that hard to make the substitution. Third, they cooked the food terribly. If 90% of your menu is poached eggs, they better be damn good poached eggs. Mine were completely hard - not one drip of yolk came out when I cut them. My companions were the exact opposite, bordering on not cooked at all. Finally, the service was sad - we went and asked for an outside table. As the host was leading us out there, an elderly couple behind us pointed out to the host that they had a reservation in 15 minutes and they were going to request an outside table as well. The host turned to us and said: “Sorry, I guess there are no more outside tables now.” Come on! You can’t recant in front of us!
The prices weren’t bad though.
Mike - that has not been my experience at all…
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