Most of us are obsessed with the downtown mall usually out of convenience. What is off the beaten path? My interest
in procuring a new breakfast spot has yielded a diamond in the cville rough: C’ville Coffee. Located at the corner of Harris and McIntire in what seems to be an antique/furniture business park, it serves up more than just coffee.
My curiosity with Cville Coffee began with the Chocolate Chip Honey Bunches I tried at the City/Farmers Market a couple of weeks ago. Something so simple and delicious surely had to come out of a creative kitchen, or at least a business that really cares about its customer experience.
About an Owner
I had lunch with Toan Nguyen, owner of C’ville Coffee soon after our introduction at the City/Farmers Market. We discussed everything from business to politics to the local “green” initiative. He has quite a colorful past, influenced very much by his wife’s career ambitions. She was a high-powered San Francisco lawyer in the 80’s, no doubt slinging together crazy private equity and leveraged buy-out deals in the hay day of financial market abuse (just a thought, not actually confirmed). Confronted with the realization that working for the Firm would not allow for a great family life, she told Toan she wanted to move back to cville where she attended Uva Law.
Back in cville, Toan went into the Architecture program at Uva and then went on to Darden for his MBA. Upon graduation he worked for United Technologies Corporation (Sikorsky Helicopter, Carrier Air Conditioning, Otis Elevator, Pratt & Whitney, etc…), and worked all over, included Paris. Parisian life and culture were no match for the wonderful life we have in cville, and so the Nguyen family ended up in cville shortly thereafter. Perhaps Toan and Shenanigans were both bitten by the infamous cville bug?
Much like most budding entrepreneurs, corporate life was not for Toan…and so began his custom hand-made furniture business. 9/11 kicked us in the pants and cville’s interest in expensive furniture came to an abrupt halt. Things could have turned for the worst but Toan’s daughter suggested they open a coffee shop to attract people into the furniture store. That idea turned the business around and made what is Cville Coffee today. Toan said that in a recession people like to huddle together, to have a sense of community and find out from others what tomorrow will bring. And most of the times they like to do that while sipping coffee, the profitable kind.
An Architect’s Influence
Toan designed the interior space of Cville Coffee himself with the purpose of making the space itself the experience. He says that American architecture usually conveys the entire idea/thought/motivation upfront. IE, you walk into a McMansion and you can see through to every room on the first floor. The kitchen is open, which is exposed to the living room which is exposed to the family room and so on and so on. Asian architecture is more mysterious and discovery-like in nature. One space flows into the next space and so on. To get to the end you have to start from the beginning and move onward hopefully ending up at the showpiece room.
Toan blended both American and Asian influences in his design. No, this doesn’t mean Cville Coffee has kimonos, golden fans with Chinese writing on the wall and can rival NYC’s Buddha Bar. The entrance to Cville Coffee is used for ordering food, coffee and Honey Bunches only. To receive your food you have to walk through the first doorway to the back of the main dining area space. To the left is a private-like area for adults-only. This space is home to the Nguyen book collection as well as plenty of tables and chairs to hold the monthly board-meetings of your new dot com. To the right of the dining room is the children’s play area. There is a larger than life-sized Galapagos turtle Toan had commissioned by a local artist from an abandoned tree stump. This thing is built Ford tough and has sustained the abuses of Charlottesville’s toddler population for many years. The room around the turtle is painted in a Galapagos island motif. You are literally surrounded by water on three sides (like an island) as well as the local flora/fauna of the islands. You don’t’ find this kind of detail anywhere else.
The bathrooms are another story entirely. While more focused on the children, the men’s bathroom has many playful themes inside of it. Tin Tin book covers adorn the walls while a faux ladder and man hole are part of the ceramic tile floor. It literally looks like a boy’s playroom. The women’s bathroom is altogether different. It is more subdued and soothing. The tile floor looks like water and the walls have soothing flowers painted on them. It’s the little things isn’t it?
Music is piped through every room in Cville Coffee. The difference between this simple idea and any other coffee shop is Toan’s use of subwoofers in every room as well. He wants to carry the subdued jazzy melody in every room, and the only way to do that is with a balanced system. Details man, details!
Food and Coffee
So the only reasons I was initially interested in Cville Coffee were the Honey Bunches at the City/Farmers Market and Toan’s lunch invitation to have amazing Korean food. The rabbit hole goes a bit deeper, fortunately for me. I noticed the menu lists homemade granola with yogurt for breakfast and had to give that a try. I have had a couple different batches of homemade granola and this one is the best I have had yet. A mixture of oats, brown sugar, honey, cashews, raisins, cranberries, sunflower seeds, almonds and cocoNUT, its perfectly balanced. Not too sweet, and not so crunchy that you break your teeth or need to wait three hours for the yogurt to soften it up. Nope, this thing is great. Topped off with bananas, I had a great breakfast. And at $4.69 +$.50 for the banana you have a great healthy alternative to that bagel with cream cheese or eggs and bacon.
Coffee is something they take very seriously here. They use Gavina Gourmet Coffee beans, a company that has been in business for the past 130 years. Their espresso and coffee drink prices are super reasonable, just be ready for a wait if there is only one person manning the cash register. The Gavina espresso is smooth and not as dark as other coffee roasts in town.
All baked goods in here are made by Tuon’s wife. While her career used to be law, her passion was always baking, and it shines through, especially with the Honey Bunches (note: I will find out if there are any addictive chemicals in these bunches of deliciousness) and granola.
Not to let his Vietnamese heritage go astray, Tuon also offers some Vietnamese inspired lunch dishes, as well as a varied selection of gourmet sandwiches. I tried the marinated tofu with peanut sauce and noodles. The ingredients that went into it were great, and eating slightly charred tofu was a very cool touch. The only big drawback to this dish is the lack of the suace’s authenticity. The peanut sauce had a more “American” friendly flavor where the soy sauce and sesame oil took the forefront of my palate.
Not to criticize without inquiring first, I spoke to Toan about my thoughts on the dish at the Farmer’s Market this past Saturday. He said that the grilled tofu/chicken noodles with peanut sauce are his most popular lunch items, and the customers love the peanut sauce! I guess I am too picky, but if one tiny response could be handed my way would be for C’ville Coffee to have the option for a Vietnamese style peanut sauce to go with it instead of the original. Toan also mentioned the dish is not an actual Vietnamese recipe, and they have never served the traditional style sauce. I guarantee if people who love this dish switched to version 2.0 of the peanut sauce, they would also eat the bowl after finishing the noodles. This dish has the potential to be a cVillain “must have” lunch dish if they use a traditional Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce (or had it as an option) like the peanut sauce Lemongrass Thai on the Corner uses for its Vietnamese summer rolls. Thick, creamy and oh so peanutty.
I didn’t try it, but apparently the Berry Turkey sandwich is the other hit…let us know how it is!
You had me at Honey Bunches.
Popularity: 79% [?]
Tagged as: Breakfast, Charlottesville, city market, Coffee, Cville Coffee, eggs, espresso, farmers market, granola, Honey Bunches, lunch, peanut sauce, Toan Nguyen, vietnamese
Did they change their beans in the last year or two? They used to have really bad coffee. It was so acidic my tongue melted.
I have no idea what beans they used to use, but the coffee is very good. I had the misfortune of trying Starbucks coffee recently and was appalled at the terrible quality of their beans….That being said Cville Coffee is providing good roast!
Great coffee, good salads, seriously garlic-y hummus (bonus)..and the zero cookies aren’t bad either. Since I’m not hip enough to be able to walk to the mall, it’s also well-positioned on my drive down there.
Me wants a honey bunch
mmmm…. C’ville Coffee honey bunches are AMAZING (especially if you microwave them for 15 seconds).
Java Java in on Ivy Rd has them too, by the way. Not sure if they’re the same recipe, but they were my breakfast of choice when I used to work on that side of town. Does any one know where Java Java gets their baked goods?
Java Java gets most of their stuff from Baker’s Palette.
I can attest to the goodness of the Berry Turkey.
Thanks for the all the details Alice
I meant Elizabeth. WTF?
Just got a text reply from Toan, Cville Coffee does indeed sell Honey Bunches to Java Java…..if you guys want a sneak peak grab some at the Farmers Market this Saturday!
You two are like BFFs.
When my wife was in law school, one of our favorite weekend routines was heading to Cville Coffee and just spending all morning there. Getting there when they opened to secure a good seat. Starting with coffee and a pastry, and then leaving after a light lunch. Good times. Also, to echo Francesco, Toan is as nice and gracious a host as you’ll meet. You should try his business if you haven’t.
I’ll also plug the two John L’s and Fax here. Given all the great local coffee shops in town, there’s really no reason to drink from the big chains. I’m not trying to be all anti-corporacy, but these guys deserve your business.
no shame! Toan is the most genuinely nice person I have met in cville.
One of the nicest, most “there are wonderful people in this city” experiences I’ve had here was at CVille Coffee a few months ago. I just wish they took Credit Cards.
http://cvillain.com/2008/04/02/yes-they-are-out-there/
I’ve haven’t been able to get there in a while, but I love C’ville Coffee. The salads are great and I love that I can take my kids and let them play while I enjoy lunch and a yummy dessert. Good review.
orchid, do you have anything to say about @15 taking her kids to a coffee shop? Just asking.
@16 Why would anyone have anything to say about it? This particular coffee shop has a nice play area for children and a separate area for adults who would prefer to be left in peace.
@16 i doubt i will ever go to cville coffee so BC is welcome to it
@17 but can those adults HEAR the screaming kids?
@18 yes. you can hear the screaming children. this is why i avoid cville coffee. i’m glad it’s there and child friendly so i can hate and resent the people who bring screaming kids to the other less kid friendly places freely. it’s wonderful to be able to hiss things like “Inside voices” or “I’m sorry, I cant hear you because of the NOISE” when some dipshit lets their heathen children loose upon the world while they yak on their phone or meet with friends, oblivious to whats going on. fuckity fuckers.
Wow, I’m really feeling the love here. I’m so sorry that I forget on a regular basis how rude it is for me to allow my children out in public, even though they are much more well behaved than a lot of adults I see when we’re out. I am glad to know that neither of you frequent C’ville Coffee so I can take my children there without worrying about the disgusted and disdainful looks we might get otherwise. I have to wonder though, if either of you ever plan to have children, will you change the rules for yourselves? Or will you stay locked up in your homes, out of sight, so your ‘heathen’ children don’t offend the childless adults of the world. It will be a lonely life for sure, but at least you won’t be a hypocrite, right?
not all children are monsters. if yours aren’t, then you needn’t be offended by rose’s & my hatred of monsters. if yours are, then you shouldn’t take them out in public without leashes and muzzles.
B.C. Yes, the rules in Charlottesville are you can only have soap opera children. The kind where 4 year old Timmy goes up to get his skates one day (and no one ever poops or pees there either in soap opera world) and returns ..or not 2 months later and he is 18 and hunky w/ an air of gay about him. With pecs and hair. Could be what happened to him in the attic for the past pseudo 14 fake years. Who knows.
To be fair there are heathen children out there and I solely blame their parents who think it’s just so cute that little Suzie is screaming at the top of her lungs or proclaiming some beyond adult for their years saying that they repeat over and over again and clap clap isn’t she sweet and we are all supposed to nod at how sweet it is. Like a Stalin society where we can’t say…hey you’re an ass and your kid is insufferable and so are you. Because someone didn’t decide to procreate until they were 45. And no one ever loses in little Suzie’s world. Everyone gets a trophy.
For the record…a parent. My little Suzie got her ass brought home when she was rude. Swiftly. It wasn’t cute. She’s 20, a college student and been completely independent since she was 18 with nary a dime from Mom. That is our job. It isn’t the job of society to put up w/ bad behavior. So, yes, I’ll be the first to give the look when warranted.
I understand what you are saying about the ‘monster’ kids who are never told no. And I agree that their behavior is completely the fault of the parents, and everyone dreads having ‘that family’ sitting next to them in a restaurant. However, when I get the ‘look’ the moment I walk in somewhere with kids in tow, I get a bit frustrated. It doesn’t matter if they are acting like angels, we are being judged from the minute we walk in the door. And if my three year old does start getting whiny while waiting for her food, you know what, I’m sorry, but I really don’t give a shit if it bothers you. More likely than not, we’ve been in town all day running errands. We live 45 minutes away from the city, and to save gas, we have to do it all in one day. That makes for a long day for a three year old and a one year old. And yeah, I could have taken them to McDonald’s or some other fast food joint (and sometimes I do) but there are times when I’d like to get something a little more healthy. If that means I end up next to you in a restaurant, so be it. If you start judging me before I even sit down by rolling you eyes and making comments to your friends, you better believe that I’m not gonna feel the least bit sorry if my kids live up to your expectations and ruin your lunch. Because, hey, everyone has a bad day and if you can’t understand that then I don’t really care what you think about me and my kids. Hmmm, you know what, I don’t really care anyway.
/not completely directed at above posters…just struck a nerve and needed to get it out.
Buckingham Chickie, I totally agree. You rock as a parent and as a villain. I am from a *really* large family, and anti- children bias grates on me. guess what people: we were all young once, and possibly obnoxious. My parents were not bullied into submission by the fact that they had young children and I’m a better adult because of it.
It’s not like we’re arguing about parents bringing kids to bars. Middle of the day or early dinner hours, it’s fair game and let’s be tolerant for fuck’s sake.
@23 I appreciate what you’re saying, BC. That is a hard day for a three year old (errands suck for everyone) and living out in the county is a trek and no one likes being tired and hungry and when you’re just a little thing you don’t have anything called a coping skill, or barely anyway. I also know that if I saw that, I would have a lot of sympathy for you and your little one.
This is not what I mean though and I think you know it. The key word about the parents I was describing was “oblivious”. If this IS you, shame. But we know you are not oblivious, you seem like you would be attentive and sympathetic to your children. I mean the “precocious” 8 year old having fits that the parents are not equipped to deal with in public and really shouldn’t. You cant meet the needs of a child if you are worried about disturbing people or being judged etc. and for what? for a fucking coffee? sorry, but having kids is a lifestyle choice and people better recognize that it changes some shit around. There are some places your children ought not be brought to unless they are comfortable (not overtired, not hungry, not overwrought) otherwise you are going to get nasty looks, not just because you are a nuisance but also because it smacks of selfishness. For example, a coffee shop that many people are going to for quiet time and does not have a little play area when there is a coffee shop that exists with a play area and IS kid friendly. Why? Why does this happen?
@20 While I see the topical relevance of whether I (or other adults who seem irritated by the presence of children) have, or plan to have, children or not, I am an adult and choose not to have children because I recognize that it is VERY difficult and I would probably not be able to meet their ( a child’s) needs in a meaningful way, regularly. This is what I know about myself.
I also know I have some things called “reason” and “imagination” and know people with children. These things, as well as experiencing the human condition, allow me to have empathy and imagination-so I don’t have to experience every single thing ever in life in order to have thoughts or feelings about it that are valid.
But thanks for indirectly suggesting that my worth as a human being and a woman is tied to my breeding ability.
gotta say the coffee is good, but I first went to cville coffee because I heard they had Vietnamese “Pho” soup. I went being so excited and got a bowl and was so dissapointed
they sent out a bowl if lukewarm broth and noodles, but the real kicker was the traditional side plate that always comes with Pho, a plate full of fresh Thai basil, bean sprouts and lime. Well I was very sad because the bean sprouts were rotten ( you can always tell because they become translucent and saugy, there was no lime at all and worst of all the plate was filled with Italian basil (NOT Thai basil) which does nothing for the dish! I’m they had every intent to serve good Pho there, but it always seems happen like this in Charlottesville where restaurants fall a bit short of what authentic exotic dishes truly are… Don’t get me wrong though, Cville can make some mad sweetbreads and fried chicken!
It’s up to the parents to make sure their children behave in public. My child knows how to behave in public, and if she chooses not to behave then I remove her from the situation. As a parent I have to choose the right place to take my child, I’m happy to take her to a place like cubano or cville coffee, bodos, bizou etc….and I wouldn’t take her to places like C&O or Cassis (etc)
It only gets annoying when parents let their children get too loud or disruptive and ignore them that it becomes a problem. Usually fellow parents will be sympathetic.
I’m gonna say it…I am not a fan of Cville Coffee. I’ve been maybe five times and each time, I’ve found the staff rude and the prices too high. I think they’re charging about $5 or more for eggs and a tortilla. Also about $2 for a bottle of water. Once, a woman in front of us was in line to ask the counter person about a sandwich she had ordered 30 min prior. The girl behind the counter called the kitchen and confirmed, “yup, we forgot.” No apology at all. On another occassion, my coffee was lukewarm and I asked for it to be warmed up. “Microwave’s over there.” I did not want microwaved coffee so I asked if they could pour a little hot coffee into my mug. “Refills are $.50″. Really? Maybe it was just the same girl.
first, i will testify that caroline’s clan is extremely well mannered and it is greatly appreciated.
furthermore, it is the responsibility of the adults of influence to teach the children dignity and respect.
i am glad to hear that there is a coffee shop that accommodates families, i continue to hope today’s children aren’t drinking coffee.
i have retired my coffee habits, i was spoiled by jeremy, afternoon barista at the former higher grounds location in plan 9 as well as rapunzel’s of lovingston. as for barista kindness, i was given excellent customer service and quite palatable coffee at shenandoah joe’s on preston. it will take a really special coffee place for me to drink again. i’d like to hear more about the coffee and customer relations, thanks covergirl for your consumer review.
Is this the longest review I’ve ever seen? Yes.
I love C’ville coffe, except the few times i’ve not gone there is cause they don’t have fountain drinks. My hangovers need berry turkey and coke from a fountain.
oh man, fountain coke is on my top 10 list of stuff i hope they have in hell. maybe even top 5.
iamglamazon you are sweet!
@30: I thought I was the only one. For real, people, Coke tastes the best from the foutain. Coke in a can is second best and Coke in those 20 oz plastic bottles tastes like shit.
@33: You are close. Coke tastes the best out of a glass bottle, then fountain, can, and plastic bottle.
No way. It goes fountain, glass bottle, can, plastic bottle.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.
Get the f**k out of my bar.
Dammit, this your bar too? Can a man not drink a glass bottle Coke in peace anywhere in this town?
as long as it’s real coke. That’s the problem with fountain sodas, sometime what you see is not what you get. but even fake fountain coke tastes better than glass bottle coke.
Jeez, I can’t believe we’re still talking about this.
@39: We’re drinking our 72 oz Big Gulps and there’s echo with his tiny glass bottle. Let’s point and laugh at him.
Quality over quantity my dear ‘nanigans.
I’ve got a big gulp for ya.
@41: That’s what the guy with the small penis says.
No, the guy with the 72 oz Big Gulp is obviously overcompensating for something.
@35 yep.
@45: High five.
I may be in the minority on this one, but my opinion is unwavering. Glass bottle Coke is the king of all soft drinks, followed closely by Dr. Pepper in any container.
To be more specific, it’s ICE COLD glass bottle Coke that’s hands-down the best soda in the world. Though, used to be, if I had a warm one, I could belch loud enough to peel paint. Ahhh, the joys of youth…