A lot of you clamored about Vita Nova having some of the best pizza in Charlottesville when I brought up the question about who has the best pizza in town. Your praise did not fall on deaf ears. I had lunch at Vita Nova pizza yesterday. How shall I sum up my experience? It was basically this:
UPDATE: POLL ADDED!
A staple of any sane person’s diet, I think it is safe to say all cVillains love pizza as well. But which one do we love the most? The best pie I have had was Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie. That comment was smacked around like a red-headed step child a couple weeks ago. So here is the invitation for you all to offer even better pie selections in town so we can do a proper comparison. I am hungry, game on.
[image from spicy bear]
Come out to Alumni Hall from 530-830PM tonight for 2009’s Taste This event. Sample the best of the best (supposedly) food, wine and beer from local restaurants, bars and stores. This year’s event benefits both the local Salvation Army soup kitchen and Meals on Wheels. There will also be a silent auction sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Rotary Club. We attended last year and had a grand ol’ time. Just remember this isn’t a super casual event, board shorts and t shirts are not welcome!
This year’s participating partners include: »Read More
In our society’s efforts to make eating anything that lives a thing of the past, British scientists have found a way to put lycopene in pill form. Lycopene is an antioxidant found in the skins of tomatoes and allows the body to block the “bad cholesterol” (LDL). From the BBC:
Preliminary trials involving around 150 people with heart disease indicate that Ateronon can reduce the oxidation of harmful fats in the blood to almost zero within eight weeks, a meeting of the British Cardiovascular Society will be told at Ateronon’s launch on Monday.
I am all for improved health, its just getting weirder every day when we bottle things we could eat into pills and forego the whole nutrition process.
[pic from spicy bear on flickr]
What better way to spend a hot day than in the mountains sipping on locally made beer? Yes, we have our own little weekend retreat 30 min out of town near the Wintergreen Ski Resort. Blue Mountain Brewery is a sweet little watering hole right off of 250 and 151. They have a ton of beers on tap that you can read about here, and a couple special seasonal brews as well.
Nothing is cooler to me than sitting in the place that brews your vice, be it beer, wine, or some kind of spirit. That said, you can enjoy the inside bar and have an exclusive view of the metal containers that hold the precious brew, or… »Read More
A lot of you villains complain we focus too much on the downtown/corner area of Charlottesville and neglect that far corners of our elitist community. I thought I would listen to some of you and try something new, and very far away from the welcome comfor the downtown mall has to offer. Yes, thats right, I ate at a strip-mall restaurant (gasp!). Not just any strip mall restaurant, Lime Leaf Thai Restaurant in the Rio Hill shopping center (same place as Crutchfield and Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts). What drew me there was a combination of hunger and that intoxicating wok/burnt sugar smell that was in the parking lot air. Nothing spells tasty food like tasty smoke…mmm mmm good.
I tried the three dishes any Thai restaurant should be judged with: pad thai, pad see ew, and the tom yum soup. The reason being these are easy to find street food picks in Bangkok, and if you can’t get street food right in a professional kitchen, you just gotta go…Lime Leaf can stay however. Find out what made all of these dishes zoom. »Read More
From the Washington Post:
When asked how DMV employees are able to determine when customers might be smiling too much, Goheen explained that the process is automated. Naturally, the new software is programmed to reject attempts at exuberance or human warmth. “It will send an error message if it detects a non-neutral expression,” she said.
The ban is in effect at more than half of the agency’s 74 offices statewide, Goheen said, including most Northern Virginia branches. It is expected to be in place at the remaining branches by the end of next month.
This takes all the fun out of getting a license. Is anyone else creeped out about this?
[pic from Winstonavich on flickr]
Out around 250, you might run into an extremely tiny town called Batesville. In this tiny town is one solitary market called the Batesville Store. With walls adorned by art from local artists (paintings, photos, music), local wines ( an entire wall) and a real vintage post office wall (see pic in the Flickr stream), the Batesville Store is the epitome of country charm and hidden gourmet finds. Run by Cid and Liza Scallet, they do the following extremely well:
This warm weather has no shortage of upside. I called Chiles Peach Orchard to inquire about peach picking and they mentioned peaches aren’t available until June, but that there strawberry patch is in full bloom and open for picking. The only relationship I have had previously with strawberries has been the large container of Driscoll strawberries at Sams Club or Costco. Picking them has always been something I wanted to try, and fate seemed to smack me right in the face.
Chiles Peach Orchard is about 20-25 minutes outside of town depending on traffic and how many speed limits you violate. Even without a GPS, its pretty easy getting there. Once you hit the main road that takes you up to Chiles Peach Orchard, you might notcie a peacock standing in a home’s driveway. I thought it was weird too, but I just had to take a picture:
The Piedmont Environmental Council just released its new “Buy Fresh Buy Local” guides for the Charlottesville and surrounding areas. They have a list of:
You can browse the 2009 Charlottesville local food guide after the break:
»Read More
