Obviously, I was weary of entering this restaurant. I was expecting the worst and doubted my fellow citizens who had ranked this little place an “87.5.” We sampled several tacos, including homemade chorizo, lengua (a.k.a. beef tongue, which is worth a try even if you picture Mel Gibson sucking down freshly slaughtered buffalo tongue in Dances With Wolves), pulled chicken, and carne asada. They were awesome!
Good luck doing that at Bluegrass. If you can deal with a little cigarette smoke and some tattoos, Blue Moon is, hands down, the best breakfast place in Charlottesville. Make sure you look around at all the trinkets and fun decorations. There is always something to discover
Good barbeque isn’t about the sauce, it’s about the tenderness and infusion of the smoked wood taste. Blue Ridge Pig does it right. So well, in fact, that despite the flatulation risk, I’m going there again and again. The Blue Ridge Pig folks ensure that your barbeque experience is as homely and amazing as possible.
What the Box offers is good, cheap Asian-esque food in a cool setting. I love being greeted by Mr. Miyagi around the corner from Live Arts and leaving only $10 poorer. Bonus: free wifi. Double-bonus: smoking after 10.
While the donuts aren’t quite as good as spudnuts (which means that, basically, they still rock), they are ON THE MALL!, they are very green and the dude is awesome. Did we forget to mention they serve some good coffee (which is a big plus over spudnuts).
It’s the kind of place that gets passed down from one friend or family member to another. If you bring friends, walk them through the process before going in. You may want to hold their hand. But I guarantee you: five slices after their first, they’ll bring their friends, too. And that is how it becomes a local tradition.
Don’t expect anything fancy at the place. I think their motto used to be (or still is?) something along the lines of “Sit Down, Shut up, Eat and Get Out” which is a pretty sweet position to be put in as a customer, actually. In fact, if it weren’t for their awesome margaritas this place would be dead silent with shut-up eaters. Oh yes, their margaritas create inebriation before you can ask for your third. Be careful, because you will spend more on drinks than you will on your food. It’s worth it though.
I was thoroughly disappointed in the steak. Unlike most other “Prime Steak Houses,” the Downtown Grill did not sear its meat (maybe they did, but they did a poor job). This is totally unacceptable with a $30+ steak in Charlottesville.
The pie is epic. Take one bit and you will be hooked. This place may be a bit out of the way, but will keep you making the trek with their chewy and crispy crust, fresh toppings, and homemade sauces. I can’t get over the tasty marinara…just the right amount of zing and oh, so, fresh
I have never met a salad I didn’t like at Escafe, especially its Asian cabbage toss. Its menu changes seasonally, so I can’t recall past entrees but do know I’ve liked them all. The menu has always had appetizers, soup and salads, sandwiches, entrees, and specials, but it’s not overwhelming. Most recently, I had salmon over seafood risotto, and I’d stopped ordering salmon because chefs invariably cooked it past the medium I requested. I lightly grilled my server about the fish, and he assured me it would be lightly cooked.
My takeaway from H&H is this: Go there with your friends to grab some great beers, snack on some delicious fried appetizers and sit outside. The food isn’t anything special, but H&H is still worth a visit.
On first bite, you’ll be amazed by the tenderness of the pork and the subtle, perfectly balanced smokiness. This is barbecue at its best, and as a self-styled barbecue nut, I’ve tasted a lot in my day. I’ll admit to never tasting Blue Ridge Pig’s product, but reputable sources assure me that Jinx’s would win, perhaps by a slight margin, in a taste test.
The Local brings excellently priced dishes to Charlottesville budding downtown Belmont area. Make your reservations, stick to the pasta dishes, appetizers and the wine list. Enjoy the late night menu; bring friends. It’s going to be my new hangout for a quick meal and a beer.
Anyway, I recommend this place if you are looking for a good change of pace to the chain subs around town. It’s not quite the New York style deli I had once hoped it be, but I’ll got there over subway or Quizno’s any day.
Drinks were excellent, as I expected they would be. It’s no wonder C-VILLE readers have voted Ted Norris “Charlottesville’s Best Bartender” time and again. I had a martini called a “Tantric Sidecar.” It was heavy on pineapple, but not overly sweet. I joked that I could have skipped dinner altogether and just had more than the two I managed, had I not been expected in the office the next morning.
Let me educate all of you cvillains on Latin/Hispanic foods. Latin food does not mean Mexican. Latin food does not mean rice and beans. There are 22 “Latin” countries, all of which have very different cuisine. Mexicans like tortillas, Chileans do not, they like empanadas and a delicious corn concoction called “choclo.” If you browse through all three menus of Mono Loco, you will see an abundance of tacos, burritos, rice, beans, fajitas, and tamales. Jeez that sounds like a Mexican restaurant!? So hear it from cville’s new self-proclaimed foodie: Mono Loco has nothing to do with “nouveau-Latin” cuisine.
The bottom-line is if you want unbelievably well priced food, good service and a nice place to take a date or yourself and a small appetizer, visit Orzo. It’s worth it.
Pad Thai offers cville a very clean and friendly location for Thai food. Is it REALLY good Thai food? Not necessarily, but keep your fingers crossed, this place shows promise in the most basic Thai dishes. I hope they can translate that happy Thai spirit into the rest of the dishes.
I don’t know who or where the chef is from, and I frankly don’t care. Whether he/she is from Mexico or El Salvador, they were taught well, and execute even better. I recommend Petit-Pois change their french fry recipe to something like the above from the world-famous Michel Richard. That is the only change I can think of, everything else was spot-on.
Oh, I’m in love. Cane’s does to chicken what five guys is doing to the burger industry. They bring a fresh product to the masses, do it well and do it cheaply. It’s not a fancy place, but it will cure your hangover and you will want to go back.
The doughnuts, as you can see from this picture are made from real ingredients. They actually have a structure that is reminiscent of bread. Who would have thought? They don’t dissolve in your mouth like Krispy Kreme, but they do have a sweet chewy structure to them. They aren’t overly sweetened, but have just the right amount of sugar. And… you don’t feel sick or chemically inebriated like you do from other “chain” doughnut places.
There are three tables, all full. But there’s the drink cooler! You watch, puzzled, as everyone else leaves the place going somewhere (WHERE?!) with their little white bags. You drove, so you might as well go back home to eat. You go to the parking attendant in the Elliewood lot and pay him a dollar. On your way out, you notice the sign indicating that Take It Away validates your parking. And then you take a bite of the sandwich, and it is perfect.
There is a certain charm about a Thai restaurant in Cville with its own herb garden. That charm ends with the food. There is a certain depth Thai food needs to be considered authentic and Thai 99 misses the mark. The problem here is that if this is the most sought after Thai restaurant in cville and everyone goes there, and they all are told it is fantastic and they believe so accordingly…there isnt much left to be desired
Amidst all the fancy and wannabe on the edge restaurants in cville, there is one place that wants to take you back to a simpler time when all you wanted at an Italian restaurant was spaghetti and meatballs, or chicken parmigiana. Vivace in Ivy fits the bill and then some.
Where else in Charlottesville will I find blood sausage, mussels steamed in blue cheese, and ice wine? These are very unique delicacies that I would hate to see convoluted by contrived garnishes or sides.
I would certainly recommend Zo Ca Lo to Charlottesville, despite its small, unchanged menu. You can OD on the food and the hip atmosphere, but it’s worth it, so long as you culminate in the ecstasy induced death. Your interests will always come back to life and your belly will be craving more and more.
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