–Like Newsies, but with food. I’m trying out the name. You like? You know the drill…

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Credit: tudodany

(It’s not your average annual report.)

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Popularity: 18% [?]

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This is the real deal, folks. If you disagree, you obviously have not the powers of the bearer of thunder and lightning, nor the gentle powers of a storm demon who brings death and disease to your village. »Read More

Popularity: 12% [?]

Over the months, I’ve expressed strong interest in beer and cupcakes, and I finally hit the newest hot spots (several times over) to get the scoop.

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Popularity: 5% [?]

Photo Courtesy of Tom Daly Photography 

While out walking the mintypup this evening I did a double-take passing the Carlton Center: although the table saws and lumber are still parked outside, the neon light was flashing “o-p-e-n”. I ventured in for a looky-loo, and was pleasantly surprised at what lay behind those brown kraft-papered windows.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Dear cVillains,

It’s hard to say I’m sorry. But I’m sorry. If you have not been to Mas in the past couple of months because of my criticism veiled in sexual metaphor eight months ago, I want you to know that Mas and I are back on, after all that we’ve been through.

Hot and heavy.

I mean that literally this time. My servers warn against handling the plates when they arrive because they are hot, and also heavy. Also, we recently ordered a variation on a rilleno in which two spicy poblano peppers were stuffed with turkey and breading and grilled, then placed over a rich but delicate cream sauce– it was very hot and heavy. The carne asada too. Perfect, no exaggeration.

The service the past few times I’ve gone is the best I’ve ever experienced, too. C, C, L, J, B, and the rest are just salt of the earth. And I’m not saying that figuratively, because it’s accepted that human blood is about 0.9 percent sodium chloride.

So, dear readers, please go to Mas, and send them my love.

Popularity: 3% [?]

It is a matter of incontrovertible truth that the finest burrito in town can be had at El Paso Grocery Store on the corner of Meade and Market. In the back of the store, one finds Charlottesville’s closest equivalent to a taquería. (N.B., Excluded from the current taxonomy is the infamous taco truck, for as a mobile food-service unit, said taco truck can at any moment exist outside the boundaries of Charlottesville. It’s still, rumor has it, delicious.)

Certainly, other burritos merit mention: Atomic’s is good; Blue Moon’s breakfast burrito is quite comestible (though, truth be told, “breakfast burrito” in general probably ought to be a category unto itself); Qdoba’s is good but gets automatically disqualified because it’s owned by Jack in the Box. So, El Paso rests atop of a delectable pile of burrito makers.

And yet, despite the preponderance of delicious burritos in-town, one encounters a veritable burrito black hole in the 29 North/Hollymead area (where many a fine Cvillian—your current author included—punches his or her timecard, despite living in-town). This burrito shortfall is at once lamentable and reparable.

With the opening of Martin’s Grill Riverside (whoops!) and Christian’s Pizza, we have witnessed the successful transition of downtown operations to an outskirt location. Certainly, a burrito entrepeneur—an El Paso II, even?! let us not overexcite ourselves—will eventually follow suit. It can’t possibly happen too soon.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Well, as everyone knows, C-Ville has a rapidly changing restaurant scene. We made some predictions on failure for 2008, but we also want to bet on up and coming failure/winners. As far as I can tell, there are two restaurants that are up and coming in Charlottesville:

Beer Run: Belmont has this up and coming Beer/gourmet food concept. Honestly, they don’t seem to have a focus outside of a high-end 7-Eleven. The Hook quotes the co-owner as saying:

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Popularity: 3% [?]

Thai food is one of those things you can just eat forever and always love it. Its a damn shame it has recently become the new “it” food. This country has unfortunately been the victim of bad Chinese food for what it seems like centuries…Then Thai food came on the scene and tried to prove our views on Asian dining wrong. And so they succeeded. That being said, not all Thai food is equal. There is a beautiful establishment in the Belmont area called Pad Thai. It is run by a family: the wife cooks, the husband brings food to the tables, and the sons take orders. There is nothing better to see a family living the American dream, and the citizens of cville supporting it.
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Popularity: 5% [?]

There is some construction going on across from Saxx and La Taza and next to Belmont BBQ. It looks like retail or restaurant to me. Does anyone know what’s going on?

Popularity: 2% [?]