This is the third feature “Charlottesville Deathmatch” where we put two or more similar businesses, places, restaurants or things into a sealed cage of pain, suffering and death. Ultimately only one contestant lives and it’s up to you to figure out who that is.

We have a bunch of sandwich places in this town, just waiting to to be forced together, into a heated mess of aioli, cold cuts and toaster ovens. It’s a wide open battle which includes contestants of all builds and skills. We have everything from bagels to hoagies and just plain old white bread.  Now it’s your turn to decide the best sandwich place…

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Wow, cville has its very own Chocolate Festival this week combined with the Chocolate Chase 5K run/walk.  So they expect us to eat chocolate and run 5 kilometers, and then eat more chocolate.  Shit, sign me up!  If you want to participate please show up at Lee Park at 930AM.

You can sign up for the run here, and read more about this chocolate madness here.

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[pic from Darwin Bell on Flickr]

Ventana means “window” in Spanish.  Rightly so, this little restaurant has big windows and a big vision for Charlottesville’s mexican cuisine.  I’m not going to lie, I heard many things about this place being pricey.  Dollar signs aren’t something we associate with Mexican in this town.  Between “eating” at Guadalajara to dining at the much better Aqui Es Mexico and Michoacana, I don’t think anything comes close to the prices at Ventana, but does the food live up to its price?

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This is the fourth “Week O’ Charlottesville Lunches” article. I will feature my favorite lunch places around the downtown mall. Monday, we covered Eppie’s, Tuesday, Rev Soup, Wednesday, Feast, Today, Bodo’s Bagels.

I don’t know if it’s possible to talk about lunch in Charlottesville without mentioning Bodo’s Bagels. As much as a staple the Downtown Mall is to Charlottesville culture, Bodo’s is the same to food. The bagel place has been around for many years and has three locations that serve the same menu.

You go to Bodo’s for cheap, high quality food and quick service. I know this one actually may require a drive for some, but it’s close enough to the mall to warrant it being one of my favorite lunch joints.
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This is the second “Week O’ Charlottesville Lunches” article. Yesterday we covered Eppie’s, today, Rev Soup!

Sure, we may have made fun of the small apples at Revolutionary Soup, but if you’ve been living in Charlottesville for longer than 3 weeks, you should know about this place.  Sure, its underground location on 2nd Street across from the movie theater may dissuade you from a visit, but have no fear, my friend.  Also, you shouldn’t call it Revolutionary Soup… you should call it Rev Soup, because if you don’t, everyone will know you are a dummy.

Rev Soup makes a serious effort to fill its menu with local items.  It’s hard to go in there and anonymously report on this stuff, but if you look on the pillar on the main counter,  you will be amazed at how much of the menu is actually produced nearby.  Now we all know Charlottesville residents are suckers for local food items (and should be), but when I go to a restaurant, my first thought is the food.  Service, Ambiance, Local Food, etc., are a close second.

So, how is the lunch?

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Today I start a feature on my favorite lunch places near the Downtown Mall. I will feature 5 hot lunch spots each day this week, updated before lunchtime.

We’ve reviewed Eppie’s in the past as part of our Veggie Tales. I am not a vegetarian, so you should listen to my opinion, because it means a lot more.

Eppie’s sits in the heart of the Downtown Mall with a little 10 foot wide entrance, you may have missed.  Next to the Tea Bazaar, the Southern American influenced “fast food” place should not be missed.  I say “fast food,” only because Eppie’s does the factory line, but the food is far above and beyond the crap which we typically refer to as fast food.

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Bonefish Grill came to Charlottesville many months ago, but I had neglected to visit for several reasons.  First off, it takes 20 minutes to drive up 29N to the Target strip mall.  Secondly, it looked very chainey.  Thirdly, I had never had a good meal in any strip mall, period. Finally, finding good seafood in Charlottesville basically meant following the wholesale truck from Seafood@West Main.

Needless to say, my expectations of this seafood oriented place were grim.  My dining partner assured me that Bonefish could impress me, despite the long drive.  I trust very few people’s opinions on Charlottesville restaurants, but I trusted this person a lot more than most,   so, after some negotiating and a glass of wine, we made the long haul up 29N (in the middle of a thunderstorm!).

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If you recall, one of our Charlottesville Villains visited Maya during its opening weeks.  Maya rests across from the train station in the district we unintelligently call “Midtown.” As a restaurant serving Southern American influenced cuisine, Maya didn’t get a lot of praise initially, but I think that it is due for a re-evaluation.

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We had the pleasure of attending Taste This at Alumni Hall yesterday evening.  Most of Charlottesville’s finest restaurants showed up to strut their stuff, serve small dishes and give us a really good opportunity to choose some of the best food in the area.  While cooking under Alumni Hall conditions meant limited kitchens, eating while standing and, overall, madness; the event was nonetheless a success.   We pick our favorite dishes from the event and have a slideshow (it’s all after the break).

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This praying mantis picture is amazing. I know lizards are a fine delicacy in the praying mantis world and we are proud of our local hunters.

Best comment gets a foot massage and free lovin’ from Scowly.

[via jcunwired's flickr]