We have more restaurants than we know what to do with in this town, spanning the spectrum of poor to excellent.  My dive into French cuisine in the area has been limited to the amazingly consistent Petit Pois and the extremely mediocre and now out of business replaced by Asia Fortune, Bohème.  I can finally add Fleurie to that list.  Its adjective is TBD, at least until the end of this review.

Perfect Date Environment

The first thing you notice about Fleurie is how tiny and quiet it is.  This restaurant is a little bigger than Petit Pois and contributes to a very intimate environment.  The lights are dim and the tablecloths are perfectly ironed.  The wood on the teeny tiny bar is dark and reminds you of those fancy pants lobby bars in boutique European hotels.  I must admit, our group was the youngest in the entire restaurant.  I saw more gray and white at Fleurie than what pours out of a McCormick ground pepper tin.  That is not necessarily a bad thing, just expect to be stared at whenever you laugh out loud….even the kids accompanying adults feel compelled to stare at you.  The ambiance can be summed up as soft, gentle, relaxing, classy and fancy.  All in, this makes for a terrific fancy night on the town with your significant other kind of place.

Impeccable Service

If there is one thing I hear consistently about most restaurants in cville, it is the horrible service.   I was pleasantly surprised that Fleurie’s staff was so on the ball.  Not a napkin or piece of silverware was out of place.  If you needed something, they were there for you.  They all speak in soothing spa-like voices and are very familiar with the intricate details of the menu.  If you are an aspiring waiter/ress in town, look to Fleurie as your service professor.

Insane Wine List

If you just inherited a lot of money, or might have possibly been part of a local ponzi scheme and swindled large sums of money from cville’s elite, than Fleurie might be a great place to drink wine. »Read More

Boheme is open for lunch Monday through Saturday, 11:30 to 2:30, dinner Tuesday through Saturday 5:30 until 10:30, brunch Sunday 11 to 4.

Starting after Valentine’s Day, you can stop in for small plates between 2:30 and 5:30 in the afternoon and from 10:30 at night until 1am.

And this, I absolutely love: they’re thinking about doing a Sunday Tea Dance with a DJ in the evenings, and afternoon tea service in the courtyard come spring.

Merci beaucoup to the (tres mignon) petit oiseau for this.

www.bohemerestaurant.com

[Credit: corexion]

Credit: tudodany

(It’s not your average annual report.)

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(You guys can keep arguing over football. Foodies, here you are.)

Thor broke up with OXO.

I’ve always had this thing for OXO. A thing. I’m serious. It actually started several years ago. I couldn’t get a job there– they had the staff they needed. I found work elsewhere, but I just wanted to be “around” OXO, and I couldn’t afford the date.

I finally acted on the crush earlier this year. I went just for the Artini, just to express some interest. There was something there– the chemistry, the buzz. But I was trying to play hard to get, so I waited before going back for dinner. When I did, my crush got worse. I had to go back. I didn’t think OXO knew I liked it so much, but then I started talking about night scenes needing dance floors, and it was like OXO wanted me there. Sparkling wine for five dollars? Love.

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I love reading the Hook and C-VILLE’s “Dish” and “Restaurantarama” features each week. I don’t doubt for a second that their sources are legitimate –they’re the restauranteurs themselves!– but sometimes, things just change. Do you know the rest of the story with these items?

Arch’s on 29 North?
C-VILLE, 2006
C-VILLE did an advance on an Emmet Street location for Arch’s in 2006. I’d eat at Arch’s more if there was a location with fewer college canoodlers in line in front of me. If you build it, I will come!

Bar scene at Petit Pois?
The Hook, June 2005
Apparently, when Brian and Brice opened Petit Pois in 2005, they foresaw a late night bar scene. This, we know, is not the case, unless we count summer nights when employees and co. hang out on the patio.

Boheme’s kitchen caters?
C-VILLE, November 2006
When Restaurantarama announced Boheme’s arrival to Market Street last year, the owners said “half-seriously” that it was a “front” for their preexistent catering business, Paragon Catering. A Google search of the business confirmed that the owners are the same but produced an address on Route 20 (and a website).

Get mod?
C-VILLE, December 2006
When C-VILLE interviewed Derek Breen about his plans for the blue building on Elliewood Avenue, “Mod,” food was in the picture. But a visit to the corner or the website will suggest otherwise. The original plan sounded cool, but I thinK Charlottesville does fine without a venue specifically for brooding and pontification. We can do that anywhere, and boy do we!

Midnight sushi?
The Hook, March 2004
The Dish announced Blue Light would offer a late-night sushi menu back in 2004. I must have been on hiatus (or not yet cool enough to be hanging out there) because I don’t remember it happening. I’m not saying it didn’t. I just want to know why it didn’t last!

I couldn’t decide if Thursday is the new Friday or the new Tuesday, then I realized it’s… Thursday. There is a LOT to choose from for your evening entertainment. Which would make it normal.

Mozely Rose at the Outback Lodge

It’s a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll. I’ve seen this band perform many times. I might even know someone in the band. I might be with the band. Oh f* it. I’m the drummer. But seriously, it’s a great show.

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Good morning! I made a restaurant index manually, and it took me hours! Please enjoy!

One note: I will eventually attribute each review to the proper author. Right now, the reviews are all attributed to the author of the post they fall under. For example, if I wrote a brunch review as a post, and Thor posted a comment about a restaurant I did not mention, the link to Thor’s restaurant will still be attributed to me. I just wanted to get these posted! When you search for a restaurant on our site, it will search only the posts; a comment search must be done separately. This index is a composite of posts and comments…

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…at risk of pulling a CocoNUT…

When Thor and I review restaurants on cVillain.com, we often talk about our servers’ decorum, interior design, the crowd the business attracts, and wait time for our meals. We have precious little control over these elements, if any.

But I still have control over my enjoyment of the most important elements of dining out: my company, and the meal itself.

Since I can’t offer up the identities of my favorite dining companions so you can ask them out (or my own identity, oh happy day!)…
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This will by no means be an exhaustive list. What can I say? I’m not that cool.

Bluegrass Grill
313 Second Street SE

What to expect: On a typical Sunday, you will wait up to an hour for a party of four, and I think it’s worth it! First-timers often experience some confusion about what to do when they arrive, so here’s some help: go in and add your name to the sign-in on the wall to your left. If you’re lucky, there will be open seats at the bar. It’s first come, first served. First-timers should also come with cash or checks. The crowd skews young and hungover, but families should not be deterred.

What you wouldn’t expect: I’ve had a lot of the menu these past few years, and I’m still pleasantly surprised each time. The biscuits aren’t buttermilk, they’re better. The gravy doesn’t have sausage in it, but it doesn’t need it. They don’t do bloodies, but I probably shouldn’t have one anyway. My coffee comes in a different mug each time. The best surprise came recently with the mushroom omelet, with a sage spread. Who’d have thought? Quest for the perfect omelet: OVER!

Blue Moon Diner
512 West Main

What to expect: It’s a diner! Smoking is permitted (and done with frequency), and the tables are small. The menu has breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, and a full bar. Regulars typically line the bar.

What you wouldn’t expect: Please leave any negative diner stereotypes at home. The restaurant is clean, and the food tastes fresh. I like it!

Boheme
609 East Market Street

What to expect: With menu items ranging in price from about $7 to $13, brunch is a frugal way to enjoy Charlottesville’s newer French bistro on East Market, across from the police station. Though I still recommend dinner, Boheme’s brunch is among the best I’ve yet had in Charlottesville and offers the unpretentious cuisine of an American in Paris (or perhaps Provence): Eggs Florentine, Shrimp and Brie Grits, and a Steamed Artichoke, with egg, to name a few.

What you wouldn’t expect: I wasn’t surprised with how perfectly my meals have been cooked and seasoned, but I thought I’d be paying more for such attention to detail, creativity with traditional fare, and generosity in portions. I also recommend sitting on the patio. I’ve left untouched by sun and mosquito alike.

Fellini’s #9
200 West Market Street

What to expect: Federico would be proud. Watch any of his movies, and you’d think the entire cast had just come from the Bloody Mary bar at #9, parading through the bubbles cascading from the second story window. Spumante! Squisito!

What you wouldn’t expect: I was so distracted by DIY pickled peppers and worcestershire that I wasn’t even concerned with my frittata last time, but the frittata was impressive. I’m planning to go back for the Italian sausage gravy over focaccia soon. I’ll admit I’ve always been surprised with the subdued, wooden interior. It works well for the live music on weekends, but it’s too dark for Sunday morning. If that roof can hold people and tables, it would make a perfect patio…

Maya
633 West Main

What to expect: If you’ve been enjoying Maya for dinner, go for Sunday brunch. It’s a modest selection of contemporary takes on American comfort food.

What you wouldn’t expect: I had no surprises except my garnish in my bloody. It was a very good surprise, too!

Tavern
1140 Emmet Street North

What to expect: An experience. Whether the experience is good or bad is not the point at the Tavern. It’s just an experience. You’ll eat with hungover sorority women and Earlysville farmers alike. You’ll get heaping portions of whatever, and it will be greasy. If you have a delicate palate, enjoy your meal, but don’t sit at the bar and watch it get cooked. Actually, if you have a delicate palate, just don’t. We tough it out and love it in spite of itself, because it makes no apologies for its scrapple. (All this said, I haven’t been there in two years, and I’m pretty sure it hasn’t changed.)

What you wouldn’t expect: If you do sit at the bar, watch the waitresses really closely. You’ll find out how they stay so mellow, dealing with morning-afters for years on end. Also, when you approach the building from 29 North, take a good look at the lettering on the roof. Something just ain’t right about “townpeople.”