On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities. Today’s picks come from Mike Ketola, who cooks at not one but two restaurants that have been inducted into The Charlottesville 29. Ketola is the longtime sous chef of Mas, and also cooks at Barbecue Exchange. Ketola’s picks:
1) Glazed Blueberry Cake Donut at Spudnuts. “Is there anything they can’t do?”
2) Tequila-lime Chocolate at Gearharts. “The aged anejo tequila-lime fondant is the perfect complement to the intensely rich and sweet white chocolate casing.”
3) Seared Jumbo lump Crab and Corn Cake at Three Notch’d Grill. “Lightly textured, virtually exploding with flavor- the velvety lemon beurre blanc and refreshingly crisp jicama slaw really take it to the next level.”
4) Pappardelle Ragu at Tavola. “Rich and meaty pork ragu, supple ribbons of housemade pasta: comfort food turned up to 11!”
5) Chicken Shawarma at Aromas Cafe. “I always get it with extra habiba sauce, which is really out of this world tasty!”
The Charlottesville 29 is a publication that asks: if there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29? Follow along with regular updates on Facebook and Twitter.
