The year in living…
6
Chefs moved from one restaurant to another
Musical chefs, anyone? Charlottesville’s food and drink scene is ever changing, and this year, at least half a dozen chefs switched kitchens. Renowned sushi chef Hihishiro Tauchi left Ten to open Kokoro, Curtis Shaver swapped his post at Duner’s for one at Hamiltons’, and Dean Maupin took over C&O after years at Keswick. Ian Redshaw traded French fare at l’étoile for Italian at tavola shortly after Matt Boisvert left tavola for C&O.
18
Restaurant openings (at least)
The area’s food scene may still be missing solid Ethiopian and Vietnamese spots, but a whole slew of new restaurants have appeared since January. Places like Travinia Italian Kitchen, Pasture, and Parallel 38 are filling in the vacant spots in The Shops at Stonefield, and in the opposite direction, Horseshoe Bend Bistro & Taproom has founds its place in Scottsville. Taste of India and Just Curry opened their doors on the Downtown Mall this year, and Charlottesville got a little sweeter when Pearl’s Bake Shoppe started serving up cupcakes.
2
Restaurants making a return appearance
This is what we call going back for seconds. Italian favorite Carmello’s has moved a lot in the past few years after leaving its longtime location on Emmet Street in 2011. But in August, it found a new home in 29th Place and added a wine bar to its offerings. Henry’s, which for 31 years had lived in the spot beneath Vita Nova on the Downtown Mall, closed its doors in May, but reopened on Long Street this fall.
5
Food trucks to hit the street
If there’s anything we love more than food, it’s food on the go. Charlottesville’s list of mobile eateries is continuing to grow, and five new food trucks hit the streets in 2013. Mouth Wide Open offers sliders ranging from classic burgers to crab cakes and grilled cheese, and The Pie Guy is serving up Australian-style meat and fruit pies from his cart on the Downtown Mall. Black Jack Mobile Soul Food Kitchen’s macaroni and cheese tastes just like Mom’s, and Blue Ridge Pizza Company will pull your slice straight out of its mobile wood-fired pizza oven. And for a little something sweet, you can now reserve “Georgia,” the retro-inspired cupcake trailer of Sweethaus Cupcakes, for special events.
1
Good Samaritan
Sixteen-year-old busboy Clay Lawson got a pleasant surprise in late November when a customer at the Cavalier Diner overheard that the iPad Lawson had worked so hard to save for had been accidentally charred in a fire pit. According to local news reports (and one Huffington Post story), the customer returned to the Cavalier Diner with a $360 Best Buy gift card so Lawson could replace his iPad.
16,600
Meals donated to families in need by the Emergency Food Bank
The Emergency Food Bank has been serving the Charlottesville-Albemarle area since 1973, and in 2013 alone, donated 16,600 meals to needy families in the area. And that’s just one of the area’s plethora of services feeding the hungry, like Charlottesville Loaves and Fishes, Thomas Jefferson Area Food bank, and Words of Faith. Area grocery stores have been doing what they can to help out around the holidays, like Kroger’s pre-packed “Feed the Hungry” boxes that can be purchased and donated to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
90
Cupcake flavors at Pearl’s Bake Shoppe
It’s no secret that Charlottesville loves cupcakes. Between Cappellino’s, Charlottesville Cupcake, Sweethaus, Paradox Pastry, and Panda Cakes, we have an unlimited supply of the decadent little treats. Pearl’s Bake Shoppe arrived on the scene early this year, and it’s serving up 90 different cupcake options. There’s an everyday menu of eight varieties, which includes classics like chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting, red velvet, and carrot cake. But keep an eye out for more than 80 specialty flavors like peanut butter and jelly, champagne, s’mores, chocolate covered banana, cherry pie, and almond apricot, which Pearl’s offers on a rotating basis.
22
New vendors at the City Market
The City Market, locals’ favorite Saturday morning activity for 40 years, has always had a long wait list of purveyors vying for a spot to set up shop. This year, 22 new agriculture, food, and artisan vendors made the cut, everything from mobile Asian eatery Got Dumplings to fungilicious offerings from North Cove Mushrooms.
45
New beers from Champion Brewing Company
Champion has been making waves since its debut on Charlottesville’s beer scene last year. This year alone, the nanobrewery produced more than 40 different beers, and, to stay a head (get it?) above the rest, owner Hunter Smith has already announced a tenfold expansion that will include a production facility in addition to the already popular taproom on Sixth Street. But Champion certainly isn’t the only brewhouse in town. Newcomer Three Notch’d Brewing Company put 11 beers on tap in area restaurants, and between Blue Mountain, Starr Hill, and South Street, Charlottesville beer lovers have had more than 90 new varieties this year.