It’s a mouth-watering time to be a food-lover in Charlottesville. The solid foundation of our dining landscape—built by C&O, Mas, Fleurie and others—has paved the way for a new generation of culinarians. Now, we’re reaping the benefits of past and present as we head into our foodie future with scene-stealing newcomers like the little Neapolitan pizza joint that could, the critical darling second-floor French spot and the neighborhood butcher with more know-how than you can shake a spare rib at (to name a few).
But for this year’s Food & Drink issue, we went back to basics—the ABCs—by creating an edible alphabet of our own. Twenty-six of our current favorite eats and drinks and the folks who make them, from a specialty sandwich shop (p.33) to a sweet and sour cocktail (p.29) to a guy who just wants to make more turtle soup (p.37). Like we said, it’s a great time to dine. Just be sure to clean your plate—you’ll need to make room for more.