In an ongoing effort to support local dining establishments during the pandemic, our writers have been enjoying a variety of takeout meals from some of their favorite restaurants. Contribute to this ongoing series by sending your own delicious experiences to living@c-ville.com.
Mas Tapas
While carryout can’t quite compare to dining in, to me it’s nothing short of a civic duty to support my favorite restaurants by ordering to-go, in the hopes of helping them weather the pandemic storm and survive till “normal” resumes. Mas has long been one of my go-to restaurants in town, and I feel lucky to still be able to enjoy its food. Online ordering is easy, with pick-up in designated parking spaces behind the restaurant.
My Mas must-haves did not disappoint, starting with the warm, smoky, rich Tomates Asados—tender, Roma tomatoes smoked with herbs and sea salt in olive oil. I can eat these straight up or atop a slice of Pan Casero—a wood-fired, hearth baked bread I could never replicate at home (I order extra to have the next day). The Queso y Alcachofa, a warm roasted artichoke and goat cheese spread blended with onions, garlic, and herbs is the perfect tangy, creamy garlicky accompaniment on bread as well.
I can’t order Mas without getting a Bocadillo, the simple yet perfect sandwich of air-dried, cured Spanish serrano ham and manchego cheese, smeared with a garlic aioli on a crusty roll, and I save the best for last: Gambas a la Parrilla, Catalan-style shrimp grilled in the shell with garlic aioli and gray sea salt. A mess to eat, but every bite is simply divine.
In the before times, getting a table at Mas could require one to be a little cutthroat—especially once it got too cold to dine on the patio. I’m going to take the optimistic view that takeout is the next best thing to being there for the time being: the chance to eat some of the finest food in town, in the comfort of my home, minus the wall of bodies all waiting for the rare table opening. —Jenny Gardiner
Milan Indian Restaurant
In this foggy and raw pandemic winter, my household has returned again and again to a restaurant with food that is indulgent and comforting, but also fresh and zesty enough to blast through the haze—Milan Indian Restaurant on Route 29.
The Charlottesville staple offers a wide variety of vegetable dishes, and the Chana Masala is a standout. The chickpeas have a satisfying bite, and they’re served in a tangy tomato-based sauce with a gentle sweetness and layers of spice.
I am also particularly fond of the Baingan Bahaar, a melty eggplant-based vegetable stew. Eggplant is a delicate flavor but this is not a delicate dish; the mixture is oily and rich, and the vegetable’s flavor comes through with plenty of authority.
The chicken Tikka Masala is lighter and less creamy than at some other Indian restaurants. The flavorful sauce, rather than the meat itself, is the star of the show here. It’s especially tasty with a dollop of roughly chopped mint chutney on top. The cool clarity of the herbs multiplies the warmer flavors of the main course.
Milan is a popular spot, and its to-go pickup operation isn’t quite as seamless as some other local restaurants, so it’s wise to order a little before you plan to tuck in.
When the food arrives, it’s plentiful—all the more important in these times of takeout, when there’s special joy in leftovers. I love to follow an evening Milan dinner with a daytime Milan lunch, dumping all of the quarter-tubs of this or that into a pan and sliding the stew onto a bowl of rice. The flavors blend together, but the mixture loses none of its components’ sharpness or fragrance, and the afternoon’s work is always easier after a warm midday meal. —Ben Hitchcock
Corner Juice
Corner Juice is like Bodo’s healthier, trendy sister, and I find myself craving it almost as much as a bagel these days. The menu offers a variety of light, fulfilling options, and provides more than the name suggests: Corner Juice offers sandwiches, toasts, coffee, and oats in addition to cleansing juices, smoothies, and smoothie bowls. Both locations (the Corner and the Downtown Mall) aren’t allowing customers inside due to COVID concerns, but they offer online ordering for pick-up.
I ordered from the Corner shop, which has a QR code to scan to view the menu, so you can order without contact, and I felt immensely safe getting my takeout.
I chose a PSW smoothie, with pineapple, mango, spinach, mint, and coconut water. This was a first, as I usually opt for the Corner Colada or the Green Bowl. I realize there are greens in these smoothies, but I promise you can hardly taste the vegetables. I also added the California sandwich to have for lunch later in the day. It’s a combination of avocado, hummus, carrot, cucumber, red onion, and alfalfa sprouts on organic wheat Pullman bread. Most of Corner Juice’s sandwiches are made on MarieBette bread, which has had my heart for a while, so I was really looking forward to this one. It was a bit dry, so I would recommend adding the herb mayo or basil pesto to it, but other than that, it was fresh and filling, without making me feel sluggish. The coffee with house cashew milk is another great energizer. Overall, Corner Juice helps you get past those early morning or midday blues—in a healthy, delicious way. —Madison McNamee