On Fridays, we and The Charlottesville 29 feature five finds selected by local chefs and personalities. This week’s picks come from Tim Burgess, co-owner of Bang, Bizou, and The Space. Be sure to check out Burgess’s great blog where he shares some of his favorite recipes, or follow along on Facebook or Twitter. Also be on the lookout for pop-up dinners at The Space starting this fall, with food by Burgess and co-owner Vincent Derquenne. We expect the duo may recreate some of the magic of their much-missed Metropolitain, which was a standard-bearer among Charlottesville restaurants. Burgess’s picks:
1) Tofu Steak at Now & Zen. “Toshi is a master sushi chef who came back to the kitchen after a long hiatus. Incredible value. Oddly enough, I get the tofu steak every time I go.”
2) Pastrami and Swiss on an Everything Bagel at Bodo’s. “Am I exaggerating by saying we might have the world’s greatest high volume fast food restaurant (3) here in Cville? Think about it.”
3) Octopus at Orzo. “Tommy Lasley is a talent. His enthusiasm for cooking bleeds into his dishes. Go during a weeknight when he’s cooking. His bitter green ravioli with chicken sausage was awesome, but it’s his octopus, whichever way he does it, that is off the charts.”
4) Da Vinci Sandwich at Mona Lisa (three-seed baton with genoa salami, sopresatta, provolone cheese, tomato, mixed greens, house dressing and sun-dried tomato pesto). “I love Mona Lisa. I can’t put my finger on it, but there is such a pleasant vibe in that place. Great pizza, sandwiches, little freebies, and a pasta zip line, what’s not to love?”
5) Belly Q at BBQ Exchange. “You have to love what Craig is doing at the BBQ Exchange in Gordonsville. The BBQ is great, the bacon stupid (in a good way), and then bacon brownies? This is a guy who is talented and loving what he is doing. It shows. It’s already a destination BBQ place.”
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.
