Aberdeen Barn
Barn Potatoes
Why is the potato the king of vegetables? Because it requires so very little to make its majesty known. Consider the truly excellent Barn Potatoes at the superior steakhouse that for lo these 40 years has been owned by the same family in the same location. On paper, these quartered spuds are nothing more than good upstanding Idahos, baked, then deep-fried and sprinkled with oregano. But try convincing your mouth of their simplicity. Crisp on the outside, flaky-soft on the inside, they give your taste buds the royal treatment.
Albemarle Baking Company
Granola
When I was growing up, my nemesis once called me “the Granola Bitch.” Oddly enough, I didn’t like granola at all—until I tried Albemarle Baking Company’s recipe. Flavored with honey and maple syrup, the toasted nuggets burst with earthy sweetness. They’re also healthy: Chock full of almonds and sunflower seeds, the granola has protein as well as fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids (your heart loves those) and whole grains. We granola bitches like healthy, but we also like sweet and tasty.
Bang!
60-Second Sirloin
A half-dozen rectangular slices of barely seared beef come dressed with black and white sesame seeds. The green sauce backing them up—cilantro and lime are in there—is as surprising as the first sweet (sweet?) bite of sirloin. The tapas-style dishes at Bang are meant to be shared, but we say blame your restrictive high-protein diet and consume this meatfest all by yourself.
Bashir’s Taverna
Coffee
Bashir Khelafa has long blended his own coffee, and those in the know regularly duck into his Downtown Mall restaurant hours before he officially opens for lunch to grab a morning cup. With beans roasted by Mountain View Coffee Roasters in Ruckersville, Khelafa creates a full-bodied, slightly smoky, slightly sweet joe that packs all the flavor and none of the pretension of other, perhaps trendier, cups.
Blue Ridge Country Store
Banana Pudding
A few thin slices of banana line the bottom of a shallow plastic container, covered by about an inch of lightly sweet banana pudding. Three or four Nilla wafers sit atop it all, soaking up the moisture, becoming soft, but not mushy—a pleasant plain oasis in a sea of nanner. The pudding itself is thick and more filling than you’d expect. At only 99 cents, it’s the perfect snack for Downtown workers.
Boar’s Head Inn
Breakfast Buffet
In the gluttonous world of the buffet, you often compromise quality for quantity. The exception to the all-you-can-eat rule is the Breakfast Buffet at Boar’s Head Inn. All of the nearly two-dozen dishes satisfy and rarely sit for long in their chaffing dishes. A few items stand out so much you’d consider ordering them a la carte, such as the inexplicably creamy stone ground grits, the spicy pork sausage and the made-to-order omelets.
Bodo’s Bagel Bakery
Egg Salad
The beauty of Bodo’s egg salad is its simplicity. There’s a minimum of mayonnaise and a dearth of extraneous gourmet ingredients: It’s just egg, fluffy and unadorned. The serving is never skimpy, either. Bite down on the crisp-then-soft bagel, and the plentiful dollop smooshes out the side (expect to get messy). Best of all, the meal doesn’t end when you finish your bagel. You still get to scoop up what’s left on your plate and lick it off your finger. Who can resist?
Buddhist Biker Bar & Grill
$6 Steak Special
The key to this Corner staple is getting a little bit of everything in each forkful. The combination of juicy steak, buttery mashed potatoes, sweet grilled onions and spicy barbecue sauce makes for a savory sensation. The potatoes are authentically home style, with the chunks and the skins, just like Mom’s. For only $6, this dinner leaves you satisfied, with just enough room in your stomach—and cash in your pocket—for dessert.
Café Cubano
Egg Biscuit with Veggie Sausage
This non-meat option can satisfy the most carnivorous of carnivores. The fat patty packs all the seasonings and flavor you’d expect to find in a traditional sausage, but none of the pork. The crispy fried egg on top and gooey melted cheese between the flaky biscuits soak up the flavor. A great way to start your day—especially at just $2.50.
Café Europa
Chocolate Muffin
Everyone likes an excuse to eat sweets. Since chocolate cake first thing in the morning seems a little too decadent, try the chocolate muffin from Café Europa instead. This not-so-little piece of baked heaven—it’s the size of a baseball, folks—features a sweet chocolate base sprinkled with even sweeter milk chocolate chips. The result literally melts in your mouth, especially when served right out of the oven. Dessert for breakfast, anyone?
Cassis
Warm Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce
Call this elegant dessert apple pie and ice cream done one better. Situated in the middle of a serious-size plate find a perfect circle of flaky-crusted tart crowning a baked half apple. The demi-globe of warm fruit is dribbled with tangy caramel, while the quiet intensity of the vanilla bean ice cream mellows out the cinnamon tones that ride underneath the whole thing.
Chandler’s
Grandy’s Delight
More like “Glutton”’s delight: A banana split container coated in hot fudge and melted caramel, filled with soft-serve vanilla ice cream, topped with M&Ms, Reese’s peanut butter cup chunks, whipped cream and, of course, a cherry on top. The superiorly sweet ice cream almost gets lost amid the rich sea of fudge and caramel, but its crisp saccharine taste wins out in the end. The toppings add welcome texture to an otherwise soupy concoction. Warning: One person devouring an entire Delight risks a sugar coma, so for the love of Edy’s, please share.
Clifton Inn
Gimlet
The world-weary Terry Lennox tells Philip Marlowe in Raymond Chandler’s novel The Long Goodbye, “A real Gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s Lime Juice and nothing else. It beats Martinis hollow.” Made according to this recipe, the gimlets at Clifton Inn beat all other gimlets, well, hollow. For the perfectly balanced cocktail, be sure to order the Tanqueray gin, which amplifies the limes’ sourness. Throw in a handful of candied walnuts and you’ve got yourself a meal.
Cocina del Sol
Chili-Dusted Pork Chimichanga
This Crozet hotspot knows a thing or two about presentation. Even messy dishes arrive at the table like they’re straight out of a beautifully styled cookbook photo. The chili-dusted pork chimichanga is a treat for the eyes and the stomach. Cut in half and garnished with fresh mixed greens, salsa and sour cream, the homemade fried tortilla is packed with thin slices of tender pork, sautéed onions and green peppers, rice, beans and melted pepper jack cheese. Anyone with a TexMex aversion can relax: It’s not as spicy as you think.
Continental Divide
Tuna Caesar Salad
Unlike other places I can name in town, the Divide never skimps on the sushi-grade tuna for its salads, and the price (roughly $10) is just right. The dressing is Caesar to perfection—salty, not too fishy—and there’s nary a limp romaine leaf in the bunch. The two large slices of tuna, lightly grilled and delicately raw on the inside, nestle on the greens. The whole thing is topped off with buttery, flaky crisps that satisfy the inevitable carb craving that comes with all salads.
Court Square Tavern
Franziskaner Dunkel-Weisse
Brewed in Munich, Germany, Franziskaner rarely finds its way to the States. But local brew fans can dig up this Old World treasure on Court Square. The Dunkel-Weisse is cloudy brown, quite malty and comes in a 16.9-ounce bottle. The label on this frothy brew tells you all you need to know—an aged friar tilts a hefty stein toward his face, which bears the beatific smile of a man well acquainted with the joys of both heaven and hops.
C’ville Coffee
Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl
Having another “What’s for dinner” dilemma? Try this dish, one of Charlottesville’s best-kept secrets. A heaping portion of succulent lemongrass chicken skewers, carrots, snow peas, red peppers and sesame seeds top a mass of egg noodles cooked Vietnamese style. A creamy homemade peanut sauce finishes off the healthy medley. The end result is a blissful wedding of redolent spices and savory aftertastes.
Dürty Nelly’s Pub
The Lady Godiva
According to legend, Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets of Coventry to promote art and protest high taxes. The sandwich that bears her name is a lovely composition of turkey, bacon, muenster cheese, lettuce, tomato and parmesan dressing bursting out of a scandalously thin pita. It will definitely make you appreciate the art of deliciousness.
Feast!
Antipasto Platter
European noshing doesn’t get any better than the antipasto platter from Feast. With a rotating selection of Old World delicacies, you can sample a variety of aged, young, goat, sheep and cow cheeses. Try the mild Spanish Manchego with a sliced apple or pear to create a balanced blend of salt and sweet, so good you can skip the bread. Make sure to savor the Feast olive mix, a blend of meaty southern European olives in herbed oil brine.
Foods of All Nations
Puur Noir Bar
Belgium is the Pennsylvania of Europe, which would make Cote d’Or the Continent’s Hershey. Made with 63 percent dark chocolate, Cote d’Or Puur Noir bar, sold at Foods of All Nations, slowly dissolves with an even consistency of cacao, sugar and butter, layering the bitter and smoky flavors. Each of the six sections is imprinted with the silhouette of the African elephant—the mark of the colonial Belgian Congo. While it might be amazing chocolate, it’s something of a PR nightmare.
Harris Teeter
Sushi
Watching your weight and your wallet when you’re a working girl on the run ain’t easy. But Harris Teeter sushi offers the solution to all these problems. First, it’s light. Why else would sushi be the only food you ever read about Mary-Kate consuming? Second, it costs a mere $5 for your average selection. Third, it’s located right at the front of the store so there’s no time wasted running around looking for it. Add to all these pluses the fact that it’s tasty, and there’s nothing to argue with. So eat up!
Hot Cakes
Farmhouse Apple Cake
This sumptuous autumn dessert is essentially a candied apple in cake form. Equal parts sweet and tangy, the cake is moist and fluffy like Mom used to make (assuming your mom could cook). Dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg punch up the cake’s sugary base. The glaze on top holds crushed walnuts in place, so if you’re sweating the nutritional value, focus on the protein they offer, enjoy the rest and remind yourself that winter’s big sweaters are coming.
Littlejohn’s
Five Easy Pieces
The “5 EZ” (in Littlejohn’s parlance) takes classic New York Kosher deli ingredients—turkey, cole slaw and Russian dressing—adds muenster cheese, bacon and Littlejohn’s’ herb mayo, piles ‘em between two slices of pumpernickel, and toasts (that’s the key) to warm, crispy, melted bliss. The mix of dressings infuses each bite with subtle sweetness. The perfect choice for lunch, dinner, 2am drunken snack—any time, really; the restaurant’s open 24 hours. The choice is just too easy.
Mas
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
The definition of sophisticated comfort food. They’re served piping hot, and you might fear taking that first bite when they’re brought, sizzling, to your table. Trouble is, you can’t wait: The first bite is crunchy, almost tough, with a slightly charred taste on top of the traditional salty stamp of fried pork. Then comes the date, not quite soft and not quite sweet, but subtler versions of both. It coats your mouth so that the flavor lingers long after you’ve finished the dish.
Mel’s Café
Potato Salad
It’s a classic summer scene: Dad at the barbecue grill, burgers and dogs stacked on paper plates. But the picnic table isn’t complete without a big bowl of yellow potato salad. If you’re lazy and late for the potluck, the creamy texture of Mel’s potato salad is exactly what you need to capture that summertime vibe and turn your picnic into a freaknic. This basic version features boiled potatoes, mustard and mayo dressing, and red and green peppers to spice it up a bit.
Mellow Mushroom
Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza
Instead of marinara sauce, this pizza boasts a hearty olive oil and garlic base covered by a generous layer of mozzarella cheese. The pie is then topped with strips of grilled chicken, slivers of roasted red peppers and thin slices of salty ham. The best part of this pie, however, is the signature spring water crust, which is dusted with a thick coating of grated Parmesan cheese.
Mesob Ethiopian Cuisine
Sorba and Lentil Wrap
With autumn’s chill setting in, a piping hot cup of sorba is a great way to spice up the afternoon. Mesob serves this onion and lentil soup as a lunch special, with more lentils wrapped in injera, a spongy Ethiopian bread. The wrap is flavored with olive oil, ginger, garlic and ground pepper. The defining flavor is tumeric, which gives both dishes a slightly bitter flavor and an earthy aroma to fortify one’s spirits against the cold.
Milan Indian Cuisine
Baigan Ka Bharta
Traces of Punjab and Rajasthani are hard to come by in this town, but you’ll find them and more in Milan’s Indian specialty Baigan Ka Bharta. The name translates into “mashed and sautéed eggplant,” and the richness of its fried spices, onions, tomatoes, green chilies and garlic are unmistakably aromatic, appetizing and un-American. Served as a chunky and grainy paste, it pairs well with its complementary basmati rice, or with a side of traditional naan bread.
Mission Home Bakery
Cookies
Each time you have one of these “can’t eat just one” treats—be it the M&M-laden Monster cookie, the gingery sweet molasses, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter or plain chocolate chip—your gorging is for a great cause. Each sweet is made by functionally impaired children and adults who engage your snacking habit in exchange for food and shelter at the Mennonite Home in Free Union. Pick them up locally at Blue Ridge Country Store, Giant and C’ville Market.
Miyako
Spicy Tuna Hand Roll
A spicy tuna hand roll is the Japanese equivalent of a soft taco. Only instead of ground beef or grilled chicken, you get raw tuna; instead of shredded lettuce, you get narrow strips of cucumber; instead of beans, you get lots of sticky white rice; and instead of being wrapped up in a soft tortilla, it’s all ensconced in a sheet of nori seaweed. It takes a bit of work to get through the chewy nori, but once you do you’ll find a core of energizing cayenne-infused fish with a playful spiciness that lingers on your tongue.
Mona Lisa Pasta
Pizza di Parma
Topped with Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, the Pizza di Parma from Mona Lisa Pasta is as close to an authentic Italian slice as you’ll get in this time zone. Blending mozzarella and provolone, the thin-crust pizza features a simple sauce of crushed tomatoes. The prosciutto topping crisps along the edges to make a slightly crunchy, salty topping. Not too thin, not too thick and not at all chewy, the light bite of the hand-tossed pizza crust is the real deal.
Mono Loco
Chips and Salsa
Mixed among the batch of standard tortilla chips are homemade crunchers that pack some serious flavor. They’re big, they’re flaky, they’re oily, they’re hand-fried and they’re perfect for dipping in either the restaurant’s standard salsa fresca or the spicier green salsa. Either way you can’t go wrong—both options are thick enough not to run off the chip and juicy enough to taste like more than a medley of diced tomatoes.
Monsoon
Beef Satay
Six thin slices of beef come grilled on wood skewers. Lean enough to offer a satisfying gamey taste, the meat still holds enough fat to bring the full lip-smacking flavor. A generous (very generous) slathering of peanut sauce threatens to overtake the entire dish, but hints of the spicy marinade (are those chilies?) and a zippy fruit aftertaste make this an appetizer worth skipping dinner for.
Moore’s Creek Family Restaurant
Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
On Saturdays, Moore’s Creek restaurant opens at 5am so hunters can grab a hearty breakfast before venturing into the woods. Fortunately, for the rest of us, the down-home diner tucked in the southwest corner of Belmont serves breakfast all day—just don’t let the guy in the camouflage overalls hear you order an omelet with prosciutto and goat cheese. Instead, try a pair of biscuits smothered in stick-to-your ribs white gravy with chunks of sausage that will stay with you all day, whether you’re keeping vigil in a duck blind or just hunkered down behind your desk.
Mudhouse
Goo
Ever want to drink a Hershey’s chocolate bar? Try Goo. The thick, rich liquid only comes in shots—a good idea, since drinking more than a hit at a time would send your pleasure sensors into space. Goo is less sweet than its immediate antecedent, European hot chocolate. Since the process for producing it is practically Frankensteinian (the poor barista hits all kinds of levers and switches), take a moment and breathe in the invigorating aroma and remember: The existence of chocolate proves that life can’t possibly be all that bad.
Petit Pois
Escargot
Can’t get to France anytime this decade? Let the Gauls come to you with this traditional dish, served with a meaningful difference: no shells! Clean, satisfyingly al dente and ready to soak up plenty of flavor, six snails come dressed on a silver platter that is trés chic. Standing up to a puddle of thick, warm, parsley-speckled butter-garlic sauce that’s made special with a slight zip of citrus, the escargot are backed up by grilled baguette toast that provides a refined way to sop up all the extra sauce. Ooo la la!
Pomme
Crème Brulée
Crème brulée isn’t all that difficult to make—mix a few egg yolks with some sugar, vanilla and cream and throw it in the oven. Sounds simple, right? But as any dessert lover knows, there’s crème brulée and then there’s crème brulée. For the latter, head to Pomme in Gordonsville. Topped with a raspberry and a mint leaf, this light and airy treat is creamy and smooth (no grit here!) and encrusted in a crispy shell of caramelized sugar. Definitely worth the drive—even if you live in Richmond.
Route 11
Potato Chips
These tater crisps made in Middleton put Lay’s to shame. They come in eight regular flavors: Lightly salted, barbecue, dill pickle, sour cream-n-chive, Chesapeake crab, salt & vinegar, garlic & herb and sweet potato. For our money the original lightly salted variety is the way to go. The hand-cooked chips boast an impressively sturdy body not found in most fried foods. The infused oil tastes faintly of peanuts while the measured coating of salt is just enough to get your taste buds working—but not overworking.
The Shebeen
Fish and Chips
The Shebeen’s fish and chips are so authentic that if you close your eyes you can imagine dining at a wind-whipped Glaswegian shipyard. Unwrap the layers of newspaper (C-VILLEs, naturally) and behold three pieces of deep-fried, golden cod. Take a bite and the buttery crispiness of the outside gives way to the melt-in-your-mouth cod on the inside. A pile of seasoned dirty (read: skins still on) fries on the side makes for a perfect, artery-clogging meal with not a green in sight.
Splendora’s
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Best known for its gelato, Splendora’s has an underappreciated sweet we’re wild about. The café’s homemade chocolate chip cookies favor the chunk rather than the chip, resulting in a milk chocolate truffle center. The unusual high-butter, low-flour recipe creates a chewy dough, which is cooked to a crisp golden brown along the edges. That means that the otherwise sophisticated treat still deposits the oh-so-important corner-of-your-mouth crumbles to remind you of your life-long affair with cookies in general.
St. Maarten’s Café
Cajun Cheese Fries
First off, hooray for the waffle fry. The choice to go with the more structurally substantial potato option was wise—necessary, even, to make this excellent bar dish work. A massive bowl of the aforementioned cross-cut taters is covered in clumps of gooey melted cheese and sprinkled with a mix of Cajun-ish spices (don’t worry; it’s not too hot). Ignore the Ranch dipping sauce and go straight for the smoky BBQ, which nicely complements the mouth-watering spices and chewy cheese.
Starr Hill Restaurant & Brewery
House Smoked Twin Oaks Tofu Sandwich
So many reasons to love this vegetarian sandwich: Locally produced, firm tofu served fresh and grilled to a satisfying outer crispiness; the contrasting coolness of tomato, lettuce and slightly sweet aioli; the crusty baguette that holds the whole thing together. Back it up with sweet potato fries (double-plus yummy) and what’s it all add up to? A good reason to forego meat for an evening’s meal.
Sticks
Kibbeh
“Kibbeh” are Middle Eastern sausages. At Sticks, each order comes with four very lightly fried patties. Inside you’ll find a pleasant, delicate blend of spices so subtle and mild you’ll almost wonder if you’re eating sausage at all—and that’s before you encounter the occasional pine nut to break up the mix (this is Charlottesville, after all…). But first tastes can be deceiving. Pair the kibbeh with the fiery roasted red pepper dipping sauce and contemplate the contrast—what once seemed mild is in fact quite wild.
Tea Time Desires
Dumplings
These little bundles of yum come in pork, beef or vegetable varieties, first steamed, then fried. A portion of eight may not seem that mighty, but after sinking each one in the sweet and tangy sesame dipping sauce we guarantee you won’t go home hungry. Plus the price is nice: just $2.50.
El Tepeyac
Spicy Shrimp Fajita
The thoroughly authentic El Tepeyac doesn’t skimp on the goods, offering a piping hot plate of a dozen carefully seasoned jumbo shrimp resting on a bed of Mexican rice. Onions, lettuce and a bit of tomato come carefully cooked on the side. Fill up the five flour tortillas to create a fajita that suits your liking while checking out the boss Latin music videos playing on the TV. Just be warned: Es muy caliente.
Tiffany’s Seafood
Steamed Shrimp
Seafood just tastes better when eaten beneath the gaze of the taxidermied fish and relics from the briny deep hanging on the wall at Tiffany’s. The same ol’ bar scene just can’t compare to a cold beer and a pound of steamed shrimp seasoned with Old Bay. Spend a night pulling the legs of scrumptious crustaceans with someone you love.
Timberlake’s
Mr. Tilman
The day after Thanksgiving is the best day of the year for sandwiches. Timberlake’s Mr. Tilman sandwich, however, can substitute for the remaining 364. Lightly toasted on multigrain bread with lettuce, mayonnaise, cranberry sauce, pickles and the imperative meat-off-the-bird, it’s a satisfying blend of sweet and savory tastes. Bite in and the potent rush of cranberry greets you, followed closely by the protein-packed mayo and turkey. Then, the somewhat curious addition of pickles finishes it off with the best of both bite-worthy worlds.
Tip Top
Eggplant Parmigiana
Talk about comfort food. The eggplant—breaded, fried and smothered in tomato sauce and mozzarella—comes in one dish, with spaghetti and tomato sauce as a side. The pasta adds substance, but the eggplant is the star of the show. See, eggplant is hard to perfect. Overcook it and it’s bitter, undercook it and it’s bitter. Cook it right (as Tip Top always does) and find sweet slices of goodness. Add the words “breaded” and “fried,” and life doesn’t get much better.
Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
Chai
Cardamom. That’s the secret to the best cup of chai in town. Eighty percent of the masala that spices up this black tea-and-milk brew comes from the aromatic plant known as Elettaria Cardamomum. Your tea missionaries brew black tea with a spice mix that also includes nutmeg and anise seed. After it steeps, they add milk and let the whole mixture heat through. Spicy, pungent and delish, every cup has a prize at the bottom: ground-up spice crumbs. Trust us, they taste better than they sound.
Zazus Fresh Grille
Mediterranean Bowl
Known primarily for wraps, Zazus’ ingredients work just great “naked.” This dish features tender grilled chicken, juicy diced tomatoes, earthy black olives, fresh mint leaves and creamy yogurt on top of a generous helping of steamed white rice. As you work your way through, take time to notice the subtle shifts in flavors from tangy to sweet to spicy to salty to zesty, all tied together by the neutralizing yogurt.
Great Tastes Directory
Aberdeen Barn 2018 Holiday Dr. 296-4630
Albemarle Baking Company 418 W. Main St. (in the Main Street Market) 293-6456
Bang! 213 Second St. SW 984-2264
Bashir’s Taverna 507 E. Main St., Downtown Mall 923-0927
Blue Ridge Country Store 518 E. Main St., Downtown Mall 295-1573
Boar’s Head Inn 200 Ednam Rd. 972-2230
Bodo’s Bagel Bakery 1609 University Ave., and two other locations 977-9598
Buddhist Biker Bar & Grill 20 Elliewood Ave. 971-9181
Café Cubano 112 W. Main St., Downtown Mall 971-8743
Café Europa 1331 W. Main St. 295-4040
Cassis 214 W. Water St., 979-0188
Chandler’s 921 River Rd. 882-6116
Clifton Inn 1206 Clifton Inn Dr. 971-1800
Cocina del Sol 1200 Crozet Ave. Crozet, 823-5469
Continental Divide 811 W. Main St. 984-0143
Court Square Tavern 410 E. Jefferson St. 295-2800
C’Ville Coffee 1301 Harris St. 817-2633
Dürty Nelly’s Pub 220 Jefferson Park Ave. 295-1278
Feast! 416 W. Main St. (in the Main Street Market) 244-7800
Foods of All Nations 2121 Ivy Rd. 296-6131
Harris Teeter Barracks Road Shopping Center, also in Hollymead Town Center 984-2900
Hot Cakes Barracks Road Shopping Center, 295-6037
Littlejohn’s 1427 University Ave. 977-0588
Mas 501 Monticello Rd. 979-0990
Mel’s Café 719 W. Main St. 971-8819
Mellow Mushroom 1309 W. Main St. 972-9366
Mesob Ethiopian Cuisine 104 14th St. 963-9700
Milan Indian Cuisine 1817 Emmet St. 984-2828
Miyako 112 W. Main St. 984-3000
Mona Lisa Pasta 921 Preston Ave. 295-2494
Mono Loco 200 W. Water St. 979-0688
Monsoon 113 W. Market St. 971-1515
Moore’s Creek Family Restaurant 1710 Monticello Rd. 296-4150
Mudhouse 213 W. Main St., Downtown Mall, and four other locations 984-6833
Petit Pois 201 E. Main St., Downtown Mall 979-7647
Pomme 115 S. Main St., Gordonsville 540-832-0130
The Shebeen Vinegar Hill Shopping Center 296-3185
Splendora’s 317 E. Main St., Downtown Mall 296-8555
St. Maarten’s Café 1400 Wertland St. 293-2233
Starr Hill Restaurant and Brewery 709 W. Main St. 977-0017
Sticks 917 Preston Ave., also at Rivanna Ridge Shopping Center in Pantops 295-5262
Tea Time Desires Inside York Place, Downtown Mall 293-8768
El Tepeyac 221 Carlton Rd., Suite 12 295-4748
Tiffany’s Seafood 2171 Ivy Rd. 293-5000
Timberlake’s 322 E. Main St., Downtown Mall 296-1191
Tip Top 1420 Richmond Rd. (Route 250E) 244-3424
Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar 414 E. Main St., Downtown Mall, 293-9947
Zazus Fresh Grille 2213 Old Ivy Rd. 293-3454
Foods we’ve loved before…
124 dishes that made past lists
Aberdeen Barn Prime rib
Aficionado’s Smoke Shop Macanudo Café cigar
Albemarle Baking Company Pear tart
Arch’ s Frozen Yogurt Black Caesar
Atomic Burrito Grilled chicken burrito
Baggby’s Gourmet Sandwiches Sundown sandwich
Baja Bean Kahlua milkshake; Black ‘n’ white quesadilla
Bake Mmm Bagels Bagel
Baker’s Palette Cinnamon bun
Bang! Joe martini
Bashir’s Taverna Ham sandwich
Bellair Market Farmington sandwich
Best of What’s Around Eggs
*Big Mouth Pizza Blue Print pizza
Bizou Meatloaf
Blue Light Grill Oysters on the half-shell
Blue Ridge Country Store Salad bar
Bluegrass Grill & Bakery Chorizo potato dish
Boar’s Head Inn Braised breast of Guinea hen
Bodo’s Bagel Bakery Caesar salad
Breadworks Bran muffin
Brix Marketplace Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie
C’ville Coffee Co. Vietnamese grilled chicken pho
Café Europa Venetian sandwich
Carmello Manicotti
Casella’s Meatball sub
Chandler’s Bakery Rye bread
Chap’s Chocolate egg cream; Chocolate fudge walnut ice cream
Christian’s Pizzeria Spinach stuffed pizza
Ciboulette Langre cheese
C&O Vegetable soup
Continental Divide Tuna tostado
Copacabana Paella
Court Square Tavern Shepherd’s pie
Dippin’ Dots Mint chocolate ice cream
Downtown Grille Brandy
Downtown Thai Thai iced tea
Dr. Ho’ s Humble Pie Ragin’ Cajun pizza
Duner’s Crab cakes
Dürty Nelly’s Pub Barrister sandwich
El Puerto Chicken soup
El Rey del Taco Enchiladas poblanas
Escafé Horseradish crusted salmon sandwich
Feast! Grilled 9-Cheese sandwich
*Firehouse Bar & Grill Frosty PBR
Fleurie Foie Gras Cuit au Torchon
Foods of All Nations European candy
Fossett’s Study in Pear
Fox’s Café Coconut cream pie
Fuel Egg Florentine
Garden of Sheba Tostones
Gearharts Fine Chocolates Maya
Gravity Lounge Cucumber sandwich
Greenberry’s Palmier
Guadalajara $3.50 Lunch Special
Hamiltons’ at First & Main Vegetarian Blue Plate Special
*Higher Grounds Breakfast burrito
Hot Cakes Sesame noodles
Italian Villa Cavalier Country Breakfast
*Jarman’s Gap Baby back ribs
Jak ‘n Jil Footlong hot dog
Java Java Hot chocolate
Jinx’s Pit’s Top Barbeque sandwich
Kokopelli’s Café Yo Yo Ma’s Oriental Wrap
Korner Restaurant One-Eye Bacon Cheeseburger
La Cucina Linguini with classic tomato sauce and homemade sausage
L’ Etoile Chicken tarragon and walnut salad
*Liquid Fusion shake
Littlejohn’s Nuclear Sub
Ludwig’s Schnitzelhouse $2 Beer and Brat Special
Maharaja Samosas
Marco and Luca Dumplings
Mas Sangria
Mel’s Café Mel Burger
Michael’s Bistro and Taphouse Iron City Beer
Milan Cucumber salad
Milano Spumoni gelato
Ming Dynasty Sweet and sour vegetarian meatballs
Miyako Sake
Mona Lisa Pasta Chunky marinara sauce
Mono Loco Hibiscus tea
Mudhouse Carrot and orange juice; Café Breve
New Deli Lemon squares
The Nook Special Nook tea
Northern Exposure Grandma Sylvia’s Classic Beef Lasagna
*Our Daily Bread Challah
Oxo Seared scallops appetizer
Padow’s Deli Italian sandwich
Pizza Bella Mushroom, onion and green pepper pizza
*Pupusa Crazy Pupusa platter
Revolutionary Soup French Onion Soup
Rivanna Grill Coconut shrimp
Riverside Lunch Double cheeseburger
Root 66 Root beer
Saigon Café Bun Thit Nuong
Sakura Bento Box
The Shebeen Sadza cakes and mash
South Street Brewery Nachos
Southern Culture Grits
Splendora’s Affogato
The Spudnut Shop Spudnut
Starr Hill Restaurant and Brewery Amber Ale
Sticks Falafel
Take It Away Sandwich Shop Blondie Bar
Tastings Kir apertif
The Tavern Chocolate chip pancakes
Thai ’99 II Pad king
Timberlakes Macaroni salad
Tip Top Gyro
*Tokyo Rose Cajun soft-shell crab roll
Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar Goat Herder’s Platter; Royal Phoenix Tea
Vinegar Hill Theatre Buttered popcorn
Vivace Bruschetta al Vivace
Wayside Takeout Old Virginia Fried Chicken
The White Spot Gus Burger
Whole Foods California shrimp and crab sushi
Wild Wing Café Boss Wings
Wolfie’s Smokehouse North Carolina pulled pork
Zazus Fresh Grille Teriyaki chicken wrap
Zocalo Drunken New York strip steak
*R.I.P.