Author: Christina Martin

Charlottesville is famously late to the trend game (anyone remember the national cupcake craze of the early aughts…which hit the ’ville about 10 years later?), but we’re (almost) right on time with this one: Birria—a regional Mexican stew of goat, garlic, cumin, bay leaves, thyme, and chili peppers, slow-stewed—has taken Charlottesville by storm, with nine (and counting!) restaurants and taco trucks serving it on their menus to date. Throw in Mexican Taco at City Market, which serves it as a rare special, and Good Waffles & Co., which sometimes sells birria with its fries, and C’ville has birria loaded up with all the spins.

With roots in Jalisco, Birria was popularized in Tijuana through birrierias, after taquero Don Guadalupe Zárate opened a street stand in the 1950s. Los Angeles first got hip to birria in the early 2000s, when restaurants began serving it as tacos de birria, birria en caldo, and quesabirria, but recent articles from The New York Times and Eater (not to mention a “Taco Chronicles” episode on the spicy stew) has given it a resurgence.

Quesabirria is what’s really making mouths water in our area—birria and melted cheese in a corn tortilla, served with that riquisimo consommé, topped with white onions and cilantro, and finished with a squeeze of lime. Most spots serve birria with beef instead of goat, since the fat content, cost, and availability of it fares better in Charlottesville. 

Wanna try them all? Let’s go, birria crawl-style. Start at 10am Tuesday through Saturday to make sure all the spots are open.

Let’s taco ’bout it!

Tacos Gomez (above)(1348 Long St.)

La Michoacana Taqueria & Restaurant
(1138 E. High St.)

Taqueria El Comalito
(905 E. Market St.)

The Bebedero
(201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall)

Remy’s La Mejor
(600 Preston Ave.)

El Tako Nako Food Truck
(2405 Hydraulic Rd.)

Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant
(101 Seminole Ct.)

Taqueria El Chavo
(1215 Seminole Trail) 

Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant
(various locations)

A functioning—thriving—wine culture like the Monticello AVA requires participation on both sides of the equation: winemakers cultivate varieties of grapes while locals curate and encourage community. 

But when oenophile Tasha Durrett relocated from northern Virginia to Charlottesville for a job opportunity, she found herself craving more social and educational opportunities at local wineries. Hoping to make space for herself and other Black women in those environments, she launched Black Women Who Wine.

“We’re an organization I started in 2019, for the purpose of working to increase visibility of Black women who enjoy wine and participate in the wine industry,” she says. 

Durrett, who by day is a communications manager for Southern Environmental Law Center, delved into the wine world as soon as she was able to legally drink. “My parents enjoy wine and spirits,” she says, “so I learned a lot from them.”

Around once a month, Black Women Who Wine coordinates wine tastings with local wineries for groups of seven to 14 women through its website, blackwomenwhowine.com. Durrett focuses on merging socializing with education, giving Black women a space to engage with the wine community and each other.

“I want to know how things work and what others think of them,” says Durrett, a self-proclaimed “naturally curious person.” She is studying for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust certification, which helps those looking to teach others about wine and spirits. With the certification, she’ll be able to continue growing Black Women Who Wine, and establishing the group’s presence on the Charlottesville wine scene.

“We want to build relationships with wineries throughout Virginia and I want to see more opportunities for black women in that space,” she says. “We’re here to take up space and enjoy wine.”

Small business owners push hard to keep the gears of entrepreneurship moving and oiled, and Mohammed Alazazi is no exception. 

Originally from Iraq, Alazazi doesn’t have a background in the grocery business—encouragement from his culture, wife, sons, and in-laws inspired him to represent and sell the food that feeds them. Hummus Grocery is his first business venture, and he spent a long time debating whether or not to open the store. 

“My wife supports me so much,” Alazazi says. “Without her, I wouldn’t be able to open this business—or do anything else.”

Alazazi brings most of his inventory from Michigan, where larger Middle Eastern distributors are thriving. He makes the trip—a 10-hour drive one way—once a month. 

Hummus Grocery has been open for two months, selling varieties of Middle Eastern beverages, tahinis, spices, dry goods, and frozen items. But the real showstoppers are his fresh hummus (obviously) and tabbouleh, which he plans to eventually make part of a full menu. 

“Once I get the proper licenses, I want to start selling sandwiches, like shawarma and falafel,” he says.

Considering the cost of commercial sinks and other equipment, as well as the time for a kitchen buildout, Alazazi says he’s “going to start step by step. I’m giving it my best.”