Author: Whitney Ayres Kenerly

Categories
C-BIZ

Great harvest: A look at the economic impact of area wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries

Photo: Andrea Hubbell

Bordeaux, France. Napa Valley, California. Central Virginia? Possibly. Though Thomas Jefferson first attempted to plant a vineyard back in the late 1700s, our local wine industry is still young, only really emerging in the last 15 years. But in that time, the central Virginia region has become home to the second-highest number of wineries in the state, producing dozens of award-winning vintages each year.

People aren’t just stocking up on bottles. Vineyards are also enjoying the fruits of their labor in the form of agritourism: tourists coming out for the scenery, tastings, events, and tying the knot. It’s clear that our wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries are an important part of commerce in this region, but just how big is that economic impact?

VIRGINIA WINE AND AGRITOURISM

In 2015, The Virginia Wine Board estimated the full economic impact of the Virginia wine industry to be $1.37 billion, roughly the GDP of a small island nation. This marked a growth rate of 83 percent from 2010, and breaks down to 705,200 cases sold, 8,218 jobs, and 261 wineries.

Uncorking the official numbers for the City of Charlottesville or Albemarle County is a bit more difficult. The Charlottesville & Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau doesn’t currently track that information, though they are hoping to have the budget to conduct that research, and other estimates can vary depending on how you define the region.

David King, the King Family Vineyards’ co-founder who died in May, was instrumental in passage of the Virginia Farm Winery Act, which allows wineries to sell their products directly to consumers. / Photo: Jack Looney

What makes it especially tricky is that we aren’t just talking about the number of bottles sold and weddings hosted. The biggest slice of the economic impact pie comes from agritourism.

The Virginia Wine Board calculated the retail value of Virginia wine sold in 2015 to be $129 million, while winery-related tourism was more than $187 million. It becomes harder to estimate the local economic impact of tourism when you factor in other elements of a trip. Imagine a group of friends decides to come down from Washington, D.C. for a bachelorette party with Cville Hop On Tours. They aren’t just spending money at the area wineries they visit, they are most likely staying in a Charlottesville hotel, eating at Charlottesville restaurants, and shopping in Charlottesville stores during their visit. So even though Charlottesville does not have a winery within its city limits, it’s benefiting from the area wine industry.

By using the Virginia Wine Board report (“The Economic Impact of Wine and Wine Grapes on the State of Virginia – 2015,” produced by certified public accountants Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP) to take the average number of visitors for each winery in the state, Neil Williamson, President of the Free Enterprise Forum and editor of The Virginia Wine Journal, is able to roughly calculate the impact of the industry in a given region. With 28 wineries, he predicts that the economic impact will be more than $110 million for Albemarle County in 2019.

“Thanks in large part to David King’s [the late co-founder of King Family Vineyards and champion of the local wine industry] contributions on the state and local level, Albemarle today has some of the best winery and winery event regulations in the state,” says Williamson in reference to King’s advocacy for the Virginia Farm Winery Act, which allows wineries to sell their products directly to consumers. “We fought hard to get them to this point.”

MONTICELLO WINE TRAIL

With the City of Charlottesville at its center, the Monticello American Viticultural Area stretches from the edge of Shenandoah National Park to the James River and was was the first AVA to be established in Virginia. The Monticello Wine Trail, which includes a current membership of 35 wineries within this designated grape-growing region, has an economic impact that is probably closer to $120 million a year. Current President George Hodson believes the region is primed to be the next big thing in wine. “When you look at a lot of the things that are happening in Charlottesville, it becomes a perfect place for the industry to thrive.” Hodson cites the area’s academic culture, natural beauty, and the land’s ability to grow amazing grapes as ingredients for the industry’s organic growth.

What makes the Monticello region distinct in the Commonwealth is the consistently high quality of its wines. More than 60 percent of the wines crowned at this year’s Virginia’s Governor’s Cup were from the Monticello AVA. While Monticello Wine Trail wineries have had success with a variety of vintages, Hodson believes that the region’s petit verdot, petit manseng, and red Bordeaux blends have the potential to define it.

The major challenges preventing economic growth for the region come down to supply and demand. Area residents and visitors are drinking everything the wineries are supplying before it can be distributed to new markets. “We’ve got to make enough to let it leave the Charlottesville area,” says Hodson. He hopes that the continued popularity of events like Starry Nights at Veritas Vineyard & Winery and regular polo matches at King Family Vineyards will bring in the revenue needed to allow wineries to plant more grapes and produce more wine.

Support from state and local tourism boards are also critical to ensuring the industry’s ascent. Virginia’s tourism board makes it a priority to funnel visitors to the vineyards by highlighting wineries, festivals, and wine trails in campaigns. Support from local governments can vary quite a bit by county. Advocates for the industry agree that the best outcomes happen when state and local governments proactively work together. The positive economic impact numbers have helped government officials understand the promise of a rosy future in wine.

“We want Charlottesville and the Monticello [American Viticultural Area] to be the first name in Virginia wine,” says Hodson. “We are wholly committed to and doubling down on making Charlottesville and Monticello AVA a renowned wine growing region.”

VIRGINIA BREWERIES, CIDERIES & DISTILLERIES

Spirit Lab Distilling’s Ivar Aass thinks craft spirits will attain a momentum similar to that of area craft beer and wine: “Prohibition throttled the industry for 80 years,” he says, “and we’re finally getting to the point where craft distilling is gaining steam.” / Photo: Eze Amos

The glass isn’t just half-full for wine. Local breweries, cideries, and distilleries all have plenty to toast about, too. The Virginia Brewers Association reported that 405,465 barrels of craft beer were produced in the state in 2017. That’s two gallons for every Virginian over the age of 21. With 236 craft breweries in Virginia creating a total economic impact of $1.37 billion (the same as the 2015 number for wine), that’s an average economic impact of close to $600,000 per craft brewery.

Local breweries have their own version of the wine trail: the Charlottesville Ale Trail is 2.3 miles, pedestrian-friendly, and includes six participating breweries. They’re plotted along a map that visitors are encouraged to get stamped like a passport.

Virginia’s craft beer scene has been cool for a while now, but Virginia cider is catching up and hotter than ever. Bold Rock Hard Cider currently outpaces almost every other local brewery in sales. The Virginia Association of Cider Makers reports marked growth in the number of cideries opened since 2006, with national cider sales growing an average of 73 percent each year.

Boutique distilleries are looking to be the model for what’s next for their industry. Spirit Lab Distilling became the first distillery to open within Charlottesville city limits in 2015, and owner Ivar Aass sees the potential for craft spirits to attain a similar momentum as the local craft beer and wine market.

“I think all distilleries are basically playing catch-up,” says Aass. “Prohibition throttled the industry for 80 years, and we’re finally getting to the point where craft distilling is gaining steam.”

Just as we saw with craft beer, Aass predicts that the trends in distilling will favor unique, high-quality, and historically-rooted products. He also sees a future in Virginia-made brandy after recently collaborating with local winemakers on a Virginia oak-aged vintage by distilling some of the 2018 grapes that were too sweet for traditional wine processing.

So whether you like to sip, swig, or savor your locally produced spirit of choice, you can be guaranteed to see more varieties and an improved quality in the next few years. And if you haven’t yet been invited to a wedding at a farm or barn where something boozy is made, you can expect that “save the date” to come any day now. Beverage-related agritourism in central Virginia is booming. We can all cheers to that.

WEATHER OR NOT

Winemakers are learning and experimenting with new ways to adapt to the forces of climate change so central Virginia’s wine industry can continue to grow. / Photo: Andrea Hubbell

The summer of 2017 was a gift for wine grapes. The arid days were the source of complex vintages with the kind of balance winemakers aspire to produce. Then vineyards had to deal with the wet summer of 2018, when too much rain too close to harvest encouraged mold and caused the grapes to swell with water, diluting flavors. Increasingly erratic seasons due to climate change mean that if the burgeoning Central Virginia wine industry is going to survive, winemakers need to find new ways to adapt.

“When you plant a grapevine, you want it to [last for] decades, so depending on how quickly things change, it can affect what you’re doing,” says Ben Jordan, who has been the winemaker at Early Mountain Vineyards since 2015. Grapes can be a fickle fruit. And considering it can take three to five years for a vine to produce anything usable for winemaking, planting decisions are fraught. By that time, and especially with climate change, you may no longer have the right grape in the right site. “On top of that, we’ve always had a relatively dynamic climate,” says Jordan. “We can have droughts, we can have 2017, which was dry and hot, or we can have 2018, which is kind of a washout.”

For local winemakers, being in an emerging industry could be a protective factor when dealing with climate change. Unlike European regions, vineyards in central Virginia are not tied to producing certain wines or trademark processes that haven’t changed in 200 years.

The Winemakers Research Exchange, a local research cooperative for wineries, is encouraging experimentation and knowledge-sharing through studies and sensory sessions. Winemakers can invite their peers to try the unfinished results of everything from whole cluster fermentation to wines aged in concrete eggs. Joy Ting, research enologist and exchange coordinator for the WRE, believes the region’s ingenuity is a good thing when it comes to acclimating to seasonal swings. “It does help us to have more options when we think about how to respond to those things,” she says.

When your seasons become unpredictable, it’s not a bad idea for your wines to be too. “The world is changing,” says Jordan, “and you don’t have to make wines that taste one way or grow grapes the same way.” Central Virginia winemakers are integrating modern science in their old world craft. They are looking at how different clones of cabernet franc behave in the vineyard to decide what to plant for the next 10-15 years, and experimenting with breeding to try to make merlot more resistant to mildew.

Ting says that while the WRE isn’t set up for long-term experiments (most of the studies are designed to look at one year at a time), it’s an opportunity for winemakers to get creative with testing interventions. By learning new techniques for different scenarios, winemakers can be more prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at them.

In 2018, several members of the WRE had success with one grape in particular: the petit manseng. Described as a “storm grape” that can take on loads of rainfall, it’s becoming a popular choice for local vineyards in need of a stable crop. “More and more people are looking to petit manseng because it does seem to have a good, consistent expression,” says Ting.

Petit manseng, a French grape typically used to make white wines, can be used to make dry wines, off-whites, and dessert wines. Local residents may not be as familiar with it as they are with a vognier or a petit verdot, but as the manseng grows more popular with winemakers, it has the potential to define the central Virginia region. “It’s something that can be really useful in our industry, and can help us stand out in the country and the world,” says Jordan. “It’s a distinctive grape that makes distinctive wine.”

Tony Wolf, professor and director of viticulture at Virginia Tech, started evaluating petit manseng in 1987. He concluded the grape would have an excellent time adapting to the Mid-Atlantic’s climate due to its hardiness against cold and rot, and consistent yields of crops per vine.

“Disease resistance is high on the list of desired traits,” says Wolf in regards to petit manseng. “But we are also going to need to evaluate new (and old) varieties that are suited to higher temperatures and higher rainfall conditions.”

Critics are taking note. This year was the first year a petit manseng won the top prize at the Virginia Governor’s Cup. The 2016 vintage produced by Horton Vineyards in Orange County was lauded for its dry palate and full body with notes of stone fruit and hazelnut.

Jordan is so confident in the grape that he recently ripped out a site of cabernet sauvignon grapes, vines that were planted with generations in mind, to plant the manseng in their place. “That’s part of adjusting to these changing factors,” says Jordan. “It’s about understanding a piece of land in context to its climate as opposed to just what you like to drink.”

CHANGE AGENTS

Beverage leaders are disruptors by nature. Their willingness to take risks when it comes to flavors and production can often lead them to delicious places—and profits. Several have made big changes in the last year.

Potter’s Craft Cider

Potter’s Craft Cider, which currently operates a 128-acre cidery in Free Union, is expanding, adding a 100-year-old church on approximately 20 acres in Albemarle County. The move comes thanks in part to a $1.56 million injection of funds from the state. This development will allow Potter’s Craft Cider to establish a much-anticipated tasting room, and is expected to quadruple its cider production. Governor Ralph Northam announced the investment in January and cited agritourism as a valuable source of income for rural areas. Renovations to the church will take place over the next three years while the team establishes an on-site apple orchard.

Wild Wolf Brewing Company

“Charlottesville has really become a mecca for great beer,” says Mary Wolf of Wild Wolf Brewing Company, which recently opened another location near the Downtown Mall. / Photo: Sanjay Suchak

The Wolf is also on the move. Wild Wolf Brewing Company, based in Nelson County, recently opened a satellite location near Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. Owner Mary Wolf said she fell in love with the location two years ago and had been thinking about it ever since. When it became available again this year, the company grabbed it.

She knew it was important to have a location within city limits. “Charlottesville has really become a mecca for great beer,” says Wolf. She attributes the city’s thriving industry to the mix of talented brewers who embrace innovation and a population full of young professionals who are willing to try new things.

While Wolf says she might consider opening other locations in the future, she’s not interested in becoming huge. “We’re focused on quality—on great food and beer.”

North American Sake Brewery

North American Sake Brewery may be the most unexpected newcomer to the city. The first craft sake brewery in the commonwealth opened at IX Art Park last year, and started distributing in Virginia last March. Co-owners Jeremy Goldstein and Andrew Centofante, a filmmaker and a web developer, respectively, are a self-described “unlikely [saki] duo,” but they put all of their passion for sake into the products they make. They managed to catch the attention of the Embassy of Japan and were invited to pour their own sake at a reception in D.C. this June.

 

Categories
Knife & Fork Living

5 super summer salads: Easy-peasy recipes from local chefs

Ira Wallace of the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange gives the classic Cobb salad a Southern twist with black-eyed peas and toasted pecans. Photo: Staff

Summer is the time to eat your colors. Yellow corn is at its sweetest, red tomatoes their juiciest, and the greens are just as green as could be. We’ve rounded up salad recipes from five local chefs that showcase the season’s leading stars along with some unexpected guest appearances: a piquant pinch of mint or sweet burst of watermelon. As with any great summer salad, these are best served outside, on a generous plate, and with your favorite cold beverage. Mangia!

1) Southern-style Cobb salad with black-eyed peas

From Ira Wallace, education and variety selection coordinator, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

A slight twist on the traditional Cobb salad, with toasted pecans and a Greek-yogurt blue-cheese dressing that you might want to slather on everything all summer.

Serves three to four

Ingredients

6 cups chopped romaine or mixed green lettuces

2 cups fresh black-eyed peas lightly simmered with 1/2 small onion, chopped, or 1 clove garlic, chopped

(Alternative: 1 15 oz. can seasoned black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed well)

3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

2 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and cubed (optional)

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (substitute sharp, dry cheddar,
if desired)

1/2 cup fresh steamed sweet corn, kernels cut from cob, or thawed frozen sweet corn

1 sweet red pepper, cored, deseeded, and julienned

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

Blue-cheese Greek-yogurt dressing

1/2 to 1 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic

1 tbsp. white vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Add all dressing ingredients to large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Place in container, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.

Place lettuce on platter. In separate rows, arrange chicken, black-eyed peas, red pepper, tomatoes, pecans, avocado, cheese, corn, and eggs on top of lettuce. Pass around dressing.

Pair with: A nice glass of sweet tea

 

Peloton Station’s Curtis Shaver likes his beer—and knows how to turn a salad into a meal. Photo: Tom McGovern

2) Steak and onion rings salad

From Curtis Shaver, general manager and chef, Peloton Station

This savory mélange would satisfy even the hungriest salad-as-a-main-course skeptic.

Serves two to four

Salad ingredients

2 7 oz. Seven Hills Food Co. flat iron steaks (also called shoulder top blade steak)

6 oz. local arugula

2 ears fresh corn

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted,
and sliced

6 radishes, sliced thin

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 English cucumber, sliced thin

3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1 red onion, sliced into rings

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups flour, seasoned to taste (salt, pepper, paprika, and others as desired)

3 cups canola or other preferred oil for frying onion rings

Greek vinaigrette dressing ingredients

3 cups extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

2 1/2 tbsp. dried oregano

2 1/2 tbsp. dried basil

2 tbsp. black pepper

2 tbsp. sea salt

2 tbsp. onion powder

2 tbsp. dijon mustard

Instructions

Prepare grill. Oil, salt, and pepper steaks, and grill to medium rare. Set aside. Grill corn until charred and slice off kernels. Set aside. Heat frying oil to 375 degrees in deep skillet. Soak onion rings in buttermilk, remove from liquid, and toss in seasoned flour. Fry onions until golden brown, remove from oil, and drain.

Place all dressing ingredients except oil in blender and mix well. Slowly add oil to emulsify. Refrigerate until ready to serve salad.

In a large mixing bowl combine arugula, corn, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and dressing. Divide mixture evenly among serving plates. Place avocado slices on salad. Slice steak on a bias and place on top of avocados. Finish by topping with onion rings.

Pair with: Champion Brewing Company True Love American Lager

Peppery arugula meets sweet roasted tomatoes in Forage chef Megan Kiernan’s creation. Photo: Tom McGovern

3) Roasted Sungold tomato and arugula orzo salad with pistachio pesto and blue cheese

From Megan Kiernan, product development chef and founder, Forage

Chef Kiernan calls this “the regular pasta salad’s more elegant cousin.” We agree that the recipe would impress guests at any picnic or dinner party.

Serves four

Ingredients

2 pints Sungold cherry tomatoes

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. orzo

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 1/2 cups chopped arugula or
baby arugula

Salt and pepper to taste

Grilled or roasted chicken (optional), boned, and cut up any way you prefer

Pistachio pesto dressing

1/2 cup packed basil leaves

1 handful mint leaves

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

2 small cloves (or one large clove) garlic

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil (or a bit more, to taste)

Salt to taste (at least 1/2 tsp.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on sheet tray and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees and continue roasting for two hours, tossing occasionally.

Combine basil, mint, pistachios, garlic, lemon juice, and a big pinch of salt in a food processor. Blend well, periodically streaming in olive oil. Stop to taste. Add more salt and lemon juice as desired. If pesto is too thick, thin with additional olive oil.

Cook orzo following packaging instructions. Run under cool water while straining. Combine with pesto, adding heaping teaspoons to taste. Toss in arugula and red onions. Gently fold in tomatoes and blue cheese. Add more salt, pepper, or pesto as desired.

Pair with: Potter’s Craft Passion Fruit Mosaic cider

 

Unexpected bursts of flavor—fresh dill, fried sardines, hickory syrup—enliven this beauty from Oakhart Social’s Tristan Wraight. Photo: Tom McGovern

4) Sweet and salty summer salad

From Tristan Wraight, executive chef, Oakhart Social

“For me, I need a salad to have a sweet element, a salty element, and crunchy element,” says chef Tristan Wraight. Here, he rounds out the essentials with some soft herbs and an acidic dressing.

Serves four

Ingredients

2 cups watermelon, cubed (Wraight sources his from Pleasant Pasture Farms, in Virginia Beach.)

8 radishes, quartered (also from Pleasant Pasture)

1 cup Lunix (red oak-leaf) lettuce

1/4 cup shaved fennel

2 tbsp. sunflower seeds, sautéed until golden brown

1 tbsp. fried charales (or fried sardines) tossed in Old Bay Seasoning

Fresh Thai basil and dill to taste, chopped

Pinch of Maldon sea salt

Hickory-syrup vinaigrette

2 tbsp. shallots, minced

2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice

2 tbsp. hickory syrup (can also use Grade-A maple syrup)

1 cup grape seed oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Soak minced shallots in lemon
and lime juice for 10 minutes. Add syrup and salt, and whisk in oil. Toss with salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Pair with: A dry white wine with mineral palate, like Albariño. Best local choice: Horton Vineyards 2017 Rkatsiteli

 

Pearl Island Catering chef Javier Figueroa-Ray balances the sweetness of watermelon and pineapple with the earthy flavors of kale and walnuts. Photo: Amy and Jackson Smith

5) Pearl Island summer salad

From Javier Figueroa-Ray, executive chef, Pearl Island Catering

Don’t forget the fruit! Pearl Island’s summer salad sweetens things up with tropical pineapple and the emblematic food of the season: fresh watermelon.

Serves four

Ingredients

8 oz. organic kale

8 oz. organic baby spinach

1 1/2 cups watermelon, cubed

1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed

1 cup carrots, grated (reserve some for garnish)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Shallot vinaigrette dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1 tbsp. fresh shallots, minced

1 cup brown sugar (or less, to taste)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Place walnuts on baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 350 degrees for five to ten minutes, or until fragrant.

In a large bowl combine kale, spinach, watermelon, pineapple, and carrots, and toss together.

Place dressing ingredients in blender and mix well, about one minute at high speed.

Transfer salad ingredients to platter, drizzle with dressing, and top with walnuts and carrots.

Pair with: Stinson Vineyard’s sauvignon blanc

Categories
Living

Our Favorite High-Octane Eats

“This may sound weird, but the gas stations are really good,” a co-worker told me when I moved to Charlottesville four years ago. And he was talking about the food. Until then, my gas station dining had been limited to the occasional childhood slushie or a breakfast sandwich from Sheetz, ordered in desperation on a long road trip.

“It’s not like that,” the co-worker assured me. “It’s more like, well, you’ll just have to see.”

So I did. I got my first Yogaville sandwich (Havarti, cheddar, and Swiss with sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber on French bread) not long after, from my neighborhood Tiger Fuel. In this case “made to order” didn’t mean pressing buttons on a screen, but asking a real person to relay my ticket to a chef in a kitchen that I could see. And the results were delicious.

Live in Charlottesville long enough, and you too will discover that some of the best places to fill your stomach are also where you fill your tank.

Bellair Market’s sandwiches, now available at several Tiger Fuel markets around town, are beloved; in fact, Charlottesville native Mason Hereford was so enamored with the Jefferson (turkey, cheddar, cranberry, lettuce, and herb mayo) that he put his own version on the menu at his New Orleans sandwich shop, Turkey and the Wolf, which Bon Appétit named Best New Restaurant in America in 2017. But there’s plenty more to explore behind the pumps. Here are a few of our favorites:

GoCo Food Mart on Harris

924 Harris St.

Go for: Fried fish on Fridays. (The burgers are also pretty good.)

The unmistakable smell of hot oil and ocean water hits me as soon as I park my car.

“You here for the fish?” the blonde woman asks from behind the counter. It’s 11am on a Friday, and therefore a good guess on her part: The GoCo Food Mart only serves fried fish on Fridays, and I was warned that they often run out by noon.

The Harris Street location’s kitchen is tucked into the corner of a squat brown building behind the Coastal station. Inside, there are two aisles stuffed with the standard convenience store fare, and no place to sit. The woman behind the counter introduces herself as Liz, says she’s worked there for at least 10 years, and that GoCo has been serving fish on Fridays for at least 30 years. She chats with a customer who seems to know her while I eye the contents of the display case: macaroni and cheese, golden potato wedges, coleslaw, and fist-sized burgers wrapped in foil.

“I’m here for the fish,” I confirm.

“Alright,” Liz says with a warm smile as she serves up a catfish filet that’s at least 13 inches long. I’m even more surprised when I find out it’s only $2.99.

This is where I confess that I really love fried fish. I’ve eaten a lot of it in my life, from the seafood halls of Calabash, North Carolina, to concession stands at state fairs and football games. I say this so you know that when I tell you I was impressed with the fish at GoCo, that means it’s exceptionally good.

It’s everything you want fried fish to be: crunchy and salty on the outside and plump and juicy on the inside, with just the right amount of flake. It’s so good I eat the whole thing sitting alone in my car in the parking lot. I consider getting another filet to-go, to use in some tacos at home later that night.

When I ask Liz what makes the fish so special, she demures. “I can’t tell you that,” she says with a flash of a smile. She wasn’t giving up her secrets, but she did offer the following theory while placing a hand over her heart: “Maybe it’s because our cook cooks it with love.”

Photo: Tom McGovern

Las Cavanas

6098 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet

Go for: Tacos

Set behind a Citgo gas station off Rockfish Gap Turnpike in Crozet is a Mexican market and kitchen that serves those who are looking for authentic Mexican food, or a taste of home. Maria Garcia opened Las Cavanas with her husband, Ignacio Becerra, in 2008. The space is small, as is the menu, and there are only two parking spots. When my fiancé, Justin, and I arrive after the lunch rush, there’s a rich smell of tomatoes and onions simmering in spices. It’s still busy inside, and the kitchen is already out of chicken, carnitas, and barbacoa.

As two young men in baseball caps order in Spanish, I decide to browse the store. Shelves stocked to varying degrees contain packets of Mexican hot chocolate and brightly colored candies in small bags. Justin immediately reaches for a large pouch of Gembos plantain chips “con chile, limon, sal y chicharron” (with chili, lime, salt, and pork skins). There’s a case of baked goods, including squares of cakes iced in pink, and a cooler of Mexican-style paletas made by Charlottesville favorite La Flor Michoacana.

A shelf of cowboy boots catches my eye. I’m drawn to a pair in cactus green with studs on the leather that remind me of an agave leaf’s texture. A few large piñatas hang from the ceiling over a plastic bin full of DVDs and CDs, including a compilation of ’90s Mexican rock, and I wonder if nostalgia is even more profound when you’re not only longing for a different time, but a different place.

The menu includes made-to-order quesadillas, lunch plates with your choice of meat and sides of pinto beans and rice, and, if you get there early enough, tamales. We order tacos: three for $7.99. We get a one steak (recommended by the chef as she sets out a freshly made tray of meat), one chorizo, and one special-order vegetarian taco with pinto beans, rice, cheese, and lettuce.

There’s a small wooden patio outside where we share our plate and a bottle of Coke. The pinto beans are addictive with a nice amount of heat, and the fresh cilantro brightens up the density of the chewy corn tortillas that double-wrap each taco. But overall, the vegetarian taco is a bit lackluster­—it’s clear that Las Cavanas is all about the meat.

“This is really good,” Justin says of the chorizo. “Very spicy, juicy, robust flavors.” The spice in the steak is a bit more restrained, but the meat is hearty. I dip my fork into what’s left of the guacamole and savor the salt, citrus, and fattiness of the dip on its own. Through the trees around the patio I spot the outline of the Blue Ridge Mountains, reminding me that we aren’t far from the wineries and breweries on 151. If you needed something to help soak up an afternoon of drinking, this would be the spot.

Photo: Tom McGovern

The Market at Preston Ave.

601 Preston Ave.

Go for: Fried chicken plate

It’s 3pm on a July afternoon, one of those days when the heat  physically pushes down your head and shoulders. Inside the Preston Avenue Exxon I’m jolted back to attention by the chill of air conditioning and the sound of fist-pumping dance music. Tiger Fuel’s The Market acquired the gas station’s restaurant last October, but it kept the most popular item on the menu.

“They come for the chicken,” says Deondre, the young man working the register that day. “People from all over the area come for lunch.”

Starting at $4.99 a plate, it has to be one of the best lunch deals in town. It’s enough food that I’m glad I brought Justin to help me share the tray. We ask Deondre to serve us his “ultimate perfect plate,” which consists of two pieces of dark meat, a side of macaroni and cheese, a side of mashed potatoes, and a roll.

As Deondre assembles a staggering plate of starch, I attempt to get some recipe secrets out of him. No luck. He tells me, “We just take our time and try to make a good product.”

As the music switches to a swingy beach tune, we sit at a high-top table near the beer case in the back, and I think about how my mother would scold me for only having one color on my plate. From the darkest brown of the chicken to the cream color of the mashed potatoes, I know that this meal would have her trying to locate the nearest salad bar. This is “cheat day” food.

The potatoes have a nice punch of fresh herbs and garlic, and the macaroni and cheese is smooth and gooey, the way I like it. The chicken is crispy and good, though a bit on the heavy side. Justin, a self-proclaimed connoisseur of condiments, is underwhelmed by the signature “Tiger Sauce,” which he ascertains is basically chipotle sour cream. I personally can’t imagine taking something as flavorful as fried chicken and dunking it into a different flavor enhancer. You eat fried chicken because you’ve decided you need fried chicken, and that’s that.

Photo: John Robinson

El Tropical Deli

1177 Fifth St.

Go for: Steak Baleadas

From the street, the Shell gas station on Fifth Street gives no indication of the kitchen inside. The only thing that could lead you to this true hidden gem of a Latin American joint is your nose.

“I walked in to get a drink, and smelled the food,” says Jonathan Duenas, who estimates that he’s visited the deli at least 10 times since he moved to Charlottesville a month ago. He’s staying at the Sleep Inn next door, and likes to stop here before his night shift at the nearby Food Lion. He calls this his breakfast.

We sit near the cold drinks section, where two picnic tables are pushed together, as our food is prepared. It’s all very clean and tidy. A flatscreen mounted over a refrigerator full of coffee drinks is playing “Chopped Junior.” Above the deli counter, there are flamingo and toucan piñatas hanging from the ceiling. The air is sweet with the smell of something being caramelized.

Jonathan says he’s never eaten at a gas station like this before. “We don’t have these kinds of places in North Carolina,” he says. “It’s homemade cooking here.”

I’ve ordered the baleadas asada (a Honduran dish with beans, cheese, and steak folded in half inside a thick flour tortilla), which the young girl at the register recommended, and sopes (thick corn tortillas with toppings) with chorizo. Jonathan says he’s tried a few different things on the menu, but the steak is his favorite.

It’s close to 6pm, and several men stop for food, looking like they’ve finished a shift at work. They order confidently without needing to even glance at the menu, written mostly in Spanish, on the small whiteboard in front of the register. Clearly this is not their first time. It’s not too long before our food is ready and the cashier tosses in a few small containers of their hottest hot sauce.

In the car with my to-go order, the smell of the food hints at the possibility that I discovered someplace truly special. What if this little gas station kitchen with a generic name and no sign is actually the real deal? The first bite confirms my high hopes. The baleadas is unbelievable. The small chunks of steak are juicy and smooth and there’s a velvety sauce (the cashier describes it as a Honduran style of sour cream) that rounds out each bite, along with a generous portion of avocado. The sopes are also a delight, with crisp chorizo and crunchy fresh lettuce atop chewy disks of masa.

Justin, a chili head who grows his own Carolina Reapers, tries the house sauce and delightedly proclaims that it is hotter than anything your average Mexican restaurant would serve. He discerns a variety of hot peppers, including habaneros.

It’s a lot of food for $8.33, and it does not taste cheap. This is not only some of the best food I’ve ever eaten at a gas station, but some of the best Latin American food I’ve had in town. Jonathan said it best back at the picnic table: “A little hole in the wall restaurant—that’s where the best meals are.”

Photo: John Robinson

Brown’s

1218 Avon St.

Go for: The fried chicken, of course

You can’t talk about gas station food without including Brown’s. The local favorite that’s famous for offering a free piece of chicken when you fill your tank serves poultry so prized that they recently managed to catch the attention of Food & Wine magazine, which included it as one of their “5 Best Stops for Gas Station Fried Chicken in Virginia.”

“It started in the country, where I’m from in Esmont,” says loyal customer Kevi Jones. “That’s why it’s so good.” Jones has been coming to Brown’s for over 10 years, and estimates that she’s been at least three times in the last two weeks alone. She likes to get the two piece meal with macaroni and cheese and baked beans after she gets off work from her job as a caregiver.

On a recent Friday evening, Jones orders her food with complete certainty, and asks the server to confirm whether the dark meat or the light meat came out first (they came out at the same time). “The customer service is great,” she adds.

Visiting Brown’s, I’m struck by the feeling that I’ve stepped back in time— not because of the physical store, which is as modern as any other gas station, but because of the feel of the space. “How are the kids?” the cashier asks another customer, and familiar small talk is punctuated by bursts of laughter.

As I bite into a chicken breast, perfectly crunchy on the outside and oozing with flavor within, I wonder, how do they do it? The answer may lie in the spice blends (top secret) and technique. But Mike Brown, who has been at the store since 2011, has a spiritual explanation: “It’s blessed by almighty God.”

Categories
Living

Route 29 food marathon: 26.2 miles, nine places to eat, two full bellies

Dr. Ho's Humble Pie owner Michael McCarthy prepares to bake yet another delectable pizza at the North Haven destination. Photo: Christian Hommell

Route 29 is infuriating, thick with careening cars or just plain clogged with traffic. Route 29 is a sweltering asphalt jungle of sad strip malls, tacky hotels, and gaudy fireworks tents. Go ahead, bash it. Route 29 won’t mind. Because you need Route 29. You need to fill up with gas, get groceries at Trader Joe’s, shop for T-shirts at Marshalls, and buy 48 rolls of toilet paper at Costco. You must fulfill your role as a consumer, and for that Route 29 won’t fail you—especially, when it comes to eating.

As a commercial and commuter thoroughfare, Route 29 is fast-food heaven, of course. But it can also be one hell of a culinary journey. Diversity is Route 29’s strength, from hearty diner grub to sipping and snacking at a winery. And when you’re headed south, and you escape the city’s vortex, you’ll also find that the countryside and mountain views are quite lovely.

So my husband and I set out on a marathon nosh, 26.2 miles from the first bite to the last. We took on the gut-busting challenge for the good of all road-food-loving humanity, sampling bites at nine stops. Fill up your tank, and get ready to stuff your face!

Danilo and Harvey Mayorga deliver a breezy vibe and Cuban-style delicacies at Guajiro’s Miami Eatery. Photo: Eze Amos

North

Drive 20 minutes north of Charlottesville and you’ll reach the homey Blue Ridge Cafe & Catering, family-owned and serving since 1995. It proudly claims to be “nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” but it’s actually in a parking lot next to an antiques shop. Angus beef burgers and generously sized pasta bowls are the favorites among regulars, but if you’re powering up for a long drive, order ahead for a Grab and Go Breakfast, complete with bagels, muffins, fruit, juice, and coffee, a deal at $5.99. 8315 Seminole Trail, Ruckersville, 985-3633, blueridgecafe.com.

Five miles down the road sits a white building dusted with road grit. Big, blocky letters announce your arrival at Bamboo House, which looks like it emerged from the bayou on an HBO Southern Gothic miniseries. Inside, where you might expect the ambiance of a roadhouse, the Korean/Chinese restaurant has the familiar trappings of casual Asian dining: red-and-gold place settings on round tables, dishes with heaps of fried rice, and seafood platters blanketed in sticky sauces. The food is average and unsurprising, but the atmosphere—enhanced by the diorama of a woodland hunting scene complete with a family of taxidermied deer—is out of this world. 4831 Seminole Trail, 973-9211

City

Wood paneling? Check. Metal fish wall art? Check. A menu with oysters on the halfshell and a BBQ tuna sandwich? Check and double-check! Despite the strip-mall setting, Rhett’s River Grill & Raw Bar brings to mind the seafood shacks peppered along the highways on the Outer Banks. If it swims, then they’ve probably got it—steamed, fried, or grilled. We hurried to list Rhett’s as a Route 29 haunt, because on July 15, it relocates to Zion Crossroads. 2335 Seminole Trail, 974-7818, rhettsrivergrill.com

The bar at Root 29 Craft Kitchen & Bar, in the DoubleTree Hilton, anchors a bright cheery room with bad acoustics but good food. Photo: Kirsten Guthrie Photography

The DoubleTree Hilton opened the aptly named Root 29 Craft Kitchen & Bar in May after renovating the hotel’s reception and dining spaces. Root 29 is bright and modern with tile floors and geometric glass fixtures bouncing light across the many-shades-of-gray decor. The American menu includes snackable shared plates like shrimp tempura and hummus, and a full bar features local wines and beers. 990 Hilton Heights Rd., 529-8400, root29restaurant.com

About a mile further south, you can enjoy a little taste of Little Havana. Guajiros Miami Eatery conjures the laid-back vibe of a neighborhood Cuban deli. The tropical lounge music oozes into the small space decorated with lush Caribbean blues, hibiscus flowers, and sultry palm leaves. The cafecito (Cuban-style espresso) is made in the super-sweet traditional way, and the croquetas (finger-sized snacks of deep fried ham) are salty perfection. 1871 Seminole Trail, 465-2108

On Saturday mornings and Thursday evenings during warmer months, you can sample the artisanal selections at The Green Market Stonefield. The vendors set up tents on a big lawn next to Burger Bach, and offer farmers market fare of local produce and baked goods along with handmade gifts. We like to go for the speciality items (uniquely flavored sauces, cheeses, and other treats) and food samples from stores and restaurants in Stonefield. 2100 Hydraulic Rd., shopsatstonefield.com

South

Looking like the setting of a Thomas Kinkade painting, a dirt road winds up a hill and over a quaint little bridge to reach Albemarle Ciderworks. I once struggled to jog up that hill during the Annual Hard Cider 5K, and while I always have liked Albemarle’s tart, citrusy GoldRush cider, it has never tasted better than it did at that finish line. Pair it with Caromont goat cheese and Olli Salumeria charcuterie. 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden, 297-2326, albemarleciderworks.com

It’s difficult to imagine someone walking the hydrangea-lined path down toward the French country-style barn at Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards, turning to the wild hillside lining the western horizon, and not concluding that this is one of the most breathtaking patches of land on earth. The tasting room is the perfect place to watch the sunset while you sample wines and delicious small plates. 5022 Plank Rd., North Garden, 202-8063, pippinhillfarm.com

Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie is destination eating. You make the trip this far down Route 29, about 10 miles south of I-64, because you want some serious pizza. All pies are made with hand-tossed dough, and sources for toppings include dozens of local vendors. Creations like the Annie Oakley (buffalo chicken, jalapeño, pineapple, and cheese) undoubtedly have loyal fans, but we always fall for the classic Margherita (fresh basil, tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella). Our final recommendation? Order an extra pie for the road home. 4916 Plank Rd., North Garden, 245-0000, drhoshumblepie.com

Categories
Knife & Fork Magazines

K&F: Six salads we can’t leaf alone

The Salad Maker's Earlysville salad. Photo: Rammelkamp Foto

Craving something fresh and green on your lunch break? These six spots boast a robust mix of ingredients—including local leafy greens. Now you just have to kick your bad habit of eating lunch at your desk.

The Earlysville

The Salad Maker

The newest addition to Charlottesville’s local salad scene, The Salad Maker’s Earlysville combines romaine, Napa cabbage, grilled chicken, cucumber, snow peas, shredded carrots, Asian crispy noodles, spicy peanut dressing.

Superfood salad

Ivy Provisions

Ideal for the busy person who wants to pack all of her nutrients into one bowl. Crunchy kale with sweet cranberries is rounded out with bright miso lime vinaigrette, and cashews for an extra burst of protein power.

Corner Cobb

Roots Natural Kitchen

A classic Cobb salad with a twist. The Corner Cobb adds savory rice, sweet potatoes, charred white corn and kale to the standard chicken, egg, avocado and onion. It’s made to order, too, so you can customize.

Local mixed greens salad

Feast!

Fresh greens are the star of the show here. Feast! sources produce from Local Food Hub and Manakintowne Specialty Growers, with farm fresh greens that are minimally processed. The rest of the salad is simple—sweet and spicy pecans and chewy raisins with a Moscatel vinaigrette.

Salad bar

Whole Foods

Build a bowl to go at the organic salad bar, which features a variety of local greens based on the season.

Rich green smoothie

The Juice Place

Drink your greens! This smoothie has so much packed in—avocado, kefir, almond milk, organic spinach, organic mango, local raw honey, mint—you may want to use a spoon.

Categories
Magazines Weddings

Scheduling conflicts: For the budget-minded, Friday weddings are a ‘do’

Photo: Sylvia Kibler

You’re engaged (congrats!) and have decided that Charlottesville is the perfect place for your wedding (great choice!). You’ve even started picturing yourself as an autumn bride at a local vineyard. Then you talk to an event coordinator and find out the venue has a two-year waitlist for Saturdays and a budget-blowing price tag (yikes!).

You don’t have to go back to the drawing board for your big day plans. Just go back a day—to Friday.

“When I meet with a couple and learn that budget is their No. 1 concern or stressor, I always begin the conversation of Friday and Sunday nights,” says Christy Cormons, director of catering at Farmington Country Club. “At first they are reluctant and say, ‘It’s every bride’s dream to be married on a Saturday in June,’ but when the reality of the budget starts setting in and they see the savings, it’s a lot easier to reconsider.”

Having worked with brides for 16 years, Cormons has noticed an increase in Friday weddings. It’s no surprise when you see the numbers. She estimates that couples getting married on a Friday at Farmington could save between $6,000-7,000, which is about the cost of 75 additional guests or an open bar for 150 people.

“Of course, a Friday wedding isn’t for everyone. If your budget is healthy and you want to follow the traditional schedule then you should do what’s most important to you,” says Cormons.

Once you start to prioritize, you might find that the day of the week isn’t as important to you as the time of year, or booking a certain band for the reception.

“Your party is just as fun, your guests are just as excited to celebrate and you are just as married afterwards,” says Cormons.