Author: Will Ham

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

The dining landscape

Bad Luck Ramen Bar in the Ix Art Park is a lucky break for noodle lovers. Supplied photo.

Charlottesville is always buzzing with news of the latest restaurant concepts, developed by old pros and fresh faces alike. Last year brought many new options, while some longtime favorites closed up shop. Here’s a roundup of (most) of what we gained and lost.

When North American Sake Brewery owner Andrew Centofante received a terrible fortune at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo, he decided he would make his own luck by transforming the bitter prediction into a different sort of future. Pairing well with his American-made sake, ramen had fast become the most popular dish on the NAS menu—so slurp hello to Bad Luck Ramen Bar, dedicated to the craft of slow-simmered noodles and sake-marinated ingredients. As luck would have it, Bad Luck Ramen Bar held its grand opening on Friday, January 13.

On the Downtown Mall, Botanical Plant-Based Fare gives vegans more choices. Rockfish Brewing Company serves brews right next to Mudhouse, and a permanent kitchen from Charlottesville’s food truck FARMacy Café is making Mexican fusion. Check out their Super Naan Taco, using garlic naan bread with al pastor pork. 

Surf’s up at Brightside, a beach-inspired pub in The Bebedero’s former location above The Whiskey Jar. The sunny joint offers classic bar bites alongside an extensive tropical drink menu. Just off the mall is more exciting fusion in the Japanese-Korean comfort food from Umma’s (formerly the Basan Food Truck). 

On West Main Street, Smyrna is making a name as one of the hottest new dining places in town. The Quirk Hotel added the Bobboo Lounge, modeled after an estate cigar room, and Cake Bloom spoils us with elegant cake and champagne pairings. Dairy Market rolled out Basta Pasta by the team at Dino’s Pizza, and Birdhouse serves organic, free-range chicken dishes and creative sides in the Rose Hill neighborhood.

The Barracks Road Shopping Center welcomed Ralph Sampson’s American Taproom, and it seems the shuffle at 5th Street Station is beginning to settle down, with Pei Wei Asian Kitchen being the only new restaurant to open in the center last year. 

Emmet Street welcomed Chang Thai’s fresh and sustainably sourced family recipes. Popito’s Pizza, another food truck origin story, popped up in the Rio Hill Shopping Center, and visitors to The Shops at Stonefield can now grab some Tex Mex at Torchy’s Tacos and leafy green bowls and juices at Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery.

In other knead-to-know news, DIY Pie is entering the scene as the newest pizza shop, at the former Lelo’s Pizza space on Pantops. Have it your way with an entirely customizable pizza, pasta, and salad menu. Also on Pantops, The Donut Kitchen parked its bakeshop in a permanent space. Pick your dozen from traditional flavors like strawberry glazed, or the indulgent Bavarian creme.

We can’t wait to order from

Brazos’ second location at Barracks Road Shopping Center, and Black Cow Chop House, a new woodfired, meaty-good concept from the team at Public Fish & Oyster.

Stick a fork in ’em, they’re done

Sadly, we lost some of our favorite go-to spots including Little Star, Peloton Station, Piedmont Bar and Kitchen, and, closing on Pi Day (March 14), The Pie Chest.

Pie partners Rachel and Tina announced that they will step away from the rolling pins to pursue education and career goals, and we are just crustfallen. There’s a crumb of hope, though, because they’ll continue to offer some Pie Chest favorites at pop ups, and the entire Fourth Street space will be taken over by Lone Light Coffee. 

After a few short months of serving gourmet, grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches Ooey Gooey Crispy closed its doors last October. The fast-casual restaurant also offered juicy smashburgers and crunchy salads.

Say goodbye to cheddar bay biscuits, because Red Lobster is sleeping with the fishes, but you can still snag the catch of the day at Red Crab Juicy Seafood, a family-friendly spot known for its signature Cajun seafood boil.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

Small bites

Antwon Brinson is one of the competitors on HBO Max’s cooking competition “The Big Brunch.” Photo: HBO Max.

Who moved my wine and cheese?

The Wine Guild of Charlottesville has officially moved into a new location at 600 Concord Ave., next door to Ace Biscuit & BBQ. For years, the Guild has been Charlottesville’s go-to spot for its finely curated selection of wine and beer, acting as a personal sommelier to its members and retail customers for over a decade. Owners Priscilla and Will Curley have expanded the wine bar, and say traditional Wednesday tastings will continue, plus an educational series launching in the new year. “The additional space means we can offer more interesting wine from around the world,” says Will, along with “a small kitchen serving great drinking snacks: cheese and meat plates, olives, almonds, and plenty of tinned fish.” Check them out at wineguildcville.com.

French connections

Wine from Charlottesville is journeying further than just across town. Local winemaker Michael Shaps recently presented his wine brands at the Paris home of the U.S. ambassador to France for a gathering of 400 guests. “It means a lot to me to receive such positive feedback from numerous dignitaries at such a historic and prominent place,” says Shaps. “I like to think that Jefferson, who I believe was as enamored of French wines as much as I am, would appreciate this celebration of the French and American collaboration of wine.”

Cheffing to the Max on HBO

Charlottesville’s outstanding food scene got some national attention recently when chef Antwon Brinson of Culinary Concepts AB was chosen to compete in “The Big Brunch,” a new reality TV show by Dan Levy and the creators of “Schitt’s Creek.” The competition began streaming November 10 on HBO Max, with 10 guests chosen for their cooking prowess, compelling stories, and a chance to take home $300 thousand for their individual cause. While we won’t reveal the ending for you late streamers (okay, one spoiler: Brinson is a cinnamon bun), we can say the show is enticingly shot, drool-provoking, and reveals the deep emotional core at the center of good food. With his Culinary Concepts, Brinson offers career training and life skills to underserved individuals who hope to break into the hospitality industry, all while building community and promoting unity.

Twinkle and fade

After just four years, Little Star restaurant, known for its contemporary Spanish fusion cuisine, has closed its doors. After chef and owner Ryan Collins stepped back from the restaurant earlier this year, Little Star announced it was closing permanently on November 5, leaving foodies around town mourning the loss of  signatures dishes such as the Shibbity Dibbities, Pan Tomate with Manchego, and the Grilled Flank Steak. 

Popped up

Popitos Wood Fired Pizza started in a backyard in Forest Lakes when Lauren and Ray Zayas began serving family and friends at small gatherings. The pizza was so popular that they expanded into a mobile kitchen, and estimate that they served over 1,500 pizzas at various music festivals, farmers’ markets, and school fundraisers. Now they are quick-firing pies at a new brick-and-mortar location in Rio Hill Shopping Center, next to Kroger. Pop by for a traditional margherita, the Fun Guy with pesto drizzle, or the Hot Pig with bacon and jalapeños—and don’t forget an arancini from the snack menu.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

Small bites

Wood-be winners can head to Devils Backbone Brewing Company this weekend to take a cut of the prizes at the Backbone Lumberjack Classic. Supplied photo.

A noodle moove

A new dining spot with a familiar face is moo-ving into the lineup at Dairy Market. Basta Pasta, an original concept kitchen from Dino Hoxha (the chef behind Dairy Market’s Dino’s Wood-fired Pizza & Grill) offers homemade, artisanal pastas with many combinations of shapes, sauces, and flavors, and fully vegan options. 

Basta Pasta is taking over the stall formerly occupied by GRN BRGR, but fear not—the popular plant-based fast-casual option has merged locations with the meatier Citizen Burger Stand.

Wood cookies and all

They’re back, with an ax! Devils Backbone Brewing Company pairs pints with the burley, nature-loving, flannel grace of lumberjack sports at the second annual Backbone Lumberjack Classic. Taking place on October 21 and 22 at its Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows, the weekend-long event features professional woodcutting categories such as the men’s hotsaw, the women’s underhand chop, and more. Early arrivals will be treated to meet-and-greets with the athletes on Saturday, and the first 50 guests receive a free autographed cookie (wood slice) from the previous day’s events.

The competition, created in partnership with Virginia native and lumbersports champion Scooter Cogar, will also feature food specials and beers like the Backbone Premium Lager, which is said to pair nicely with the smell of freshly cut lumber.

Pink about it

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dairy Market is partnering with the Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation to raise money, love, and support for breast cancer treatment programs. Join the fight by enjoying special pink drinks and menu items at vendor stalls, including The Milkman’s Bar, which is donating half of all proceeds from October’s sales of its Rose Quartz cocktail. The market is also hosting Yoga 4 Life on October 24 and an October 26 cooking class that focuses on cancer-fighting foods. Details at dairymarketcville.com.

Prepare to be stuffed

Is it too early to think about Thanksgiving? No, it’s not. Get ahead of the cooking stress by pre-ordering your turkey and all the fixin’s—so you avoid your entire family crammed into one kitchen trying to mash, slice, and toss.

Many area restaurants, farms, and provisioners like Bizou, Feast!, and Farm Bell Kitchen are already ready to take your Thanksgiving pre-orders. From the bird itself to Feast!’s “Everything But The Bird” side-dish package, there’s no shortage of easy pickup options to fit your appetite this Thanksgiving.

Categories
2022 Best of C-VILLE Staff Picks

Tasting inspiration

Get you a burger named for a guy named Gus. The White Spot’s version of the American classic comes topped with a fried egg à la Dr. Gus Egor, who ordered one daily. Photo: Eze Amos

What do Oliver’s Dream, a Wilson, a Gus, and a Raucci have in common? The names can be heard, hollered by cooks, in some of our favorite kitchens around town. Chefs get attached to their creations, and many pay tribute to ones they love when naming those dishes. Here’s the story behind some popular insider-named eats and drinks.

Shrimp Raucci is a pasta dish that Tavola chef/owner Michael Keaveny created early in his career, while hosting his Italian grandmother, who had a love of seafood. In his kitchen, Keaveny found only frozen shrimp and a few spare ingredients including gorgonzola, capers, and some tomatoes—and the signature dish was born. Keaveny deemed it “Raucci” after his grandmother’s maiden name.

Downtown at The Whiskey Jar, you’ll find two menu items honoring people: The Wilson and Alston’s BBQ Mac. The Wilson is named for owner Wilson Richey (the restaurateur who’s also responsible for The Bebedero, South and Central, Revolutionary Soup, and Café Frank). It combines roasted chicken, griddled Swiss cheese, bacon, coleslaw, and hot sauce on sunflower wheat bread, while Alston’s BBQ Mac is named for Richey’s son.

The Gusburger from The White Spot on UVA’s Corner is named for Dr. Gus Egor. Legend has it that Dr. Egor would come nearly every day to order a cheeseburger topped with a fried egg. Eventually, it caught on, and the Gusburger became immortalized on the menu.

Premiere sandwich shop KITCHENette boasts two of man’s best foods: Oliver’s Dream and The Penny, named for the owners’ dogs. Apparently, Oliver dreams of smoked brisket, apple-ginger chutney, and crunchy onions, while Penny prefers roasted sweet potatoes and roasted red pepper on ciabatta. 

In the world of local brewing, Potter’s Craft Cider has Lopé’s Pink Lemonade, a dry cider mixed with lemon, raspberries, and strawberries, and named after co-founder Tim Edmond’s dog Lopé, who can be found looking cool on the can’s artwork. 

For coffee-lovers, try Dave’s Blend from Shenandoah Joe. Crafted by Roast Master (and Shenandoah Joe’s owner) Dave Fafara, it’s a rich blend of dark French roast and earthy Estate Java from the Indonesian archipelago.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

Small bites

Pack your bowl with clean greens, grains, and proteins at the new Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery. Supplied photo.

Newly planted

We have a new crush—it’s free of GMOs, pesticides, and hormones, and full of flavor.

The Shops at Stonefield welcomed Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery in July to the delight of Charlottesville health nuts (and nut nuts). OK is all in on its mission to make delicious, healthy food available in a fast-casual setting, and the small, independent chain is as intent on being good for our community as it is on being good for our health. Through September, Organic Krush will donate $1 from every sale of their Krush Classic Entrées to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, so you will feel extra good when you treat yourself to a helping of gluten-free, dairy-free Spicy Korean BBQ, complete with mushrooms, zucchini, and spicy kimchi.

How ’bout them apples?

Trail rides in Virginia just got juicier. The American Cider Association has launched the Digital Virginia Cider Trail as a way of celebrating the many great orchards and cideries throughout the state, including Charlottesville’s own Potter’s Craft Cider. The program is free, and offers deals for those partaking at any of the 29 participating cideries. With each location visited from now until the end of June 2023, guests can get a digital passport stamp (ciderculture.com), which enters them into the Cider Trail Raffle.

Meanwhile, the eastern area of Central Virginia has developed its own trail of quaffable goodness. Route 231’s wineries, breweries, meaderies, cideries, and distilleries became an official tourist attraction when Governor Glenn Youngkin stopped at Keswick Vineyards in June to snip the ribbon and let the bevvies flow along the 50-mile state highway.

Beyond the pale

Starr Hill Brewery has partnered with UVA to release Wahoo Pale Ale. The fruity, hop-forward ale, available throughout the commonwealth, is an homage to UVA and a rumor that the university’s students are called Wahoos for a type of fish that can drink twice its own body weight. There’s little evidence that this is where the name actually comes from, but hoo needs proof to enjoy a refreshing beverage?

Portion control

Hot woks coming through! The newest addition to 5th Street Station is Pei Wei Asian Kitchen, a fast-casual take on classic Asian street food developed by celebrity chef Jet Tila, who’s known for setting records with large portions. Tila made the world’s largest stir fry (4,010 pounds) and the world’s longest California roll, which measured 440 feet long. However, it’s going to take more than a Food Network star connection to compete with the much-loved, well-established Chimm, serving from-scratch Thai and Southeast Asian street food just a few steps away.

Colonel Mustard, in the lounge

Want to dress up and dine in elegant Southern comfort? Look no further than the newly reopened (under new ownership) Bobboo at the Quirk Charlottesville. This intimate, lavishly decorated bar gives off a mansion drawing room vibe that may cause you to wonder who murdered the butler. Bobboo has a small, seasonal menu that includes some Quirk classics as well as a curated selection of whiskeys from Virginia and beyond.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

Small bites

Starr Hill Brewery won a Golden Crushie for the label on its Northern Lights IPA. Staff photo.

Regional beers crush it at the CBMA

The Craft Beer Marketing Awards, a global event that lets brewers compete for titles like Best Tap Handle and Best Beer Related Podcast, recently announced its 2022 winners, and multiple Virginia brands were on the list.

For amateur beer consumers who are overwhelmed by the array of craft beers on store shelves, there’s a lot to be said for having a can that stands out—and the CBMA appreciates that. The Crushie awards, judged by a panel of beer, marketing, and design experts, determine the most aesthetically appealing ales on the shelf, and our very own Starr Hill Brewery was awarded a Golden Crushie in the Best Packaging for Bottles category for the eye-catching wrap on its Northern Lights IPA. In Best Logo Typography, The Second Sun Design Company received a Platinum Crushie for its work with Chesapeake, Virginia’s Studly Brewing. Finally, another Golden Crushie went to Ashburn’s House 6 Brewing Co. for Best Beer Flight Presentation. The brewery’s Double Ladder Party Flight is served in a wooden model of a fire engine, staying true to its mission of supporting and honoring Virginia’s first responders.

New nosh

The offerings at Dairy Market grew a little with the recent opening of Maizal South American Street Food. This is the D.C.-based chain’s first location outside the metro area, and Charlottesvillians can expect the same empanadas, burritos, tacos, arepa cheese balls, and more.

Chickadee is a new café from Tricia Zawhorodny and David Stone, who developed their passion for bread baking and sandwich crafting during the pandemic lockdown. Now C’ville can enjoy the fruits of their experimentation in The Glass Building spot formerly occupied by Bluegrass Grill & Bakery. Chickadee’s creative menu offers breakfast salads, as well as morning sandwiches such as the Crab Dang Boom with crab cake, yolky egg, herb boursin, capers, fried shallots, chives, pepper jelly, and arugula. Lunch items include a veggie smash burger and the AJ Soprano sandwich with fried bologna, ham, pepperoni, sharp provolone, fried shallots, lettuce, onion, herb vinaigrette, chow chow, and garlic aioli on a housemade hoagie roll.

Looking forward

We were sad to see Junction shutter at the end of 2021, and while those Southwestern plates appear to be gone for good, there’s also good news. Junction chef Melissa Close-Hart recently announced that the Belmont space won’t be empty for long, thanks to her soon-to-open Mockingbird Southern Cuisine. The new restaurant will welcome diners at the end of the summer. Along with the name change and a new menu, expect a slightly updated look. We’re licking our chops!

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

Small bites

Devils Backbone Brewing Company will give a year’s supply of beer to anyone who’ll sport a Buck Tradition IPA tattoo designed by Jake Karamol. Publicity image.

Let’s all Thai together

We’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s been as innovative as Chimm Thai Restaurant co-owner Jay Pun in finding ways to serve people during the ongoing pandemic. While Chimm St. at Dairy Market remains open, Chimm’s 5th Street Station location is still closed for indoor dining, relying on takeout, delivery, patio seating, and catering to keep customers happy.  

Now, Pun says, his team has added a food-drop program, as well as a stand at IX Art Park’s Thursday night farmers’ market. “It’s basically me and my dad doing neighborhood food drops and catering, since staffing is so hard for everyone these days,” says Pun.

The Chimm drop offers a variety of options from easy-to-reheat dishes to pre-portioned meal kits. Want to learn the basics of Thai street food? Chimm will deconstruct everything from drunken noodles to pho, and deliver it with instructions included. 

The owners of Chimm also support Asian communities through their business. Inspired by NYC’s Heart of Dinner organization, which seeks to fight food insecurity in Asian communities, and in remembrance of last year’s horrific Atlanta spa shootings, Chimm offers the chance to donate meals to local Asian families. Meal donations include free delivery, a complimentary dessert, and a personalized card. To participate in the food-drop or meal donation programs, visit chimmtaste.com to place an order, or email chimmtaste@gmail.com

Deer goggles

In March, Devils Backbone Brewing Company released Buck Tradition, its newest IPA lineup. As part of the celebration, DB partnered with tattoo artist and TikTok star Jake Karamol to create a series of designs, and threw out a challenge to customers that asks: Are you committed enough to permanently rep the buck? Any brave soul who gets a tattoo of one of the designs will receive a year’s supply of free beer, along with a sick tat. Find out more on Instagram at #bucktraditiontattoochallenge

Tabled for now

In March of 2020, the Local Food Hub saw that farmers were having trouble connecting with their customers due to pandemic supply chain disruptions. In addition, Charlottesville residents had reservations about going into grocery stores. So as part of its mission to increase equitable access to fresh food from independent farmers, LFH began hosting a contactless Drive-Through Market, and the temporary solution grew into a years-long project with over 150 successful events. Now that pandemic restrictions have waned and traditional farmers’ markets have reopened, Local Food Hub has suspended the drive-through market, and intends to reopen it in the fall, when many farmers’ markets close for the seaso

Up next

If you are reading this in Charlottesville, welcome to the next great food city! Food & Wine magazine included C’ville on a list of 11 American cities with up-and-coming food and drink scenes, along with Cincinnati, Ohio, and Boise, Idaho, among others. “Charlottesville has emerged as a vibrant dining destination,” writes Katie Chang, calling out Dairy Market (and Angelic’s Kitchen and South and Central), saying the food hall brings  “together some of the area’s brightest talent.” The article also gives a shout-out to The Wool Factory, In Vino Veritas, MarieBette, Conmole, and Luce. 

Keep ’em full

We’re not just about fancy dining either. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank reported that its March collections added up to the most donations in its 11-year history. The BRAFB School Food Drive brought in 11,000 pounds of food from 22 schools, over 18 days. “The opportunity for the schools, family, students, parents to come together has really been spectacular,” says Albemarle High School senior Kat Ravichandran, who helped lead the effort.

The extra food has been sorely needed: According to BRAFB CEO Michael McKee, the number of food insecure families in the Blue Ridge area has increased more than 50 percent since 2000, and the food bank is now serving about 110,000 people every month. Learn how you can help fight hunger at brafb.org 

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

Tall orders

Ralph Sampson’s American Tap Room is open six days a week at the Barracks Road Shopping Center. Images: Anna Kariel

It’s been more than 40 years since Ralph Sampson led the University of Virginia Cavaliers to a run of basketball glory that included an NIT title in 1980, an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1981, and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1983. The 7-foot, 4-inch Harrisonburg native was one of the most sought after college recruits of his generation, winning NBA Rookie of the Year and making the cover of Sports Illustrated six times during his college career. He retired from pro basketball in 1995, went into coaching for several years, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

For his latest rebound, Sampson returns to Charlottesville to lead a new team at Ralph Sampson’s American Tap Room, which held its grand opening at its Barracks Road location last month.

“The opening weekend was crazy,” says Sampson. “It happened to line up with alumni weekend, so the opening celebration with the teams tested us from the start.”

The stylish restaurant combines a traditional sports bar with upscale-casual dining, and it’s clear how much consideration went into every aspect, including the decor. Seated under a wall of signed basketballs, accented by a miniature statue of Sampson himself, the superstar baller takes care to emphasize that “this is not just a sports bar. We want it to be a place where people can have great experiences and great food. You’ll never see me hang my jersey on the wall.” 

The idea, says Sampson, is to bring together the community as a whole. “The world of UVA can feel very separate from the rest of the city,” he says. “Like when I was a student, I didn’t feel like I knew the rest of Charlottesville. So we hope that this can be a place for both communities.”

The menu follows the vibe of the restaurant with a mix of bar food and fine-dining options, intending to offer something for everyone. A bacon-wrapped filet mignon with lobster tail rings in at $54, with burger prices around $14. 

Supplied photos.

An order of the jumbo lump crab cake arrived softly composed, herby, and drizzled with grilled lemon accompanied by crispy, well-seasoned fries. A side of dijonnaise complemented the crab dish, as did the house IPA—Ralph’s Big Juicy, a mouthwatering citrusy beer developed in partnership with Three Notch’d Brewing Company. 

With plenty of room for dessert, Sampson personally recommended the Rockslide brownie sundae. “It’s one of my favorites on the whole menu,” he says. “The chocolate is so rich and soft, there’s nothing else like it.” 

Sampson approaches his foray into the restaurant business with a coach’s mentality.  “I want to win championships in the restaurant industry,” he says. He understands that success in this field, like sports, comes from building a team of talented, hard-working players.

Sampson partnered with Thompson Hospitality, the group behind The Ridley on West Main Street, to build his first original-concept restaurant. “I first met Warren [Thompson] back when we were both at UVA, but it wasn’t until recently that we connected again over this project,” he says. “There were so many moving parts and some setbacks when it came to opening this place up. It really showed us our strengths and our weaknesses, and I was lucky to have such an experienced and professional team on my side.”

Sampson says he has lots of plans for the space, everything from screenings of classic games to meet-and-greets with professional athletes and live recordings of his all-things-sports podcast, “Center Court.” With its community focus, and sports history foundation, his American Tap Room is a place where Sampson is sure to power forward once again.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

Small bites

Give them a caul: Botanical Fare’s Crunchy Cauliflower Bowl is sure to satisfy. Supplied photo

Leaving the country

Spring has sprung, and as the season turns, so does the Charlottesville foodscape. The Blue Ridge Country Store, an old-timey convenience store known for its extensive salad bar and homemade hot lunch offerings, is changing owners after more than 25 years. Dan and Patty Pribus say they are currently fielding offers, and plan to retire once they sell the business, but feel the transition will be seamless. “Our customers won’t notice a thing,” says Dan. The Pribuses are looking forward to a relaxing retirement filled with “hobbies and grandkids. We never missed a day in over 25 years,” Dan says, “so it will be nice to sleep past 6am for once.”

Out with the old, in with the new

Named after the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson, Shadwells Restaurant has served a cross section of upscale American cuisine since its debut in 2013. Now, the restaurant is  doing a  spring cleaning of sorts, by completely reimagining its concept. Under the same ownership, Shadwells relaunched as The Piedmont Bar and Kitchen on March 1 in the same location. The Piedmont’s casual, no-frills concept includes stacked burgers, shakes, and a variety of made-from-scratch pizzas, and is open daily from 11am to 9pm.

Fried chicken is a staple below the Mason-Dixon line, and obviously pretty popular here in C’ville, where we impede traffic to score tenders at drive-thrus along Emmet Street’s “Chicken Row.” While we’ll leave the “best” fried chicken to a vote, we can say that Brown’s makes some of it, so there was lots of clucking when the gas station fried-chicken favorite announced it had been sold to Skyline Enterprises. NBC29 reported that the new owners were getting trained on the chicken recipes, and increasing the station’s hours to seven days a week.

Vita Nova Pizza is spinning dough in a new home. The hot-slice fave has moved across the Downtown Mall from its previous location to a bright, roomy corner spot last occupied by The Impeccable Pig clothing store. 

And a few stops down the mall, Red Pump Kitchen is getting pumped for its post-COVID reopening (in mid-April) with a new menu that includes a four-course tasting menu that changes weekly.

Healthy growth

It’s a good time to be vegan in Charlottesville. Botanical Fare, which recently opened in the former Java Java space on the Downtown Mall, offers a 100 percent vegan menu of sandwiches, desserts, and specialty coffees. Even our office meatheads took notice of its crunchy mac-n-cheese, made with miso cashew cheese and mushroom-based bacon.

Brew on it

Local breweries are raising awareness about sexual violence with Simcoe for SARA, a partnership that benefits the lifesaving services and prevention education programs at the Sexual Assault Resource Agency while celebrating local beer. This year, Three Notch’d Brewing Company, Decipher Brewing, Champion Brewing Company, Reason Beer, and Blue Mountain Barrel House & The Smokin’ Barrel Restaurant each created a signature Simcoe for SARA brew, including pale ales, a West Coast IPA, and a hopped hard seltzer, all using Simcoe hops.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink

Small bites

Ooey Gooey Crispy serves upscale grilled cheese sandwiches, hearty soups, and gourmet salads. Staff photo

Arrivederci, stay tuned

There’s little that disappoints us more than a well-loved, local restaurant that’s gone before its time. Mangione’s on Main, known for an inviting ambiance as well as the quality of its hearty Italian cuisine, closed its doors just shy of the restaurant’s third anniversary.

“Our lease was ending, and we knew that we did not have it in us to sign up for a long-term commitment,” says co-owner Elaina Mangione. “We are very proud and fortunate to say that we were able to stay open and serve the community in addition to keeping most of our staff fully employed during the challenges of the pandemic. We had an amazing team and we couldn’t be more proud of them.” 

While patrons are going to miss everything from the bold linguini with clam sauce to the more traditional spaghetti aglio e olio, Mangione says foodies should “stay tuned!” and teases at something new on the horizon. “Something really amazing is likely taking over the space and we cannot wait to welcome them to the community,” she says.

Brew’s through

The team at Wild Wolf Brewing Company sold its last pint at the end of January after more than 10 years in business. Wild Wolf Brewery was created when entrepreneur Mary Wolf and her son Danny came into ownership of a 100-year-old Nelson County schoolhouse. The pair converted the building into a brewery and event space, and went on to produce a variety of award-winning ales and lagers. After so much success, the Wolf family decided to sell its brewing headquarters and ceased operations on January 30.

It’s like a foodie court on the mall

On the flip side of beer news, Rockfish Brewing Co. is expanding its business to a new downtown location (on one side of the former Downtown Grille). This announcement comes shortly after it won second prize at the Crozet Winter Brews Festival for its Nice Marmot Imperial Stout. Rockfish will be the first brewery to have its own storefront on the mall, and aims to open in April. 

Adjacent to Rockfish’s new digs is a neighbor with a familiar menu. The Bebedero has moved its location downstairs to occupy the other part of the former Downtown Grille space, and will be serving its traditional Mexican recipes at the newly remodeled restaurant in February.

Tucked into the CODE Building plaza is the new permanent kitchen from FARMacy Food Truck. FARMacy will continue to serve organic Mexican food to go, with a menu of fan favorites from the mobile edition, while doubling down on its commitment to organic, locally sourced ingredients. Owners Jessica and Gabino Lino’s “food is medicine, so eat good food” philosophy, along with their initial success, proves that you can take the food out of the food truck, but you can’t take the farm out of the FARMacy. Right next door is Ooey Gooey Crispy, the next-level spot for grown-up grilled cheese, soups, salads, and breakfast sammies. Try the Neo-politan, with mozz, tomato conserva, and Parmesan butter, or a buffalo chicken and blue cheese ’wich named for Scott Norwood, the infamous Buffalo Bills’ kicker.