Slow cookin’ to victory: As every child knows, there’s more than one way to eat your greens (or accidentally spill them to a pet under the table). Lucky for all of us, the chefs at the annual Greens Cookoff know how to tantalize taste buds with greens and two other ultimate homestyle comfort foods: mac ‘n’ cheese and pound cake. Cook along while you watch the pros from Angelic’s Kitchen, Pearl Island, Royalty Eats, Soul Food Joint, Chimm, Bizou, Blue Moon Diner, Maya, and The Whiskey Jar battle for the crown in a virtual competition.
The ham biscuit at JM Stock is a favorite. Photo: Tom McGovern
From bagels to biscuits to burritos, we dig in to the best meal of the day (and where to find it around town).
BY: Brielle Entzminger, Ben Hitchcock, Laura Longhine, and Erin O’Hare
Ace Biscuit and Barbecue. Photo: Amanda Maglione
Best in biscuits
Biscuits are a breakfast staple around here-—but which one is the best? We rounded up our favorites (with top honors to the ham biscuit at J.M. Stock), but biscuits are personal, so feel free to disagree–we know you will!
Bluegrass Grill & Bakery: With a mix of white and whole wheat flour, Bluegrass’ biscuits are denser than most, and slightly sweet—almost muffin-like, but weirdly satisfying.
Blue Moon Diner: Your basic biscuit: pale, soft, and flaky, best with eggs or sausage gravy.
Fox’s Cafe: Delightfully light and fluffy, Fox’s homemade biscuits are the perfect foil for salty country ham or bacon.
The Pigeon Hole: In addition to egg biscuits (avocado is optional) you can get a biscuit basket with honey butter and strawberry preserves.
J.M. Stock: Though they’re only served one way (as a ham biscuit), Stock’s biscuits are head and shoulders above the rest. Made with both butter and lard (from the same local pigs that supply the ham), the Stock biscuit is perfectly golden, buttery and flaky, firm enough for a sandwich, and has a nice salty kick. Add the country ham and a dash of hot sauce and honey, and you’ve got an unbelievably delicious breakfast.
Tip Top: Tender and satisfying, Tip Top’s biscuits stand up to their flavorful sausage gravy—at only $4.10 an order, it’s a steal.
The Pie Chest: Rachel Pennington makes a damn good biscuit: salty, generously sized, and so buttery and rich it’s liable to crumble through your fingers. They’re sold one to an order, with a (stellar) housemade pear butter.
Ace Biscuit & Barbecue: Fans swear by the Ol’ Dirty Biscuit, which turns the classic biscuits and gravy up a notch (or 10) with a fried chicken thigh, pimento cheese, and pickles.—LL
When it comes to breakfast potatoes, The Villa Diner is firmly on team hash browns, while Blue Moon Diner comes down on the side of home fries. Photo: Tom McGovern
The great debate: hash browns vs. home fries
We’re not ones to fabricate a starch—er, staunch—rivalry between two delicious potato-based breakfast side dishes, but we’ve noticed that most restaurants tend to offer either hash browns or home fries, rather than both.
What’s the difference, anyway? And is one better than the other? Hash browns are potatoes, grated or shredded, and pan-fried. Home fries are potatoes, diced or wedged, and pan-fried. Hash browns tend to be crispy, while home fries tend to be soft. Both have plenty of potential to be extremely delicious.
Each cook has her own way of seasoning and preparing her hash browns and home fries, and there’s plentiful offerings of each dish around town. The Villa Diner, The Cavalier Diner, IHOP, and Waffle House are team hash browns; Blue Moon Diner, The Nook, Bluegrass Grill, Tip Top Restaurant, and Moose’s By the Creek are team home fries. (We couldn’t find a local spot that offers both.)
There’s a reason why Georgia-based chain Waffle House has a cult following, and we’re pretty sure the hash browns are a big part of it: You can order them 10 different ways. Get ’em plain (good ol’ potatoes alone), smothered (sautéed onions), covered (melted cheese), chunked (hickory smoked ham), diced (grilled tomatoes), peppered (jalapeño peppers), capped (grilled mushrooms), topped (with the chain’s proprietary Bert’s Chili), or country (sausage gravy). Or, order them “all the way”—with all the toppings—for $5.
For Bluegrass Grill owner Chrissy Benninger, that sort of flavorful hash browns option seems like a rarity. “I get the appeal [of hash browns], but they seem a bit bland to me. It doesn’t seem like people season hash browns. Maybe I’m wrong, but it just seems like French fries in a different form.” For her, it’s all about the home fries: “Chunky, perfectly spiced, onion-laden, crispy potatoes. What’s not to love?”
Interestingly enough, the debate over what to call Blue Moon Diner’s breakfast potatoes has continued for more than a decade. When Laura Galgano and her husband took over the diner in 2006, the menu called the dish—which is cubed potatoes roasted with peppers and onion—”hash browns.” The couple spent more than a year explaining to customers that while they were called hash browns, they were more like home fries. “We changed the name on the menu and thought that would be the end of that.” They were wrong; people still had questions.
But Galgano’s come to an extremely logical conclusion in this debate: “It sure doesn’t matter what you call them, as long as you enjoy them!”—EO
Shenandoah Joe
Who’s got the best cup of coffee in town?
The good news is, every local coffee purveyer seems to have its fans: Our call
on social media brought up everything from Guajiros Miami Eatery to the mobile popup JBird Supply. Here’s how the finalists stacked up in a Twitter poll:
Lone Light 18.3%
Mudhouse 23.7%
Shenandoah Joe 58.1%
Breakfast burrito breakdown
Tia Sophia’s, a diner in Santa Fe, claims it coined the term “breakfast burrito” in 1975. But it seems impossible that no one dreamed up such a simple combination before then. Eggs, cheese, maybe potatoes, maybe some sausage, wrapped up in a tortilla—it makes too much sense to have been invented as late as 1975.
The breakfast burrito is a twist on a twist, an Americanized, breakfast-ified version of a food that was already informal and customizable. As such, a modern breakfast burrito isn’t bound by any strict set of culinary rules. If it’s got eggs in a tortilla, it’s a breakfast burrito. The rest is up to the person with the pan.
Even so, breakfast burritos are deceptively difficult to execute well. If the eggs are too wet, the tortilla can get soggy. With nothing to provide some crunch, the whole thing can turn to mush. Too much filling can overwhelm a fragile wrap. In Charlottesville, plenty of places do it right—and they all do it differently. Here, the breakfast burrito’s delicious versatility is on full display.
Blue Moon Diner’s burrito is a vegetarian dish. Just eggs, cheddar, and beans,served in a spinach wrap, it’s on the healthier end of the eccentric eatery’s Southern-style diner menu. Don’t let that dissuade you—the eggs are fluffy, the cheddar is soft and melty, and the black beans provide some important textural contrast. Add a little of the tangy, flavorful salsa to kick the whole thing up a notch.
The En Fuego at Ivy Provisions. Photo: Cramer Photo.
Ivy Provisions takes the opposite approach. Its breakfast burrito, called the En Fuego, is a decadent, salty, fatty hangover cure. Take a bite, and the En Fuego will send a squirt of orange grease trickling down your hand from the back of the wax paper wrap. Jammed with chorizo and potatoes, everything inside melts together into a piping hot mess, propelled by the spice from the sausage. The En Fuego is transcendent, though not for the faint of heart.
Breakfast burritos can also be quick, on-the-go fast food. That’s what you’ll find at Nuestra Cocina in the Marathon Station at the Rio-Greenbrier intersection. Charlottesville’s gas station food has a well-known reputation at this point, and like the other humble, hidden kitchens in town, this place doesn’t disappoint. Its burrito is rich but not overwhelming; the eggs are scrambled withonions and green peppers, balancing well with potatoes and greasy chorizo.
Quality breakfast burritos can also be found at Bluegrass Grill, Grit Coffee, Firefly, Beer Run, and plenty of other local eateries both on and off the beaten path. Be sure to let us know if we missed any great ones—we’re always hungry.—BH
Something special
Looking for a special occasion splurge? The Clifton’s acclaimed 1799 restaurant serves an elegant breakfast daily, from steel-cut oats with Virginia apples to smoked salmon and roe with a roasted garlic pancake and charred onion crème fraiche. Sunday brunch adds more savory dishes, like escargot and North Carolina trout. Sit on the sunny veranda or enclosed patio, take in the gorgeous view, and start your day off in style.—LL
Juicin’ it: Where to grab a healthy breakfast
Want to wake up on the right side of the bed? A healthy breakfast is the perfect way to start your day. Whether you decide to take in your nutrients via liquid form at a nearby juice bar or partake in a bowl or platter is up to you, but thesefour spots will put a little extra pep in your morning step.—MI
Corner Juice
What you need to know: Corner Juice has two locations: the original on the Corner and another on the Downtown Mall. At both, cold-pressed juices made in small batches are the focus. Beyond juice, the selections include toasts, sandwiches, smoothies, and bowls. Power shots and nut milks round out the menu.
What you should order: With just four ingredients—organic orange, pineapple, lemon, and ginger—the Dr. J juice is a good place to start. The Blue Ridge Berry smoothie is a customer favorite, made with blueberries, mango, banana, avocado, flax powder, and almond milk.
Essentials:cornerjuice.com, two locations at 201 E. Main St. and 1509 University Ave.
Farm Bell Kitchen
What you need to know: Consider this a public service announcement: Farm Bell Kitchen offers brunch every single day of the week from 8am-2pm. The weekday menu and the weekend menu offer some differing selections, but no matter the day, guests will find omelets, salads, and bowls.
What you should order: On the weekday menu, the farm omelet (egg whites, spinach, tomato, sweet potato, cheese) and the grains of truth bowl (tofu or chicken, quinoa, kale, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, pecans, and avocado dressing) are your best bets for lighter fare. Come the weekend, order the power bowl, served with kale, tofu, and sweet potato with roasted red pepper vinaigrette and a poached egg.
What you need to know: First Watch opened its Charlottesville doors at Barracks Road Shopping Center last April. With more than 200 locations throughout the country, it’s fair to say the restaurant has breakfast, brunch, and lunch down to a science. Dishes range from health-conscious to decadent, and a kid’s menu ensures the whole family is taken care of.
What you should order: In the mood for something savory? The avocado toast is topped with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, and Maldon sea salt. Steel-cut oatmeal is on the sweeter side, made in-house and served with berries, sliced banana, and pecans. On the seasonal menu, million dollar bacon may not be healthy, but topped with brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne, and a syrup drizzle, there will be no judgment if you can’t resist!
Essentials:firstwatch.com, Barracks Road Shopping Center
The Juice Laundry
What you need to know: Founders Sarah and Mike Keenan started The Juice Laundry in 2013. Today, there are three locations of the cold-pressed juice shop in Charlottesville, one in Richmond, and one in Washington, D.C. The menu goes beyond juice, with smoothies, acai bowls, nut milks, and other healthy goodies in the lineup.
What you should order: The Waterboy, which can be ordered as a smoothie or acai bowl, is the philanthropic choice. It’s made with pineapple, mango, blue majik (an extract of spirulina), and coconut water, and $2 from every one goes to Chris Long’s Waterboy Foundation. On the juice menu, the Gentle Green combines kale, spinach, cucumber, grapefruit, and apple.
Essentials:thejuicelaundry.com, 1411 University Ave.; 722 Preston Ave., Suite 105; 450 Whitehead Rd. (inside the UVA Aquatic & Fitness Center)
Craving pork chops and eggs at 2am? The Waffle House is open 24-7, and the grill is always hot. Photo: Eze Amos
Midnight breakfast
Breakfast for dinner was novel when you were a kid, and it’s no less delicious when you’re an adult. Plenty of diner-type spots in town keep bacon and eggs on the griddle until close—Blue Moon Diner, The Nook, Tip Top Restaurant, to name a few. But sometimes the breakfast craving hits before morning can come again, and that’s when we thank our lucky stars that we live in a place that has Waffle Houses (on Route 29 South and Fifth Street) and an IHOP (at Rio Hill Shopping Center), two iconic 24-hour breakfast spots with extensive menus. And there’s Sheetz on the Corner, too, where you (and plenty of intoxicated undergrads) can get bacon croissants, hash browns, and the Walker Breakfast Ranger sandwich at all hours. —EO
Photo: Morgan Salyer
A local classic
Bodo’s Deli-Egg isn’t just delicious. It also solves a problem.
“You get to a point where you’re slicing deli meat, and you have an undersized heel you don’t want to use for a sandwich,” says Scott Smith, co-owner of the venerable bagel vendor.
Bodo’s didn’t come up with the idea—it’s an old New York Jewish deli trick—but Smith and his team have taken it a step further. Because they’re not kosher, they’ve added ham, capicola, salami and Swiss, muenster and provolone cheese to the traditional deli egg mixture of pastrami and corned beef.
The result is one of Bodo’s most popular items. Indeed, the sandwich shop sells so much deli egg, they end up using far more cured meat than just the stuff that comes from the unused ends.
Smith says most folks are straight down the middle with their egg sandwich orders—Deli-Egg on an everything bagel is most popular. But some add more meat and cheese, usually bacon and cheddar, or balance out the richness with some punchy pepper spread.
Smith’s pro tip? Try the Deli-Egg a couple times before you make up your mind about it. The meat and cheese contents can vary depending on what’s available to chop on any given day.
Don’t forget the donuts
Spudnuts and now Sugar Shack may be gone, but there are still a few spots to get your morning sugar fix.
Carpe Donut: Organic, local, and delicious, Carpe makes what may be the perfect apple cider donut, rolled in cinnamon sugar. In recent years they’ve added a range of other toppings, from maple bacon to blueberry. 715 Allied Ln., and at City Market
Duck Donuts: A fresh donut is a good donut, and this North Carolina chain delivers with made-to-order cake donuts you can customize with your choice of coating, topping, and “drizzle.” The Shops at Stonefield
Dunkin’ Donuts: Homesick New Englanders can get their Dunkin’ fix off 29 North. The donuts? They’re fine. Rivanna Plaza
Krispy Kreme: For a classic old-school glazed, Krispy Kreme is still the king. Get one hot or follow their advice and microwave for eight seconds—you won’t be sorry. 5th Street Station
Savory breakfast pies at The Pie Chest. Photo: John Robinson
Breakfast on a budget:
Five vegetarian morning options—$5 and under
Last November, my boyfriend suggested we go on a pescaterian diet together. He had done his research, and thought it would be a great way for us to eat and live healthier in the new year. And with relationship weight gain being a very real thing, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.
So when it comes to grabbing breakfast in the morning, I’m looking for something vegetarian. This isn’t that difficult, with all of the juice bars, coffee shops, and such around town. But what can be hard is finding something delicious and filling on a budget—I certainly can’t afford to buy $7 avocado toast on a regular basis.
Thankfully, there are plenty of spots in town that have vegetarian options priced at $5 or less, for whatever breakfast mood you happen to be in. Here are some of my favorites. —BE
Something classic
For an affordable breakfast, you can never go wrong with Bodo’s. Made-from-scratch bagels are just 85 cents each (75 cents if you buy a dozen or more), and there are an array of spreads, from plain cream cheese ($2.05) to cinnamon sugar or honey and butter. For a little extra change, get the flavored cream cheese—I recommend the cinnamon-raisin bagel with honey pecan cream cheese ($2.40).
If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, there are multiple vegetarian options for under $5, including egg, veggie patty, three cheese, and PBJ, and all will hold you over till lunch. Everyone has their own Bodo’s order: My favorite is the three cheese (muenster, cheddar, and American) on whole wheat.
Something sweet
While MarieBette Bakery & Café does have a breakfast menu, most of the options are over $5. But no worries—if you’re looking for a sweet breakfast treat, its wide selection of authentic French pastries are a step above your standard coffee shop muffin. I recommend the pain au chocolat for $3.25. But if you’d prefer something salty, try the pretzel croissant. At $4, it’s a little pricey, but it’s fairly big, tastes exactly like a pretzel and a croissant (at the same time!), and will fill you up.
Something (a little) spicy
Here’s something to get you out of bed: From 7-8am at Brazos Tacos, tacos are buy one get one free! But if you’re like me and hate waking up early, make sure to stop by on Tuesday, when tacos are $1 off all day. With either deal, you can get a Flora (sautéed spinach, scrambled eggs, refried black beans, queso fresco, and roasted tomato salsa) and an I Willie Love You (scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, sliced avocado, roasted corn pico, and queso fresco), and still get out for under a Lincoln.
Something cheap
If you’re on the run and want something cheap (but still tasty) for breakfast, head over to Market Street Market for a $1.99 egg and cheese biscuit, which you’ll find wrapped in foil near the checkout. The biscuit is light and fluffy, while the egg has the perfect amount of cheese melted on top. And don’t miss the array of fruits, yogurts, and other breakfasty items available to get the most bang for your (five) bucks.
Something savory
The Pie Chest may be known for its delectable desserts, but it certainly does not slack on savory pies. A selection of hand pies for just $5 is available all day, and includes those of the breakfast variety. On some days, the vegetarian breakfast pie is stuffed with salsa, egg, and cheese. Other days, there’s a spinach and feta pie. With a flaky crust and cheesy filling, both are equally delicious.
Luchadora makes once in a Blue Moon acoustic appearance on Friday. Publicity photo.
Swimming in it: Describing themselves as “the world heavyweight champions of Appalachian surf” the landlocked members of Luchadora play hard with a wink and a nod. This appearance finds Will Rourk (guitar/banjo), Will Tanner (bass/guitar), Tiernan Rourk (accordian), Dave Hersman (trumpet), and “crazy long-armed drummer” Jason Bennett turning their high-energy sound into a lively acoustic set.
Friday1/17. No cover, 8pm. Blue Moon Diner, 512 W. Main St. 980-6666.
Nick Nace plays Blue Moon Diner this Thursday, January 9. Publicity photo
Playing it off: If things had gone according to plan, you’d know Nick Nace for his acting work. A self-proclaimed drama kid, Nace followed his dreams to New York City to attend acting school, and spent his spare time playing guitar. Soon enough, he says that cheap guitar was guiding him towards the tunes, and the result is a full-length album, Wrestling with the Mystery. The intimate songwriting and catchy melodies have earned Nace comparisons to Hayes Carll, Justin Townes Earle, Slaid Cleaves, and James McMurtry.
Thursday, January 9. Free, 8pm. Blue Moon Diner, 512 W. Main St. 980-6666.
Macabre folk duo Charming Disaster plays the Blue Moon Diner September 26. Publicity photo
Truly madly creepy: Charming Disaster’s storytelling songs have been described as macabre folk, but there’s light in the darkness for this Brooklyn duo. Racing through themes of love, death, crime, mythology, and the occult, Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris enchant listeners with a combination of folk harmonies, smart lyrics, ukulele, guitar, and a sly sense of humor. CD’s low-key fame blew up when their song “Ghost Story” was used in the podcast “Welcome to Night Vale,” and earned them new fans around the globe. They launch the reopening of Blue Moon Diner on a tour stop for their third album, SPELLS + RITUALS.
Thursday, September 26. No cover, 8pm. Blue Moon Diner, 512 W. Main St.
Brooklyn duo Charming Disaster is scheduled to play at the Blue Moon Diner on September 26—if it’s open by then. Photo: Publicity
The highly anticipated reopening of the Blue Moon Diner is still…highly anticipated. A call for applications to restaff the West Main Street restaurant, which closed in May 2017, went out a few weeks ago, noting that employees would be strapping on aprons sometime in August.
Now comes word that the Brooklyn-based duo, Charming Disaster, has been booked to play at the Blue Moon at 8pm September 26. We could not confirm the exact reopening date (the answering machine at the diner still says “hopefully this August”) but it better be before September 26!
Charming Disaster is a fitting act to kick off a new chapter for the quirky spot, where vinyl was always spinning behind the bar and musicians periodically played gigs. C-VILLE Weekly described the reopening band’s music as “folk tunes with a cabaret twist,” and a press release notes inspirations including “the gothic humor of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton, the noir fiction of Raymond Chandler, and the murder ballads of the Americana tradition.”
Cheerfully dark, a little theatrical… Just like the Blue Moon.
Open-and-shut cases
As C-VILLE Weekly first reported via Instagram and Twitter, a new Mexican restaurant run by Benos Bustamante, who recently left his post as front-of-house manager at Mas, will open at 816 Hinton Ave. No date has been set (we sense a theme), but Comal is currently testing recipes—and if the food tastes as good as it looks on Instagram, we’ll be there on opening night, whenever that is. Comal takes over the space recently vacated by the clearly misnamed No Limits Smokehouse. Also reaching its limit: Seafood at West Main, which has announced it will close up shop at the Main Street Market on August 31. Owner Chris Arseneault says he’s moving upstream to Jessup, Maryland, to join the sales team at Reliant Fish Company.
Market Street Wine’s Thadd McQuade says the shop delivers anywhere downtown, up to a case or two for free. Photo by Eze Amos
In case you need one more excuse to avoid going out in the frigid weather, Wegmans is now offering beer and wine delivery through Instacart.
“We know our customers are busy, and the holidays are no exception,” says Erica Tickle, Wegmans e-commerce group manager. “We wanted to help our customers spend less time prepping and more time celebrating.”
You can place your order on Instacart online or through the app, and orders will be delivered between 9am and 10pm.
It turns out wine delivery isn’t altogether new in the area, as several local wine shops have long provided delivery service.
Market Street Wine has been delivering for 30 years, say new owners Thadd McQuade and Siân Richards.
“This was established by [previous owner] Robert Harllee and we have carried it proudly on,” McQuade says. “We’ll deliver anywhere downtown—up to a case or two for free. We have a number of long-term clients who order a case from us every few weeks. We do everything from single gift bottles to large parties and weddings, and have delivered as far as 100 miles away.”
“We deliver whatever customers want, wherever they want, whenever they want, and we have for many, many years—as long as you’re 21 or older,” says Tom Walters, the store’s wine consultant. “We have some older clientele and regulars we deliver to on a regular basis and we deliver for special events, catering and things like that as needed too.”
Erin Scala, owner of Keswick’s In Vino Veritas, says she provides free neighborhood deliveries on certain days of the week—Glenmore and nearby get free Thursday delivery and Pen Park and downtown customers have free Friday deliveries. She adds that any order of $200 is eligible for free local delivery.
And Doug Hotz, manager/owner of Rio Hill Wine & Beer, says he also delivers within a 10-mile radius of the store, although there’s usually a fee. He adds that most people simply call ahead or email their order and pick it up at the shop. “It’s ready when they get here and they pull up and we load it up and they go.”
Anything to stay warm and dry.
Beer for a cause
Local breweries Devils Backbone, Champion, and Starr Hill have joined Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s effort to raise funds for California wildfire victims—with a collaborative beer.
Sierra Nevada, which originated in Chico, California, released its Resilience Butte County Proud IPA in a campaign to aid those who lost homes and property in the devastating Camp Fire in Northern California. They’ve enlisted brewers nationwide to also brew Resilience and donate 100 percent of beer sales to the Camp Fire Relief Fund.
A Blue Moon by spring?
Blue Moon Diner owner Laura Galgano is counting the minutes till she can open the doors to diner regulars.
“Our hopes were that we’d be back in business by January 1, but it’s looking more like March at this point,” she says. “We should be back in the space by January, but we won’t finish with our portion of the renovations until late February or early March.”
The beloved diner closed in May, 2017, in preparation for construction of Six Hundred West Main, the six-story apartment building (featuring a private art gallery as well as retail space) going up behind the restaurant. The complex didn’t end up breaking ground until almost a year after the diner closed, and is now set to open in fall 2019.
“We are very anxious to return to our wonderful, wonky diner space, and our wonderful, wonky diners!” says Galgano.
“He brings an exciting new menu to Tavern & Grocery, with dishes including sweetbreads, duck, and osso buco,” says restaurant owner Ashley Sieg, adding that in January the West Main eatery will introduce a Sunday Suppers feature, served family style.
Wolfson was the executive chef at the Old Stone Farmhouse on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Ms. Rose’s Fine Foods in Charleston, South Carolina.
Six Hundred West Main is scheduled to open next fall.
IMAGES courtesy six hundred west main
Next fall, residents of a new housing complex on West Main Street might have 99 problems, but their apartment won’t be one of them—or at least, that’s the verbiage that was handed out on keychains at Six Hundred West Main’s metaphorical groundbreaking ceremony last week.
Despite pouring rain, about 40 people and a bulldog named Butch came out to the future site of the swanky apartment complex set to open behind the Blue Moon Diner in 2019.
More reminiscent of a concert than a press conference, the event featured black graphic tees that nodded to the desire for backstage passes and edgy, apartment-branded posters that were up for grabs at a merch table about 20 feet in front of the stage, where developer Jeff Levien, designer Ivy Naté and architect Jeff Dreyfus shared some words about their project.
“We’re sort of reclaiming West Main Street for the rest of the city,” said Dreyfus.
The group made it clear that the apartments aren’t for UVA students, and Naté said one reason Charlottesville needs such a space, which will have its own art gallery, is because it lacks “curated design” for its non-student population.
Rental costs aren’t established yet, per Levien, who also declined to comment on how much the project cost. Levien and Naté, who are married and moved to Charlottesville from New York City about five years ago, have tag-teamed on a number of developments, but this will be their first in the city.
This one will feature modern design elements such as perforated metals and glass, according to the architect, a principal of local firm Bushman Dreyfus Architects, who couldn’t help but mention Thomas Jefferson: “That’s what he would be using today,” Dreyfus said.
A rock ’n’ roll theme has dominated the marketing for West Main’s newest digs. “Is it a little rock ’n’ roll?” asks Naté. “Definitely. But it’s where rock ’n’ roll goes to kick back.”
The quote appears in a folder that was handed to reporters, which features a photo of Naté and Levien at the Blue Moon bar. Levien, sitting on a barstool and pouring an inordinate amount of either sugar or cream into a cup of coffee, stares longingly at his wife, who’s positioned on the countertop sucking back a shot of Jack Daniel’s while wearing aviator sunglasses, studded jeans and platform boots.
Levien credits Naté with the theme.
“She’s much cooler than I am,” he says, a gray beanie on his head that he claims his wife made him wear. As Butch, the pair’s dog, sniffs his leg, the developer says hints of the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle will be carried into the apartment design, with dark bathrooms, dark kitchens, chandeliers and the art gallery.
For what Levien called the “proverbial shovel in the ground,” folks who’ve had a hand in bringing Six Hundred West Main to life put on black hard hats but ditched the golden shovels often used during such a ceremony. Instead, with a giant stencil and a few aerosol cans of paint, they permanently sprayed the apartment’s logo onto the pavement, as “Kansas City” by The New Basement Tapes played over a loudspeaker.
For perhaps the first time in Charlottesville’s history, an apartment complex comes with its own Spotify playlist. Give it a listen at spoti.fi/2poxUPO.
Between now and the grand opening, the Six Hundred West Main team will do 600 hours of community service.
“I think being of service is a true example of good teamwork,” says Levien. “I could go on and on, but this isn’t an Oscars speech.”
Multiple other recently developed or under-construction apartments and hotels dot West Main.
Since the 2010 census, Charlottesville has grown 13 percent, more than any other Virginia city, according to Chris Engel, the city’s director of economic development. And the city has set aside $31 million for a West Main Street facelift.
“People are coming to Charlottesville like they’re going to other big cities,” says Engel says. “The point of cities is multiplicity of choice.”
The skinny
Looking for a place to live? Six Hundred West Main offers:
Box’d Kitchen owner Curtis Woo says combining food styles, such as putting kimchi on pizza, comes naturally. Photo by Eze Amos
By Sam Padgett and Erin O’Hare eatdrink@c-ville.com
Box’d Kitchen, a restaurant that recently opened at 909 W. Main St. in the same block as Benny Deluca’s and Asian Express, eludes a concise description: Its Yelp page claims it serves Mediterranean food, but the decor looks Asian. And its name is reminiscent of a pizza joint, yet its staple is meat or veggies served on top of basmati rice and salad. Box’d Kitchen chef and owner Curtis Woo originally started the business under the name Over the Rice, but the name seemed to imply that his food was Asian…which it’s not quite.
“I don’t like calling my food ‘fusion,’” Woo says. “I am always combining foods. I don’t think twice when I put kimchi on pizza—it’s just natural.”
Woo prefers to refer to his food as modern. Ultimately, Box’d Kitchen doesn’t fill any particular culinary niche…it’s out of the box, so to speak.
Uber hungry
UberEATS, an on-demand food-delivery app supported by the Uber ride-hailing platform, has arrived in Charlottesville. So far, Christian’s Pizza, Citizen Bowl Shop, The Juice Laundry, Revolutionary Soup, Fig Bistro and a few other local eateries have signed up to participate. How it will ultimately differ from food delivery services already in place, such as GrubHub, remains to be seen, but the UberEATS press release claims the aim is “to get people the food they want, delivered faster.”
Fat Tuesday
Because we all can’t get to New Orleans for Carnival celebrations, a few downtown restaurants are bringing the party to Charlottesville. Though Mardi Gras isn’t officially until February 13, spots like The Bebedero, The Whiskey Jar, Brasserie Saison, Escafé, Citizen Burger Bar, Hamiltons’ at First & Main, Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint, Rapture, Iron Paffles & Coffee and Paradox Pastry, among others, are offering Cajun and Creole food and drink specials through Mardi Gras night when, starting at 6pm, the Elby Brass band will lead a parade through the Downtown Mall.
Sweet everythings
Over at MarieBette Café & Bakery on Rose Hill Drive, February is for hot-chocolate-lovers. Every day of the month, the spot known for its French pastries and artfully-stenciled boule loaves, will serve a different flavor of hot chocolate. That’s 28 different flavors total, among them salted caramel, hazelnut, white chocolate cardamom, pistachio, raspberry, Moroccan spice, peanut butter…and a Love Elixir for Valentine’s Day.
All the feels
Valentine’s Day has come early for all you Blue Moonies out there: Blue Moon Diner will host a pop-up dinner from 5 to 8pm on February 14 at the Snowing in Space Space Lab at 705 W. Main St. The limited menu of $10 dishes includes pork barbecue sliders on a buttermilk biscuit with two sunny-side-up quail eggs and potato salad; andouille and chicken jambalaya with a biscuit; the diner’s classic Hogwaller hash; and a veggie scramble with a biscuit. Honky-tonk hero Jim Waive will play music starting at 6pm. But wait, there’s more: Starting March 3, Snowing in Space will host a Blue Moon pop-up from 9am to 1pm on the first Saturday of every month.
Six Hundred West Main, an apartment complex being constructed behind Blue Moon Diner, is also running behind schedule. Courtesy of Six Hundred West Main
When we last heard from the owner of Blue Moon Diner in May, she said she was closing the West Main Street institution for renovations until early 2018. Now, as the new year is upon us, Laura Galgano says it could be fall before the lights come back on at the beloved home of the huevos bluemoonos.
Not surprisingly, diner regulars are upset.
“The diner is Charlottesville’s living room,” says Dolly Joseph, who has worked as a hostess during weekend brunch at Blue Moon for the past couple years. When her mom came to town last week, the former employee says they talked about how much they missed Blue Moon for its affordable food and good company. “The diner was where I knew I could always find a familiar face,” she adds.
Joseph, Galgano and Ellen Krag run a nonprofit called Building Experiences, and Joseph says the diner is their home base for mentoring young adults. While Rapture on the Downtown Mall has served them well as a temporary location, the team is eager to go back home, she says.
“All my favorite people are waiting for the diner to open again so we can see each other for Wednesdays with Jim Waive, or a weekend brunch or a study group with BE,” says Joseph.
Likewise, local country-blues-rock musician Susan Munson says she misses her regular gigs at the diner.
“I was so bummed when it closed,” Munson says. “I don’t play as much now during the week, just mainly on the weekends. It actually became one of my favorite places to play, even though it was a tight fit.”
Galgano, who has held several Blue Moon pop-up brunches since the diner closed, says its reopening is “somewhat” dependent on the construction of a six-story mixed-use apartment complex going up behind it, which is also taking longer than expected.
“We have had several approval delays that, quite frankly, are the boring parts of complex development,” says developer Jeff Levien. His team anticipates that construction on the project called Six Hundred West Main will begin next spring, and will be completed by mid-2019.
The apartment complex “merges two historically significant street-front buildings with new construction in the form of a mixed-use, distinctly modern, luxury rental residence,” Levien says in a press release. “It is being purposefully integrated into the most vital, diverse and connected neighborhood in Charlottesville.”
The 65,000-square-foot building will have 53 studio, one- and two-bedroom spaces for rent, with private terraces, eight-foot windows, high ceilings and a “meditative courtyard,” according to the release. It’ll also have retail spaces, and Levien says he may lease some offices above Blue Moon.
The developer describes his project as “upscale, without having lost its edge,” and says it’s the “creative result of the old economy raising itself up with new favor to become an urbane playground.”
He compares it to composing a song, where the team is the band and the music is the building they’ve created.
Says Levien’s wife, Ivy, who’s had a hand in designing the project, “Is it a little rock ‘n’ roll? Definitely. But it’s where rock ‘n’ roll goes to kick back.”
