Fuzzy’s Taco Shop – C-VILLE Weekly

Arley Cakes owner planning move to Richmond

Over the last few years, baker Arley Arrington has won our hearts with her baked goods—from her pies at the now-gone Brookville Restaurant to exquisite wedding and birthday cakes topped with flowers and fresh fruit, and (this reporter’s personal favorite) oatmeal cream pies. Now the owner of Arley Cakes is taking her sweet skills to Richmond to win them over, too.

Her move is spurred by readiness for a change, for “a bigger city with a diversity of people and things happening,” says Arrington. “I’m looking forward to seeing how my dreams and passions get to take shape in a new place.”

In Richmond, she plans to take a break from the Arley Cakes hustle to work for someone else and “have a chance to breathe, reflect and reboot using all that I’ve learned over the last year of running a business.”

Arrington says that while she’s excited for the move, she’s “definitely bittersweet about leaving Charlottesville.”

But Arley Cakes isn’t gone for good.

“I’ll definitely full-fledged pick up Arley Cakes again, it’s just a matter of time,” she says. And she’ll continue her monthly cookie subscription service through her website, arleycakes.com, and fulfill wedding orders until the end of this year.

What will $10,000 get you?

For whiskey fans who have dreamed about having their own cask, Virginia Distillery Company’s Cask Society membership can make that dream a reality. The Cask Society, a partnership between the local distillery and the Washington, D.C., wine and spirits shop Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, allows members to purchase and customize a cask of Virginia Distillery Company whiskey. Customizable options include cask type (ex-bourbon, treated wine, sherry), bottling proof (standard 92-proof or cask proof) and aging time (anywhere from four to 10 years).

According to the Virginia Distillery Company website, the private barrel is “guaranteed to yield 250 750ml bottles at the conclusion of the aging period.” Once cask contents have been bottled, owners can either pick up their custom single malt whiskey at Schneider’s or have it shipped to them (depending on state laws and regulations). Those who want to be members of the Cask Society will have to reach deep into their pockets, though—pricing starts at $9,900.

Something to taco bout

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Charlottesville has another taco shop.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop opened last week in the 5th Street Station shopping center. The restaurant chain, which operates more than 100 locations throughout the U.S.—most of them in Texas—has built a cult following with its Baja-style tacos, burritos, dinner combo plates, nachos, quesadillas and sandwiches. Fuzzy’s serves breakfast all day and offers sopapilla chips and churros for dessert.

Fuzzy’s is open from 7:30am to 10pm Monday through Thursday; 7:30am to 11pm Friday and Saturday; and 10am to 10pm on Sunday.

Plus, as our At The Table columnist C. Simon Davidson reports on his Charlottesville 29 blog, Tacos Gomez food truck is now serving authentic Mexican cuisine (tacos, fajitas and more) from the corner of High Street and U.S. Route 250, from 11am to 6pm Tuesday through Thursday; 4 to 11pm Friday; and 11am to 11pm Saturday.

Food options aplenty at the new shopping center

Loosen your belts, Charlottesville. We’re getting more food, food that we didn’t even know we needed. Here’s a quick roundup of what’s open—or will be open soon—at 5th Street Station.

Wegmans A chain that feels less like a grocery store and more like a marketplace, Wegmans boasts a host of specialty items: organic produce and meats, fresh bakery breads, sushi, a market café with a self-serve bar, made-to-order pizzas, sandwiches, a pub with bacon burgers and fish ’n’ chips, a cheese counter, a large wine and beer selection and more. Open now.

Timberwood Tap House The sister restaurant of Timberwood Grill located across from Hollymead Town Center on the north side of town, Timberwood Tap House has an approachable (and cleverly written) menu full of American classics like wings, calamari, burgers, salads, spare ribs, New York strip, s’mores baked Alaska and more, plus sizable beer and wine lists. The bar side of the restaurant is filled with TVs, but the dining side has nary a screen in sight if you’d rather have a side of conversation with your entrée, says owner Adam Gregory. Open now.

Panera Bread The time has come, Charlottesville. You no longer have to leave the comfort of your vehicle to get your broccoli-cheddar soup and asiago cheese bagel fix, because this Panera has a drive-thru. Wear your pajamas, if you like. We won’t judge. Open now.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop This is the first Virginia franchise for the Texas-based, fast-casual, Baja-style taco chain that has built a cult following throughout the South. Franchise owner Pranav Shah plans to open the restaurant early in the morning so that third- shift workers can come in for happy hour margaritas after work. Opening in February.

Other food and drink spots slated to open at 5th Street are: Jersey Mike’s Subs, Red Mango frozen yogurt and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. There will be a Virginia ABC store there, too.

Rock Barn to close

According to an e-mail sent to its restaurant partners on November 1, “The Rock Barn will be wrapping up this chapter of its life at the end of the year.” As of last week, the field-to-fork butcher was in the middle of its final production run and will continue to sell its remaining inventory through December. “I have been lucky to work with so many talented people both at The Rock Barn as well as all of our restaurant partners,” says founder Ben Thompson. “I will always be grateful for the knowledge (the late) Richard (Bean) and Ara Avagyan imparted on myself and the team. Double H, under Ara’s guidance, is still doing a spectacular job and continues to be an inspiration for me as we plan the next steps,” Thompson says. As to what those next steps are, we’ll have to wait and see.

Mea culpa: Dabney oversights

In last week’s Small Bites column, we wrote about two Michelin-rated D.C. restaurants that boast local ties (The Inn at Little Washington and The Dabney). We regrettably neglected to mention that Ben Louquet, formerly of Zocalo and Tavola, and Brad Langdon, former bar manager at Public Fish & Oyster on West Main Street, are current members of the The Dabney bar staff.