Monsoon Siam’s Fresh Rolls are made with spring mix, avocado, and carrots, and wrapped in rice paper and served with a tamarind peanut sauce. Image: John Robinson
Restaurant dining has changed dramatically due to coronavirus, but we still want our favorites— and a night off from the kitchen. We asked our writers and staffers to give us their best takes. Keep watching for more, and send in your own to living@c-ville.com. Oh, and save the griping for Yelp. We want to support the hard work our restaurants are doing and see them through this COVID winter. See our Take Out Guide for your next order.
Selvedge Brewing has been open since midsummer, but only started offering takeout recently. The menu is brewery food, but with Chef Tucker Yoder at the helm in the kitchen, it’s elevated above average pub fare. Online ordering was simple and pickup was quick. The food did not disappoint. Bibb lettuce salad with garlic dressing was nicely accented by slices of smoked pork jowl and house-pickled red onions that were just the right balance between sweet and sour. Croutons made from pretzel buns brought a bit of crunch. The chicken sandwich is the best I’ve had in town, a pickle-brined thigh fried with light batter that reminds me of Japanese tempura, topped with a generous amount of pickles and some white barbecue sauce. Their small-batch, craft beer is available for takeout only in 32-ounce “crowlers” (single-use cans filled on demand). I opted for the Poplin, an Italian-style pilsner that was light, full of mildly sweet biscuit flavors, with just a hint of bitterness on the finish.—Paul Ting
Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie offers alternative pizza, but it has so much more. Everything on the diverse menu is made from scratch. To partake of the deliciousness involves a short drive (pickup only; no delivery) to North Garden, and the process is easy. On what appeared to be a pretty busy night, my order only took 20 minutes to prepare, and it was ready for me when I arrived.
A Dr. Ho’s meal is not complete without the Fat and Sassy. This pull-apart garlic cheese bread is a shareable appetizer that looks like a pizza. Mozzarella and cheddar cheese are melted on hand-tossed pizza crust made from homemade dough loaded with cloves of roasted garlic. The Fat and Sassy is traditionally served with marinara sauce and homemade ranch, but the ranch is so good I skipped the marina and opted for two ranch dressings. (The ranch dressing is so popular, Dr. Ho’s sells it by the pint and quart.)
On this night, I wasn’t feeling pizza, so I decided to go for another staple—the burger. The cheeseburger is made with local grass-fed beef, sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato. The burger was cooked perfectly to the temperature I specified, and the toppings tasted fresh. It comes with a large helping of hand-cut French fries—so many that I couldn’t finish them all. It was super satisfying comfort food.—Laura Drummond
C-VILLE Weekly staff takes:
Al Carbon remains a gem. The chicken itself is delectable and tender with just the right amount of rich smokiness. The South American spices are different from almost anything else in town. And the caramelized plantains are heavenly.—Ben H.
Citizen Bowl and Monsoon Siam: Ready on time, always fresh, always correct, and COVID protocols followed.—Nanci M.
I recently ordered delivery from Lemongrass via DoorDash. I had the mango curry with tofu, and it was the perfect blend of sweet and savory. However, beware if you’re getting delivery in the evening and have a taste for sushi—for the second time in a row, I ordered sushi to go with my entrée, but the restaurant was out of it.—Brielle E.
We have loved our experiences at Oakhart Social and Now & Zen. Delicious options and safe, easy pickup at both locations! We love Oakhart’s pizzas and shaved salad. I am so happy to be able to get my Green Giant roll to go from Now & Zen. The Bodo’s drive-through experience is fantastic too. The lines move fast and the process is easy.—Anna H.
I have ordered Maru from DoorDash recently. I was happy with the items I picked and they traveled well. The food and service was excellent, and I will definitely be ordering from them again.—Gaby K.
During the heart of COVID stay-at-home restrictions, the fact that Chimm would deliver to Lake Monticello every Saturday was a godsend. A bowl of hot pho on a cold April day made me feel a little normal again.—Tracy F.
Up 29 North is the Timberwood Grill, which has kept us supplied with Honey Fire Tenderloin Tips; Stoplight Enchiladas; Wild Mushroom Ravioli; and BEER (build-your-own sampler = four different brews for $7.95) since the pandemic started.—Susan S.
TEN sushi to go was the perfect choice to celebrate a birthday with a small group during these careful times. The chef’s omakase nigiri was a glistening, jewel-like array of fresh, perfect slices over rice, the rainbow roll of sashimi wrapped around the kani avocado roll was a decadent, fun conversation starter, and the spicy toro roll stood out with chu toro, avocado, pickled jalapeño, crunch, spicy sauce, and tobiko sending an exhilarating rush of heat and umami across the palate. The easy curbside pickup and careful packaging made for an impressive home dining experience.—Tami K.
“Happier cows make better meat” is just one of the motto-ish lines you’ll find on the website for Albemarle’s Sherwood Farms, where Prime 109 sources its dry-aged cuts. Here, a Kansas City strip steak gets a boost from roasted Meyer lemons and garlic. Photo: Amy and Jackson Smith
The restaurant business, like any industry, goes in cycles. Grow, contract, repeat. Here in Charlottesville, our last boom came in 2014, a year that brought Lampo, The Alley Light, Oakhart Social, Parallel 38, Public Fish & Oyster, MarieBette, Rock Salt, Red Pump Kitchen, and Al Carbon, among others.
Now, after a slight lull, the area’s restaurant scene is resurgent, with a burst of openings in the past 18 months. The 10 we feature here are all good, and a few are exceptional. But what stands out as much as their quality is their variety. A bicycle bar. A lavish steakhouse. Tibetan food. A sake brewery. A pie shop with tapas. Greek fast-casual. Mexican- and Spanish-inspired cuisine. Thai. Korean. Nearly every new entry has given Charlottesville something it lacked. While our area’s restaurant scene has long punched above its weight, the latest additions remind us that even in the best food communities, there’s always room to grow.
* What makes a new restaurant “hot?” In a word, popularity. Whether it cooks with gas or a wood-fired oven, a restaurant that draws a crowd soon after opening—particularly in a city with so many options for dining out—is hot. Please write to joe@c-ville.com with comments. We welcome, nay, encourage debate!
(Ed. note: Restaurants are presented in alphabetical order.)
Cava’s greens and grains bowl is a riot of colors, fresh flavors, and savory sauces. Photo: Max March
Cava
Before the chain Cava was born, its three founding owners ran just a single full-service Greek restaurant in Rockville, Maryland, Cava Mezze, which they launched in 2006. From there, the owners—all first-generation Greek-Americans—took the red-hot concept of fast casual and applied it to the food of their birthplace. The result is a rapidly growing chain that now has more than 70 locations. Guests line up at the counter, survey an array of greens, grains, Greek spreads, meats, and other toppings, and then point away to build their own bowl, salad, or pita wrap. At the Charlottesville outpost, there is little evidence that expansion has diluted quality. The owners’ passion for good eating and well-sourced ingredients is unmistakable.
Cuisine Greek fast casual
Owner’s pick Greens and grains bowl with rice, chicken, braised lamb shoulder, harissa, tzatziki, vegetables, and seasonal dressing ($9.87).
Most people would call Chimm a Thai restaurant, but other southeast Asian foods—Vietnamese and Indonesian, for instance—fill out the expansive menu. Photo: Tom McGovern
Chimm
The owners of the popular Thai Cuisine & Noodle House noticed a lack of Thai food south of town, and filled the void with their new restaurant in The Yard at 5th Street Station. In addition to the standard menu items of many Thai restaurants—pad thai, pad kee mao (also called drunken noodles), massaman curry—Chimm makes a point of featuring less common dishes, like Isan Style Som Tum (papaya salad made with fermented fish sauce) and Bah Mee Haeng (dry egg-noodle bowl). As diners become accustomed to the unusual dishes, Chimm plans to introduce more and more of them. Keep an eye out for occasional lunch banh mi specials, which require reservations and always sell out in advance.
Cuisine Thai
Chef’s pick Boat Noodle Soup ($12.50): rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, and bean sprouts in a dark, meaty housemade broth, with scallions, cilantro, fried garlic, and spicy chili sauce. In true Bangkok floating-market style, the broth made from marrow and saignant meat juice is slightly gelatinous.
Crowd favorite Khao Soi ($13.50): egg noodles with chicken in homemade curry paste, topped with wonton crisps and cilantro, served with pickled mustard greens, red onion, chili oil, and lime.
Vitals 5th Street Station, 365 Merchant Walk Square, 288-1120, chimmtaste.com
Chef Lobsang Gyaltsen presents a Tibetan favorite, jasha kam trak: crispy chicken with vegetables and spicy sauce. Photo: Levi Cheff
Druknya House
If you’ve never had Tibetan food before, Druknya House is a great place to start. Hearty starches like barley, noodles, and potatoes dominate the food of a region known for mountains and wintry weather. Though Tibet has a cuisine all its own, its closest cousins are the foods of Himalayan neighbors, such as Nepal and Northeast India, with flavors like ginger, garlic, and turmeric. Yet, because the spicing of Tibetan food is often restrained, it’s approachable for most diners. In the kitchen at Druknya House is Lobsang Gyaltsen, a monk who studied Buddhist philosophy for two decades before turning to cooking to pursue an interest in healthy eating. While his menu does include unusual foods like chilay khatsu (spicy braised cow’s tongue), much of what Gyaltsen makes is comforting and restorative, like soups, noodle bowls, and Tibet’s beloved momos (dumplings filled with beef, chicken, or vegetables).
Cuisine Tibetan
Chef’s pick Ten Thuk Soup ($11), traditional Eastern Tibetan style hand-pulled noodles simmered in beef broth over greens.
Crowd favorites Jasha Kam Trak ($13): crispy chicken with mixed peppers, celery, scallions, and chef’s spice blend; Tsampa ($4): grilled brown mushrooms in melted butter, dusted with roasted barley flour.
Little Star is all about artful presentation and ambiance. You’d smell smoke from the wood-fired oven if this photo were scratch-and-sniff. Photo: John Robinson
Little Star
In partnership with Oakhart Social, chef Ryan Collins has brightened the former service station on West Main where other attempted restaurants have gone dark. From high-top tables, guests can now whet their appetites by gazing into the hearth where much of the food is cooked. The menu borrows from Spain and Mexico, two countries whose cuisines Collins came to love during eight years working for celebrity chef José Andrés, including three as head chef of the Washington, D.C., Mexican restaurant Oyamel. With small plates and large family-style platters, Collins intends all of his food for sharing. New York City transplant Joel Cuellar, a veteran of the spirits and cocktail industry, ensures that the bar does justice to the quality of the kitchen.
Cuisine Hearth-cooked American, inspired by Mexico and Spain
Chef’s pick Sunny Side Eggs ($10): fried eggs with salsa negra, green onion, sesame seeds, grilled bread, and hickory syrup. “It’s fatty, sweet, smoky, spicy, herbal, and salty,” says Collins. “And, every menu needs eggs.”
Crowd favorite Pan tomate ($8): grilled Albemarle Baking Company pan Estrella bread with grated tomato, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt.
Vitals 420 W. Main St., 252-2502, littlestarrestaurant.com
At Mangione’s on Main, specials like tender braised lamb shank with polenta and a splash of greens join a menu of Italian-American favorites, served family style. Photo: Levi Cheff
Mangione’s on Main
Tread lightly when remaking a former restaurant beloved by regulars. That’s what first-time restaurant owners Bert Crinks and Elaina Mangione have been doing since moving from northern Virginia to Charlottesville and buying the Italian-American restaurant Bella’s. Aside from a new name, changes have come gradually. The wood floors have been refinished and the walls freshly painted, but most of Bella’s menu of family-style Italian-American dishes remains the same, now joined by weekly specials from chef Mick Markley (formerly of Mas and Lynchburg’s Emerald Stone Grille).
Cuisine Italian-American
Chef’s pick Rosa di parma ($24): butterflied pork loin, stuffed with prosciutto, sage, and mozzarella, then slow roasted with potatoes and vegetables with pan sauce.
Crowd favorite Rigatoni al Forno ($23): Italian sausage and rigatoni tossed in ragu bolognese made with ground veal, beef, and pork, then topped with mozzarella cheese and baked.
Vitals 707 W. Main St., 327-4833, mangionesonmain.com
Maru deepens the culinary diversity on the Downtown Mall, with Korean delicacies like crispy fried squid. Photo: Tom McGovern
Maru
This is not your old-school mom-and-pop place. In the former home of Eppie’s restaurant on the Downtown Mall, industry veterans Steven Kim and his wife, Kay, have created an airy, contemporary Korean restaurant with an open kitchen and exposed brick walls. The menu also is modern, combining traditional Korean dishes like bibimbap and kimchi jeon with modern flourishes, like the use of melted cheese, a fairly recent phenomenon in Korea. There’s even a (delicious) bulgogi steak and cheese.
Cuisine Korean
Chef’s pick Bulgogi Plate ($17): thinly sliced beef in a sweet soy marinade, grilled with onion and served with rice, lettuce wrap, homemade ssam sauce, and daily banchan.
Crowd favorite Dolsot Bibimbap ($12): rice served with a medley of vegetables, topped with a sunny-side-up egg, spicy gochujang sauce, and choice of beef, pork, chicken, or tofu.
Vitals 412 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 956-4110
North American Sake Brewery’s Tekka Poke Don features diced yellowfin tuna and salmon marinated in sweet soy sauce, plus a mélange of ginger, scallion, sesame seed, radish, cucumber, and flying-fish roe, served over sticky rice. Photo: Amy and Jackson Smith
North American Sake Brewery
Food was not the first thing on the minds of owners Jeremy Goldstein and Andrew Centofante when they prepared to open Virginia’s first sake brewery last year. But when Culinary Institute of America alum Peter Robertson, of famed local food truck Côte-Rôtie, came on board as chef, he proposed creating a menu of Japanese-style small plates designed to pair with sake. The food does much more than complement the wine—it uses sake as an ingredient, too, along with brewing byproducts like koji, a mold prized by chefs for its ability to transform flavor. Though Robertson has moved on, he leaves behind a menu he helped to create and a kitchen run by his former cook Don Van Remoortere, a certified BBQ judge who marries American smoking techniques with Japanese flavors.
Cuisine Japanese-American
Chef’s pick Diamond Joe Brisket Platter ($16): Slow smoked prime beef brisket rubbed with ground espresso beans, Szechuan pepper, and sea salt, served with a side of soy “jus.” “The power move,” says Remoortere, “is to order it with two steamed bao buns with a side of housemade spicy sambal and a heap of kimchi to make a pair of towering brisket sammies.”
Crowd favorite That Chick Teri rice bowl ($14). Roasted teriyaki chicken with bell pepper, onions, carrots, garlic, sesame seeds, aioli, and crispy fried onions.
Vitals 522 Second St. SE, 767-8105, pourmeone.com
The Rivanna Trail sandwich: a baguette piled high with green-pea kofta, cucumber-radish salad, pickled carrots, and green harissa and feta-yogurt sauces. Photo: Amy and Jackson Smith
Peloton Station
Who knew that Curtis Shaver’s three passions would go together so well? The Hamiltons’ chef emerged from the kitchen last year to help turn a classic-car sales and service shop into a tavern celebrating a few of his favorite things: beer, bicycles, and sandwiches. Part pub, part sports bar, part bicycle shop, Peloton Station showcases the type of over-the-top sandwiches that earned Shaver a following at Hamiltons’ “sandwich lab.” Draught beers and wines are well chosen, and there are plenty of TVs to entertain you while you eat, drink, and wait for your bicycle to complete its tune-up.
Cuisine Sandwiches, pub grub, unconventional brunch fare
Owner’s picks Big Mike ($12): grilled mortadella, salami, capicolla, provolone, mozzarella, and cherry pepper olive salad on a pressed baguette; The Peg ($11): smoked house pastrami, gruyere cheese, pickled cabbage, and comeback sauce, on toasted multigrain rye.
Crowd favorite O-Hill Burger ($13): burger with muenster cheese, fried mushrooms, black pepper bacon, onion marmalade.
Vitals 114 10th St. NW, 284-7785, peletonstation.com
Prime 109 brings yet another fine-dining experience to the Downtown Mall. Photo: Amy and Jackson Smith
Prime 109
No recent opening made a bigger splash than the Lampo team’s steakhouse in the former Bank of America building on the Downtown Mall. In a stunning room with soaring ceilings, the featured product is one rarely seen: local, heritage beef, dry-aged 60 days or more. Beyond the steaks à la carte, there’s a separate menu of cheffy salads, pastas, and entrées from a talented kitchen staff led by Ian Redshaw, a James Beard Award semifinalist in the 2019 Rising Star Chef of the Year category. While Prime 109’s steak prices range from roughly $25 to $85, pastas and other entrées—also excellently prepared—are less expensive, and an ever-changing bar menu offers inspired sandwiches and snacks Monday through Wednesday. Along with well-chosen wines, there’s a serious bar program for cocktail enthusiasts.
Cuisine Steakhouse-plus
Chef’s pick Prime 109 Burger ($14): 70/30 blend of dry-aged to fresh beef (ribeye and tenderloin), American cheese, pickles, onion, primal sauce, on a sesame seed bun.
Vitals 300 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 422-5094, prime109steakhouse.com
Former Mas tapas chef Tomas Rahal stirs things up with his new venture, Quality Pie. Photo: John Robinson
Quality Pie
When the local institution Spudnuts closed in 2016, its prime location at the gateway between Belmont and downtown instantly became one of the more coveted restaurant spots in town. The prize went to former Mas tapas chef Tomas Rahal, who converted the timeworn space into a bright, colorful pie shop. While the pies are stellar, the restaurant offers a whole lot more, with a menu that changes throughout the day. For breakfast, there are egg sandwiches, tarts, and papas bravas; at lunch, soups, salads, and creative sandwiches like a grilled octopus banh mi on charcoal bread; and, in late afternoon and early evening, wine, sherry, and tapas, like boquerones and bacon-wrapped dates. Plus, regardless of the hour, you can drop in for Rahal’s excellent breads, pastries, and other baked goods.
Maru’s take on classic Korean dishes include bulgogi, thinly sliced beef marinated in sweet soy sauce, sesame oil and other seasonings, then grilled; fried squid, a street food staple; and kimchi jeon, a pancake made with kimchi, scallions and flour. Photo by Morgan Salyer
I knew it would be a risky choice: Jen Naylor to help critique a Korean restaurant. The Korean food genius of Sussex Farm has a cult-like following for dishes she sells at area farmers markets. And, as good as she is at making Korean food, she may be even better at tasting it. The Korean native trained her palate on the food of one of the best cooks she has known: her mother. “Thanks to her,” says Naylor, “I am blessed with taste buds that know when it’s good eats.”
Naylor’s expertise made me wonder how she would rate Maru, the new Korean restaurant on the Downtown Mall where I had enjoyed several meals. Though I have eaten Korean food for decades, I am no expert. Would Maru meet the high standards of someone like Naylor? To find out, I invited her, along with her daughter, Kelsey, a cook at Ten who is another aficionado, having grown up on Jen’s food.
Maru is the product of Korea natives Steven Kim and his wife, Kay, who moved to Charlottesville from northern Virginia in 2016. The Kims “fell in love with the culture and people of Charlottesville,” says Kay, but found a shortage of great Korean food, and set out to fix it.
Chef Steven brings decades of experience to the kitchen, including a restaurant he ran in Annandale, Virginia’s unofficial capital of Korean food. His focus is twofold: traditional Korean cuisine and more progressive riffs. Melted cheese, for example, has become an unlikely sensation in Korea, and appears often in Maru’s dishes.
Jen prefers traditional cuisine, though, so we steered clear of modern twists. As we sat down and awaited our meal, Jen explained how her mother’s food had “spoiled” her, making her hyper-sensitive to flawed preparations. Uh-oh, I thought. Even if some dishes fail to meet Jen’s standards, will she like any of it?
Thank you, fried squid. “Excellent,” Jen said, of the Korean street food staple. “It brings back great memories—as good as I remembered it growing up in Korea.” Jen also liked the banchan, traditional small side dishes served before or during a meal. One was kimchi—the signature Korean dish of fermented cabbage or other vegetables. Famous for her own kimchi, Jen’s praise speaks volumes. “It’s made with young Napa cabbage,” says Jen, “which is perfect for this time of the year.”
Jen is also known for bulgogi—thinly sliced beef marinated in sweet soy sauce, sesame oil and other seasonings, then grilled. Maru’s version was a hit. “Perfectly cooked,” Jen said. “You can taste the smokiness from the flame grill.”
Kelsey’s favorite, meanwhile, was kimchi jeon, a pancake of kimchi, scallions and flour. “I would come back just for this,” she said. “It’s light and crispy on the edges and very well seasoned.” With the pancake, Kay served makgeolli, a cloudy, tangy rice wine typically enjoyed with the dish. New to me, but a spot-on marriage of flavors. “Amazing,” Kelsey said of the pairing.
We finished with bingsu, a delicious dessert of shaved ice, condensed milk and various toppings, which Kelsey said may become destination-worthy. “Light and refreshing,” she said. “Everything I would want in a summertime dessert.”
After our meal, I returned to sample some of the less traditional offerings we had skipped. Though I was skeptical, I am glad I did. Italy meets Korea in kimchi arancini—balls of kimchi, fried rice and cheese, breaded and fried. In lesser hands, a cultural hybrid like this could be a trainwreck. But, chef Steven nails it, as he does another mash-up: the Philly-Korean bulgogi beef and cheese. On a sub roll, bulgogi joins melted cheese, grilled onions, and—what really sets it off—zesty house-pickled vegetables.
Kay says that the Kims’ aim in opening Maru is to share with others the experiences and love of food they grew up with. And they sure are off to a good start.
Silk Thai features owner TK Chin’s favorite dishes—the duck roll appetizer and panang curry—from his other Thai restaurants in Manassas. Photos by Amy Jackson
By Sam Padgett and Erin O’Hare
The red house at 2210 Fontaine Ave. that once housed Thai 99 has a new coat of paint and a new inhabitant: Silk Thai Restaurant.
Silk Thai owner TK Chin (nephew of Thai 99 owner Eddy Keomahathai) is bent on maintaining the friendly and welcoming environment that Thai 99 customers came to know, first with the name of the eatery itself. Chin says he’s always associated silk with softness and comfort, and from the moment one crosses the threshold of the restaurant, the warmth is palpable. Silk Thai’s walls are adorned with a variety of antiques and assorted knicknacks. There are also signs that exalt family, wine and football season, and, hidden among the dense decorations that Chin gathered from local antique stores and Craigslist, there is a uniquely Thai relic, a portrait of the late King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Even though Silk Thai is both located in and decorated like a cozy house, it remains an authentic Thai restaurant. Chin owns several other Thai eateries, including Mum Mum Restaurant and Zabb Thai Restaurant, both located in Manassas.
With Silk Thai, Chin plans to bring his favorite dishes from his other restaurants into a single menu. He’s cognizant of Thai 99’s previous standing as a Best of C-VILLE winner, and says he is eager to reclaim that title. Chin credits his co-owner and head chef, Roengsan “Pepsi” Chaichiengphin, with creating an authentic Thai menu. “He puts his heart and soul into the food,” says Chin. Some of those authentic dishes include khao soi, a traditional noodle soup served in northern Thailand, and the hearty pad Thai tempura.
Ultimately, Chin is excited to be a part of the Charlottesville culinary community. “I’ve been around food all my life,” he says. “My family sold palm sugar back in Thailand, so I’m proud to provide the most authentic food.”
Starting with a clean plate
C-VILLE Restaurant Week is upon us once again, and in 2018 the twice-yearly event (it comes around again in July) will benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. One dollar from each meal will go to the nonprofit, which works with community partners to combat hunger in central Virginia. From Friday, January 19, through Sunday, January 28, more than 39 local restaurants will offer three-course prixe-fixe menus at either a $25 or $35 price point (note that this is different from previous years, in which there were three price points). Check out c-villerestaurantweek.com for more information on participating restaurants, menus and reservations.
Sharing a meal
Maru, a Korean restaurant slated to open this week in the former Miso Sweet Ramen + Donuts spot on the Downtown Mall, means “gathering place.” Actually, the Maru staff tells us, it literally translates in Korean to “made from wood,” but, over time, it has become associated with hospitality and community. Maru the restaurant will serve traditional Korean food with modern additions. One of the restaurant’s trademark dishes is a kimchi arancini, a fried dish with both kimchi and mozzarella cheese. There will be a bar serving classic cocktails made with Korean liquors, plus a drink served with soju (a clear liquor from Korea) inside a watermelon. The restaurant’s specially designed tables, which have ice bucket-sized holes to keep your beverages cold while you hang with your friends, say plenty about the type of gathering place Maru aims to be.
Eater’s digest
On Saturday, February 10, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center will hold a Greens & Mac ’n’ Cheese cook-off. Entry is free, and you must submit your recipe for judging based on taste, look, smell and originality. Each participating cook should bring his own food, display and serving material for 100 tasters. The Jefferson School will supply a 6-foot table, plus table covers, cutlery and serving cups. Interested cooks (and taste-testers) can go to jeffschoolheritagecenter.org for more information.
This Friday and Saturday, January 19 and 20, chef André Soltner will cook dinner at Restaurant Pomme in Gordonsville. Soltner, recipient of a James Beard Award for lifetime achievement, is widely regarded as the original superstar chef. All of the dinner seats are filled for both nights, but a call to the restaurant to get on the waitlist couldn’t hurt.
According to a sign posted on the restaurant door, Café Caturra, a coffee shop-restaurant-bar combo located on the UVA Corner, has closed.
