Tag: Small Bites

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Culture Food & Drink

Small bites: Provisions, pumpkins, and Peruvian

Inka Grill is bringing the flavors of Peru to the UVA Corner. Photo: Eze Amos

Proven Peruvian

After receiving rave reviews from patrons at two Inka Grill locations in Roanoke, chef Percy Rojas and his partners-in-lime are bringing their famous ceviche and traditional Peruvian dishes to a new location on the UVA Corner. We are especially excited to try the fried-rice chaufa, chef-selected seafood soups, and tuna tartare. Reservations are available on the Inka Grill website.

Bird search

Heads up (or down if you happen to be a turkey): Thanksgiving is approaching, and while there’s still plenty of time to flock to the supermarket, the best day for eating can sneak up on you. Save yourself the shopping hassle and reserve your Thanksgiving turkey ahead of time at JM Stock Provisions. The butcher shop is currently taking orders for locally sourced, whole turkeys. ShireFolk Farm, in the Palmyra foothills, is also accepting orders and offering pickup times in Charlottesville.

Stonefield piles on

New names are coming to the ever-growing list of dining spots at The Shops at Stonefield. Texas-based chain Torchy’s Tacos is opening its first Virginia location. Known for its “damn good” mantra and fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients, the restaurant also uses napkins, cups, and cutlery made from 100 percent renewable resources, and its cooking oil is recycled for auto fuel.

Also joining the Stonefield family in the near future is Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery, a Long Island-based chain that cooks up healthy fast food. Owners Michelle Walrath and Fran Paniccia offer a menu of wraps, bowls, smoothies, baked goods, and cold-pressed juices as part of their commitment to conscientious eating that is free of pesticides, GMOs, hormones, and fake ingredients. 

Beer for bears

Beer is good for a variety of things—quenching your thirst, toasting your pals, eliminating garden slugs, making chili, and your hair (according to that shampoo from the ’80s called Body on Tap). Devils Backbone is using its beer in partnership with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to protect local plant species by sponsoring efforts to help eliminate an invasive species of plant called Autumn olive, so local flora and fauna will recover in the James River area. Beyond that, $1 of every keg sold for all of 2021 will be donated to the DWR or one of several other organizations that are working to keep Virginia diverse and beautiful.

HotCakes cooling it

After 35 years, HotCakes owner Lisa McEwan closed the doors of her beloved bakery/cafe and catering shop on October 30. McEwan says that COVID took a toll, but also “it’s been a long time” to be in business. One of HotCakes’ most popular items was its pumpkins muffins, which came as a head scratcher to McEwan. “It is a family recipe I was making, but I was never actually that fond of them,” she laughs. HotCakes was overwhelmed by a brisk goodbye business during its final days, as patrons lined up for last slices of Torta Rustica, Strawberries & Cream Cake, and quiche of the day. McEwan, who is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from the Charlottesville community, says she’ll turn to something outside of the food world, but many will be pleased to learn that the concept might not be gone for good. “We are in conversation with people who have expressed interest in picking up the business and carrying it forward,” she says.

Categories
Culture

Small bites: Harvest time

Share your harvest

As summer fades into fall, area food banks are looking for more ways to secure meals for Charlottesville’s neediest residents. Thankfully, local institutions are stepping up and finding creative ways to give back to the community.

Piedmont Master Gardeners, an organization dedicated to empowering people with the knowledge and skills required to grow their own produce, wants to share the wealth and reduce food waste at the same time. By connecting gardeners with food banks that accept homegrown fruits and veggies, the Master Gardeners ensure bumper crops and excess produce don’t end up as compost. 

Ralph Morini, president of the organization, encourages home gardeners to plant an extra row at the start of the season, knowing that it will be put to good use. “It’s always satisfying to give what you grow,” he says. If you’re interested in donating your crop—or picking up some gardening tips—check out PMG’s website at piedmontmastergardeners.org.

If you want to give back while having some fun, check out Meals on Wheels’ Restaurant BINGO. Purchase a bingo card for $10, then visit participating local restaurants throughout September to get a square filled in. The more restaurants you go to, the better your chance to win: Every line you complete counts as one entry into the raffle. Plus, you can double your chances by posting a selfie from each restaurant on social media. Prizes include a full week in a Chesapeake Bay cottage or four tickets to a show of your choice at the Jefferson, but the real prize is the satisfaction of giving.

Sports fans, too, can get in on the action. The C’ville Buffalo Bills Backers Club is hosting a raffle in partnership with the Chris Long Foundation’s Waterboys. The foundation was created to help bring potable water to struggling communities in Kenya and Tanzania. Visit cvillebillsbackers.com and enter to win one of the signed team helmets up for grabs this year. All proceeds from this event go directly to Waterboys.

München on pumpkin

Party-lovers the world over were gutted to hear that Oktoberfest would once again be canceled thanks to the pandemic. Fret no more, revelers: Devils Backbone Brewing Company is here to make sure we can still celebrate with friends and family this fall. In addition to its, award-winning Vienna Lager, DB’s lineup includes O’Fest, a malty, golden ale, and München Pumpkin, a modern reimagining of German brews with a kick of pumpkin spice flavor. Cheers! (Or, as they say in Bavaria: Prost!) 

Get schooled

Red Pump Kitchen has announced a series of limited-capacity cooking classes, offered once a month by Chef de Cuisine Brandon Ripberger. In September, students will learn how to knead tender ricotta gnocchi before sitting down to enjoy the meal they’ve prepared. “We have such a beautiful space here, and that makes it a great hands-on experience for everybody,” says Ripberger.

Book your reservation now for October’s Pizza 101, or learn how to make a chicken parm in November.

Feeling Mari-golden

World-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has touched down in Charlottesville, and his upscale eatery Marigold is now open at Keswick Hall. Marigold promises culinary excellence in an elegant and graceful setting. The restaurant, which has 130 indoor seats, 70 outdoor seats, and 20 barstools, features produce from its own farm, and locally sourced meat, fish, and dairy. Reservations are available via RESY.—Will Ham

Correction, 10/1: An earlier version of this story misstated Brandon Ripberger’s name.

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Culture

Chicken and lobster

Lobs to love

There’s still time to get your claws on some claws at Shadwell’s Lobstravaganza. Through the end of August, Shadwell’s is serving citrusy lobster ceviche, decadent lobbie sliders, and, for those ready to get crackin’, a whole steamed lobster. 

Ivy Provisions is also riding the crustacean current with limited-time lobster rolls—take your pick of the classic Maine cold salad style or the Connecticut version, warm and drizzled with butter. Catch them while you can!

New crush

Vincent Derquenne and Tim Burgess of Bizou and Bang! are teaming up again. Crush Pad Wines, a new wine store on the Downtown Mall, offers a curated selection of cult and hard-to-come-by wines that Derquenne and his team of sommeliers have a knack for finding. Derquenne oversees Crush Pad’s wine selection, and chef Burgess pairs the vino with snacks, small plates, cheeses, and charcuterie. Go for the rare vintages, and stay for the delicious eats and beautifully renovated space.

Chicken in the Road

“If you build it, they will come,” especially when there’s fried chicken involved. Emmet Street has five chicken-centered fast-food joints all within a mile of one another, yet everyone seems to be clucking about the new Chick-fil-A location that’s set to open at Barracks Road Shopping Center in September. The restaurant has a new twist on its traditional First 100 celebration, during which the first 100 patrons to an opening get a free meal every week for a year. At the Barracks Road, they’ll be giving away those free sandwiches to 100 people who are making an impact on the Charlottesville community. The awardees have yet to be announced.

Chicken in the Street

Yet another chicken eatery is expanding in Charlottesville: Al Carbón, the locally owned rotisserie and grill, has added a second location at 5th Street Station. Co-owners Myriam and Claudio Hernandez are excited to offer more of their traditional South American recipes, including coal-fired roasted chicken, plantains, fried yucca, and street corn, and C’villians are excited to eat more of it.

Siren’s call

The COVID economy claimed another dining spot when The Shebeen closed its doors August 20. Walter Slawski’s South African eatery has been dishing out peri peri wings, Durban spiced chicken, lamb potjie and sadza cakes since 2003. “COVID was tough for us with two hospitality businesses,” says Slawski. “I am super proud that we made it through and that I am able to relinquish Shebeen [restaurant space] on my terms to a new owner who has the drive and passion to bring something exciting and new to the Charlottesville culinary scene.”  Look for a new seafood concept, Siren, by chef Laura Fonner to fill the sports pub and braai location. And The Shebeen might not be gone for good—Slawski says it’s possible that a smaller version of the restaurant may eventually return to the local food scene.

Categories
Culture

New twist at Baggby’s, monsoon of Monsoons

Baggby’s sweetens the deal with a new fro-yo station. Staff photo.

Leni through the lens

Local culinary historian Leni Sorensen got some screen time in Netflix’s recent limited series “High On The Hog,” hosted by food writer Stephen Satterfield. The show explores how African American culinary traditions shaped modern American cuisine. In the third episode, “Our Founding Chefs,” Satterfield journeys to Monticello to tell the story of James Hemings, chef de cuisine for Thomas Jefferson and older brother to Sally Hemings. As a young man, Hemings was brought to Paris to train in the art of French cooking, and he introduced a unique French-Virginian fusion cuisine when he returned to the plantation. Satterfield and Sorensen discuss Hemings’ role in bringing Afro-European food into the cultural zeitgeist of the 18th-century United States. “‘High on the Hog’ is the first time we’ve ever seen a show dedicated to Black food culture, on this scale, with this kind of investment and production and distribution.” says Satterfield.

Going coconuts

Can’t get enough Num Tok? Go west! Monsoon Siam has expanded (for the second time this year!) with a new Crozet location named Coconut Thai Kitchen. Owners Kitty Ashi and Pooh Dutdao now count four restaurants as part of the Monsoon family, including a location in Madison, Wisconsin. Their latest addition features Monsoon’s most popular dishes as well as some new fare at the 1015 Heathercroft Circle location.

Hey Yo

We thought Baggby’s Gourmet Sandwiches offered everything—dine in, carryout, delivery, and catering. Now, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the shop has installed a self-service frozen yogurt counter and expanded its hours (plus they’ll validate your parking). But do you really need two hours of free parking at the Market Street garage when Baggby’s sandwiches are so affordably priced and made with such high-quality, local ingredients that you’re likely to gobble them down in mere minutes?  That’s for you to decide.

Let it play

The word tequila elicits a reaction in most of us: The three-word song, that one time during college, or The Bebedero’s amazing list. Now you can explore the Mexican-inspired hot spot’s tequila list in depth during tastings every Wednesday this summer from 6 to 9pm. The most recent showcase featured an 1800 Cristalino añejo aged in both French and American oak barrels and finished in a port wine cask…DA da-da da da DA da—tequila!

Categories
Culture

Dairy market, mac ‘n’ cheese

Sherry Bryant’s Elbows Kitchen is all about mac ‘n’ cheese. Photo: Eze Amos.

By Will Ham

Dinner winners

Congrats to the six recipients of Bread & Roses kitchen scholarships. The local nonprofit, an outreach ministry of Trinity Episcopal, has awarded each winner $2,000 to rent space in the church’s commercially licensed kitchen.

Eric Agee of Agee’s Catering & Concession has operated a food truck out of Fluvanna for the last several years with a menu that features American food-stand classics such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and the Walking Taco, a combination of Fritos, chili, cheese, and salsa. “It’s a great blessing,” he says of the scholarship. “Having a kitchen with the right equipment and fresh water access has really given me the opportunity to build my business because now I can make more food at one time.”

Afghanistan native Khadija Hemmati moved to Charlottesville with her children in 2016. Once here, she gained a reputation for her cooking, and began selling Middle Eastern favorites such as spicy chicken kabob, lamb kabob, dolma, and falafel at the farmers’ market under the name Khadija’s Kitchen. The funding will help her expand her catering options.

Sherry Bryant is the mastermind behind Elbows Kitchen—and some of the most enticing gourmet macaroni and cheese in the area. She’ll use her award to prepare more original combos, like Chorizo and Pesto Mac, then get them to your door through various food-delivery services. 

Another food truck looking to expand its catering options is Slice Versa, courtesy of Emma Luster and Aaron Hill. Their Neapolitan-style pizzas are gorgeous to look at and better to eat. If you want to shake up your pie game, check their Facebook page to find out where they’ll be parked next.

Terrence Smith’s Taste of Tee offers Southern-style seafood, T’s Famous Chitlins, and bottles of Awesome Sauce, a combination of garlicky Alfredo butter sauce, freshly squeezed lemon, and dill. All menu items can be ordered online at tasteoftee.bigcartel.com.

Fans of the Spanish-Caribbean soul food from Tiffany, “Miss Tiff” Davie, will be thrilled to know that her famous mac ‘n’ cheese and jerk chicken are making a return. Miss Tiff’s Catering enjoyed a trial run at The Ante Room in 2017 before the venue closed. But now, with the support of Bread & Roses, Davie is jumping back into the local food scene.

High five

As we mentioned a couple weeks ago, several new spots are (or are about to) open at Dairy Market, and they include brand-new names and some familiar favorites. 

Andy McClure, the founder of Citizen Burger Bar and sister location Citizen Bowl, has added Citizen Burger Stand, which features a pared-down version of Citizen Burger’s classic menu with an emphasis on speedy service.

For those who lean toward plant-based eating, GRN Burger offers all the staples of a good burger joint but with a completely vegetarian menu. Beef and chicken alternatives, plus dairy-free cheeses, provide plenty of delicious, tree-hugging self satisfaction.

The long-running, Filipino food truck Manila Street, owned and operated by Fernando Dizon, has found its brick-and-mortar home at the market. Dizon is excited to be able to share his authentic, made-from-scratch Filipino classics like the pancit and lumpia.

Another East Asian dining spot to look forward to is Mashu Festival, headed by Silk Thai chef TK Chin. Mashu will specialize in classic Japanese festival foods including various sushi and sashimi.

Finally, the Dairy Market’s retail section is launching with Quattro Tizi, literally “four dudes” in Italian. This high-end clothing boutique is expanding from its downtown location in an effort to bring its trendy, designer styles to a wider local audience.

One of Sherry Bryant’s mac ‘n’ cheese concoctions.

Folding its wings

Exam crammers and stoners lost another late-night hot wings option when College Inn announced its closing. Serving the UVA Corner crowd for over 60 years, the dining establishment offered reliable eats for students on a budget, with delivery past midnight on weekends. As Reddit user /UtsukushiShi wrote, “Long before GrubHub or Instacart, College Inn would deliver you a pizza, some fettuccini Alfredo, a burger and a side order of meatballs or whatever other insane shit you suddenly wanted while blazed at two in the morning.”

One stop shop

Aldi, a German-based supermarket chain known for its affordable quality and broad range of items opened recently in Albemarle Square. Now area shoppers can save money (and gas) by picking up milk, bread, an air conditioner, bike rack, undergarments, and a portable hammock at a single store.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink Living

Beers in the wild and wine in your trunk

Kristen Musselman is the new Chief Hiking Officer for Devils Backbone Brewing Company. Publicity photo

A Woman with Backbone

How’s this for a job description: Hike East coast mountains, drink beer, take pictures, and get paid $20,000. That’s the deal Devils Backbone Brewing Company announced this year, and unsurprisingly, outdoor enthusiasts flooded the brewery’s inbox with applications. After reviewing thousands of eager hiker-drinkers’ pitches, DBBC appointed UVA alum Kristen Musselman to be its first Chief Hiking Officer.

Musselman, who currently works as a wilderness therapy field guide in Colorado, says she’s ecstatic to be spending the next six months hiking through all 14 states of the Appalachian Trail, while exploring little-known paths and outlooks along the way. “Like most things, there is no guidebook or roadmap that could have properly prepared me for how to be alone on this trail adventure,” says Musselman. “It’s the skinned knees, sweaty back, failed summits, and wrong turns that have continued to teach me how to be an outdoors woman and have given me the courage to continue taking on new challenges.”

Part of the hiking officer’s job is to visit each state’s best overlook, as chosen by Devils Backbone Instagram followers. To commemorate the journey, the brewery partnered with artist Dr. Tyler Nordgren to create Savor the View Vienna Lager labels that feature images of the overlooks.

“My three big passions are movement, people, and spending a ton of time outside, which is exactly what the CHO position was offering,” says Musselman. “I have such love for the outdoors and for connecting folks to the things that build them up.”

As for her recommendations for unknown hikes around Charlottesville? “First of all, I love Devil’s Marbleyard for a stunning boulder field climb, the Rivanna Trail for a trail run, or one of the many wineries, breweries, or coffee shops around the C’ville area for a post-hike read,” Musselman says. “Venturing a little further, a trip to Wintergreen, Sky Meadows State Park, Raven Rocks, or Bearfence Mountain are well worth the drive.”

Follow Kristen Musselman on her interstate journey via the brewery’s Instagram @devilsbackbonebrewingcompany.

Love of nature

Starr Hill Brewery is also connecting with the outdoors. The beer maker recently announced its Love Your River campaign, in partnership with the James River Association. For the month of May, one dollar from every six-pack sale of The Love, its unfiltered wheat beer, will go to river cleanup efforts. Additionally, Starr Hill is hosting two designated cleanup days for the James, in Lynchburg on May 2, and in Richmond on May 16. Volunteers will receive a T-shirt and an invitation to a thank-you reception. As the JRA says, “Be a James changer!”

Splendy’s back

C’ville frozen dessert lovers got some good news last week: Splendora’s Gelato is back. Its new brick-and-mortar location in The Shops at Stonefield is not open yet, but gelato (including many classic flavors) is available for pickup or delivery on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The virtual-for-now shop is also offering a variety of vegan cupcakes, with some of the proceeds going to AAPI Women Lead, which is dedicated to advancing the rights of Asian and Pacific Islander women in the U.S. Check out @splendyscville Instagram to see what gelato flavors are currently on tap, and text (757) 408-0719 to place an order.

Wine-ing back up

Another sign that life is returning to normal, or at least getting close: Market Street Wineshop will welcome shoppers inside beginning May 1. The local mainstay has kept the vino flowing during COVID by maintaining a personal connection with customers, and those services won’t change, says co-owner Sian Richards. “We have customers who drop us a line when they need a restock, and we put together a case of wines to their taste and budget,” she says. “Others ask us to pick out what we think will go with dinner that night, or their weekly menu, and then they just pop by to grab their order curbside.”

Special beer packs, a continuation of virtual wine tastings, and a refresh on the food and cocktail selections are among the reasons to keep your card on file at MSW. To learn more, visit www.marketstwine.com. —Will Ham

Categories
Food & Drink Living

Soul kitchen

Shaun Jenkins' new spot will offer just-like-home soul food on Market Street. Staff photo.

How does a new restaurant get away with having just six items on the menu? By making all of them very, very well. What you’ll get at the Soul Food Joint is crispy-battered fried chicken, fall-off-the-bone ribs, tender-as-a-lullaby pulled pork, simmered-to-perfection collards, boy-oh-boy baked mac & cheese, and deviled eggs better than the ones your grandmother made.

In this case, owner Shaun Jenkins’ late grandmother, from Butler, Alabama, created the recipes. “Then she passed that special touch down to my mother, Helen Alexander, who showed me everything I know about comforting the soul through delicious foods,” Jenkins says.

He describes his little spot as “somewhere between a restaurant and a food truck,” and indeed, patrons may either sit inside or pick up their food at a window that opens onto the sidewalk. Sharing space with The Salad Maker at 300 Market St., The Soul Food Joint is open 11am to 3pm Wednesdays in June, after which the hours and the Friday and Saturday night menu (served until 3am!) will expand.

Booze news

In March, we reported that a distillery with the provisional name Vodka House would open in the former Clock Shop building at 201 W. Water St. We were right! Charlottesville’s Wilson Craig, a 2016 UVA grad, and his father, Hunter E. Craig—local bank executive, real estate mogul, and member of the UVA Board of Visitors—are looking at a July opening of Waterbird, a maker of “premium distilled spirits,” according to a sign outside the corner shop. Hunter Smith, of Champion Brewing Company, has signed on as a consultant. Wilson Craig says the distillery’s completion has been fast-tracked for July 1, with production beginning shortly thereafter. A source familiar with the project says Waterbird will produce canned beverages. “It’s going to be different than anything else in Charlottesville,” Craig says. “We’re excited.”

Now you’re cookin’!

After a gnocchi-making tutorial on June 9, Red Pump Kitchen’s summer Sunday cooking classes move on to pizza and cavatelli on July 12 and August 11, respectively. Newbies and serious foodies alike can sharpen their knife skills, knead to their hearts’ content, and learn how to make Tuscan-inspired sauces. See redpumpkitchen.com for details.

Categories
Living

Another adios: La Taza closes its doors after 13 years in Belmont

La Taza’s last day is September 16—the restaurant and building have been sold, and the new owners will open a different eatery on October 1.

La Taza owner Melissa Easter has recently struggled with a big decision: Should she close her restaurant of the past 13 years or expand? Ultimately she decided it was time for a lifestyle change, and she and her ex-husband, Jeff, sold the restaurant and building to new owners.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” says Easter. “My daughter is having a baby in September and I was just ready.”

“The new owner is pretty cool” and seems to be embracing the area, says Easter, adding that the restaurant will likely become a breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot. “I’m still a Belmont neighbor, and the first thing I asked is ‘will there be coffee?’ I don’t think it’s going to change a lot but I think they want to do their own thing. They like that it’s a community seat, and I believe they’ll make it better,” says Easter. She adds that the new restaurant will likely take over the Cabinet Solutions space, next door to La Taza, as well, ultimately expanding the venue.

Gilie Garth, a server for the past two years, says she’ll forever be grateful for how LaTaza and Easter helped her get back on her feet when she was struggling.

“I was pretty devastated to hear it was closing because this place has a great deal of meaning to me. I’m a drug addict in recovery from addiction. I got clean a little over three years ago, and Melissa Easter, my employer and beloved friend, gave me the opportunity to work again as a server at the age of 47. It has enabled me to become financially independent and has been a huge boost to my self-esteem,” says Garth. “The people here, both employees and customers, are family to me. It’s going to be a great loss for the community and a huge personal loss to me.”

Garth plans to return to her nursing career by the end of the year, but employment at La Taza was a great stepping stone for her to get her life back together.

La Taza’s last day will be September 16, and Easter says the new owners plan to re-open October 1.

Let’s do lunch

While The Haven regularly provides meals to community members facing homelessness, they will once again also offer home-cooked meals in a weekly pop-up café every Wednesday from noon until 1:30pm, starting September 12. The three-course meals—there are always vegetarian and carnivore options—include a beverage and are available with a suggested donation of $10, which benefits The Haven.

Eat food, do good

Meals on Wheels of Charlottesville/Albemarle will hold its annual food and beverage tasting event, Taste This!, from 5:30-8:30pm, Tuesday, September 18, at the Boar’s Head Resort pavilion. The event is the primary fundraiser for the organization, which provides homebound neighbors with food and social contact, and will feature food from a cornucopia of local restaurants and food purveyors, including Chimm, Ivy Inn, Little Star, Junction, Oakhart Social, Orzo Kitchen & Wine Bar, Prime 109, Common House, PVCC Culinary School, Travinia Italian Kitchen, Vivace, and, of course, the Boar’s Head. There will also be cheese tastings from Caromont Farm and pastry snacks from Iron Paffles & Coffee and MarieBette Café & Bakery. And to drink? Beverages from Starr Hill Brewery, wine from Market Street Wine, cold brew and hot coffee from Grit Coffee. There will also be a cash bar available.

Jazz group Bob Bennetta & Friends will provide music, and there will be a silent auction as well. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased at cvilletastethis.com or by calling 293-4364.

Categories
Living

Pho 3 Pho opens off 29 North

Pho 3 Pho owner John Dinh says the restaurant makes 100 quarts of pho, a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup, a day. Photo by Tom McGovern

By Jenny Gardiner and Sam Padgett
eatdrink@c-ville.com

You’ve gotta give John Dinh, owner of Charlottesville’s newest Vietnamese restaurant, major props for his clever restaurant moniker: Pho 3 Pho.

In case you didn’t know, “pho” is pronounced “pha,” as in do-re-me-fa-so-la-ti-do. Dinh credits the name, which echoes our local 434 area code, to his brother James.

Pho 3 Pho, which opened June 12 in Rivanna Plaza, the small strip mall abutting the AMF Kegler’s Lanes bowling alley on 29 North, is the realization of a long-held dream by Dinh, whose wife, Julie, owns two nail salons in town. Born in Vietnam but raised in Charlottesville, Dinh, who’s lived in the area for 20 years and attended Albemarle High School before graduating from William Monroe High School in Greene County, has always loved to cook.

“This is my goal, my dream, something I’ve always wanted to do, and nails just happened to come first, somehow—I have no clue how,” he says.

While the venue, formerly a sports bar, has a fully stocked bar and 20 different craft beers, the focus here is on pho, a popular traditional Vietnamese noodle soup made with slow-cooked beef stock that Dinh says is “the backbone of every Vietnamese restaurant. If [the pho’s] not good, then you should walk out.”

Childhood memories inform Dinh’s love of the soup—his family attended church in Richmond, where there is a large Vietnamese community, and ate it each Sunday.

Years of trial and error have gone into Dinh’s broth recipe, leading to the fragrant aromas wafting from the kitchen.

“The beef simmers for eight to 10 hours and is served hot,” he says. “It’s simmering all the time.” They make 100 quarts of the stuff a day, and there are plenty of pho options here, including sliced beef, meatball, brisket, chicken or a combination. Pho 3 Pho dishes cost between $3.50 for an appetizer and $12.50 for a large combination pho.

But Dinh is unequivocal about his favorite Pho 3 Pho dish: spicy beef noodle. “It’s different from pho,” he says. “It’s rich, a little bit sweet, a little bit sour, a good blend of different tastes. It’s strong, a bit spicy—I can’t make it mild, so don’t ask.”

Beneficial brew

For the past three years, Virginia breweries have come together to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation the best way they know how—selling beer—and Three Notch’d Brewery’s 65 Roses beer was made specifically to benefit charity, with $1 of every 65 Roses beer purchased going to the CFF. According to brewmaster Dave Warwick, the beer is designed to be “a light blonde ale that’s crisp and easy-drinking.” The June 14 Brewer’s Ball, the annual event that brings together 10 different Virginia breweries to benefit the cause, is your last chance to try the limited-edition brew before it’s gone.

Award-winning ales

The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild recently announced the winners of the 2018 Virginia Craft Beer Cup. Of the 375 beers judged in 27 categories, seven local breweries earned accolades. Blue Mountain Barrel House & Organic Brewery’s Adambeor took second place in the Best in Show category, along with first place in the Historical and Smoked Beer category. Wild Wolf Brewing Company’s American Stout nabbed first in the American Porter and Stout category, and second place honors went to Random Row Brewing Co. in the Pale Malty European Lager category with Not Yours Maibeck, and Blue Mountain Brewery’s Marsedon in the Trappist Ale category. Local brews won plenty of third place spots, too: Champion Brewing Company’s Shower Beer (Czech Lager category); Starr Hill Brewery’s Looking Glass and Jomo (IPA and Amber Malty and Bitter European Lager categories, respectively); South Street Brewery’s Virginia Lager (International Lager) and Three Notch’d Brewing Company’s Ghost of the 43rd (Pale American Ale).

Beer fans can sample many of the winners at the Virginia Craft Brewers Fest on August 18 at IX Art Park.

Categories
Living

Chef Tyler Teass leaves Brasserie Saison

Chef Tyler Teass is leaving Brasserie Saison to spend more time with his family.

By Erin O’Hare and Sam Padgett

Eater’s digest

Chef Tyler Teass is leaving his post as head chef at Brasserie Saison in order to spend more time with his wife and young son. “We are parting with him as friends, and wish him all the best,” says the Downtown Mall restaurant’s general manager, Will Curley, adding that “we are incredibly lucky to be able to have his replacements already on staff, having Devin Murray and Mike Perry take over for [Teass] as our chefs.”

Before working in the Brasserie Saison kitchen, Murray was chef at The Whiskey Jar. “He has a great mind for updating classic Belgian fare with modern touches,” Curley says. And Perry “has worked for seemingly every great chef in town,” he says, including Tucker Yoder at Timbercreek Market’s Back 40, Angelo Vangelopolous at the Ivy Inn, Ben Thompson at the now-shuttered Rock Barn and John Haywood at the also-shuttered OXO; Perry also served as head of Harvest Moon Catering for some time.

MidiCi, The Neapolitan Pizza Company, a small, California-based chain, will open its Charlottesville franchise this month, with preview tastings on November 11 and 12. Like the restaurant’s Facebook or Instagram pages (@MidiCiCville) to earn a free margherita pizza this weekend, baked in one of two 7,000-pound wood-fire ovens imported from Italy.

As C-VILLE’s At The Table columnist C. Simon Davidson noted last month on his The Charlottesville 29 blog, Andrew Silver, who co-founded Zocalo with Ivan Rekosh and Peter Castiglione in 2002, is moving on to a job with Roots Natural Kitchen (which he and Rekosh helped launch in 2015). Davidson notes that for now, Silver’s focus will be on Roots’ new catering space in the former St. Maarten Cafe on Elliewood Avenue, a sort of blueprint for future Roots locations. Don’t worry, though, Zocalo and Rekosh aren’t going anywhere.

Cactus restaurant gets new space

Dónde está México? It isn’t south of the Rio Grande as you would assume. It also isn’t on Carlton Avenue in Woolen Mills, underneath the Aquí es México restaurant sign—at least not anymore. Aquí es México, known for its authentic Mexican and Central American flavor, is now Cactus restaurant. New owner Castulo Gaipan (who owns the small Cactus restaurant in the Sonoco gas station on Fifth Street) plans on crafting a different, but still authentic, menu soon. Additionally, Cactus will feature a bakery run by the previous owner of Aquí Es México, which will provide a large variety of Mexican breads that will be sold both in bulk and by the slice.

Recipe swap

Melissa Palombi’s new UVA-themed cookbook asks the provocative question that’s surely on everyone’s mind: Who’s in the kitchen? While the answer is usually assumed to be Dinah and an unspecified stranger, this new cookbook sheds light on the age-old mystery. In this case, the “Hoo” in the kitchen is an impressive collection of UVA folks from all over the country.

Featuring such personal recipes as local caterer Frank Smith’s famous butternut squash soup and jambalaya, as well as UVA’s vice provost for the arts and Virginia Film Festival executive director Jody Kielbasa’s pierogies with blueberry sauce, Hoos in the Kitchen proves to be an eclectic mix of dishes inspired by those who’ve worn orange and blue—personally and professionally. As is obligatory with anything UVA-related, there’s a Thomas Jefferson recipe…for hot chocolate. Palombi says she didn’t want to make just any old cookbook, but rather “a profile of faces and stories [that] people might not know from the UVA extended community.” The book is out this week, for those looking to have a more cavalier attitude about cooking.