Tag: Tavern & Grocery

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Living

Name that space, win a Benjamin!

Tavern & Grocery owner Ashley Sieg has rebooted the West Main Street restaurant with three new events spaces. Photo: Kristi Ellis

Tavern & Grocery is offering $100 toward a meal by chef Joe Wolfson and his team to the C-VILLE Weekly reader who suggests the best name for a newly refurbished room in the 1820 Federal-style brick building on West Main Street. Accessible through the restaurant as well as its own entrance marked by a lantern and a glass door, the room seats up to 40 people and is one of three renovated dining and event spaces at T&G. “We have been working tirelessly on them over the past six months,” owner Ashley Sieg says. “We’ve stripped them back to the original brick and horsehair plaster, redone the floors, and more.”

Another event space, The Marseilles Room, is named for the French city. It connects with the downstairs bar, Lost Saint, and seats up to 70 people. Upstairs, the Booker Room—so called because Booker T. Washington stayed in the historic building at the invitation of the owner, Charles Inge, a local teacher, grocer, and freed slave—accommodates 35 diners. It has a wood-burning fireplace, antique tables and chairs, and finishes including reclaimed barn siding.

Sieg wants the name of the third room to reflect the building’s rich past. Among the older structures in Charlottesville, it has served as a tavern, foundry, and grocery store specializing in fish, beef, and locally grown produce. “The grocery was opened by Mr. Inge in 1891 and was actually one of the first African American-owned businesses in town,” Sieg says. “Inge’s family continued to operate it as a grocery until 1979.” It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

For a chance at that $100 prize, email a proposed name to info@tavernandgrocery.com with “win100” in the subject line. The winner will be chosen on Oct. 15, and announced via Instagram @tavernandgrocery and @eatdrinkcville.

Maximum foodie

The mother of all food festivals is upon us. The 13th annual Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello brings together national and local culinary luminaries for a day of food education, demonstrations, garden tours, and more grub than you could shake a kebab stick at. A marquee event features Will Richey of Charlottesville’s Ten Course Hospitality and Chez Panisse’s Alice Waters, the doyen of contemporary farm-to-table cuisine. We’ve also got our eyes on a session about food justice, at which Richard Morris of the local Urban Agriculture Collective will lead a discussion with Karen Washington, recipient of the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award, and Jovan Sage, director of Slow Food USA and chair of the nonprofit Seed Savers Exchange. You will not find a better informed convention of food experts anywhere else in the world. $15.95 adults, $10 kids 5-10; 10am-5pm, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy., heritageharvestfestival.com

Nibbles

With an impressively equipped new test kitchen, The Happy Cook in the Barracks Road Shopping Center is rolling out an expanded series of cooking classes. Hone your knife skills, master cast-iron cookery, learn to make South Indian food, and more. Sessions run $25 to $55 and are limited to 10 to 20 participants. thehappycook.com • Corner Juice—the health-conscious smoothie and sandwich shop—has added a second location at 200 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall, directly opposite its nutritional antithesis, Citizen Burger Bar. (Chew on that one for a minute.) cornerjuice.com • Grit Coffee is about to give Pantops a caffeine jolt, moving toward completion of a sleek new space in the Riverside Village development on Stony Point Road. gritcoffee.com • Ivy-based Square One Organic Spirits, founded by UVA grad and Crozet resident Allison Evanow, has launched a line of vegan and gluten-free, low-sugar cocktail and mocktail mixers with tantalizing flavors like Lively Lemon, Luscious Lime, and Pink Daisy.  They’re available for $10-$12 per 750ml bottle at shops including The Spice Diva, Market St. Market, and Foods of All Nations, and served at bars in Brasserie Saison, Orzo, Monsoon Siam, and The Fitzroy. Hell, the mixers are even in UVA sports hospitality suites at football, basketball, and baseball games. squareoneorganicmixers.com • Mark your calendar, bivalve gluttons! The Early Mountain Oyster Festival is set for 12-6pm, October 20, at Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison. Fifteen bucks will get you in to enjoy executive chef Tim Moore’s menu of crab cakes, fried oysters, clam chowder, and—mais oui!—Eastern Shore oysters on the half shell. The Currys will provide a rootsy soundtrack. Busy that day? Aw, shucks—more for us. earlymountain.com • King Family Vineyards has landed an accolade almost as prestigious as Best Winery in the 2019 Best of C-VILLE awards. USA Today has named the Crozet eonophile’s dream to its top 10 Best Winery Tours list, joining California establishments including Cline, Jordan, and Benziger. This is the big time, people! kingfamily vineyards.com • Firefly is celebrating its fifth year in business this weekend, September 21-22, with a $5 food-and-drink menu and much more. Saturday is the big blowout, with a plant sale outside by Edgewood Gardens, as well as music by Mojo Pie (2pm), Jay Seals and the Shara Tones (9pm), and DJ Rum Cove (10pm).

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Living

But baby it’s cold outside: Wine and beer delivered to your door

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.”

Foods of All Nations has also long been on board with this courtesy.

“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.

Tavern & Grocery hires a “Top New Chef”

Tavern & Grocery has hired Joe Wolfson, named one of the Top 100 New Chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine, to be its executive chef.

“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.

Categories
Living

New owner at Tavern & Grocery and more restaurant news

Photo by Eze Amos.

New owner at Tavern & Grocery

Tavern & Grocery has changed hands, with its recent acquisition by Ashley Sieg, whose family has had a hand in the local food and hospitality scene over the years, including the now-shuttered Water Street and its predecessor, Tempo.

Sieg, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, has been involved in all aspects of the food industry, from cooking to consulting to food writing.

“I’d wanted to find a place with history with both the restaurant and the building, and this checked all of those boxes and seemed a great opportunity,” she says. Discussions with former owner Andy McClure led to the seamless changeover in mid-May. “I bought it and was there for full service that night,” Sieg says. “It was a little bit of a whirlwind, but fun.”

She plans to maintain status quo for the most part, with some tweaks, such as incorporating linen napkins instead of paper, and replacing utensils with her collection of antique silver ones, as well as updating cocktails to make them more seasonal.

“We’re not going to do anything major right now because it’s a great restaurant, the chef is great and the food is great,” Sieg says, adding that she plans to eventually expand the wine list and create an event space upstairs, as well as update the outdoor patio.

Bottoms up

Two local wineries received top nods in the State Fair of Virginia Commercial Wine Competition. Horton Vineyards was awarded gold medals for both its Albarino 2017 and the Petit Manseng 2016, and a silver medal for the Nebbiolo 2014.

Barboursville Vineyards was a silver medalist with its Cabernet Franc Reserve 2016 as well as the Allegrante 2017, which was also chosen as the best rosé. The vintners were up against nearly 110 entries from 27 Virginia wineries and meaderies statewide.

Expanding Potbelly

Generally, no one wants to be told there is a potbelly in his or her future, except if it’s that Potbelly. The Potbelly Sandwich Shop will be coming to Charlottes-ville by way of the luxury The Standard apartment building, looming large at 853 West Main St. Potbelly franchisee David Duke hopes to open by December 1, and said he’s aiming to attract both students and downtown patrons to the location, and will likely participate in UVA meal plans as well. “We’re excited to serve UVA and Charlottesville,” he says. “And we’re confident the local patrons will crave our second-to-none sandwiches, homemade cookies, milkshakes and of course our live musician every day for lunch.”

Buncha bucha

Blue Ridge Bucha has settled into its new home on the east side of Waynesboro. The taproom, renovated by co-owner Ethan Zuckerman using upcycled materials, features growler fills and compostable cups of their certified organic kombucha flavors, including limited-release flavors only available on-site.

The taproom offers a kids’ play area, WiFi and both indoor and outdoor space. They will also offer a variety of food and drink from local purveyors, including Farmstead Ferments, Krauts, Trager Brothers Coffee, Gearharts Chocolates, Good Phyte Food Bars and Snowing in Space.—JG

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Living

Dig in! It’s a full plate for Restaurant Week

Tommy Lasley, executive chef at Fry’s Spring Station, says the restaurant’s must-have Charlottesville Restaurant Week item is its pizza. Varieties include The Dude Abides, Happy Accident and Piggy Smalls. Photo by Sanjay Suchak

Hope you’re hungry: Charlottesville Restaurant Week is upon us, that glorious, twice-a-year event, this time featuring 42 restaurants (including five new participants) offering three-course menus at different price points: $19, $29 and $39. With $1 of each meal donated to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, you have an extra incentive to eat out July 14 through 23. Need another reason to partake, other than helping those in need? Some of the restaurants dish on don’t-miss Restaurant Week menu items, as well as new favorites. 

Rocksalt

Paul Chinco, executive chef

Don’t miss: Tomato gazpacho with crab salad

Debut dish: The tuna tartare; there might be some changes, but they will be simple changes that will elevate the dish.

Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar

Pete Evans, chef/partner

Don’t miss: The summer vegetable salad. It’s a mixture of grilled and raw summer veg with preserved lemon, feta and grilled fennel vinaigrette.

Debut dishes: There are a few dishes here that will be on our summer menu: the gazpacho, melon and cucumber salad, fish of the day, the salmon and the risotto.

Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar

Erica Vorhauer, wine director

Don’t miss: Our beet-infused risotto dish is a feast for vegetarians but can also be a delight to carnivores by adding steak.

Debut dish: Fresh, local peaches will be added to celebrate summer. We are the first restaurant to debut our friend Jake Busching’s beautiful viognier and cabernet franc, and Commonwealth will also launch its new wine list in time for Restaurant Week.

The Pub by Wegmans

Branden Cheney, manager

Don’t miss: Our chicken shawarma wrap. Our restaurant chefs spent some time perfecting the spices and ingredients to make them unique and as authentic as possible.

The Fitzroy

Richard Ridge, co-owner/operator

Don’t miss: The peach and cucumber salad. Cooling off by eating chilled fresh produce is my favorite way to begin a summer meal.

Fry’s Spring Station

Tommy Lasley, executive chef

Don’t miss: All of our pizzas. We get a five-day ferment on our dough, combined with our house cheese blend and all in-house made toppings make for great pies.

The Shebeen Pub & Braai

Walter Slawski, chef/owner

Don’t miss: A South African version of the Southern classic shrimp and grits, incorporating samp (cracked hominy), boerewors (our house-made South African sausage) and prawns in a prego sauce.

Timberwood Tap House

Brandon Masters, kitchen manager

Don’t miss: The chorizo fritters. Spanish Manchego cheese and Yukon gold potatoes are going to be the perfect vehicle to experience this traditional sausage.

Debut dish: Chocolate cheesecake bread pudding. We make a vanilla ice cream base as the binder, then fold in chocolate chips, crusty French bread and scoops of our house- made cheesecake with caramel and chocolate sauces, then more ice cream.

Jack’s Shop Kitchen

Eric Bein, chef/farmer

Don’t miss: Our pork belly dish, featuring pork and beets from Jack’s Shop Farm, potatoes from Edgewood Miller and watercress from Planet Earth Diversified.

Debut dish: Our fry pie, in hopes that it will become a mainstay. We would change the filling throughout the year to reflect the season.

The Bavarian Chef

Jerome Thalwitz, chef/owner

Don’t miss: The summer schnitzel. The traditional hand-breaded veal schnitzel is topped with grilled local tomatoes, buttery Gouda cheese and fresh pineapple. It is truly a taste of summer.

Debut dish: The Bavarian cream napoleon has a real shot at earning a permanent spot on our dessert menu. One guest called it “life changing.”

Tavern & Grocery

David Morgan, chef

Don’t miss: The pork shank. We are using a new farm, Buckingham Berkshires, and we are very excited to highlight them.

Debut dishes: Chicken wings and panzanella are late-summer favorites.

Categories
Living

Introducing paffles to Charlottesville

The turkey BLT paffle is just one of the savory options (sweet varieties are offered as well) at Iron Paffles and Coffee. Staff photo

Kathryn Matthews has been obsessed with American breakfast since she was a child, growing up in Grimsby, a small fishing town on the northeast coast of England. Her grandparents would sometimes take her on vacation to Florida, where they’d eat waffles and fluffy American pancakes, which are quite different from the unleavened, more crêpe-like English pancakes. Sometimes, they’d pour batter onto a griddle or into a waffle iron and make the treats themselves.

Matthews has brought her love of sweet American breakfast to 214 W. Water St. with the opening of Iron Paffles and Coffee. She started working as a chef at 16 before studying hospitality and beverage management at university, and has been making paffles—puff pastry baked on a waffle iron—on her own for a while now, though she can’t exactly take credit for inventing the paffle (a quick Google search a few years back showed her as much).

Once Kathyrn Matthews, who grew up in England, got a taste of American-style breakfast, she set out to capture those flavors by creating a puff pastry-waffle hybrid known as the paffle. Photo by Tom McGovern
Once Kathyrn Matthews, who grew up in England, got a taste of American-style breakfast, she set out to capture those flavors by creating a puff pastry-waffle hybrid known as the paffle. Photo by Tom McGovern

Savory breakfast nuts might want to try the Iron Glory, a paffle topped with local bacon, sausage and cheese omelet topped with sriracha mayonnaise, and those with a sweet tooth might go for the Rise ’N’ Iron, a blueberry paffle covered with cream and local hickory syrup.

For lunch (or perhaps dinner) Matthews and executive chef Dan Giovanetti will cook up paffles such as the Iron Master (southern-fried local organic chicken breast, mac ’n’ cheese and local spring mix) and the Iron Bean (black bean, sweet potato and quinoa patty and finished with smoked salsa). Craving something sweet? Try the Hail Iron—orange cheesecake paffle topped with local strawberry sauce and flaked almonds—or the Peanut BAE, a gluten-free paffle with vegan chocolate ganache and peanut butter whip. The paffles can be made with a special vegan and gluten-free batter for an extra $1.50. Even with the extra charge, nothing costs more than $9, and can be devoured on-site or made to go in a special cardboard paffle carrier that allows for maximum nommage and minimal mess.

Iron will be open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm, Friday from 8am to 8pm and Saturday from 10am to 8pm; breakfast will be served until 11 each day, but the Cini-Bacon paffle, made with maple cinnamon cream, candied pecans and bacon, will be on the menu all day.

Tom Tom nom-noms

It’s Tom Tom time, and you know what that means, food fans: nearly a whole week of food trucks, beer tents, cocktail competitions and celebrations of Charlottesville’s farm-to-table culture.

Throughout the week, restaurants such as The Bebedero, Citizen Burger Bar, Heirloom, Rapture, Oakhart Social, Tavern & Grocery and others will appeal to locavore palates with pre-fixe menus that emphasize local ingredients and artisan food producers.

A dozen mixologists will vie for Tom Tom’s top mixologist title with custom festival cocktails made from locally sourced ingredients and served all week at participating restaurants. A panel of judges will consider the creativity, presentation, originality and taste of the submitted cocktails and name their favorite. But don’t worry, the voice of the people will be considered as well—a popular vote will be held to determine the crowd’s favorite boozy beverage (vote online at tomtomfest.com/craftcocktail). Here’s just a taste of what’s to come: Alley Light’s Micah LeMon will make a Sunday Sermon, made with John J. Bowman Virginia Bourbon, housemade vermouth (local sassafras, wormwood and King Family Chardonnay), Amer Picon and Kubler Absinthe.

At the City Market Iron Chef Competition at 10am on Saturday, chefs will have 30 minutes to tour the market, purchase ingredients and cook a 100 percent locally sourced brunch dish in the hopes of wowing the three judges.

Who will be named this year’s Iron Chef Competition champion at the Tom Tom Founders Festival? Photo by Tom McGovern
Who will be named this year’s Iron Chef Competition champion at the Tom Tom Founders Festival? Photo by Tom McGovern

Find out who’ll be named Charlottesville’s top red hot chili prepper during the Downtown Chili Showdown at the Main Street Arena on Saturday from 11:30am to 3pm. Restaurants, community groups and individuals will compete for people’s choice and judges awards.

And last but not least, local food trucks will rally around Lee Park for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday block parties. Get your fill of good eats from Bavarian Chef, Got Dumplings, Blue Ridge Pizza Co., Mouth Wide Open, Wonderment, Carpe Donut, DanJo’s KettleKorn and others.