Tag: the Corner

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News

In brief: Keeping the pressure, breaking the law, and more

Activists call for defunding the police at a rally outside the police station in June. PC: Eze Amos

Defunders keep fighting

“Does abolition really mean ending the police? Yes.”

So said community organizer Ang Conn, as she spearheaded last Wednesday’s Zoom conversation on policing, hosted by Defund Cville Police. Over 80 community members joined in on the call.

The group hopes to keep the pressure on as the summer of protests moves into autumn. Though Charlottesville City Council has proposed a mental health crisis response task force, it has yet to take any action toward reducing CPD’s budget.

Defund Cville Police wants City Council to cut the police budget by 60 percent and invest those funds in housing, education, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and other low-barrier community services.

The group has also called for a freeze on police hiring, and the creation of a community crisis hotline, which would dispatch responders trained in de-escalation, trauma-informed care, and transformative and restorative justice.

According to Conn, defunding will help the community work toward police abolition. “We’ll take that budget yearly until it’s zero,” she said.

Several other activists—including UVA students—joined Conn in leading a presentation on policing, starting with its racist origins. While slave patrols surveilled and captured enslaved Black people in the South, police forces emerged to maintain race and class hierarchy in the North.

The activists discussed how Black and brown communities—along with other marginalized groups, like organized labor and houseless people—have been systemically harmed by law enforcement at every level.

UVA student Donavon Lea described police reforms, like body cameras and additional training, as a “band-aid for a bigger issue”—they only feed more money into the prison industrial complex, and away from communities.

“Society has the idea of hiding folks away in prisons…when we have the ability and resources to address these issues in society,” added Conn.

Pumping funding into police departments has not helped victims, particularly those of sexual and interpersonal violence, the activists emphasized. About 99 percent of sexual assault perpetrators walk free, while more than 90 percent of domestic violence cases reported to the police do not result in jail time, and may cause more problems for the victim.

The activists will continue to pressure the city, but in the meantime, Conn encouraged all the event attendees to get involved in mutual aid and support, which she said will help to build a police-free community.

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Quote of the week

“The majority of the rallies, demonstrations, and marches here are primarily people [who] don’t look very diverse.”

—Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney, implying that this year’s Black Lives Matter protests have included too many white people

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In brief

Bar none

A quick drive around the Corner on a weekend night reveals that some UVA students are partying on, undeterred by the virus or the school’s 10-person limit on gatherings. Lines to get into bars often wrap around the block. Under Virginia’s Phase 3 guidelines, restaurants are allowed to open for indoor dining but “bar seats and congregating areas of restaurants must be closed to patrons except for through-traffic.”

Shelter skelter

Last year, Hinton Avenue Methodist Church was shocked to find that a group of Belmont residents opposed the church’s plan to set up Rachel’s Haven, a 15-unit apartment building including several units reserved for those with intellectual disabilities. Now, the group that started a petition against the project is trying to abandon its own cause, scared off by “an outright attack on our group” on social media, reports The Daily Progress.

Safety first

Albemarle teachers—along with parents, students, and other supporters—gathered in front of the Albemarle County Office Building on Fifth Street last week to protest the district’s move to Stage 3, which will put up to 5,000 preschoolers through third graders in the classroom.

Dining out

After months of pandemic losses, Charlottesville restaurants will no longer have to pay the city’s deferred outdoor space rental fee for the months of March and April, and only need to cover half of the fee for the following months, according to an ordinance passed by City Council on Monday. Restaurants seeking to rent more outdoor space will also get a 50 percent discount.

PC: Staff photo
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News

In brief: “Crying Nazi” faces prison time, neo-Nazi stickers spotted downtown, and more

PC: Eze Amos

Locked up

The “Crying Nazi” faces up to 22 years in prison. You have to make a lot of bad decisions in life for the local newspaper to write that sentence about you—and that’s exactly what Chris Cantwell has done.

The New Hampshire far-right radio host came to Charlottesville for the 2017 Unite the Right rally, where he was filmed by Vice chanting “Jews will not replace us” as he marched down the UVA Lawn with a tiki-torch wielding mob. Later that night, he pepper sprayed protesters at the base of the Jefferson statue, which eventually earned him two misdemeanor assault and battery charges and a five-year ban from the state of Virginia.

Soon after the rally, Cantwell uploaded a video of himself tearily proclaiming his innocence, earning him the above-mentioned nickname.

This time around, he’s been found guilty of extortion and interstate threats. In 2019, Cantwell sent online messages in which he threatened to rape another neo-Nazi’s wife if that neo-Nazi didn’t reveal the identity of a third neo-Nazi who had remained anonymous at the time.

In an interview with C-VILLE in 2017—conducted from his cell at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail—Cantwell offered a comment that looks positively prophetic in hindsight. “I’m a shock jock. I offend people professionally,” he said. “If we’re going to talk about all the nasty things I said on the internet, we’re going to be here for a while.”

Justice for Breonna

After several months of investigation, a grand jury indicted former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison last Wednesday for endangering the neighbors of Breonna Taylor during a botched no-knock raid—but did not charge the two officers who shot and killed the 26-year-old Black emergency-room technician in her own home.

Just hours after the announcement, more than 100 Charlottesville residents gathered on the Belmont Bridge in solidarity with Louisville, demanding justice for Taylor through the defunding and abolishing of police.

The crowd toted homemade signs and joined in chants led by organizer Ang Conn, as passing cars honked in support. A few protesters blocked the bridge with cars and cones, allowing everyone to move off the sidewalk and into the road for more chants and speeches from Black attendees.

Protesters marched down Market Street to the front of the Charlottesville Police Department, which had its doors locked and appeared to be empty, with no cops in sight.

“Say her name—Breonna Taylor,” chanted the crowd. “No justice, no peace—abolish the police.”

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Quote of the week

“We have to do something. It’s not creating more data we already know. It’s not providing more funding to the police department. It’s not waiting to see how it plays out in court. …It’s rare for police to be held accountable.”

—community organizer Ang Conn calling for justice for Breonna Taylor during a protest held by Defund Cville Police

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In brief

Fascist threat

In recent weeks, anti-racist activists have spotted dozens of stickers promoting the white supremacist, neo-Nazi group Patriot Front on or near the Downtown Mall and the Corner, as well as near the Lee and Jackson statues, reports Showing Up for Racial Justice. The activists urge anyone who sees a sticker to document its location, use a sharp object to remove it, and tell others where they saw it. If, however, you see someone putting up a sticker, the group advises against approaching the person if you are alone—instead, discreetly take a photo and alert others of the incident.

PC: Charlottesville Showing Up for Racial Justice

Jumped the gun

In case it wasn’t already clear what kind of operation Republican congressional candidate Bob Good was running, last weekend the Liberty University administrator held a “God, Guns, and a Good time” rally in Fluvanna County. Fliers for the event advertised a raffle with an AR-15 as the top prize. Good’s campaign now denies any affiliation with the raffle, reports NBC29, as holding a raffle to benefit a political campaign violates Virginia gambling and election laws.

Board bothers

The Charlottesville Police Civilian Review Board continues to meet obstacles in its years-long quest to provide oversight for local policing. Last week, just three months after the first meeting, board member Stuart Evans resigned. In his resignation letter, Evans declared the body was “fundamentally flawed,” and that the city’s refusal to give the board any real power led to his resignation. “I refuse to help the City clean up its image by peddling fictions of progress,” he wrote.

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News

In brief: Masked up, KKK attacks, and more

Masked up

On May 26, Governor Ralph Northam declared that all Virginians 10 years and older must wear masks while in public indoor spaces, including retail stores, buses, and restaurants (when you’re not eating, of course).

Some have wondered how business owners would enforce such a rule with recalcitrant customers, and Tobey’s Pawn Shop owner Tobey Bouch, along with Charlottesville radio host Rob Schilling, filed a lawsuit over the mandate on June 1, claiming that masks are illegal in Virginia. But most local business owners say the directive has not been a problem.

At Corner sportswear staple Mincer’s, more than 90 percent of shoppers are wearing face coverings, says company V.P. Calvin Mincer.

“I would say a couple I’ve seen come in just with no mask. But we don’t really want to fight with them about it, so we just assume they might have some sort of medical condition.”

A few doors down at Bodo’s, the bagel chain has set up a table in its patio area for customers to order and pick up food without having to go inside. And though masks are not required outside, most customers have been wearing them, an employee says.

In Barracks Road Shopping Center, The Happy Cook has also not had any problems enforcing the rule.

“I was uncertain if there would be any sort of pushback…but honestly almost everybody who comes in has had a mask with them and already on,” says owner Monique Moshier. “We do have a thing posted on the window for people to give us a call if they don’t have one with them and we give them a mask…[But] we’ve only had to use those a couple of times, and it’s mostly just been that somebody ran out of their car without grabbing their mask.”

As for the many other businesses around Charlottesville, the Downtown Business Association’s Susan Payne says that, while it is not able to force businesses to follow the mandate, she has yet to see an establishment that’s not complying.

Charlottesville radio host Rob Schilling filed a lawsuit over Governor Northam’s mask mandate, claiming face coverings are illegal in Virginia.

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Quote of the Week

“Put your bodies on the line. Our bodies are on the line every day. America has been one long lynching for black people.”

—UVA Politics professor Larycia Hawkins, speaking at the June 7 Black Lives Matter march

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Richardson review

City Council gathered (virtually) on June 8 for a closed meeting, to discuss City Manager Tarron Richardson’s job performance and the legal state of the Confederate statues. Richardson has had a contentious relationship with council, which he’s accused of “meddling” in his operations. Even by the glacial standards of municipal government, this meeting was a doozy—it lasted five hours, according to The Daily Progress.

KKK attack

In a disturbing echo of Heather Heyer’s murder, Harry H. Rogers, a Ku Klux Klan leader, drove his car through a crowd of protesters in Richmond on June 7, injuring one person. Rogers was arrested and faces multiple charges. More than a dozen such vehicle attacks, a terrorist tactic increasingly used by white supremacists, have been committed against Black Lives Matter protesters over the past two weeks, including several in which police were at the wheel.   

Bug off

As if this spring didn’t feel apocalyptic enough, here come billions of bugs. After nearly two decades of life underground, hordes of buzzing, whining cicadas are beginning to tunnel out into the fresh air. The 17-year cicadas will be especially plentiful in western Virginia, where less development has left their tree habitats intact.

Eviction halt

As unemployment climbs past 10 percent, Virginia has halted all eviction proceedings through June 28, a move that many activists had called for in recent months. Governor Ralph Northam’s administration says it is working on a relief program for families facing housing insecurity from the pandemic and its associated economic downturn.

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Knife & Fork

Food with a view: Five great places to feast your eyes while you satisfy your hunger

The rooftop deck at Camp Ten Four, at The Graduate Charlottesville, opens up a panoramic view of the city (which covers 10.4 square miles). Photo: Ron Blunt

Whether you’re kicking back with a cocktail or tucking into a hearty meal, a great view always enhances the moment. You may be on a patio in the country, gazing at a distant mountain ridge, or on a cozy porch in the city, surrounded by strings of sparkling party lights. Whatever your vantage point, there’s a reason the phrase “drinking in the view” was invented. Here are just a few places where the outlook is always bright.

Camp Ten Four is delightfully, um, campy. Photo: Roy Blunt

1. Camp Ten Four at The Graduate Charlottesville

The view: Camp Ten Four is named for the 10.4 square miles that make up Charlottesville proper. Nine floors up, the rooftop restaurant’s view stretches from West Main Street all the way the Blue Ridge Mountains. On a recent visit, one guest was overheard saying, “This is the spot.” Sounds about right.

The vibe: The restaurant offers casual fare in a laid-back setting, not surprising for a place with camp in its name. String lights, picnic tables, and rocking chairs all contribute to the atmosphere, as does the aural backdrop of a lively playlist at just the right volume. Indoor and outdoor seating are available.

The menu: Sharables and sandwiches dominate the menu. A highlight is the crispy chicken sandwich, served with a honey hot sauce and piled high with a spicy slaw. Sides are a la carte, and both food and drink are ordered at the bar. The rotating drink menu is playful, with three varieties of Boozed Capri—think an adult Capri Sun—and a spicy pineapple mule among the selections.

Vitals: 1309 W. Main St. 295-4333. graduatehotels.com

 

Early Mountain, in Madison, offers broad views of the vineyard and the peaks beyond, but what you’ll see inside is equally delicious. Photo: Tom McGovern

2. Early Mountain Vineyards

The view: The atmosphere at Early Mountain Vineyards is well worth the drive out to Madison. The property certainly doesn’t lack beautiful things to ogle, with green rolling hills, mountains, vineyards, and two historic barns all on site. “One of the most important things about the view is that it’s here no matter the weather, with the way the vineyard is situated,” says Aileen Sevier, director of marketing.

The vibe: Guests can choose from a number of different experiences in the expansive setting, including a traditional tasting, flights, or a picnic on the back lawn with a bottle of wine. The winery hosts a number of festivals throughout the year, including its bi-annual Oyster Fest and Solstice Sundown event. (Ed. note:

The menu: A bestseller here is the ever-evolving cheese and charcuterie board, featuring cured meats, local cheeses, housemade pickles, and a creamed honey so good that one visitor purchases containers of it in bulk. The grilled cheese isn’t too shabby, either. “I’ve had so many people write in and say this is the best grilled cheese they’ve ever had in their life,” Sevier says.

Vitals: 6109 Wolftown-Hood Rd., Madison. (540) 948-9005. earlymountain.com

 

The balcony at Michael’s Bistro and Tap House overlooks The Corner, where the city and UVA meet and mingle—but you may be forgiven for shortening your focus to take in the beautiful food. Photo: Tom McGovern

3. Michael’s Bistro and Tap House

The view: Owner Laura Spetz’s preferred table on the balcony at Michael’s Bistro is just outside in the right-hand corner. From there, she can look down along the Corner and watch the comings and goings of a quintessential Charlottesville place, or shift her gaze to UVA’s iconic Rotunda. The outdoor space is small, with only four two-top tables (that’s part of what makes it special),

The vibe: Word has it that several regulars visit Michael’s Bistro almost every single day the restaurant is open. It’s no surprise, given how comfortable and inviting it is. Outside, the open-air space shows off with string lights and flickering lamps, a calm oasis above the madding crowd on University Avenue.

The menu: A patron’s impression of Michael’s Bistro might shift depending on which menu she chooses to focus on. The list of nightly drink specials showcases deals on rails and pitchers that no doubt cater to UVA students, but the beer and craft-cocktail menus both have a more universal appeal. The food menu is just the right size, with enough entrée and small-plate options to please every palate without inducing decision fatigue. The fried green tomato small plate served with a housemade pimento cheese sauce is a delicious way to start your meal.

Vitals: 1427 University Ave. 977-3697. michaelsbistro.com

 

The Rooftop, in Crozet, is known for its food, by chef Justin van der Linde, but the view is also undeniably good. Photo: Jack Looney

4. The Rooftop

The view: The Rooftop delivers sprawling mountain views worthy of the restaurant’s name. Even diners facing inward can enjoy the scenery, captured in the reflection on the glass wall that separates the interior and exterior of the space.

The vibe: It’s hard to be in a bad mood when you’re on any rooftop, and almost impossible if that rooftop is this one. The breeze hits just right, the service is warm and welcoming, and the experience is chill at this classy yet casual space. Fair warning: The Rooftop can be tricky to find. Enter through Smoked Kitchen and Tap, head down the hallway, and get in the elevator to find your way upstairs.

The menu: Launched by chef Justin van der Linde, of Smoked barbcue-truck fame, and partner Kelley Tripp, formerly of The Fitzroy, the restaurant offers options suited for both celebratory occasions and a Friday night out. Truffle fries, served with aged Parmesan, white truffle, fresh herbs, and a garlic aioli for dipping are a crowd favorite. Other popular selections are the mussels simmered in Bold Rock cider and the hanger steak.

Vitals: 2025 Library Ave., Crozet. 205-4881. smokedkt.com/the-rooftop

 

Dining outdoors at The Southern Crescent Galley and Bar offers the look, feel, and flavors of New Orleans, right in the middle of Belmont. Photo: Tom McGovern

5. The Southern Crescent Galley and Bar

The view: An evening at The Southern Crescent could easily be mistaken for a friend’s party at a house with a great outdoor space—in this case, a pleasantly worn Victorian with a porch and patio. Deliberately evoking the Big Easy, the Crescent—named for the Amtrak train that round-trips between New York and New Orleans—prompts a sigh of relief like the one you experience at the start of a vacation. Through twinkling lights and sweeping trees, visitors will see the character and homes that make up the Belmont neighborhood.

The vibe: This charming spot claims no pretenses, and its quirkiness is exactly what makes the restaurant so inviting. The concept was born from the experiences owner and executive chef Lucinda Ewell had growing up in New Orleans, and that inspiration comes through in touches, like fleur-de-lis floor tiles, potted tropical plants with big, broad leaves, and brightly painted furniture nestled in the lush gardens.

The menu: Among the drink selections is the Vieux Carré cocktail first made at New Orleans’ famous Carousel Bar. The menu features a raw bar, gumbo that’ll make your mind travel to the bayou, and entrées like smothered catfish. A variety of po’ boys are also available, made on fresh Leidenheimer Bread shipped from Louisiana. “Aside from the bread, everything we do is made from scratch—including our beignets, which some people say are better than the ones at Café Du Monde,” Ewell says.

Vitals: 814 Hinton Ave. 284-5101. thesoutherncrescent.com

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News

Slower but steady: Cornering the summer market

During the summer, Corner businesses adapt to a smaller population with fewer customers. Photo courtesy of Skyclad Aerial.

By Caroline Eastham

During the summer, the UVA student population dwindles from near 25,000 to around 4,000. Despite this significant decrease, it’s business as usual for many Corner restaurants and stores, which have learned over the years to use this time as an opportunity to cater to different crowds and to improve overall customer experience.

Cal Mincer, vice president at Mincer’s, says staying afloat is not a concern for the sportswear store, especially with recent national championships for UVA men’s basketball and lacrosse. “This summer we are definitely summer-proof,” he says. “With two championships back to back…business is as good as it’s ever been.”

Summer events like sports camps and reunions also contribute to expected annual business surges, he says. “We definitely have slow periods in most summers without the students, but we also have some of our busiest weekends in the summer.”

At Corner Juice, the summer offers a time to reset and consider aspects that may get overlooked during the hectic school year, says Willem van Dijk, director of operations. “The nice thing about the summer is that there’s time to rethink your menu and rethink the experience. You get to really have a conversation with people and make sure that they are getting the best experience possible.”

Corner Juice tweaks its hours during the warm months. “It works better to have concentrated hours in which you want your customers to come for those breakfast and lunch times,” says van Dijk. During the school year, he says the restaurant can have a line out the door for hours at a time. “You don’t get that when there’s 20,000 people missing, but we cope.” The juicery is using the summer to open a second location on the Downtown Mall.

Other Corner establishments offer deals or special menu items to sustain customer traffic. Brittany Knouse, Trinity Irish Pub general manager, says the bar has specials to boost business. “We want to offer something to people who work at the hospital and around the Corner and keep them coming back,” she says.

Similarly, at Roots Natural Kitchen, assistant crew leader Lisa Oktayuren says the UVA hospital and Charlottesville families serve as some of its biggest customer groups during the summer. “The knowledge of students being gone brings out all the other people,” she says. “People like to have a cleared Corner versus a crowded Corner. Summer isn’t an obstacle, it’s just a different perspective.”

Categories
Living

For the health of it: Smoothies (and yoga) join the menu on the Corner

Corner Juice's menu isn't completely organic, which "gives us the opportunity to make [our offerings] a little more accessible to a wider variety of people," says co-founder Julie Nolet.

By Max Patten

The Corner on West Main Street has long been the go-to spot for burger bars like Boylan Heights, convenience store eats à la Sheetz, and late-night carbo-loading fixtures such as Insomnia Cookies. Yet times are changing, and smoothies and organic juices have recently joined the mix, as the demand for food that is both healthier and more environmentally conscious increases.

The Juice Laundry was founded in 2013 by UVA law grad Mike Keenan. Inside, natural materials and a clean, open environment makes for an interior that contrasts starkly with that of adjacent businesses. The menu—which includes cold-pressed juices, nut milks, and even vegan mac and cheese—is also very much on trend.

“We have more than just juice and smoothies,” says Julie Nolet, the co-founder of Corner Juice, a Juice Laundry competitor that offers not just food but also yoga classes. She started the business with the help of Joseph Linzon, co-owner of Roots Natural Kitchen, another healthy eating option on the Corner. Corner Juice partnered with Elements, a Charlottesville yoga studio, to round out its wellness appeal. “The best thing to pair with healthy food is healthy living,” Nolet says.

And vegan students are not the only ones buying smoothies. “We also see a fairly large number of persons who are either patients or visiting patients at the hospital,” says Cliffe Keenan, who works at The Juice Laundry and also happens to be the founder’s father. Keenan says he frequently explains the shop’s origins to curious customers. “They appreciate what the backstory is,” he says. “Some people assume this must be a chain. No, it’s not a chain.”

Corner Juice also finds itself at a nexus of local and student activity. “We get people that are visiting Charlottesville because of the Rotunda and UVA,” Nolet says. “We’re actually opening up a second location downtown so hopefully we’ll then get more of a different kind of client base.”

Beyond sharing vegan appeal through their food, both The Juice Laundry and Corner Juice & Yoga advocate sustainability. The Juice Laundry has no trash cans, prompting customers to divide their waste among three bins, and Corner Juice & Yoga has chutes for discarding materials that are recyclable or suitable for composting.

Cliff Keenan says his son “wants to make sure that we leave as gentle of a footprint as possible,” in contrast to the Corner’s older establishments, which still use styrofoam containers and plastic straws. Both Corner Juice and The Juice Laundry also encourage reusable bottles.

The two businesses occupy slightly different niches. The Juice Laundry justifies its higher prices, in part, with an in-store graphic showing the chain of ingredients that goes into its food. “We’re also 100 percent organic,” says Keenan. By contrast, Corner Juice’s menu is not completely organic. “That gives us the opportunity to make these healthy foods a little more accessible to a wider variety of people,” says Nolet.

Both businesses’ success suggests the wellness and sustainability model is more than a trend. “I think we’re on the edge of a way that many more people, especially young people, are starting to look at how they consume things,” Keenan says.

Corner Juice’s menu isn’t completely organic, which “gives us the opportunity to make [our offerings] a little more accessible to a wider variety of people,” says co-founder Julie Nolet.

Max Patten is a staff writer at The Cavalier Daily.

Categories
Living

Cornering UVA’s food scene

When it comes to dining out on the Corner, you can’t go wrong with The Pigeon Hole’s biscuits with creamy red-eyed gravy and two eggs over easy. Photo by Tom McGovern

By Sashank Sankar

With a new school year comes a new group of university students eager to explore Charlottesville. For most of them, their first stop is the Corner, an area of shops, restaurants, bars, and coffee spots on the edge of UVA’s Central Grounds.

The Corner has long been a popular hangout for students and faculty alike, given its location and its wide variety of food. It’s the place to enjoy an afternoon of leisure between classes, a relaxing lunch break, or a night out. Some of the Corner’s more popular spots serve Charlottesville food staples: the locally owned (and nationally beloved) Bodo’s Bagels, Trinity Irish Pub, Boylan Heights, Roots Natural Kitchen, and Got Dumplings, to name just a few.

And there are plenty of other eateries on the Corner that will satisfy your appetite. Whether this is your annual reminder or first timer’s primer on what to eat around the university, here’s a list of several sometimes-overlooked gems—places to check out when you’re too hungry to wait in the out-the-door line at Bodo’s. 

The Pigeon Hole

11 Elliewood Ave.

This tiny restaurant is a perfect breakfast or brunch spot, and it has all the classics—biscuits (with red-eyed gravy!), huevos rancheros, pancakes, and French toast. And if you’re really running on empty, go for the Sunrise Burrito.

Armando’s Mexican Restaurant

105 14 St. NW

A relative newbie on the Corner, Armando’s provides solid Mexican fare for a good price. It’s also a perfect spot if you (and your wallet) are in the mood for something simple. Pro tip: The enchiladas poblanas are a must.

Take It Away Sandwich Shop

115 Elliewood Ave.

Take It Away is the place to go for a tasty, inexpensive sandwich on bread that’s not a Bodo’s bagel. This small shop has a variety of options for both meat-lovers and vegans, and its house dressing—used as a sandwich spread—is legendary. There’s a hefty offering of classic sandwiches, but you can also build your own, so the world is your oyster (er, sandwich).

Lemongrass

104 14 St. NW

Tucked underneath a parking deck, Lemongrass offers Thai and Japanese cuisine that is healthy and fairly affordable. It might not seem like an obvious place to eat, but we’re betting it will become your go-to after you’ve tried a rice bowl, the curry, or a noodle platter. And if you’re looking for something slightly different, you can’t go wrong with the pineapple fried rice.

Michael’s Bistro
and Tap House

1427 University Ave.

Located on the second floor above Little John’s, Michael’s Bistro offers American cuisine and plenty of beverage options. If you’re in the mood for something savory and salty, try the Green Goddess Grilled Cheese, made with pesto, avocado, and arugula. And when the weather’s nice, ask to sit on the balcony—the view from there is tough to beat.

Categories
Living

Bowled over: Charlottesville eateries go all-in on the bowl trend

Most bowls, like this one from Roots Natural Kitchen, start off with a base of rice or greens, followed by protein, a sauce, veggies, and other toppings. Photo by Stephen Barling

By Sashank Sankar

eatdrink@c-ville.com

How much food can you throw into a bowl? For many restaurants nowadays, it isn’t a matter of how much you can, but how much you can’t.

Food bowls have become popular in recent years, with many different places trying their hands at the trend. For most, bowl configuration is the same: Start off with a base, add some protein, mix in sauces, and add toppings.

It’s a simple (and somewhat vague) process, but the approach varies wildly from eatery to eatery, depending on the cuisine. Most start with a rice base, although some restaurants offer a variety of greens as well. Proteins usually come in the form of meat, tofu, or beans, and then there are veggies, all at the eater’s discretion.

The sauces/dressings and toppings are where the bowls’ individual flavor identities emerge.

You might be thinking, “If it’s just throwing things into a bowl and mixing them up, I can do it at home, right?” Well, yes and no. It takes time, creativity, and effort to experiment with getting a bowl’s flavor and texture combinations just right, and a variety of restaurants in and around Charlottesville have perfected it, each in a slightly different way.

Poke Sushi Bowl

Barracks Road Shopping Center and 101 14th St. NW

If you’re looking for a sushi fix, Poke Sushi’s Hawaiian-inspired bowls come with your choice of base (rice or mixed greens), protein (a variety of fish, plus chicken and tofu), sauces, and toppings from avocado to sesame seeds.

Roots Natural Kitchen

1329 W. Main St.

A popular spot for UVA students, Roots combines different ingredients to create new flavor experiences. Here, you can go with a base of grains (bulgur, rice) and/or mixed greens, with protein varying from marinated chicken to barbecue tofu. Come early though, because there’s always a line out the door and down the block. Nowhere near the Corner? Citizen Bowl Shop at 223 W. Main St. on the Downtown Mall has similar offerings at lunchtime.

Cava

1200 Emmet St. N

Cava, a chain that recently opened at the intersection of Barracks Road and Emmet Street, does bowls with a Mediterranean twist. The base here consists of rice and mixed greens or, if you so desire, pita bread. Mezeh Mediterranean Grill, in The Shops at Stonefield, has a comparable vibe and menu.

The Juice Laundry

722 Preston Ave and 1411 University Ave.

The Juice Laundry’s vegan options are a bit of a departure from the rice, protein, and greens bowls that have taken over lunch menus. Instead, you can get açai smoothie bowls, with your choice of fruit or vegetable smoothie as a base, and a variety of toppings (sliced banana, oatmeal, seeds) to go along with it. It’s a sweet yet healthy alternative. The Juice Place offers options for folks visiting the Downtown Mall, and Corner Juice, located at 1509 University Ave., satisfies students’ cravings.

Categories
Living

Cornering the market: A Hoos who of late-night student haunts

If you’re on the Corner at 2am (we know, us either), beware the long lines at Littlejohn’s, which is often teeming with hungry students who just spilled out of nearby bars. Rammelkamp Foto

By Ben Hitchcock and Gracie Kreth

It’s 1:44am on a Friday. All is quiet, but in a few minutes, everything will change when popular student watering holes Trinity, Boylan Heights, Coupes’ and other Corner bars flip on the lights, signaling the end of night. But just because the drinks have stopped flowing, that doesn’t mean a Wahoo’s night is over. Every weekend during the school year, as Charlottesville sleeps, hungry students descend on the Corner’s robust array of late-night eateries. Here are five of the most popular after-last-call snack destinations for UVA students.—Ben Hitchcock and Gracie Kreth

1. Sheetz

Yes, Sheetz. The gas station chain opened a location on University Avenue this past year, bringing all the glamour of a highway rest stop to the university’s venerable Corner. Sheetz’s hot dogs, mozzarella sticks and made-to-order sandwiches are some of the cheapest eats on the Corner—previously frozen or not, the inexpensive food is popular among students, especially after six vodka cranberries. Sheetz has computerized kiosks for orders, which are great for avoiding human contact when you’re slurring your words.

2. The White Spot

The White Spot is one of the Corner’s oldest businesses, but the greasy spoon is not immune to late-night boozy disarray. After a certain hour, it’s not uncommon to see a hungry student hop behind the counter and flip burgers to his heart’s content.

Many of the White Spot’s menu items toe the line between inventive and hitting the spot after a few (or several) white Russians. The go-to soak-up-the-booze menu items: the Gus burger, a hamburger topped with a fried egg, and the Grillswith, two grilled Krispy Kreme donuts covered with ice cream.

3. Marco & Luca

When potential clients have many choices and severely impaired decision-making skills, location becomes crucial. Fortunately, Marco & Luca is located just across the street from Coupe’s—as students stagger up the stairs from the bar, the first place that meets their eye is the dumpling shop.

Marco & Luca keeps its menu simple—perfect for college students fumbling to pull crumpled bills from their wallets—and recently expanded its menu from five items to a whopping seven. Tough luck, vegans, this is a pork-dumpling-only kind of place.

While the food is tasty, the best part of an evening at Marco & Luca is watching drunk people try to use chopsticks.

4. Christian’s Pizza

Christian’s Pizza on the Downtown Mall is a wholesome staple of life in Charlottesville, while late-night Christian’s on the Corner is loud and lively, a hub of oily, pepperoni-scented chaos.

Sharing a wall with popular bar Boylan Heights, Christian’s is dependably crowded, especially just after last call. The line snakes around the interior of the store, and wobbly students laugh and argue as they size up the offerings.

The staff serves pizza every night with stone-faced disinterest—there’s no level of drunken shenanigans they haven’t seen before. Slices have been flung, and Parmesan cheese has reached places where Parmesan cheese should never go.

5. Littlejohn’s

Littlejohn’s used to corner the late-night market for its 24-hour service, but the addition of Sheetz last year caused it to share its crown. No matter, not much has changed at this sandwich-slinging refuge, where it’s not uncommon to see students catching a few seconds of shut-eye while they wait for their companions to finish the last bites of their Reubens or Chipotle chicken sandwiches. There’s something calming about knowing no matter what went down that night, Littlejohn’s remains a beacon of light, a place of respite where the scent of deli meat lingers in the air.