On Fridays, we feature five finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Tomas Rahal of MAS Tapas, who focused on some of his current daytime favorites.  Rahal’s picks:

1)  Double Macchiato from Shenandoah Joe.  “Sometimes this is a meal, others a reward.  Perfect pitch by the baristas at Shen Joe.”

2)  Blueberry Spudnuts from Spudnuts.  “Maybe they remind me of my aunt Eulalia’s nutmeg donuts, or Lori just knows I’m a sucker for these hot out of the oil.  Simple pleasure.”

3)  Fried Chicken and Waffles from Ace Biscuit & Barbecue.  “Need I say more? Brian and staff hit this one out of the park.”

4)  Pulled Pork from BBQ Exchange.  “The whole hog and nothing butt the whole hog.  Want some awesome hickory-smoked protein?  Shake a leg to Gordonsville and be prepared to wait.  You can’t hurry perfection.”

5)  The awesome homemade Sandwiches from Breadworks.  “Taste just like Mom’s!”

On Fridays, we feature five finds from local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Steve Monson, winemaker at Early Mountain Vineyards.  On Father’s Day, June 16, is the Early Mountain Vineyards BBQ Festival, with wine, barbecue, and even a cornhole tournament.  Monson’s picks:

1)  Black Smoke Kolsch at Champion Brewing Company, in collaboration with Glass Haus Kitchen.  “Anyone can hide bad brewing with a bunch of hops (I do it all the time) but this beer shows off a mastering of malts which give this medium bodied beer layers of complex flavors from caramel to toasted sesame seeds.”

2)  Pulpo on Parrilla at Mas Tapas.  “I like to pick this dish apart so I can enjoy the perfectly cooked octopus on its own, leaving a pile of pork to face on my own terms.”

3)  Everything Bagel with Lox Spread at Bodo’s.  “They serve other things? Maybe next year.”

4)  Margarita at Continental Divide.  “The simple, fresh ingredients really complement blanco tequila for a clean cocktail.  But, I might go for aged tequila if I’m feeling swarthy.”

5)  Fried Oysters and a Potter’s Craft Cider at The Whiskey Jar.  “The cider really cuts through the fried batter.  It’s like every oyster is the first.”

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Matthew Hart, chef of The Local.  In last week’s Five Finds on Friday, his wife Melissa Close Hart of Palladio included one of his dishes among her picks.  This week, Hart sensibly returns the favor.  Hart’s picks:

1)  Sunday Lunch at Palladio.  “Palladio was my favorite special occasion restaurant long before I married Melissa, their lovely and talented chef.  Sunday is my favorite day to go, and not only because it is the only day I can manage to make it out there.  After a busy weekend the perfect way to unwind is a leisurely lunch and glass of wine (okay, maybe a couple glasses of wine) and good company.  Since my lovely wife is invariably cooking the food, I like to bring my ten year old son who is already smart enough to know good food when he tastes it, and loves Palladio as much as I do.”

2)  Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on an Everything Bagel at Bodo’s.  “Yummy.  What kind of cheese?  American.  Don’t tell anyone please, because I know it is terribly unchefly, but when it comes to egg sandwiches and burgers, American cheese is gooey delicious.  Being a chef, whenever I travel, I always try to eat the regional specialties in order to sample the best dishes as they are meant to be prepared.  When I was younger and would find myself in New York, I would always ask around for the best bagel place because everyone always said that was where the best bagels were.  Now, when in New York, I order whatever I am in the mood for because I had a lot of good bagels, but never one that was better than what Bodo’s serves all day, every day.”

3)  Pork at BBQ Exchange.  “Being outside of my regular stomping grounds, I don’t make it out to the BBQ Exchange as often as I would like.  Fortunately, it is not too far out of the way for my wife to swing by and scoop some up on the way home.  What do I like to eat there?  Everything!  As long as it is pork I am a happy camper.  (I am sure that the non-pork meat offerings are good there as well, but I have not found a good reason to deviate.)  Round it out with collard greens, macaroni and cheese (better get extra because my son can eat his own body weight in mac-n-cheese), some slaw, and some of the spicy pickles and that is about as good as it gets.  Craig Hartman really shows that when a chef, who’s fine dining game is as good as anyone’s I know, turns his ambitions towards BBQ, then great things happen.”

4)  Pizza at Ciro’s Pizza.  “Ciro’s Pizza in Waynesboro is something I grew up eating and it is still my favorite pizza in the world.  In my family, on your birthday, you get to pick what everyone eats, and we have been having Ciro’s Pizza since I was 12 years old.  Judging by how old I feel, that is about 75 years of birthday dinners.  My parents still live in Waynesboro, and Ciro’s Pizza helps ensure that I am a dutiful son and visit as often as I can.”

5)  Blue Crabs on the Beach with my Family.  “Every year my family gets to sneak away for a week and we go to the Outer Banks for some R&R.  One of the highlights for me is getting a bushel of crabs, some potatoes, some corn, some shrimp, and whatever else looks good at the market and throwing together a crab boil.  I literally look forward to this all year long.  Dinner takes about three hours as we sit around and pick crabs and drink beer.  I always get way more crabs than we can eat so that I can eat them for lunch the rest of the week.  This is my favorite meal in the world and the crabs are only a small part of the recipe.  Every year, I prepare this meal and sit down with my loved ones to eat it.  The crabs taste great, but when mixed with the company and the memories of sharing this meal in years past, they become something indescribably delicious.  This is what food and drink is all about.  Making memories while breaking bread and sipping wine (or in this case beer).”

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from four-time James Beard award semi-finalist Melissa Close Hart, chef of Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Vineyard.  On June 9, Palladio will be celebrating the release of Barboursville’s 2012 Vermentino Reserve with a multi-course dinner with guest chef Roberto Donna, who Esquire Magazine last year named national Chef of the Year.  Hart’s picks:

1)  Crispy Shrimp with Pickled Ginger-Sesame Aioli & Honey Sambal Drizzle at The Local.  “The chef, Matthew Hart, who also happens to be my husband, jokes that customers may revolt if he takes these delicious crispy shrimp off the menu.  Truth of the matter is he knows that I might revolt.  Just kidding, honey.  I love to sit at the bar with a cocktail and these shrimp!  It makes for a happy wife!”

2)  “Family Dinner” at The BBQ Exchange.  “Since I work out in Barboursville and live in Charlottesville, I can stop by and see my mentor, Craig Hartman, at his now famous BBQ joint.  His pork is perfect.  Everytime!  And he’s smoking a lot of pork – thousands of pounds a week, I’m sure.  But back to the Family Dinner: 1 pound of pork, 3 sides (we choose Mac & Cheese, Southern Slaw & Collards), 2 sauces (we go for Hog Fire & Craig’s Carolina), 4 buns and 4 pumpkin muffins.  And you can’t forget those muffins!  Yum.  And all for less than $25.  Can’t beat it!  Pick up a six pack of Blue Mountain brew on the way home and life is good!”

3)  Drunken Noodles with Chicken, Spicy at Pad Thai.  “From the first time I had their noodles, I was sold.  The balance between the spice, the acidity, the sweetness and the herbs is just perfect.  Plus I really love how crispy they let the noodles get.  I have to admit I get noodles from them almost every week!  Pairs very well with a nice cold sweeter wine, like Barboursville’s Riesling or even the Dry Rose (not as sweet but works well with the spice).”

4)  Any of the Southern Creations at Rapture.  “Chris Humphrey and I are cut from the same cook’s cloth.  We grew up on southern soul food and his interpretations always please me, my palate and my belly.  Last time I was there we had Cherry Coke Braised Pork Cheeks over Grits.  What the bleep!  I was in pig heaven.  And that’s a place I like to go often.  Have some gumbo and fried green tomatoes to start and some draft beers and you will feel transported to the deep South, y’all!”

5)  Donuts at Spudnuts.  “Jacob, my stepson, likes when I drive him to school, because he knows that I can be talked into stopping by for a donut.  I couldn’t tell you which is my favorite because that would be like picking a favorite child.  They are all great in each of their own ways.  But if I HAD to pick, I’d have to say the basic glazed, especially if they are warm.  But you can’t go wrong with the apple fritter either.  The kitchen and office crew at work like when I go because I’ll usually pick up an extra dozen to share.  Got to share the donut love.  The hardest part is waiting the 30 minutes it takes to get  to work at Barboursville so I can have a cup of Shenandoah Joe’s Palladio Blend with my donut.  Well to tell you the truth, I usually have one on the way.  I have no self control!”

In Charlottesville, as elsewhere, craft beer has gone mainstream.  What was once a mysterious beverage enjoyed by geeky, bearded, Neanderthals in dark, dingy dives is now everywhere – on the shelves of supermarkets, in convenience stores, and even in refrigerators at gas stations, where we have recently spotted cult favorites like Founders All Day IPA and Lagunitas Sucks Ale.

For more than a decade, Charlottesville’s beer pioneers have been waiting for this boom.  Court Square Tavern, South Street Brewery, and Michael’s Bistro all opened long before craft beer was cool.  Some of that old guard – e.g. Blue Ridge Brewing and 12^th Street Taphouse – couldn’t survive the wait. But, there is no question that the craft beer boom is here.

Evidence abounds. The best family restaurant in town is called “Beer Run,” which can have an hour-long wait for brunch minutes after opening.  Breweries along the Nelson 151 attract hundreds of visitors daily, with new ones continuing to open in and around Charlottesville.  And, it is virtually impossible for a restaurant to open in Charlottesville, regardless of type, without devoting serious attention to its beer list.  Gone are the days when a new restaurant could get by with a few domestics and imports, and leave it at that.

Now, a new entrant is poised to join the fun.  In fact, Sedona Taphouse, which plans to open in June on Milmont St., is a direct product of the craft beer boom.  Five years ago, its founder, Dennis Barbaro, could hardly be called a hophead.  A veteran of restaurant operations, Barbaro had opened 27 restaurants in his career, mostly chains like Chi-Chis, Outback Steakhouse, and Bonefish Grill.  As managing partner of a Bonefish Grill in Williamsburg at the time, he recalls being asked one day to add more craft beer to the menu.  Barbaro took to his new task immediately. “I became fascinated with the craft beer phenomenon occurring,” Barbaro says.

After four years of on-the-job training in craft beer at Bonefish Grill, Barbaro opened his first Sedona Taphouse in Midlothian in 2011.  Barbaro sought to create a destination that would appeal to more people than just the typical beer geek.  Craft beer had gone mainstream, and so could a craft beer restaurant.  In particular, Barbaro had in mind one set of potential customers that some beer bars had given short shrift: women.  “I wanted a place that would appeal to women equally as much as men,” says Barbaro, “a place that I would like to go and enjoy quality food and awesome beer and also a place that my wife and her friends would feel equally comfortable.”

Barbaro succeeded.  Sedona Taphouse has been an enormous success, and a full 50% of customers are women.  It has been so successful, in fact, that he is ready to open a second (with more in the works).  Asked “Why Charlottesville?,” Barbaro cites his fondness for the city, as well as its proximity to local breweries and wineries.  Perhaps most important, though, is the presence of Scott Hutson, longtime Managing Partner of Charlottesville’s Bonefish Grille, who will be a partner in the Charlottesville Sedona Taphouse and will manage day-to-day operations.

So, what can we expect from the new Sedona Taphouse?  The best indication may be the old one.  While Barbaro expects the Charlottesville outpost to develop a character of its own, the food and drink menus will be very similar to those of the Midlothian original, at least initially.  Beer lovers can expect a rotating menu of more than fifty draught beers, and 500 more in the bottle (yes, 500).   Sedona Taphouse has already built a presence in the industry that also allows it access to rare beers that are particularly appealing to beer aficionados.

As for the food, Barbaro has spent much of his career in restaurant kitchens, and is responsible for recipes of most menu items, from small plates to entrees.  Barbaro’s personal favorites include the Acapulco fish tacos, the wagyu sliders, and the Filet Oscar – a hand-cut filet mignon, wood grilled and served with crabmeat, lemon butter and asparagus.  Barbaro also recently hired Executive Chef Jordan Clegger, who most recently ran the kitchen of Richmond’s Mosaic.

Look for an opening in early June.  For more information, follow along the Facebook page of the Charlottesville Sedona Taphouse or visit the website.

Today is the 50th edition of Five Finds on Friday, where chefs and local personalities pick five favorite food items in the area.  To mark the occasion here at The Charlottesville 29, we have the picks of a Charlottesville resident who is among the top 29 in the world in his field.  In fact, tennis player Treat Huey is ranked exactly 29th in the world in doubles.  Next week, the undefeated men’s tennis team of his alma mater, UVa, will begin the NCAA Championship tournament, en route to its first ever title.  Oh yeah, Huey also happens to be a lover of food.  Huey’s picks:

1)  Yuca and Caramont Farm Goat Cheese Fritters at Commonwealth.  “This appetizer is ridiculously good.  Then you can not go wrong with any of the entrees especially if you get the smashed, roasted red potatoes as a side.  A great meal and then heading upstairs to Skybar to have a drink when there is good weather is a great way to end a day.”

2)  Local “Double H Farm” Berkshire Pork Chop at The Local.  “Get the blackberry cobbler with house made vanilla ice cream for dessert.  All the food is great, and the restaurant building and decor are also  reasons I come back and eat here as much as I can.”

3)  Cajun Crusted Tilapia wrap with Chipotle Dressing and Salt and Vinegar Chips at Zazus Fresh Grille.  “I have this at least once a week when I am in town.”

4)  Lunch Buffet at Milan Indian Cuisine.  “When I am really hungry, the lunch buffet at Milan is my go to.  One of my friends, Sanam, who moved here from India five years ago, took me here for the first time a few years back after raving about it and I have been hooked ever since.  The naan, curries and tandoori chicken are must haves.”

5)  Pasta al Forno and House Salad at Bella’s.  “Start with the large Bella’s house and then have the Pasta al Forno. Two people sharing these is the perfect amount of food.  Also, I recently ate at the bar because there was a wait and my friend and I got to talking with Ayo the bartender.  He’s a great guy and made dinner even more enjoyable.”

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Jonathan Wheeler, Sparkling Winemaker at Trump Winery.  Next weekend, May 4 and 5, Trump Winery will be celebrating its 2012 Vintage Release with samples of the new 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, and Rosé.  Wheeler’s picks:

1)  Oysters on the Half Shell at Blue Light Grill and Raw Bar.  “Super fresh, tastes just like the ocean should.”

2)  Ginger Braised Pork Tamale with Mole Sauce at Commonwealth Restaurant.  “Goes great with their En Fuego cocktail.”

3)  Hudson Valley Duck breast with Navy Bean Cassoulet at L’Etoile.   “Great savory flavors.”

4)  Steak au Poivre at the Downtown Grill.  “Anytime I want perfectly cooked steak I go here.”

5)  Umali Brûlée at Savour Restaurant.  “A puff pastry with pudding, candied pecans, and coconut that is a great way to end the meal.”

1)  Dinner with Hill & Holler.  Hill & Holler founder Tracey Love describes it best:  “a roving farm dinner event company bringing farmers, chefs, winemakers, and the community together with the goal of enjoying a farm crafted dinner while raising funds for local food and agricultural organizations.”  The dinners she puts together several times a year have quickly become legendary in the Charlottesville food community.  We had the pleasure of enjoying the most recent one – a four course family-style dinner (menu pictured) at the newly opened Old Metropolitain Hall, prepared by one of the most accomplished chefs in Charlottesville, Dean Maupin of C&O.  A benefit for Beyond the Flavor, the meal featured products from a bevy of outstanding local purveyors, including Potter’s Craft Cider, Pollak Vineyards, Sausage Craft, Border Springs Farm, Free Union Grass Farm, Silky Cow, Rare Lynx, Albemarle Baking Co., and Shenandoah Joe.  One in our group remarked that it was some of the best food they could ever remember eating.  Hill & Holler is a Charlottesville treasure.  For updates on upcoming dinners, follow along on their Facebook page.

2)  KimKim Sauce and Coco Pop.  Watch out, this Virginia-made sauce is addictive, based on the habit-forming Korean paste gochujang, made of fermented chilis, rice, and soy beans.  After first discovering it at Feast!, we have been wolfing it down with almost anything – bulgogi, pork, chicken, rice, eggs, etc.  It complements all of these things beautifully.  But, the sauce is so good that it can even play a starring roll.  To wit, it is great on Coco Pop, the airy cakes made from popped wheat flour, rice flour, and corn flour.  The neutral, nutty flavor of the cakes allows the delicious KimKim Sauce to shine.  KimKim Sauce is available at Feast! and Whole Foods;  Coco Pop is available at Whole Foods.  This would be a very healthy snack if it were possible to stop eating.

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Mike Ketola, who cooks at not one but two restaurants that have been inducted into The Charlottesville 29.  Ketola is the longtime sous chef of Mas, and also cooks at Barbecue Exchange.  Ketola’s picks:

1)  Glazed Blueberry Cake Donut at Spudnuts.  “Is there anything they can’t do?”

2)  Tequila-lime Chocolate at Gearharts.  “The aged anejo tequila-lime fondant is the perfect complement to the intensely rich and sweet white chocolate casing.”

3)  Seared Jumbo lump Crab and Corn Cake at Three Notch’d Grill.  “Lightly textured, virtually exploding with flavor- the velvety lemon beurre blanc and refreshingly crisp jicama slaw really take it to the next level.”

4)  Pappardelle Ragu at Tavola.  “Rich and meaty pork ragu, supple ribbons of housemade pasta: comfort food turned up to 11!”

5)  Chicken Shawarma at Aromas Cafe.  “I always get it with extra habiba sauce, which is really out of this world tasty!”