The Charlottesville 29

New ham at Bodo’s.

1)  Ham at Bodo’s Bagels.  Changes seem so rare at Bodo’s that many consider the bagel shop to adhere strictly to the philosophy “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  Look closer, though, and you’ll see that, while Bodo’s does follow a formula that is essential to its success, it is also constantly changing.  The tweaks Bodo’s makes are so small that many customers do not even notice: gradual improvements to the coffee, the addition of a Whole Wheat Everything bagel, or offering eggs all day long.  One recent change seems clearly for the better.  Bodo’s has upgraded its ham, replacing its longtime slick deli-meat version with a style more reminiscent of something from a carving board.  We sampled it relatively unadorned: ham and Swiss on a plain bagel with EZ mustard.  Coarse, meaty, and with a deeper flavor than is predecessor.  Sure, it’s no Olli Prosciutto, but it is a definite improvement and tastes great on a bagel.

Mouth Wide Open truck in our driveway.

2)  Catering from Mouth Wide Open.  We have previously sung the praises of the food dished out by Charlottesville’s latest food truck, Mouth Wide Open.  We became even more enamored after they catered a party for us a few weeks ago.  They will design a menu just for your party, and then will drive the truck to your house and park right in your driveway.  Guests can wander out a few at a time throughout the evening and order whatever they’d like.  They even made a special fried oyster slider for the guest of honor at our event.  Delicious inexpensive food for your guests; something different; and, perhaps best of all, no clean up.  Mouth Wide Open will even bring a garbage can to take away all the trash.  Highly recommended for your next party.