Five Finds on Friday: Bill Scatena
by Charlottesville29
On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities. Today’s picks come from Bill Scatena, sous chef at Pippin Hill Farm Table & Wine Bar. Tonight, Scatena will be preparing a Tuscan-inspired menu for Pippin Hill’s first annual Winemaker’s Dinner. Scatena’s picks:
1) Crispy Yucca with Salsa Verde at El Tepeyac. “Authentic, Salvadoran cuisine done up in an approachable way. The yucca is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted.”
2) Bloody Mary and Eggs Benedict at The Pigeon Hole. “A hidden, local spot on the UVA corner. Cross your fingers when trying to get in for Sunday morning brunch, but well worth the wait – especially for a spicy bloody mary. You can never go wrong with a bloody mary, especially when it’s in a mason jar – it’s always good.”
3) Kale Salad at Tavola. “Everything about Tavola’s kale salad is memorable. I’m not a huge salad guy, but the combination of sweet and salty flavors gets me every time.”
4) The Hell Sandwich at BBQ Exchange. “I love spicy food. I love BBQ. It’s made by Brooks Tanner…enough said.”
5) Dried Fried Eggplant at Taste of China. “Favorite dish in town, hands down. It gets better every time I eat it. It takes a lot of skill to make this dish with a crispy, flaky texture on the outside, yet light and airy on the inside. You have to try it.”