The Charlottesville 29

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from chef Tristan Wraight, who, with Ben Clore, co-owns Oakhart Social, a promising new restaurant set to open soon on West Main Street.  Follow their progress on Facebook.  Wraight comes to Charlottesville from Chicago, but, with Clore’s help, has already discovered some great stuff.  “Being new to the area, it is hard to pick only five spots,” said Wraight.  “There are so many great places and wonderful friends in midtown like Maya, Main Street Market, and Blue Moon Diner, but here are a few picks that are new to us.”

1)  Gnarly Fried Chicken and Parmesan Sandwich at JM Stock Provisions on Saturdays.  “Awesome for soaking up Friday night. The sandos are always changing, so yay for variety. They have even started opening at 7:30 am with coffee and fresh biscuits for those of us who didn’t go out on Friday. Also, an all around amazing butcher shop and just down the street from us in Midtown.”

2)  Lobster Roll at Public Fish & Oyster.  “Our neighbor chef Donnie kills it with a freshly ‘dispatched’ Maine lobster roll. I think that’s enough said about that. Lobster… Roll…. yep, done.”

3)  Lamb Curry at Revolutionary Soup.  “If you are going to be a joint known for one kind of food (soup), you really need to do it well. They do. We also love that they have a very well thought out beer selection. We’ll be hitting them up a bunch this winter.”

4)  Tacos at La Guadalupana.  “Very legit tacos (with two tortillas).  We both think the lengua is the best in town. You have to walk through the store to find this gem at the back of the building. You also may have to order in Spanish, but so much the better. Really authentico.”

5)  Duchesse De Bourgogne at Beer Run.  “A beer lover’s wet dream and good food to boot. Our favorite is their really good selection of Flemish sour ales and particularly Duchesse. If you haven’t had one, they are a wonderful and weird experience. Beer Run is a gem.”