Five Finds on Friday: Vinnie Falcone
by Charlottesville29
On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities. Today’s picks come from Vinnie Falcone, former sous chef at PastureQ, now a sous chef at Red Pump Kitchen. PastureQ’s recent closure was a sad loss for Charlottesville, but the silver lining is the talent their cooks are adding to kitchens around Charlottesville, including Falcone at Red Pump. Falcone’s picks:
1) Fried Chicken Thighs from Wayside Takeout & Catering. “There’s nothing more that I love on a day off than a big ole box of chicken thighs and a cold one.”
2) Bone Marrow and Escargot at The Alley Light. “This is my go-to spot for a great cocktail – Micah is insanely talented! Chef’s bone marrow & escargot is a must have when you’re there.” (Note: this was our 2014 Dish of the Year.)
3) Hellboy Pizza at Lampo. “What’s not to love about this place? The food, drinks and service are always on point, especially the Hellboy.”
4) Alioli at MAS Tapas. “It’s my favorite place to go after work for some snacks with friends. You can’t go wrong here, especially if there’s alioli involved.”
5) Hot & Numbing Tofu Skins at Peter Chang’s. “I honestly eat the hot & numbing tofu skins almost every week. It’s my favorite dish in town. The flavor, heat & sensation you get from the Szechuan peppercorns is like nothing else.”