The Charlottesville 29

The 2017 Charlottesville 29 answers: if there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29? To be eligible, a restaurant must have a Charlottesville postal address and have been open since January 1, 2016. Retail establishments that offer restaurant service (e.g. beer/wine stores, wineries, etc.) are also eligible, but solely on the basis of their restaurant service, not retail items.

In this year’s 29, all but four restaurants from the 2016 The Charlottesville 29 appear again. Three restaurants closed in 2016: Brookville, Mican, and Parallel 38. And a fourth – Citizen Burger Bar — exits not because of a significant drop in quality but rather because the competition is so strong. As said before, the list of restaurants not on the 29 may be greater testimony to the caliber of our food scene than the 29 themselves.  As in: “If ___ isn’t among Charlottesville’s essential 29 restaurants, there must be a lot of great restaurants in town.” This is true of Citizen, which still warrants praise, and many others not on the list. We are blessed in Charlottesville. Both with the 29, and beyond.

And so, 2017’s Charlottesville 29 is now live, featuring 25 repeat entries from 2016. The remaining four slots will be filled this week, with one new entry each day.