The Charlottesville 29

Dairy Market’s impressive list of tenants continues to grow. The latest addition to the market hall is Manila Street, Filipino food from the founders of Little Manila food truck. In addition to favorites from the truck, owners Jessie and Fernando Dizon will serve other dishes based on family recipes passed from one generation to the next.

Born in the Philippines, Fernando has lived in Charlottesville since age 12. A lover of food, Dizon has always enjoyed the Charlottesville restaurant scene. “Growing up Filipino, you learn to have a love and appreciation for food – cooking it, eating it and sharing it with others,” said Fernando.

But, he says, a great void was a source for Filipino food. So in 2012, Fernando started selling handmade lumpia (spring rolls) and other traditional foods first at area markets and then from his truck, Little Manila. With a following around town, the lumpia have made appearances in Five Finds on Friday and in this week’s Best Bites: Highlights from Charlottesville’s Culture of Takeout.

Now, a brick and mortar home in Dairy Market will allow the Dizons to introduce even more Filipino dishes to Charlottesville, like Fernando’s father’s Mitsado – tender beef  stewed in a tomato based sauce with carrots, bell peppers and potatoes. A family affair, Manila Street is named after the Charlottesville street of the same name, with a row of houses that is home to more than sixty members of the Dizon’s extended family.

Dairy Market opens in December.