The Charlottesville 29

At a restaurant, we often ask the kitchen just to make whatever they want. And, it’s no different when we invite one of the area’s best chefs to cook dinner at a friend’s house. Carte blanche, we told Laura Fonner. The same went for the wine – carte blanche selections by Bottle House.

Recommend.

FOOD

First
Variety of grilled house made sausages and mustards
Spice rubbed rare tuna mini tostadas, pepitas, jalapeño queso fresco, pickled shallots
Heirloom tomato tart tatin, balsamic pearls, pesto creme fraiche

Second
Scallop crude, salsa macha, avocado mousse, citrus segments

Dinner
12 hour sous-vide teres major steak with roasted carrot, pistachio and currant romesco
Local asparagus and ramp galette
Local lettuce, house made bacon and spring pea salad, Meyer lemon vin
Blistered shishito peppers

Dessert
Cantaloupe ice cream, spicy honey goat cheese, basil, Macadamia nuts, sea salt

WINE

First
Albert Bichot Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Reserve NV
This Champagne-method wine is produced in Burgundy by the great Albert Bichot and is comprised of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The balance of acidity and toasty mousse should stand up well to all the first course items.

Second
Domaine Bellevue Touraine Sauvignon, Loire Valley 2020
Acid, acid, acid.  This wine should really bring out the citrus flavors and add a crisp element with the raw seafood.

Dinner
Cabriz Dão Vinho Tinto Reserva 2015
So often overlooked, the wines of both the Douro and Dao are still tremendous values despite the quality and pedigree of winemaking here. This is a wine made for meat and roasted veggies. The grapes here are Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz.

Last year, through The Charlottesville Restaurant Gift Card Program, we and many other restaurant lovers bought gift cards from Charlottesville restaurants to provide needed cash flow to restaurants struggling to endure the pandemic. Now that Charlottesville restaurants have reopened for business, we are paying it forward by giving away to a lucky reader the $200 Ivy Inn gift card we bought last March.

Over the last week, hundreds of readers entered the drawing, both by liking social media posts and by supporting Ivy Inn co-owner Vangelopoulos in his Journey of Awesomeness, a 200-mile bike ride to raise funds for clean water and food for those in need. Thank you, Charlottesville for all of the support. Still like to help?  Make your donation here.

Congratulations to the drawing’s winner: Izzy Brodsky.

Meanwhile, let’s eat!