Could 2021 Rival 2014? A Rundown of Charlottesville’s Newest Restaurants: Filipino, Korean, Nepalese, French, Latin American, American, etc.

by Charlottesville29

Pork belly at Manila Street

As observed before, the restaurant industry can go in growth cycles. “Grow, contract, repeat.”

After a very difficult 2020, though existing restaurants are still enduring effects of the pandemic, many new ones are opening. 2021 has brought such a burst of openings, in fact, that it could eventually rival 2014, which brought Lampo, The Alley Light, Oakhart Social, Parallel 38, Public Fish & Oyster, MarieBette, Red Pump Kitchen, and Al Carbon, among others. A rundown of openings in the first half of 2021:

  • Broadcloth – Tasting menus from former Clifton Inn Chef Tucker Yoder
  • Café Frank – Jose de Brito’s own restaurant, at last
  • Champion Ice House – Fried chicken and beer with Craig Hartman
  • Danbap – Korean BBQ bowls located at Kung Fu Tea
  • Lampo2GO – In IX Park, takeout location of beloved pizzeria
  • Manila Street – a brick and mortar for the popular Filipino food truck
  • South & Central – Dairy Market steakhouse from Wilson Richey
  • The Ridley – Southern-inspired cuisine in The Draftsman hotel
  • Vision BBQ – In-house smoked barbecue, to-go
  • Yummy MO:MO – Nepalese in a gas station

Plus, there are more to come in the second half of the year: a Jean-Georges restaurant in Keswick, another French place on the downtown mall, a new Al Carbon, Dairy Market additions, and more.