The Charlottesville 29

As I researched a recent article about Zocalo’s new owner Will Miguel, I began to notice something unusual. Everyone I asked, it seemed, heaped praise on him. Not just as a chef. But as a person.

“Great dude,” said one chef. “One of the really good guys,” said another. “It really is hard to believe,” said another. “A league of his own,” said one more. Tommy Lasley, who worked with Miguel at Orzo and was once named a Rising Star Chef summed it up: “His relentless honing of craft, coupled with his genuine care for both his food and guests, sets him apart.”

The Pumpkin Muffin Story

If there’s any doubt that kindness is contagious, the story of how Miguel came to possess the recipe for HotCakes’ pumpkin muffins could put it to rest. Before closing in 2021, HotCakes was a beloved bakery and café that drew crowds for decades. Among its most popular attractions were pumpkin muffins, which some regulars would even have shipped to them after leaving Charlottesville. The month before closing in 2021, HotCakes sold 9,000 pumpkin muffins.

Fast forward to earlier this year, when HotCakes co-founders Keith Rosenfeld and his wife Lisa McEwan met Miguel through Rosentfeld’s business Granite Technology. While helping Miguel with Zocalo’s POS system, Rosenfeld was so struck by Miguel’s character that he wanted to find a way to help him in his new venture.

Miguel invited Rosenfeld and McEwan to Zocalo for dinner to sample dishes he planned to introduce there. The food floored them. “Really top-tier for Charlottesville,” said Rosenfeld. “His flavors just jump in your mouth,” echoed McEwan. “Not the type of food that you just eat and forget about.”

This only heightened their desire to help Miguel. While talking with him after their meal about how to do that, one idea was simply to spread the word about his delicious food. And then they thought of the pumpkin muffins. When they closed HotCakes, McEwan wondered if there might be a way for the pumpkin muffins to remain available to their Charlottesville fans. She even thought they could make a good business for someone, but nothing ever materialized.

In Miguel, they saw a perfect candidate to carry the legacy. “When you speak with him, it is pretty easy to realize that he is a super nice guy,” said McEwan. “Intelligent but caring.” Offering the pumpkin muffins through Zocalo, they thought, might not only provide a revenue boost for the restaurant, but also attract customers.

And so, they offered their recipe to Miguel. But not just their recipe, also what McEwan says is the secret behind their deliciousness: the muffin tins. The key, she says, is the tins’ crenulated ridges, as are used for French brioche, which give the muffins’ edges a crisp exterior, while maintaining a custardy interior.

Miguel tried to pay them for their kindness, but they refused, insisting it was a gift. Now he feels a duty to carry the legacy of the popular muffins. “I take this as an honor for me,” said Miguel. “Now I have another great responsibility to create new memories for new people, and I am very grateful and humble to have that responsibility.”

Pumpkin muffins may be ordered online or via email at zocalogm@gmail.com. $18 per half dozen, and $35 per dozen. The muffins are also available during Saturday and Sunday brunch.