The Charlottesville 29

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Amanda Beckwith and Brian Hersey, of Virginia Distillery Co., which has just released a rare single malt whisky tribute to Charlottesville. Single malts are defined by their sense of place, and so the distillery’s new whisky celebrates the Charlottesville community on which the its success stands. “Crafted from this place for this place,” The Charlottesville 29 Single Barrel is the distillery’s first and only 100% American single malt finished in a single port cask. Read all about it and how Charlottesville is putting American single malt on the map in this week’s C-VILLE.

A habitual collaborator, Director of Liquid Development Amanda Beckwith asked colleague Brian Hersey to join her for Five Finds on Friday. Their picks:

1) Veggieletta and a Chai Latte at Belle. “I always savor my rare lunches in Charlottesville, and love meeting a friend or two at Belle. The abundance of olives falling out from the veggie and mozzarella-laden sourdough sandwich makes me so happy, and the chai latte rounds things off with the perfect, balancing, sweetly spiced sip.”

2) Champignon at Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie. “One of our favorite ways to celebrate the wrap of a long work week is heading to Dr. Ho’s. The perfection of the Champignon’s roasted mushrooms and garlic never fails to hit the spot for me. For Brian, it’s the perfect balance in the Bellissima between the salty country ham, acidic and bitter note from the arugula, sweetness from the roasted tomatoes, and creamy richness of the cheese that wins the day.”

3) Irish Dexter Beef at The Apple Shed. “The Apple Shed is a year-round fruit stand on Route 29 S in Lovingston. Russ sells his own locally grazed cattle, and the Irish Dexter beef is one of Brian’s favorite proteins to cook with. A light oak smoke and then smashed into a cast iron with grilled onion, American cheese, pickles and Duke’s is the perfect rich and beefy bite.”

4) Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas at Continental Divide. “The vibrant energy and fun atmosphere here always make Continental Divide a good time. Brian’s typical order is the Red Hot Blues and a margarita. The Red Hot Blues are simple and delicious, with a great tang from the goat cheese accompanied by plenty of Wait a Minute and a little bit of Danger sauce that make for the perfect high-energy bar snack. My go-to is their phenomenal spinach and mushroom enchiladas, and yes, a marg.”

5) Chocolate Almond Croissant at MarieBette. “While there’s nothing better than a luxurious weekend brunch here, Brian and I mostly use MarieBette to go. Torn between the sweet and the savory options, Brian is all about prezzant, a hybrid pretzel croissant with everything bagel seasoning. I usually select a pain au chocolat or chocolate almond croissant.”