The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville
05/02/2014

Five Finds on Friday: Brian Jones

jonesSmiling

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Brian Jones, chef of Petit Pois.  On May 13, Petit Pois is hosting the Charlottesville stop of Wines of Germany’s second annual Riesling Road Trip.  Paul Grieco (of NYC’s Hearth and Terroir), who in 2012 won the James Beard Award for nation’s best wine and spirits professional, is traveling up and down the east coast with wine writer Stuart Pigott in a wine bar on wheels.  On May 13, Grieco and Pigott will be at Petit Pois for a multi-course dinner with eight different German wines.  $52, all inclusive. To reserve, call 434-979-7647.  Jones’ picks:

1)  Pepperoni Pizza and Grape Soda at Vinny’s Pizza & Pasta in Ruckersville.  “Just like the local pizzeria in my town where I grew up. While I can’t put down the grape soda like I used to as a kid, this combination makes me feel like I’m 14 again.”

2)  Original Tart Yogurt with Oreo Cookie Crumbs at Sweet Frog.  “With my six and seven year old girls, these Sweet Frog dates are always sweet times.”

3)  Olive Thyme Levain at Albemarle Baking Company.  “Toast a slice for breakfast to go with your coffee.”

4)  Spicy Tuna Tartar at ZoCaLo.  “Super clean flavors with a little bit of spice. A great way to replenish some calories after a hard night’s work.  Probably the most consistent restaurant in town.  They’re always on point.”

5)  Mussels from Seafood @ West Main.  “The place to grab a bag of mussels before your next party, or any seafood for that matter.  Petit Pois Restaurant sources all of their seafood through Seafood @ West Main. Everything is always super fresh. Pristine quality fish.”

04/25/2014

Five Finds on Friday: Rachel Willis

Rachel

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Rachel Willis, a New England Culinary Institute alum whose resume reads like a greatest hits of Charlottesville restaurants over the last few decades: Metropolitain, Continental Divide, L’Avventura, and Executive Chef of Clifton Inn.  Willis now runs Black Twig Farm with her husband, and also the much-acclaimed Cakes by Rachel.  Willis’ picks:

1)  Drunken Noodles with Beef at Pad Thai.  “The first time I went to Pad Thai was shortly after they opened.  I was eight months pregnant and with three other very pregnant friends. We devoured half the menu and were in ecstasy.  Within an hour of my son being born, I was begging my mother to go get me this dish.  Nothing ever tasted better.”

2)  Lobster Roll from Foods of All Nations.  “When in town doing the mad errand dash, I more often than not find myself stopping for this quick lunch. Theirs is the best to-go sushi in town. And the lobster roll is my favorite!”

3)  Orange Martini at Fardowners.  “Order only one . . . trust me.”

4)  Bratwurst and Fall Sown Spinach from Double H Farm.  “Richard was a close friend and I will miss him dearly.  What a blessing Ara and Gayane are here to carry on what he started.  The brats are perfect and if you are lucky enough to get some of the spinach they have right now, saute lightly and they are perfect together. Their soil grows great greens.”

5)  Princess Cake from Albemarle Baking Company.  “I haven’t had a slice in a long time, but I still hear it call to me all the way out here in Crozet.  There are some combinations that are just perfect.”

04/21/2014

Pad Thai

Pad Thai
156 Carlton Rd. #202 . Charlottesville, VA . (434) 293-4302
http://padthaicville.com/index.html


Why Pad Thai?

While many “Thai” restaurants alter recipes to suit American tastes, Pad Thai offers real Thai home cooking — literally. Utaiwan Ouypron and her husband Santi make the same food they once served at an eatery they ran out of their home in Thailand, before coming to the United States in 2005. You can taste the difference. It’s no wonder so many top chefs are regulars. Among many excellent Thai restaurants in the area, Pad Thai remains a fixture in The Charlottesville 29.

What to Order

While the menu is stellar, we always like to ask the Ouyprons which of the daily specials they recommend. Below is a list of our recommendations, along with the Ouyprons’ favorites, as well as Pad Thai’s appearances in Five Finds on Friday, where area chefs and personalities have named a Pad Thai dish as one of their favorite in town.

Our Picks

  • Grandpa’s Favorite
  • Drunken Noodles
  • Beef Tongue Pad Kapao (special)
  • Swai Pad Numprikpao (special)
  • Thai Beef Consomme Noodle Bowl
  • Stir Fried Cabbage

Chefs’ Picks

  • Bar Snacks
  • Red Curry
  • Clear Broth Noodle Bowl
  • Chinese Broccoli with Pork Belly

Five Finds on Friday Picks

  • Thai Beef Consomme Noodle Bowl — Andrew Silver (formerly, Zocalo), Josh Lowry (formerly, Zocalo), John Shanesy (formerly, Parallel 38)
  • Clear Broth Noodle Bowl (fka Wonton Noodle Soup) — Vu Nguyen (formerly, Brazos)
  • Tom Yum Noodle Bowl with Beef Tongue — Brian Ashworth (formerly, Ace Biscuit & Barbecue)
  • Spicy Noodle Bowl — Phillip Gerringer (formerly, South Fork)
  • Roast pork with shrimp wonton and wonton noodles — Ivan Rekosh (formerly, Zocalo)
  • Drunken Noodles with Chicken, Spicy — Melissa Close-Hart (formerly, Palladio)
  • Drunken Noodles, “Thai hot” — Ian Redshaw (formerly, Lampo)
  • Drunken Noodles with Beef — Rachel Willis (Cakes by Rachel)
  • Drunken Noodles with Tofu and Vegetables — Rebecca Edwards (formerly, Tavola Cicchetti Bar)
  • Drunken Noodles — Lee O’Neill (Radical Roots Farm)
  • Grandpa’s Favorite — Ben Jordan (formerly, Michael Shaps Wineworks)
  • Grandma’s Favorite — Frank Paris (formerly, Miso Sweet)
  • Tom Kha Soup — Jin Bang (Mochiko)
  • Tongue, Tendon, and Trip Pho — John Meiklejohn (formerly, Yearbook Taco)
  • Stir Fried Cabbage — Nina Promisel (Greenwood Gourmet Grocery)
  • Som Tum — Brooke Ray (International Rescue Committee)

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