The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Category: Five Finds on Friday

10/30/2026

Five Finds on Friday: Tami Resch

Do you know Charlottesville super-couple Tami Resch and Joel Cuellar? Resch is the former freelance baker of layer cakes and cupcakes at MarieBette. Cuellar is the former Spirits Sommelier of Manhattan’s legendary Brandy Library, who runs Speakeasy. (He’s also a judge in Malt Masters 2026, coming soon.) Now, with their daughters Islay and Skye, they are opening Charlottesville Cupcake.

Opening in November at 402 Commerce St., across from the Jefferson School park, Charlottesville Cupcake will serve the cupcakes that earned Resch a following at MarieBette, along with some new creations. Follow their Instagram page for updates. Resch’s picks:

1) Vanilla Bean Marmalade Danish at Cou Cou Rachou. “I am embarrassed to say how long it took me as a baker to visit Cou Cou Rachou, especially since my neighbor Sarah is a baker there, but I was so delighted when I did. I had an incredible Vanilla Bean Marmalade danish and the vibe is so friendly and cheerful.”

2) Rose Geranium Ice Cream from SugarBear. “I’ve only had it once after having the great fortune of tasting a rose geranium panna cotta at Emily’s home for dessert. I literally couldn’t speak. It was the best thing I had ever tasted. Thankfully she made it into an ice cream and it had this delicate floral, slightly herbal, precious flavor. Let’s talk her into making it again next spring.”

3) Tres Leches Cake from Florosa at JBird. “Chris does an absolutely outstanding version and her presentation is so beautiful. It feels so generous and deliberate in its loveliness. It feels like you’re eating a gift every time.”

4) Lobster Tempura at Ten Sushi. “Every time our family has a big event to celebrate, the kids (now 18!) want to go to Ten Sushi. We sit down and mainly order four plates of Lobster Tempura, and also multiples of Ten Hamachi, but it’s the crispy delicate crunch on the big chunks of lobster that get me.”

5) Salt Risen Potato Rolls at Aster. “My husband didn’t look happy when I ordered the potato rolls the first night we went to Aster. There was just so much more on the menu that looked interesting and exciting. But I was so right. They’re served warm with this giant smear of local butter which I did not leave a trace of.”

05/22/2026

Five Finds on Friday: Gerry Sweeney

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Gerry Sweeney, involved in two businesses that have been busy lately. For one, he is Brand Ambassador for Eastwood Farm and Winery, which has just revamped the Virginia Wine Collective, the incubator for nine small local winemakers, which is now open Wed-Fri, serving thin-crust pizzas, appetizers, wine flights, and draught beer. Meanwhile, with his wife Susan, he co-owns Cake Bloom which recently expanded and relocated to 120 10th St. NW. Sweeney’s picks:

1) Chicken Wings with Alabama Sauce or Dry Rub at Vision BBQ. “I’ve been following Mike Blevins — and his smoked chicken wings — for years, and they’re hands down the best in town. My go-to after-work pitstop these days is Vision for a plate of wings and Bitburger, and when my wife asks what’s for dinner, I order more smoked chicken and take it home for an easy taco dinner.”

2) El Capitan at Beer Run. “Morning, noon, or night, this place checks all the boxes. Unpretentious, quality food, good people, and, of course, the beer. On weekends, the breakfast tacos plus a National Bohemian win every time. Thank you, John Woodriff.”

3) Carnitas Tacos at La Michoacana. “Edgar Gaona’s carnitas tacos at La Michoacana are the real deal — raw white onion, the perfect bit of cilantro, and no slaw nonsense. A cold Pacifico in the free hand, and I could swear I was back at my favorite taqueria in Sonoma. Same story, too. Started in a truck, earned the brick and mortar. Every bite tastes like someone who’s been chasing this exact pork shoulder his whole life.”

4) Oysters at Public Fish & Oyster. “When my wife and I are missing our old haunts on Tomales Bay, we meet for a Tuesday happy hour date. A dozen or two oysters, a couple of Narragansett tallboys, frites, and some properly charred Brussels sprouts, and we’re the happiest East Coasters in the world.”

5) Double Cheeseburger at Riverside Lunch. “The lollipop place, as my daughter Lucy calls, is exactly what a hometown burger joint should be. Double cheeseburger, fries, onion rings, a sweating Miller High Life, and a staff that treats you — and your kid — like a regular from day one. Nothing here is reinventing the wheel, and that is precisely the point.”

04/24/2026

Five Finds on Friday: Sarah and Hannah Glatt

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from The Cville Sisters: Sarah and Hannah Glatt.

For some Charlottesville residents, gratitude for the area’s bounty sparks a passion to savor all it offers. The Cville Sisters have felt that for years: from high school to college, and now as they build their lives here. In their new Instagram feed, the bon vivants share their pursuit of Charlottesville’s good life. “We really love this community and want to see it thrive, and this feels like a fun way to contribute,” said Sarah. The Cville Sisters’ picks:

1) Daiquiri at Bar Baleno and Saltati Scarola at Lampo. “Whether it is a Thursday evening after Lampo’s 6 pm Run Club or while waiting for a table at Lampo, starting off with a Dealer’s Choice daiquiri from Matthew is the move. Then we’ll head over to Lampo to start our meal off with the Saltati Scarola, pairing it with our favorite pizzas, or sometimes a sandwich, to follow.”

2) Hibiscus Spritzer and Spiced Meatballs at Ethos Wine & Tea. “Get the Hibiscus Spritzer, but make it a wine spritzer. And, we always end up with an order of the spiced meatballs. Read a book, people watch, or catch up with friends while enjoying the atmosphere.”

3) Tequila Pork Ribs with Plantains and Cebollitas at Al Carbon. “Whenever it gets busy in our house, and we want something great to eat, we automatically think of Al Carbon and their Tequila Ribs. The whole rack can go a long way, and they taste even better paired with the plantains for something sweeter and the cebollitas.”

4) Chocolate Orange Blossom Cheesecake Ice Cream at SugarBear. “While the chocolate orange blossom cheesecake ice cream is the top contender, there are so many amazing seasonal ice cream flavors constantly rotating through. From the Bodo’s Everything Bagel seasoning collab or the current Blueberry Sunshine, you can’t make a wrong choice. So little time to sample them all.”

5) Iced Almond Date Latte at JBird Supply Coffee Roaster. “We love hitting the IX Farmers Market, and our first stop is always the JBird coffee tent for an iced almond date latte. We’ll sip our way around and pick up anything else we need, or want: plants, pastries, stickers, and more. Although we haven’t made it out to their new location by FIREFLY yet, we’re so excited to check it out for our coffee fix—and grab a sweet treat from Florosa.”