The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Category: Uncategorized

09/03/2015

Gearharts to Move and Expand

Gearharts

Big news in the Charlottesville chocolate world that, like chocolate itself can be, is bittersweet.  But, as Big Head Todd and the Monsters would say, it’s definitely “more sweet than bitter.”

The bitter part?  Gearharts Fine Chocolates, a fixture at Main Street Market for more than a decade, is moving.  Construction is underway on a new space in Vinegar Hill shopping center (next to Staples), where the world-class, and hugely acclaimed, chocolatier plans to move soon.  “It is a decision we did not take lightly,” said owner Tim Gearhart, “but in the end we decided it would be best to keep the production and retail together.”

The sweet part?  The move will allow Gearharts to expand its offerings significantly.  For example? “The best and most decadent chocolate cake,” said Gearhart, a Culinary Institute of America graduate and former pastry chef of Hamiltons’ at First & Main.  The new Gearharts will have a cafe with chocolate pastries, desserts, and an open display kitchen where guests can sit and watch chocolate being made while sipping a cup of coffee or, better yet, a glass of wine.  There will even be a private room for classes and events like bridal showers and other parties.  “We are not trying to reinvent, just expand the footprint a little,” said Gearhart.

Stay tuned on Facebook for details as they emerge.  For now, expect an opening late this year or early 2016.  And, don’t worry, you can still get your Maya, Criolla, and other favorite chocolates in the meantime at their original location in the Main Street Market.

08/30/2015

ABC: What Would We Do Without It?

bread

Albemarle Baking Company is so essential to our food community that it’s hard to imagine life without it.  Few, if any, food businesses would Charlottesville miss more than the world-class bakery opened in 1995 by Gerry Newman and Millie Carson.  Sundays, when the bakery is closed, are our weekly reminder not to take it for granted.

One longtime restaurateur I spoke with recently can recall life B.ABC.  (before Albemarle Baking Company), and shudders at the thought.  “There was no bread!” she said. “We had to bake our own.”  Even setting aside the way the bakery’s bread makes our sandwiches, its cakes improve our celebrations, and its delicious pastries brighten all of our mornings, think how much we would miss the ritual that ties together restaurant experiences all over town. A sliced ABC baguette with butter.  It’s how we start a meal in Charlottesville.

 

08/19/2015

Best Tomato Sandwich in Charlottesville

tomato

It’s August.  That means tomatoes.  If I’m not making a tomato sandwich at home, I’m probably eating one somewhere around town.  And, my favorite places to do that, year-after-year, are always Will Richey’s spots: The Whiskey Jar and Revolutionary Soup.

Richey’s approach to the tomato sandwich is perfect.  There is no room for improvement.

The crucial first step is to start with great tomatoes. And, Richey does just that – sourcing many straight from Red Row Farm, which he owns with his wife.

Next, and this is also vital: leave well enough alone. No avocado, no lettuce, no Sriracha . . . no nothing to impede pure enjoyment of a tomato sandwich in its highest form.  Just sliced ripe tomatoes on lightly toasted bread, in Richey’s case sourdough from Goodwin Creek Farm & Bakery.

Finally, Richey shares my philosophy that is virtually impossible to put too much mayonnaise on a tomato sandwich.  Duke’s.

The only challenge is to stop at one.