The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville
12/04/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Jenny Paurys

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Jenny Paurys, author of The Virginia Table, the new book about Virginia’s great food and drink created by Our Local Commons in collaboration with Early Mountain Vineyards. You can still order copies for delivery by Christmas at virginiatable.com.  Paurys’ picks highlight some of her favorites from the book:

1)  Hop Cider from Potter’s Craft Cider.  “The cider chapter showcases ciders from across the state, and Potter’s Craft chose to highlight their new Hop cider. I admit, I was both curious and nervous to try it. Cider is my jam, and I wondered how hops, which I am not particularly fond of in beer, would affect my beloved Farmhouse Dry. The answer: perfection. Floral, aromatic, divine. I grab mine from Beer Run.”

2)  McLaurin from Spring Mill Farm. “Spring Mill Farm is the artisan featured in the cheese chapter. HB Hunter is creating some excellent goat’s milk and cow’s milk cheeses at his farm in Concord, Virginia, near Lynchburg. The pimento chevre is addictive, and the McLaurin — a tomme — makes my toes curl. Cheesemonger Nadjeeb Chouaf at Timbercreek Market can hook you up with this goodness.”

3) Andouille Sausage from JM Stock Provisions. “The meat chapter includes a list of artisanal butchers across the Commonwealth, and products they carry that are raised in Virginia. Charlottesville’s JM Stock chose to highlight their 60 rotating varieties of house-made sausage, featuring pork from Autumn Olive Farms. I am especially fond of the Andouille, which has a full, yet balanced flavor.”

4)  Oysters at ROCKSALT.  “Each chapter includes chef-authored recipes, and for the wine chapter, ROCKSALT Executive Chef Dylan Allwood created oysters three ways — baked, fried and raw, each paired with white and sparkling wines from Virginia. The Rappahannock River Oysters served at ROCKSALT are a fabulous example of how Virginia producers can leverage the state’s natural resources to produce incredible food and support rural communities.”

5) Three-Grain Pancake Mix from Woodson’s Mill.  “For the grain chapter, we visited Woodson’s Mill in Nelson County, where they are producing flours, cornmeal and grits from Virginia-grown grain. Their pancake mix includes wheat, corn and buckwheat — the latter grown at Steadfast Farm, just south of town. My children love pancakes, but if you had asked me if they would ever eat anything labeled “three grain” I would have questioned your sanity. Yet, when I brought home a bag and whipped up a batch, they ate every last morsel. The pancakes are rich and so very satisfying, even the baby loves them. I get the mix from Foods of All Nations — and I now make a double batch each time, so I have a better chance of scoring one or two for myself.”

11/20/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Jason Becton

Jason

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Jason Becton of MarieBette Café & Bakery, of bronut fame, which is now featuring new items for the holidays, like a delicious toffee date pudding and a bourbon pecan tart.  Becton’s picks:

1) Pork Chops at JM Stock Provisions. “One of my favorite things to cook, especially this time of the year, is pork and JM Stock’s chops are flavorful, perfectly cut and wrapped with care for my trip home to Covesville.”

2) Oysters, French Fries and a Glass of Chablis at Public Fish & Oyster.  “I love oysters. And I love fries. Someone else put this as their pick before and there’s a reason. They’re awesome. I mix their aioli with ketchup and sit at the bar and talk about wine with Brad. Donnie has been known to bring out some dishes he’s playing with in the kitchen which are always delicious and much appreciated.”

3) Painted White at Blenheim Vineyards.  “The Charlottesville area is known for great wine and Blenheim makes great wine. Kirsty Harmon’s 2014 Painted White is the perfect wine to drink while sitting on their deck and squinting to see if the ‘sea view,’ though stunning, is aptly named. Maybe after a few glasses the view may become clearer.”

4) Brussels Sprouts at Oakhart Social.  “I grew up loving Brussels Sprouts and never understood why they were always the butt of the joke for what children would never eat. I can eat them a million ways but the team at Oakhart does them plenty good. A little heat, a little fish sauce, a lot of caramelization. Betcha can’t eat just one.”

5) Cortado at Shark Mountain Coffee.  “Sometimes you just want to drink someone else’s coffee in someone else’s café. We love the La Colombe coffee that we serve at MarieBette (I start every workday with our mocha) but when I want a change of scenery, Shark Mountain is the perfect spot. Their coffee is REALLY good and the drinks are always made to perfection. One of my barista friends humbly told me that they were the best baristas in town. I can’t argue with that.”

11/18/2015

Auction to Attend Sold-Out Lampo Dinner

Lampo

Demand was so high for Lampo’s Emilio-Romagna wine dinner that it sold out just minutes after being announced. But, you can still attend, and here’s how: be the most generous. Whoever bids the highest donation to Blue Ridge Food Bank will win two tickets to the sold-out dinner. Because of the food bank’s remarkable efficiency, each dollar of the winning bid will provide four meals to the area’s hungry this winter, which is typically the time of greatest need.

One reason for the fervor for the dinner may be that guests will enjoy a rare food experience usually reserved for cheesemongers and cheese makers: tasting a freshly cracked wheel of world class Parmigiano Reggiano, when its flavor is at its peak, thanks to Nadjeeb Chouaf of Flora Artisanal Cheese.  This will be just the start of a multi-course wine dinner celebrating Emilia-Romagna.  Upon arrival, guests will enjoy the freshly cracked cheese, along with Prosciutto di Parma and Lambrusco.  They then will sit down to a four course meal showcasing Lampo’s take on traditional Emilia-Romagnan dishes paired with wines from the region.  Each course will incorporate as an ingredient the freshly cracked Parmigiano Reggiano.

The dinner is Sunday November 29 at 6 pm, at Lampo.  Place your bid at this Facebook post, or email charlottesville29@gmail.com, subject line “Lampo Bid.” Bidding closes Tuesday, November 24 at 12 pm EASTERN time, and the winner will be announced later that day.  Auction updates will appear on The Charlottesville 29 Facebook Page. Good luck, and thank you in advance for your generosity.