The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Al Carbon

10/20/2017

Five Finds on Friday: Albee Pedone

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Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Albee Pedone, bar manager of Three Notch’d Brewing’s new brewpub. Yesterday, Three Notch’d released Big Dog Blonde Ale, a collaboration with the natural pet store Animal Connection. $1 of every pint sold goes to local pet rescues, and Animal Connection is making dog treats from the spent grain of the beer’s production. The beer will be available through Sunday, October 29, when Animal Connection is hosting Dog Fest and Howl-o-Ween at IX Art Park. Three Notch’d is also throwing an Oktoberfest Celebration today through Sunday, October 22. You can purchase your Oktoberfest stein now, for free beer. Pedone’s picks:

1) Espresso at MarieBette. “My morning doesn’t get going until I have some good espresso, and for that I head to MarieBette. Not only the best espresso in my opinion, but also the best pastries, and pretty much everything else they make. Whether I have time for a leisurely breakfast or I just need to stop in and grab something quick, I always love visiting my friends, Jason, Patrick, and Will and having some incredible treats to start the day, which definitely keeps me on track for long hours of work.”

2) Rotisserie Chicken at Al Carbon. “Their chicken is unbelievably moist and juicy, with a perfectly crispy skin – the only rotisserie chicken better than Al Carbon is in Tulum, Mexico as far as I’m concerned. And the spicy guacamole is delicious too. Always friendly and welcoming, this is a must have, on a weekly basis for me.”

3) Smoked Tri-Tip at Oakhart Social. “Now, when it comes to dinner, first on my list is Oakhart Social. Owners Ben Clore and Chef Tristan Wraight really know how to make a restaurant work. Add to that mix an incredibly talented staff like Bar Manager Brendan Cartin, whose cocktails are nothing short of inspired genius in a glass, and Sous Chef Todd Grieger, who brings the perfect blend of execution and creativity to your face hole, and you are in for a real treat. Chef Tristan is by far one of the best chefs I have been fortunate enough to enjoy a meal from. His wizardry makes me love things I would normally never eat (like Brussels sprouts), and makes things I love better than I thought they could be. In addition to the smoked tri-tip steak, some of my other favorite menu items currently are the shaved salad, grilled shrimp, and the pepperoni pizza. But really, anything that comes from that kitchen and bar are enough to make me happy. Everything about this place is perfection. And while the name rings of the social aspect of going out to eat, to me it’s family.”

4) Shishito Peppers at Parallel 38. “Next is a new-old-favorite. Parallel 38 has (thankfully) reopened, and the new digs are nothing short of enlightening. This place feels like it has been there forever, and any memories of previous establishments disappear as soon as you walk in. Kudos to Steve Pritchard, Justin Ross, Cara Ward, and Chef Johnny Garver for all their hard work making this new place even better than the original. I was simply floored by every dish that came out. My favorites there so far (and I didn’t exactly get through the entire menu, but I’m close) are the blistered shishitos (the best preparation of this kind I have ever had), sirloin (mouth watering and so tender it falls apart before the fork even hits it), and the octopus (which reminded me of Sunday dinner at my grandmother’s house). I couldn’t be happier to see these guys in action again, and I couldn’t be happier that I no longer have to drive to the other side of town to do so. Welcome back guys, it’s been too long.”

5) Marinara d.o.c. Pizza at Lampo. “Last, but most certainly not least, is Lampo – another place that makes me feel like I am walking into a family member’s house for dinner. Intimate, charming, and oh the smells. This place blows me away every time I go there, and seeing the smiling faces of Mitch Beerens, Andrew Cole, Loren Mendosa, and the rest of the staff, I know I’ve come home. These guys know good food, and being an Italian from Brooklyn I like to eat good food, especially pizza and this place helps me forget that I am hundreds of miles from my hometown every time I eat a pie from their oven. My favorite is the Marinara d.o.c. – the simplicity of this pizza is unlike anything I’ve had – garlic, marinara, oregano, salt and olive oil – it’s all the best parts and is absolutely amazing. Other favorites are The Hellboy pizza, roasted cauliflower, and if I’m lucky they have a cannoli or two left when I get there. Their slogan should read something like: Lampo, making Italian New Yorkers feel at home since 2014.”

 

09/29/2017

Five Finds on Friday: Steve Yang

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Steve Yang, bar manager of Tavola Cicchetti Bar, which now offers a late-night menu, Thursday-Saturday at 10 pm. Tavola after Ten’s menu will change each month to showcase favorites of a different Tavola staff member. Last month it was New England clam shack food from chef-owner Michael Keaveny, and this month it’s Yang, himself, with pork dumplings based on his mother’s recipe. Yang’s picks:

1) Torta Al Pastor at Tacos Gomez.”If you’ve ever talked tacos with me you’ve probably heard me rave about the cabeza tacos. But if you haven’t tried their tortas, you’re really missing out. They are probably the best sandwich in Charlottesville. Shout out to the late Luke Smith for introducing me not only to this place, but to a deep love for tacos.”

2) Steak and Fromage at Tavern & Grocery. “If you need any more indication of my opinions on this sandwich, I had two of them for brunch last Sunday. The staff upstairs at Tavern & Grocery and downstairs at Lost Saint are all fantastic and can always guarantee a good time. I also seem to have a reputation as a giant eater there. When I asked for a box last time I had dinner there, I could hear cheering from the kitchen.”

3) Chicken Philly at Beer Run. “This has to be my most eaten item on this list. I live right around the corner from Beer Run, and it’s an easy and delicious item to grab before I head into work. Plus, it was my first restaurant job in town and I can always see people I know when I go there. As a bartender, I know I have many bars I frequent but sitting at the Beer Run bar always feels like home.”

4) Milanesa Cemitas at Al Carbon. “People rave about the chicken and for very good reason, but the cemitas (a specific type of torta) are fantastic, especially when papalo is in season. Also, don’t miss out on their two styles of street corn. They just moved into their new location next door and everything about an already great experience is now even better.”

5) Polpettine Panuozzo at Lampo. “The beauty of a place that serves food until midnight is that I get off work before then in the early half of the week. If I haven’t had enough staff meal or am just particularly hungry after a shift, the meatball sandwich always hits the spot. My girlfriend and assistant bar manager Rebecca Edwards is particularly attached to the Margherita Pizza with a side of calabrian chili oil.”

Yang: “I just realized I accidentally did entirely sandwiches and I’m pretty okay with that.”

 

04/21/2017

Five Finds on Friday: Brandon Wooten

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Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Brandon Wooten, co-founder of Grit Coffee, now with four locations: the Downtown Mall, Elliewood Avenue, Crozet, and Stonefield. The new Stonefield location, Wooten says, has more of a “European cafe vibe,” and will soon introduce weekend evening service, with small plates, dessert, draft beer, wine, and craft cocktails. Evening service begins next Friday, April 28. Wooten’s picks:

1) Carne Asada at MAS Tapas. “I’ve probably had dozens of steaks since the first time I had the carne asada (8 or so years ago), and have still yet to have a better steak dish in this town or really anywhere else in the world. It’s that good.”

2) Rotisserie Chicken and Fried Yucca at Al Carbon. “Their rotisserie chicken is something special, as is everything else I’ve had there. I love sauces and theirs are exceptional.”

3) Cuban Sandwich at Grit Coffee Downtown. “Hopefully this doesn’t read as self-promotion because we can’t take any credit for the local iteration of this sandwich. (That honor goes to Tony Jorge of Cafe Cubano fame). All we’ve tried to do is carry on the legacy of what we think is the best Cuban sandwich outside of Florida.”

4) Red Hot Blues and a House Margarita at Continental Divide. “I know I’m not alone in coveting either one of these, but for me they are inextricably linked (and a necessity at least once a month).  I think often of the Wait-A-Minute mango habañero sauce – probably more than I should.”

5) Double Bacon Cheeseburger and Fries at Riverside Lunch. “My dad used to take me and my brother to Riverside back in the days when it was just a counter in the back of a laundromat. There’s just no beating the simple perfection of their burgers and fries. It’s a Cville tradition I’m more than happy to pass on to my two boys.”