The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Baker No Bakery

03/14/2025

Five Finds on Friday: Jackie Bontjes

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from The Wine Guild’s and Oakencroft Farm & Winery’s Jackie Bontjes, who just earned her WSET II With Distinction. In celebration, below Bontjes has selected five of her favorite Charlottesville foods. Meanwhile Bontjes has begun writing wine recommendations for The Wine Guild members, like this one. Join here to receive yours. Bontjes’s picks:

1) El Cubano at Guajiros. “Growing up in South Florida I was so lucky to be in an area that had incredible Cuban food. When I moved to Virginia it became the thing that I missed the most. Guajiros’ El Cubano is a classic, even bringing their bread in from Florida to give it that true taste and texture.”

2) Spicy Eggplant at Tangerines Kitchen. “The perfect blend of flavor and heat, the fried tofu in the dish is so incredibly well done that you don’t even need the meat. I ordered it on a whim one night, breaking away from my usual Red Curry or Drunken Noodles order, and kept coming back to it.”

3) Fried Catfish at Harold’s Chicken. “Fried catfish is another nostalgia meal for me. My dad grew up eating it with fresh catfish caught on the Illinois River near his hometown of Havana, Illinois, and so it was always special when he’d make it for us. Their fish is always perfectly done and brings me right back to childhood dinners and cooking with my dad.”

4) Rotisserie Chicken con Esquites y Platanos at Al Carbon. “Their rotisserie chicken stays at the top of my list for an easy dinner. It is always perfectly flavored and never overcooked. Pair it with the esquites — with mayo, trust me — and their fried plantains for the perfect meal. I always get the chipotle crema for a little extra kick.”

5) Tres Leches Cake at Baker No Bakery. “Trying to pick just one thing that Chris does well is kind of impossible. She’s an absolute wizard with flavor and watching her growth has been an absolute joy. She’s the reason I found the Wine Guild and helped set me on the journey I’m on, and I couldn’t be more grateful to her and her absolutely incredible pastries. Her tres leches cake that she puts together with seasonal produce and decorations is the perfect dessert to share for an occasion.”

12/10/2021

Five Finds on Friday: Megan Adams

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Megan Adams, the local baker who makes made-to-order pies for purchase in Charlottesville. In this month’s rotation are pumpkin pie with a pretzel crust and streusel topping, eggnog custard, dark chocolate ganache and peppermint pie, and Spicy Vegetarian Shepherd’s pie. Place orders at meganchopsalot@gmail.com and follow along on Instagram at @meg_the_scallion. Adams’ picks:

1) Spicy Honey Garlic Karaage from Basan. “This is everything you could ever want in a chicken nugget. Basan marinates, double fries, and sauces to perfection these sweet-salty-spicy nuggets. They can be eaten any time of day, even for breakfast.”

2) Kabocha Squash Brioche Tart with Cream Cheese from Baker No Bakery. “Chris had this brioche on her menu more than once, and that just felt like Christmas all October long. The pastry was soft, yet sturdy enough to hold the weight of a squash purée and cream cheese filling. I had no idea what I had signed up for but once I knew I had to go back for seconds and thirds.”

3) Tofu Caramelized Onions Noodles from Vu Noodles. “This dish is my go-to almost every time I’m having a bad day. I grab my bag, sit in my car, whip out the chopsticks and go to town on that box of noodles. And every time, without fail, I find myself happier with every bite. The ginger soy sauce just drenches the noodles and tofu and makes for the best pick-me-up meal.”

4) Za’atar Croissant from Bowerbird Bakeshop. “I fervently believe there is not a single sandwich condiment that cannot be put on this croissant. Veggies, pork belly and American cheese, egg and kimchi. Shoot, you could even do up a fancy avocado toast on this baby because it can literally handle anything. 10/10.”

5) Smash Burger from Basan. “I’m sorry to admit that in the 12 years of food service work I’ve clocked, I hadn’t had a smash burger until . . . THIS YEAR. Oh man was I missing out. These smash burgers are a special menu item only brought out during pop ups, so if you know . . . you know. I had built my own with egg, Mama Bird’s Napa Kimchi, avocado, comeback sauce, onion, and American chees, but I could have eaten it entirely plain and still had a 420/10 experience. The crust on the burger from being smashed and so quickly seared is unlike any burger your dad can pull off of his grill. Sorry Dad.”

09/03/2021

Five Finds on Friday: Chris Martin

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Chris Martin, the Johnson & Wales graduate with a background in fine dining who moved to Charlottesville to launch a pop-up bakeshop. Her Baker No Bakery now pops up periodically at Guajiros and elsewhere, offering treats like sesame leaf glazed donuts, fritters, tarts, and more. And, cookie deliveries are always available here. Look for her tomorrow, September 4, at Guajiros from 9 am – 12 pm. Early bird gets the worm, because she can sell out fast. Stay up to date on her Instagram page. Martin’s picks:

1) Café con Leche at Guajiros Miami Eatery. “The perfect balance of espresso, sweetness, espuma, and milk. And enough caffeine to fuel me for eternity. I drink this iced every single day I can.”

2) Taiyakis from Basan. “Basan is delightful because of their specials, and I’m personally obsessed with their taiyakis. There is typically always a red bean flavor, but there was a banana cream flavor that lingers with me to this day.”

3) Baleadas at El Ciruelo. “This restaurant has amazing flour tortillas, and they shine in any and all of the baleadas. My Honduran coworker introduced me to these and I can’t get enough.”

4) Ddukbokki at Kuma Sushi Noodles & Bar. “Their ddukbokki is perfectly spicy, with chewy rice cakes that I adore. Also the iced honey plum tea is *chefs kiss*.”

5) Biko from Manila Street. “I love sticky rice, and Manila Street’s traditional Filipino dessert called biko in the Dairy Market is so good. The chewiness of the rice, just sweet enough, and toasted coconut are super yum.”