The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Bang!

09/26/2025

Five Finds on Friday: Darcey Lacy

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Darcey Lacy of Watermark Design. A fixture of the Charlottesville community, Lacy has done work for clients like Hark Vineyards, Ankida Ridge, King Family Vineyards, Thistlerock Mead, and Jake Busching. A generous supporter of Charlottesville, she has also donated her services to projects like The Charlottesville 29 Restaurant Auctions, Five Pillars Ale, and Living the Dream, and even created the logo for The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches. As much as she loves local beverages, she said she couldn’t pick just one. “I would be remiss not to mention Virginia wine, mead, and spirits, but since I cannot pick, I would just say support our local, nationally recognized industry with a beautiful bottle of deliciousness.” Follow her work here. Lacy’s picks:

1) Popover with Honey Butter at Cake Bloom. “Growing up in the Northeast, I was raised on popovers, so when I found out that Cake Bloom has the largest popovers ever — seriously huge and so hard to do —  I was over the moon. And not just regular butter to melt inside, but honey butter, so it adds just a touch of sweetness. And if you want a bit more sustenance, they have sandwiches on popovers as well. Pair with the Lavender lemonade.”

2) Tuna Carpaccio at The Alley Light. “The Alley Light is a place I love to experiment with food and cocktails, as you can not go wrong. But, before experimentation must come the tuna carpaccio. I don’t know if it’s the shallots or the sheep’s milk cheese, but it has a slight tartness that just melts in your mouth when layered on the crostini.”

3) The Roma at Foods of All Nations or The Giaconda at Mona Lisa Pasta. “The Market once had a shirt that said ‘life is a good sandwich.’ I regret not having bought it, as I believe this to be true. The Montpelier at the Market is the co-winner here, but I love a ball of fresh mozzarella, and at Foods or Mona Lisa, you can get a huge amount of mozz, fresh tomato, fresh basil, and some olive oil on ciabatta or focaccia. I prefer it not grilled so you can enjoy the mozzarella cold and fresh.”

4) Joel’s Choice at Speakeasy + Whiskey Bar. “The cocktail that kickstarted my Mezcal obsession. Joel created a masterpiece with this one: Mezcal, green Chartreuse, Campari and egg whites.”

5) Crab Potstickers at Bang!.  “A long favorite place from when I first moved to Charlottesville over twenty years ago. I love to sit outside with friends, a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc and cover your table with little plates of yum. The crab potstickers are a go-to but there is a long list of faves at Bang.”

 

 

07/01/2022

Five Finds on Friday: Tasha Durrett

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Tasha Durrett, founder of Black Women Who Wine, which hosts regular wine events and works with Virginia wineries to increase diversity and agritourism opportunities. Durrett is the next featured guest in Blenheim Vineyards’ Oenoverse, an inclusive wine club that aims “to introduce Virginia wine in a comfortable, conversational setting for folks who have never joined a ‘wine club’ before or want to continue the path of learning about wine and want to experience a series of fun events and meet likeminded people.” Each session, a featured guest shares and discusses favorite wines, and on July 10 at Blenheim, Durrett will lead a tasting of her wine selections, paired with bites from chef Tim Moore of Early Mountain Vineyards. In addition to the tastings and conversation, Oenoverse members receive four bottles of wine, printed tasting notes, discounts, and more. Follow along on Facebook. Durrett’s picks:

1) Caipirinha at South and Central. “This is my favorite drink in the entire city. A caipirinha is such a simple drink, but it’s hard to find a good one in Charlottesville. The one at South and Central is amazing and really the only drink I get there.”

2) Grilled Pineapple at Passiflora. “Let’s be clear. I love Passiflora. But the grilled pineapple is one of my favorite things I’ve ever eaten. I add the garlic citrus jackfruit. and it’s a perfect dish. I’ve tried to copycat it at home and it’s never quite the same.”

3) Pancit at Manila Street. “One of the things I miss most about living in Northern Virginia is Filipino food. Manila cures that longing. The pancit is comparable to any I’ve had, and the staff is always great here. Grab some after work and pair with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Vidal Blanc. Add on some lumpia and it’s even better.”

4) Country Ham Croissant at The Blue Ridge Pig. “I’m from Nelson County and I couldn’t be featured here without including my favorite item from The Blue Ridge Pig. Country ham was a staple of every Christmas celebration growing up. It’s expensive and salty, so you don’t want to have too much of a good thing, but when you do have it, it’s amazing. The sandwich is served with dill sauce, which adds to its overall uniqueness.”

5) Fried Chicken Steamed Buns, Spicy Garlic Sauce, House Pickles at Bang!. “Bang! has been nothing if not consistent since I first started going here back when I turned 21. It continues to have some of the best cocktails and small plates in the city. These buns are an homage to the menu of the earlier 2000s and give me a nostalgic feel. I’m happy Bang! is still around. It’s a gem.”

06/24/2022

Five Finds on Friday: Danielle Stein

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Danielle Stein, who has entertained and informed Charlottesville sports and food fans throughout her tenure at CBS19. Now moving on, Stein once said it was her dream to appear in Five Finds on Friday. Who are we to stand between a girl and her dreams? In honor of her work in Charlottesville, always with a smile, Danielle Stein’s Five Finds on Friday:

1) Key Lime Martini at Bang!. “There is no question that Bang! is my favorite restaurant in Charlottesville since the first week I came here. I love their rotating menu of small Asian-fusion tapas, and try to pick new things each time. While I do that, there is always one constant: the key lime martini. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and a little tart and a graham cracker crumb rim. Always fits perfect with any dish I order.”

2) Lamb Carpaccio at The Alley Light. “I dream about the lamb carpaccio at Alley Light. The most beautiful and intimate space features some of the more unique things I’ve ever tried. I’ve had other carpaccios like tuna and beef, but the flavor of the paper-thin lamb is so special and is such a star. So good on their bread with the aioli and arugula.”

3) Ka Pow Crispy Pork Belly at Monsoon Siam. “Anything with the words ‘spicy’ and ‘garlic’ in the description is going to call my name, and then with crispy pork belly? Game over. The sauce flavors and the spicy peppers make this dish great, and it packs some heat! Shout out to the Hell Fried Rice too.

4) Provoleta at South and Central. “It’s a skillet of hot, melty cheese that’s crispy and golden on top and makes for the ultimate cheese pull when you scoop it onto bread or with your insane steaks. Enough said. They have lunch special with the provoleta melted onto a steak as well for the best of both worlds. Beautiful space, and always check their steak special (if they have the bison ribeye, GET IT).

5) Cacio e Pepe Pizza at Luce. “Luce has changed me for the better. I love their pasta, but their pizza is just something else. You get all the joy of cacio e pepe pasta, but on a white pizza. This, quite literal, hole in the wall off the downtown mall makes for the perfect carryout meal, and I loved their tented live music summer series in the parking lot next door.”