The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: BBQ Exchange

10/11/2013

Five Finds on Friday: James Lum III and Matt Greene

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On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today is a special Friday because it is the Grand Opening of the much-anticipated new nose-to-tail butcher, JM Stock Provisions & Supply, at 709 W. Main St.  To mark the day, we are featuring the picks of the butcher’s owners, James Lum III and Matt Greene, the Virginia natives who worked together at Brooklyn’s acclaimed butcher, The Meat Hook.  James and Matt’s picks:

1)  Cheeseburger at Riverside Lunch.  “It’s pretty much everything I want in a burger, and Riverside is everything I want in a restaurant.” – Matt

2)  Blueberry Cake Donut at Spudnuts.  “Life altering.” – James

3)  Aioli at MAS Tapas.  “It made me rethink how I make alioli.” – Matt

4)  Everything at The BBQ Exchange.  “Go hungry and order everything.” – James

5)  Pimento Cheese Fritters at Maya.  “If there’s a dish involving pimento cheese on a menu, I get it.  This one doesn’t disappoint.” – James

 

 

 

 

08/02/2013

Five Finds on Friday: Matt Boisvert

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On Fridays, we feature five finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Matt Boisvert, who is leaving his acting sous chef position at Tavola to re-unite with chef/owner Dean Maupin at C&O.  Years ago, Boisvert worked under Maupin for four years at Clifton Inn.  Boisvert’s picks:

1)  Falafel at Blue Ridge Country Store.  “They make it daily and it is shaped like a cookie, usually by the salad bar.  It’s the best in town, and usually my number one choice for lunch downtown.”

2)  Shrimp Tempura at Kabuto.  “It’s always very well prepared and different from regular tempura because they dredge the shrimp in tiny flakes so its extra crispy.  I always get a side of Japanese mayo.”

3)  Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup at C&O.  “I’ve been eating this tomato soup in one form or another for years, and nothing beats this and a Makers and ginger after a long day.”

4)  Pastry Basket for brunch at Hamiltons’.  “Curtis and his team are killing it lately and sometimes they fry Cronuts (croissant donuts) for the pastry basket.  Enough said.”

5)  Heaven Sandwich at BBQ Exchange.  “This sandwich is the real deal, and you can’t find better people than Craig, his wife, and his team to support.  Worth the drive!”

07/12/2013

Five Finds on Friday: Tim Burgess

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On Fridays, we feature five finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Tim Burgess, co-owner of Bang, Bizou, and The Space.  Be sure to check out Burgess’s great blog where he shares some of his favorite recipes, or follow along on Facebook or Twitter.  Also be on the lookout for pop-up dinners at The Space starting this fall, with food by Burgess and co-owner Vincent Derquenne.  We expect the duo may recreate some of the magic of their much-missed Metropolitain, which was a standard-bearer among Charlottesville restaurants.  Burgess’s picks:

1)  Tofu Steak at Now & Zen.  “Toshi is a master sushi chef who came back to the kitchen after a long hiatus.  Incredible value.  Oddly enough, I get the tofu steak every time I go.”

2)  Pastrami and Swiss on an Everything Bagel at Bodo’s.  “Am I exaggerating by saying we might have the world’s greatest high volume fast food restaurant (3) here in Cville?  Think about it.”

3)  Octopus at Orzo.  “Tommy Lasley is a talent.  His enthusiasm for cooking bleeds into his dishes.  Go during a weeknight when he’s cooking.  His bitter green ravioli with chicken sausage was awesome, but it’s his octopus, whichever way he does it, that is off the charts.”

4)  Da Vinci Sandwich at Mona Lisa (three-seed baton with genoa salami, sopresatta, provolone cheese, tomato, mixed greens, house dressing and sun-dried tomato pesto).  “I love Mona Lisa.  I can’t put my finger on it, but there is such a pleasant vibe in that place.  Great pizza, sandwiches, little freebies, and a pasta zip line, what’s not to love?”

5)  Belly Q at BBQ Exchange.  “You have to love what Craig is doing at the BBQ Exchange in Gordonsville.  The BBQ is great, the bacon stupid (in a good way), and then bacon brownies?  This is a guy who is talented and loving what he is doing.  It shows.  It’s already a destination BBQ place.”