The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Beer Run

05/22/2026

Five Finds on Friday: Gerry Sweeney

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Gerry Sweeney, involved in two businesses that have been busy lately. For one, he is Brand Ambassador for Eastwood Farm and Winery, which has just revamped the Virginia Wine Collective, the incubator for nine small local winemakers, which is now open Wed-Fri, serving thin-crust pizzas, appetizers, wine flights, and draught beer. Meanwhile, with his wife Susan, he co-owns Cake Bloom which recently expanded and relocated to 120 10th St. NW. Sweeney’s picks:

1) Chicken Wings with Alabama Sauce or Dry Rub at Vision BBQ. “I’ve been following Mike Blevins — and his smoked chicken wings — for years, and they’re hands down the best in town. My go-to after-work pitstop these days is Vision for a plate of wings and Bitburger, and when my wife asks what’s for dinner, I order more smoked chicken and take it home for an easy taco dinner.”

2) El Capitan at Beer Run. “Morning, noon, or night, this place checks all the boxes. Unpretentious, quality food, good people, and, of course, the beer. On weekends, the breakfast tacos plus a National Bohemian win every time. Thank you, John Woodriff.”

3) Carnitas Tacos at La Michoacana. “Edgar Gaona’s carnitas tacos at La Michoacana are the real deal — raw white onion, the perfect bit of cilantro, and no slaw nonsense. A cold Pacifico in the free hand, and I could swear I was back at my favorite taqueria in Sonoma. Same story, too. Started in a truck, earned the brick and mortar. Every bite tastes like someone who’s been chasing this exact pork shoulder his whole life.”

4) Oysters at Public Fish & Oyster. “When my wife and I are missing our old haunts on Tomales Bay, we meet for a Tuesday happy hour date. A dozen or two oysters, a couple of Narragansett tallboys, frites, and some properly charred Brussels sprouts, and we’re the happiest East Coasters in the world.”

5) Double Cheeseburger at Riverside Lunch. “The lollipop place, as my daughter Lucy calls, is exactly what a hometown burger joint should be. Double cheeseburger, fries, onion rings, a sweating Miller High Life, and a staff that treats you — and your kid — like a regular from day one. Nothing here is reinventing the wheel, and that is precisely the point.”

04/11/2025

Five Finds on Friday: Lauren Guerra

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Lauren Guerra, Events Coordinator at Potter’s Craft Cider, which this weekend hosts one of the events of the year, and you can attend. Saturday April 12 from 12pm – 10pm, the Harambee for Makindu pulls together food by The Catering Outfit, cider by Potter’s Craft Cider, activities, games, and music by The Near Passerines, Jay Pun and Friends, Betty Jo’s Boogie Band, The Pollocks, Dropping Julia, and Mighty Joshua. The celebration is all to benefit The Makindu Children’s Program, which provides critical resources to orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya. Info here. Guerra’s picks:

1) Breakfast Tacos and Farmhouse Dry at Beer Run. “These tacos are what dreams are made of. I’m a sucker for a really good handmade corn tortilla. Plus, I love that they support Innisfree Village by sourcing their eggs from the farm there. My go-to is always The Gardener with a tall glass of Potter’s Farmhouse Dry. Pro tip: ask them to add a splash of OJ or their delicious Bloody Mary mix to your Farmhouse for an extra brunchy treat. And don’t forget the tomatillo salsa.”

2) Saltati Scarola at Lampo. “It’s honestly impossible to pick just one thing from Lampo. Everything they make is incredibly good, and this restaurant holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. Whenever we go, my wife and I always get the escarole. It’s sautéed in all that garlicky goodness and doubles as the perfect dipping oil for your pizza crust. Who doesn’t love a two-for-one dish? Better yet: grab some of their house-made bread, soak it up, and top it off with the Mozzarella di Bufala. You’ll thank me later. P.S. Need an after-dinner drink? Go next door to Bar Baleno and ask for a Sweet Oil. P.P.S Like to run? Lampo has a pretty awesome all-levels run club that meets on Thursdays at 6 pm. There are raffles for Lampo swag, drink specials, and good ol’ fashioned fun. See you there.”

3) 5-Slice Sampler at Cake Bloom. “Because why stop at one slice? These cakes are seriously good. Hands down, their Rainbow Carrot is the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. It’s sometimes two slices on my sampler. The house-made salted caramel brings out all the warm spices in all the right ways. Best part? No nuts or raisins (thank you, Susan!). Definitely pair it with some prosecco—this cake is worth celebrating.”

4) Nachos at Continental Divide. “Continental is always worth the wait. The nachos and a special margarita (or two) hit the spot every time. They’re layered to perfection, so you get a fully loaded bite with every chip. Man, I wish I had some right now.”

5) House-Smoked Jerk Wings at Potter’s Craft Cider. “If you know me, you know how much I like chicken—and how much I really love chicken wings. These jerk wings are insanely good. You can definitely taste the love that goes into the whole four-day process to make them. They’ve got just enough heat to put a pep in your step and have you heading back to the bar for more. Highly recommend enjoying them out on the patio with a glass of Hopped Session.”

03/28/2025

Five Finds on Friday: Michelle Moshier

Photo by Sarah Cramer Shields.

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Michelle Moshier, Director of Operations of Mockingbird and The Local. Featured in the upcoming book Badass Women of Charlottesville, Moshier is battling cancer for the third time, with her prior two cases coinciding with the birth of her three children – first the daughter she delivered in March 2021 and then the twin boys her wife delivered in July 2023.

With her latest recurrence in January 2025, the food community is rallying to her support. At an epic Battle of the Chefs: Cooking for a Cure on Tuesday, April 15, two husband-and-wife teams will compete in a multi-course cookoff: Matthew Hart (The Local) & Melissa Close-Hart (Mockingbird) vs. Tricia & Dave Stone (Chickadee). Guests will vote for the winner and bid on auction items donated by the community. If you can’t make it, you can still bid on items here, or donate by purchasing an “honorary ticket” in any amount you wish. All proceeds go to Moshier and Young Survival Coalition. Moshier’s picks:

1) Crispy Shrimp at The Local. “A shameless plug, sure—but also the truth. I’ve worked at The Local in just about every role over the past eighteen years, and I still eat the crispy shrimp every week. It was love at first bite, and somehow it never gets old.”

2) Beets at Oakhart Social. “My wife and I shared this dish on our first date, so it’ll always have a special place in my heart. We go back to Oakhart often for lots of reasons, but I still find myself chasing that first bite of beets.”

3) New Orleans Roll at Now & Zen. “A perfect mix of textures and bold flavors—I can’t get enough. I always order way more than I should, but with these rolls, more is more.”

4) Chicken Philly with Frites and Paprika Mayo at Beer Run. “A total guilty pleasure. It’s my go-to comfort order, always with an Allagash on draft with a lemon wedge. That paprika mayo is next-level.”

5) Prosciutto Pizza at Ciaccia. “They just opened and they’re only steps from my office— dangerous territory. I tried this during their soft opening, and now I’m counting the days until I can make my way through the rest of the menu.”

Coming April 21, Badass Women of Charlottesville by Rachael Kesler Palm will be available locally at Rock Paper Scissors or through her website. An excerpt:

Michelle Moshier was 37 years old and 38 weeks pregnant when she found the first lump. “It was bright red and very hard. It didn’t hurt, but I felt something was wrong,” she says. She was getting out of the shower when she noticed that her left breast looked unusual, yet earlier that same day, she’d had a healthy 38-week prenatal well-visit with her OBGYN.

Moshier went to a breast cancer specialist the day after her prenatal visit. The doctor completed a biopsy of Moshier’s breast tissue and sent her home with antibiotics that they hoped would clear up whatever was making her left breast inflamed. Moshier was hopeful—she tends to seek out the positive in every situation. “Michelle has always been a silver lining kind of person, able to see the bright side of everything, ever since she was a kid—her parents told me this!” de Guzman says. Moshier was hopeful . . . but the next day, that hope disappeared.

The biopsy confirmed a diagnosis: stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive type of cancer that moves quickly. Letting things go even a week or two could have been catastrophic, Moshier remembers being told. “I realized then that if I hadn’t been pregnant, if I hadn’t been paying such close attention to my body, I probably would have let this go,” she says. “The results of that could have been pretty horrible.” Doctors told Moshier she would need to give birth immediately in order to begin treatment as soon as possible. She was induced that evening.

Mackenzie Moshier de Guzman was born on Thursday, March 11, 2021. “It was an especially easy delivery,” Moshier says. She was in labor for just six hours and pushed three times before Mackenzie arrived. “It was like my daughter was saying, ‘It’s time for me to come out so we can fight this.’” In their hospital room, Moshier and de Guzman soaked in time with Kenzie. “We cherished those first moments.” Moshier says. “Then the next morning, we wheeled her to the nursery, and we walked across the hall to meet with oncology.”