The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Brazos Tacos

04/29/2016

Five Finds on Friday: John Schaible

Johnny

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from John Schaible, chef of the new-and-improved Fry’s Spring Station, under the guidance of Ben Thompson and Tommy Lasley. Schaible first worked with Lasley at Orzo and Thomspon at The Rock Barn, before they both suggested he take some time away from Charlottesville to train in other venues. After stints at two highly acclaimed spots – Westchester’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Brooklyn’s The Meat Hook – Schaible, who has been dubbed Johnny Meat, has returned to town to run the kitchen at Fry’s Spring Station. Schaible’s picks:

1)  The Gobbfather at Ivy Provisions.  “Always a healthy start to my day – hahaha! When I can squeeze past 40 other people and get a sandwich, it’s the Gobbfather and a Traeger Brothers coffee. The staff is actually really friendly and the space is fun and pretty accessible. They carry great product, wine, beer and lots of grocery for adding to your pantry or inventory.”

2) Potato, Egg, and Cheese Taco by Brazos Tacos from Atlas Coffee. “Atlas is right next to Fry’s, so if I can’t have a Gobbfather in the morning, I get a taco from the steam table. Laurie at Atlas is one of the coolest business owners and she introduced me to this great idea that Brazos has and their awesome tacos.”

3)  Cheddar Jalapeno Dogs from The Rock Barn at the City Market. “Though I don’t butcher with Ben any more, if I have some time Saturday morning, I stop by the Market to give him or his crew some guff and pick up these dogs. Ben’s products are  really great and he isn’t afraid to R&D new stuff and test it on the public.”

4)  Raw Fish Salad at Now & Zen. “Really just the best for a quiet lunch and to satiate any raw fish cravings a meat eater finds when they are low on omega 3s. I have always really liked Now & Zen. They do really good, fun sushi for a very affordable price. Their raw fish salad is pretty amazing. Fresh, light, citric and loaded with salmon, tuna, mackerel, scallop. It’s like their kitchen fish sink.”

5)  Manhattan at The Whiskey Jar. “Something about Charlottesville brought out my love of bourbon. The Whiskey Jar has pretty simple straightforward and perfected cocktails. A Manhattan does it for me. I like the casual and social feel of the Jar and sometimes, when I am lucky, I get to see Red and the Romantics there.”

 

02/12/2016

Five Finds on Friday: Amber Cohen

Cohen

Photo by Bethany Bandera.

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Amber Cohen, the former chef of Continental Divide and sous chef of Hamiltons’, who will be Melissa Close-Hart’s sous chef at Junction, set to open this summer.  “I have had a professional crush on Melissa since I met her when I first moved to town,” says Cohen, who has cooked in Charlottesville for 14 years. “I feel like I got asked to prom in a John Hughes flick.”  On March 15, Cohen will join Close-Hart for a special Junction preview dinner, benefiting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and The International School of Charlottesville.  Check back here Monday at 10 am for an announcement on how to get tickets, which will be sure to go fast.  Cohen’s picks:

1) Canelés at MarieBette Cafe and Bakery.  “I am seduced into stopping and getting those decadent, evil, irresistible mini canelés every time I drive by MarieBette.”

2) Red Hot Blues at Continental Divide.  “It’s been a short two months since I gave up my kitchen residency at the Divide and I have already started missing and daydreaming (and sometimes actual night dreaming) of the Blues. Accompanied, of course, by a margarita.”

3) Prosciutto Pizza at Lampo.  “I’ve always felt that pizza is a perfect food, in this case, made somehow more sublime by cured meat and lightly dressed arugula.”

4) Pork Star Taco at Brazos Tacos.  “Perhaps just the words ‘pork belly’ make me giddy, but I have to have it on every visit.”

5) Absolutely Anything at Café 88.  “Their crispy tofu is perfectly seasoned, their veggies are never overcooked, the wonderful chicken is as advertised in the name (wonderful), and I would happily marry the hot sour soup.”

 

09/11/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Liberty Kalergis

Liberty

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  Now that a drink she makes has been named after her, today’s picks come from Liberty Kalergis, longtime manager at MAS Tapas.  Kalergis’ picks:

1) Nachos at Beer Run. “Piled so high you never need an entree. Run by a family so near and dear to my own, we can’t wait to see what they bring to the table at Kardinal Hall, aiming to open their doors this October.”

2) Any Seasonal Vegetable at MAS Tapas.  “Whether it’s padron peppers, cauliflower, artichokes, Brussels, broccolini, or chanterelles, you can’t go wrong with a simple olive oil and sea salt sauté. Good enough to make me go vegetarian . . . almost.”

3) Austin Morning at Brazos Tacos.  “Three of my favorite words = breakfast all day. Egg, brisket and mashed potato paired with Hunter’s Shower Beer from Champion = perfection. Bring the dog or the kid to explore IX Park while Peter and his hard working crew whip you up a little taste of Texas. Who knows, you could even run into a traveling petting zoo.”

4) The Natural at Mono Loco and Nelson County Gentleman at The Alley Light. “My liquor of choice varies by season, so for now it’s tequila all the way in The Natural margarita on the invariably entertaining Mono Loco patio. But when the leaves start falling I crave a couch and a Nelson County Gentleman at Alley Light. Named after one of the bearded mix-maestros behind the bar, you can only find this carbonated, small-batch rye, birch, root and peppermint medley in the cooler months.  Fingers crossed he’ll be making a reappearance this year.”

5)  Carbonara Pizza at Lampo.  “It’s too hard to pick the best dish from their regular menu, so I won’t! Peppery porchetta and cracked eggs made their debut on a white pizza at the pop-up brunch last week and did not disappoint. Neither did Eames’ aptly-named Retox Jus. Stay tuned for the next pop-up dates throughout the winter to catch this beauty before she makes a regular appearance on the brunch menu next Spring. Oh, and always listen to Andrew and Rowe behind the bar.”