The Charlottesville 29

If there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29?

Tag: Caromont

10/25/2013

Five Finds on Friday: Diane Flynt

012810_GG_Cider_389F

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs or personalities.  In anticipation of the upcoming Cider Week, today’s picks come from Diane Flynt of Foggy Ridge Cider.  On Monday, October 28 at Clifton Inn is a four-course dinner paired with various Foggy Ridge ciders.  Details here.  Flynt’s picks:

1)  Apples from Vintage Virginia Apples.  “Apples of course!  Vintage Virginia offers many heirloom varieties, packed full of interesting flavor, with much more to offer than ‘sweet’ and ‘tart.’  Grimes Golden is my favorite sweet apple to mix in a pie, and the famous Albemarle Pippin, a spicy apple, tastes even better a few weeks off the tree.”

2)  Bloomsbury cheese from Caromont.  “Gail Hobbs-Page has won lots of acclaim, and for good reason. Her Bloomsbury cheese, made with milk from Silky Cow Farm is fantastic with a slice of tart apple.  Sara, the genius cheesemonger at Feast!, says this cheese is more complex than Brie, with soft texture and mushroom notes.  Agreed.”

3)  Doughnuts at Brookville Restaurant.  “Harrison Keevil fries a mean doughnut.  The Wine Spectator recently wrote about his little sugary gems.  While still warm, Harrison pipes in a dollop of apple butter, the seasoning of the season. You can’t eat just one.”

4)  Candied Apple Cocktail at The Whiskey Jar.  “For drinks, I often head to The Whiskey Jar and this time of year enjoy a Candied Apple Cocktail.  Made with Bowman Brothers Whiskey, caramel brown sugar simple syrup, lots of lemon to balance things out, Foggy Ridge First Fruit Cider, and a cinnamon apple slice to top, this drink shouts ‘autumn.'”

5)  Autumn Omelet at Beer Run.  “For an apple grower, brunch is a rare treat. But when possible I head to Beer Run for their Autumn Omelet (El Otono) with roasted butternut squash, Yukon gold potatoes, Vermont goat cheese and, of course, apples . . . and just savor being warm, dry, and off the tractor.”

06/28/2013

Five Finds on Friday: Gail Hobbs-Page

On Fridays, we feature five finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Gail Hobbs-Page of Caromont Farm, whose beautiful cheeses were featured last week in a Southern Foodways Alliance dinner at The Whiskey Jar, celebrating the region’s finest female purveyors of food.  Hobbs-Page’s picks:

1)  Amy’s Arugula Salad at Pippin Hill Farm Table and Wine Bar, with Albemarle sour cherries, duck confit, sunny side up farm egg, and Caromont Farm’s chévre.  “I frequently go to Pippin Hill because of its close proximity to Caromont Farm. I am in awe of Amalia’s food and the Southern Albemarle Ridge view.  There are moments when everything comes together for me — I ‘vacation’ here.  I cannot stop thinking about this salad.  Simple, yet balanced, bright and harmonic.  This is field-to-fork at its best and a lot closer than Napa.”

2)  Chicken Curry and/or Pork Dumplings with Sesame Noodles at Got Dumplings.  “On Saturday mornings my day begins at 4 a.m.  After way too much Shenandoah Joe Smoky Mountain Roast on an empty stomach, I NEED these dumplings to survive!  They pan sear them just a bit for a crunchy edge and dress them with a citrusy  ponzu sauce.  The chilled noodles are perfectly dressed with a not-too-sweet sesame sauce and dusted with toasted sesame seeds.  They also provide spicy Sriracha for those who can handle spicy food in the morning (which I can).  Lately, I’ve been adding a dose of Radical Roots greens on top.  Authentic street food you can eat while walking around the market.”

3)  Spices at the Spice Diva.  “They make me want to get in my kitchen and cook.  The shop is a jewel, and I hate to blow the whistle because it’s so tiny, I fear that when folks figure out what FRESH, VIBRANT, QUALITY spices can do for chefs and home cooks alike, you won’t be able to get in  there.  Currently my favorite curry blend (and there are many) is the Vadouvan, a French green curry too complex to contemplate.  We have a lot of cabrito to use up around here, and this makes it easy.  The black truffle salt isn’t bad either. The list goes on and on.”

4)  Stewed Cabbage and Pinto Beans  at Mel’s Cafe with freshly chopped onions and a side of stewed tomatoes.  “Tastes like my Momma’s, and that is saying something.  Pete’s on the table and the tea is sweet.  Got a tear in my eye.”

5)  Jalapeno Cheeseburgers at the Howardsville General Store.  “Caromont Farm is out there (off winding country roads) and our culinary choices are limited, so thank GOD for Gwen and her crew!  Burgers are real, tomato is home grown, the crinkle cuts are fried to order, and the chicken salad and coleslaw are homemade.  Get the cheeseburger with jalapenos and take a book.  This is a fine local experience on the banks of the James River.”

%d bloggers like this: