The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Commonwealth

02/08/2013

Five Finds on Friday: Brice Cunningham

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On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Brice Cunningham, the Paris-born chef who once co-owned Fleurie and Petit Pois, and now owns Tempo, serving “modern French cuisine with an international twist.”  On Tuesdays, Tempo offers a great deal called Champagne and Burgers.  Buy one bottle of champagne and get two free Angus burgers.  Cunningham’s picks:

1)  Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Oysters and a Special at Maya.  “I start with a nice bottle of white wine and the cornmeal-crusted oysters and then usually have the special for the night.  The guys in the kitchen are always doing something fun for the Southern food lover’s palate.”

2)  Cocktails at Commonwealth.  “When I need a good cocktail I head to Commonwealth’s bar and chat about cheese and wine with Steven, the manager there.”

3)  BLT Sandwich at Bagby’s.  “I love a good old fashioned BLT for lunch from Baggby’s.”

4)  Pain au Chocolat at Albemarle Baking Company.  “For the perfect pain au chocolat, I always turn to Albemarle Baking Company.”

5)  Dinner at Clifton Inn.  “When I have friends in from New York or Europe, I take them to the Clifton Inn to enjoy some of Tucker Yoder’s creative cooking.”

06/15/2012

Five Finds on Friday: Kath Younger


Every Friday, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs, personalities, or readers.  This week’s picks come from Kath Younger, author of the blog Kath Eats Real Food, where she blogs about literally everything she eats.  Kath’s five picks:

1)  Black Bean and Corn Relleno at Zocalo.  I’ve seen it mentioned before, but this pepper is my favorite entrée in all of Cville.  The flavor combination of the smoked grits and the cheesy, tortilla-crusted pepper with that amazing cilantro sauce are just incredible!

2)  Meritage from Jefferson Vineyards.  Although I’m not drinking now due to the baby baking in my stomach, the JV Meritage is one of my all-time favorite red wines.  I will have to celebrate with a huge glass in September!

3)  Veggie Plate at Eppie’s.  I’m a Registered Dietitian, so I gotta put some veggies on the list! I always get collard greens, sweet potato, and black beans with that incredible cornbread that tastes like cake!

4)  NoBull Burger from Oh My Gosh . . . Yum.  Obsessed!! We always have some in our freezer for quick dinners and serve them on our Great Harvest Virginia rolls for a small burger with big local taste.

5)  Spicy Cashew Trout at Commonwealth.  I hope this is still on the menu, because it was one of the best entrees I’ve ever had. The cashews on top were sweet, candy spiced, the trout perfectly seared, but the show-stopper is their coconut rice – so sweet and rich!  [Note: Sadly, this is not on the current Commonwealth menu.]

05/29/2012

Two for Tuesday: May 29

Every Tuesday we feature two favorite local food items.

1)  Greek Goddess Dressing and Dip at Feast! on salmon burgers.  It seems almost anything would be good dipped in this riff on the famous salad dressing with roots in San Francisco in the early 20th century.   What makes Feast’s version different — and “Greek” — is the use of Greek yogurt, a great way to add flavor and richness without excessive fat.  They also throw in some mayo and herbs, and the result is ideal for sliced vegetables or chips.  But, as we recently discovered, its best use may be as as topping for salmon burgers.  Of course, we’re still experimenting.

2)  Ale Braised Rabbit Crepe at Commonwealth Restaurant and Skybar. The Memorial Day weekend heat wave makes us wonder how much longer the weather will seem right to indulge in a dish as rich this one.  But, hot weather be damned, we’d eat this year round.  The rabbit is perfectly cooked, and fork-tender from the slow braise.   Virginia’s own Appalachian cheese adds richness and creaminess to the filling, which is all wrapped in a substantial crepe.  A drizzle of warm figs provides welcome tartness and sweetness.  There are two crepes to an order, which could almost pass for a meal, especially if paired with a salad.