The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Continental Divide

02/19/2016

Five Finds on Friday: Phyllis Hunter

Hunter

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Phyllis Hunter, owner of The Spice Diva, soon to become The Spice Diva Emporium, in a new expanded space at Main Street Market.  The expansion will allow an even greater spice selection, cooking classes, weekly demonstrations, flours, beans, grains, nuts, oils, vinegars, more cocktail ingredients, teas, teaware, kitchen utensils, and even a cookbook corner for “finding the right recipe or keeping children entertained.” Follow along on their Facebook page for details.  Hunter said she had a hard time choosing among “superb Thanksgiving dinners at Ivy Inn, wild evenings at MAS, brunches at Brookville and Ace Biscuit & Barbecue, lunches at Feast! and Revolutionary Soup, and tacos under the stars at Brazos.” But her picks came down to “dishes that I have thought about over and over this year, and those that I can’t make at home.”

1) Beef Carpaccio at the C&O.  “When I had the first taste of this dish ordered for my husband Will’s birthday dinner, I swooned. It was seasoned with the perfect balance of arugula, truffled aioli, manchego and hashed potato. It was delicate while having amazing substance.”

2) Fried Chicken at The Barbeque Exchange.  “Last year was the first opportunity we had to attend the festivities at Porkapalooza. The legendary lard-fried deliciousness, prepared only once a year for this special occasion, has lived in memory. I think I might be able to get through the stress of moving the shop as long as I know that this coming Sunday is the day when I will taste it again.”

3)  Cucumber Martini at ZoCaLo. “One of best places to just sit at the bar to enjoy a quick bite and a drink before a concert at the Paramount is Zocalo. The original is made with Hendricks, but mine was made with Cucumber Vodka, Yellow Chartreuse, Orange, Lime, and Cucumber Water. Perfection!”

4) Santa Fe Enchiladas at Continental Divide.  “Being a Texan, one does occasionally crave really good Mexican. Each time we drag ourselves there at the end of a long week of Diva-ing, I tell myself that I will order something new from their menu. When I think of those stacked, cheese covered, plate-sized tortillas and their filling, it’s hopeless.”

5) Ham Biscuit at JM Stock Provisions.  “Saturday morning is our one day a week to get breakfast out. The artists at JM Stock take a luscious biscuit, spread it with hot mustard and fill it with layer after layer of mildly smoked, thinly sliced ham. It’s one of the joys of living in Charlottesville.”

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.”

 

05/08/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Devin Murray

Murray

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Devin Murray, chef of the recently recharged The Whiskey Jar.  Murray’s picks:

1)  Warm Glazed and Blueberry Donuts at Spudnuts.  “I have been lucky to enjoy these donuts for twenty-five years. I am reminded of my childhood every time I stop in. Warm Glazed and Blueberry are my go to, but I love them all.”

2)  Egg and American on an Everything Bagel at Bodo’s.  “My best Bodo’s memory was the day I found out they would be serving eggs all day.”

3)  Red Hot Blues with Danger Sauce and Margaritas at Continental Divide.  “The margaritas are a great way to cool the burn of the Danger sauce. The small, loud, high energy atmosphere along with the margaritas keep me coming back.”

4)  Carne Asada and Bocadillo Jamon at MAS Tapas.  “I could eat the carne asada everyday. It is consistently my favorite dish at Mas. The Bocadillo Jamon is another favorite. The wood oven bread, garlic alioli, Jamon serrano ,and manchego cheese make a perfect sandwich.”

5)  Peanut Butter Pie at The Pie Chest.  “Baker Rachel Pennington puts a lot of love into all of her pies, but this one is my favorite. The texture of the filling is light and creamy and the thick graham cracker crust seals the deal for me as the best peanut butter pie I have ever eaten. Peanut butter fans you need this in your life.”