The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Early Mountain Vineyards

06/07/2013

Five Finds on Friday: Steve Monson

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On Fridays, we feature five finds from local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Steve Monson, winemaker at Early Mountain Vineyards.  On Father’s Day, June 16, is the Early Mountain Vineyards BBQ Festival, with wine, barbecue, and even a cornhole tournament.  Monson’s picks:

1)  Black Smoke Kolsch at Champion Brewing Company, in collaboration with Glass Haus Kitchen.  “Anyone can hide bad brewing with a bunch of hops (I do it all the time) but this beer shows off a mastering of malts which give this medium bodied beer layers of complex flavors from caramel to toasted sesame seeds.”

2)  Pulpo on Parrilla at Mas Tapas.  “I like to pick this dish apart so I can enjoy the perfectly cooked octopus on its own, leaving a pile of pork to face on my own terms.”

3)  Everything Bagel with Lox Spread at Bodo’s.  “They serve other things? Maybe next year.”

4)  Margarita at Continental Divide.  “The simple, fresh ingredients really complement blanco tequila for a clean cocktail.  But, I might go for aged tequila if I’m feeling swarthy.”

5)  Fried Oysters and a Potter’s Craft Cider at The Whiskey Jar.  “The cider really cuts through the fried batter.  It’s like every oyster is the first.”

11/30/2012

Five Finds on Friday: Tim Edmond

On Fridays, we feature five finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  In honor of the recent Virginia Cider Week, today’s picks come from Tim Edmond, co-owner of Potter’s Craft Cider, which, in its short existence, is already winning praise far and wide. Edmond’s picks:

1)  Soft Pretzel at Early Mountain Vineyards.  If you haven’t ventured to Madison to check out this winery, the soft pretzel is reason enough.  They also have an awesome selection of Virginia wines and partner with wineries from across the state.  The fact that it is beautiful, they are steadfast supporters of Virginia wine and have committed to donate all profits to the Virgina wine industry, those are good reasons to check it out too.

2)  House-made Sorghum Butter at The Whiskey Jar.  I could eat it by itself but usually put it on hush puppies or ham biscuits.  Love this place, love the food and the understated local ingredients.

3)  Goat Pasanda at Milan.  I order this extra spicy with garlic naan.

4)  Ginger Kombucha from Barefoot Bucha with a Hot Donut from Carpe Donut.  A favorite Saturday morning ritual is to walk the dog to Carpe Donut.  The kombucha is awesome and I love that you can also find Barefoot Bucha on draft at places like Blue Mountain Brewery, Whole Foods, and The Whiskey Jar.

5)  Dinner at Forage.  This is a ridiculously awesome supper club from chefs Megan Kiernan and Justin Stone. They cook some of the best food in Charlottesville that is either foraged, bought, or bartered from local sources.