The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Feast

12/02/2016

Five Finds on Friday: Dan Frosaker

dan-frosker

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Dan Frosaker, the brand new Head Chef and Kitchen Manager of Feast!. From Oregon, Frosaker once managed the kitchen of Andy Ricker’s award-winning restaurant, Pok Pok, which GQ named one of the country’s ten best new restaurants, and also was Executive Chef of the classic Italian restaurant Mama Mia Trattoria. This is always a great time of year at Feast!, which offers an awesome assortment of gift baskets, allowing one stop shopping for your food-loving friends. In addition to the picks below, Frosaker recommends anything from Las Cavanas, the gem hidden in a Crozet gas station. Froasker’s picks:

1) Pimento Cheese Fritters at Maya. “After moving from the Northwest and never having pimento cheese or pepper jelly, this dish was a revelation. The crispy, salty fried cheese fritters topped with sweet pepper jelly and served with chive sour cream is a perfect blend of flavors and textures. Another offering at Maya that rivals the pepper jelly is the country ham gravy which goes well on anything.”

2) Mosaic Pale Ale at Random Row Brewing. “Coming from the intense beer culture of Portland, OR, I am happy to see the growth of the local beer community here in Central Virginia. Random Row is a great addition to the current offerings. Their tasting room is inviting and their Mosaic Pale Ale is very refreshing.”

3) Porchetta Panouzzo at Lampo.  “I’m not the first person to be impressed with Lampo and their excellently made pizzas and sandwiches. I have gone back for the porchetta sandwich many times. I love the bitter char on the bread and the tender pork, cheese and broccoli rabe. Recently, I had a special shaved beef sandwich that blew me away.”

4) Rotisserie Chicken at Al Carbon. “Another dish that needs no introduction is the chicken at Al Carbon. The perfectly cooked chicken is great on its own, but when you pair it with the Aji Sauce and the Jalapeno and Cilantro Sauce it is truly exceptional. A side of green rice and fried Yucca rounds out a great meal.”

5) Deli Egg on an Everything at Bodo’s Bagels. “There is nothing better than a freshly baked bagel with cream cheese in the morning, but the Deli Egg is pretty close. The chopped up end cuts from the deli meats mixed with an egg and piled on an everything bagel is a great sloppy start to the day.”

11/12/2015

Edwards Dry Cured Lamb is Stunning

Lamb

This is one of those very rare occasions where I was almost tempted not to write about a food because I want it all for myself.   Edwards Virginia Smokehouse has just released Dry Cured Lamb, and it is extraordinary.  Heavy on the smoke, loaded with umami, and a finish for days.

But, it’s the texture that is so stunning.  Close my eyes and I’d almost believe it’s smoked tuna, or even mojama. I bought a crusty roll to go with it from Albemarle Baking Co., but quickly decided that it was best to alternate between bites of bread and lamb.  Eating them together prevented full appreciation of the lamb’s silky mouthfeel.  Alternating bites, meanwhile, broke up the lamb’s richness and enhanced enjoyment of the next bite.

A delicacy of colonial America and reportedly a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, “lamb ham” is experiencing a revival thanks to the teamwork of two great Virginians: curemaster Sam Edwards and shepherd Craig Rogers of Border Springs Farm.

At more than $40 per pound, it may sound expensive, but a little goes a long way.  The quarter pound I bought was just $10, and more than enough for lunch.  No wonder the guy who sliced it for me at Feast! said: “this is my favorite thing in the world right now.” OK, but please save some for me.

 

 

 

07/31/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Sara Miller

Sara

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Sara Miller, who, with her husband Zach, runs Timbercreek Farm, and now, the brand new Timbercreek Market.  One of the hottest openings of the year, the market celebrated its grand opening this week in the Coca-Cola building on Preston.  For her picks, Miller focused on sweets.  As she explained: “I am passionate about a lot of things but meat, beer and SWEETS are at the top of my list! I have always had a sweet tooth and now that we have three kids I finally have a gang that will happily enjoy sweets with me anytime of day. Here are my favorite go to spots for something sweet:”

1)  Princess Cake at Albemarle Baking Company. “I am a cookie girl but I have to admit my favorite sweet at ABC is the princess cake. At least twice a week my three-year old asks, ‘Did you go to Gerry’s today?’ or ‘We need to go to Gerry’s mama!’ Hard to find a place that is a crowd pleaser when you have age ranges from 33 to 3 and at ‘Gerry’s’ we can all find something we love!”

2)  Peanut Butter Balls at Feast!. “Warning, they are addicting and yes I have gone to Feast! just for a peanut butter ball. During the holidays they sell them in packages of six and every time I buy the six-pack and they are gone by the time we leave and have to buy another pack to take home to Zach.”

3)  Budino at Lampo.  “Who doesn’t love Lampo or the guys who own Lampo?  The tiny little spot in Belmont has the greatest guys and the best talent packed into one little spot. Yes, the wait can be long but let me tell you it is worth it and save room because the desserts are incredible. Lampo is a spot where ordering dessert first is the right thing to do, as they often sell out of their amazing dishes. My personal favorite is the Budino but really you can’t go wrong with whatever they have left.”

4)  Summer Pie at The Pie Chest.  “My current favorite is the summer pie but the fun thing about Rachel is it is always changing with the seasons. You can’t go wrong and you have to go back often because what is in season changes quickly here in Virginia.”

5)  Chocolate Milkshake at Timberlakes Drug Store.  “Best milkshake in town! I love a great chocolate milkshake, and there isn’t a better spot in town with such smiling nice people every time you go in!”