The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: La Michoacana

05/22/2026

Five Finds on Friday: Gerry Sweeney

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Gerry Sweeney, involved in two businesses that have been busy lately. For one, he is Brand Ambassador for Eastwood Farm and Winery, which has just revamped the Virginia Wine Collective, the incubator for nine small local winemakers, which is now open Wed-Fri, serving thin-crust pizzas, appetizers, wine flights, and draught beer. Meanwhile, with his wife Susan, he co-owns Cake Bloom which recently expanded and relocated to 120 10th St. NW. Sweeney’s picks:

1) Chicken Wings with Alabama Sauce or Dry Rub at Vision BBQ. “I’ve been following Mike Blevins — and his smoked chicken wings — for years, and they’re hands down the best in town. My go-to after-work pitstop these days is Vision for a plate of wings and Bitburger, and when my wife asks what’s for dinner, I order more smoked chicken and take it home for an easy taco dinner.”

2) El Capitan at Beer Run. “Morning, noon, or night, this place checks all the boxes. Unpretentious, quality food, good people, and, of course, the beer. On weekends, the breakfast tacos plus a National Bohemian win every time. Thank you, John Woodriff.”

3) Carnitas Tacos at La Michoacana. “Edgar Gaona’s carnitas tacos at La Michoacana are the real deal — raw white onion, the perfect bit of cilantro, and no slaw nonsense. A cold Pacifico in the free hand, and I could swear I was back at my favorite taqueria in Sonoma. Same story, too. Started in a truck, earned the brick and mortar. Every bite tastes like someone who’s been chasing this exact pork shoulder his whole life.”

4) Oysters at Public Fish & Oyster. “When my wife and I are missing our old haunts on Tomales Bay, we meet for a Tuesday happy hour date. A dozen or two oysters, a couple of Narragansett tallboys, frites, and some properly charred Brussels sprouts, and we’re the happiest East Coasters in the world.”

5) Double Cheeseburger at Riverside Lunch. “The lollipop place, as my daughter Lucy calls, is exactly what a hometown burger joint should be. Double cheeseburger, fries, onion rings, a sweating Miller High Life, and a staff that treats you — and your kid — like a regular from day one. Nothing here is reinventing the wheel, and that is precisely the point.”

05/29/2022

#9: Torta de Lengua y Chorizo – Tacos Gomez

The Torta

Sometimes it feels like tortas are fate’s way of atoning for the blows she has dealt us over the years. Not long ago, tortas were almost impossible to find in Charlottesville. But at the same time that our community has seemed to face one challenge after another, it has also seen an explosion in tortas. Delicious tortas.

A torta is a Mexican sandwich typically served on either a crunchy roll (un bolillo) or a soft one (una telera), and stuffed with lots of meat, cheese, and garnishes. While ordering an American sandwich might prompt the question: “What do you want on it?”, tortas often come with everything, no questions asked. “More is more” is the common approach.

Different eateries excel at different fillings, but almost all of Charlottesville’s tortas are worth ordering, nowhere more so than Tacos Gomez. Winner of 2002 Best Food Truck, Tacos Gomez loads a telera with cheese, tomato, onions, pickled jalapenos, avocado, and mayonnaise. From there, it’s just a matter of choosing a protein from options like ham, pork, steak, chicken, and more. You can even mix and match fillings, and it’s hard to beat the food truck’s own lengua combined with chorizo: chunks of tender beef tongue with house-made Mexican pork sausage.

#9 – Torta de Lengua y Chorizo – Tacos Gomez
The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches

Others of Note: Al Pastor y Chorizo Torta at Super Amanacer, Chorizo Torta at Taqueria San Pedro Limon, Torta de Milanesa at The Bebedero, Chorizo Torta at 5th Street Deli, Al Pastor Torta at Taqueria Chaparro, Torta de Asada at El Tio, Torta Michoacana at La Michoacana, Al Pastor y Chorizo Torta at El Comalito,  Steak Torta Tradicional at Mi Casita, Lengua Torta at Cactus, Birria Torta at Taqueria ElChavo. Vegetarian Alternative: Vegetarian Torta at Tacos Gomez.

05/22/2022

#16: Pho-rench Dip – Feast!

Photo by Do Me A Flavor.

The Dip

“Soggy” is not often a compliment for food, but sometimes moisture can enhance a sandwich. A dip in a flavorful broth or sauce allows the liquid’s seasoning to seep into every last corner of the sandwich.

Among Charlottesville’s several stellar iterations, there is none better than Feast!’s Pho-rench Dip. It is the creation of Head Chef Dan Frosaker, who once managed the kitchen at Pok Pok, then one of the nation’s most acclaimed restaurants for Southeast Asian cuisine. Frosaker draws on that experience to combine roast beef, basil, cilantro, and spicy mayo on Albemarle Baking Co. ciabatta. But, the key is the side of pho broth, the product of a lengthy, but worthwhile process that starts with charred onions and ginger. Then comes toasted star anise, black cardamom, fennel seeds and coriander seeds, with beef stock. The broth reduces for several hours, breaking down the onions, which thicken the stock. To finish, Frosaker adds Sriracha and lime for brightness. It’s a heady, flavorful broth, and may be the reason that popular demand moved this former special to Feast’s regular menu.

#16: Pho-rench Dip – Feast!
(GFA)
The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches

Others of Note: Hot, Wet Beef at Kitchenette (GFA), Torta Ahogada at La Michoacana, The Drip at Peloton Station, Roast Beef Sandwich Au Jus at Kardinal Hall, The Hercules at Timberwood Grill; Vegetarian Alternatives: Grilled Cheese With Tomato Soup at Taste Shack (GFA)