The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Luce

06/06/2025

Five Finds on Friday: Ellie Picard

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from The Beautiful Idea co-owner Ellie Picard, who has co-founded Charlottesille’s first queer commuity center. Rivanna Area Queer Center opened last week, just in time for Pride Month, with a mission to provide “a safe refuge for all LGBTQIA+ people in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties, a loving home for our community, and a resource for our liberation.” Information about the new center, including how to donate, is available here. Picard’s picks:

1) Saltati Scarola at Lampo. “Probably the most delicious cooked greens in Charlottesville. Best enjoyed under the lights of Lampo’s covered patio on a warm spring night.

2) Dos Amigos at Asado. “Specifically, the Chori Pollo taco and traditional Buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing — an absolute favorite comfort food. When you’re down on your luck, out of a job, and really depressed, this will cheer you right up.”

3) Beef Rib Yellow Curry at Pineapples Thai Kitchen. “Literally the most flavorful curry at any Thai restaurant in Charlottesville. And it’s served with a delicious roti, which is absolute fire.”

4) Big Mac Dolsot Bokkeumbap at Umma’s (RIP). “My partner introduced me to this bonkers culinary mash-up the night they asked me to be their girlfriend. We shared it again the night we decided to move in together, the last week before Umma’s closed.”

5) Bolo from Luce. “Always the go-to carry-out dish when we need something the whole polycule can enjoy.”

01/13/2023

Five Finds on Friday: Ann Dunn

There has long been a bond between Charlottesville’s fitness community and its food community. (Some have called it a “Paradox.”) As the New Year brings new fitness goals, today’s Five Finds on Friday come from one of Charlottesville’s best to help with those goals: Ann Dunn of Formula Complete Fitness. A former NCAA All-American runner, Dunn loves running, fitness, and training others. And Charlottesville food. Visit Formula’s website to learn how to get started, and follow along on Instagram and Facebook. Dunn’s picks:

1) Gentle Green from The Juice Laundry. “This juice has ruined any other cold-pressed juice for me. Other juices do not stack up. It is the perfect balance of health and flavor, with a unique combination of kale, spinach, cucumber, grapefruit, and apple juices. It is light and refreshing. When paired with a protein, it is a great start to the day. Plus, I feel like I’m #winning when I get in my greens before 8 am.”

2) Breakfast Bowl at Guajiros. “When beans and rice are a staple in my diet, I feel really good. This dish is a special treat though. I love gallo pinto (Nicaraguan rice and beans), and the pico and cilantro aioli add a tasty touch. The bowl comes with plantains or queso frito (fried cheese) too. I’m from Wisconsin, so I usually choose the latter. Pro tip: don’t miss out on the cafe con leche, the most decadent way to get your coffee fix.”

3) Blue Slate from Greenwood Grocery. “If I am spending the day at one of our amazing local wineries, I love picking up sandwiches and snacks from Greenwood Grocery. The Blue Slate is a classic turkey, havarti, lettuce, and tomato sandwich served on country bread with a perfectly crispy crust. This simple sandwich has a welcomed, unique twist with an ancho lime mayo spread, making it a perfect pairing for the wine and views of the Blue Ridge.”

4) Kale Caesar Salad and Bolo Pasta from Luce. “This Caesar salad, made with kale, shaved brussels, and tomato confit, is one of the best salads I’ve ever tasted. The Bolo is on point, especially if you order it at Crush Pad. There, the staff can share their wine wisdom and offer a perfect wine pairing.”

5) Fries & Flip at Tavern & Grocery/Lost Saint. “If I had to pick a guilty pleasure, it would be of the potato and salt variety. So naturally, the hand-cut fries at Tavern are the best $8 I’ve ever spent. Thin and crispy, they come with homemade spicy ketchup and garlic aioli. Drooling. Make sure you save room for a Flip at the Lost Saint, a speakeasy beneath Tavern & Grocery. I’m not much for cocktails, but the PB&J Flip is peanut buttery, milkshakey goodness. A really fun way to cap off an evening.”

06/24/2022

Five Finds on Friday: Danielle Stein

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Danielle Stein, who has entertained and informed Charlottesville sports and food fans throughout her tenure at CBS19. Now moving on, Stein once said it was her dream to appear in Five Finds on Friday. Who are we to stand between a girl and her dreams? In honor of her work in Charlottesville, always with a smile, Danielle Stein’s Five Finds on Friday:

1) Key Lime Martini at Bang!. “There is no question that Bang! is my favorite restaurant in Charlottesville since the first week I came here. I love their rotating menu of small Asian-fusion tapas, and try to pick new things each time. While I do that, there is always one constant: the key lime martini. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and a little tart and a graham cracker crumb rim. Always fits perfect with any dish I order.”

2) Lamb Carpaccio at The Alley Light. “I dream about the lamb carpaccio at Alley Light. The most beautiful and intimate space features some of the more unique things I’ve ever tried. I’ve had other carpaccios like tuna and beef, but the flavor of the paper-thin lamb is so special and is such a star. So good on their bread with the aioli and arugula.”

3) Ka Pow Crispy Pork Belly at Monsoon Siam. “Anything with the words ‘spicy’ and ‘garlic’ in the description is going to call my name, and then with crispy pork belly? Game over. The sauce flavors and the spicy peppers make this dish great, and it packs some heat! Shout out to the Hell Fried Rice too.

4) Provoleta at South and Central. “It’s a skillet of hot, melty cheese that’s crispy and golden on top and makes for the ultimate cheese pull when you scoop it onto bread or with your insane steaks. Enough said. They have lunch special with the provoleta melted onto a steak as well for the best of both worlds. Beautiful space, and always check their steak special (if they have the bison ribeye, GET IT).

5) Cacio e Pepe Pizza at Luce. “Luce has changed me for the better. I love their pasta, but their pizza is just something else. You get all the joy of cacio e pepe pasta, but on a white pizza. This, quite literal, hole in the wall off the downtown mall makes for the perfect carryout meal, and I loved their tented live music summer series in the parking lot next door.”