The Charlottesville 29

If there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29?

Tag: Mas

05/14/2021

Five Finds on Friday: Fernando Dizon

The Dizon family, on opening day, May 14, 2021.

Today’s the day! Manila Street is opening in Dairy Market. What a proud day for the families who live on Manila Street and great day for Charlottesville diners. To celebrate, today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Fernando Dizon, who owns Manila Street with his wife Jessie. Dizon’s picks:

1) Apple Galette from Bee Conscious Baking Company. “Patrick and Alexis just opened their new spot in Dairy Market and we couldn’t be happier for them. Also for our tummies because now we can get their goodies everyday. The Apple Galette is my favorite. Caramelized apples inside a perfectly crispy crust. Everything they make is delicious. Our boys love their cinnamon sugar donuts.”

2) Special Waffle at Milli Coffee Roasters. “This is our go -to spot for breakfast on Sundays. A Belgian waffle topped with brie, Granny Smith apple and honey. The waffle is always crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. I really need to know how they make their batter.”

3) Gambas al’ Parilla at Mas. “This is our go-to date night spot. Sitting on the patio with a pitcher of sangria and some delicious tapas is our happy place. The grilled shrimp are a must. Served grilled shell on sprinkled with sea salt on a bed of aioli.”

4) Complete dinner for Two at Afghan Kabob Palace. “Over the last year we’ve ordered a lot of takeout. Afghan Kabob has always done a fantastic job. The food quality and the service is always consistent. The complete dinner for two is so much food you’ll have leftovers for lunch the next day. It comes with salad, two appetizers, two entrees and two kinds of dessert as well as a choice of coffee or tea. My favorite of the entrees is the Qabuli Palow- tender lamb with raisins and carrots on a bed of brown rice.”

5) Loose Goose Martini at Zocalo. “After trying all those good eats you can wash it all down with a Loose Goose at Zocalo, another favorite spot in C’ville. Hands down my favorite cocktail anywhere. I always order it with a jalapeño to add a little kick. Sipping on one of these at the bar or on the patio at Zocalo is a must try in C’ville.”

01/24/2021

M18: Celebrate Mas’ Anniversary Like Never Before, with the 2020 Dish of the Year

When the pandemic cancelled the epic party Mas Tapas throws for its birthday each year, the restaurant sought another way to commemorate the occasion that would be no less special. They seem to have found it. From January 26-30, celebrate at home while helping those in need with Chef Ketola’s M18 Anniversary Package: Celebrating 18 Years of Tapas, Wine, & Community.

The exclusive package is full of goodies, including the first time Mas has ever offered the 2020 Dish of the Year: a shrimp salad sandwich made from Mas’s gambas al parilla and alioli on Albemarle Baking Company bread. Emblematic of the Culture of Takeout, the 2020 Dish of the Year brings together for the first time two of Charlottesville’s most iconic foods — gambas from Mas and bread from Albemarle Baking Company — neither of which the pandemic could stop.

“Mas anniversaries have always been a celebration of our community,” said chef Michael Ketola. “As I thought about how we could celebrate this year, my mind drifted to the Christmas video we participated in, and that inspired me to reach out to The Charlottesville 29 and Albemarle Baking Company to set up a package that could be celebratory for our customers, inclusive of our colleagues, and give back to the community we hold so dear.”

The one-time-only package includes a limited edition “M18” anniversary t-shirt, with the words “Somos Mas Fuertos Juntos.” Thanks to the generosity of Mas, Albemarle Baking Company, and Blue Ridge Graphics, $29 from each package will go the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. While COVID-19 has inconvenienced everyone, the hardships have been particularly acute for the less fortunate, as the number of people needing food assistance has spiked during the pandemic.

“We are all together in our hearts and stronger together as a force for positivity in our community, even if we can’t celebrate physically together right now,” said Ketola. “That’s why the shirts say ‘we are stronger together.’ It reaffirms our commitment to loving and caring for each other.”

How to Order

Packages are available January 26-30.  A limited number will be available each day, so early same day ordering is encouraged. Order packages, as well as extra t-shirts for pick-up, at: mastapas.hrpos.heartland.us/menu

For t-shirts to be shipped, order through Blue Ridge Graphics, where 100% of proceeds will benefit the food bank:
https://stores.brgtshirts.com/mas_tapas/shop/home

Chef Ketola’s M18 Anniversary Package:
Celebrating 18 Years of Tapas, Wine, & Community
$100

Gambas Bocato (first time ever offered) (Two of The Charlottesville 29’s “2020 Dish of the Year” in collaboration with Albemarle Baking Company. This sandwich incorporates the eponymous garlic alioli, with gambas al parilla, served chilled on artisan Albemarle Baking Co. brioche.)

Olivos Mezclado  (beautiful blend of Spanish Castelvetrano, Lucque, Alfonso, and Empeltre Olives with garlic, thyme, and lemon)

Albondigas (spherical tidbits of beef, lamb & pork suspended in a sassy, smoky Romesco sauce with queso Manchego)

Datil con Tocino (organic Medjool dates wrapped in Applewood-smoked bacon, oven-roasted crispy)

Boquerones (vinegar-cured Cantabrian white anchovies with organic garlic, lemon, herbs, Arbequina olive oil)

Hummus (tapas of classic, lightly spicy spread of chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic with bread)

Mas Anniversary T-shirt (Mas will call for a size and confirm a pick-up time)

10/23/2020

Five Finds on Friday: Tiffany Nguyen

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Tiffany Nguyen. A Charlottesville food lover since 2008 and mother of four, Nguyen is pictured here with her husband Luan, co-founder of the Charlottesville start-up Braid.

In celebration of the Culture of Takeout, all autumn long Five Finds on Friday features readers selected at random in a weekly drawing. Also part of the prize is a $100 restaurant gift certificate, like Nguyen’s to Lampo. Check back Monday to enter next week’s drawing, which includes a $100 gift certificate to Ivy Inn.

Nguyen’s favorites from the Culture of Takeout:

1) Porchetta from Lampo. “Really, we love almost everything on the Lampo menu – Olives! Negroni! Hellboy! Oh my! However, a consistent order for me is the meaty sandwich paired with greens. It offers a balance I find hard to resist.”

2) Oxtail (Friday) from Pearl Island Cafe. “If you haven’t tried this, it’s a must: the flavors, fall-off-the-bone saucy goodness with some delicious plantains. Again, another restaurant where you cannot go wrong with anything from their menu.”

3) Manti from Sultan Kebab. “We first learned of this then-off-menu item from friends a couple years ago, and now we are hooked. Perfectly sized dumplings in a tangy yogurt sauce with a hot oil that offers just a small kick is a taste that I cannot recreate at home, and therefore a perfect option for takeout.”

4) Mochiko Chicken Platter with Watercress and Poke from Mochiko. “It’s hard to beat a generous portion of freshly and perfectly fried small bites of chicken with well seasoned greens and rice for around $10. I love to splurge a little and add poke as a side, and I never regret it.”

5) Paella from MAS. “At home date night felt extra special with a tasty paella that has smoky flavors, myriad of seafood, and plenty to fill you up. Add the sangria, and you almost forget you’re not eating out. Almost.”