The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Peter Chang

03/07/2025

Five Finds on Friday: Reggie Leonard

Photo by Eze Amos

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Reggie Leonard, whose accomplishments seem too many to list – co-founder of Oenoverse , non-profit board member, guest curator at wine shops, regular contributor to The Wine Guild, VinePair 50 list, Virginia Wine Hype Man, and co-founder of Charlottesville Data Science Meetup. You can follow along at @thats.so.reg for his latest escapades, including a chance to be in a wine documentary about east coast winemaking March 20 at Common Wealth Crush. And, March 22 you can meet him and the Oenoverse team at Ethos from 5 – 8 pm for a wine hang. He’d love for you to stop by. Leonard’s picks:

1)  Gigante Beans at Ethos Wine & Tea. “This feels like a modern wine-bar snack. Beans have always been a staple, but they haven’t always been a trend. Brands like Rancho Gordo and Simpli have put heirloom and less common bean varieties on the radar, and Ethos has one of my favorites – gigante beans. These are like huge but much better lima beans. Ethos serves them room temp, and I always get them with a side of bread and butter, which happens to be sourdough from Cou Cou Rachou. Simple, hearty, shareable, and always delicious.”

2) Beet Salad at Smyrna. “Whenever I go, I convince whoever I’m with that the beet salad is a must. Even so, usually, people miss the cacao nibs, distracted by conversation, or the dizzying amount of amazing choices to make for other dishes or the next beverage. I love making sure I search for them, and get one or two in every bite. I love the earthiness of the beets paired with the earthiness of the chocolate, as well as the textural contrast of the beets and the crunchy cacao. Each bite is like a sneaky little luxury, hidden in plain sight.”

3) Flounder Fish Sour Cabbage (Spicy) Soup at Peter Chang. “It’s embarrassing how much I order this soup. This was a pandemic-era find, thanks to Tracey Love, who generously and unsolicitedly delivered some to me during a time of sickness. It has nice-sized chunks of fish, slightly-tart and fermenty-tasting thin slices of cabbage, and a sneakily-building spicy broth. It quickly graduated from an, ‘I’m sick, I should order this’ situation, to an, ‘It’s a day that ends in ‘y’ and I want it’ situation.” 

4) Tuna Tartare at The Alley Light. “It’s like Steph Curry in a clutch situation, or the feeling you get when the DJ starts playing Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ or Fast Life Yungstaz’s ‘Swag Surfin,’ depending on the vibe. This tartare also belongs on that list of things that don’t miss. It’s perfect as a starter, as a snack, or as a late dinner that’s light enough to feel like you made good choices.”  

5) Jerk Chicken from wherever 434th St. Catering is. “I’ve seen him at farmers’ markets and formerly at the Dairy Market, and word on the street is that he’s opening in a new location soon. So, this is foreshadowing of jerk chicken I look forward to soon being reacquainted with.” 

05/21/2021

Five Finds on Friday: Rachel De Jong

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Rachel De Jong of Cou Cou Rachou, set to open soon on Preston Avenue in the onetime home of Outback Lodge. Those who have tried De Jong’s pastries at The Workshop know how talented the pastry chef is who has worked at acclaimed restaurants like The Inn at Little Washington and Petit Trois. Now, her breads and pastries will be available at her own bakery right here in Charlottesville. Cou Cou Rachou plans a June opening. Meanwhile, follow along on Instagram and Facebook. De Jong’s picks:

1) Huaraches from La Sabrosita in Waynesboro. “I know, it’s outside Charlottesville proper, but it’s my partner and I’s favorite day off lunch. It’s such a fun escape and the food is always wonderful.”

2) Patois Cider from Market Street Wine. “This is a double duty answer. I went to pastry school in Paris and, on a baker/student budget, crepes and cider were without a doubt one of my most frequent meals. Patrick’s cider is the best I’ve had this side of the Atlantic and I’m very excited about what he is creating and cultivating in the area – Virginia apples need this kind of love. Market Street Wine is definitely my happy place. Siân and Thad are wonderful humans who are also doing tremendous things for their industry and community, and I am very thankful to have a place I can go where I know the recommendations and knowledge of the product will be impeccable.”

3) Thai Tea Gelato and Honey, Goat Cheese, and Fig Gelato from Splendora’s. “PK is making such fun, wonderful, interesting things and I am so happy that we can still get her gelato in town. She’s one of the many reasons I’m delighted to be back in the Charlottesville food community.”

4) Korean Cabbage Kimchi from Sussex Farm. “In my fridge always. My favorite day-off breakfast and anytime addition to brighten up a meal.”

5) Hot and Numbing Shredded Tofu Skins from Peter Chang. “Ordered this so much throughout the quarantine takeout era. One of my go-to standbys, and I would eat it every day if that were a reasonable thing to do.”

10/16/2020

Five Finds on Friday: Kate Asquith

Todays Five Finds on Friday come from Kate Asquith of Appalachian Beekeeping Collective, a nonprofit organization that trains and supports people to become beekeepers in economically distressed areas of Virginia and West Virginia. Appalachian Beekeeping Collective then purchases honey from its beekeepers and sells it online, with all proceeds going back to the non-profit’s efforts to support beekeepers. This week Appalachian Beekeeping Collective launched its new online store, where you can buy delicious honey, while supporting their cause. Feel-good holiday gifts. Asquith’s picks:

1) Scallion Bubble Pancake from Peter Chang. “My whole family is in love with these, but my six-year-old especially. She will tell anyone who asks that it’s her favorite food. It’s the main thing keeping my hope alive that she’ll be an interesting eater.”

2) Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich from Market Street Market. “I think this is a perfect sandwich. I also don’t understand how they can make such good salads for less than $5. Of all the things I have missed during the pandemic, I think I miss the Market’s deli the most.”

3) Morning Melt Sandwich on Everything Croissant from Bowerbird Bakeshop. “My second favorite sandwich in Charlottesville right now, and especially when they had fresh tomatoes this summer. I like to meet a friend here and then bring a box of their gorgeous pastries home for my family. Also a big fan of their rosemary almond croissant.”

4) Triple Pickle Taco from Brazos Tacos. “Honestly, I just go down their menu and pick all the tacos with the mushrooms bruja. This is my favorite.”

5) La Familia from Al Carbon. “A full rotisserie chicken and several sides. This is my go-to takeout. My children are probably 15% pollo al carbon at this point, we get it so often. My favorite side is the platanos fritos with the delicious cinnamon cream sauce. The rest of my family practically lives off yucca fries and yellow rice.”