The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Peter Chang’s China Grill

08/22/2014

Five Finds on Friday: Donnie Glass

Donnie

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Donnie Glass, the new chef of Public Fish & Oyster.  A transplant from New England, Glass was once Chef de Rotisseur at The Parkside in Providence, RI, and Chef de Partie at Teknique in Bedford, NH. Most recently, he was sous chef of The Local.  Glass’s picks:

1)  Any Dessert at Fossett’s Restaurant at Keswick Hall.  “The pastry chef, Jenn Riesman, is crazy talented, and her desserts are spot on. Her IPA ice cream, sticky toffee pudding, and chocolate cake are all life changing.”

2)  Gorditas Al Pastor from La Michoacana.  “Always seasoned and spicy.  My favorite gluttonous lunch for under $10.”

3)  Sweetbreads with a glass of Champagne at the C&O. “I have a lot of respect for Chef Dean running a restaurant that never takes such a gem of a protein off the menu when it is not guaranteed to sell.  Sweetbreads aren’t for everyone, but it was great to see them done well when I got here.”

4)  Cured Meats and Sourdough at Tavola.  “All of those guys could run kitchens themselves, but instead they pool their resources and make EVERYTHING from scratch (and it’s great too).”

5)  Pork Belly and Scallion Pancake appetizers at Peter Chang’s China Grill.  “I honestly had no idea how you make that pancake until I asked.”

08/15/2014

Five Finds on Friday: Mitchell Beerens

Mitchell

On Fridays, we feature five foods finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Mitchell Beerens, co-owner of Lampo, the much-anticipated new restaurant to open this fall, with partners Loren Mendosa, Ian Redshaw, and Andrew Cole.  Beerens has spent time in the kitchens of Bizou, MAS, and Tavola.  In the former location of The Farm, Lampo will specialize in real Neapolitan pizza.  Beerens’ picks:

1)  Cheese Plate at Flora Artisanal Cheese.  “This little cheese counter hidden in the back of a coffee shop is truly a Charlottesville treasure. Nadjeeb Chouaf is one of the most knowledgeable cheesemongers I’ve worked with. He has everything from the best imported mozzarella to local treats like Twenty Paces ricotta.”

2)  Vegetarian Blue Plate at Hamiltons’.  “My favorite lunch on the downtown mall.  I order it every time and can only hope that whomever I’m with will let me have a bite of what they ordered so I can sample some of the other offerings.”

3)  Vella Jack Cheese Fritters at Zocalo.  “My go-to appetizer at the most consistent restaurant in town. You can always count on this dish coming out perfect. It’s both sophisticated and fun. Just like the place that it is served.”

4)  Truffle Fries at Citizen Burger Bar.  “French fries are my favorite food on earth. At Citizen they use a special potato that creates a truly superior fry. Combined with truffle oil and Parmesan they are a real treat.”

5)   Beef Tendon and Tripe in Szechuan Chili Sauce at Peter Chang’s China Grill. “This is a very ‘chefy’ dish. All of the bits and pieces that no one else wants expertly prepared and transformed into something greater than the sum of its parts. I can’t go to this restaurant without ordering three of four items. It’s a fatty’s paradise.”

06/13/2014

Five Finds on Friday: Laura Jawitz

Laura

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities. Today’s picks come from Laura Jawitz, the award-winning baker at Greenwood Gourmet. Since her January move from New York, where she baked for Brooklyn’s acclaimed Pies & Thighs, Jawitz has quickly developed a following around town for her amazing pies. Jawitz’s picks:

1)  Cheeseburger, “All the Way” at Riverside Lunch. “I love a huge, fancy, grass-fed burger, but there’s a deep truth to the Riverside burger that really speaks to me. It’s always seasoned perfectly, just the right size at four ounces, and really tastes of flat-top (which is like the terroir of greasy-spoon joints) in the best possible way.”

2)  Glazed Spudnut at Spudnuts. “This cloud-like and ethereal pastry is just perfect. I can’t think of a way to improve it, and I also can’t eat just one.”

3)  Fried Chicken at Wayside Takeout & Catering. “Wayside chicken is so aggressively seasoned that I almost prefer it cold the next day; especially if it’s eaten out of a cooler that’s caught in the net of an inner tube floating down the James River.”

4)  Hot and Numbing Tofu Skins at Peter Chang’s China Grill. “I still can’t believe that Charlottesville has Szechuan food that rivals some of New York City’s best fringe Chinese food. The tofu skins have that perfect balance of spicy, sour, salty and earthy that all great Szechuan food has, plus an addictive chewy texture. Might be one of the top five things I’ve ever eaten in my life, no joke.”

5)  Budweiser at Durty Nelly’s Pub. “I think that all good dive bars possess certain qualities, and minus cheap whiskey, Durty Nelly’s has just about all of them . . . solid tunes on the juke, friendly but not chatty bartenders, an assortment of arcade games, and very cold beer.”