The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Potter’s Craft Cider

12/04/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Jenny Paurys

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Jenny Paurys, author of The Virginia Table, the new book about Virginia’s great food and drink created by Our Local Commons in collaboration with Early Mountain Vineyards. You can still order copies for delivery by Christmas at virginiatable.com.  Paurys’ picks highlight some of her favorites from the book:

1)  Hop Cider from Potter’s Craft Cider.  “The cider chapter showcases ciders from across the state, and Potter’s Craft chose to highlight their new Hop cider. I admit, I was both curious and nervous to try it. Cider is my jam, and I wondered how hops, which I am not particularly fond of in beer, would affect my beloved Farmhouse Dry. The answer: perfection. Floral, aromatic, divine. I grab mine from Beer Run.”

2)  McLaurin from Spring Mill Farm. “Spring Mill Farm is the artisan featured in the cheese chapter. HB Hunter is creating some excellent goat’s milk and cow’s milk cheeses at his farm in Concord, Virginia, near Lynchburg. The pimento chevre is addictive, and the McLaurin — a tomme — makes my toes curl. Cheesemonger Nadjeeb Chouaf at Timbercreek Market can hook you up with this goodness.”

3) Andouille Sausage from JM Stock Provisions. “The meat chapter includes a list of artisanal butchers across the Commonwealth, and products they carry that are raised in Virginia. Charlottesville’s JM Stock chose to highlight their 60 rotating varieties of house-made sausage, featuring pork from Autumn Olive Farms. I am especially fond of the Andouille, which has a full, yet balanced flavor.”

4)  Oysters at ROCKSALT.  “Each chapter includes chef-authored recipes, and for the wine chapter, ROCKSALT Executive Chef Dylan Allwood created oysters three ways — baked, fried and raw, each paired with white and sparkling wines from Virginia. The Rappahannock River Oysters served at ROCKSALT are a fabulous example of how Virginia producers can leverage the state’s natural resources to produce incredible food and support rural communities.”

5) Three-Grain Pancake Mix from Woodson’s Mill.  “For the grain chapter, we visited Woodson’s Mill in Nelson County, where they are producing flours, cornmeal and grits from Virginia-grown grain. Their pancake mix includes wheat, corn and buckwheat — the latter grown at Steadfast Farm, just south of town. My children love pancakes, but if you had asked me if they would ever eat anything labeled “three grain” I would have questioned your sanity. Yet, when I brought home a bag and whipped up a batch, they ate every last morsel. The pancakes are rich and so very satisfying, even the baby loves them. I get the mix from Foods of All Nations — and I now make a double batch each time, so I have a better chance of scoring one or two for myself.”

10/23/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Chris Bullard

Chris

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities. Today’s picks come from Chris Bullard of the food truck Blue Ridge Pizza Co., part of an outstanding food and drink line-up at a the upcoming Cider Week Food Truck Takeover, on November 15, where top area chefs will take over food trucks for the evening. There is too much great food and drink to list it all, but details are below. Plus, it’s a Hill & Holler event, so it’s bound to be good.  Blue Ridge Pizza Co. will also be at the Old Trail Fall Festival this Sunday from 3 pm – 7 pm.  Bullard’s picks:

1) Full Nelson Pale Ale from Blue Mountain Brewery.  “This is the only tap at my house that doesn’t rotate. The perfect flagship beer to represent central Virginia craft beer.”

2) Goodwin Creek Pretzel with Jomo Beer Mustard at Fardowners.  “Anything from Goodwin  Creek is awesome but paired with Mark’s Jomo mustard this pretzel is the perfect snack or a pre-dinner bite.”

3) Royale Burger at Restoration.  “This burger is the best bite every time! The flavors are so perfect for each other it’s hard to pick out the individual components.”

4) Hop Cider from Potter’s Craft Cider.  “Perfectly refreshing and goes with everything!”

5) Pulled Pork Nachos at Southern Way Cafe.  “All of the BBQ at Southern Way is unreal, but when you take amazing BBQ and put it over fried-to-order tortilla chips with some pico, well that’s just an experience.”

Cider Week

10/17/2014

Five Finds on Friday: Emily Holter

emily

On Fridays, we feature five foods finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Emily Holter, of Sweethaus, the Charlottesville cupcake cafe that is poised to open a second location in Brooklyn.  Holter’s picks:

1)  Wings and Nachos on football Sundays at Wild Wing Cafe.  “Doesn’t get much better than throwing on a jersey and hunkering down for a game at WWC. I’m such a sucker for nachos. Different types of cheeses, fresh salsa, sour cream, seasoned beef, texture explosion! Always solid and delicious. And there’s a reason the wings are so revered; the sauces are creative and complex all the while really tasty.”

2)  Fleur de Sel Caramels from La Vache Microcreamery.  “You have never tried a fleur de sel caramel proper until you’ve tried these small-batch artisan classics from La Vache. A crazy-good concoction of my favorite ingredients: butter, salt, sugar. Stephanie has nailed it!”

3)  The Local Burger at The Local.  “I’m a burger girl. Nothing more satisfying than that first juicy bite of a beautifully executed burger. Caramelized onion, always crispy apple-smoked bacon, swiss cheese. Medium-rare all the way. The best.”

4)  Farmhouse Dry Cider on draught from Potter’s Craft Cider.  “I met these guys years ago while working at Whole Foods buying wine and beer just as they were starting out. They’ve got me hooked! Farmhouse dry, especially on draft, smells like fruit and almost tastes like champagne upon first sip. Tart, dry, and insanely crisp. Excellent any time of year, and effervescent to the max!”

5)  Longaniza anything at El Tepeyac.  “This house-made Mexican sausage is the real deal. The rich notes of smoke and a slight sweetness give way to a beautifully balanced kick at the end. Sometimes its great in a burrito with chunky jalepenos and fresh avocado, other times it’s delicious enveloped in a cheese quesadilla. Yum!”