The Charlottesville 29

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

Tag: Revolutionary Soup

05/30/2022

#8: Cheesesteak – Belle

The Cheesesteak 

Usually you have to choose. Do you want an original cheesesteak? Or do you want one prepared by a great chef? As delicious as the original rendition is, it doesn’t exactly require a culinary degree to make. And so, when a great chef takes a stab at a cheesesteak, while the result is often delicious in its own right, the experience can differ from the sandwich made famous by former hot dog stand owners in Philadelphia.

Belle chef John Shanesy somehow does both. The cheffy tweaks he makes to one of America’s favorite sandwiches manage to enhance it while also yielding a result faithful to the original. No, he doesn’t use Amoroso rolls. He has access to hoagie rolls baked fresh every day by a world class baker: his brother Scott, with whom he co-owns Belle. As for the cheese sauce, Shanesy makes an upgraded version of “whiz” by combining Tillamook cheddar and American cheese, which he steeps at 180 degrees in Mt Crawford milk and heavy cream with dried chilies and herbs, fresh thyme, black pepper, and salt. For the sandwich, he griddles sliced steak, mushroom duxelles, bell pepper, and white onion, and chops them all together.  For assembly, he smears mayo on the top bun and adds iceberg lettuce. On the bottom bun, he adds the steak mixture and cheese sauce. The result is a sandwich that may differ from the original, but still tastes faithful to the style. A classic made even better.

#8: Cheesesteak – Belle
The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches

Others of Note: Steak and Cheese at Taste Shack (GFA), Villy at Ace Biscuit & Barbecue,  Beef Cheesesteak at Farmacy, Cheesesteak at Fabio’s, The Whiz at Lucky Blue’s, Philly Steak/Cheese at Tubby’s, Cheesesteak Hoagie at Revolutionary Soup, Philly Cheesesteak at Timberwood Grill. Vegetarian Alternatives: Philly Cheeseshroom at Kitchen(ette), The Godfather with Shrooms at Lucky Blue’s, Vegan Cheesesteak/Vegetarian Cheesesteak at Champion Brewing Company

05/21/2022

#18: Ednam – The Market at Bellair

Photo by Do Me A Flavor.

The Turkey Sandwich

There is something distinctly American about our love of turkey. And, it’s not just Thanksgiving. Nowhere in the world does turkey dominate lunch boxes, sandwich boards, and refrigerator drawers the way it does here. It is the most popular deli meat in the country.

When it comes to turkey sandwiches, though, some purists insist on turkey that is freshly roasted. Others have come to prefer the processed turkey products more common at deli counters, supermarkets, and sandwich shops. In fact, it is this latter style of turkey meat that inspired the career of the most famous sandwich maker Charlottesville has ever produced. Mason Hereford founded the first sandwich shop to be named Best New Restaurant in the Country, Turkey and the Wolf. But long before he graced magazine covers and award lists for his New Orleans restaurant, Hereford grew up in Charlottesville, and credits his love affair for sandwiches to a place he’d go twice a week: The Market at Bellair.

Founded in 1991 by former caterers, The Market has since expanded from its Ivy gas station location to become such an institution that almost everyone has their go-to order from its menu of elaborate sandwiches, many with local names like Afton, Farmington, and Keswick. While all are delicious, the Ednam is hardest to resist. Boar’s Head maple turkey joins bacon, Havarti, lettuce, tomato, and avocado, on freshly baked bread. The kicker is the market’s own herb mayonnaise, an ingredient so habit-forming that some people go twice a week.

#18: Ednam – The Market at Bellair
(GFA)
The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches

Others of Note: Gobbfather at Ivy Provisions (GFA), Country Gentleman at Taste Shack (GFA), Herb Oven Roasted Turkey at Market Street Market, After the Hunt at Hunt Country Market & Deli, The Smokin’ at The Market at Bellair (GFA), The Drum Fill From In the Air Tonight at Chickadee, Turkey Muffaletta at Mona Lisa, Turkey Jack at Kitchen(ette) (GFA), Fifeville at Petite MarieBette, Hot Sicilian at Dürty Nelly’s, Farmington at The Market at Bellair (GFA), Turkey Bacon Club at Revolutionary Soup, Birdwood at The Market at Bellair (GFA); Vegetarian Alternatives: Yogaville at The Market at Bellair (GFA), Sly Fox at Hunt Country Market & Deli

05/17/2022

#22: The Angry Bird – Kitchen(ette)

Photo by Do Me A Flavor.

The Chicken Sandwich
(Roasted or Grilled)

Charlottesville has not always been a great place for sandwiches. Over the last decade, though, the quality and quantity of sandwiches in Charlottesville have exploded, thanks to a cadre of chefs who have turned their passion for sandwiches into businesses.

Leading the way is a pair who love sandwiches almost as much as they love each other. After catering together for years, in 2017 Morgan Hurt and her husband Gabe Garcia Gomez decided to pursue their dream of running a sandwich shop. At Kitchen(ette), they make refined versions of classic sandwiches as well their own creations. You can’t go wrong, but one standout is their riff on a chicken sandwich. For the Angry Bird, they roast dry-rubbed chicken thighs and stack them on ciabatta with cheddar cheese, herb aioli, red onion, sliced tomato and greens. What makes it “angry” is the addition of fresh jalapeños, a nod to Gomez’s Mexico City roots, and indeed this is his favorite sandwich on the menu. A worthy choice.

#22: The Angry Bird – Kitchen(ette)
(GFA)
The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches 

Others of Note: 90’s Club at Revolutionary Soup (GFA), Winner Winner at Ivy Provisions (GFA), Chicken Philly in a wrap at Beer Run, The Scott Norwood at ooey, gooey, crispy, The Grilled Clucker at Multiverse Kitchens, The Wilson at The Whiskey Jar, Fluvanna at MarieBette, El Paso at Foods of All Nations. Vegetarian Alternative: The Penny at Kitchen(ette)

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