The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Smyrna

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.” 

03/07/2023

Charlottesville 2023 Best New Restaurant: Smyrna

What can be said about Smyrna that has not already been said? With exquisite food and warm hospitality, the year’s surprise hit quickly earned a cadre of regulars, including some of Charlottesville best chefs. Café Frank‘s Jose de Brito calls it “one of the best additions to the Charlottesville food scene of the last few years.” Lampo’s Loren Mendosa said he was blown away by his meal. And, The Ivy Inn’s Angelo Vangelopoulos says he tried almost everything on the menu, and thoroughly enjoyed it all.

What is it? Chef and co-owner Tarik Sengul calls it “traditional Anatolian cuisine, cooked with Appalachian ingredients, using modern techniques.” Whatever it is, among a stellar group of finalists, Smyrna is Charlottesville 2023 Best New Restaurant.

11/25/2022

Five Finds on Friday: Sarah Trundle

It’s a Thanksgiving tradition for a reader selected at random to participate in Five Finds on Friday, and, from the hundreds of entrants, this year’s winner is artist Sarah Trundle.  Her abstract paintings can be purchased here, and you can keep up with her latest art on her Instagram page. Trundle’s picks:

1) Grn Street Single Veggie Burger from GRN BRGR. “I pop in to Dairy Market to grab one of these for lunch as often as I can. The burger patty itself is amazing, but the toppings are what keep me coming back. The bun is soft and simple and perfectly sized (i.e. non-mammoth), and it comes with ched’dar, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles (the latter being a must-have for a burger in my mind), and the final piece de resistance, their “street sauce” – some kind of condiment amalgam perfection. The whole thing is just synergistic burger magic.”

2) Birthday Cakes from Chandler’s Bakery. “Granted I have a thing for layer cakes with buttercream frosting, but Chandler’s makes by far the best. Every reason to celebrate calls for a Chandler’s cake, perfectly moist, creamy, sweet without being too-sickly-sweet, and beautifully decorated. Shout out to their radio bars as well; like gourmet hostess ding dongs but a million times better. Plus it just smells so good in there, and the assortment of goodies behind their old school glass bakery case delivers a huge blast of nostalgia.”

3) Charred Carrots at Oakhart Social. “I’m always happy to order whatever the group wants when I find myself at Oakhart Social — it’s ALL good — but this item is a non-negotiable must-have for me. The natural sweetness of the carrots, the slightly smoky flavor, the creamy sauce, the little crunch of the nuts. This is one I’d prefer not to share with the table.”

4) Käsekrainer at Kardinal Hall. “Had to look up the spelling on that one! I don’t know much about sausages other than that I like them, but this one is other-sausage-worldly, and I’ve never tasted anything like it. Kind of savory, kind of sweet, kind of very delicious. Just get it. It comes on a roll but you can order it on top of one of their salads, which is what I do. Ser Guht.”

5) Farmers Bread with Meze Trio at Smyrna. “Really this is mostly about the bread. Order extra. And more extra. It’s lightly toasted/grilled, and just chewy, crusty, perfection that will transport you directly to the Mediterranean. The trio of dips – yogurt goat cheese/ hummus/ and charred eggplant – are amazing as well but they are really just a vehicle for bread. And even more bread. Best I’ve had locally.”