The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: The Whiskey Jar

04/08/2016

Five Finds on Friday: Leah Peeks

Leah

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Leah Peeks, Bar and Events Manager of The Whiskey Jar, who is competing in next week’s Craft Cocktail Competition as part of the Tom Tom Founders Festival.  She and eleven other area mixologists will each create a cocktail using at least one local ingredient to be rated by a panel of judges as well as the general public.  The winner will be announced on Sunday, April 17.  Visit the twelve bars entered to try them all, and then vote for your favorites. Meanwhile, Peek’s picks:

1) The Gazossa at The Alley Light.  “I  started working in Charlottesville just so I could make drinks with Micah LeMon. I would drive from Lynchburg, 80 minutes to and from every shift, and it was totally worth it. The Gazossa has been on Micah’s menu since day one, and it’s the perfect cocktail for me: a carbonated, classically proportioned gin martini. Dry, clean, and crisp.”

2) Sausage, Egg, Goat Cheese & Honey and Lattes at The Pie Chest/Milli Joe. “Everything Rachel Pennington makes tastes like butter and love. Her crust is masterful. They keep a selection of savory pies hot and ready, so you can grab a hand pie and a Milli Joe latte and walk down the mall stuffing your happy face.”

3)  Late Night Menu at C&O.  “The bar at C&O is my favorite room in town, plus it’s open late and serves a really yummy menu til 1 most weekdays. Go on a Monday night and get Jen to make you a cocktail and eat tacos, decadent mac n cheese, and creme brulee at midnight, and you’ll feel like you live in a much bigger town.”

4) Tuna Carpaccio Salad at Now & Zen.  “This place is my jam. It’s close to my apartment, I love the staff, and everything I’ve eaten there is delicious.”

5)  Spicy Cucumbers from Ginkgo via Order Up.  “Working long bar shifts can be super draining. Once a week, I like to dedicate a day to not talking to anyone or having to put on pants. Salty, spicy, crunchy cucumbers and rice from Ginkgo are the official food of my inner introvert.”

11/13/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Michael Davis

MDavis

On Fridays, we feature five food and drink finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Michael Davis, owner of The Wine Guild of Charlottesville. The wine-buying club’s next wine tasting and pop-up restaurant night is Wednesday, November 18, starting at 5:30 pm, at Kitchen Catering & Events, at 606 Rivanna Ave.  Open to the public, “A Night in South Africa” will feature seven staff-selected wines from South Africa, with food available for purchase by Kitchen Catering & Events and cheese plates by Nadjeeb Chouaf of Flora Artisanal Cheese. Davis’ picks:

1) Fried Chicken And Collard Greens at The Whiskey Jar.  “As a wine geek, I always think about ‘pairings,’ which is why I love to eat at The Whiskey Jar on Wednesday nights when the Rick Olivarez Trio is playing. There is something magical about the combination of that room with Rick’s flawless Gypsy Jazz. It takes you back in time and makes this California transplant feel truly southern.”

2) Horse’s Neck at The Livery Stable. “I like to take local winemakers to this subterranean watering hole and hear stories of how they give mother nature the middle finger year after year. Jake Busching, winemaker at Michael Shaps Wineworks gets his mail at this place, so grab the stool next to him and enjoy the ride . . . and the Horse’s Neck.”

3) Erin Scala at Fleurie.  “Ok, so Erin is not a food, she’s an experience. I love to sit at the bar with one of my wine geek buddies, usually Kevin Sidders from VinConnect, and have sommelier Erin just pour us wines she’s excited about. Ask her to pair them with some of Chef Brian’s outstanding food and you’ll see why I get so excited about food and wine pairings.”

4) Liver and Onions at Mel’s Café.  “While I’d like to spend more nights at Tavola, Mas, and Lampo, as a father of four I spend a lot more time at places like this. Mel and his wife define southern hospitality and their food is so soul-soothingly delicious that my pregnant wife opted to go here on her birthday. My kids love the ribs and cheeseburgers while my wife tries something different every time we go . . . which is often.”

5) Canelés De Bordeaux from MarieBette Cafe & Bakery.  “The Alley Light chef José De Brito turned me on to these when he served them at a party at his home. They were the only thing on the table that he didn’t make. One bite showed me why. The dark caramelized crust hides a tender golden center that causes you to eat a lot more of them than you thought possible. My advice? Buy twice as many as you think you’ll need.”

05/15/2015

Five Finds on Friday: Jake Busching

Jake

On Fridays, we feature five food finds from local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Jake Busching, winemaker at Grace Estate Winery, which recently opened its brand new tasting room and today released their Tannat and Vidal Blanc.  Stop by the winery tonight from 6-9 to celebrate the wine release with a food truck, music, and more. Or, if you’re fancier than that, this weekend Busching’s wines will be paired with the food of former Clifton Inn chef Tucker Yoder, as part of Yoder’s pop-up restaurant series.  Seats are very limited, but can be reserved here.  Menu here.

Busching turned his five finds into a full day of eating and drinking.  “If I were going to have the perfect day of gluttonous perfection,” he said, “it would go something like this:”

1)  Mountain Mess Breakfast at Mountainside Grill.  “Home fries, two choices of meat including chorizo, cheddar cheese, green bell pepper and onion with two eggs over easy.  Good morning!”

2)  Oyster Po Boy and a Jar of Bulleit Bourbon at The Whiskey Jar.  “A heavenly plate sourced from RRO!”

3)  Dragon Rose at The Wine Guild.  “Next stop at the Wine Guild of Charlottesville to have a tasting of the week’s offerings and pick up my order.  Dragon Rose for spring skies seems apt. The wine knowledge associated with this group is as astounding as it is fun.”

4)  Rabbit Rillette at The Alley Light.  “I, like so many others in Charlottesville, stand in awe of the plates at The Alley Light.  Any of them.  I’ve heard applause for peas there at a wine dinner. Peas! But, for certain I would have a rillette. Rabbit. Or sardine maybe, with a bottle of Thierry Germain Cabernet Franc. Any vintage available.”

5)  Horse’s Neck at The Livery Stable.  “To end my sojourn I’d belly up to the bar at The Livery Stable and ask Sir Ian for a Horse’s Neck. Copper clad cocktail of gingery dreams. And then maybe another . . .”