The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Two for Tuesday

04/09/2013

Two for Tuesday: Moto Pho Co. and Beer Run

Food 241

1)  Banh Mi at Moto Pho Co.  Moto Pho Co. is not our typical experience with banh mi sandwiches, which we are accustomed to eating in more downscale digs.  We have enjoyed extraordinary banh mi sandwiches at bare bones bakeries, foul-smelling Asian grocery marts, and holes-in-the-wall that were filthier than our college dorm room.  While these Vietnamese sandwiches can take many forms, they are almost always served on crusty baguettes, and filled with some sort of meat, such as pork liver pate, head cheese, pork meatballs, or pork belly.  Garnishes often include cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, chilis, chili sauce, and mayonaisse.  Like Banh Mi Boys in Toronto or The Box here in Charlottesville, Moto Pho Co. takes these humble sandwiches to slightly snazzier digs – a sleek, airy dining room and a welcoming patio on West Main Street.   Despite the upgrade in surroundings, the sandwiches themselves stay true to form, with just the burst of flavors that makes banh mi sandwiches one of our most irresistible cravings.   We’ll be back again and again.

Food 240

2)  A.M. Biscuit at Beer Run.  For years, one of our favorite parts of Sunday has been Conchi’s Biscuit Basket at Beer Run’s brunch, which contains three biscuits that are so light that they seem to defy physics.  The biscuits are worth waiting all week for.  Now, we don’t have to wait anymore.  Beer Run has recently made the biscuits part of the daily breakfast menu.  The A.M. Biscuit ($3.75) includes a freshly baked cheddar-scallion biscuit with egg and a choice of cheese.   A delicious and hearty start to the day, particularly when you’re not sure if you’ll have time for lunch.

02/19/2013

Two for Tuesday: Fabio’s and Blue Moon Diner

1)  Slice of Pepperoni Pizza at Fabio’s.  Now that low-cal January is finally behind us, we are happily enjoying many of the things we had to forgo during those thirty days of torture.  One of our strongest cravings is usually for pizza.  And, we don’t mean the fancy stuff with exotic toppings like avocado, Thai Chicken, or even pasta.  Rather, we mean a good-old-fashioned New York style slice of ‘za.  In Charlottesville, there’s not much in the way of that kind of pizza, and Fabio’s may be the closest thing.  As is the case with slices at classic New York City pizza parlors, none of the components of a Fabio’s slice seems particularly noteworthy — not the cheese, not the tomato sauce, and not the crust.  Instead, the pizza has that sum-is-greater-than-its-parts greatness that, in short, hits the spot when you need a slice.

Food 287

2)  Bacon Baklava at Blue Moon Diner.  When most people think of baklava, they don’t say: “You know what this needs more of? Calories!”  But, then again, the venerable Blue Moon Diner has always marched to the beat of its own drum.  As part of the diner’s annual Bacon Dinner on Valentine’s Day, BMD takes baklava and adds bacon, and chocolate too.  The result is not just disgusting but also delicious.  Leftovers are often available during the week after Valentine’s Day, but after that, you might just have to beg.

Food 235

02/12/2013

Two for Tuesday: Pizza Bella and Gearharts

1)  Heart-shaped Pizza at Pizza Bella.  Never the type to dine out on Valentine’s Day, we prefer to celebrate at home.  Pizza Bella makes that easy.  For years, we’ve observed an annual tradition of ordering a heart-shaped pizza from Pizza Bella, and taking it home to enjoy with a bottle of wine.  What could be more romantic than a heart-shaped pie – half his and half hers?  Besides, unlike some area restaurants, Pizza Bella’s food costs the same on Valentine’s Day as it does any other day of the year.

IMG_4591

2)  Malted Milk Hazelnut at Gearharts.  There’s got to be chocolate on Valentine’s Day, and in Charlottesville, we are blessed to have one of the nation’s best chocolatiers.  Don’t take our word for it, just ask Saveur Magazine, Epicurious, Travel & Leisure, the TODAY show, or any of the many others who have sung the praises of Gearharts.  Better yet, try for yourself.  It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite among the sixteen varieties of fine chocolates, though the rich Criolla and spicy Maya are two serious contenders.  So, we asked the expert: Tim Gearhart, the man behind all of the creations.  He says that if forced to pick just one, he’d go with the Malted Milk Hazelnut, which is whipped Gianduja malted milk and toasted hazelnuts, dipped in creamy milk chocolate.  Who are we to disagree?  And, good news for procrastinating lovers:  there is still time to order the Valentine’s Day Trio, which includes a 16-piece Assortment (one of each their chocolates), a four piece box of Buttery Pistachio Toffee dipped in Bittersweet Chocolate, and a solid Valentine’s Day Heart.  And, again, there’s no holiday upcharge.  In fact, at $35, the trio is considerably less expensive than the sum of the three items sold individually.  We won’t tell your Valentine their gift was on discount.

Fariello Shoot 024