The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Two for Tuesday

02/05/2013

Two for Tuesday: Paradox Pastry and Afghan Grand Market

Food 231

1)  Italian Cream Cake at Paradox Pastry.  For most of our lives, dessert has been the course that interests us least.  Even from a young age, we found ourselves ordering an appetizer for dessert.  Paradox Pastry has got us re-thinking things.  They continue to crank out so many wow-inducing creations that we wonder if we’ve been giving dessert short shrift all these years.  Our latest crush is Italian Cream Cake.  Four layers of cake with coconut, walnuts, and cream cheese frosting, it’s like a cross between German Chocolate Cake and Carrot Cake, yet with no chocolate and no carrots.  A paradox, of sorts.

Food 227

2)  Shami Kebab at Afghan Grand Market.  It seems not long ago that we wondered why the Washington D.C. area had so many great Middle Eastern kebab shops, while Charlottesville had none.  Times have changed.  Ariana.  Afghan Kabob Palace.  Sultan Kebab.  M&M Lounge.  Bazlamas.  Aromas. Sticks.  And, now, Grand Market, the tiny Middle Eastern food shop we have frequented for years that recently added a kitchen in the rear of the store.  It’s tough to pick a favorite.  The warm bread, puffed and charred by the tandoor?  The rib-sticking, spiced, stewed okra?  And, then there is the Shami Kebab — spiced ground beef skewered and grilled to order with a side of minty, yogurt-based sauce.  Yes, the menu is limited and unpredictable, and, yes the seating is even more limited — just a few chairs and tables at the front of the store.  But, the food will keep us coming back.

01/29/2013

Two for Tuesday: Mussels at Orzo and Wow Cow at Arch’s

Food 225

1)  Mussels at Orzo.  On a very short list of dishes we would consider for our last meal on Earth is moules frites – the brilliant Belgian invention of mussels, broth, and french fries.  Orzo’s Greek-influenced riff on the dish reminds us how partial we are to bold flavors.  While our palates are gradually coming to appreciate the pleasures of subtlety and delicacy, at heart we remain suckers for big flavors.  (Give us an Epoisses, not a fresh chevre.)  Orzo’s mussels are studded with assertive ingredients like tangy feta cheese, ouzo, and crumbled house-made sausage redolent of fennel.  Once you finish the healthy portion of mussels, the crispy fries are the perfect sponge to soak up the heady broth.

2) Wow Cow at Arch’s.  If you are like us, you are chemically destined to overindulge every holiday season.  No matter how much we try to avoid it, there is something about November and December that causes us to eat like bears preparing to hibernate.  Thus, we begin each year feeling as though we are overstuffed geese waiting for their livers to be seared and served with a Sauternes.  Consequently, low-cal January has become an annual tradition, where we reintroduce ourselves to ways to reduce calories without too much pain.  While this generally means eliminating sweets altogether, if we do get a craving, a nearly guilt-free fix is a frozen dessert known as Wow Cow, available at Arch’s.  Made from extra grade A whey, and sweetened with fructose from fruit, Wow Cow weighs in at just 12 calories per ounce, which means a 4 oz serving is less than fifty calories.  Although not technically frozen yogurt or ice cream, Wow Cow is way to get that fix when counting calories.

12/04/2012

Two for Tuesday: Virginia Wineworks and Champion Brewing

Food 196

1)  Bag in the Box 2009 Cabernet Franc from Virginia Wineworks.  Is boxed wine the new screw cap?  After meeting some resistance from wine traditionalists, the screw cap has now turned the corner and appears destined for broad acceptance.  Could boxed wine be next?  Don’t get us wrong.  We enjoy the ceremony of opening a proper bottle of wine.  There are sensory experiences to wine beyond mere taste: the feel of the glass bottle, the pop of the cork, the wine splashing into the glass.  But, if the price is right, some consumers may be willing to forego the pomp and circumstance.

Virginia Wineworks is betting they will, with last year’s release of the value-oriented series of Bag in the Box wines, made with grapes grown throughout Virginia.  Our favorite is the 2009 Cabernet Franc.  While it may not earn record-breaking scores from Robert Parker, it has already won well-deserved praise and succeeds at being just what it claims to be: a soft, approachable red for everyday meals and occasions.  Best of all is the price: $35 per box, which contains four bottles of wine.  With a shelf life of many weeks after opening, this hits a price point that can be difficult for Virginia wines to reach: the $8-$10 per-bottle range targeted by many household budgets for everyday wines.  The recyclable packaging is also eco-friendly, and the transportation of the boxes is much less costly than that of trucking bottles.  Well-priced and eco-friendly?  That seems like something that could catch on in Charlottesville.  Perhaps other area vineyards will follow.  Available now at Beer Run.

Food 194

2)  Missile IPA at Champion Brewing Company.  Hunter Smith’s new brewery, recently opened on 6th St SE at the foot of the Belmont Bridge, is off to a promising start.  Of the Champion beers we’ve tried, our favorite is the Missile IPA (7% ABV, 65 IBUs), but that may be because it is tailor-made for hopheads like us.  While some IPAs seek to balance the style’s signature heavy dose of hops with a solid malt backbone, Champion’s well-named Misile IPA is all about hops, which come right at you.  And, we like it that way.  Unapologetically bitter, the dry-hopped West-Coast style IPA’s blend of Simcoe, Cascade, and Summit hops dominates the malt.  The fact that there is no food served on site means customers can bring their own or, better yet, order delivery.  We’ll be back to see how Champion progresses.