The Charlottesville 29

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

Tag: Zinc

01/18/2013

Five Finds on Friday: Tim Gearhart

Photo by Sarah Cramer Shields for Beyond the Flavor.

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Tim Gearhart, the Culinary Institute of America graduate behind the world class offerings at Gearharts Chocolates.  For Valentine’s Day this year, Gearharts has put together an ideal package – a 16-piece assortment of chocolates, a handmade chocolate heart, and a 4-piece box of toffee – all for just $30.  Gearhart’s picks:

1)  Fried Oysters with Chipotle Aioli at Duner’s Restaurant.  “An absolute staple.”

2)  Beef Short Rib at Zinc.  “This is one of the most memorable meals I have had in Charlottesville in quite a while.  Grits, roasted cauliflower . . . ridiculous.”

3)  Beef Jerky at The Organic Butcher.  “I have a serious addiction to beef jerky. Don’t judge me.”

4)  A perfectly poured Duvel beer on tap at Mas.  “Maybe enjoyed with a few raw oysters and I am not sure it gets better.”

5)  Chocolate Praline Crunch Cake Dome at Albermarle Baking Co..   “Even after being around a whole bunch of chocolate all day,  I can still do some damage on one of these.”

09/21/2012

Five Finds on Friday: Megan J. Headley

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Megan J. Headley, Food & Wine Editor of C-VILLE Weekly.  Headley’s picks:

1)  Honey Bunch at Java Java.  My unofficial office makes these same cookie-meets-mini muffins as C’ville Coffee, and while they’re not as BIG at Java Java, they’re more densely packed with the oats, coconut, honey, brown sugar, butter, and flour that make them so chewy…and so perfect for breakfast!

2)  Ginger Scone at Albemarle Baking Company.  Made only on Fridays, these buttery delights packed with spicy chunks of candied ginger and topped with crunchy turbinado sugar sell out fast.  Wait, did I say Fridays?  I meant, um, Wednesdays.

3)  Vodka Gimlet Up with Fresh Lime and a Splash of St-Germain at Zinc.  Just about any bar who doesn’t mind my Sally in When Harry Met Sally ordering style (and who carries the fragrant elderflower liqueur) will make this, but I love the airiness of the bar at Zinc and the attention they devote to their cocktail program.

4)  Bellissima Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust at Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie.  It’s been mentioned before, but I’ll mention it again: A chewy, charred whole wheat crust (made with Steadfast Farm’s wheat) strewn with roasted tomatoes, puddles of fresh mozzarella, ribbons of fresh basil, sea salt, shavings of salty Turner Country Ham, all topped with local arugula that’s been tossed with shaved parmigiano, lemon, and olive oil? My favorite salad and my favorite pizza in one perfect pie.

5)  Melanzane al Parmigiano at Tavola.  Michael Keaveny’s recipe is the best I’ve ever had.  Thin rounds of eggplant get breaded with a secret ingredient (I’ll never tell!) and lightly fried before being stacked on the plate, free form, with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmigiano cheeses between the layers and a bright, garlic- and basil-laced San Marzano marinara sauce all around it.

08/10/2012

Five Finds on Friday: Vu Nguyen

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Vu Nguyen, owner of Zinc and the newly opened Moto Pho Co.  Nguyen’s five picks:

1)  Sausage, Egg and Cheesse,  Coffee, and a Chocolate Glazed Donut at Spudnuts.  Really doesn’t need an explanation.

2)  Veggie on Rye with House Dressing, add Watercress and a Side of House Dressing, 1/2 pint Exotic Grains, and Rte 66 Dill Pickle Chips at Take It Away.  I’m not a vegetarian.

3)  Bamee Moo Dang at Pad Thai.  Wonton Noodle Soup is what they call it on the menu, which is weird because the literal translation is Ramen Red Pork.

4)  The bar and the man who makes it, Paulie, at Vivace.

5)  Four C’s on a Sugar Cone at Chaps.  This is a recent revelation for me, thanks to my better half, Laura, replacing Arch’s Swirl with M&M’s as indulgence #1 (besides Talisker).

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