The Ivy Inn Restaurant
2244 Old Ivy Road . Charlottesville, VA . (434) 977-1222
http://www.ivyinnrestaurant.com/
Why The Ivy Inn?
If you polled area chefs about who is the best chef in town, the winner might be The Ivy Inn’s Angelo Vangelopoulos, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who trained under such legends as Roberto Donna and Robert Greault. While Vangelopoulos has long been revered by the Charlottesville industry, the James Beard Foundation has also taken notice, twice naming him a semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.
But, it’s not just the cooking that stands out at The Ivy Inn. Since 1995, Vangelopoulos and his wife Farrell have presided over the area’s most welcoming fine-dining restaurant. In a food-focused era where service can be an afterthought, the Vangelopoulos family adheres to what Angelo calls the “old-school” approach: take care of your guests from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave. The setting drives it home: a cozy, historical building, with creased white tablecloths, soft music, and, in colder months, a crackling fire. Old school, indeed. There’s no better place on The Charlottesville 29 to celebrate.
What to Order
Below are some of our favorite dishes at The Ivy Inn, as well as Vangelopoulos’ personal favorites, and appearances in Five Finds on Friday, where area chefs and personalities have named a dish from The Ivy Inn one of the best in town.
Our Picks
- Shrimp ‘n Grits
- Rack of Lamb / Duet of Lamb
- Grilled Mountain Trout
- The Mike Davidson
- Cville Ham Biscuit
- Moussaka (takeout)
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
Chef’s Picks
- Warm Medley of amFOG Mushrooms
- Ravioli (variable based on the season)
- Lemon Meringue Icebox Cake
Five Finds on Friday Picks
- Warm Medley of amFOG Mushrooms — Somdev Devvarman (tennis star)
- Shrimp and Grits – Christina Fessler (reader)
- Gyro — Ben Thompson (formerly, The Rock Barn)
- Foie Gras — Dylan Allwood (formerly, Tavola)
- Rack of Lamb — Michael McCarthy (Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie)
- Duet of Lamb — Tyler Teass (formerly, Clifton Inn)
- Roast Lamb — Mike Perry (formerly, Brasserie Saison)
- Pork Rib Chop — PK Ramath (Fry’s Spring Station and Ivy Provisions)
- Slow Cooked Veal Shank Osso Bucco — Jenee Libby (Edacious, formerly The Diner of Cville)
- Ravioli — Mark Otis (Personal chef)
- Pumpkin Ravioli — Caleb Warr (formerly, Tavola)
- Doe Hill Pepper Bisque — Deirdre Armstrong (Harvest Thyme Herbs)
Photo by Tom McGovern