SIP AND STEEP WINE AND TEA SHARE FOCUS AT NEW CAFÉ
EXTRA FISHY CROZET SEAFOOD HAS US SWIMMING IN SHRIMP (ETC.)
FRY-YAY! TIME TO MAKE (AND EAT!) THE DONUTS AT SBROCCO'S ON THE LIST FOOD NEWS AND EVENTS TO TAKE IN THIS SEASON Chow down 400+ spots to curb a cravingPG. 38
THE LOCAL PIZZA SCENE IS HOT AND READY
Discover the narrative that de fi nes the Mo ntice ll oAVA from the fi rst vines planted on the SouthwestMountainsbyThomasJefferso n himself to themeticulo us craftsmanship thatgoesinto every bottle today. Vis it sm vw in es .c om t o e xp lor e our wi nes, reserve yo ur v is it , join o ur win e club, a nd emb ark o n a jo ur ne y of un pa ral lele d ta ste
Ethos
Marigold’s sundae best. Page 38
(434) 817-2749 n c-ville.com c-ville.com/knife-fork
Thibaut-Janisson was born from a long friendship that began in a Grand Cru village in the Champagne region of France and continues today in Blue Ridge Mountains of Charlottesville, Virginia.
Thibaut-Janisson Winery | Charlottesville, Virginia | (434) 996-3307 | claude@tjwinery.com
Lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch with a backdrop of stunning Blue Ridge Mountain views. Open 7 Days! Plus, half off wine by the bottle every Wednesday, and great Happy Hour specials Monday, Wednesday - Saturday from 3-6pm and all day on Tuesday.
Scan the QR code to view our menus.
Call 434-823-1841 for reservations or find us on the RESY app.
Donuts have been on a certain trajectory for the last two decades: bigger, more toppings, more creativity—an arms race of candy, cookies, and fried pork.
After several years working with semi-traditionalists Jason Becton and Patrick Evans at MarieBette Café & Bakery, Melissa Sbrocco is going in a
different direction. When she opens her namesake donut shop the second week of September (hopefully), dough nuts can expect to find a rotating lineup of classics: glazed, jelly-filled, chocolate iced, plain cake, chocolate iced cake.
“Jason is from New Jersey, and I grew up going to the Jersey Shore,” Sbrocco says. “We’re used to strip
mall donut shops where you grab and go, kind of similar to a Dunkin’. That’s the concept.”
Sbrocco’s relationship with Becton and Evans began in 2020, when her temporary move to Charlottesville stretched long-term. A real estate agent before the move, Sbrocco’s plan was to stay until the pandemic ended, then go back to her life. But she and her husband fell in love with the town, and she found her way into baking, a passion project she’d always wanted to cultivate, via a job at MarieBette.
After four years together, Sbrocco, Becton, and Evans will partner up for Sbrocco’s Donuts & Espresso. Sbrocco will lean on her former bosses for consulting, she says, as well as for the brioche recipe they’ve developed at MarieBette. “We sometimes take the basic brioche dough scraps and fry them up,” Sbrocco says. “You can call any fried dough in a circle a donut.”
As the three partners prepare the new Sbrocco’s space on Maury Avenue in the former Anna’s Pizza spot, they’re also heavily involved in recipe development. Sbrocco’s favorite so far? Another traditional offering, the apple fritter. For that crispy hunk of nooks and crannies, Sbrocco uses a sturdier dough than the standard brioche base—kind of like a milk bread, she says.
A baker at heart, Sbrocco typically favors cake over yeast donuts; she says her 1,500-square-foot, eight- to 10seat breakfast counter will always have two non-leavened crullers on hand. She and her partners have also experimented with a potato donut, a nod to Charlottesville’s spuddy pastry past.
As for coffee, Sbrocco hopes folks enjoy it the way she does. “We’ll have full espresso drinks,” she says. “But the classic is you have a donut and you have your drip.”—Shea Gibbs
We are truly humbled and grateful to receive this year’s Best of Cville Award, and for all of the continued support from our guests over the past year.
Love, The Team at Ten
Open for Dinner Every Tuesday - Saturday at 5:00 PM
Reserve your table today by calling us at 434 295 6691 or by finding us on OpenTable
DRINK TO THAT
Two more feathers for Virginia wine’s cap: In June, Early Mountain Vineyards earned Wine Spectator’s prestigious 2024 Award of Excellence “for its outstanding wine and culinary experience,” reads a press release.
“We are immensely proud of how far we have come since our inception in 2012,” said Jean Case, founder and chairman of the Madison-based winery, in the release. “This accolade highlights the remarkable dedication of our team and the superior hospitality that defines Early Mountain. We are honored to be recognized among the best in the world and remain committed to excellence in the wines we make and the food and wine service that so many have had the opportu-
nity to enjoy when dining with us in the heart of Virginia Wine Country.”
A little further afield in La Crosse, Rosemont Vineyard won Rosé of the Year at the 2024 Sommeliers Choice Awards. The competition included 1,500 wines from more than 30 countries, each judged for food-pairing ability, typicity, quality, value, and packaging. Rosemont’s 2022 Extra Brut Sparkling Rosé, created using 100 percent state-grown chambourcin grapes, took the top prize.
“The Extra Brut Sparkling Rosé is fun, lively, and the perfect complement to so many different styles of food,” the winery said in an Instagram post announcing the win. “We are truly honored for this wine to be recognized in this way.”—CH
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Jefferson School African American Heritage Center
Hosted by Oenoverse, Blenheim Vineyards’ inclusive wine club, Two Up Wine Down “shines a spotlight on BIPOC wine professionals, enthusiasts, and allies,” providing an opportunity to highlight the work of underrepresented communities in Virginia wine through wine tastings and conversation. blenheimvineyards.com
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Crozet Park
Live music, local food trucks, retail vendors, and—of course—winter brews make the 2024 Crozet Winter Brews fest a can’tmiss event for area booze hounds. All proceeds benefit Crozet Park (where the festival is located), so put your money where your mouth is. crozetbeerfest.com
January 2025
Various restaurants
You know the drill by now: Make your reservations at one of 30+ participating restaurants, then enjoy a three-course meal for $25, $35, or $45. One dollar from every meal goes to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. c-villerestaurantweek.com
If you haven’t tried Mejicali
yet, you’re missing out on the newest culinary gem from Ten Course Hospitality. Opened by River Hawkins, who also helms The Bebedero, another Mexican gem in the Ten Course family, Mejicali is more than just a restaurant—it’s a work of art. Hawkins has filled the space with his colorful murals that add an edgy flair to your dining experience.
Opened in late July, the vibrant restaurant showcases a meticulous attention to detail that defines the group’s offerings, from humble handmade tortillas to artfully crafted cocktails. Be sure to try the Cilantrojito, a standout cocktail featuring Madre Mezcal, Sambuca, butterfly pea flower tea, and, of course, cilantro.—Sarah Golibart Gorman
Not even a year old, SuperFly Brewing Co. gained recognition in the local beer scene by taking third place for Best in Show at the Virginia Beer Cup with its Midnight Train English Porter.
Other Charlottesville winners include South Street Brewery, which claimed first place in the European Sours category with its gose/wit hybrid, Slippery When Wit, and second place in American Lagers/ Light Lagers for its C’ville Bilsner. Decipher Brewing also brought home first place in European Lagers with its Snowball’s Chance Munich Helles.—SGG
Just a short walk from UVA’s campus, Clubhouse Cafe opened its doors in mid-June in a charming converted home-turned-cafe. The cafe’s name is inspired by owner Shayne Shiflett’s time as a UVA Glee Club member.
This cozy spot offers an all-day lunch menu featuring 25 sandwich options, along with breakfast choices to kickstart your day. Be sure to check the board outside for lunch specials—$1 off sandwiches gives you the perfect reason to try something new. And don’t miss the freshly baked cookies for a sweet treat.—SGG
Award-winning craft lagers & ales
Locally sourced food
Tons of screens for game day action
Local wine & cider
Conveniently located near UVA in the Bellair neighborhood
Experience Executive Chef Tucker Yoder’s weekly curated menu. Drawing on his culinary expertise and long-standing partnerships with local farmers and purveyors, each unique menu is a celebration of fresh, seasonal ingredients.
1837 Broadway Street • Charlottesville, Va
By Carol Diggs
Is it a gourmet shop? A neighborhood grocery? A stop-by convenience store? A deli? A gift store? A coffee shop? A lunch spot? Foods of All Nations is all these things—and a Charlottesville institution that’s has been serving local customers for almost 70 years.
Stroll through Foods and you’ll find a range of quality produce and birthday cards, fresh sushi and baby gifts, a bottle of wine and dish soap, handmade chocolates and pet food, MarieBette baked goods and Caspari paper products. The store covers all these categories because its customer base runs the gamut, heavily influenced by its location next to UVA and on the west side’s main route in and out of town.
“We see lots of UVA athletes and students, faculty on their way home from UVA, parents picking up their kids from St. Anne’s-Belfield, and then there’s the Farmington/Bellair/Boars Head crowd,” says Butch Brown, Foods’ interim store manager. The outdoor seating is mobbed during nice weather, especially on UVA football game days. And, he adds, “This is a food town.”
Foods caters to foodies. Jams, jellies, and condiments from mustard to harissa fill one side of Aisle 4; Aisle 5 features foods from Greece, Indonesia, Asia, Spain and Mexico, the Middle East, India, and Africa. Toma, the sushi chef, draws a devoted clientele. The selection of wines, cheeses, and chocolate is amazing—many of them local (Foods stocks products from dozens of local businesses and “the widest selection of Virginia-made food and products” in town, says its website). Many customers come in every Sunday for their New York Times or Washington Post.
Foods was launched in 1955 by local businessmen Don King and Watt Jones; their first store, on Preston Avenue in Rose Hill, was called the Seven Day Shopping Center. A few years later, the store moved to Meadowbrook Shopping Center, and by 1970 it had settled at its current location in Ivy Square, with a new name. There was a metal sign on the roof, Brown recalls, proclaiming “Foods of All Nations: An Asset in Any Community,” although he doesn’t recall where that name or slogan came from.
A company associated with the UVA Foundation bought the Ivy Square Shopping Center in 2021, but Brown is confident that Foods will be around for a while yet. “The Foundation has been very supportive,” he says, including of the breakfast-and-lunch spot Foods operates at UVA’s North Fork Discovery Park.
“It’s
That eatery is one of several adaptations that Foods has made over the years. A 1994 renovation expanded the back office and bakery space and turned the store’s original entry into a café offering tea, coffee, and pastries. The new entry and the space next to it became the flower and gift shop. In a nod to promoting local, that space is shared between Caspari products (the company is based here and its president is a Foods customer) and Alight Flower Farm in Keswick, which stocks the fresh flowers, indoor plants, and gifts.
“Foods was our main market when we started the farm in 2016,” says Alight’s owner Liz Nabi, “so when their florist left in 2020, Foods asked us to take over.” When it comes to the gift selection, she says, “I pick things that I like and am drawn to—colorful, often nature-themed.” Shoppers find it convenient to pick up hostess gifts, Christmas stocking stuffers, baby gifts, and birthday presents. “Because Foods has such consistent repeat customers, we always want to offer something new,” Nabi says.
While the store has adapted over the decades, one of its consistent features is its longterm staff. Brown has worked there for 35
years, Cindy Barker, the grocery manager, for 30 years, and deli section employees know customers by name—or by their favorite prepared food, specialty cheese, or cut of meat.
One long-time customer says he and his wife have been shopping at Foods for 50 years plus. “They carry real specialty European stuff,” he says. “It’s the place to go in Charlottesville for that. And it’s like a coffee house or café in Paris, or an English pub—you see students, grad students, faculty, elderly people, all the locals.”
Grocery manager Barker says she’s always looking for new products that her customers might be interested in: “I like to carry local products—our customers like to buy local— but I also try to get products from other countries.” Customers often ask her for specific products, and she does her best to oblige because she appreciates their loyalty. “We have the best customers ever,” she says.
And Foods’ clientele seems to reciprocate. The long-time customer we spoke with recalls picking a German hot chocolate mix off the shelf, but he couldn’t tell how much sugar was in it. “One of the staff came over and checked the German label ingredients for me—not many stores where that could happen,” he says.
By Shea Gibbs
Chef Gregory Lewis didn’t go to college or culinary school. But after more than 12 years at Maya and stints at other local spots and beyond, he’s developed a sophisticated style that made him the perfect pairing when Southwest Mountain Vineyards decided to launch a full kitchen alongside its tasting room last fall. Lewis recently told Knife & Fork more about how he found his way to the job.
Knife & Fork: How did your career in the kitchen take off?
Gregory Lewis: I started my culinary career in Charlottesville at a little spot called Martha’s Café, probably when I was 17 or 18. After that, I did some traveling and then took on the industry seriously at about 24. I’ve worked with some great chefs that gave me inspiration. The first real chef I worked with was a guy named Nathan Fountain at Brix. He led me to Barboursville, where I worked with a lot of great people, including Melissa Close-Hart. She’s fantastic. From there, I just kept going. I spent the last 12 years at Maya working with Christian Kelly. He was our executive chef throughout that time, and he taught me so much.
What has helped you stand out over the years?
Being in this industry, everybody goes through ups and downs, and there are good employees and bad. So I pride myself on my work ethic. Even on my days off, you’ll often find me in the kitchen. I try to lead people in the direction of this great career. There’s always something to be done in the kitchen. I got really lucky at Martha’s. I walked into that gig and was immediately put on the hotline, never did a dishwashing stint or anything. Like I said, I got lucky— not that I haven’t done my fair share of dishwashing. It’s actually not [that] bad of a job, but it is thankless. I tell all my dishwashers: “You have no idea how important you are. I can only do what I do one time without you guys.”
What’s been your role at Southwest Mountain Vineyards?
I created this menu entirely, and I’m always looking to expand it or change it. But it’s hard to drop anything when it’s selling, and every time I look at something and think about getting rid of it, it starts to sell. I’m in the process of trying to add to the menu and keep it seasonal. My space is limited, which makes it hard to hold certain things, but we’re improving slowly but surely. We’re hoping to expand the kitchen in the near future. We opened on September 30 [2023]; I started on September 6. They weren’t
planning to have a chef, but things came to fruition, and I was fortunate enough to land the gig. It wasn’t exactly easy. They gave me a mystery box, and I had to prepare some things. I make a pretty good gnocchi, and I had some extra time so I threw that together along with some flatbreads. It was like solo “Chopped.”
Tell us more about your gnocchi. The way I do it is I give the potatoes a salt rub and whole roast them in the oven at 400 for 45
minutes or so. I let them cool a little bit—you still want them warm but cool enough to handle. Then I scoop them out, set the skins aside, add some flour, egg, usually a little garlic powder, salt and pepper, and start rolling. I start with a 2 to 2 to 2 ratio—two eggs, two cups of flour, two kilos of potatoes—and adjust from there. It all depends on how moist the potatoes are, so it’s a constant adjustment. It never comes out exactly the same way, but you make it as close as you can. I’ve done this for so long and so often that I don’t really follow recipes.
What’s your personal approach to cooking?
I really take on my role in the whole kitchen situation as a low-pressure gig. There’s enough pressure in the kitchen. I try not to add to that. I try to relieve that. I tell all my cooks: “Don’t feel pressure. It’s just food.” I can’t say I have any single style. I try to be creative and make things that are tasty. I’m in the process of creating a shrimp and avocado toast, a beautiful summer dish. I blanch the shrimp and pretty much make a shrimp salad with cucumber, celery, tarragon, whole grain mustard, a splash of vinegar, and put it on Texas toast with slices of avocado garnished with bull’s blood microgreens. It was a big seller as a special the first time I put it on, so I figured, “Why not again?”
How would you describe the food at Southwest Mountain?
The cuisine here is a little more simplified; it is more of a lunch and afternoon dining situation. It has to pair well with the wine, and I want to keep it light for the summer. It’s very different from my experience at Maya, but I’m enjoying it. I have complete creative freedom. Just like with my gnocchi recipe, I’m not a baker, so I don’t have to be exact. Baking is one thing that I’ve never mastered, but I have a front-of-house server, Emma Tso, who’s a retired baker from New York. She does all the pastries for our members’ dinners. She’s fantastic—super creative and talented.
What’s the best thing about being the head chef at Southwest Mountain?
Other than working in a shoebox, this is a great spot. Our owner, Paul Manning, has been nothing but a very genuine man, very giving. As much as I loved Maya, I was always wanting more. I have no wants here. Anything I feel like I might need, I am handed.
By BJ Poss
Barbecue is nestled as deep in Charlottesville’s roots as any homemade brine. You’d be hard-pressed to find a self-respecting plate of pork barbecue in Virginia that didn’t start out submerged in coarse salt dissolved in water full of sugar, spices, and citrus zest, a chef’s emulsion that absorbs into the meat and, when touched with smoke and fire, blooms into a succulent delight.
One player, noticeably absent on the smokin’ scene, returned last month after an unfortunate hiatus: Ace Biscuit & Barbecue is back to serving Virginia barbecue classics with a kiss of the South.
Ace shut its doors in late March after being vandalized beyond the point of recognition. The vandal (who was fittingly charged and sentenced on the day of the restaurant’s re-opening), did $50,000 of damages to wiring, fryers, and flooring—and even the toilets took a beating. To top it off, an eye got smashed out of a portrait of Hunter S. Thompson that, if we’re being honest, would likely earn a smirk from HST himself.
With the kitchen intact again and the dining room close behind, Ace is prepping out a full menu, showing that Southern gastronomy far exceeds crispy lard and baked buttermilk. “Southern food should pull out a memory,” says Ace Manager Scott Hewitt. “It isn’t simple; it’s science.”
Ace’s kitchen culture relies on the creativity of the staff to treat the menu as a conversation rather than a rulebook. “We’re all chefs, and we’re all artists,” Hewitt declares. Art plays a role in layering flavor and texture in each dish. Look to Ace classics like the Ol’ Dirty Biscuit— Southern fried chicken dripping in sauce gravy, cut with acidic, crisp pickles and smoke of housemade pimento cheese—and the Ace Dip, with jerk chicken sitting atop soft pepper jack to be dunked in Ace jus.
With an influx of creativity lining its kitchen, Ace is ready to push the envelope on what it means to whip up some low and slow fixings.
Charlottesville chef Chris Humphries of Bonny and Read brings an elevated eye to the table
as he’s begun to oversee the kitchen in hand with staff who have been spritzing the smokers since Ace’s early years.
Following the break-in, Ace has become resourceful in reconnecting with its customers by forking out brisket at pop-ups, rolling breakfast burritos at City Market, and offering dinner pairings like Gochujang sticky ribs with a German riesling at The Wine Guild.
“We just wanted to get the smokers rolling again,” explains Operations Manager Will Curley, who is downright giddy over how Charlottesville has welcomed back a parking lot of bellowing hickory smoke. “Hearing customer’s bits and pieces reminds you of the sort of community keystone Ace is … makes you really happy to be involved in a project like this.”
Ace used the closure as an opportunity to rethink its space. They’ve done everything from moving the waffle maker to plopping an elevated stage in the dining room, giving Charlottes-
ville a new venue to let loose. “We can’t wait for the first Friday night concert in the dining room, where the band is rocking, the bar is cranking, and the barbecue is smokin’,” says Curley.
Hardcore metal pairs with barbecue as well as any acid-driven riesling. Like a crispy, smoky, protective bark that softens to a tender, melodic center-cut spare rib, hardcore shows have found their Charlottesville home among red brick and carbon steel. “Every time we have a hardcore or metal show, it’s like a dam break,” Curley says with a grin.
“We’re listening to what Charlottesville wants from us. We’re excited to see where Charlottesville takes Ace in the future.”
Ace Biscuit & Barbecue is serving its full menu from its barbecue window with outdoor seating. Stay tuned for the dining room’s official re-opening.
This story originally ran in C-VILLE Weekly.
By Carol Diggs
Who says that living among the beautiful mountains means you can’t enjoy all the culinary delights of the sea: fresh shrimp, lobster, halibut, salmon, and tuna? Certainly not Jayson Johnson, and he opened Crozet Seafood Supply to prove it.
As soon as you walk into the store in the Clover Lawn Shopping Center across from Harris Teeter, that clean briny smell lets you know this is the real thing. On your left is the glass case of filets, laid out on ice surrounded by fresh kale. Next to that is the display of raw and cooked shellfish and the freshly prepared seafood salads, with a smiling staffer ready to offer you an Old Bay-infused Ritz cracker and a sample; try a favorite, the lobster pasta salad with sun-dried tomato and dill. And among the shelves of seafood paraphernalia—sauces, spices, rubs, marinades, crackers, pasta, rice—Johnson is strolling, ready with information and advice.
Johnson moved to Crozet 12 years ago to work as a neonatal respiratory therapist at UVA. After the stressful times going through COVID at the hospital, he says, “I thought about what I’d want to do for the next 15 years—it seemed a good time to make a change.”
A childhood friend, Joe Skinner, owns Bon Air Seafood in Richmond, and Johnson, a self-described foodie who had owned several small businesses in the past, decided to dive in with Skinner as partner. “I wanted [to start] something local, so I could live and work here, and I wanted to offer the community something sustainable.”
Crozet Seafood Supply was launched in March 2024, and Johnson says the response has been strong. On the Wednesday morning that I visit (“usually a slow time”), traffic is steady. Several customers are clearly regulars. A new customer has stopped by because he’s looking for calamari—“If we don’t have what you’re looking for, let us know—we’ll try to get it for you,” says Johnson. Then a couple comes in, first-timers taking a look. It helps that Johnson is active on social media, pro-
moting the arrival of seasonal delicacies like softshell crabs, as well as the specials on goodies ranging from homemade Andalusian gazpacho to the ever-popular Bon Air cheese balls featuring shrimp or crab.
Both freshness and environmental impact are key for Johnson. “Our prices are a little higher,” he says, “but that’s because we want to offer the best quality and the most sustainable varieties.” Everything is delivered by refrigerated truck straight from the docks at Hampton or in Maryland; that way, Johnson says, he can offer fresh catch from an area ranging from Iceland to Florida. The fresh Scottish salmon is flown into Hampton—it’s farm-raised, he says, but the “farm” is in a loch open to the ocean, so the fish are eating what they would in the wild. There are also frozen options: the Chilean sea bass, for example, is flash-frozen as soon as it’s caught.
Johnson has also developed local partnerships. The store’s lobster rolls (“it’s our most popular offering, hot or cold”) and other sandwiches are served on bread from Praha Bohemian Bakery & Cafe in Crozet, and the supplemental foods, sauces, and rubs are from small specialty companies like Stonewall Kitchen, Firehook Bakery, and Lynchburg’s Scratch Pasta. And since the store just got its ABC license, Johnson will be offering a range of local beverages as well.
An added asset for the cooking-challenged: Right by the door is a display case of recipe cards for the fish and shellfish on offer, including complete instructions and a list of ingredients, all of which are available right there in the store. Johnson says their market research shows “people like seafood, but they are worried about cooking it properly.” So, one less thing to worry about!
Located on the UVA Corner, The Dinsmore is a fully restored nine-room historic inn.
Located inside The Dinsmore, Farm Bell Kitchen is open daily, and has been voted Charlottesville’s best brunch four consecutive years.
farmbellkitchen.com | 1209 West Main St., Charlottesville | dinsmorehouse.com
By Carol Diggs
Ready for an afternoon catch-up over a glass of wine, but not up for a bar?
Looking for a quiet place to meet your friends downtown, but they like wine and you don’t drink alcohol? Feeling like a pot of tea and a good book on a rainy afternoon, but need to get out of the house?
Welcome to Ethos Wine and Tea.
This new spot on West Main, in the space that Guajiros Miami Eatery just vacated for its new joint on 10th Street, is a lovely mixture of congenial and Zen. As you walk in, you can look over the bookcase of wines and snacks for sale, as well as some used books for sampling. You can step up to the small curved wine bar, or find your table along the window or out on the patio—two-tops for intimate conversations, moveable for grouping. There’s a small menu of snacks, sandwiches, and sweets to help your energy match your conversation.
Ethos Wine and Tea is the joint venture of two people with different backgrounds but like
minds. Kylie Britt turned her degree in chemistry into a career in wine (which fits, if you think of winemaking as a chemical experiment) via the lab at Michael Shaps Wineworks and a stint as wine director at The Wool Factory. Tiffany Nguyen, who came to Charlottesville 16 years ago, juggled work in event-planning with raising four children (another form of event-planning, actually).
From different directions, Britt and Nguyen had developed an interest in building community through offering a gathering place. Britt says her growing desire to educate people about wines “got me dreaming of creating something more wine- and beverage-focused.” Nguyen discovered that her event skills were based on “wanting to gather people in a welcoming space—but I wasn’t ready to start a venture all on my own.” Then fate, in the shape of Charlottesville’s small-town network, stepped in.
At last year’s Two Up, Wine Down Festival celebrating Virginia wines and winemakers, self-confessed foodie Nguyen was chatting with friends who happened to know Britt and
her dreams of starting a wine-focused café. The two started talking, one idea led to another, and by January 2024 the concept for Ethos was born. Through July and August, co-owners Britt and Nguyen eased into operation— opening a few days a week while they recruited staff and refined their offerings. By late summer, the spot was fully launched.
Britt, as wine and operations director, handles wine and staffing. The wine menu covers the full range (sparkling, white, rosé, red) and Britt plans to rotate the offerings about every six weeks. “I go for local, natural, and innovative wines,” she says. “I’m not super strict about organic, but I need the wine to be both good and good for the Earth.” She’s a fan of Virginia wines, obviously, but also particularly devoted to wines from the Shenandoah Valley … “or southwest France. I’m up for any wine with a good story.” (And to be inclusive, Ethos does carry a selection of draft and canned beers and sake).
The Ethos website describes Nguyen as “wearer of all hats.” While she enjoys wine, “I never knew that much about it,” she admits, but when she and Britt got talking about creating a gathering place, “I thought, ‘Why not tea?’ It’s a high-quality product, it’s complex, and [enjoying it] is a communal experience— something you can share.” Her tea menu will not rotate as often as Britt’s wines—tea is less seasonal than wine—but she will always offer a mix of black, green, herbal, and iced. “I’m keeping an eye out for local teas, which would mostly be herbal,” Nguyen says, but she will also offer locally produced kombuchas and sodas. And for the adventurous, there’s also brined plum soda, a Philippine specialty (“my family loves it,” she says)—refreshing, but definitely for those who have a taste for salty.
The foods menu offers snacks (nuts, olives, bread and butter) for noshing with your beverage, sweets from Splendora’s, and a mix of sandwiches for heartier appetites. Britt wants to feature local suppliers where possible, and she also plans to offer their kitchen for pop-ups from local chefs (“a kind of incubator”). Eventually, she says, they want to offer the upstairs rooms as a space for private events.
Both owners keep coming back to their vision of Ethos as a community space. “This is a place for coming together,” says Britt, “whether it’s two friends or a date or a family, before dinner or after a movie or just an afternoon together.” Nguyen says it another way: “I’ve always wanted to gather people. When you walk in here, I want you to feel welcome.”
Open Every Saturday April through October, 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Breakfast and Lunch Meals and Fresh Local Produce - Locally Raised Hormone and Drug Free Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Pork - Baked Goods and Coffee/Tea - Jewelry, Hand knitted Crafts, Wood Crafts, Soaps/Lotions, Yarn/Fiber Products and Other Unique Items, and visit all of Scottsville’s great local restaurants!
Located in the Market Square Pavilion, 125 Fleet St. just north of the James River Bridge
Is there a more perfect food to suit all moods? Game’s on? Pizza. Heartbroken? Pizza. Celebrating a win? Pizza (but fancy and paired with prosecco). In this issue, we’re celebrating slices of all kinds—wood-fired, NY-style, and the kind you get at a local event out of the back of a food truck. Hope you’re hungry.
There was a time when delivery pizza was king. But as access to in-home meals widened and consumer tastes changed, portable pizza had to roll with the punches. Enter the pizza trailer, high-heat ovens hitched to the back of trucks and toted wherever their owner may want. In Charlottesville, Blue Ridge Pizza Co. is rumbling into its 12th year anchoring the brewery, winery, and reception scene, while relative newcomers Crustworthy and Popitos are also on the streets with fresh-fired eats. Shea Gibbs
Jay and Melissa Johnson bought the Blue Ridge Pizza Co. trailer from its previous owner in 2020, just before the culinary world flipped upside down. After struggling through their first year, the couple settled into a catering groove serving receptions and parties while maintaining a steady presence on the pop-up scene.
“The thing that drives us is bringing people together over food,” Melissa says. “What better way than with pizza?”
To expand its catering operation, Blue Ridge Pizza Co. began offering linens and tables along with its margheritas and pepperonis. And with pizzas coming out of the Italian-imported brick oven in 90 seconds and eight to 10 pies going in at a time, Jay, Melissa, and their team can serve as many as 200 people in an hour.
At Blue Ridge pop-ups, customers can order individual pies from the menu or customize to their liking. Favorites are the Sicilian Baller (tomato base, shredded mozzarella, shaved Parmesan, Italian style meatballs, roasted red peppers, parsley) and Cider Fest (tomato, shredded mozz and cheddar, smoked pork, seasonal apples, grilled onions, balsamic glaze).
“We make our own dough—there’s not really too big of a secret to it, but we add a little bit of wheat flour to give it more texture,” Jay says. “It’s a two-day process.”
The Johnsons post the Blue Ridge Pizza Co. pop-up schedule to Instagram, Facebook, and their website.
Tom Kelly began making sourdough before most folks knew a starter from a SCOBY. He started classes at the San Francisco Baking Institute in 2019, punched down on his job in finance, and quickly rose to head baker of his own small business.
In 2022, Kelly decided to take his recipe to the pizza oven, bought a wood-fired oven from upstate New York, and rolled out Crustworthy.
Kelly tries to hew more or less traditionally Neapolitan, with his sourdough crust taking the offerings to what insiders now call neo-Neapolitan. “You don’t need a knife and fork,” Kelly says. Crustworthy uses some local vendors for its flour, a Pennsylvania cheesemaker for its mozzarella, and local farms for as many veggies as possible. Stock Provisions provides the sausage.
Kelly says his bestseller is the reliable pepperoni pizza, with the classic margherita coming in second. Dig a little deeper on the menu and you’ll find outside-the-delivery-box offerings like the Butternut Blues with a squash base under mozzarella and caramelized onions.
The Crustworthy oven burns at 800 to 900 degrees, baking pies in about two minutes, and on a good night, the trailer pops out more than 150 12inch rounds. Find out where Kelly and his seven employees will be next on Instagram or Facebook.
Popitos graduated to a brick and mortar location in November 2022, but owners Lauren and Ray Zayas haven’t forgotten their mobile kitchen foundation.
The Zayas did their first pop-up in 2020 after a winery client of Ray’s heard about the couple’s backyard pizza parties. By the 2021 season, Ray had dropped his job with Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, and Popitos went full tilt, serving more than 1,500 pies at a music festival and booking more winery events. In 2022, the Zayas started serving at King Family Vineyards and scouting for their physical location, which would soon open at Rio Hill Shopping Center.
Today, Popitos is still on the pop-up scene and offering full catering services. While not a trailer-based operation per se, Popitos totes its oven in a refrigerated truck along with all the ingredients for fresh ’za. At pop-ups, the Zayas and their team serve five flagship pizzas—cheese, pepperoni, the classic margherita, the Meatza with pep, sausage, and bacon, and the Hot Pig with bacon, jalapenos, and hot honey—along with one rotating option.
“Our oven’s name is Bella,” Lauren says. “We have three Bellas—they’re all sisters—so we can pop up in a few different locations.”
Popitos is working on a menu update, so instore diners can soon expect hot sandwiches along with new appetizers and salads.
The same things that make pizza an ideal kid food—handheld, easily shareable, just the right amount of messy—make it perfect food for the kind of sociable dining championed by West Main’s Oakhart Social. Its menu may change with the seasons (chicken fried octopus sando, we hardly knew ye), but pizzas have been a staple of this eclectic joint’s small and not-so-small plates for years now.
Past topping experiments, such as marinated mushroom and black kale with garlic potato cream sauce or chili lime roast shrimp with goat cheese, may have rotated off the menu, but Oakhart Social has plenty of standbys to keep its blazing-hot wood-fired oven busy.
As if there weren’t enough excellent pizza options in town already, Richmond sent over one of its favorites: Billy Pie, Neapolitan-style pizzas from RVA carb king Billy Fallen, can be found hot and ready out of Random Row Brewing Co.’s stone oven. Choose from classics like margherita and pepperoni, or eat outside the pizza box with Calabrian chili pepper or ricotta and mushroom. Whatever you do, don’t forget a pint of Mosaic to wash it down.—CH
These days, diners looking for a bite for themselves or their little ones can choose from classics like pepperoni or the eternal kid fave that is five-cheese. But even here, Oakhart’s snuck in a few surprises—like the Castelvetrano olives adding brine to the pepperoni pie. No wonder Oakhart’s pies consistently earn rave reviews from diners on Yelp, who particularly praise the crispy, puffy, oven-charred crust. And if you—or, somewhat less probably, your kids—want to wander off the beaten path, Oakhart’s happy to oblige with a seasonal selection or two.—Dan Alderman P I Z Z A
TRISTAN WILLIAMS
“I’ve had this gluten-free sourdough obsession since about 2015,” says baker Ryan Lee. Luckily for the rest of us, he’s turned his obsession into his own small business, The Homestead Oven, and keeps the community supplied with delicious varieties of organic GF goodness.
Just taking a deep breath at the store/bakery on Rose Hill Drive delights the senses, lowers your blood pressure, and makes your stomach crave a slice with butter (or olive oil, or cream cheese, or almond butter, or turkey, avocado, and tomato with dill aioli). But then comes the hard part: making a decision. Five seed? Olive and rosemary? Jalapeño cheese? Varieties change by the day and the season.
Lee, a Chicago native, has been self-employed in various aspects of holistic health for two decades and has been eating gluten-free for most of that time. He was studying bee-keeping at a sanctuary in Floyd when he started to learn about sourdough baking. “I thought, ‘This is great,’” Lee recalls, “because most gluten-free sourdough is pretty awful. I started thinking how I could apply [what I was learning].” That led to five years
of sourdough experimentation. “Finally, I got a loaf that my family and friends liked, and they all said I should start baking as a business.”
By then Lee and his family had moved to Charlottesville. When the COVID shut-down ended his practice as a hands-on therapist and he was looking for both activity and income, Lee started baking loaves to bring to the open-air City Market—and kept selling out. That led to
more sales, word of mouth, and distribution through local specialty groceries. Finally, Lee outgrew his home kitchen and, with a lot of community support, opened The Homestead Oven in a small bakery that he shares with Stacy Miller’s GF venture Good Phyte Foods.
Lee sees offering healthy food “as an extension of the work I was doing, a desire to support and nourish people and to heal them. And [as a massage therapist] I’ve always loved working with my hands. It’s very similar—being present with the dough, you get to know it well. A sourdough starter is a living, breathing culture that has its own rhythms.”
Homestead Oven products are available at the store Tuesdays through Fridays; baking day is Wednesday, but they always have some loaves put away in the freezer (they freeze well and keep for three to four months). The bakery’s main outlet is Ix Market on Saturdays, but loaves are also available at small and organic groceries around Charlottesville. And you can order online for shipping around the country.
The latest good news: “Pizza Night has made its triumphant return,” Lee says with a smile. Once he had his sourdough recipe perfected, he developed a new obsession—quality gluten-free pizza. Again Lee started experimenting, trying to develop a GF pizza dough that would hold up to the toppings and work as both thin- and thick-crust. But offering pizzas was hard to do as the bread business took off, and Lee was still a one-man operation. Now that he has help—“an amazing staff”—Friday pizza nights are back on the website.
The Oven offers three varieties of thick-crust pizza for pick-up; all are fresh, organic, gluten-free, and vegetarian (vegan cheese options are available) and use their homemade fire-roasted tomato sauce. To order, sign up on the Oven’s website for the weekly email with menu options; this is a small-batch operation, so order early— and then enjoy a healthy GF pizza. It might start your own obsession.—Carol Diggs
Baker Ryan Lee is all in for healthy and gluten-free
Not-so-secret sauce
One thing that might scuttle your grand at-home pizza experiment? You’ve got the wrong sauce. Let Nona help. Nona’s Italian Cucina tomato sauce—which you can find at a whole host of local retailers, like Market Street Wine, Foods of All Nations, and The Batesville Market—blends San Marzano tomatoes and Italian herbs and spices, filling your own cucina with an aroma that might transport you straight to Milan. Quick!
The pizza’s burning!—CH
In Charlottesville, you could eat pizza every day of the week for two weeks and still have more slices to try. Consider this a pizzucket list.
Belmont Pizza & Pub
221 Carlton Rd.
Pizzas named after streets in Belmont, plus TVs (and wings) for game days.
Christian’s Pizza
118 W. Main St., Downtown Mall, 100 14th St. NW, 601 Fifth St. SW, 3440 Seminole Trl.
A classic choice for a quick bite, Christian’s offers slices from plain cheese to buffalo chicken.
Crozet Pizza
5794 Three Notched Rd., Crozet National Geographic once said Crozet’s pies were the “best in the world.” Eat for yourself (any option is foolproof).
Crozet Pizza at Buddhist Biker Bar 20 Elliewood Ave. Charlottesville outpost for Crozet’s famous pies.
Dino’s 946 Grady Ave. Suite F
Wood-oven artisan pizzas at Dairy Market. Build your own or try one of theirs (recommended: the Hello Sunshine).
Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie
4916 Plank Rd., North Garden
Order a specialty pizza—like the Annie Oakley or the Don Juan—but don’t forget the (housemade) ranch for dipping.
End Zone Pizza
1764 Timberwood Blvd.
Try the All-star at this spot up 29N: two layers of dough, pepperoni, sausage, onions, mushrooms, green peppers and extra cheese.
Extreme Pizza
355 Merchant Walk Sq. Unit 200 (5th Street Station)
With names like The Mammoth, Mr. Pestato Head, and The Screamin’ Tomato, we’re ready to go to extremes.
Fabio’s NY Pizza
1551 E. High St.
A taste of the Big Apple (New York-style = hand-tossed, thin crust, wide slices) in Hooville.
Lampo
205 Monticello Rd.
Authentic Neapolitan slices from a pint-sized Belmont kitchen. Try the Hellboy (and don’t skip the zeppole for dessert).
Marco’s Pizza
930 Olympia Dr.
Thin crust pizza sliced Greek-style (crossways into rectangles) for easy grabbing.
Matchbox
2055 Bond St. (The Shops at Stonefield)
If you eschew the glu(ten), Matchbox has you covered with its gluten-sensitive cauliflower crusts on its 10-inch or 14-inch pies.
Mellow Mushroom
1321 W. Main St.
Here it’s the Kosmic Karma: the pizza chain’s take on a margherita, with unexpected additions like sheep’s milk feta and a swirl of pesto.
Pi-Napo
2115 Jefferson Park Ave.
Four brothers creating 10 rotating wood oven-fired pizza pies inspired by Neapolitan traditions. Mama mia!
Sal’s Pizza Crozet
5752 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet
A cult favorite for its NY-style pies.
Vita Nova
321 E. Main St., Downtown Mall
Grab a gourmet Italian slice to go and feel renewed (DYK Vita Nova means “new life”?).
Vocelli Pizza
1857 Seminole Trail #29
Here you’ll find a pie that combines two of life’s greatest comforts: pizza and mac ‘n’ cheese (among more traditional options).
I Z Z A
A hidden gem nestled in one of Charlottesville’s most charming historic neighborhoods, Oakhurst Inn is an intimate boutique hotel conveniently located just steps away from the University of Virginia. Experience luxurious accommodations, delectable cuisine, an inviting ambiance, and picturesque surroundings. A place connecting visitors and locals alike.
Four brothers opened Pi-Napo, a Neapolitanstyle pizzeria on JPA in mid-August. The wood oven-fired pie parlor takes over the Fry’s Spring Station space, which has been vacant since last November.
Hunter Baseg, who received culinary training in Italy, fronts the venture for the four siblings, who originally hail from Turkey. Prior to opening, another Baseg brother spoke on the group’s behalf about the concept and what folks can expect.
“This is going to be a fully Italian, authentic pizzeria,” the brothers say. “We are importing the ingredients, including the flour and tomato sauce … from Italy.”
For pizza aficionados and Italophiles, alarm bells are likely going off. No, Pi-Napo is not a fully DOC-certified pizzeria, which requires techniques to be done in a specific way and all ingredients to follow strict guidelines per the Italian “denominazione di origine controllata,” or DOC. But the restaurant does offer 10 rotating pizza pies inspired by Neapolitan traditions, and imports Caputo double zero flour, mozzarella cheese, and tomato sauce approved by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana.
According to the Basegs, Pi-Napo’s margherita pizza—a woodfired crust topped simply with tomato sauce and dotted with mozzarella and basil—is a DOC pie; other fresh-from-the-oven offerings are white-based pizzas, pepperoni and sausage pizzas, veggie pizzas, and spicy diavola pizzas.
So you wanna make a pizza? You’ll need to start with a strong foundation: the dough. And, while we applaud your ambition, some things are better left to the experts. In Charlottesville, find the cheat code (aka pre-made dough) from trusted bakers at Mona Lisa Pasta, where you can pick up a ball of fresh dough (or a ready-made pie, if you want to throw in the towel entirely) to fire up your home-bake, and Feast!. The local grocery stocks dough from just around the corner at the OG, Albemarle Baking Company.—CH P I Z Z A
Pi-Napo has a streamlined menu to go along with its flatbreads, with salads to balance out meals and gelato to finish them off. Rounds pop out of the restaurant’s 1,100-degree oven in about 90 seconds, and the Basegs say diners can expect to wait no more than 10 minutes for their food—even during peak hours on weekends. Italian wine and beer, along with bottles and drafts from local craft breweries, join the usual selection of soft drinks on the beverage menu.
The Pi-Napo dining room, which the Basegs say is unrecognizable from the Fry’s Spring Station layout, seats around 100 people at the pizza bar and large picnic tables. Another 50 to 100 diners can enjoy their food on the restaurant’s large, highly-visible patio.
’Za zealots visiting Pi-Napo place their order at the counter, take a number, sit down, and enjoy a view of the kitchen and imported pizza oven as they wait for their meal. “This is a family-oriented concept,” the Basegs say. “People can sit in front of the open kitchen to see how our pizzaiolos make everything.”
One of the downsides to the former Fry’s site, the Basegs admit, is a lack of parking. That’s something they’re working on with other local businesses, but in the meantime, they hope patrons can find street spots.
One thing you won’t find at Pi-Napo is anything Turkish.
“We’ve always been in the food business, and we are foodies,” the Basegs say. “Being from Turkey, we know Mediterranean food. And Charlottesville already has some really nice Turkish restaurants, so we are not going to go there.”—Shea Gibbs
Akira Level Ramen & Sushi Japanese cuisine. 3912 Lenox Ave., Ste. 320. akirasushiramen.com $
Asian Express Chinese and Japanese with healthy options. 909 W. Main St. newasian express.com. $
Bad Luck Ramen Bar A restaurant and bar built directly into North American Sake Brewery. 522 Second St. SE., Unit E. badluckramen.com. $
Bamboo House Korean and Chinese options. 4831 Seminole Trail. 973-9211. $$ Bang! Asian-inspired tapas and inventive martinis. 213 Second St. SW. bangrestaurant.net. $$
Chang Thai Traditional and innovative dishes. 1232 Emmet St. changthaicville. com. $$
Chimm Thai Thai street food. 5th Street Station; Dairy Market. chimmtaste.com. $$
Coconut Thai Kitchen Thai favorites from the Monsoon Siam team. 1015 Heathercroft Ln., Crozet. coconutcrozet.com. $$
Doma Korean-style barbecue, kimchi, and more. 701 W. Main St. domakoreankitchen.com. $
Himalayan Fusion Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan cuisine. 520 E. Main St. himalayanfusion.com. $
Kanak Indian Kitchen Offering traditional homemade Indian food, plus cocktails. 5th Street Station. kanakcville.com.
$
Lemongrass Vietnam meets Thailand. 104 14th St. NW. 244-THAI. $$
Lime Leaf Thai An upscale Thai experience. Rio Hill Shopping Center. 245-8884. $$
Marco & Luca Chinese snack food, including dumplings, sesame noodles, and pork buns. 112 W. Main St., Downtown Mall; 107 Elliewood Ave.; Seminole Square Shopping Center. $
Maru Korean BBQ & Grill Traditional Korean food with modern additions. 412 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. maru downtown.com. $
Manila Street Filipino food. Dairy Market. dairymarketcville.com. $
Mashu Festival Authentic Asian festival food. Dairy Market. dairymarket cville.com. $
Milan Indian Cuisine Authentic Indian cuisine with all the standards. 1817 Emmet St. milan- indian-cuisine.com $$
Mochiko Hawaiian eats and suggested Hawaiian beer pairings. 5th Street Station. hawaiianfood cville.com. $
Monsoon Siam Original Thai cuisine. 113 W. Market St. monsoonsiamcville.com. $$
Mashumen Japanese ramen and rice bowls. 2208 Fontaine Ave. mashu men.com. $$
Now & Zen Gourmet Japanese and sushi. 202 Second St. NW. nowand zencville.square.site. $$
Pad Thai Homestyle Thai cooking from an experienced chef. 156 Carlton Rd. padthaicville.com. $$
Pei Wei Asian Kitchen Chinese staples from fresh ingredients. 5th Street Station. peiwei.com. $
Pineapples Thai Kitchen Thai favorites from the Monsoon Siam team. 722 Preston Ave. pineapples cville.com. $$
Peter Chang China Grill Authentic Sichuan cuisine by a renowned chef. Barracks Road Shopping Center North Wing. peterchang charlottesville.com. $$
Red Lantern Chinese cuisine by the pint or quart. 221 Carlton Rd. redlantern charlottesville.com. $
Seoul Korean BBQ & Hotpot All you can eat hotpot and Korean BBQ. 100 Zan Rd. seoulbbqhotpot.com. $$
Silk Thai Fresh, authentic Thai. 2210 Fontaine Ave. charlottesville.silkthai restaurant.com. $$
Tara Thai Affordable Thai faves, with multiple meat, fish, and veggie options. Barracks Road Shopping Center. tarathai.com. $$
Taste of China Chinese standards from a lengthy menu. Albemarle Square Shopping Center. tasteofchina charlottesville.com. $$
Ten Upscale second-floor spot serving modern Japanese. 120 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ten-sushi.com. $$$
Thai ’99 II Thai noodle and rice dishes, curries, and stirfrys. Albemarle Square. thai99usa.com. $
Thai Cuisine & Noodle House Traditional Thai food, noodle dishes, and vegetarian specials. 2005 Commonwealth Dr. thaicuisinecville.com. $$
Umma’s Korean and Japanese-American cuisine. 200 W. Water St. ummas food.com. $$
Vu Noodles Fresh, vegetarian Vietnamese noodles, pho, bahn mi, and more. 111 E. Water St. vunoodles.com. $
Albemarle Baking Company Breads, cakes, and pastries. 418 W. Main St. albemarlebakingco.com. $
Bowerbird Bakeshop Pastries, breads, and cookies using locally sourced ingredients. 120 10th St. NW, bower birdbakeshop.com. $
Caked Up Cville Small-batch cupcakes and cakes. cakedupcville.com. $
Cake Bloom A cake and bubbles bar with freshly-baked treats by the slice or whole. 705 W. Main St. cakebloom.com.
$$
Cou Cou Rachou Croissants, tatins, financiers, danishes, cake slices, muffins, and more. 917 Preston Ave. Suite B; 1837 Broadway St. coucourachou.com. $
Gearharts Fine Chocolates Freshly baked pastries, cakes, cookies, brownies, and chocolates. 243 Ridge McIntire Rd. gearhartschocolates.com. $
Great Harvest Bread Co. Sandwiches, sweets, and bread baked from scratch every day. McIntire Plaza. greatharvestcville.com. $
MarieBette Café & Bakery European-inspired fare. 700 Rose Hill Dr. mariebette.com. $
Paradox Pastry Known for biscuits, European pastries, and the legendary DMB cookies and brownies. 313 Second St. SE. #103. paradox pastry.com.
$
Petite MarieBette MarieBette’s little sister. 105 E. Water St. mariebette.com.
$
Quality Pie Ex-Mas chef Tomas Rahal serves Spanish-inspired fare. 309 Avon St. qualitypieva.com. $$
Sbrocco’s Grab-and-go gourmet donuts. 115 Maury Ave. $
Sliced. cake bar Mobile bakery offering whole cakes, cake flights, cake pops, and buttercream shots. slicedcakebar.com. $
Alamo Drafthouse Burgers, pizzas, salads, snacks, and desserts prepared fresh from locally sourced ingredients. 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com. $
Beer Run Massive tap and packaged beer offerings, plus food. 156 Carlton Rd. beerrun.com. $$
Bonefish Grill A seafood-centric menu, plus steaks and cocktails. Hollymead Town Center. bonefishgrill.com. $$
Brightside Beach Pub Bar with appetizers and bites. 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. 202-8122. $$
Burton’s Grill & Bar Upscale bar and grill chain featuring an extensive menu of American fare. The Shops at Stonefield. burtonsgrill.com. $$
The Château Lobby Bar Creative cocktails, wine, craft beer, and small plates sourced from local purveyors. 122 Oakhurst Cir. oakhurstinn.com. $$
The Copper Bar A sophisticated and chic cocktail bar. The Clifton Inn, 1296 Clifton Inn Dr. the-clifton.com. $$$
Dürty Nelly’s Pub—Deli Subs and sandwiches, with a late-night pub menu. 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com. $
Ethos Wine & Tea Flights of, duh, wine and tea. 817 W. Main St. ethos wineandtea.com. $
Fardowners Local ingredients liven up pub fare like sliders and sandwiches. 5773 The Square, Crozet. fardowners. com. $$
Firefly Craft beer, burgers, salads, vegetarian- friendly menu. 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com. $
The Fitzroy A kitchen and bar offering updates of comforting classics. 120 E. Main St. thefitzroy cville.com. $$
Glass Half Full Taproom A large selection of beers, wines, and spirits. 5th Street Station. glasshalffullbar.com. $
The Good Sport Taproom Tavern fare alongside a wide array of local and hardto-find beers. The Forum Hotel, 540 Massie Rd. thegoodsporttaproom.com. $$
Kardinal Hall An extensive list of brews. 722 Preston Ave. kardinalhall.com. $$
The Lobby Bar Playful takes on classic cocktails and mocktails, with a menu of bar snacks. 499 W. Main St. thedoylehotel. com. $
Lucky Blue’s Bar Fast-casual bowls, burritos, and cheesesteaks. 223 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. luckybluesbar. com. $
Matchbox Wood-fired pizzas, salads, salmon, steak dinners, and gourmet burgers. 2055 Bond St. match boxrestaurants.com. $$
Michie Tavern Southern midday fare from an 18th-century tavern. 683 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. michietavern.com. $$
The Milkman’s Bar Led by mixologist River Hawkins, the joint serves creative cocktails that pay homage to the ‘50s. Dairy Market. milk mansbar.com. $$
Miller’s Old-school bar serving up elevated Southern pub fare. 109 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. millers downtown.com. $
Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ onions and giant steaks. 1101 Seminole Trl. outback.com. $$
Ralph Sampson’s American Taproom
An upscale sports bar experience. 973 Emmet St. N. americantaproom.com. $$
Rapture Playful Southern cuisine. 300 E. Main St. rapturerestaurant.com. $$
Red Crab Seafood Seafood boils, po boys, and more. 905 Twentyninth Pl. Ct. redcrabseafood.com. $
Rooftop Charlottesville Serving up pizzas, alongside cocktails, locally-sourced craft beers, and local wine. 499 W. Main St. thedoylehotel.com. $
Sedona Taphouse Lots of craft beers and an all-American menu. 1035 Millmont St. sedona taphouse.com. $$
Selvedge Brewing Elevated bar fare from Chef Tucker Yoder. The Wool Factory. thewoolfactory.com. $$
Skrimp Shack Shrimp, fish, and chicken tacos, sandwiches, and baskets. 1970 Rio Hill Center. theskrimpshack.olo.com. $
South Street Brewery Draft brews, cocktails, wine, and an extensive food list. 106 South St. W. southstreetbrewery.com. $$
Texas Roadhouse Steaks, ribs, and from-scratch sides. Albemarle Square. texasroadhouses.com. $$
The Speakeasy + Whiskey Bar A curated list of whiskeys from Virginia and around the world, with bespoke charcuterie boards and classic, hand-crafted cocktails. 499 W. Main St. thedoylehotel.com. $$
Timberwood Grill All-American eatery and after-work watering hole. 3311 Worth Crossing. timberwoodgrill.com. $$
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery Locally sourced, beer-infused dishes including Southern classics and a kids menu. 520 Second St. SE. threenotchdbrewing.com. $$
The Whiskey Jar Saloon-style Southern spot with more than 90 varieties of whiskey. 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com. $$
Whistlestop Grill American comfort food. 1200 Crozet Ave., Crozet. thewhistle stopgrill.com. $
Belle Breakfast and lunch sandwiches, pastries, and coffee. belle-cville.square. site. $$
Blue Moon Diner Serving breakfast and lunch options like pancakes, breakfast burritos, burgers, and BLTs. 600 W. Main St. bluemoondiner.net. $
Chickadee Comfort food crafted with care. The Glass Building, 313 Second St. SE. chickadeecville.com. $
Doodle’s Diner Country cookin’ from breakfast to burgers. 1305 Long St. doodlesdiner.com. $
Farm Bell Kitchen New-Southern cuisine with local farm-to-table ingredients. 1209 W. Main St. farmbellkitchen. com. $$
First Watch Breakfast, brunch, and lunch chain with locally grown ingredients. Barracks Road Shopping Center. firstwatch.com. $$
Holly’s Diner A locally-owned joint serving food until 1am, with live music and a happy hour. 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436. $$
Mel’s Café Southern soul food, including all day breakfast. 719 W. Main St. 971-8819. $
Moose’s by the Creek All day breakfast and lunch favorites. 1710 Monticello Rd. 977-4150. $
The Nook All day diner classics. 415 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. thenookcville.com. $
Timberlake’s Drug Store and Soda
Fountain A variety of sandwiches, soups, salads, and old fashioned milkshakes. 322 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 296-1191. $
Tip Top A wide range of diner staples, including all day breakfast. 1420 Richmond Rd. tiptop restaurant.com. $
Villa Diner Mainstay with housemade pancakes, biscuits, and more. 1250 Emmet St. N. thevilladiner.com.
$
Birdhouse Serving chicken and small plates. 711 Henry Ave. birdhouse-charlottesville.com. $
Brown’s Fried chicken and sides. 1218 Avon St. 295-4911. $
Burger Bach New Zealand-inspired gastropub. The Shops at Stonefield. theburgerbach.com. $$
Citizen Burger Burgers, salads, and other favorites. 212 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. citizenburgerbarcville.com.
$$
Five Guys Fast-casual hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. Barracks Road Shopping Center; Hollymead Town Center. fiveguys.com. $$
GRN Burger Griddle smashed burgers, salty fries, and crunchy nuggets, all meat free. Dairy Market. grnburger.com.
$
Hangry Hut American Mediterranean, and Indian food. Pantops Shopping Center. hangryhutva.com. $
Lazy Parrot Wings and Brews Ribs, chicken, and brisket served in a tropics-themed space. Pantops Shopping Center. lazyparrotwingsandbrews.com. $$
Luv’n Oven Gizzards, livers, fries, and shakes. 162 Village Sq., Scottsville. luvnoven.com. $
Martin’s Grill Hamburgers, veggie burgers, and fries. Forest Lakes Shopping Center. martins grill.com. $
Mission BBQ Pulled turkey, pork, and chicken, plus racks by the bone. The Shops at Stonefield. mission-bbq.com. $$
Moe’s Original BBQ Alabama-style pulled pork smoked in-house. 2119 Ivy Rd. moesoriginal bbq.com. $
Multiverse Kitchens A digital food hall home to seven different restaurants—Fowl Mouthed Chicken, Firebox, Brookville Biscuit + Brunch, Keevil Tea Room, Smashing Salads, Long Strange Chip, and Toad in the Hole. McIntire Plaza. multiversekitchens.com. $-$$
Riverside Lunch Smashburgers, dogs, and fries. 1429 Hazel St., 971-3546; 1770 Timberwood Blvd., 979-1000. $
Royalty Eats Soul food staples, including chicken and waffles, plenty of sides, and desserts. 820 Cherry Ave. 923-3287. $
Soul Food Joint A homecooked meal made up of your favorite Southern staples, sides, and fixins. 300 E. Market St. soulfoodjoint.com. $
Vision BBQ Meats smoked the old fashioned way. 249 Ridge McIntire Rd. visionbbqcville.com. $
Wayside Takeout & Catering Fried chicken and barbecue sandwiches. 2203 Jefferson Park Ave. wayside chicken.com. $
Atlas Coffee Espresso, coffee, tea, and fresh-baked pastries. 2206 Fontaine Ave. atlascoffeecville.com. $
Baine’s Books & Coffee Wide selection of coffee, tea, pastries, and paninis. 485 Valley St., Scottsville. baines books.com. $
C’ville Coffee & Wine Full menu of coffee, sandwiches, and wines. 1301 Harris St. cvillecoffee.com. $
The Café Serving locally-roasted selections from Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Company, cold brew on tap, and other beverages and bites. 499 W. Main St. thedoylehotel.com. $$
Daily Grind Coffee & Creamery Family-owned and operated, serving coffee and espresso drinks, all-fruit smoothies, milkshakes, and ice cream scoops. 3450 Seminole Trl. dailygrindcville.com. $
Eleva Coffee The Brooklyn-based coffee roasting company offers espresso drinks, smoothies, and bagged beans. Dairy Market. elevacoffee.com. $
Greenberry’s Java, specialty drinks, and fresh baked goods. Barracks Road Shopping Center. greenberrys.com. $
Grit Coffee Espresso beverages, with breakfast and lunch fare. 610 Riverside Shops Way; The Shops at Stonefield; 112 Main St., Downtown Mall; 19 Elliewood Ave.; 1110 Old Trail Dr., Crozet. gritcoffee.com. $
Higher Grounds Serving Trager Brother’s coffee. 1215 Lee St., UVA. hg-uva.com. $
JBird Supply Coffee Roaster Ethically sourced, specialty coffee. 969 Second St. SE. jbirdsupply.com. $
Lone Light Coffee Quality coffee drinks. 119 Fourth St. NE.; 1518 E. High St. lonelightcoffee.com. $
Milli Coffee Roasters Espresso drinks, waffles, paninis, and more. 400 Preston Ave., Ste. 150. millicoffeeroasters.com.
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Milli Second Cafe & Wine Bar An offshoot of Milli Coffee Roasters. The CODE Building. @milliCafe. $
Mudhouse Coffee and pastries. 213 W. Main St., Downtown Mall; 116 10th St. NW.; 5793 The Square, Crozet. mudhouse.com $
Oakhurst Inn Cafe A contemporary eatery with freshly baked treats and artisanal coffee. 122 Oakhurst Cir. oakhurstinn.com. $
Poindexter Coffee All-day breakfast, lunch, and coffee. The Graduate, 1309 W. Main St. graduatehotels.com. $
Shenandoah Joe Local roaster with a coffee bar and pastries. 945 Preston Ave.; 2214 Ivy Rd. shenandoahjoe.com. $
Snowing in Space Freshly brewed nitro cold brew coffee. 2415 Ivy Rd. snowinginspace.com. $$
Starbucks Coffee and tea drinks, pastries, and sandwiches. Multiple locations. starbucks.com. $
The Workshop A coffee and wine shop featuring Grit Coffee and pastries from Cou Cou Rachou. The Wool Factory. thewoolfactory.com. $
The Yellow Mug Cozy coffee shop serving beverages and pastries. 1260 Crozet Ave., Crozet. @yellowmugcoffee. $
Batesville Market Sandwiches to order, salads, and baked goods plus cheeses, produce, and packaged goods. 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com. $
Bellair Market Gourmet sandwich spot. 2401 Ivy Rd. tigerfuelmarkets.com. $
Blue Ridge Bottle Shop Craft beer store with bottles and growlers. 2025 Library Ave, Crozet. blueridgebottle shop.com. $$
Brownsville Market Breakfast starting at 5am, plus burgers, sides, and fried chicken. 5995 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. 823-5251. $
Crozet Seafood Fresh fish, plus sandwiches to go. 375 Four Leaf Ln. Unit 101, Crozet. crozetseafood.com. $$
Feast! Cheese, wine, and specialty foods. 416 W. Main St. feastvirginia.com. $$
Foods of All Nations Sandwiches, deli fare, and salads. 2121 Ivy Rd. foodsofallnations.com. $$
Greenwood Gourmet Grocery Madeto-order sandwiches, fresh soup, and a deli with rotating dishes. 6701 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. greenwoodva.com. $$
Hunt Country Market & Deli Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 2048 Garth Rd. 296-1648. $
Integral Yoga Natural Foods All-natural food, organic produce, supplements, plus a deli and juice smoothie bar. 923 Preston Ave. iyfoods.com. $$
J.M. Stock Provisions Whole-animal butcher shop with sandwiches to go, craft beer, and wines. 709 W. Main St. stockprovisions.com. $$
Market Street Market Full service grocery store with a deli, local produce, freshly baked breads, cheeses, health and beauty items, beers, and wines. 400 E. Market St. marketstreetmarket.net. $$
Market Street Wine An independent shop for wine, beer, and gourmet products. 311 E. Market St. marketstwine.com. $$
Mill Creek Market The Southern sister of Bellair Market. 1345 Parham Cir. tigerfuelmarkets.com. $
Trader Joe’s Grocery chain that boasts top quality at low cost. The Shops at Stonefield. traderjoes.com. $$
Whole Foods Market Eco-minded chain with natural and organic grocery items, housewares, and other products. 1797 Hydraulic Rd. wholefoods market.com. $$
Wyant’s Store Home-cooked country fare. 4696 Garth Rd., Crozet. 823-7299. $
Basta Pasta Homemade pasta dishes from the team at Dino’s Pizza. Dairy Market. bastapastava.com. $$
Belmont Pizza and Pub Fresh, stonebaked pizza. 211 Carlton Rd., Ste. 10. belmontpizzaandpub.com. $
Billy Pie at Random Row Brewing Stone oven Neapolian style pizza in a brewery taproom. 608 Preston Ave. randomrow.com. $
Christian’s Pizza Fresh pies, by-theslice or whole. Multiple locations. $
Crozet Pizza Family-owned pizza parlor. 5794 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet; 20 Elliewood Ave. 601 Fifth St. SW. $
Dino’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Rotisserie
Chicken A selection of wood-fired artisan pizzas and rotisserie chicken with flavors from around the world. Dairy Market. dinos.restaurant. $$
DIY Pie Pizza, pasta, and cheesy breadsticks. 1880 Abbey Rd. diypiecville.com.
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Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie The alternative pizza. 4916 Plank Rd., North Garden. drhoshumblepie.com. $$
Fabio’s New York Pizza Pizza, subs, salads, and calzones made by natives of Naples. 1551 E. High St. fabios nypizza.com. $
Lampo Neapolitan-style pizza and snacks. 205 Monticello Rd. lampo pizza.com. $$
Lampo2go Lampo’s to go location. 929 Second St. SE. lampopizza.com. $$
Luce Literal hole in the wall serving fresh, handmade pasta to go. 110 Second St. NW. lucepasta.com. $$
Mellow Mushroom Trippy-themed franchise, with pizza and beers. 1321 W. Main St. mellow mushroom.com. $$
Pi-Napo Pizzeria Neapolitan-style pizza with great outdoor seating. 2115 Jefferson Park Ave. pinapopizza.com $$
Popitos Pizza Serving classic and specialty pies. 1966 Rio Hill Center. popitospizza.com. $$
Red Pump Kitchen Upscale eatery featuring local, seasonal Mediterranean and Italian dishes. 401 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. redpump kitchen.com. $$
Sal’s Cafe Italia Family owned and operated, from Sicily and Brooklyn. 221 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. salscaffeitalia.com. $
Tavola Rustic Italian with housemade pastas, craft cocktails, and a Wine Spectator award-winning list. 826 Hinton Ave. tavolavino.com. $$
Vita Nova Creative ingredients on hearty pizza by the slice. 310 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vitanovapizzapasta.com. $
Vinny’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria This regional chain has pies plus a slew of subs, pastas, and stromboli. Hollymead Town Center. vinnysitaliangrill.com. $$
Vivace Every kind of pasta imaginable, plus seafood. 2244 Ivy Rd. vivacecville. com. $$
Vocelli Pizza Pizza, pasta, paninis, salads, stromboli, and antipasti. Woodbrook Shopping Center. vocellipizza.com. $
Al Carbon Coal-fire prepared chicken, plus plenty of sides. 1875 Seminole Trl.; 5th Street Station. alcarbonchicken.com. $
Brazos Tacos Austin, Texas-style breakfast, lunch, early dinner, and brunch tacos. 925 Second St. SE. brazostacos.com. $
The Bebedero Upscale, authentic Mexican. 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com. $$
Chipotle Made-to-order burritos and tacos. Barracks Road Shopping Center; 2040 Abbey Rd., Ste. 101. chipotle.com $
Cinema Taco A movie-themed joint offering tacos, burritos, empanadas, and margaritas. 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com. $
Continental Divide Tacos and enchiladas. 811 W. Main St. continental-divide. square.site. $$
Farmacy Café Organic, local superfood Mexican fusion. The CODE Building. farmacy.guru. $$
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop Baja-style tacos and other Mexican eats. 5th Street Station. fuzzystacoshop.com. $
Guadalajara Family-run authentic Mexican food. Multiple locations. guadalajaramexicanva.com. $
Guajiros Miami Eatery Miami-inspired, with strong Cuban influence as well as Central and Southern American dishes. 1871 Seminole Trail. guajiros.net. $
La Michoacana Taqueria & Restaurant Hearty Mexican standards, including tacos, tamales, and tortas. 1138 E. High St. 202-1336. $
Maizal Street food, from arepas to empanadas. Dairy Market. maizalgrill.com. $$
Mas Spanish tapas and wines. 904 Monticello Rd. mastapas.com. $$
Morsel Compass The taco food truck’s brick-and-mortar spot. 2025 Library Ave., Crozet. morselcompass.com. $$
Qdoba Mexican Grill Spicy burritos, quesadillas, and Mexican salads. 3918 Lenox Ave. qdoba.com. $
Sombrero’s Mexican Cuisine & Café Authentic Mexican cuisine. 112 W. Main St., Ste. 6. sombreroscville.com. $
Torchy’s Tacos Mexican street-foodstyle tacos. The Shops at Stonefield. torchystacos.com. $
Afghan Kabob Authentic Afghan cuisine. 400 Emmet St. N. afghankabobcville.com. $$
Aromas Café & Catering Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare. 900 Natural Resources Dr. aromascafeandcatering.com. $
Bacio Mediterranean Cuisine Rustic and modern Greek, Lebanese and Italian cuisine. 375 Four Leaf Ln. baciomed.com. $$
Cava Fast-casual Mediterranean with lots of vegetarian options. 1200 Emmet St. N, #110. cava.com. $
Fig Southern and Mediterranean bistro fare. 1331 W. Main St. figuva.com. $
Orzo Kitchen & Wine Bar Dishes from Spain to Greece and wines of the world. 416 W. Main St. orzokitchen.com. $$
Otto Turkish Street Food Go for the doner kebabs and stay for the rosemary fries. 111 W. Water St. otto-cville.com. $ Pearl Island Cafe Caribbean-inspired lunch spot with vegan options. 233 Fourth St. NW. pearlisland catering.square.site. $
Smyrna Simple, locally sourced dishes from a Mediterranean, Aegean cuisine. 707 W. Main St. smyrnacville.com. $$
Sticks Kebob Shop Kebobs, bowls, and more. 917 Preston Ave.; 1820 Abbey Rd. stickskebob shop.com. $
Sultan Kebab Authentic Turkish cuisine with vegetarian options. 333 Second St. SE. sultan kebabcville.com. $
Thyme & Co. Lebanese flatbread, dips, salads, bowls, and desserts. 104 14th St. NW., Ste. 2. thyme-co.com. $
Zoës Kitchen Fresh made Mediterranean. Barracks Road Shopping Center. zoeskitchen.com. $
Baggby’s Gourmet Sandwiches Sandwiches, salads, and soups. 512 E Main St. Downtown Mall. baggbys.com. $
Bodo’s Bagels Sandwiches on bagels made in-house daily. 1418 N. Emmet St.; 505 Preston Ave.; 1609 University Ave. bodosbagels.com. $
Botanical Plant-Based Fare Sandwiches, bowls, mac and cheese, and shareables, all meat and dairy free. 421 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. botanicalfare.com. $$
The Bradbury Cafe Serving breakfast, brick oven pizza, sandwiches, and salads, with coffee and espresso. 300 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebradburydowntown.com. $
Chopt Creative salad chain with ingredients from local purveyors. Barracks Road Shopping Center. choptsalad.com.
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Iron Paffles & Coffee Sweet and savory puff pastry waffle sandwiches, with vegan options. 214 W. Water St. ironmade.com. $
Ivy Provisions Deli and retail food shop offering fresh, housemade breakfast and lunch all day. 2206 Ivy Rd. ivyprovisions.com. $
Jersey Mike’s Subs Subs, salads, and wraps. 2040 Abbey Rd., Ste. 104; 5th Street Station. jerseymikes.com. $
Jimmy John’s Sandwiches and gourmet subs. 1650 E. Rio Rd.; Rivanna Ridge Shopping Center. jimmyjohns.com.
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Kitchenette Sandwich Shop Sandwiches, soups, and salads made fresh. 920 9 1/2 St. NE. kitchenetteva.com.
$ Mane Course Sandwiches A fast-casual, equestrian themed restaurant. 179 Connor Dr. manecourse sandwiches.com.
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Organic Krush Organic foods and cold-pressed juices, including all day breakfast, smoothies, wraps, and bowls. The Shops at Stonefield. organic krush.com. $$
Panera Bread Chain with casual fare. Barracks Road Shopping Center; 5th Street Station. panera bread.com. $$
Revolutionary Soup Soups and sandwiches. 108 Second St. SW., Downtown Mall. revolutionary soup.com. $
Roots Natural Kitchen Fast-casual salads and grain bowls. 1329 W. Main St. rootsnatural kitchen.com. $
Take It Away Sandwiches on freshly baked breads. Dairy Market; 115 Elliewood Ave. takeit awaysandwichshop. com. $
Taste Shack Fast-casual soups, sandwiches, burgers, and more. 2291 Seminole Ln. 956-4782. $
Ben & Jerry’s Premium ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and non-dairy options. Barracks Road Shopping Center. benjerry.com. $
Bluegrass Creamery Grassfed soft serve, scooped, and vegan ice cream, pies, and cookies. Ix Art Park. (202) 643-2286. $
Carpe Donut Organic donuts and beverages. McIntire Plaza. carpedonut.org.
$ Chandler’s Ice Cream Small roadside ice cream joint. 921 River Rd. $
Chaps Gourmet homemade ice cream and diner fare. 223 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. chapsicecream.com.
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Cocoa & Spice A family-owned chocolate business. 112 W. Main St., Ste. 3, Downtown Mall. cocoaandspice.com.
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Cold Stone Creamery Ice cream chain offering design-your-own creations hand-mixed on a granite slab, plus shakes and more. 1709 Emmet St. N. coldstonecreamery.com. $
Corner Juice UVA alum-owned juice spot with cold-pressed options and smoothies. 1509 University Ave.; 201 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. $
Crumbl A rotating menu of five specialty flavors. Hollymead Shopping Center. crumblcookies.com. $$
Dejua’s Creationz A rotating selection of sweet treats, including ice cream, smoothies, cupcakes, and cakes. Fashion Square Mall. dejuas creationz.com. $
The Donut Kitchen Fresh baked donuts. Pantops Shopping Center. @thedonutkitchen. $
Duck Donuts Sweet and savory customizable donuts. The Shops at Stonefield. duckdonuts.com. $
Dunkin’ Donuts Donuts and beverages. Rivanna Plaza. dunkindonuts.com.
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Insomnia Cookies Chain that specializes in delivering warm cookies, baked goods, and ice cream. 1409 University Ave. insomniacookies.com. $
The Juice Laundry Smoothies, juices, and bowls. 722 Preston Ave., Ste. 105. thejuicelaundry.com. $
Kilwins Old-fashioned confectionery chain selling chocolates, ice cream, handmade sweets, and gift baskets. 313 E Main St., Downtown Mall. $
Kohr Bros. Frozen custard. 1881 Seminole Trl. kohrbros.com. $
Krispy Kreme Longtime chain serving a variety of donuts, plus coffee and frozen drinks. 5th Street Station. krispykreme.com. $
La Flor Michoacana Homemade paletas (popsicles), ice cream, ice cream cakes, and other treats. 601A Cherry Ave. laflormichoacana.com. $
Moo Thru Cups, cones, milkshakes, and more. Dairy Market. dairymarket cville.com. $
Smoothie King Serving smoothies, supplements, and healthy snacks. Barracks Road Shopping Center. smoothieking.com. $
Splendora’s Gelato Seasonally-inspired gelato and espresso drinks. The Shops at Stonefield. splendoras.square.site. $
SweetFrog Soft-serve frozen yogurt, plus sorbet, with toppings. Hollymead Town Center. sweetfrog.com. $
1799 Restaurant Seasonal menus with dishes showcasing local ingredients. The Clifton Inn, 1296 Clifton Inn Dr. the-clifton. com. $$$
Aberdeen Barn A classic steakhouse. 2018 Holiday Dr. aberdeenbarn.com. $$$
The Alley Light Classic, French, shared plates, craft cocktails and small grower wines. 108 Second St. SW. alleylight.com. $$
Birch & Bloom A modern farm-to-table steakhouse. The Forum Hotel, 540 Massie Rd. birchandbloomrestaurant. com. $$$
Bizou Playful French-American bistro. 119 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. bizoudowntown.com. $$
Black Cow Chophouse Wood-fired meats from Daniel Kaufman and Gregg Dionne. 420 W. Main St. blackcowchophouse.com. $$$
Brasserie Saison Modern European fare and house-brewed beer. 111 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. brasserie saison.com. $$
C&O Restaurant An a la carte menu, with must-try cocktails. 515 E. Water St. candorestaurant.com. $$$
Café Frank Chef Jose De Brito brings everyday food from a classic French kitchen. 317 E. Main St. cafefrankcville. com. $$
Fleurie Upscale, modern French cuisine with à la carte and tasting menus. 108 Third St. NE. fleurierestaurant.com. $$$
Hamiltons’ at First & Main Contemporary American cuisine with a full bar and extensive wine list. 110 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. hamiltons restaurant.com. $$$
Ivy Inn Fine dining in a charming tollhouse. 2244 Old Ivy Rd. ivyinnrestaurant.com. $$$
Lobby Bar and Restaurant A gameforward menu and a curated wine list with highlights from across Virginia and Europe. 499 W. Main St. thedoylehotel.com. $$
The Local New American cuisine and wine. 824 Hinton Ave. thelocal-cville. com. $$
Marigold by Jean-Georges Committed to sustainable and seasonal dishes by an acclaimed chef. 701 Club Dr. marigoldjg.com. $$$
Maya Locally sourced Southern fare and imaginative cocktails. 633 W. Main St. maya-restaurant.com. $$
The Melting Pot Fondue fun for all. 501 E. Water St. meltingpot.com. $$$
The Mill Room An upscale, resort eatery with an American menu. 200 Ednam Dr. boarshead resort.com. $$$
Mockingbird A dinner only menu with a modern take on Southern classics. 421 Monticello Rd. mockingbird-cville.com. $$
Oakhart Social Seasonal, creative, modern American food for sharing. 511 W. Main St. oakhartsocial.com. $$
Petit Pois Locally sourced French dishes paired with wine in cute bistro quarters. 201 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. petitpoisrestaurant.com. $$
Public Fish & Oyster East Coast seafood, including a raw bar, craft cocktails, and microbrews. 513 W. Main St. publicfo.com. $$
Restoration Great views and American fare. 5494 Golf Dr., Crozet. oldtrailclub. com. $$
The Ridley Black-owned experiential Southern cuisine and craft cocktails. 1106 W. Main St. theridleyva.com. $$
Riverbirch Restaurant Fresh and local American-style cuisine. 630 Riverside Shops Way. riverbirchrestaurant.com. $$
Siren American-Mediterranean inspired fare with a seafood focus brought to you by Chef Laura Fonner. 247 Ridge McIntire Rd. sirencville.com. $$
Southern Crescent Cajun and Creole fare. 814 Hinton Ave. thesoutherncrescent.com. $$
Tonic Seasonal, local café fare with craft cocktails and curated wine list. 609 E. Market St. tonic- cville.com. $$
Zocalo Flavorful, high-end, Latin-inspired cuisine. 201 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. zocalo- restaurant.com. $$
Albemarle CiderWorks What started as an orchard for rare and heirloom apples grew into a popular area cidery. Tastings and tours are available for $5-10 per person. 2550 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. 297-2326.
Blue Mountain Brewery Well-liked brewery serves up its local drafts, plus light fare for lunch and dinner. 9519 Critzers Shop Rd., Afton. (540) 456-8020.
Blue Toad Hard Cider Large outdoor space, classic pub food and, of course, hard cider. 9278 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Afton. 996-6992.
Bold Rock Cidery Virginia’s largest (and growing!) cidery. Free tours and tastings daily. 1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Nellysford. 361-1030.
Bold Rock Distillery at the Barrel Barn
Multiple rare styles on tap at this creative space. 1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy. Suite A, Nellysford. 361-1030.
Brewing Tree Beer Company Artisanal Brew Trail spot from the founder of Starr Hill. 9278 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Afton. (540) 381-0990.ww
Bryant’s Hard Cider & Brewery Gluten-free, sugar-free ciders with history dating to 1865. 3224 E. Branch Loop, Roseland.
Castle Hill Cider Enjoy a glass of Terrestrial on the octagonal porch or explore the grounds. Open for tastings daily. 6065 Turkey Sag Rd., Keswick. 296-0047.
Champion Brewing Company Beerfocused kitchen offerings, plus five ales on tap. 324 Sixth St. SE. 295-2739.
Coyote Hole Craft Beverages Cider and sangria in Lake Anna. 225 Oak Grove Dr., Mineral. (540) 894-1053.
Decipher Brewing Company Veteran-owned and operated, with awardwinning craft beers. 1740 Broadway St. 995-5777.
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
Nelson’s hip brewpub—award-winning craft beers, lunch and dinner. 200 Mosbys Run, Roseland. 361-1001.
James River Brewing Co. There’s only beer here. 561 Valley St., Scottsville. 286-7837.
Octania Stone Brew Works Ruckersville’s own alehouse celebrating “Octoney” (look it up). 14902 Spotswood Trail, Ruckersville. 939-9678.
Patch Brewing Company From the owners of Cville Hop On Tours. 10271 W. Gordon Ave., Gordonsville. (540) 466-8536.
Potter’s Craft Cider Handcrafted cider out of Free Union, with a city tasting room. 209 Monticello Rd. 964-0271.
Pro Re Nata Brewery A farm brewery and food truck offering up to 12 craft beers and live music. 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. 823-4878.
Random Row Brewing Co. No food (but there are food trucks!), but nearly 12 beers on tap. 608 Preston Ave. 284-8466.
Rockfish Brewing Nano-brewery with two location. 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall; 900 Preston Ave., 566-0969.
Selvedge Brewing Unique small-batch wine in a converted factory setting. 1837 Broadway St. 270-0555.
South Street Brewery Brews and food from the folks at Blue Mountain. 106 W. South St. 293-6550.
Southern Revere Cellars Craft beer and blended wines in Louisa. Open Thursday-Sunday. 1100 E. Jack Jouett Rd., Louisa. (540) 260-5494
Starr Hill Brewery A can’t-miss spot since 1999. 5391 Three Notched Rd., Crozet. 823-5671.
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery Craft beers and beer-infused pub food. 520 Second St. SE. 956-3141. Sour house: 946 Grady Ave. 293-0610.
Wood Ridge Farm Brewery “From the dirt to the glass” brewery 165 Old Ridge Rd., Lovingston. 422-6225.
Devils Backbone Distilling Co. Virginia straight bourbon whiskey with views of Ragged Mountain. 35 Mosbys Run, Roseland. (540) 602-6018.
Ragged Branch Distillery Virginia straight bourbon whiskey with views of Ragged Mountain. 1075 Taylors Gap Rd. 244-2600.
Silverback Distillery Rye whiskey, monkey gin and Beringei vodka. 9374 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Afton. (540) 456-7070.
Spirit Lab Distilling Single-malt whiskey and amaro behind a red door. 1503 Sixth St. SE. 218-2605.
Virginia Distillery Co. Single-malt whiskey from the Blue Ridge. 299 Eades Ln., Lovingston. 285-2900.
Vitae Spirits Award-winning rum and gin in a hip spot for sipping. 715 Henry Ave. 270-0317.
Waterbird Spirits No tasting room, but catch these canned cocktails in stores nationwide. 201 W. Water St.
Afton Mountain Vineyards Try the Albarino, a limited-production, estate- grown white only available in the summer. Tastings are $15 per person for five wines. 234 Vineyard Ln., Afton. (540) 456-8667.
Ankida Ridge Vineyards A Sumerian word that means “where heaven and earth join,” Ankida marks the spot—at 1,800’ on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 1304 Franklin Creek Rd., Amherst. 922-7678.
Barboursville Vineyards Routinely listed on national “best winery” lists, Barboursville is a true destination—for the wines and the scenery. Open for tastings ($15 for six wines). 17655 Winery Rd., Barboursville. (540) 832-3824.
Blenheim Vineyards Established in 2000 by owner Dave Matthews (yep, that Dave Matthews), Blenheim’s timber-frame tasting room looks down into the barrel room. Tours and tastings are $25 per person. 31 Blenheim Farm. 293-5366.
Bluestone Vineyard Award-winning small-batch wines in the Shenandoah Valley. Open daily for tastings. 4828 Spring Creek Rd., Bridgewater. (540) 828-0099.
Brent Manor Vineyards Sample wines from the vineyard and a selection of nearby Virginia wines. Tastings are $12 per person. 100 Brent Manor Ln., Faber. 826-0722.
Burnley Vineyards One of the oldest vineyards in the Monticello Viticultural Area. Tastings are $4 per person. 4500 Winery Ln., Barboursville. (540) 832-2828.
Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery Try the Quattro—a blend of riesling, gewurztraminer, viognier, and traminette—at this spare but relaxing spot. Open for tours and flights. 9423 Batesville Rd., Afton. (540) 456-8400.
Chateau MerrillAnne The wines at this Orange spot are award-winning, but don’t skip the Vinocello either. 16234 Marquis Rd., Orange. (540) 656-6177
Chestnut Oak Vineyard Single-varietal, single-vineyard wines from Petit Manseng to Chardonnay. Weekend tastings from noon-5pm. 5050 Stony Point Rd., Barboursville. 964-9104.
Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm Beef meets wine at this familyowned winery. 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. 971-8796.
Chiswell Farm & Vineyard Locally crafted vintages from the folks behind Chiles Family Orchards. 430 Greenwood Rd., Greenwood. 252-2947.
Cunningham Creek Winery Once a working cow farm, this winery offers Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. 3304 Ruritan Lake Rd., Palmyra. 207-3907.
DelFosse Vineyards & Winery Try the reds at this off-the-beaten-path spot 30 minutes from Charlottesville. $22 for a classic tasting, $12 for a wine flight. 500 DelFosse Winery Ln., Faber. 263-6100.
DuCard Vineyards A successful grape-growing business bloomed into what’s now this boutique winery. Tastings are $10 per person. 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. (540) 923-4206.
Early Mountain Vineyards Beautifully appointed facility, with a terrace for mountain and vineyard views while sipping. 6109 Wolftown-Hood Rd., Madison. (540) 948-9005.
Eastwood Farm & Winery Governor’s Cup gold medalists mix delicious wine with a stunning setting. 2531 Scottsville Rd. 264-6727.
Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Company Two collectors of fine wine started this vineyard in 2015. Find wine, beer, and cider. 9845 Jefferson Hwy., Mineral. (804) 356-0059.
Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard There’s something for everyone—including sangria—under Fifty-Third’s LEED-certified roof. Open for tastings daily. 13372 Shannon Hill Rd., Louisa. (540) 894-5253.
Flying Fox Vineyard Named after the weather vane on the vineyard’s main building, Flying Fox boasts a limited production of merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot, viognier and pinot gris. Highway 151 and Chapel Hollow Road, Afton. 361-1692.
Gabriele Rausse Winery The Father of Virginia Wine’s eponymous winery still sets the standard. 3247 Carters Mountain Rd. 981-1677.
Glass House Winery Don’t miss the tropical conservatory next to the tasting room—or the handcrafted chocolates! 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. 975-0094.
Grace Estate Winery This 50-acre vineyard on scenic Mount Juliet Farm produces 14 varietals .5273 Mount Juliet Farm, Crozet. 823-1486.
Hardware Hills Vineyard Formerly known at Thistle Gate Vineyard, this Fluvanna spot still boasts a lively lineup. 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. 286-4710.
Hark Vineyards Beautiful views and delicious wine? We’re set. 1465 Davis Shop Rd., Earlysville. 964-9463.
Hazy Mountain Vineyards and Brewery With 86 acres under vine, there’s a little something for everyone at this Afton winery—including beer! Tastings are $14-20. 240 Hazy Mountain Ln., Afton. Tastings $15-20. (540) 302-2529.
Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery The bread and butter at this medievalthemed winery is the authentic honey meads. Try the Dragon’s Blood. Open for tours and tasting. 2800 Berry Hill Rd., Nellysford. 361-1266.
Honah Lee Vineyard Tastings are $15 at this award-winning (dog-friendly!) Gordonsville spot. 13443 Honah Lee Farm Dr., Gordonsville. (540) 406-1313.
Horton Vineyards More than 40 different dry, fruit and dessert wines abound at this winery just outside of Barboursville. 6399 Spotswood Trail, Gordonsville. (540) 832-7440.
Jefferson Vineyards Grab a bottle of meritage and get a spot on the tree deck for a picturesque afternoon. Tastings are $12. 1353 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. 977-3042.
Keswick Vineyards Dog-friendly tasting spot located at the historic 400-acre Edgewood Estate. Tastings daily. 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. 244-3341.
Kilaurwen Winery Artisanal wines near Shenandoah National Park. 1543 Evergreen Church Rd., Stanardsville. 985-2535.
King Family Vineyards Frequent Governor’s Cup award winner, King Family is also the site of polo matches every Sunday from Memorial Day weekend to mid-October. Tastings are $15-20. 6550 Roseland Farm, Crozet. 823-7800.
Knight’s Gambit Vineyard More than five acres of petit verdot, pinot grigio, merlot and cabernet franc located on a rolling hillside near Whitehall. 2218 Lake Albemarle Rd. 566-1168.
Lazy Days Winery A boutique winery that’s home to local festivals like the Virginia Summer Solstice Wine Festival. Open for tastings. 1351 N. Amherst Hwy., Amherst. 381-6088.
Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery A certified-organic vineyard and winery tucked away in the hills. Open Friday- Sunday, 11am-5pm (March-December). 3340 Sutherland Rd., North Garden. 984-0774.
Lovingston Winery A densely planted 8.5 acres yields wine of high-quality fruit. (Word to the wise: Leave your pups at home; there are two here already!) 885 Freshwater Cove Ln., Lovingston. 263-8467.
Meriwether Springs Vineyard The post-and-beam event space is just the beginning—there are also two ponds, a three-acre lake and beautiful Ivy Creek here, which flanks the property. Open for tours and tastings. 1040 Owensville Rd. 270-4299.
Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard Creativity abounds at this weird and wonderful spot—from the décor to the wine. Tastings are $25. 594 Merrie Mill Farm, Keswick. 365-3006.
Michael Shaps Wineworks Sample Virginia wines in the spare but stylish tasting room, as well as the Premiere Cru burgundies, grown and bottled in France by owner Michael Shaps. $10 for
Visiting a Virginia winery isn’t just about sipping wine—it’s about the experience. Backdropped by the area’s stunning vistas, vineyard visitors have a chance to relax and reconnect over a chilled glass or shared bottle. Live music fills the air, and local food trucks serve fare among the vines. You’ll find all this (and then some) at Earlysville’s Hark Vineyards, where winemaker (and current Virginia Vineyards Association president) AJ Greely stewards grapes grown on the vineyard’s 20 acres under vine to produce award winners (Hark’s 2019 Spark, a Bordeaux blend, earned a gold medal at the Virginia Governor’s Cup earlier this year) and fan favorites (in addition to its lineup of chardonnay, petit manseng, merlot, and more, Hark produces the area’s first non-alcoholic wine, Ené, made with 100 percent estate-grown vidal blanc). Grab a bottle and wait for the sun to set over the mountain.
a tasting of 12 wines. 1781 Harris Creek Way, 296-3438; 1585 Avon St. Ext. (Wineworks Extended), 529-6848.
Montifalco Vineyard If “falco” means hawk in Italian, you could say this winery is one to watch. 1800 Fray Rd., Ruckersville. 989-9115.
Tasting Room & Taphouse at Mount Ida Reserve Find wine, craft beer, and a full restaurant at this Scottsville spot. 5600 Moonlight Dr., Scottsville. 286-4282.
Mountain Cove Vineyards Even better with age? The first batch of wine here was made in 1976. Open for tours and tastings. 1362 Fortunes Cove Ln., Lovingston. 263-5392.
Moss Vineyards Fifty-two acres with views of the Blue Ridge, including nine under vine with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet Franc, merlot, petit verdot and viognier grapes. Open for tastings Friday-Sunday. 1849 Simmons Gap Rd., Nortonsville. 990-0111.
Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Try a glass of the Merlot Reserve while having lunch at the Farm Table & Wine Bar. 5022 Plank Rd., North Garden. 202-8063.
Septenary Winery Seven acres under vine at this stunning property, where Old World winemaking techniques abound. 200 Seven Oaks Farm, Greenwood. (540) 471-4282.
Sharp Rock Vineyards Once a working family farm, Sharp Rock is now a vineyard, winery and bed and breakfast. Tastings and self- guided tours available. 5 Sharp Rock Rd., Sperryville. (540) 987-8020.
Stinson Vineyards The cozy tasting room opens to a quaint patio for sipping award- winning wines and noshing on farm-fresh snacks. Tastings are $7, $10 per person for groups of 10 or more. 4744 Sugar Hollow Rd., Crozet. 823-7300.
Stone Mountain Vineyards A rustic winery offers panoramic views of the surrounding counties from 1,700’. Wine flights available. 1376 Wyatt Mountain Rd., Dyke. 990-9463.
The Barn at 678 Vineyard Have a seat on the porch of this charming barn and watch the world go by. Tastings are $12-16. 6045 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville.
Trump Winery Virginia’s largest vineyard, Trump offers 200 acres of French vinifera varieties. Tastings are $22-32. 3550 Blenheim Rd., 984-4855.
Pollak Vineyards Located between Charlottesville and Wintergreen, this 98-acre farm produces 27 acres of French vinifera. Open Wednesday-Sunday. 330 Newtown Rd., Greenwood. (540) 456-8844.
Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery Sip a glass of chardonnay in Prince Michel’s tasting room, above the barrel cave and tank room. Tastings and self-guided tours. 154 Winery Ln., Leon. (540) 547-3707.
Rappahannock Cellars West Coast wine on the East: A desire to raise their 12 children in Virginia led Rappahannock’s owners to relocate from California. Open year-round for $15 tastings. 14437 Hume Rd., Huntly. (540) 635-9398.
Rassawek Vineyards No tasting room; these folks grow grapes for other wineries. 6276 River Rd. W, Columbia. (804) 396-3098.
Revalation Vineyards A horse farmturned-small-batch vineyard from two scientists by trade. 2710 Hebron Valley Rd., Madison. (540) 407-1236.
Reynard Florence Vineyards These folks bottle wines in the style of France’s Loire and Burgundy regions. Tasting flights are $12. 16109 Burnley Rd,, Barboursville. (540) 832-3895.
Valley Road Vineyards Vineyard and tasting room at the head of the Rockfish Valley. Tastings are $28 per person for six wines. 9264 Critzers Shop Rd., Afton. (540) 456-6350.
Veritas Vineyard & Winery Awardwinning wines at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Bring a picnic basket! 145 Saddleback Farm, Afton. (540) 456-8000.
Weston Farm Vineyard & Winery Small, family-owned winery. Must love dogs: Charlie and Suzie, the owners’ French bulldogs, often roam the property. $10 tastings. 206 Harris Creek Rd., Louisa. (540) 967-4647.
White Hall Vineyards Call ahead to reserve a cheese plate from the neighboring monastery to enjoy with your tasting. 5282 Sugar Ridge Rd., White Hall. 823-8615.
Wisdom Oak Winery Make your way down the long gravel road to get to an intimate tasting room and outdoor picnic area. 3613 Walnut Branch Ln., North Garden. 984-4272.
Woodbrook Farm & Vineyard Near James Madison’s Montpelier, this family-owned vineyard celebrates horse country. 11461 Spicers Mill Rd., Orange. (540) 219-1874.
(434) 205-0056
www.thedoylehotel.com
Nestled in the heart of Charlottesville, The Doyle Hotel offers a vibrant blend of artistic flair and contemporary luxury. Just minutes away from the University of Virginia, our prime location places guests at the center of the city’s dynamic academic and cultural scene.
Formerly known as The Quirk Hotel Charlottesville, The Doyle Hotel is proud to continue the legacy of this beautiful property. As part of the Blue Suede Hospitality Group, we provide an exceptional experience with our state-of-the-art digital contactless check-in process and multiple lively onsite bars and restaurants. Discover sophisticated comfort, exceptional service, and the colorful, artistic fusion that defines The Doyle Hotel.
Eating ice cream after the weather turns chilly is a little bit like drinking red wine in the dead of summertime—it’s just not done! But true ice cream-lovers, as well as oenophiles, will tell you: When it comes to treats you love, you can’t get hung up on arbitrary rules. Especially when the gettin’ is as good as it is at Marigold, where the restaurant’s salted caramel ice cream sundae mixes texture and flavor to—dare we say?—autumnal perfection. Candied peanuts and caramel popcorn top the creamy ice cream, and all are drizzled with a decadent hot fudge sauce. Sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, warm, cold—it all makes perfect sense now.
Located in the heart of Boar’s Head Resort, The Mill Room is a place to gather with friends and family for a casual drink or celebratory meal. Weekends come alive with our chef’s selections that include Friday fish, Saturday steak and our consistently sought-after prime rib on Sunday evenings.
Reserve your table: www.BoarsHeadResort/Dining or (434) 972-2230