Postcard from Charlottesville - Wine Edition

 A trip to Charlottesville wouldn't be complete without some winetasting.  For me, it's as much about the view as it is about the wine.  It might even be more about the view.  A glass of something tasty along with a picnic and a sunny day and I am the happiest girl I know.

My favorite: King Family Vineyards.  The grounds were huge and beautiful.  The staff member in the tasting room was very friendly (but not fake or patronizing) and knowledgable.  They had cheese/bread/etc for sale, which was not around at the other wineries.  Also, there were plenty of tables and grass space for picnicking and enjoying the faboosh views (something the others lacked--which is shocking, since picnic space is all the rage in NoVa wineries).  And on summer weekends they host polo matches and tons of people come to watch and picnic and stomp the divots (a la Pretty Woman).  They had lovely banquet space too--not too big, but a smaller wedding would be perfection there.

At Horton Vineyards, you can try as much as you want.  We didn't get much information, but it was late in the day.  Nothing about what is grown/made on-site, or really any chit chat at all.  We bought a bottle for our parents and scooted along.  

We also went to Keswick Vineyards (nice people, nice wines, they gave the rec to go to King Family, actually) and Barboursville. Barboursville was pretty busy for a Monday afternoon, and for $5 you try 17 wines.  SEVENTEEN!  We didn't have any meaningful snacks during the Monday afternoon winetasting, and we got up for sunrise that morning.  That meant an early evening nap and headaches all around. 

If a taste is 2 oz and we had 27 tastes total on Monday, and "one drink" of wine is 5 oz, then we drank 10 glasses of wine.  I think the tastes must have been smaller,  because that would be ridiculous.  Even cut in half, that's a lot for me.  Hence the headache.

Best bets:
Barboursville: bang for buck at tasting ($5 for keepsake glass, taste of all wines, even reserves and their award-winning Octagon, $30/bottle).  Watch a video with their Italian winemaker Luca Paschina here. 
King Family: beautiful grounds, friendly staff, tasty wines. We bought their dessert wine, because we like it but never have any.  It was not too syrupy sweet or anything, and we'd already bought bottles of red and white at others that we liked.

Postcard from Charlottesville

We recently went down to Charlottesville and its environs to check out some local scenery.

Our first stop was Gordonsville Deli. Yelp led me here, and I was happy it did.  The proprietor was coolly sitting at a tiny bistro table in his tiny deli with an impossibly minuscule netbook when we walked in.  Then he made us delicious, fresh sandwiches (chicken salad and roast beef, respectively) and panini pressed 'em into grill-mark perfection.  The side options were chips, slaw, or potato salad.  The slaw wasn't from a industrial container of slaw, it was freshly shredded cabbage lovingly seasoned and tossed in a vinaigrette, not drowning in a mayo mess.  It was crunchy and clean-tasting, maybe the best cole slaw I've ever had.  J and I preferred our respective sandwiches.  His had a horseradish bite that took me by surprise.  *Disclaimer: everything tastes better on a ridiculously cloudless sunshiny day on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is where we ate these sandwiches.

 

Damn.  Is there ANYTHING better than a delicious, fresh sandwich?!

C & O Restaurant
When we left C&O, J summed it up:  this is a great, nice place to take your (nonadventurous eater-type) parents when they visit you at UVa.  Agree.  It's the Old Man Rafferty's of Charlottesville.  Same old American stuff.  It's fine.  It's ok.  But even things that sound interesting end up being...fine. We sat in the charming courtyard on this cool fall night, and I left my camera in the car.  I had the assortment of vegetarian items, mostly because it was something I could choose where I could actually have 4 or so things at the same time.  I think the soup was parsnip (and I didn't care for it), there was a slice of quiche/tarte of some sort, some raviolis that were good, and a slice of grilled haloumi on watermelon.  Probably a salad with the watermelon and haloumi on it would have been a better choice for me, even as an appetizer!  C&O is popular for the Steak Chinoise, which is what J got.  He liked it.  We shared a warm artichoke spread with pita that was pretty good,  but nothing out of the ordinary. 



The Local
Now here is some food.  We ended up here by accident when Tavola was closed.  Sunday and Monday are tricky nights for eating in C-ville.  It was late, we took an awkward late afternoon nap, and we were a bit hung over from an afternoon of intense winetasting (without enough spitting out the wine).  We needed warm, comforting, and delicious.  Unfortunately, we also had to sit outside on this cool night because we also needed quiet.  And it was loud in there.  Gnocchi Bolognese, short ribs, and lots of water later, we were happy.  I'd definitely go back to The Local.

La Taza Coffeehouse was a big crowdpleaser.  Yummy, hot breakfast sandwiches and a list of teas and coffees rivaling any urban caffeination station.  I had an enormous, delicious, steamy hot chai latte with an egg, sausage, pesto, tomato breakfast sandwich on a crusty (in a good way) French baguette.  J had a croissant!

Bodos bagels is a local favorite, you should definitely stop by.  The bagels aren't Brooklyn or even Bethesda, but it's a quirky place, and definitely a cheap bite.  They have a bagel with honey and butter ON THE MENU, and excellent avocado spread.

Marco & Lucas Dumplings:  Mmmm dumplings.  For $3, share a snack with somebody.  You won't regret it.  There are two locations--fun fact is that I took the picture of the sign at one (the Corner) and ate dumplings from the other (Downtown).  If there was one nearby it would be my go-to cheap, hot snack, undoubtedly.

Bluegrass Grill & Bakery was closed when we first wanted to go--La Taza to the rescue!  But we went back, and we're so glad we did.  It's sort of a hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon establishment, with all mismatching mugs that make you feel like you're at your great-aunt's house. 

Obviously I had an enormous omelet filled with my favorite fixins and J had the corned beef hash.  Each came with an enormous whole wheat biscuit.  The CBH was more like the one at Art & Soul than any other I'd had because of the big pieces of corned beef.  Not quite cubes though!

Go to Charlottesville.  Take a campus tour.  Eat at delicious places.  Support local running shops. 

Restaurant Eve

Restaurant Eve is a special occasion place that was on my radar, along with The Inn at Little Washington, Minibar, and CityZen.  All we needed was a special occasion.  And we got one.  I love engagements, weddings, showers, babies...pretty much anything involving parties, presents, and food.  Although I left the idea open-ended, merely suggesting Eve among a worthy crowd, I basically steered us to the Tasting Room.  It's a risky move to take people out somewhere you've never been, but I felt like we really couldn't go wrong. 

Reservations for the Tasting Room can be made 2 months in advance.  For example, if it is October 15th, you can make a reservation as late as December 15th.  Within weeks of the good news, I booked us a table in October.  I called later to detail dietary restrictions and spell the names of the celebrated couple.  [That was the part where I referred to myself and J as "the garbage cans."  We'll try anything once, even "fluffy ocean."]

We did a 7-course menu, which was definitely perfect--I left full, but not pants-bursting stuffed.  The wine pairings seemed a little steep ($75, $85, and $95 to go with the 5, 7, or 9 course), and we ended up getting a bottle of Sauvignon Gris from Chile and later had a glass of champagne for a proper toast.  

I'll note that our pescatarian was served a lot of fish.  I was expecting at least a few more adventurous fishless vegetarian plates, but was surprised when yet another mini filet would appear.  Between us we ate all kinds of stuff, including pike, sturgeon, sashimi, lamb, sweetbreads, and the super amazing (maybe a table fan favorite) mushroom agnolotti.  The agnolotti was definitely my favorite, along with some of the tiny bites (more on that later). Three of us had beignets for dessert that were okay, but the chocolate-lover special requested the chocolate cake bar from the second menu above (actually, she just said "something with chocolate") and it was awesome.  Super rich, super chocolatey, and a large portion.  Made my beignets seem puny.  She shared, because she's wonderful.

The dining room was a bit warm, especially for a place noting that gentlemen will feel comfortable in ties & jackets.  Not without some air conditioning, they won't!  I'll also say that the service was pretty attentive, but kind of awkward.  With other tasting experiences, servers are coming and going, but usually the same person (or two) explains what each dish is when it comes out.  Swift, efficient, friendly, but unobtrusive (after all, you are likely celebrating).  We had different people coming and going, and it was just a little bit off.  Not bad, just not smooth and practiced. 

I liked everything.  Some things more than others; for example, I found the lamb to be meh.  It was very rare, but that's not a problem for me if the flavor is wow.  A palate cleansing red pepper sorbet was very interesting, in a good way.  The canapes and amouse bouche were also fun, but everything bigger than a bite lost that punch.  If I'm going out for a tasting menu, I want it to wow me.  Not confuse me, or interest me without being 100% delicious, but it should be delicious and intriguing.   It makes me think that Eve has the tasting menu for non-tasting menu people.  An adventure for the less adventurous.  Classic American cuisine, well-executed, yet not intimidating at all.  I didn't know I was so edgy, but I guess I am.  At least when it's going to be $100+ a person.

Overall, Eve is a great place to spoil someone.  The chocolate was printed with "Congratulations," and a little gift bag of take-home treats came out post-dessert.  The sunflower motif and gorgeous, colorful, patterned chargers make you just feel happy.  The pre-meal tastes and post-dessert cookies and bites were fun and welcome extras, and there were plenty.  Mini macarons, white chocolate clusters, and a chocolate/butterscotch/brittle-type triangle were on that final tiered serving tray.  I wanted them to be my end to every meal, forever.

My Totally Unscientific Tasting Menu Rankings
1. Komi
2. Citronelle
3. B&B Ristorante (does this count? It was all pasta...)
4. [Restaurant Eve, I think]
5. Volt
...
Makoto 
Town House

I liked and would recommend all of those Top 5, but it'll depend on the occasion and the audience.  I loved B&B for the great pastas and some truly interesting (and delicious) flavors.  My brother-in-law and sister had a less awesome B&B experience, where they felt like the pasta was the one thing they didn't love.  To which my response was:  WHAT?!? 

Citronelle is an institution, and Chef Richard is a genius.  It was also my first big tasting menu, so it has a special place in my heart.  Komi is hands-down the most incredible meal I've ever eaten. But if you're not too adventurous, you may be better off at Volt or Eve.  Not that Komi was so crazy, but  you're bound to have plates that truly surprise you.  I don't eat octopus and goat every day (but maybe I should).

Now I'll stop going on and on.  Restaurant Eve is a wonderful restaurant, and I'm glad that I went.  I just don't know how soon I'll be back.  If I had to pick one of the above to go to tomorrow, I'd choose Komi.


Restaurant Eve
110 South Pitt St
Alexandria, VA
Metro: Blue or Yellow Line to King Street Metro

Pizzeria Orso

Pizzeria Orso!  The myth, the legend.  Or really, just the yummy new joint in NoVa. 

To cut to the chase, I liked Pizzeria Orso, but I wasn't obsessed.  We waited way too long for a table, and while waiting we saw a child upchuck his meal the second his family was 10 feet from the door.  Not that it's Orso's fault, but it does something to your appetite that can't be undone. 

As a sidenote, I'd prob be even more into Orso if I didn't live pretty darn close to 2 Amys.  And in the end, I prefer 2A.  If I had never left Arlington, who knows, maybe I'd tell you that it's SO MUCH BETTER, etc etc. Convenience is a factor, and it's all a bit psychological anyway, I think.

I really enjoyed the bruschetta--ours had a tomato olive tapenade kind of thing, and that sourdough was perfect--crispy and chewy, not like the countless crappy bruschetta dishes I've had where you it's dry with the crumbs and the oily-ness.  LOVED.  We also had the arrosticini (skewered lamb)--tasty. 

It only made sense to order my fave 2A dish, for comparison's sake.  The Orso edition of my beloved Ripieno Basilico just didn't stack up.  The insides of it didn't ooze out--it wasn't particularly stuffed, and the filling was barely room temperature.  It still tasted good--c'mon people, it's dough, cheese, sauce, and pesto.  But I didn't want to marry it. 

Ripieno I want to marry:

Ripieno that I just liked okay (sorry, the lighting wasn't great):

J dug his crudo pizze with tomato, mozzarella, basil, grana, arugula, and a thin prosciutto (is there any other kind?) across the top.  I liked that it sort of glimmered.  He found it to be fresh-tasting; he enjoyed the dough, and was surprised that the arugula wasn't too bitter.  He's not one to jump on arugula salads and things of that nature.

Our pals K & P had a pie with mushrooms and one with lots of meat--perhaps the Giamette (sausage, pepperoni, ham, and salami), is that right K? 

Check out the oven:

Dolcezza gelato is offered for dessert; I'm turned off by how expensive it is---even Orso can't mark it up more than the store itself.  At Boccato a small was about $3.50 but it was a very generous small.  At Dolcezza it's about a dollar more for a small but I swear you get half as much (at least in Bethesda).  Very very sad.  I've gone off on a tangent.  Anyway, Dolcezza gelato is good and you can find it at Orso.  At 2A, for those keeping score at home, they make their own ice cream in house, and it is divine. 

Orso means bear.  J thought you might want to know!

Pizzeria Orso
400 South Maple Ave
Falls Church, VA
Metro: Bus from East Falls Church Metro, on the Orange Line.  You can prob take a few ART buses or Metrobus.

Town House

Town House in Chilhowie got plenty of buzz from the New York Times and Washington Post. But who in their mind would schlep more than 5 hours (I'm talking past Roanoke) to eat what the proprietors call "destination dining."  Us!

What we ate is similar to what others have had.

The course selections at Town House varied between 1-3, 4, and ten, but we were told we could get pretty much however many we want.  We ended up going with 10 just to say hey, we're on vacation, let's celebrate.  Why not?

It was a really interesting meal that was an adventure, but I can't say that the majority of dishes made me crave more.  I was more like hmm, what an interesting flavor/combination/texture.  In two cases I really didn't dig what I ate--both involved a little too much "essence of the sea" for me.  Part of it is that I don't have the most sophisticated palate (why must I be so self-depracating?).  I'm just looking for good eats.

I appreciate what the chefs are doing at Town House--there is no doubt that they are on the cutting edge of culinary creativity.  They are bravely playing with flavors (and nitrogen) in a way that would scare a lot of people, but it's cool.  The service was amazing, another group at the restaurant was super-friendly and chatty (even gave us some Asheville recommendations), and we did indeed see the chefs' faces (ahem, where are you Jose Andres???).  Maybe if we're ever driving to North Carolina again we'll go back.  We'll definitely recommend the exciting adventure to friends (at least those who are up to it).  I'll label the dishes below and note the favorites. 

No food in this picture, just an action shot of downtown Chilhowie, population 1,746, right across from the restaurant.

I don't have a photo of the amuse, but it was the black olive cookie sandwich with a lemony olive oil inside, and grated parm-reg on top. It was wonderful.

 Chilled vegetable "minestrone."  We liked this light broth with fresh, thinly rolled vegetables.  And it was beautiful

Brulee of Smoked Salmon Roe.  The description says "coconut, mustard, avocado and banana, celery, cilantro confit, and let me tell you, I was not looking forward to this.  But the surprise was that I really liked this dish--it might have been my favorite.  It was sweet and salty, the crunchy glass-like top contrasted with the soft squishier inside, and it was just fun.  Party in the mouth.  Not fishy at all.

The Orange from Valencia.  OK.  This I don't know about--there were cold mussels and other items inside this orangey orange-shaped hollow shell.  It was interesting, but not for me.

Foie Gras Butter.  Watermelon radish, hazelnut, dark ale, lovage, rye.  Not as exciting as it sounds.

 OMG.  These piping hot black pepper potato rolls were AMAZING.  Seriously, they appeared mid-meal and our server was all, "would you like more?" and we were like, "do birds have wings?"  I would love the recipe for these and then I'd just keep trying it until it worked.

I don't have a photo of the Scrambled Egg Mousse with birch syrup & sweet spices, but I rather liked it.  It was like a foamy pureed omelet, but not in a gross way, and it was kind of sweet, served in a martini-ish glass if my memory serves me right.  I definitely liked it, but didn't need quite so much.  One or two spoonfuls would have sufficed.

 Chorizo Boillon ("with various Spanish influences").  This dish (described here) confused me.  The broth was good, and then there were all these little bits--cheese, chorizo oil, cuttlefish, ink (!).  Let's just say I found out the hard way that ink is NOT for me. J liked this dish.  I get parts of it--the cuttlefish melts in your mouth--for a second you think, was that fish or cheese?

Ah, the sea.  Cured Hamachi & Bev Eggleston's Pig Tail.  This is the dish that scared me the most just from the name.  But so did the brulee of smoked salmon roe, and that turned out fine!  So I'm glad I didn't cross both off the list by judging on the names, but I ended up splitting the difference--liked the roe, but didn't care for this one.

Thorntree Farms Lamb.  Why not?  I bet I would have loved this lamb if I hadn't already been stuffed to the gills.  After eating so much I almost felt sick (I don't remember feeling this way at Citronelle, but maybe the portions were smaller and spaced out further??? Anyone?)

Foggy Ridge's Pomme Gris.  Similar technique to the hollowed "Valencia Orange" but this time it was actually dessert--phew.  A spicy but creamy chocolateyness was on the inside ("aerated milk chocolate, yellow curry, roasted peanut, cumin") but the frozen shell just didn't do it for me.  I didn't want something so cold.

I don't have a photo of my favorite dessert (and favorite dish??), Purple Mountains: latte, anise seed, black sesame oil, yogurt, poached fig.  It was rustic looking and richly delicious.  A perfect note to end on.

Chefs love their nitrogen.


Town House
Town House Blog (Just because you won't be back for a while doesn't mean you want to miss out on the new creations--they are like art.)
132 E. Main Street
Chilhowie, VA (Note to the city slickers: if you think Ballston is far, you ain't seen nothing yet.)