It’s finally feeling like fall, and as the days get cooler, our thoughts turn to food. And drink. While some might consider the Charlottesville food scene an “endless festival of self-congratulating gluttony” others of us just plain enjoy it.
For our annual food and drink issue, Living and Special Publications editor Joe Bargmann, who also edits our magazine Knife & Fork, has pulled together a delightful smorgasbord of stories, from a day (and night) in the life of Albemarle Baking Company to the unexpected satisfactions of clean laundry and fresh tacos.
Charlottesville may not have the depth of a larger, food-obsessed city like Portland (Maine and Oregon) or New Orleans, but being small, and creative, has its own rewards. Like when you check out that charming new Mexican spot in Belmont with the outrageously good mole, and find it’s run by a familiar face from another beloved neighborhood fixture (that’d be Benos Bustamante, formerly of Mas and now owner of Comal). That the woman behind that killer fried fish from your favorite food truck (Angelic’s Mobile Kitchen) is now leading the way at the upscale food hall opening on Preston. And that that great whiskey in your cocktail at the C&O was made right here, by Ivar Aass and his wife Sarah Barrett, who also make the wood block print labels.
At the same time, local wineries are upping their food game, so you can taste the work of a chef from the three-Michelin-starred Inn at Little Washington without driving to Rappahannock County. Add on more breweries, and even cideries, than you can shake a stick at, and it all equals a lively food scene that will continue to evolve and delight. So find your favorite food truck and eat up.
