Best bakery 2013: Albemarle Baking Company

Albemarle Baking Company 418 W. Main St. 293-6456 albemarlebakingco.com Runner-up: Chandler’s Bakery Albemarle Square Shopping Center 975-2253 chandlersbakery.com In Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team,” he describes his lover’s face as “crumbling like pastries.” And while that lyric is arguably one of the worst ever written, he must have had the treats at ABC, which break […]

Best server 2013: Emma Whittington

Emma Whittington at Beer Run Runner-up: Deidre Carpenter at Whiskey Jar Donald Trump once left a waiter at a Los Angeles restaurant a $10,000 tip. We’re guessing Emma and Deidre have never been quite that lucky, but that’s not because they don’t deserve it. When it comes to service, readers say there are no two […]

Best cidery 2013: Bold Rock Cidery

Bold Rock Cidery 1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy. (Nellysford) 361-1030 boldrock.com Runner-up: Albemarle Ciderworks 2545 Rural Ridge Ln. (North Garden) 297-2326 albemarleciderworks.com Bold Rock makes cider so tasty you could almost bathe in it. In fact, in the 14th century, that’s what people did: As it was often more sanitary than water, kids were baptized in […]

Best brewery 2013: Blue Mountain Brewery

Blue Mountain Brewery 9519 Critzer Shop Rd. (Afton) (540) 456-8020 bluemountainbrewery.com Runner-up: Devils Backbone Brewing Company 200 Mosbys Run (Roseland) 361-1001 ddbrewingcompany.com The ancient Babylonians took beer so seriously that if you brewed a bad batch, you were drowned in it. Luckily, that punishment is seriously outdated. Though, even if it wasn’t, that wouldn’t matter—there’s never a […]

Best French 2013: l’étoile

l’étoile 817 W. Main St. 979-7957 letoilrestaurant.com Runner-up: Petit Pois 201 Main St. 979-7647 petitpoisrestaurant.com And we thought there were too many dining options in Charlottesville! Turns out, there are even more in Paris, with over 5,000 restaurants currently in operation. Locally, our taste of the City of Love doesn’t come better than at l’étoile, […]

Best Indian 2013: Milan Indian Cuisine

Milan Indian Cuisine 1817 Emmet St. N 984-2828 milan-indian-cuisine.com Runner-up: Himalayan Fusion 520 E. Main St. 293-3120 himalayanfusion.com Readers know Milan has the best curry in town, but as it turns out, everything else on the restaurant’s menu is pretty darn tasty too. The Emmet Street spot serves up tandoori, seafood, and vegetarian options. At […]

Best curry 2013: Milan Indian Cuisine

Milan Indian Cuisine 1817 Emmet St. N 984-2828 milan-indian-cuisine.com Runner-up: Just Curry 425 E. Main St. 970-2001 justcurryon.com There are currently at least 12,000 restaurants in the U.K. serving curry. There are far fewer in Charlottesville, but readers are glad not to have such tough decisions to make. Milan offers a spicy menu of curry […]

Best buffet 2013: Milan Indian Cuisine

Milan Indian Cuisine 1817 Emmet St. N 984-2828 milan-indian-cuisine.com Runner-up: Wood Grill Buffet 576 Branchlands Blvd. 975-5613 woodgrillbuffet.com In 2010, the Art of Living Foundation in Ahmedabad, India, created the largest buffet in history, with 5,612 different dishes. Your pick for best buffet doesn’t have quite that many options, but who needs them anyway? Options […]

Best delivery 2013: Basil Mediterranean Bistro

Basil Mediterranean Bistro 109 14th St. 977-5700 basilmedbistro.com Runner-up: College Inn 1511 University Ave. 977-2710 thecollegeinn.com The idea of delivery—a.k.a. dinnertime for lazy people—is already a brilliant one. Add to that concept restaurant-quality food brought straight to your door and it’s almost too good to be true. That’s what readers get with Basil Mediterranean Bistro: […]

Best French fries 2013: Five Guys

Five Guys 321 E. Main St. 293-2847 Barracks Road Shopping Center 975-4897 201 Connor Dr. 963-4897 fiveguys.com Runner-up: Citizen Burger Bar 212 E. Main St. 979-9944 citizenburgerbar.com In 1998, Burger King went fry-to-fry against McDonald’s to see who served the best spuds. The debate was never truly settled (though Burger King did end up giving […]