Five Finds on Friday: Loren Mendosa of Tavola

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Loren Mendosa, sous chef of Tavola.  Mendosa’s picks: 1)  Veal Sweetbreads and Fried Brussels Sprouts at L’etoile with capers, parsley, lemon, fleur gris and aioli.  “Perfectly cooked sweetbreads are hard to find and Ian Redshaw does just that.” […]

More biscuits and pizza, please! This week’s restaurant news

Ace in spades Brian Ashworth of Ace Biscuit & BBQ is making quite a name for himself in the breakfast and lunch scene. Starting January 26, the restaurant will also be open on Saturdays—no doubt good news for the weekenders he often finds banging on the door. The biscuits rarely last beyond 10:30am on weekdays, […]

Five Finds on Friday: Tim Gearhart of Gearharts Chocolates

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Tim Gearhart, the Culinary Institute of America graduate behind the world class offerings at Gearharts Chocolates.  For Valentine’s Day this year, Gearharts has put together an ideal package – a 16-piece assortment of chocolates, a handmade chocolate […]

Brunello di Montalcino’s under the Tuscan shadow

Americans have a love affair with Tuscany and few grapes are as quintessentially Italian as the cherished region’s workhorse, Sangiovese. Chianti Classico may be where it’s best known, but it’s in Brunello di Montalcino (where the grape’s grosso clone accounts for 100 percent of the wine) that it’s the most revered. That’s not saying a […]

Order up! Who’s got the best burger in Charlottesville?

I used to plot burgers on the national map like I was tracking a serial killer. The Rusty Nail, Canton, Michigan. Casino El Camino, Sixth Street, Austin. Some Irish bar, west side of Clark Street, far north side Chicago. Pink’s, La Brea, Los Angeles. They all had their own thing about them. I took a […]

Five Finds on Friday: Dan Potter of Potter’s Craft Cider

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  This week’s picks come from Dan Potter, co-owner of Potter’s Craft Cider, which recently released their second varietal, the Oak Barrel Reserve.  Aged in apple brandy barrels for 4-6 months, the Reserve develops vanilla, caramel and toasted oak flavors.  Less than 200 […]

Brewing collaborations mean good news for your pint glass

I begin this article at the end of a long, but thoroughly enjoyable brewday. Today was Champion Brewing Company’s first official collaboration brew, between myself and Devils Backbone Head Brewer Jason Oliver. The development of this collaboration is a result of a long and funny e-mail chain that began with an article regarding New York’s […]