Mangia! Mangia! on Main: New Italian restaurant takes over Bella’s space
The restaurant formerly known as Bella’s is under new ownership, and will reopen this month as Mangione’s on Main, according to owner Bert Crinks. Crinks and his wife Elaina, who will run the restaurant, are recent transplants from Northern Virginia who’ve been searching for the perfect site in which to open a restaurant. Having spent […]
Sammy love in the new year: Guest sandwiches are back at Keevil & Keevil
After a consulting gig at Commonwealth Restaurant & Sky Bar, Harrison Keevil is back full-time at Keevil & Keevil, with some new ideas for the store he co-owns with his wife Jennifer. “We’re bringing back the guest sandwiches —where I ask friends what their dream sandwich is and try to make it come to life […]
Back to school: New owner, new focus for Charlottesville Cooking School
With chef Antwon Brinson’s recent takeover of Martha Stafford’s popular Charlottesville Cooking School, the institution is becoming a destination for aspiring restaurant cooks—a place to learn professional and life skills for long-term culinary careers. Brinson originally launched Culinary Concepts, his “culinary boot camp,” in partnership with the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, and operated […]
Curls for a cause: Brasserie Saison’s general manager is making waves
Will Curley, general manager of Brasserie Saison and wine director at Ten Course Hospitality, is ready to sacrifice his stylish “do” for a good cause. Call it Curls for Curley. Friend and winemaker AJ Greely says Curley’s wife Priscilla, who is the general manager at Tavola, “has been teasing him unrelentingly regarding his mullet.” So […]
Where the hearth is: Little Star will offer Spanish and Mexican-influenced fare in an inviting spot on West Main
Little Star, the sophomore dining venture by Oakhart Social’s Ben Clore and Tristan Wraight, is slated to open its doors December 30, when its warm hearth and welcoming vibe should be a respite from the chill. Joined by third partner and executive chef Ryan Collins, the team has put together a restaurant they hope will […]
Dinner is served: Chef brings women together to help the homeless
Duner’s executive chef Laura Fonner has spearheaded a drive to provide chef-driven, home-cooked suppers for PACEM—an organization that provides cold-weather shelter for the homeless—each Tuesday throughout the winter months. She was inspired to take action after helping to serve at a PACEM dinner late last winter. “I met a man who had worked in restaurants […]
But baby it’s cold outside: Wine and beer delivered to your door
In case you need one more excuse to avoid going out in the frigid weather, Wegmans is now offering beer and wine delivery through Instacart. “We know our customers are busy, and the holidays are no exception,” says Erica Tickle, Wegmans e-commerce group manager. “We wanted to help our customers spend less time prepping and […]
Spicing up the menu: A new chef brings new flavors to Zocalo
Zocalo has undergone a number of major changes recently, with owner Ivan Rekosh buying out his longtime partner and then bringing in a new executive chef, Zynodoa’s Josh Hutter, who’s been shaking up the menu with a variety of surprising new offerings. “I’ve been cooking the same food for 15 years, and it’s great to […]
Fried fish on the go: A new business takes off
Angelic’s Kitchen On Wheels food truck has taken to the streets, a mere four years since owner Angelic Jenkins began cooking professionally, after her husband urged her to find a hobby other than shopping. “I love cooking for people and always wanted to sell fried fish at a festival,” Jenkins says, “So I started off […]
Café and community: A taste of Little Havana comes to Cville
Proper Cuban food has been in short supply in the Charlottesville area, but that’s about to change when Guajiros Miami Eatery opens its doors in the next few weeks. The restaurant is the brainchild of Miami transplant Harvey Mayorga, who, with his brother, Danilo, plans to bring a bit of Little Havana to the city, […]
Family matters: A creative staff meal starts—or ends—the night right
The family meal is a restaurant tradition, where chefs take turns cooking a meal for the entire staff to dine together before service. At an Italian restaurant like Tavola, you might expect that meal to be a fat bowl of pasta and maybe some garlic bread. But, in fact, one of the more memorable family […]
Where everybody knows your name: Oakhart Social is a favorite after-hours hang
After a long night of waiting and bussing tables, cooking meals, serving drinks, and washing dishes, most restaurant staffs are usually ready to unwind. But in a town in which the sidewalks tend to roll up after 10 or 11pm, where’s a hard-working, thirsty server supposed to go? A regular haunt for those needing a […]
Don’t call it a comeback: UVA alum hopes to recapture Littlejohn’s former glory
Littlejohn’s New York Delicatessen, an institution on the Corner for 40-plus years, has undergone a renaissance under new owner Christian Trendel, who was brought in by the family of founder John Crafaik, Jr. “Littlejohn’s used to be a fixture on the Corner,” Trendel says. “And we’re trying to bring it back to that status.” A […]
A cheese for every season: Italy will provide the inspiration for Caromont Farm’s newest venture
For local cheesemaker Gail Hobbs-Page, the hills will be alive with the sound of cowbells and milking pails as she embarks on a dream excursion to the Italian Alps this month. She’ll be communing with Italian cheese makers who are making their product the old-fashioned way: by hand. Hobbs-Page, who owns Caromont Farm south of […]
Sake to me: Falling in love with rice wine
For North American Sake Brewery co-owner Jeremy Goldstein, it wasn’t a trip to Japan but a visit back home to California that inspired his new venture. “I’d never had ‘craft’ sake, but I went to this amazing restaurant with a sake sommelier and had a whole different experience than I’d had before with the heated […]
Egging ’em on: Junction’s now serving a bruncheon
Belmont’s Junction is delving into the weekend world of bracing bloodies and merciful mimosas with the launch of a brunch service. Executive chef Melissa Close-Hart says the demand was there for it, and the timing right. “We thought about doing brunch from the beginning,” she says. “We tried it out on holidays, like Easter and […]
Garden of eatin’: Local entrepreneurs develop a new way of growing greens
Soon, you might not need a green thumb to farm continually fresh greens at home. For that matter, you might not need a garden, at least not in the traditional sense. For that, you can thank Alexander Olesen and Graham Smith, two recent UVA graduates who have developed a series of hydroponic micro-farms that are […]
Another adios: La Taza closes its doors after 13 years in Belmont
La Taza owner Melissa Easter has recently struggled with a big decision: Should she close her restaurant of the past 13 years or expand? Ultimately she decided it was time for a lifestyle change, and she and her ex-husband, Jeff, sold the restaurant and building to new owners. “I’ve been thinking about it for a […]
Raising the steaks: Downtown steakhouse is primed for launch
Prime 109, the much-anticipated local-farm-centered steakhouse located in the former Bank of America building on the Downtown Mall, opens this month after nearly two years of planning and design. The restaurant is the brainchild of the Lampo Neapolitan Pizzeria team of Ian Redshaw, Loren Mendosa, Andrew Cole, Shelly Robb, and Mitchell Beerens, and it will […]
Fired up: Female restaurant professionals get the support they’re craving—from each other
Most people who go to their favorite restaurant on a Saturday night probably give little thought to what’s happening behind the scenes in the kitchen once they’re seated and have ordered cocktails. And while they may know what will show up on their table, ultimately the strange alchemy of how it gets there—sometimes through a […]
We’ll toast to that: New cidery set to open in September
Bryant’s Cider will open a production and tasting room Labor Day weekend in Roseland. Set amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains in a rustic, all-original 19th-century barn with hand-carved logs and original architectural features, the tasting room will feature Bryant’s hand-crafted hard ciders, which are produced using fresh-pressed Nelson County apples from the cidery’s own farm. […]
Take the cannoli: A New York state of mind leads to Sicily Rose
Milli Joe owner Nick Leichtentritt has always had a special place in his heart for simple Italian cannoli, and he’s planning to bring his favorite dessert to Charlottesville at Sicily Rose, an Italian coffee and cannoli bar opening in September in the Studio IX space. “Sicily Rose is a project I’ve actually been working on […]
Eat, drink, and tune up: Peloton Station puts the pedal to the metal when it comes to sandwiches
What’s better than ending a long bike ride by tucking into a premium sandwich and a craft beer on tap? How about getting your flat fixed, or your bike tuned up while you relax in the comfortable setting of Peloton Station, the cycle-centric tavern and bike kitchen collaboration between Greg Vogler, Curtis Shaver, and Bill […]
On to greener pastures?
Was it really only a year ago that Timbercreek Market in the old Coca-Cola building on Preston Avenue was revamped, split into a retail farm store on one end and Back 40, the farm-to-fork restaurant manned by chef Tucker Yoder, on the other? Both spots have closed, and there’s no word yet on what’s next […]
A French-inspired patisserie opens on the Downtown Mall
Serge Torres and Brian Helleberg are joining forces to bring a taste of Provence to the Downtown Mall. The Fleurie pastry chef (Torres) and owner (Helleberg) have opened Patisserie Torres on Third Street NE, directly across from Fleurie Restaurant, in the space once occupied by Cappellino’s Crazy Cakes. The patisserie is the culmination of Helleberg’s […]
Loco for Mono Loco: Latin American favorite closes after 20 years
Mono Loco regulars were recently issued a pink slip with the announcement of the closing, after 20 years, of the venerable downtown eatery. The restaurant, known for its friendly staff, fun atmosphere and Latin American cuisine, shuttered its doors after service on Saturday, July 28. “Our lease was up and it was time for us […]
Dinner fundraiser to recoup New Roots’ flood loss
A crowning achievement for the International Rescue Committee in Charlottesville has been the New Roots urban farm, the more than eight-acre stretch of land abutting Azalea Park that has served as a resource for many refugees who have resettled in the Charlottesville community in recent years. But the heavy rains that plagued Charlottesville in late May […]