Charlottesville, Virginia

Well, it's been nearly a month since I was in Charlottesville opening a new store, but I've been meaning to mention two restaurants within walking distance(one actually in the plaza) that are worth visiting when in the area.

I always research local food before I open a store(gotta have lunch options beyond what I make everyday at my home store), and what's the point of traveling if not to eat as the locals do? And, one of my first hits for Charlottesville was:

Taste of China

610-612 Albemarle Sq. Ct.
(say Albemarle five times fast)

Charlottesville, VA 22901

(434) 975-6688

unfortunately, the first time I attempted to dine there it was Chinese New Year(whoopsies!)

the benefit of that non-experience, though, was that I saw they cater to a predominantly Chinese clientele (plus!)

and, they definitely had that distrust of unfamiliar Westerners, "what!?..only one!?" b.s. that I intensely dislike, but recognize as a sign of an ethnic restaurant not completely capitulated to mediocrity

"what!? no finish!?...no good!? hmmm...too much!?"

How about mind your own damn business. Let me enjoy as much of your delicious food as I can handle(I eat like a bird, I'm small of stature...another reason why I could never, alone, do this restaurant's menu justice).

or, there's the whole cultural misunderstanding: he eats alone, must not have friends, we pity him

aside from all that, and, I realize, I'm just entertaining myself here:

great food, the YELP reviews were right!

I only had a few things, but the menu covers a wide variety, almost Lao Szechwan-esque...plus a huge wall of food pornography as you walk in the door, plus an untranslated specials board

and I stuck to personal favorites that I use to "test" a restaurant, both in how they render traditional dishes and in how they react to a customer one day ordering kung pao chicken, the next day, sautee'd intestine/green pepper

the husband and wife(?) team didn't know quite what to make of me

and after dining there 4 times over the course of a week, as I left back to work, I spoke with the front end manager(husband?) explaining how much I enjoyed the food and how I'd "discovered" them online and thanked them...he really seemed like he could give a shit...and, here I was just trying to be friendly... (it's not as if they didn't have printouts of those same Yelp reviews pinned to the wall across from the bathrooms)...

...not for nothing, I tip a base 20%

whatevs

---

In the next door plaza behind the Taco Bell:

Thai 99 2

915 Gardens Boulevard
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
(434) 964-1212

Beautifully-appointed, in lavenders and royal purple, strip mall Thai resto

decent regional coverage on the menu

lunch:

a pretty good laab kai, tho' not necessarily ped-ped, as ordered, and they do offer "thai-spicy" on the menu: I've had more incendiary versions at Opart and Ros-Ded...it was hot-enough, I suppose...and included a crunchy, almost nut-like element I'd never encountered before, I could only think, maybe, coarsley-ground roasted rice? Nice, affirmative use of nam pla, I thought.

perfect tom kha gai(in single portions...nice...I always like that)

dinner:

a group of us...

most everyone ordered everyday sorts of things except for myself and a Filipino trainer(she ordered spicy, I ordered spicy and everyone ended up sharing anyway)

I had one of the specials, "Volcano Pork," which I'm sure is actually called something else, and I know I've read about similar in various cookbooks and menus, I just couldn't place it at the time, and am lax in researching it now:

it was a, finally ped-ped, dish of minced aromatics and pork, almost a gravy, really, that I assume is intended to be mixed with jasmine rice, though I prefer to keep my rice separate from my entree...that's just me...seemed like it was meant to be combined...

decent service, pretty environment, relatively authentic food

beyond those two: I can recommend the biscuits and gravy at The Doubletree up the road

Taste of China, or at least its chef at the time, Peter Chang, was part of a New Yorker profile by Calvin Trillin a couple of years ago.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010 ... ct_trillin

No idea how I pulled that out of my memory.

I'll check out the link. I was aware from my research that the chef/owner was a local impresario of sorts, akin to our own, Tony. In fact, I'd read that the (original)restaurant was down for renovation through my tenure there, but, thankfully...I, indeed, got to dine with them.

As some of you may know, I left Chicago last fall and returned to Charlottesville, the town where I grew up. I've been meaning to start a thread on LTH (sorry Christopher! I wish I had posted already and could have directed you better), but haven't known where to start. So much of what I eat around here is mixed with nostalgia - would I actually recommend it to LTH'ers who were visiting town? In some cases yes, in others not so much.

Anyway, today I tried a place that's been around for a decade, but I hadn't heard of until just recently. It's a tiny Thai restaurant about 45 minutes south of Charlottesville, in a place called Colleen. Colleen is an unincorporated town in Nelson County, though the term town itself is a bit of an overstatement. It's postal address is in Arrington, which itself is a "census designated place" with a population of 708. In short, it's quite rural. Definitely the last place you'd expect to find a killer Thai joint. (see Google map)



I chatted up the owner, who is from Bangkok. It sounds like the first couple of years were rough (her kids told her "rednecks don't eat Thai food!"), but she persevered and eventually word of mouth spread. The menu isn't particularly exotic, which is probably partially a reflection of the clientelle but also a reflection of ingredient availability. As it is, she says she drives to Northern Virginia to grocery shop every two weeks. No homemade Isaan sausage, no raw shrimp salad, no fermented pork ribs. But... the quality of what's on offer can't be beat.

Pad Prik Khing and Pork Laab


No funky Northern laab on offer, but this rendition didn't lack punch. The Pad Prik Khing only suffered from a lack of crispy pork belly (it was just random bits of pork) - otherwise it was one of the best I've ever had. The sauce balanced pungent, sour, spicy, and just a bit of sweet.

Som Tum

Whew! She brought the spicy. Unfortunately no dried shrimp or pickled crabs, but otherwise a really solid dish.

Would is stand up to Sticky Rice or Aroy? Nope. But I'd call it no more than a half click below Chicago's upper tier. And for the middle of nowhere Virginia, it's a God send.

Thai Siam Takeout
4137 Tye Brook Highway
Arrington, VA 22922

Expect lots more in this thread soon. If anyone is visiting Charlottesville, always feel free to PM me and I'll get you set up.

-Dan

Ok. Let's talk fried chicken. There are a bunch of options in the area (and a couple I haven't tried yet), but only one place that I go back to over and over - Wayside, Ole Virginia Fried Chicken. The chicken is well-salted (brined? probably) and always juicy inside and crisp outside. Sides... well, you don't come here for sides. They're ok. Sweet potato pie is solid.



Wayside - Ole Virginia Fried Chicken
2203 Jefferson Park Ave
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 977-5000
http://www.waysidechicken.com/internet/

In Chicago, taquerias in the back of grocery stores abound. Growing up in Charlottesville, there wasn't a single one. While I was away, a Mexican grocery store opened a second location, this one with a lunch counter in the back. During the day, there's a cafeteria-style steam table of options in the back - you pick your main, choice of beans (pinto or black), choice of rice (red or white) and you're on your way. I've tried a few of the options on offer, and most are solid. There are enough options that I'm sure there are some gems waiting to be discovered.

Pork ribs, black beans with whole jalapeños and pork skin, red rice.


La Guadalupana
1417 Emmet Street North
Charlottesville, VA 22903

In Virginia, we have a lot of road-side BBQ places. While I tend to make my own BBQ, I've been trying to stop and experiment with the various road-side places. Usually they're not as good as homemade, but I keep trying.

Paulie's Pig-Out is a perfect example. Located on a rural stretch of Route 151 in Nelson County with a couple of smokers sitting out by the road, it's a place you want to be great.



Not only do they sell BBQ, but as you can see in the sign, they have a flea market on weekends, cruise-ins, and "entertainment" (assuming bands play in the summer, but don't know). And... they rent Moon Bounces!



Inside is a simple menu - BBQ, gizzards, fried catfish, some random side dishes.

Sadly, the pulled pork was devoid of smoke character, no discernable bark, and had been coated in some sort of red sauce. Not thick or sweet, but not vinegary either - just kind of red and oily.



Great place to pull over on my motorcycle ride, grab a bite, and sit in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains - just not destination-worthy BBQ.

Paulie's Pig-Out
7376 Rockfish Valley Hwy
Afton, VA 22920

dansch wrote:As some of you may know, I left Chicago last fall and returned to Charlottesville, the town where I grew up. I've been meaning to start a thread on LTH (sorry Christopher! I wish I had posted already and could have directed you better), but haven't known where to start. So much of what I eat around here is mixed with nostalgia - would I actually recommend it to LTH'ers who were visiting town? In some cases yes, in others not so much.

Anyway, today I tried a place that's been around for a decade, but I hadn't heard of until just recently. It's a tiny Thai restaurant about 45 minutes south of Charlottesville, in a place called Colleen. Colleen is an unincorporated town in Nelson County, though the term town itself is a bit of an overstatement. It's postal address is in Arrington, which itself is a "census designated place" with a population of 708. In short, it's quite rural. Definitely the last place you'd expect to find a killer Thai joint. (see Google map)



I chatted up the owner, who is from Bangkok. It sounds like the first couple of years were rough (her kids told her "rednecks don't eat Thai food!"), but she persevered and eventually word of mouth spread. The menu isn't particularly exotic, which is probably partially a reflection of the clientelle but also a reflection of ingredient availability. As it is, she says she drives to Northern Virginia to grocery shop every two weeks. No homemade Isaan sausage, no raw shrimp salad, no fermented pork ribs. But... the quality of what's on offer can't be beat.

Pad Prik Khing and Pork Laab


No funky Northern laab on offer, but this rendition didn't lack punch. The Pad Prik Khing only suffered from a lack of crispy pork belly (it was just random bits of pork) - otherwise it was one of the best I've ever had. The sauce balanced pungent, sour, spicy, and just a bit of sweet.

Som Tum

Whew! She brought the spicy. Unfortunately no dried shrimp or pickled crabs, but otherwise a really solid dish.

Would is stand up to Sticky Rice or Aroy? Nope. But I'd call it no more than a half click below Chicago's upper tier. And for the middle of nowhere Virginia, it's a God send.

Thai Siam Takeout
4137 Tye Brook Highway
Arrington, VA 22922

Expect lots more in this thread soon. If anyone is visiting Charlottesville, always feel free to PM me and I'll get you set up.

-Dan

Fun posts Dan--thanks!! This one makes me want to run to Argyle and send you a big care package to bring to them, for both your sakes

I enjoyed my time in Charlottesville. Esp. wish I'd known of the rural Thai place you mention. As I don't drive, I'm sometimes limited in my access to a given region's offerings; this was one of those times. A store opening where I had to choose from what was in the linked parking lots(thankfully, there was a choice).

Spudnuts was once a chain of hundreds donut shops (selling donuts made from potato flour, of course) but apparently the parent company went bankrupt and disappeared. A few of dozen individual shops remain, and Charlottesville has one of them.

(apologies for the crappy cellphone pics)



The shop itself has original '60s decor, and doesn't look to have changed a bit.



The raised donuts are the main attraction. Below is what they call a fritter, but it's really just an oddly-shaped yeasted donut.



Classic donuts with no post-cupcake-trend treatments.

Spudnuts
309 Avon St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 296-0590
6am-2pm

-Dan

Grew up with Spudnuts, first in Ft. Collins, then in Hunter's Point, SF. Wasn't tuned to food yet, so hadn't a clue about the uniqueness of potato doughnuts. Was/is there any?

Geo