Zinc
Zinc is located in a converted garage on Main Street, and what it lacks in exterior attraction it has double of in bistro charm. Oh bistros. This blog is slowly becoming one large bistro-love-fest.
The menu is traditional, wonderful bistro fare. Multiple types of mussels, and of course the Steak Fritte. But I opted for the special Coq au Van, and it was worth it.
What impressed me most with Zinc was that there was a delicious sounding appetizer as a special - figs filled with cheese and drizzled with lavender honey. The problem? My friend and I didn't like blue cheese. We inquired, and it was quickly substituted with goat, and was way more delicious than the original had ever been. So often 'trendy' places tend to deny substitutions. And I tend to shy away from them as well. But both the chef and waitress were quick to oblige.
And Coq au Van with a real rooster! Tom would be proud. It was moist, the bacon was crisp - not burnt, not soggy, two very easy realms for bacon to enter with this dish - and the rest of the meal just went phenomenally.
Wine is available in a size somewhere between glass and bottle, which makes it excellently priced for two. And why Monday night? Because by showing your student ID you get a "buy one entree get the second half-off deal." Go with a date!
-M.
Eleven out of 10 (DC)
Eleventh Street Lounge
I figured I had already done one post using a pun on the restaurant's number/name as a title. No point in stopping now.
Eleventh Street Lounge has been "named" one of nearly everything - Top 25 Restaurants by Northern Virginia Magazine, Best Dirt Cheap Eats and Editor's Pick by the Washingtonian Magazine, etc. etc. - and as a result is clearly having an identity crisis. It's a restaurant, it's a bar/lounge, no wait, it's a club. The decor, and the website, reflect that. Fortunately, none of the expected pretentiousness from a restaurant/lounge/dance club shows up at Eleventh. Just good food.
We had the sweet potato fries (where you could really taste the sweet potato), the olives marinated in oil, red pepper, and garlic (delicious and piping hot) served with perfectly salted marcona almonds, the seared tuna (good not great), and the duck spring roll (absolutely delicious). Four small plates, two people, and a great meal that didn't leave us hungry, but didn't leave us icky either.
Suggested nights are Wednesdays and Thursdays - on Wednesdays, the burgers are half off (or at least much cheaper?) and on Thursdays the small plates are marked down, making this place truly dirt cheap. And the drink special are pretty damn good too.
All in all, Eleventh Street Lounge may not know what it's doing, but it's doing something right.
-M.
I figured I had already done one post using a pun on the restaurant's number/name as a title. No point in stopping now.
Eleventh Street Lounge has been "named" one of nearly everything - Top 25 Restaurants by Northern Virginia Magazine, Best Dirt Cheap Eats and Editor's Pick by the Washingtonian Magazine, etc. etc. - and as a result is clearly having an identity crisis. It's a restaurant, it's a bar/lounge, no wait, it's a club. The decor, and the website, reflect that. Fortunately, none of the expected pretentiousness from a restaurant/lounge/dance club shows up at Eleventh. Just good food.
We had the sweet potato fries (where you could really taste the sweet potato), the olives marinated in oil, red pepper, and garlic (delicious and piping hot) served with perfectly salted marcona almonds, the seared tuna (good not great), and the duck spring roll (absolutely delicious). Four small plates, two people, and a great meal that didn't leave us hungry, but didn't leave us icky either.
Suggested nights are Wednesdays and Thursdays - on Wednesdays, the burgers are half off (or at least much cheaper?) and on Thursdays the small plates are marked down, making this place truly dirt cheap. And the drink special are pretty damn good too.
All in all, Eleventh Street Lounge may not know what it's doing, but it's doing something right.
-M.
Dame Mas
Restaurants:
Spanish
Mas
(Revised 04.09.08)
By the end of three years, I will have eaten at Mas so many times that every item on the menu will be on this list.
Charlottesville continues to surprise and amaze, frankly, and Mas tapas bar may be the pinnacle of trendy dining in this tiny little college town. And while sure, Mas would be considered not-so-hot in Vegas or New York or the other dining capitals of the country, when you want to celebrate Mas may be the best gig in town.
So long as you want to celebrate in the summer.
For a city filled with bars, this whole damn area wouldn't know a good cocktail when it smacked Thomas Jefferson's statue in the face (don't laugh; this tends to happen when Frat boys go crazy). Not so at Mas. The mojitos are a little heavy on the seltzer and a little light on the rum, but if anything that just makes them more dangerous. The bar area is small, though, in keeping with the scale of the whole restaurant, so save the drink orders for the table. The traditional fino to pair with the tapas is a little pricey. But when dining in this Nouveau Spanish cuisine why drink the Staunch Old World wine? Cristalino Cava is also available for a price (a brand which recently won value of the year, and can be purchased at your local grocery store for $8-10/bottle). So really, stick with the hard liquor.
Oh right. They serve food too. Some of the best items are the least Spanish. Hits are the Wagyu beef (remember, it's not Kobe unless the cow is from Kobe, and Japan won't let those touch American shores dead or alive) in truffle oil, the stuffed poblano peppers, and the more traditional anchovies. Figs wrapped in bacon are also delicious - but then, isn't everything wrapped in bacon? Finally, the rack of lamb with 'puffy bread' akin to something in an Indian restaurant is delicious, even though there's cilantro in it (for those that are allergic to cilantro: so am I, and this was the first time I've had cilantro where I could enjoy the meat underneath). It's served rare, as it should be. Order raciones of the most delicious items if your party is larger than 3 - they'll go quickly, and they're the ones you want the most.
Unfortunately, this Spanish-Fusion approach means the Spanish-Traditional takes supporting role. The Manchego cheese and Iberian ham are both pricey and unsatisfying. The ham is cut fairly thick, and lacks the punch of the pork from the source. Beware of ordering a ham and cheese plate - it doesn't come with bread, and you'll be wondering how to go about eating without looking like a fool. It goes without saying that the salads should be avoided - who orders a salad at a tapas bar? Rabbits. That's who.
But all of these issues are easily fixed. Need vegetables without the meat to go along with it? Instead of the salad get the marinated veggie plate - including asparagus, haricot vert, crispy cucumber, and the most delicious mushrooms in the world. It's all topped with a peppery yogurt sauce. This is a wonderful stand-by when no one can decide what they want, and you can tell Mas that a die-hard meat fan told you as much.
And if you're looking for traditional, stay away from the cheese and get the tortilla. It has a thin layer of the ham inside, and just enough coarse salt to give the dish a completely different yet wonderfully familiar flavor. A piece of thick crusty bread is served along side, to mop up the tortilla oil (or better yet, the sauce from one of your other favorite dishes).
The main problem? The seating. What there is is low to the ground, uncomfortable, and unsupportive. Those with back problems might want to wait for the summer time, when the outside patio is open and real chairs are provided. Of course, the trade off is wonderful Belmont traffic and exhaust fumes to mix with that tortilla.
When the outside is closed, the restaurant seats roughly 10 midgets, 12 if they're willing to get comfortable with each other. There is almost no seating on the upper level, and the lower level gives people a nice view of a suspended bathroom. If you think it's uncomfortable while eating, just imagine what it must feel like while...well, you get the idea.
All in all, if you can get a table, you're in for a treat. Unless you hate pork. Stay tuned for something more veggie-friendly in April, when I might actually go kosher? It's doubtful with Mas so close.
-M.
(Revised 04.09.08)
By the end of three years, I will have eaten at Mas so many times that every item on the menu will be on this list.
Charlottesville continues to surprise and amaze, frankly, and Mas tapas bar may be the pinnacle of trendy dining in this tiny little college town. And while sure, Mas would be considered not-so-hot in Vegas or New York or the other dining capitals of the country, when you want to celebrate Mas may be the best gig in town.
So long as you want to celebrate in the summer.
For a city filled with bars, this whole damn area wouldn't know a good cocktail when it smacked Thomas Jefferson's statue in the face (don't laugh; this tends to happen when Frat boys go crazy). Not so at Mas. The mojitos are a little heavy on the seltzer and a little light on the rum, but if anything that just makes them more dangerous. The bar area is small, though, in keeping with the scale of the whole restaurant, so save the drink orders for the table. The traditional fino to pair with the tapas is a little pricey. But when dining in this Nouveau Spanish cuisine why drink the Staunch Old World wine? Cristalino Cava is also available for a price (a brand which recently won value of the year, and can be purchased at your local grocery store for $8-10/bottle). So really, stick with the hard liquor.
Oh right. They serve food too. Some of the best items are the least Spanish. Hits are the Wagyu beef (remember, it's not Kobe unless the cow is from Kobe, and Japan won't let those touch American shores dead or alive) in truffle oil, the stuffed poblano peppers, and the more traditional anchovies. Figs wrapped in bacon are also delicious - but then, isn't everything wrapped in bacon? Finally, the rack of lamb with 'puffy bread' akin to something in an Indian restaurant is delicious, even though there's cilantro in it (for those that are allergic to cilantro: so am I, and this was the first time I've had cilantro where I could enjoy the meat underneath). It's served rare, as it should be. Order raciones of the most delicious items if your party is larger than 3 - they'll go quickly, and they're the ones you want the most.
Unfortunately, this Spanish-Fusion approach means the Spanish-Traditional takes supporting role. The Manchego cheese and Iberian ham are both pricey and unsatisfying. The ham is cut fairly thick, and lacks the punch of the pork from the source. Beware of ordering a ham and cheese plate - it doesn't come with bread, and you'll be wondering how to go about eating without looking like a fool. It goes without saying that the salads should be avoided - who orders a salad at a tapas bar? Rabbits. That's who.
But all of these issues are easily fixed. Need vegetables without the meat to go along with it? Instead of the salad get the marinated veggie plate - including asparagus, haricot vert, crispy cucumber, and the most delicious mushrooms in the world. It's all topped with a peppery yogurt sauce. This is a wonderful stand-by when no one can decide what they want, and you can tell Mas that a die-hard meat fan told you as much.
And if you're looking for traditional, stay away from the cheese and get the tortilla. It has a thin layer of the ham inside, and just enough coarse salt to give the dish a completely different yet wonderfully familiar flavor. A piece of thick crusty bread is served along side, to mop up the tortilla oil (or better yet, the sauce from one of your other favorite dishes).
The main problem? The seating. What there is is low to the ground, uncomfortable, and unsupportive. Those with back problems might want to wait for the summer time, when the outside patio is open and real chairs are provided. Of course, the trade off is wonderful Belmont traffic and exhaust fumes to mix with that tortilla.
When the outside is closed, the restaurant seats roughly 10 midgets, 12 if they're willing to get comfortable with each other. There is almost no seating on the upper level, and the lower level gives people a nice view of a suspended bathroom. If you think it's uncomfortable while eating, just imagine what it must feel like while...well, you get the idea.
All in all, if you can get a table, you're in for a treat. Unless you hate pork. Stay tuned for something more veggie-friendly in April, when I might actually go kosher? It's doubtful with Mas so close.
-M.
Nouveau!
Restaurants:
Mediterranean
Orzo
At long last, I think I'm ready to review at least one part of what was a long journey through Charlottesville "nouveau" tasting. Orzo, at Main Street Market.
I have incredibly mixed feelings about Orzo, but let's start with the positive. The simple olive appetizer is soaked in a marinade that after three separate attempts I'm still not what sure is in it. But they're the most delicious olives I've had in a very long time, frankly since Spain, and it might be worth the visit to Orzo just for those olives. And the lunch menu has a number of options, all tast(e)y and down to earth. This next part deserves its own paragraph.
At long last, I think I'm ready to review at least one part of what was a long journey through Charlottesville "nouveau" tasting. Orzo, at Main Street Market.
I have incredibly mixed feelings about Orzo, but let's start with the positive. The simple olive appetizer is soaked in a marinade that after three separate attempts I'm still not what sure is in it. But they're the most delicious olives I've had in a very long time, frankly since Spain, and it might be worth the visit to Orzo just for those olives. And the lunch menu has a number of options, all tast(e)y and down to earth. This next part deserves its own paragraph.
You have no idea how hard it is roast a chicken.
Orzo knows how to roast a chicken.
Orzo knows how to roast a chicken.
It was succulent, moist, with a crispy skin. I can't even start to explain it. It's so unfortunate that the housewives of today (led by Rachel Ray) have gravitated towards the boneless, skinless, tasteless white meat chicken breast. Because now, when it comes time to roast a chicken - I mean really roast a chicken - they, well, *really* roast the hell out of it. Made paranoid by talk of salmonella most stay-at-home-moms produce a roasted chicken drier than the Sahara.
Orzo is on top of its game, and for that, I applaud them.
So why mixed feelings? Well, it's mostly false advertising. Orzo bills itself as a Mediterranean wine bar, and it's frankly neither. When the best thing on the menu is an All-American Roasted Chicken, and lunch consists of a series of paninis, it's not really the Spanish-style eating Orzo was going for. And the restaurants namesake, served as a side with nearly every entree, tastes like it comes from a serving line - it's been soaking in onions so long that nothing else can be tasted. In fact, putting aside the olives, Orzo is better billed as Nouveau-Continental/American rather than Nouveau-Spanish/Mediterranean.
Nor does the restaurant know how to serve wine. All 3 times have involved some kind of spillage, big or small. And the reason for the title of this post, the focus on Nouveau? Well Orzo was my chance in Charlottesville to try a glass of the Beaujolais Nouveau before deciding on a purchase. It was good, but the great thing about Nouveau is that it's, well, new. It's fresh, young, bright. And that means you need to serve it chilled. It is a sin to serve a red with such crispness and minerality at room temperature.
Finally, Orzo's website and blackboard advertise "Tapas and Wifi, with $5 glasses of wine." The only truthful part of that is the price of wine. I went with a laptop to study for finals. No one else had computers out, I was sitting at a dinner table and not something like a bar, so I felt incredibly awkward. But bound and determined to work (a 1L doesn't need that much more incentive) I set up shop. Except there was no WiFi provided. The tapas menu? The lunch menu, with a few items removed. Sandwiches are not tapas, no matter how hard you try.
So all in all, maybe Orzo should keep the food and change the image. Every time I go, I expect one thing and am sorely disappointed, but get something else good instead. The only problem is, the taste of soured expectations is incredibly overpowering.
-M.
Orzo is on top of its game, and for that, I applaud them.
So why mixed feelings? Well, it's mostly false advertising. Orzo bills itself as a Mediterranean wine bar, and it's frankly neither. When the best thing on the menu is an All-American Roasted Chicken, and lunch consists of a series of paninis, it's not really the Spanish-style eating Orzo was going for. And the restaurants namesake, served as a side with nearly every entree, tastes like it comes from a serving line - it's been soaking in onions so long that nothing else can be tasted. In fact, putting aside the olives, Orzo is better billed as Nouveau-Continental/American rather than Nouveau-Spanish/Mediterranean.
Nor does the restaurant know how to serve wine. All 3 times have involved some kind of spillage, big or small. And the reason for the title of this post, the focus on Nouveau? Well Orzo was my chance in Charlottesville to try a glass of the Beaujolais Nouveau before deciding on a purchase. It was good, but the great thing about Nouveau is that it's, well, new. It's fresh, young, bright. And that means you need to serve it chilled. It is a sin to serve a red with such crispness and minerality at room temperature.
Finally, Orzo's website and blackboard advertise "Tapas and Wifi, with $5 glasses of wine." The only truthful part of that is the price of wine. I went with a laptop to study for finals. No one else had computers out, I was sitting at a dinner table and not something like a bar, so I felt incredibly awkward. But bound and determined to work (a 1L doesn't need that much more incentive) I set up shop. Except there was no WiFi provided. The tapas menu? The lunch menu, with a few items removed. Sandwiches are not tapas, no matter how hard you try.
So all in all, maybe Orzo should keep the food and change the image. Every time I go, I expect one thing and am sorely disappointed, but get something else good instead. The only problem is, the taste of soured expectations is incredibly overpowering.
-M.
A Feast for a King
Restaurants:
Cafes
Main Street Market
If you haven't been to Main Street Market, please stop reading this review and go. Immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 (although you may end up spending that much easily). And when entertaining out-of-town company, there's no better place to give the impression that Charlottesville, too, has some culture ;)
Main Street Market is comprised of 8 or 9 different vendors serving a variety of different foods and wares. When it came time for a few classmates of mine to take a Criminal Law professor to lunch, we took her straight to Feast for some of the best soups and sandwiches in town.
Feast is run by a UVA grad who's returned here to offer us some tasty treats and a specialty grocery store. There are only seven artisan standard sandwiches, but they range from a classic mozzarella/tomato/basil (with optional prosciutto) to a warm corned beef Reuben with a Russian dressing. And then there's the daily special - which of course I couldn't pass up. Apples, ham, and chevre could not find better partners. And everything is local to Virginia, as much as possible. Apple season just ended here, and Virginia ham is in a class of its own. You'll find some sandwich to meet your tastes, but since there are only seven, you'll probably only find one.
Feast's strength is in the browsing potential. While your waiting for your lunch to be prepared you can shop the impressive wine selection, the constantly changing cheese offerings (and tastings available around the store), vinegars and oils, nuts, Virginia products, and chocolates. Stay away from the produce - yes, it's locally grown, it's organic, it's all the jazz, but so is the produce at Food of All Nations for half the cost. Nearly all of these items can be purchased in a pre-made or custom-ordered gift set. You design it and they'll take care of it, like a Williams and Sonoma, Harry and David, or Dean and Deluca - but with more tiny college town local charm.
The ever-growing cafe and store is intimately familiar with the University faculty and administration, and for good reason. Anytime an event needs catering, Feast is there. Offices are encouraged to take note - you can preorder your sandwich and pick it up to go. Check out the take-away menu at www.feastvirginia.com
Our lunch ended with a single chocolate from Gearhart's, but with a sample size of 1 I'm hesitant to give it a review. Suffice it to say, the Taj with cardamom, rose, and candied ginger was an experience bordering on nirvana. Perhaps my reluctance to say more is to keep people away, though rumor has it that during the holiday season Gearhart's shuts down 4 days before Christmas because they have so many orders to fill...
In addition to Feast and Gearhart's you'll find an organic butcher, Seafood @ West Main, a florist, a coffee shop, one of the best bakeries in town, and Orzo - a wine bar with Siesta and WiFi time during the afternoon. But that's for next time.
-M.
If you haven't been to Main Street Market, please stop reading this review and go. Immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 (although you may end up spending that much easily). And when entertaining out-of-town company, there's no better place to give the impression that Charlottesville, too, has some culture ;)
Main Street Market is comprised of 8 or 9 different vendors serving a variety of different foods and wares. When it came time for a few classmates of mine to take a Criminal Law professor to lunch, we took her straight to Feast for some of the best soups and sandwiches in town.
Feast is run by a UVA grad who's returned here to offer us some tasty treats and a specialty grocery store. There are only seven artisan standard sandwiches, but they range from a classic mozzarella/tomato/basil (with optional prosciutto) to a warm corned beef Reuben with a Russian dressing. And then there's the daily special - which of course I couldn't pass up. Apples, ham, and chevre could not find better partners. And everything is local to Virginia, as much as possible. Apple season just ended here, and Virginia ham is in a class of its own. You'll find some sandwich to meet your tastes, but since there are only seven, you'll probably only find one.
Feast's strength is in the browsing potential. While your waiting for your lunch to be prepared you can shop the impressive wine selection, the constantly changing cheese offerings (and tastings available around the store), vinegars and oils, nuts, Virginia products, and chocolates. Stay away from the produce - yes, it's locally grown, it's organic, it's all the jazz, but so is the produce at Food of All Nations for half the cost. Nearly all of these items can be purchased in a pre-made or custom-ordered gift set. You design it and they'll take care of it, like a Williams and Sonoma, Harry and David, or Dean and Deluca - but with more tiny college town local charm.
The ever-growing cafe and store is intimately familiar with the University faculty and administration, and for good reason. Anytime an event needs catering, Feast is there. Offices are encouraged to take note - you can preorder your sandwich and pick it up to go. Check out the take-away menu at www.feastvirginia.com
Our lunch ended with a single chocolate from Gearhart's, but with a sample size of 1 I'm hesitant to give it a review. Suffice it to say, the Taj with cardamom, rose, and candied ginger was an experience bordering on nirvana. Perhaps my reluctance to say more is to keep people away, though rumor has it that during the holiday season Gearhart's shuts down 4 days before Christmas because they have so many orders to fill...
In addition to Feast and Gearhart's you'll find an organic butcher, Seafood @ West Main, a florist, a coffee shop, one of the best bakeries in town, and Orzo - a wine bar with Siesta and WiFi time during the afternoon. But that's for next time.
-M.
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