tentimesodds

On 8/24/2016 at 1:30 PM, tentimesodds said:

Glad to hear you had a good visit to our little town. I need to get back to Lampo to try that Hellboy...

I finally had the Hellboy a few weeks ago and it is ridiculously delicious.

On 10/2/2017 at 3:53 PM, ktmoomau said:

Crozet:

Smoked Kitchen and Taphouse - Hubby and I had beers, they have a small but nice list with Virginia options.  Hubby had pulled pork with delicious dirty rice, that was sort of a cross between dirty rice and rice pilaf and collards.  He said they had a nice mustard sauce and I think he also liked the vinegar sauce, which is more his thing normally.  I had the pulled pork nachos with cheese sauce, avocado, beans and salsa picante.  These were pretty darn good nachos. Big portion- too much for me to finish despite being VERY hungry.  I would say dinner for two, app for four.  I liked the cheese sauce a lot- it was like a queso, with an ample portion, but not in a way that made the chips too soggy.  There was a good portion of bbq and avocado, it had nice heat.  It could have used more beans, but that is a small critique.  We sat outside as the inside was mobbed with squealing little babes while we were there, and it was nice outside, but there were some flies, trade-offs.  I would go back here too.  In fact might take a friend who likes BBQ here if she comes down with me in November.

I've gone to Smoked a couple times now and it is really good. I also like the mustard sauce (which is my preferred style) but the other ones (save east Carolina vinegar style, which I hate in all forms) are great too. The fried chicken is also incredible and I have read that the burger is the best thing on the menu. If only they would serve it on their rooftop (they have a separate menu there) (https://smokedkt.com/the-rooftop/) which has an unbelievable view. On sides, the mac and cheese is great but I didn't care for the baked beans, probably a personal preference (had sausage in it and was just different than any other beans I've had).

17 hours ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

...However, the combination of location and reasonable price are hard to beat...Plenty of competition in the immediate area, no doubt, but a moderately priced sit-down restaurant in that area of Penn Quarter is a rarity...For $10.95, I had the roast beef sandwich on whole wheat, with sides of chips and cole slaw. 

Certainly don't mean to question you on your post--but is it really the case that $10.95 for a deli sandwich with chips is a reasonable price downtown nowadays? Genuinely interested in the answer--I have been gone from the DC area for almost 5 years, so I have no idea how food/drink prices have evolved in that time. What does a beer cost at a non-dive, non-fancy bar nowadays?

When I left I think the normal price for a pitcher of Miller Lite at Ragtime in Courthouse (you can tell what a connoisseur I am) was $13, and last week I saw on their Facebook page that a $16 pitcher was a happy hour special. Has the inflation been that severe elsewhere?

Only been 11 years or so since the last post in this thread. Anyone have any recs in Beverly Hills? Staying at the Beverly Hilton for a wedding in October with the wife. Will not have a car, but can uber around. Looking for somewhere fun and not too fancy, Italian or American (or Californian) cuisine. Thanks

On 8/21/2016 at 1:17 AM, DonRocks said:

tentimesodds has been on my list!

On 8/20/2016 at 7:22 PM, reedm said:

I just added tentimesodds to my list of "people I trust for restaurant recommendations".  

You guys are too kind! (And I'm a dude.)

Glad to hear you had a good visit to our little town. I need to get back to Lampo to try that Hellboy...

14 hours ago, reedm said:

Heading to Charlottesville next week, and we will be first-time visitors.  Three of us are older than 21, and one will be 19 next week. (The youngest is a vegetarian.) We plan to stay in an Airbnb a few miles outside of town, and our itinerary will include the typical attractions of Monticello, UVA, etc. Sadly, it won't be a wine-tasting trip, but I will survive.

Would be grateful for any tips/advice to maximize our two night visit.

Friday, the 19th, begins UVA move-in weekend, which has historically been a godawful traffic day in town but has been mitigated the past few years since they have split the dorm openings into two days. As I'm sure many folks here are, I'm happy to make suggestions, but it would be helpful to know what type of places you are looking for.

Off the top of my head, I'd recommend Beer Run (craft beer, great black bean nachos), The Shebeen (south african pub), The Virginian (classic bar on the UVA corner, just bar food but amazing mac and cheese), Lampo (neaopolitan pizza, in a tiny place so there is usually an awful wait, get there at 11am), South Street Brewery (good local beer), and, of course, Bodo's bagels (heaven on earth).  

Anything in Downtown Montreal worth seeking out? I know about Schwarz's, but other non-fine dining places? Staying at the W this weekend for a bachelor party. Thanks in advance...

6 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I read about five pages of my book, and refused to pay the ridiculous $39.95 in-flight rates; it appears that it pays to buy with GoGo the day *before* you fly if you're sure it isn't free on the flight - information can be found for that here. Compared to the in-flight rates, $16 for 24 hours seems downright cheap, even though it isn't.

I read this and thought it couldn't possibly be right, but apparently they use "dynamic pricing" for these things. Completely agree with you, that's ridiculous. 

"In-Flight Wi-Fi Prices Jump As Demand Surges" by Brian X. Chen on nytimes.com

On 4/21/2016 at 8:29 PM, DonRocks said:

I suspect there was an event at UVa

Luke Bryan played John Paul Jones Arena that Saturday night. I am not surprised that all the hotels within walking distance of the Corner were sold out/exorbitantly priced. 

On 4/20/2016 at 3:47 PM, LauraB said:

We had a late lunch on the way back to DC at the BBQ Exchange in Gordonsville.  It was a gorgeous day and we were lucky enough to be able to sit on the porch.  We both had the pork platter which consisted of pulled pork and 2 sides.  The pulled pork was fine, although I felt it needed help from the Hot bbq sauce that was one of 6 sauces on the table.  I found my two sides, potato salad and spicy coleslaw, to be disappointing.  The spicy coleslaw was spicy alright, but it didn't seem fresh at all and I stopped eating it after a couple of bites.  The potato salad was very pedestrian. MrB had the baked beans which he liked, but frankly they looked to me like they'd come from a can.  Overall, I found this place disappointing.  We went a bit out of our way to come here and I don't think I'd do that again.  

Could be an off day--the beans really are good, despite appearances, but the best side are the hush puppies. It's a beautiful drive and I'd recommend going back if you are passing through 64 or 29 and have a hankering for barbecue.

I don't recall all the items you mentioned, but I do 'member having a Margherita and finding it really good. Mayhaps my taster was off that time?

More likely that you are a proper critic and that I don't know what I am talking about.

The first seating when the restaurant opens is the most common way for me to get a seat. There's usually not a line out the door waiting for them to start (but I have seen that happen).

I would recommend that if you are attempting to go there to just always have a second plan in case it is busy.

I took your advice and got to Lampo at around 11:05am on Saturday. Man, I knew it was a small place, but had no idea it was this small--there might be 5-6 tables and a bar. But we got a table no sweat, though the restaurant was full at 11:30.

We shared the Polpettine Al Forno ($6) to start, and good God, I wish we had just sat there all day eating as many meatballs as we could. Every element of the plate--the sauce, cheese, and meatballs themselves--was delicious. So much so that I wish we'd continued with a Polpettine panini or Abruzzo pizza.

Went with the Margherita D.O.C. ($15) and were a bit disappointed. That is not to say that this is not a fine Neapolitan pizza, but rather that authenticity probably didn't mix with our palates that day. The flavors from the San Marzano were very light, and the olive oil made things a bit wetter than I'd prefer. The crust, while nicely leopard spotted, was a bit doughy, which (for all I know) could be part of the D.O.C. process as well. More enlightened readers can set me straight--but I saw pizzas come out after ours that were a little more done and looked like the crust had a little more bite. I think we would have been happier with the Hellboy special, which looked great, or the aforementioned Abruzzo.

Zeppole ($7) for dessert were delightfully light doughnut balls covered in cinnamon sugar. I especially liked that there seemed to be more cinnamon than sugar as they were flavorful without being too sweet.

Service was pleasant and unassuming. We'll be back, if for nothing else than those damned meatballs...

Yep and yep! And the waiting area is outside.

But, it is worth a wait.

For any of the other readers who are thinking of making Lampo a stop on a visit to the area, it's best to note the downside of the restaurant: it is small, no reservations, and no takeout. You can have over an hour wait without too much effort and you're going to have trouble with anything more than four people at a table. I love the restaurant, but I have to schedule the times I visit there more than any other in town.

Anyone on this board have a recommendation for what time of day to go when it won't be so crazy? I have a birthday coming up and want to go, but have a newborn and probably don't want to spend a precious in-laws babysitting hour standing outside a restaurant in the cold...thanks!

Yo, Seanchai, pcollins, tentimesodds, and the rest of y'all in the Hookville area:

Anyone been to Oakhart Social? It's on West Main where Vu used to have Moto Pho, right next to the Public Oyster House. I'm thinking of hitting it soon, but would appreciate any guidance.

I have not been there, but would very much like to hear about your experience if you go. I am not a fancy restaurant guy but liked Public Oyster House when my wife and I went there last year.

I'm not sure when the last time I went to a "new" Cville restaurant was.  I really want to try Lampo, but from what I hear it's always super packed.

The first time I bought a 6 pound pork shoulder for smoking from them I was in a state of shock.  $60 plus for a freakin pork shoulder with a generous fat cap?!

I want to support local products/businesses but damn ...

I am new to grilling/smoking, but my experience went something like this:

"Do you have any flank or skirt steak? I want to make fajitas."

"All out of those, but we have a nice bavette that would work well for that purpose.  It's $23.99 a pound."

I googled it when I got home, feeling swindled.  24 bucks a pound for flap meat?

Ironically, it appears that Timbercreek's main competition is JM Stock, who once trumpeted the fact that they carried local meats from ... Timbercreek Farm.  Based on a small sample size, I would say the quality of retail meats and local food products is currently higher at JM Stock as is the service.  However, right now Timbercreek is signficantly less expensive than JM Stock while carrying comparable items.  Hopefully this means that in the near to mid future JM Stock will lower their prioces rather than Timbercreek raising theirs.

JM Stock is insanely expensive.  Mind bogglingly expensive. And I don't get why they have that huge space when most of it is just empty floor.

That's great!  Thank you.  I saw Orzo had some good options, I know Zinburger has a good veggie burger and I think she eats dried pasta that doesn't have eggs, and pizza, so thought Spring Fry Station and a few others might be an option too.  Her husband is a huge meat eater, so it's always funny going the places with the two.

No problem! I've only been to Zinburger of those 3 but can help recommend/raise red flags if you have other ideas.  I thought Zinburger was so-so (for a beef burger, no veggie burgers for me) but that was mainly the prices and fries...

Going down this weekend to visit the in laws and go to wineries with friends.  One of the friends is vegetarian plus no eggs.  I am trying to figure out if it is easier to cook in or to find someplace she will be able to eat, thoughts?

This link is about 2 years old, so check to see if a particular place still exists (or I can tell you), but here's a start: http://iyfoods.com/blog/2013/7/12/vegan-guide-to-charlottesville

Agreed that Charlottesville tends to be a different area than Richmond, but we are slowly seeing some Richmond transplants.

It's a little weird how the cross-pollination has worked out over the last couple of years--Pasture did not work out at all in Cville, but it seems like Bella's, Littlejohn's and Continental Divide are doing well in RIC.  I guess Yearbook Taco is an offshoot of Don't Look Back in Carytown. Do you know of any other RIC-transplanted restaurants that have come (or are coming) to the 434?

Don has it right. It's $16.

To see how the board represents the number seven, look at the cost of the marinated anchovies in the "snacks" section at the upper left of the photo.

We got out of there after three hours with everything included (save what the kitchen sent us gratis) for ~$65/person.

JohnL

Foiled by the French 1 again! I should have known better because I cross my 7s when writing--a by product of taking French from Kindergarten on.  Bien sí»r, je ne me souviens pas de tout í§a...

Table for six at The Alley Light on Friday 8 May 2015. Will Richey pulled together two round tops between the entrance and the right end of the bar. He suggested a nice Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc blend for those of us who were drinking wine. Jose De Brito sent a plate of Artichoke Carpaccio to the table very shortly after we were seated. We ate a lot from the specials board as well as a few things from the regular menu (e.g., the seafood board), passing around the dishes. There were lots of and repeated enthusiastic comments about the food.

Here's a photo of the specials board (I hope readers can enlarge to see the detail).

AlleyLight20150508.png

In addition to the excellent artichoke dish and the seafood board, at least these items made it to our table:

• Morels & poached egg on toast
• Baked mussels
• Simple salad
• Roasted Cod
• Duck breast (I skipped)
• Seafood risotto

There were meat things happening at the other end of the tables I missed, I'm pretty sure.... Then there were desserts.

Is that $76 for the seafood risotto?  If so, that's got to be the highest entree price I've ever seen in this town.

If we get 10 active posters, I'll do it. Also, in anticipation of it, please write your posts here one restaurant per post; otherwise, it would be impossible to split them up. Simply chime in, and let me know. Also, recruit your friends from Charlottesville - it really isn't any more trouble to have a forum than it is to maintain this thread. Note also: the forum will most likely be Richmond (it's logical to pair Charlottesville with Richmond, with Richmond getting top billing, similar to Baltimore and Annapolis - it would also include everything in Virginia that isn't NoVa, so this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and this) - it shouldn't take much to come up with 10 people. The Plains would move into the DC forum. I'll be watching and waiting ...

... and if I could only figure out what to do with Frederick.

I'd post, and will try to do so in here, but I would say that my initial thought was to have a completely separate board rather than pair in with everything that you've built here.  Pairing with Richmond just doesn't make sense to me--very, very different towns with different sensibilities.  There are only about 400 restaurants in Charlottesville in total, including each branch of every Subway and McDonalds and everything else, so really only, say, a hundred post-worthy places.  I'd like to get a thread up for literally each one of them, with reviews, but that sounds a bit ambitious.

Seems like we have a number of Charlottesvillians on here.  Maybe we could set up a sister board.

I pretty much exclusively go to Organic Butcher for steak, though I did get a pork shoulder at Harris Teeter last year for a 12-hour smoke.  Costco is opening this summer (allegedly) and should be a good source of quality meat. But, I'm a plebeian and don't know how to cook any of the fancy stuff so I think a place like JM Stock is lost on me.

David Lebovitz is one of the old school food bloggers who's been doing his American in Paris thing for a long time (at least in the parameters of Internet blogging).  He recently visited Charlottesville for a UVA/French studies presentation and wrote a wonderful post about his food adventures there.  Included in there were words and pictures about new and old favorites such as Wayside Chicken, Lampo, JM Stock and Provisions, Milli and Joe coffee, and Albemarle Baking Company among others.  Well worth a look.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2015/04/dining-travel-charlottesville-virginia/

The canneles de bordeaux pictured in the article are from MarieBette, a new bakery and cafe in the Rose Hill neighborhood.  There are way too many good breakfast/lunch options in my little town (and it's hard to not eat Bodo's Bagels every single day) but I can't recommend the croissants and pain au chocolat, along with those canneles, enough.

I wish there was a site like this one for Charlottesville, but a good consolation is the wonderful blog The Charlottesville 29 (http://charlottesville29.com/).  There you'll find all the happenings of note.  I'm most excited about the redevelopment of an old (c. 1939) Coca-Cola bottling plant into a complex with a beer garden run by the best bottle shop/beer bar in town and a butcher shop, cheese counter and restaurant run by Timbercreek Farm.

I am not a huge fan of JM Stock and Provisions (maybe I'm just not Brooklyn enough to get why you'd pay $22.99 a pound for flap meat--excuse me, bavette) but Wayside, Albemarle Baking Company and Citizen Burger are solid choices.  I need to get to Lampo to see if it approaches Pupatella-level quality.

So I'm responding to my message from 5 years ago as my wife and I will be returning to Caneel Bay for our 5 year anniversary in a couple of months.  Looks like very little traffic about St. John since 2010, but am curious if anyone has been there in the past couple of years and has any recommendations.  We fortunately have a little more cash left over after working/saving for 5 years, though we are still not fine dining people...

We plan to have dinner at Zozo's at Caneel Bay and a couple of places we loved from our first trip (the Banana Deck and possibly the Lime Inn) but a little Internet searching shows me that there's been a good amount of turnover in the Cruz Bay restaurants in 5 years.  Anyone been lately?

Sorry to bump my own post, but anyone been in the last few years?

Going to St. John in April for my honeymoon. Have incredibly generous parents, so am staying at Caneel Bay, but have little cash left over for food/drinks. Any hidden gems or beach bars worth checking out? Thanks

So I'm responding to my message from 5 years ago as my wife and I will be returning to Caneel Bay for our 5 year anniversary in a couple of months.  Looks like very little traffic about St. John since 2010, but am curious if anyone has been there in the past couple of years and has any recommendations.  We fortunately have a little more cash left over after working/saving for 5 years, though we are still not fine dining people...

We plan to have dinner at Zozo's at Caneel Bay and a couple of places we loved from our first trip (the Banana Deck and possibly the Lime Inn) but a little Internet searching shows me that there's been a good amount of turnover in the Cruz Bay restaurants in 5 years.  Anyone been lately?