Posted 10 December 2009 - 02:01 PM
I hope you enjoy your visit to Charlottesville. I've been here a few years and it is definitley an area that you need to get to know. Not everything is as convinient to find or buy. I often find myself having to go to three or four different stores, in three or four different areas, to get everything I need.
I may revisit this post again to add some additional items as they come to mind.
I would defintiely start with a visit to the Main Street Market on West Main, a mile or so west of the University. In that market you have an organic butcher, Albemarle Baking Company (great breads, sourdough is excellent), Gearhart's Chocolates, Seafood shop, Feast (charcuterie, chesses, oils, salts, etc...), and a kitchen store.
For an above average supermarket there is Food of All Nations (east of the University). They will have a "finer" selection of most of your supermarket type provisions (for example- differnet types of anchovies, raw local honey, pate's, dried mushrooms). They have what you will normally find in a supermarket for all your fruits and vegetables but then they also have a wider selection (pickles other than Mt.Olive or Vlassic).
You do also have Whole Foods on 29.
The farmers market is over for the season but Charlottesville does have one.
If you like beer, defintiley check out Beer Run in Belmont (Belmont is a neighbood within Cville). They have a fantastic beer selection.
Pizza recommendation- my favorite has been Crozet Pizza. It's about 15 minutes east of the university, and has very limites seating, but is good. People rave about Christian's. It's ok. Some new ones have popped up recently but I have not been able to try them. Most of my pizza lately has come out of my oven (550 degrees with convection and a nice thick stone have provided me with excellent results...I digress...)
I have not come across any spectacular chinese food. If you are by the downtown mall, Max & Luca's Noodle shop is good for a quality lunch. They only have a few items on their menu but they do them well and they are inexpensive. They have the best hot & sour soup in town in my opinion. Oriental Express is take out only and has better quality food in the area. If we have people over from around the area and we get ffod from there they usually ask where the food is from because they notice the difference in quality.
Thai- Lime Leaf in Rio will provide you with your standard Thai fare. Thai 99 put some of their own uniqueness into their dishes.
Sushi- Miyako on the downtown mall is good. Ten is very nice....great quality, expensive also.
Steak- for a high end steak, Downtown Grill.
I would also recommend Mas. It is a tapas restaurant. The dishes are prepared simply but the quality of ingredients and attention to detail is excellent.
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