Charlottesville, VA

[edsel]

[snip]

there's no good Italian

[/snip]

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Do make the trek to Palladio. Chef Melissa Close is the real deal. She's not Italian, but she has a true reverence for Italian cuisine. Take your GPS, especially if you're going in the evening. Not easy to find in the dark, but worth it. (Actually, the lunch service is lovely, and it's nice to see the grounds during daylight).

My impression of C&O is that they're not really "standard restaurant food". They seemed pretty enthusiastic about what they're doing. Give them a second chance...

I'm sad to hear that OXO bit the dust. Their ideas may have been better in theory than in practice (judging by my one experience there), but I've got a certain fondness for folks who try to innovate, even if they're not always on the mark.

Did you check out Ivy Inn? Chef Angelo Vangelopoulos strikes me as a motivated, talented chef. Give them a try, and be sure to let them know that you have an adventurous palate. Their bread-and-butter business may be a bit conservative, but I have the impression that they would be willing to accomodate someone who's a bit more adventurous.

[Nathan]

I'd like to get to Palladio...not sure when I'll be able to...finding a designated driver can be difficult.

I will give Ivy Inn a look.

as for C&O...to me this is a pretty standard restaurant menu:

http://www.candorestaurant.com/popMenu.html

(and I found the actual food to be of mixed quality in execution)

[Nathan]

after a couple months here are my thoughts.

alas, Oxo has been closed for six months.

Mas is the best restaurant in Charlottesville, by a large margin.  excellent tapas.  for the NY'ers, it's every bit the equal of Bocqueria...maybe a bit better, if not quite as interesting as Tia Pol. 

lots of places such as C&O, Zocalo, Cassis, Zinc, Si etc. that are serving standard restaurant food...

there's no good Italian or Chinese.  the Thai is better than expected.

Mellow Mushroom has quite good pizza.

I dig the beef and onion pancakes at the Tavern.

Mas is very good...did i say that?

some good beer lists.  crappy wine lists (except for the small but good one at Mas).  no good cocktails (except those made in my room).

Mas is what elevates this place way above the norm for a town of 45,000.

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I will definitely have to keep Mas in mind next time I am in C'Ville. Do you know anything about the chef(s) or owner(s)?

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just what's here:

http://www.mastapas.com/

[tsure]

Certainly is hard to put "trendy" and Belmont in the same sentence, especially when you grew up in Charlottesville and Belmont was where Hog Waller (not wallow, waller), trailer parks and the sewage plant were located. From the map it appears that Mas is located in the old C'ville Workshop for the Blind which used to hire the blind to make brooms for sale locally.

Edited December 23, 2008 by tsure (log)

[docsconz]

after a couple months here are my thoughts.

alas, Oxo has been closed for six months.

Mas is the best restaurant in Charlottesville, by a large margin.  excellent tapas.  for the NY'ers, it's every bit the equal of Bocqueria...maybe a bit better, if not quite as interesting as Tia Pol. 

lots of places such as C&O, Zocalo, Cassis, Zinc, Si etc. that are serving standard restaurant food...

there's no good Italian or Chinese.  the Thai is better than expected.

Mellow Mushroom has quite good pizza.

I dig the beef and onion pancakes at the Tavern.

Mas is very good...did i say that?

some good beer lists.  crappy wine lists (except for the small but good one at Mas).  no good cocktails (except those made in my room).

Mas is what elevates this place way above the norm for a town of 45,000.

←

I will definitely have to keep Mas in mind next time I am in C'Ville. Do you know anything about the chef(s) or owner(s)?

←

just what's here:

http://www.mastapas.com/

←

Cool, thanks, Nathan. If my son gets into UVA, we will be down this spring. Ifso, I will be sure to check it out. I see they have jamon Iberico de bellota.

[ThatGrrl]

Mas is certainly a favorite of mine. Be aware that it can get really crowded with a long wait for a table, especially on weekends and during good weather. However, it's worth the wait! Love the prawns in sea salt with garlic aoli, dates in applewood smoked bacon and broccolini.

Zocalo is a wonderful alternative. Specializes in South American food (lots of wonderful fish dishes as well as a super steak with polenta "frites"). The tuna tartare (pictured in the post above) is a must! Excellent wine list specializing in South America.

Continental Divide (very small restaurant, Santa Fe style Mexican) is super as well. I love the chicken enchiladas (served with rice, beans and a pumpkin muffin) and the Thai burrito (chicken and crunchy veggies with peanut sauce). The red and blue nachos (goat cheese with red/blue spiced chips and salsa) are a great starter.

[Nathan]

Yeah, mas is crowded but never a long wait for seats at the bar (I'm there now actually).

Have to disagree on Zocalo, it's standard modern restaurant food. No more than that.

Will check out continental divide before I move to Oklahoma in 2 weeks.