Bluegrass Grill and Bakery - Charlottesville

I usually like what Cville Best has to offer, but this time it has led me astray. For some reason everyone in Charlottesville picks this as the best breakfast in town. Now I haven't been to many breakfast places in town, but if this is the best out there, then this town is in desperate need of help.

To start, let's talk about the size, set-up and service. There are about 12 tables and a few at a bar in here, two servers and a busboy for Saturday morning. The wait list is done by the waitresses, so they only seat people when they have time, and that is only after the one bus boy finally clears off a table. I could give several examples from just this past Saturday morning for how inefficient this system is, but it would just be tedious. Instead I'll just say that we waited 45 minutes for a "just okay" meal. The food did come out fairly promptly, but this was only after the server "threw" our coffee on the table ever so roughly and neglected to refill my water (despite the fact that I had clearly just run a 10k).

The food itself wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special in my, my husband or my brother's opinion. The most unique thing they had to offer was a potato dish that was basically roasted potatoes topped with vegetables, cheese or meat. It was something different, but I can't say it was all that original. I ordered mine with a biscuit that I was quite looking forward to, but it was quite dense and more like a oll than a biscuit.

The total bill came to about $30 for three entrees and two drinks which I won't complain about. However, for a 45 minute wait and all the hype, I was expecting something phenomenal and Bluegrass Grill & Bakery didn't provide that. I truly enjoy cooking so for me, going out for a meal is a treat because I have someone to wait on me, clean the dishes and prepare something I wouldn't normally prepare at home, so not hitting any of these notes really disappoints me at a restaurant. Sorry Cville Best, but I'll keep looking for the best breakfast restaurant in town.

Old Mill Room at the Boar's Head Inn - Charlottesville

The Old Mill Room is a AAA four-diamond restaurant, so really this review shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. In short the meal was perfect. From the service to the food, you really can't ask more from a meal. Out of towners from the nation's capital will probably find the meal a steal, but for us in this part of the state dinner at the Old Mill Room is saved for a special occasion, which is how my husband and I happened to enjoy it. Either way, it is definitely a place making sure you visit at least once in your life whether you're a local or a visitor.

The menu at the Old Mill Room provides plenty of options in every area. To start, October is Virginia Wine month so they had additional choices of Virginia wines by the glass and bottle. I enjoyed a glass of Barboursville Cabernet Sauvignon with my meal thanks to this special homage. However, I think it was because of this that I have my one complaint from the meal: there was a table in the middle of the dining room littered with open and unopened bottles of wine. I guess that was because of the special promotion, but it didn't exactly look nice. Maybe this sounds like a silly complaint, but at a 4 star restaurant I feel I can nit-pick these kinds of things.

The menu has options for 5 courses, but I would explode if I ate that much. Instead I opted for a bowl of she-crab soup and my husband a roasted quail with apples and spoonbread. Both were excellent and a great start to our meal. These courses averaged $8-10.

For entrees there are several fish, meat and also vegetarian options ranging from around $20-$35. The crab-topped red snapper almost had me, but I decided to go for the candied peach pork tenderloin instead. I'm sure the snapper would have been excellent, but I thoroughly enjoyed my pork tenderloin with peaches and cheddar grits. My husband opted for the pan-seared lamb loin that was paired with mint couscous and green beans. This was also an excellent option.

We decided to opt out of desert instead saving room for frozen yogurt at Arch's (look for my upcoming review!), but I have no doubt that dessert is just as delicious. All around the Old Mill Room offered a superb meal and certainly one I will request again for a special occasion, or maybe for brunch (which I hear is amazing) in the near future.

Duner's Restaurant - Charlottesville

This post can be summed up in one word: YUM. But diner's be warned: you may have to wait for your food, and no reservations are taken. Despite this, you will certainly leave happy and full, for a reasonable price. Duner's is located just west of Charlottesville on 250 near Ivy, you'll probably only find locals at this spot. The menu changes every day. Literally.

If you're an appetizer lover or come in starving, you can't go wrong with the calamari or the brie. Or anything else I'm sure. I've never had a bad item here, so I would be inclined to encourage trying anything that sounds good! You really don't have to order an appetizer to leave full though, so don't feel like you have to! Appetizers tend to run around $8-10 and can easily be shared between 2-3 people.

There are always about 20 entree choices which still boggles my mind. Even though its 3 hours by car to the coast, the seafood is always excellent. You'll also find some local meats and river trout, in addition to a few vegetarian options. I guarantee any of these will be excellent. I'm a sucker for seafood, so I tend to order some kind of fish. (See two of these in my pictures including salmon crepes on the right and rockfish below.) All entrees come with a nice salad and fresh (delicious!) bread, so for an average of $25/entree, you're not breaking the bank. Pair it with a pint of Starr Hill, a carafe of house wine, or a bottle of a local wine and you've got one great meal!

The deserts are also awesome at Duner's and I always find myself wanting to finish my meal with one. They'll pack it up for you to go if you like. The chocolate dome cake had me the first time I saw it, and it was every bit as good as it looks. Other seasonal options are always available to, so those are always a good option.

Duner's is definitely a classic and a stable in this part of Virginia, so if you haven't gotten over there, go tomorrow night!

Louisville - Seviche

The restaurant scene in Louisville never ceases to surprise me. Having experienced the rich Cuban flavors of Havana Rumba should have prepared me for the Caribbean flavors of Seviche, but somehow I was still happily surprised. From the delicious fresh seviche for appetizers to the new twist on classic cocktails, Seviche left me wanting to return for me. (Unfortunately, I went on the weekend I was moving out our house, but more about that later.) But before starting my review, let me first voice both a compliment and complaint: they do online reservations through Open Table (2 thumbs up!) but we still had to wait 20 minutes for a table (2 thumbs down for poor planning). Now on to the good stuff!

Having just driven from Virginia, a cocktail was needed immediately. I decided to try a fun drink that I forget the name of (sorry!). It was basically a caipirinha but it used mango vodka instead of cachaca. Yum! They also had a nice wine selection in addition to the various Caribbean drinks.

For an appetizer we had to get a seviche of course and decided to try the wild Salmon special of the day. It had a hot red aioli alongside it (whoa!) but was so light and fresh like any good seviche should. We also tried the pecan crusted brie with habenero jelly which a surprisingly large portion to share for our table.

For entrees we each had something different including the (pictured from the top, clockwise) macadamia crusted black cod, the Muggs bistec, and the Pacific halibut and crab cigar. Each were so different and so flavorful and served with a delicious sauce that complemented and decorated the plate. The cod had a nice crunch from the crust. The bistec had a nice fried egg on top that lent to the creaminess of the steak. The crab cigar was nice and crunchy with a spicy red chili ginger butter. The fish was all of superb quality (thank you to the UPS hub in Louisville) and the flavors were all fresh and flavorful. Overall, I would definitely recommend Seviche to anyone visiting Louisville or locals who just haven't had a chance to visit! Oh and the last perk? They are a Louisville Original so you can earn mad points towards another great meal!

Charlottesville - Beer Run

My love for a particular type of alcoholic beverage – be it wine, beer or spirit – tends to go in phases. Most recently I have been in a beer phase thanks to the proximity of a great microbrew in Louisville, countless amazing restaurants centered around beer, and the lack of local vineyards. Even though I am now in Charlottesville and my love for wine for will certainly return with a vengeance, the need to find a good watering hole was high on the list. Enter Beer Run…

Located on the edge of Belmont, Beer Run is a beer store, bar, and restaurant all in one. The parking lot isn’t that big so as you drive up you are sure to see countless cars lining the street. As you walk up you will see a large outdoor patio that may or may not have plastic walls up to help protect against the rain or cold. Additionally there are a few picnic tables, where I was fortunate enough to enjoy my evening.
Of course we must start with the beer. There are about 15 beers on tap ranging from the ever-popular PBR to some of my favorite Kentucky beer Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout to some deliciously imported Aventinus. You can buy draft beer in 10, 16 and 20 ounce sizes, but they appear to do growler refills – always a plus in my book. But what is on tap doesn’t begin to compare to what is inside, where the selection is organized by state or country.
Of course the food selection pales in comparison to the beer list, but they know what they can and cannot do. Most of the choices are sandwiches and yes, there are vegetarian options. They also have a bison burger, salads, and a few pasta and rice dishes. My husband and I tried some sandwiches that were quite good and our friends had the bison burger that seemed to satisfy their craving.
Overall this is a great place to go for really good beer and grab a sandwich. If you sit all the way at the picnic tables the service may be a little slower, but our server did a good job of making sure our glass was always full.

Charlottesville - Bodo's Bagels

If you live in Charlottesville then I doubt you need to read further because you already know how awesome this place is. If you somehow live and don't know about Bodo's then I'm glad you found my post! If you are from outside the area and are coming to visit, then make sure this add to this to your list of places to grab a quick bite on your trip to town!

Bodo's Bagels has three locations in town. The main location is at the intersection of 29N and 250 bypass (1418 Emmet Street), which is very convenient, though traffic is a pain. However, getting into the parking lot, finding a spot and getting inside is well worth it! They are open 7 days a week from breakfast to dinner (though Sunday they close at 4). At Bodo's, bagels are not just a breakfast food, but also lunch or dinner option! They make their bagels and cream cheese spreads fresh every day and you can tell!

There are 10 types of bagels - plain, sesame, poppy, onion, everything, garlic, 100% whole wheat, salt, cinnamon-raisin, and 100% whole wheat everything - to choose from. If you're looking for a simple spread to top your bagel, they have nine blended cream cheeses. You can also ask for honey, butter, cinnamon-sugar, jam, peanut butter or lox and cream cheese.

If a sandwich is more your thing, you can get egg based ones or a deli-style sandwich with meats, salads and hummus. To keep it easy you tell them what you want to top you want on your sandwich such as tomatoes, sprouts, lettuce and cheese. You pay for each one, but a lunch/diinner sandwich can cost as little as $2.15! You can't beat that for the quality! Chips, pretzels and pickles are also add-ons which gives you the power to plan your whole meal without being tempted by Lay's. They also have salads, including green salads, potato salad, and tabouli.

If you haven't gotten to Bodo's recently, go back because it is still as great as you remember!

Charlottesville - The Local

So my latest (and hopefully final!) move has inspired me to post again. It has been quite a while since the last. So, to jump start the blogging, I decided to write about an awesome dining experience I had recently.

The Local is a fairly well-established restaurant in Belmont, a neighborhood in Charlottesville just south of the downtown mall. Like the downtown mall it tends to stay clear of most of the student population which is just fine by me. The Local prides itself on using local ingredients including cheeses, meats and vegetables. Though I didn't try any of the appetizers, they feature unique soups, salads and a cheese plate ranging from $4-10. Instead I tried the french fries which were as delicious as my friend had told me.

Entree options are varied featuring freshly made gnocchi to chorizo stuffed trout to meatloaf wrapped in bacon. I decided to try a vegetarian entree: Vegetable and Local “CaroMont” Goat Cheese Strudel with Israeli Cous-Cous and Tomato Coulis ($14). It was delicious and unique and quite reasonably priced for the portion size. My friend had the tuna steak and it looked delicious.

The drink list features, of course, several wines from Virginia, though not as many as I would have liked with the proximity to so many vineyards. There are a few whiskey's from Virginia offered, which surprised me because I didn't even know they existed. For beer they also feature a few Virginia brews, both well known and not.

So the long-winded point of this feature is that The Local is a great place to try new things from farms just down the road, all in a quiet setting (though maybe a little dark), with a great patio to sit on if the weather is nice in a neighborhood that shows something beyond "the grounds."