Get Lost @ The Alley Light

A Winston Churchill quote-turned-trope flutters like a swarm of champagne bubbles in our heads as we sink deep into leather chairs at one of Charlottesville's premier restaurants. 

"It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."

It’s 5ish on a recent Friday evening, the beginning of service. We’re the only diners seated so far, yet not blue hairs. Strategy guided our booking of one of two window tables early in the evening for a final round of research. We need photos that might do justice to what lands before us, so the natural light is key. The wide-angle interior view offers perspective on the graceful mechanics that unfold as patrons file in. Most importantly, the privacy affords the chance to openly synthesize our take on The Alley Light.

And, well...it’s complicated. With its ever-changing menu and village of personalities, this speakeasy-style restaurant is so layered with nuance, fluid on so many levels, that tracking down and penning its soul has become the snipe hunt of our food-writing lives.  

Then, mid-dinner, the epiphany hits us: The essence is about letting go and getting lost. 

It’s the culinary version of a sketch by M.C. Escher - you don’t solve it, you joyfully lose yourself in its whimsical mastery.

This tiny, former studio apartment covertly stashed in an alley just off the Downtown Mall, marked only by an inconspicuous lantern above the door, delivers giant doses of serendipity.

Our score of innovative and fresh restaurants in town can be counted on one hand, give or take the occasional one-hit wonder, which often lands us in a continuous loop. Thanks to a dynamic philosophy that eschews the comfort zone concept, The Alley Light keeps us guessing, and returning for more.  

Recs + Rants

Squid Ink Risotto, Mussels, Chorizo, Meyer Lemon Confiture

50 Shades. Unbelievably this small kitchen offers 50 dishes at every service. Half of those are constant - a series of small plates, shared dishes, boards and desserts. Our staples on this slate of usual suspects are the French Green Beans, the Carrots, the Tuna Carpaccio, and the Pork Belly. Perfectly etched on a chalkboard in the dining room is a menu of weekly specials that rounds out the other 25 or so dishes. This is your walk on the wild side, babe. On a recent visit, a Squid Ink Risotto topped with lemon verbena-scented mussels and spicy bits of chorizo, anointed with dots of Meyer lemon confiture and finishes of parsley oil left us gasping with pleasure. Lamb Carpaccio, paper thin slices of lamb loin spread atop a broad stroke of saffron aioli with a handful of vinegary Planet Earth Diversified tatsoi inspired smiles around the table another night. What can best be described as an 'elevated deconstructed gazpacho' - a tower of crab, watermelon, heirloom tomato, basil lime sorbet, and crispy prosciutto set in a clear tomato broth - cooled and cleansed our palates with bright summer flavors. We could write a novella about the many specials we've crushed on. Here's the catch: you basically have to consider each encounter a one-night stand because just when you fall too hard, your crush blows town. Don't fret though because odds are you'll be back sooner than you think for another round of seduction. 

In hindsight. Two years ago, our first night as official Charlottesville residents, we joined The Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema for a review dinner of The Alley Light. In his final piece, one strike had to do with the very casual service style, described as “better suited to a college tavern.” We’ve chewed on that observation a long time, and while it stings, we tend to catch his drift as it relates to his core audience - Washingtonians. Let’s be honest, Washington’s fine dining is emblematic of the big city it is, and Charlottesville's dining bears its own personality. That’s okay and nothing anyone here should envy. To us, this commentary boils down to a difference in paradigms. Around here, we dig on the easy-going, informal style servers bring to your table, as long as passion and knowledge for the food and drink come with it. That’s what you will find here. The second ding in Sietsema's review was the size of tables and configuration of the dining room: “Cozy doesn’t necessarily translate to comfortable.” We’re happy to report that over the years, the crew has played Tetris with the room and solved the layout puzzle to make for ample space. 

Veg out and go aioli.

Board AF. Simple, refreshing and colorful, one of our favorites in town is the Vegetable Board. Spread with a lovely arrangement of in-season and pickled vegetables, dashed with the perfect dose of salt and vinegar, it's practically a still life work of art. It's simple, straightforward ingredients served as their best versions of themselves. When you get past the remorse of disrupting this artful display, you are basically grazing with your hands at the best vegetarian aioli monstre feast in town, and feeling slightly self righteous about it. But don’t let it go to your head because…  

WTF(oie). If you dig on French food, the decadence permeating the menu won’t surprise you. It’s a litany of dietary indulgences that reads like food smut and offers several iterations of foie gras that will make you blush. Foie Brûlée, on the surface, rings like something you’d vigorously scrub from your Google search history after devouring. Chef Robin McDaniel loves to pair foie with sweet accompaniments and uses several pastry techniques to deliver something sinful, savory and subtly sweet. The foie is cured and cooked with egg, cream, kirsch, white port and Sauternes -  is there is a better foie pairing than Sauternes!? -  and served over a rhubarb carpaccio (think fancy AF fruit roll-up). The brûlée is a raspberry tuile, which is similar in look and texture to the burnt sugar topping we'd expect. It's all finished with Chiles Orchard strawberries macerated in sugar, kirsch, and black pepper, some almond crumble and a drizzle of balsamic. No one knows when a new seasonal take on this version will return, but trust us: if you see foie gras on the menu, do yourself right and dial it up. 

Dealer's Choice

Cocktails and Dreams. Maybe you’ve heard about Micah LeMon, bar manager and cocktail artist at The Alley Light? Well read on all things mixology, eloquent booze writer and funky urban farmer, LeMon brings a refreshing intellectual curiosity to the craft that locals are so blessed to tap. If he weren’t so warm, kind and quick to dismiss the applause he’s received in this business, you might hate him for being so damn talented. Like the food menu, his thoughtful drink list reflects and changes with the seasons, so chances are you will find something that suits your mood nicely. If you choose to go it alone, you’re forgiven if you feel overwhelmed by the tower of booze that lords over you. LeMon stocks a selection so deep, it puts many big city cocktail clubs to shame. Being suckers for booze labels, we love to get lost gawking at that wall of wonder. Your best bet might be to light up his eyes by ordering the Dealer’s Choice. Not only does this mean the delightful thrill of imbibing on a fresh creation, it elicits an educational dose of conversation about obscure spirits you’ve never encountered before. Pro tip: The point here is to let the professionals take over, so relax and don't go overboard with direction. It's cool to guide the dealer's hand a bit by highlighting spirits you love or hate. Just promise not to order a Jack & Coke.  Pro tip 2: Stay tuned for LeMon’s cocktail book - The Imbible - to hit shelves this fall.

Crab, Watermelon, Heirloom Tomato, Lime Basil Sorbet, Crispy Prosciutto 

Choose wisely. This is one of the priciest spots in town, and justifiably so. Chris Dunbar, the affable AF owner and GM, describes The Alley Light as a fine dining destination. When we consider the high-end ingredients and roster of top-tier talent that makes those ingredients dance on your plate (or in your glass), we’re down with that label. That said, you should know there’s a wild card in the deck, and how you play it will determine how the experience aligns with the check you will pay at the end of the night. We’re talking about location, location, location. Many of the thoughtfully constructed dishes come with an unwritten context for how and where to devour them.

Lucky for you, P+K has developed a formula that guarantees the perfect Alley Light experience, and all it requires is some basic forethought. You should know by now to reserve in advance because tables don’t come easy here. While you’re at it, consider what kind of night you’re looking for and ask for the right table.

Here’s a cheat sheet to guide the way.    

• Barstools: Ideal for cocktails/wine, snacks, small plates, chitchat with mixologists and fellow imbibers, fancy first dates. No reservations required.  

• Cabaret Tables: You can do it all from this perch and get a 360-degree people-watching perspective. Stagger your food orders to avoid space invasion by too many plates at once. No need for clutter to clash with your vibe.    

• Lounge/Couches: This is where you kick it with your homies. Cocktails, wine, snacks and boards are the way to go here. Because leaning forward from a couch to stab a bite of $34 halibut then guiding it to your face under a cupped hand is just plain awkward, stick to dishes that are tailored for noshing and grazing.    

• Lounge/Windows (for two): Anything goes here, even dirty talk if you are so inclined. No other spot in the house offers this much privacy.  

• Dining Room: The full spectrum of fine dining awaits you here. Tables are spaced out enough that you don't need to whisper, but some discretion is advised.  

Lamb Carpaccio with Saffron Aioli and Local Greens

#ImWithHer. We’d love to see more baller industry women celebrated in Charlottesville. In our book, Chef Robin McDaniel is one of the best in the business and somehow buzz about her is absent. WTF? It’s undeniable that (prior Alley Light) Chef Jose De Brito shot the moon and garnered high praise and accolades when helming the kitchen. His inspired fare and reputation drew the likes of Tom Sietsema to Charlottesville. It’s also true he saw a fire in McDaniel and mentored her. His legacy of excellence is woven deeply into the fabric of the menu where some of his dishes remain. That said, touching and thoughtful tributes surrounding Jose's departure fell short on highlighting the creative spirit in the remaining crew and glossed over the collaboration that continues to make The Alley Light one of the best restaurants in town. It’s never a one-man show, and more often than not there’s a woman behind that man, propping him up. With all due respect to De Brito, who established one hell of a cornerstone, the sequel directed by McDaniel deserves major props. We’re not trying to spark a gender debate here and we don’t believe that kind of awkwardness inhabits this cozy joint. There’s clear and present harmony at The Alley Light and we credit much of that to McDaniel’s player-coach approach in the kitchen and empathy for front-of-house nuances (thanks to her starting in this business as a server). Her inspired dishes gracefully toe the line between complex and accessible - no fuss but plenty of elegance in this French fare. In a space seemingly dominated by men, it’s refreshing to shine a light on a woman who quietly gets shit done and blows minds while at it. Hats off to you, Chef Robin!

Early Birds in the Gloaming Hour 

The Coat Room: A Spa for Drinkers

The speakeasy trend has seen plenty of ups, downs and detours over the years. Generally gone now are the days when being in the know is required to land a perch at a swanky private watering hole. Hidden doors, secret knocks, dark passageways - these mechanisms of the old times, when such protocols were actually legit, have begun to play themselves out of modern favor, turning the rigmarole into little more than a charade. Let's face it - when New Yorkers scoff at the concept that has saturated their city, it's time to dress it down.         

These days you're more likely to find private bars informally earning the speakeasy label because it evokes mysterious tones and illicit metaphors of a bygone era that comfort imbibers. Just about everyone is hiding from something, not just prohibition agents, and these venues provide that fleeting sense of escape.

Which brings us to restaurateur baller Will Richey's latest, enchanting AF gift to food and drink lovers here - The Coat Room. 

Covertly nestled in the dark, wood-paneled, basement of Brasserie Saison, Cville's newest clandestine bar delivers a modern fine dining experience shrouded in old-timey allure and romance. Offering two seatings, at 6pm and 8pm, on Friday and Saturday evenings, The Coat Room is destined to become one of the most unique destinations in the area.  

Running the show is one of the best tag teams in the business -- sommelier/wine buyer/manager Will Curley and bar manager Reid Dougherty. These veterans are in their element here, seemingly made for the kind of high end, light touch service The Coat Room brings. We frequent the upstairs dining room regularly and have seen them in action, so needless to say, it came as no shock to be dealt an intimate, polished experience from their hands. 

On the first Saturday evening of service, when we descend the stairs and land at a table beneath a mounted vintage sport coat, a round of bubbles is set before us. And so begins our giddy little first look.  

Recs + Rants

DC/DC

It's basically a spa for drinkers. Dougherty and Curley created an exclusive imbibing blueprint for The Coat Room - wines, beers and cocktails you won't find on the list upstairs. The Parchment Fizz (Bluecoat gin, massenez poire william, priortat natur bianco vermouth, peychaud's bitters, absinthe rinse) served in a Collins glass was the opener we needed -- refreshing, effervescent, a lovely balance of bittersweet, almost a sassy cousin to the Negroni Bianco. A playful homage to the District, where the base spirits were made, the DC/DC (greenhat gin, don ciccio cinque, nocino, finochietto, habanero tincture) deals a blend of bitter, spicy and smoky that candidly felt criminal, so we nicknamed it the Marion Barry. The show stopper was A Much Better Rusty Nail (suntory toki whiskey, carpano antica vermouth, war & rust quinquina, drambuie). Will was so smitten over this one that he has already begun drafting his next Cville cocktail feature on it, so we'll just leave this tease right here and not steal his booze writing thunder. Props to Dougherty for incorporating a P+K favorite local spirit, War & Rust, into a dreamy cocktail. 

Curley's refreshing and playful tasting notes beneath each offering on the wine list are a model for accessibility that we'd love to see catch on around town. The abbreviated descriptions beg conversation and curiosity, which he loves to sate with charming crumbs of education. He makes wine an adventurous experience, not a stuffy and intimidating endeavor for drinkers.

In no particular order, some of our favorite clever quips:

• Rovellotti 'Chioso dei Pomi' Ghemme Piedmont, It, 2009: jumps out of the glass, complex, incredible finish
• Comte St. Hubert 'Muscadet Sevre-et-maine,' Loire Valley, Fr, 2000: can almost vote and go to war
• Masciarelli 'Villa Gemma,' Abruzzo, It, 2007: montepulciano on steroids, legendary vintage  
• Domaine Tollot-Beaut 'Chorey-les-Beaune,' Burgundy, Fr, 2014: focused, precise, big shoulders
• Ametzoi 'Rubentis,' Getaria, Es, 2016: the king of txakolina rosé

We crushed that txakolina, by the way!   

Let it flow, let yourself go. The speakeasy life is mostly about letting a romantic experience seamlessly unfold, not so much about overthinking or fussing over your order. Unless you’re a high maintenance cat - in which case you’re really in the wrong place - we strongly recommend surrendering your food order (with any allergy intel) to Curley’s adept hands and sticking with the business of whispering sweet nothings to your date and/or eavesdropping on hushed conversations around you. 

Share the love. We’ve opined that the food at Brasserie Saison is some of the most creative and inspired in Charlottesville. The dinner menu at The Coat Room is the same jam as upstairs, so diners are free to order away. Pro tip: If you decide against a dealer's choice model, consider the table size when you order. These small round tops are not ideal for a conventional, linear dining style. Sharing small/large plates in a staggered succession will keep your night from turning into a round of table Tetris. 

Filters + effects do no justice to this lively dessert. 

Summer fare. On our maiden subterranean visit, Curley guided us through a tour of light and refreshing summer options Chef Tyler Teass created for dog days like this one. We opened with white stone oysters dressed with a michelada mignonette, not technically a new dish but a P+K go-to and the perfect pair for bubbles. Next came a dish we're already plotting to meet again soon - smashed cucumbers with lump crab and carrot-miso dressing. This welcome Teass riff on a classic Asian dish had our forks clashing for the last bits of crab swimming in that sweet nectar of a marinade. Then the cucumber + zucchini gazpacho hit us in the mouth and left us swooning. The headline ingredients are buzzed and strained with olive oil, vinegar and red onion to create this smooth, refreshing, cold summer soup, then the whole jam is topped with pickled, green tomato chowchow and Caromont Farm goat cheese. All of these lovely vegetables hail from Richey's Red Row Farm in Esmont, VA, culminating in a dish that couldn't be more local. The grilled branzino, dressed in a lovely Mediterranean sauce vierge (tomatoes, red onion olive oil, anchovies, garlic, capers, almonds) was just the shot of protein we needed, so delicate and savory. In the end we waved off the idea of dessert, but Curley wasn't having that, so he sent out the cutest little saucers of local pickled peach galette topped with cream cheese gelato and tiny mint leaves. It was the perfect punctuation for a light summer meal.  

Instagram be damned. This will surprise no one - The Coat Room is dark. There's no anti-photog policy here, but there also aren't enough filters in the world to compensate for the poor lighting that will make those Instagram posts, like ours, meh. If our intentions on the first visit were not blog related, we'd have kept our phones stashed. Glowing screens don't exactly jive with the vibe.    

History repeats. This isn’t Richey's first rodeo in the speakeasy category. Locals will know that for this creation he's drawing from the first time he absconded with this town's heart in 2014 by founding the distinguished Alley Light -- another P+K favorite hideout.

Book it! Unlike Brasserie Saison upstairs, which does not take reservations, its alter ego speakeasy is reservation-only. With service limited to two nights per week and a capacity for 8 patrons, it's likely to be tough table, so plan ahead. 

As we resurface to the streets above, we sense the presence of the same intoxicating muse that spiked us with shades eloquence on the heels of our first Brasserie Saison night. And just like that night, we return to our barn in the country hollow to mix rounds of nightcaps and scribble feverishly into the trusty P+K notebook our fresh takes on The Coat Room. The next morning that notebook had vanished and remains a ghost to this day. Thankfully the experience was so impressed upon us that recalling these lovely highlights was a summer breeze.       

Barbie's Burrito Barn: A Baja Oasis

In Washington, DC, our favorite taco joint was an illegitimate business - a speakeasy in the sweetest Salvadoran woman’s tiny Mount Pleasant apartment. Its street name smacked of cloak and dagger - El Clandestino. The protocol for dining at this glorious hideout: stand outside an unremarkable, rundown apartment building on Park Road, dial a secret phone number, catch the set of keys dropped from a second floor window, climb one flight of dingy stairs to the cash-only ‘establishment’ and feast your ass off at a communal table for 10 where Estee’s tacos (and tamales) quietly stole the thunder of all DC tacos. Sorry, José, but these led the league. Her ingredients were fresh, the slow-and-low embrace of craft evident, and the most impactful ingredient was love. You could not help notice the choreography of passion taking place - as if she and her husband were doing a culinary piece of performance art. This was an exclusive indie food insider stop that delivered Oaxacan food highs that drew us back often. As a bonus, you could purchase other things from the chintzy shelves lining the living room walls: penicillin, a house dress, or maybe a bottle of generic Drakkar Noir. 

There’s no denying that the illicit nuance of the whole thing lent a mystique to the experience that had us biased, but these days we look at the whole picture: it’s never just about the food. Kitsch went a long way for us here. Eventually, the narcissist culture of foodie social media permeated its walls and blew the secret up. Later Estee went legit, opening a spot on Mount Pleasant Avenue. Her tamales are strong but the tacos don’t bring the same slow-burn passion. Maybe outlaw life inspired her more back in the day.      

Quietly opening in Charlottesville during the dog days of August, Barbie’s Burrito Barn entered our life and became the happy analog for El Clandestino. The unassuming little shack is tucked away on Avon Street in the shadow of the Belmont Bridge, just a stone’s throw deeper into the dead end from Champion Brewing where the graffiti splashes happily on the bridge’s underbelly and weed deals probably go down in the cave of the parking lot below. It’s a boutique, fast-casual spot where Barbie spends her days doing what she has done at home for over 20 years: slinging the freshest Baja fare for loved ones, a passion play she finally elevated to a seriously legit option for Southern Cal inspired Mexican. And like our beloved El Clandestino, BBB captures that same elusive ingredient that takes us straight back to the shanty on Park Road: clear and present love.

Barbie is a delightful ray of energy, all smiles, sometimes dancing a cute jig to an eclectic playlist (Arcade Fire, Pavement, etc.) in the kitchen that opens right up to the small dining area of two four-tops. Often her daughter, super friendly, is there helping her after school, and sometimes her husband plays sous. It’s as if you are in their home kitchen enveloped and welcomed into the aura of their family vibe. Just a big warm hug that eases the pain of it only being Tuesday night during a long-ass week.

"I love cooking and socializing with guests and seeing them happy when they walk out," Barbie shares between tickets. "I get to cook all day and it's what I love. You can't beat that." 

The fare rivals and, in some cases, eclipses most of the usual praised suspects in town with so much fresh texture infused into the small menu of dishes. Ingredients like jicama slaw, chili-lime cucumbers, radishes, shredded cabbage, guacamole and salsas blended daily mesh perfectly with rich, slow-cooked pork or chicken in more than one dish: packed heartily into Tacos or gloriously stacked on the Guac Tostada. Meanwhile, plenty of places do a burrito bowl, but none touch the fresh punch that Barbie’s Chopped Bowl brings. It’s not a work of art visually but the whimsical blend of delightful chili-lime pickles and jicama slaw blended with fresh guac atop a bed of slow cooked pork and pintos, all garnished with a handful of house made tortilla strips (edible utensils) hits so good. You tell yourself it’s a salad and feel almost healthy eating it because it's all is so fresh. Finally, the headliner Burrito is the only dish that lacks the crunch factor of veggies - it’s all beans, cheese, and delicious slow-cooked swine. It’s sort of macho. 

Guacamole Tostada

Recs + Rants

Alcohol Hack. Alas, BBB has no liquor license. Maybe soon, they say. Hipster sodas and water are available. So get it to-go and park at next-door neighbor Champion’s picnic tables where you can sip a legit range of beers with your BBB.

Manners not required. It's nearly impossible to crush anything on the menu with grace. Generally everything is messy so just dig in and enjoy the delightful chaos of this cuisine. If you kill a tree's worth of napkins after, we won't judge. 

Lampo refugees welcome. It’s well documented that we at P+K we’re hardcore fangirls and boys for Lampo. It hasn’t happened yet, but depending on the night, if we couldn’t hang with the Lampo wait time, we’d consider catching a quick bite at Barbie’s, which is just a path through the brush and a short walk under the bridge away.

Cheapskate Approved. Your wallet gets barely scratched here. We’ve fed four quite well for less than $30 many times.   

Our Haven, the C&O

One of our most reliable litmus tests for assessing a restaurant is to ask: Could we comfortably hide out here while a zombie apocalypse unravels outside?

Sitting at the top of our apocalyptic haven list is C&O Restaurant, an institution currently celebrating 40 uninterrupted years as one of Charlottesville’s most iconic dining and drinking destinations.

Akin to “The Winchester” in the Brit zombie spoof Shaun of the Dead  (the go-to pub where the crew takes refuge as the undead overrun the town), C&O is more than a restaurant, it is a spiritual and structural comfort zone. Pre- or post-apocalypse, you’ll find us at the downstairs bar. Officially referred to as “the Bistro” and declared “one of the greatest rooms in America” (we don’t know who said this but we heartily agree), it will slay you even before you’ve lifted glass or fork.  

Like a burly bear hug on a snowdrift night - or a seance that makes you feel you’re surrounded by friendly ghosts - the C&O bistro embraces you the moment you enter and sates you with perfectly curated playlists of lush tunes. Cocktail artist (and industry man crush) Anthony is typically behind the tunes and will gladly write on a napkin, in absolutely stunning penmanship, music recommendations. Our Spotify is loaded with some fantastic Anthony recs right now (Jason Molina and Naked Guns, to name a couple). He and the rest of the dialed-in crew make you feel like more than a guest in their home, they make you feel like this is exactly where you belong. Maybe that explains the tractor beam effect it has on us - inevitably when we go out, we always somehow end up downstairs at C&O.  

Recs & Rants

Raise a glass. The cocktails are crafty and we’ll get to that, but the C&O has been setting cellar standards in Charlottesville since Gerald Ford was falling down in the White House. Developed for over 30 years by local food and beverage industry icon, Elaine Futhey, the wine program at C&O still today embodies the spirit and thoughtfulness conveyed by her once-handwritten lists. Take special care to seek out some of the more esoteric options - our theory is the more arcane brands or varietals must have been picked by the wine buyer for a reason. If they went out of their way to get it, so should you. Don't be afraid to flag down an expert - the staff will gladly help you expand your wine nerd horizons.

We have happily traveled the globe with the wine list, allowing ourselves to be taken to the Mosel with a noteworthy bottle of Hofgut Falkenstein Neidermenninger Sonnenberg Riesling, to southern Rhone with Eric Texier St. Julien en St. Alban, and to Tuscany with a Chianti from Tenuta di Arceno. The food has roots in French country fare and simply begs to be enjoyed with wine (in between bookend cocktails to start and finish the meal, of course).

Apertif or digestif? It matters not. 

Be a barfly. Apocalypse notwithstanding, the likes of Charles Bukowski would have loved the C&O’s downstairs hideout. The cocktails are crafted with deliberate love and grit and the bar hands seem capable of holding their own in a fist fight with a literary loose canon. We are partial to the Jota Jota (Bulleit bourbon, chili and coffee infused Campari, Carpano Antica vermouth), a jolting riff on a drink near and dear to us, the Boulevardier. We could see any Beatnik writer starting their day around 3pm with one of these before pecking away at a typewriter. For you less savage creatives, simply start your meal with one. As for the classics, we’ve never met a Sazerac we didn’t savor here. We prefer to let Anthony or Dustin choose the rye for us since the selection is so vast and not a single land mine in the field. 

Break the rules. One of the many great things about bar dining - someday we will rant exclusively on this topic - is that you don’t need to order in order. You can graze the menu randomly and taste what jumps out at you or ask what your barman is digging. You might be open to sharing a Rag Mountain Trout entree with your date, following it up with a board of Charcuterie and side of Grilled Beets, devouring a Coupe Ellery dessert and then wrapping it all up with a Duck Confit Gnocchi. (For a recent birthday we dined at a local favorite and left feeling a bit empty of stomach and experience, so decided to hit the C&O for dessert and nightcaps. We ended up pairing those nightcaps with the Chocolate Bread Pudding and chased it all with an order of Duck Confit Gnocchi. We just can’t resist the siren call of this dish, we jones so hard for it.)  Time and order matters not, and the barman is glad to roll with your impetuosity, pairing drinks or wine with each stage of your game. The bar is where you start dating the C&O, where you use the perch to get intimate and talk food, booze, music, literature, clothing and Cville food gossip with the charmer on the stick. 

Peek under the pea shoots: layers of flavor in every dish. 
Photo cred: Dylan Allwood

Go-to fare. These summer days we are digging the Porchetta Tonnato - a play on the classic vitello tonnato swapping in thinly sliced porchetta for veal. Make yourself a bite with all the components of the dish and you’ve got a taste bomb of pork fat, briny fish, bitter arugula and salty parmesan going off in your mouth. The Beef Carpaccio is a structured and refreshing blend of thinly sliced rare beef, arugula, truffled aioli and manchego on top of a crispy potato hash to give it an extra layer of fun.

Text us late night. Once upon a time, a boozy Saturday night with friends culminated with a 2 am “LET’S GET SOME FOOD!” battle cry. Quickly making their way to C&O, the crew settled in at a big table in the corner. A server came over with a genuine look of pity on her face. "Sorry ya’ll, kitchen just closed up for the evening." Then, a lightbulb. "Actually, we have some leftover cream of tomato soup and a bunch of pretzel rolls. Would that work?" To this date, one of the most memorable late-night meals ever eaten. And as diligent researchers, we’ve tried the late-night menu at varying stages of tipsiness and evening hour. We can report the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup and Mac n Cheese are strong and satisfying hits. And who knew a topnotch Pulled Pork Taco was hiding out here?   

Dutch-door window.

Step into the light. The Bistro does not take reservations so you have to take what you can get when it comes to real estate. Given the choice, we gravitate toward the front wall’s Dutch door. If the weather is agreeable, the top half of the door is usually open, dispensing good light (natural or unnatural) and the nostalgic low rumble of the occasional passing train into the room. If a party of two, we vie for seats at the end of the bar or the two top adjacent to the door; if a party of four, we go for the four-top in the corner - it just doesn't get much cozier.    

Miles of style. At first glance you could easily mistake the front of house as denizens of Brooklyn Heights thanks to the approachable hipster cool they radiate - a delightful mix that is more kind and sweet, not tragic and jaded. Clad in the dopest vintage gear (looking at you Sarah, Jenn, Dustin and Anthony), they evoke a style and playful swagger we find ourselves wanting to emulate. Read more about C&O style here.

Full Disclosure. We know owners Dean (chef) and Erin Maupin (pastry chef), though it wasn’t until after we’d already developed a severe crush on the C&O that we met them. Will & Rachel’s son and their daughter, who has a lovely dessert named after her on the menu, were in the same second grade class. This relationship has only added layers of good context to the lore of C&O. We don’t know anyone who enjoys a compliment less than Dean. Self depreciation is his jam, and it’s endearingly genuine. He eschews even the smallest crumb of praise and is vampire quick to direct all credit to the kitchen and front of house. He considers himself a steward of the C&O whose sole mission is to keep the train true and on track, but whether he wants to admit it or not, his fingerprints are on the C&O - an experience that continues to stand the test of time as one of Charlottesville's most iconic.

Even if the food was mediocre here (it emphatically is not), the level of service and personality would be enough to draw us in. After many rounds of ‘research’ we’ve decided that when we die (unless we end up roaming the streets in a pack of undead) we want to become resident ghosts who haunt the C&O bar every night and just disappear into the walls at closing time. That's how much we dig the vibe.

So whether you’re looking for an apocalyptic haven, a home away from home or a place that just makes you feel damn nostalgic for all that’s good and real in this world, make your way to the C&O downstairs. Once you land at the bottom of those wonderfully creaky steps, you'll pick up what we're putting down and fall willingly into its trance. 
 

Worth the Squeeze: The Juice Laundry

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It all started with Will finding Rachel’s stash in the fridge - bright green, organic, calling out to him. Ever since, he's been addicted and needs a fix at least weekly.

Unlike other vices, the ethos and mission of The Juice Laundry resonates with us our best intentions. We're rooting for this small business coloring outside the lines, pushing the envelope. Tucked in the corner of the old Coca Cola building on Preston Ave, it seems wonderfully out of place, almost ahead of its time, like it belongs in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights 'hood next door to a SoulCycle. It’s a vibe we crave lots more of in this town so we dove into the researching with high hopes.

Not to tire the metaphor more, but we think your best bet is to approach Juice Laundry as if you’re buying a bag of excellent weed: get in, score, be on your way. We say this with love, but like a dealer with the best sh*t in town, Juice Laundry can afford its service to be occasionally disheveled or aloof because the high caliber of their product keeps us coming back for more. 

The non-illicit analog is at play here. Juice Laundry has the best sh*t in town. And we can’t get enough of it.

Recs + Rants

Let’s get the rants out of the way first...

Go with the flow. To get the goods you have to weather a few odd nuances. Our virgin visits, we were a little confounded by the lack of cadence but eventually accepted it for the grab-and-go that it is and enjoyed the healthy fix. It’s not nearly as intimidating as ordering a cheesesteak at Pat’s, but there are a few curves you should know how to navigate before you go.

Shop the cooler. Up front near the counter is a giant cooler stocked with bottled cold-pressed juices, ginger shots and seasonal salads. It’s a glorious sight, especially if you’re coming off a stretch of eating terrible food or putting your liver to the test. You should know the only things made to order are smoothies and smoothie bowls (see below). Everything else is in the cooler - juices, salads, puddings, shots. Those salads being made in a production line behind the counter? Not for you. We asked and were pointed to the cooler’s packaged salads, which turned out to be perfectly fine, but damn those freshies looked more appealing.

Time and temperature. Before you break the seal on a bottled juice or nut milk from the cooler, ask what time your choice was stocked. More than once we’ve cracked one to find it room temperature at first taste. When we requested a cup of ice, no dice - they don’t offer it. If you’re paying a justified premium for these, like us you probably want them cold, so ask first. 

No need to loiter. Unless you really need to sit and scarf something down, you probably don't want to stick around. The dining-in experience dilutes the healthy good vibes with blaring music and the sense you’re encroaching on the team’s workspace. While we dig the sweet sounds of Jimmy Cliff and totally understand that the roaring blenders make it hard for staff to hear the grooves, the result is sometimes a disconcerting mashup that drives you toward the exit. Instead, park yourself at the picnic tables out front of Timbercreek Market and pair some fresh air with your fresh juice. 

It's hard to hold any these quirks against The Juice Laundry folks though. We can all relate to the tenet of laundry: doing it is easy; sorting, folding and putting it away is the hard part. They'll get there. 

Now that we’ve established that, onto the good stuff. Our recs...

• Clean Green - kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, apple, parsley, ginger, lemon - Not unlike most green juices you’ve tried, but something pops in this one. We stood it up to the Whole Foods version and it tasted more alive.
• Creamy Cashew - filtered water, raw cashews, dates, vanilla bean, cinnamon, pink salt - Kills your hunger headache and turns that hangry frown upside down. If you're starved and dragging, rock the Cold Brew Latte version of this one for some caffeination.
• What’s in the bowl, bitch? The Acai Smoothie Bowls are dope. It’s basically any smoothie in a bowl with acai subbed in as a superfood thickening agent topped with banana, granola, chia seeds and another optional fruit. Little Miss Muffet would crush it!     
• Road to Redemption - If you hit the other bottle too hard last night, a Fire Shot 3 (turmeric, ginger, oregano oil) will bring you back from degenerate status. Before this act of contrition make absolutely sure to pound a Creamy Cashew or a Superman Smoothie (blueberries, dragon fruit, goji berries, dates, banana, house almond milk) to line the stomach or else you will ruin a perfectly nice pair of shoes where you stand.
• Cleanse Program - Juice Laundry offers three different cleanse systems stacked with a thoughtfully prescribed set of juices and shakes that we have yet to try but have earmarked for post-holiday gluttony recovery this year. 
• Bottle Recycling - *fist bump* - You get a  credit of 25 cents per bottle returned. Good looking out! 
• Internets - Great website. Super informative, educational, thoughtful. 

Bottom Line: The juice is the truth but the store experience needs a little polish. In time, they’ll find their groove and so will we. Meantime, at least the staff is friendly and always miles of smiles. One thing is certain - you will leave loving yourself.  

Lampo Strikes Nice

When plotting a culinary tour of Charlottesville for visitors from other cities, too often we find the top spots can easily be counted on one hand. At P+K we’re very partial to places you can proudly take visitors from other food cities and expect a strong vibe, interesting crowd and food that takes some risks. You might say we’re big on restaurants with big balls.

Which brings us to Lampo, a Neapolitan pizzeria in the Belmont neighborhood - Charlottesville's analog to Brooklyn - whose food, drink and vibe pleasantly jack your jaw and immediately make you forgive the no-reservations policy and the sometimes hours-long wait for a table. It's our go-to for visitors we want to show a gritty, cool side of this food town. 

And speaking of that wait, let's be honest: in addition to a culinary high, a coveted table at Lampo inspires a fleeting A-list buzz that enhances the experience. If you are so inclined (and we are), you may observe the dinner theater of newcomers at the door looking sucker-punched upon hearing it will be three years before a table is available to them. This news usually lands like a wrecking ball on some hungry soul's evening, turning their mood on a dime from hopeful to sour, and it brings to mind one of our favorite snippets of satire from Kurt Vonnegut: I wonder what the poor people are doing tonight? For the record, we've been on both sides of this equation, so no hard feelings to the losers on any given night. However, our bartender had good insights about when the place is busy and when it isn’t. During Fridays After Five: No. Anytime most Cvillians are on the mall or at the pavilion: No. Any other time: Yes. 

Recs + Rants:

• Hit The Bar - By now, can we all agree on the virtues of dining at the bar? Aside from basking in barman Andrew’s charm and witnessing the love and craft he dials into your cocktail, opting for the bar sometimes means bypassing the wait completely. Savor the drinks. Ask lots of questions. Get educated. Andrew is a scholar of vermouth, amaro and bitters.
• Consider the Sitter - If you bring kids, don't be an entitled jerk about your wait time. And if your kids aren’t mature enough to chill while you wait, Guadalajara is a block away. Really, it's not an ideal spot for small kids unless you sit outside. Get a sitter, make it a date night.     
• Down Some Cocktails - Have one or two while you wait outside to pass the time, and another right when you land at the table. Our Favorites: Bitter Giuseppe (A bold and bitter twist on the Americano.), Negroni (Solid ingredients do their thing. We love the Cocchi di Torino vermouth.), and Hell & Honey (You cheers, you sip, and suddenly you’re sitting next to a campfire just after the wind changes on a cold night with smoke caught in your throat. Moments later you’ve mistakenly bitten into a chili pepper, but you’re quickly soothed by bits of crushed ice and a stroke of honey.  It’s the ex-smoker’s cocktail, it’ll give you the just-inhaled tingle, but leave you with sugar on your tongue. And no lung cancer.)
• Go Big or Go Home - Go with the Hellboy Pizza, a permanent guest star on the specials menu that blends an orange blossom honey and scorpion pepper oil with soppressata and house-made mozzarella. You’ll want to punch your Italian grandmother in the mouth for never making this for you. (She's tough as nails and will understand.) Also legit is the Margherita DOC, a classic that always leaves us smiling and nodding like we're suddenly privy to a scandalous-as-hell secret. The Prosciutto Pie is also worth every calorie - fresh arugula, plenty of prosciutto, a mild cheese with white sauce. The crust is absolutely the best part. We like tomato sauce too much though to be a complete devotee to this pie. 
• Respect The Tradition - If you don't know much about this strictly certified style of pizza, Wikipedia it or ask your server. It’s been said there’s no such thing as a dumb question. What’s dumb is ignorant whining about the crust, size and texture that are distinct rules of this style of pie. The engaging crew loves to talk about the food, so strike up a conversation and open your mind. If you decide you don’t like Neapolitan pizza, too bad for you. And, for the love of Margherita, don't even think about complaining about the "burnt crust".
• Let It Rest - Speaking of hot stuff, treat your pie like a steak right off the grill. Let it sit for a couple minutes before you cut into it. The roof of your mouth and the fragrant, soupy middle will thank you. Sip your cocktail, watch the poor saps being turned away at the door for a spell, then dig in. Don’t believe us, just take it from Mario Batali. 
• Eat Your Veggies - When our pizza is this consistently good, we hate to say that, like flaky lovers, eventually we take it for granted and our eyes start to wander. Some of the most interesting dishes on the menu fall under Insalate. The Cavoletti di Bruxelles (shaved Brussels sprouts salad with hazelnuts and pecorino) is so good you'll want to follow our lead and order a second for dessert. Another we just can’t get enough of is the Barbabietole Arrosto (roasted beets, pistachio pesto and gorganzola). Yes, please! Really, vegetables should not be this good. 
• Say Yes To Dessert - Let's not waste time worrying about pious platitudes here, just get the Zeppoles. They arrive at the table with sugar crackling, syrup caramelizing and steaming with tender freshness. Squeeze lemon juice over them and surrender to hedonistic happiness.
• Pro tip - Pranzare (translation: have lunch) If you can't manage the dinner wait, roll in for lunch when the rush is easy as pie and the crew is fresh and chatty.   

Big picture, what gives us real pause and mad respect for Lampo is how they've crafted a dining experience so urbane and electrifying (see: lightning bolt logo) from utter simplicity. They aren’t reinventing the wheel here, they’re just bringing fresh, seasonal ingredients to the mise. Chef & author Barton Seaver nicely reflected on the philosophy of what we believe is happening at Lampo:

"I, like most young chefs, initially thought that the best ingredient on the plate was me, that through my manipulation and effort, I was going to make plates that wowed. But as I tasted the produce that was being brought to my kitchen, I began to understand that the flavor of an unadorned, summer-ripe tomato would never be bested, not even by my greatest efforts. That's when I learned to step back a little, to take myself off the plate. I then understood that my role was to taste the ingredients, come up with intelligent and supportive pairings, and do only what was necessary to get those flavors to the plate."

The brains and brawn behind Lampo -- Loren Mendosa, Ian Redshaw, Mitchell Beerens and Andrew Cole - personify the concept of keeping it real. Celebrity does not appear to be an objective here. Not once have we walked away with the impression that any of them is concerned with advancing a personal brand. It genuinely feels like it's all about the food. In a world where shameless self-promotion on social media feels like the norm, this shit matters to us. Ingredients are sourced locally, and you get the sense these cats have actual relationships with their farmers and producers. The locavore love in the air is so thick you could cut it with pizza scissors. 86ed are ingredients such as ego, fuss, complication and self-righteousness.

You can't go wrong at Lampo. Just go and you'll get our drift.  

RELATED POSTS: Lampo Style, 10 Ways To Kill Time Waiting For A Lampo Table