Restaurant Guide MY FAVORITE BITE
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Nate & Em’s Pizza All your pizzeria faves: calzones, stromboli, pasta, subs, and—of course— pies. 5924 Seminole Trail, Ruckersville. 985-9000. $. Palladio Restaurant Northern Italian cuisine and Barboursville wines. 17655 Winery Rd., Barboursville. (540) 832-7848. $$$. Papa John’s Pizza fans come to Papa. 3441 Seminole Trail, 973-7272; University Shopping Center, 979-7272; 1305-A Long St., 296-7272. $. Pizza Hut The Jabba of pizza chains. 1718 Seminole Trail, 973-1616; 540 Radford Ln., Suite 300, 823-7500. $. The Rooftop Pizzas, salads, seafood, and steaks with panoramic Blue Ridge views. 2025 Library Ave, Crozet. 205-4881. $$. Sal’s Caffe Italia Brick-oven pizza plus subs, pasta, and outdoor seating in a lively Mall location. 221 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 295-8484. $$. Sal’s Pizza Hand-tossed pizzas, fresh bread, delicious pasta dishes since 1987. Crozet Shopping Center, Crozet. 823-1611. $. Tavola Open kitchen serves up lovely food (pancetta-wrapped shrimp, housemade pasta) and an artisanal wine list. 826 Hinton Ave. 972-9463. $$. Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Built-to-order pies. The Shops at Stonefield, 234-3717. $$. Vinny’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria This regional chain has pies plus a slew of caloric subs, pastas, and stromboli. Hollymead Town Center. 973-4055. $$. Vinny’s New York Pizza and Pasta Serves up authentic pies, pastas, and subs. Lasagna and veal are faves at this long-established joint. 8841 Seminole Trail, Ruckersville. 985-4731. $. Vita Nova Cheap and hearty pizza by the slice. 310 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 977-0162. $. Vito’s Italian Restaurant Specializing in pizza and Italian dishes. Rte. 29, 8181 Thomas Nelson Hwy., Lovingston. 263-8688. $$. Vivace Every kind of pasta imaginable, plus seafood, Italian wines, grappas, and full bar in a casual, elegant setting. 2244 Ivy Rd. 979-0994. $$. Vocelli Pizza Pizza, pasta, panini, salads, and stromboli for carryout and delivery, plus antipasti. Woodbrook Shopping Center. 977-4992. $.
Learning to eat At UVA, I did my third year in Madrid, Spain, and I discovered San Sebastian, a resort town on the coast near the French border that’s famous for its food. It has Michelin-starred restaurants, but my favorite places to eat there were pinxto bars. Pinxto means spike, or skewer, but it translates generally to snack, or tapas. The pinxtos are concentrated in one area in San Sebastian. You go from one to the next, and each has a specialty, often served on a slice of crusty bread. It’s a style of eating, grazing in a cool old neighborhood where food is central to life. The idea of eating fresh and local didn’t exist when I was growing up. I learned about it in Spain, where I ended up living for five years. Today, it informs not only the way I eat but also my business, which uses organic ingredients to make spirits and other drinks. After I returned to Virginia (I live in Ivy), I got married and my husband and I took a trip—guess where. Part of the planning entailed plotting a course among the best pinxto bars. Thankfully, no driving was involved because drinking definitely was, and my favorite places to eat were within walking distance. The strategy is to start with little bites and then work your way up to a main course. One pinxto we went to specializes in hongos, thick-stemmed mushrooms cut up and sautéed in garlic with a fried egg on top. Another served a dozen different preparations of anchovies, or boquerónes. One delicacy that sounds gross but is delicious are percebes— we call them goose barnacles here—that you eat by sucking the meat out of the shell. Finally, there’s beef, or rather, ox, that’s seared on a big iron griddle, sliced very thin, and again, served on bread. When you ask about a favorite meal, most people recall one big decadent dining experience. For me, piecing together a bunch of great moments in an amazing place like San Sebastian is how I think of my best meal ever. —Allison Evanow-Jones, founder, Square One Organic Spirits, as told to Joe Bargmann Square One Organic Spirits are available by request at Virginia ABC stores, and the brand’s organic cocktail mixers can be purchased at local stores including The Spice Diva and Foods of All Nations or online at squareoneorganicmixers.com.
Latin American
Mediterranean Bashir’s Taverna Authentic Mediterranean cuisine by a Mediterranean chef. 507 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 923-0927. $$. Basil Mediterranean Bistro Mediterranean fare from grape leaves to tapas, plus a late-night wine bar. 109 14th St. 977-5700. $. Box’d Kitchen Custom salads and homemade sauces. 909 W. Main St. 202-2749. $. Cava Fast-casual Mediterranean with lots of vegetarian options. 1200 Emmet St. N #110. 2274800. $. Copper Mine Bistro Mediterranean-inspired menu features tapas, pizzas, and entrées like shrimp provençal and veal saltimbocca. Wintergreen Resort. 325-8090. $/$$.
JOHN ROBINSON
Al Carbon Chicken Peruvian rotisserie chicken and more. Woodbrook Shopping Center. 9641052. $. Armando’s Mexican Restaurant Authentic Mexican on the Corner. 105 14th St. NW. 202-1980. $. Asado Wing & Taco Company Chicken wings, tacos, and margs. 1327 W. Main St., 234-3486. $. Aqui es Mexico Authentic Mexican and Salvadoran tacos, tortas, sopes, pupusas, and more. 221 Carlton Rd., Suite 12. 295-4748. $. Barbie’s Burrito Barn California-style Mexican food to go. 201 Avon St. 328-8020. $. The Bebedero Upscale authentic Mexican, plus cocktails and made-to-order guac. 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. 234-3763. $$. Brazos Tacos Austin, Texas-style breakfast, lunch, early dinner, and brunch tacos. 925 Second St. SE, 984-1163. $. BurritOh! Burritos, tacos, rice bowls, quesadillas, and nachos made to order. 540 Radford Ln., Crozet. 812-2154. $. Cactus Mexican Restaurant Authentic Mexican and Central American dishes. 221 Carlton Rd. Suite 11 & 12. 295-4748. $.
Chipotle Simple menu of burritos and tacos made before your eyes. Barracks Road Shopping Center, 872-0212; 2040 Abbey Rd. Suite 101, 984-1512. $. Cinema Taco Burritos, tacos, and empanadas inside the Jefferson Theater. Delicious and cheap. 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 245-4981. $. Continental Divide “Get in Here!” says the sign. Do it. Great nachos and margaritas. 811 W. Main St. 984-0143. $$. El Jaripeo Mexican favorites for the 29N crowd and also the UVA Corner crowd. 1750 Timberwood Blvd., 296-9300; 1202 W. Main St., 9729190. $. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop Fresh, handmade, Baja-style Mexican food. 435 Merchant Walk Sq., Suite 600. 214-0500. $. Guadalajara Mexican food by Mexican folks. Margaritas so green they glow. Cheap prices! 805 E. Market St., 977-2676; 395 Greenbrier Dr., 978-4313; 2206 Fontaine Ave., 979-2424; 108 Town Country Ln., 293-3538; 3450 Seminole Trail, 977-2677. $. Guajiros Miami Eatery Cuban breakfast, brunch, and lunch with a Miami flair. Woodbrook Shopping Center. 465-2108. Junction Innovative Southwestern cuisine with locally sourced ingredients in Belmont. 421 Monticello Rd. 465-6131. $$. La Joya Authentic Mexican from tacos to churros. 1145 Fifth St. SW, 293-3185; 1015 Heathercroft Cir, Ste. #300 (Crozet), 205-4609. $. La Michoacana Mexican deli serves budgetfriendly burritos, tacos, and enchiladas. 1138 E. High St., 409-9941; 2291 Seminole Ln., 956-4299. $. La Tortuga Feliz Authentic Mexican entrées and baked goods. 1195 Seminole Trail. 882-7461. $. Los Jarochos Authentic Mexican in Midtown. 625 W. Main St. 328-8281. $. Margarita’s the Flavor of Mexico Authentic Mexican, American, and margaritas. 2815 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Nellysford. 218-7767. $. Morsel Compass Popular food truck’s brick and mortar spot. 2025 Library Ave., Crozet. 989-1569. $$. Mi Casita Homey Salvadoran-Honduran eatery serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pantops Shopping Center. 984-1554. $. Plaza Azteca Tableside guacamole is just the beginning of the offerings at this Mexican chain. Seminole Square Shopping Center. 964-1045. $. Qdoba Mexican Grill Spicy burritos, quesadillas, and Mexican salads made before your eyes. 3918 Lenox Ave., 244-5641. $.
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Allison Evanow-Jones
Winter Knife&Fork 57