Brookville is located in the former Upstairs/Al Dente space above Escafé. It’s more out of the way than other mall spots that easily attract passersby, so I hope the spot won’t be tough for them. It’s a welcoming space that was far too empty for the delicious meal we were about to have. The entry room includes a large bar, exposed brick walls, bookshelves filled with cookbooks to thumb through, and a communal table beneath a chalkboard featuring the local food providers.

The space is inviting and warm it was but the menu that captured my heart. It’s simple and streamlined with no more than ten items on the entire menu, including desserts. The menu will change weekly based on the best of what’s available within 100 miles of the restaurant. Chef Harrison Keevil, a Virginia native and UVA grad who’s cooked in San Francisco and New York, was welcoming and passionate about his food.

We started with a delicious watermelon, feta, and shallot salad with pea tendrils, and a potato cake with a poached egg and the perfect amount of gruyere. A promising start, and it only got better with an incredibly tender pork tenderloin and belly with spatzle and a peppered honey sauce. The combination of flavors was perfect, and it was one of the best entrées I’ve had in awhile. Of course we had to sample both desserts, for the sake of scientific rigor, and it was hard to pick which we loved more. The warm, gooey brownie with charred marshmallow fluff sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs elevated the noble s’more to a whole new level. And then there was the waffle. A maple and bacon waffle with the most scrumptious grilled peaches you can imagine. If Brookville starts serving brunch and that waffle is on the menu, I’m in trouble.

I’ve heard one or two grumblings that Brookville’s servings are too small for the price, but the prices were consistent with or less than any other nice restaurant in town. The appetizer portions were on the smaller size, the entrée average size, and the desserts servings generous. But no matter how big the servings, this is not some all-you-can-eat buffet that’s about quantity over quality. This is about paying a fair price for lovingly made food that comes from lovingly raised ingredients from our region, and savoring every delicious bite.

Jed says: “Possibly the perfect fine dining restaurant for Charlottesville in the 2010′s. A small menu of local flavors masterfully prepared by a personable chef as you overlook the mall from a dining room that manages to be both elegant and homey.”

Rating: Erin: [rating=4.5] Jed: [rating=4.5]

Pros: Delicious food, local and seasonal menu, welcoming space and staff.

Cons: I may develop a maple and bacon waffle addiction.

Price: Appetizers $6-8, Entrées $12-17, Desserts $5.

Parking: The usual mall spots.

Contact Info

434-202-2791
Brookville Blog

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• Brookville Restaurant Blog
• The Hook: “100-Mile Chef”
• C-ville Restaurantarama: “Going Upstairs”

Or so it was. The arrival of The Downtown Hotdog Company, along with such international crazes as Japadog, heralds a new era of thinking about and eating hot dogs. No longer content to be monopolized by Oscar Meyer or confined to white buns, Heinz ketchup, French’s mustard, and maybe some diced onions or pickle relish, the noble wiener is going gourmet.

At the Downtown Hotdog Company, you can pick from a dozen arrangements – including such stand-outs as “The Dragon” with hot kimchi and Sriracha Sauce, and “The Monkey” with peanut butter and banana. Or make your own. Put it all on a classic 100% Vienna Beef dog, or substitute a 1/4 lb. dog, polish sausage, or surprisingly tasty veggie dog. Wrap it all in a white or wheat (or poppyseed) bun. All the toppings and big dogs too intimidating? Order up some mini hot dog sliders with one topping each.

We’ve tried the Caprese (basil, tomato, mozzarella, and a balsamic glaze), The Dragon, and The Chicago (a spin on the classic “one with everything”), and they were mostly excellent. The Caprese of my first visit didn’t work for me, either because the toppings were all so chunky and substantial that the whole thing didn’t blend together well or because the dog itself was too hard, repelling the other ingredients. But the Dragon, with a smoky veggie dog underneath, had a delightful zing to it, and the Chicago was a perfect smoosh of pickly salted sweetness.

Though the atmosphere needs some of that “lived-in” softness that can only come with time, the mustard-colored walls and ketchup-colored floor make for a cheerful cafeteria feel that is enlivened by the charming/scary Harry the Hot Dog Man near the door. We didn’t like that dine-in orders were served in disposable plastic boxes, though they’re great for orders to go.

One final thing that deserves special mention is the service. Many parents have taught their children that they should take pride in what they do, no matter what it is, and many managers have taught their employees that the customer is king. Nowhere are these two lessons more admirably on display than at The Downtown Hotdog Company. The infectious enthusiasm and friendliness of the proprietors brighten the room and your day, and make the already tasty hot dogs all the tastier.

Erin says: “The menu is fun, the toppings endless, the veggie dog convincing. My only request would be for a bun upgrade.”

Rating: Erin: [rating=3.5] Jed: [rating=3.5]

Pros: Inventive, great for a quick lunch on the mall, friendly service.

Cons: Comparatively boring buns – we’d like to see more gourmet options all around – and eco-unfriendly packaging.

Price: $4.50 for a dog with gourmet toppings.

Parking: The usual mall spots.

Contact Info

The Downtown Hotdog Company Facebook Page

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• C-ville: Give a dog a home
• Hook: York Place lets the dogs out

Sweet Frog (next door to Escafé) has ten yogurt taps. Pick your size and your flavor – mango, cake batter, cookies and cream, blueberry, New York cheesecake – and fill it or mix it up as you please. Then comes the fun part: the toppings smorgasbord. Sweet Frog has pretty much every type of candy imaginable, a delicious assortment of fresh fruits, and more unique options such as Agave syrup and cereal. The best part is you get to assemble your own, so no more feeling shameful as you ask the server to add a few more snickers, please. Your cup is weighed at checkout for 39 cents an ounce.

The formula is the same as many of the healthy yogurt chains sweeping the nation post-Pinkberry, but it’s great to have one locally (Arch’s is close, but I think this beats the Wow Cow any day). While you may be tempted by cake batter and candy, I would highly recommend the original tart flavor. Load it up with fruit, coconut flakes, and mochi (Japanese rice cake that tastes like a more subtle marshmallow), and you have a healthy treat that’s perfectly normal to enjoy three times in two days.

For a fair that highlights what’s great about our community – agriculture, crafts, music – why doesn’t it highlight local food? With the exception of Pantheon Popsicles, the Charlottesville Mennonite Church’s Funnel Cake Booth, and Richmond’s Famous Dave’s BBQ chain, all the food seemed to be generic stands that travel across the country along with the ferris wheel and game stands. Remembering the sugar slush we had in previous years, we tried multiple stands promising “freshly squeezed lemonade” to find one that wasn’t a pre-mixed a sugary blend – no luck, and we didn’t see a lemon in sight. I was mildly tempted to try my first-ever fried pickle, but in the end all the food seemed too generic to pick anything over the nearby Dr. Ho’s.

I have nothing against good old fashioned unhealthy foods, but why can’t we make them hometown fried favorites for the county fair? For future fairs, I dream of an all-star county line-up with Riverside offering burgers, Downtown Hot Dog Company and Last Call dogs serving up dogs, a long line surrounding the Farmer’s Market taco truck, and Chaps ice cream making everything sweeter.

Java Java’s Cantaloupe Smoothie is a little less sweet than other fruit blends. It’s icy and creamy with a hint of honey and spice to it, with a beautiful pastel color that screams summer. It’s a perfectly refreshing and healthy afternoon treat.

In other smoothie news, my favorite coffee man at Java Hut (the cart in front of Chap’s) told me he makes delicious Mulberry Smoothies when they’re in season. So keep that in mind for next spring!

• Cinema Taco

• The tacos at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning

• Aqui es Mexico

• La Michoacana

In all fairness, I haven’t tried the Farmer’s Market samplings – I hear they’re the best – but among the others, my money goes to La Michoacana. They’ve been inconsistent over the years, and I don’t much enjoy their burritos or other offerings, but the tacos are tops.

Of the possible taco tortilla options – crunchy corn, soft corn, or soft flour – La Michoacana’s are soft corn, my least favorite, but they make theirs from scratch and the texture is just right. The other ingredients are (usually) fresh, and there are multiple salsas, including a “guacamole sauce,” on the counter for you to play with.

If you like a little sass in your shell, go for the tacos locos, which have both chicken and chorizo. Otherwise, the chicken is the safest bet. All tacos are $2 each, whether you go regular, super, or loco, so go crazy! Just don’t forget to squeeze the lime over everything before inserting into your mouth.

Email us, comment here, post your experiences to our Facebook page, tweet* them. (Okay, things are admittedly getting a little out of hand with the social media options.) We want to hear all about it!

Other places where people are commenting:

• CvilleYum.com – The official Restaurant Week website. Also, their Facebook page.

• The Hook – For now, it’s mostly people debating whether $26 is a good deal or not, but stay tuned.

* Thanks to Kari Rippetoe for suggesting we track our Restaurant Week tweets with the #cvilleyum hashtag. Click it to see what everyone is saying on Twitter, or keep an eye on our Twitter feed at left, which includes #cvilleyum tweets.

If David Lynch was scouting locations for his next movie in Charlottesville, the Bamboo House would inspire quite a flick. As anyone driving up to DC knows, there are rarely cars outside the beige, boxy exterior. On our most recent visit, however, there were close to 20 cars in the parking lot – yet it was empty inside. We stepped inside to have our noses bombarded by an unsettling citrus perfume aroma and our ears by muzak at its worst. Let’s just say we heard a very loud “Hopelessly Devoted to You” twice within the first half-hour (yes, an instrumental version of the Olivia Newton John sleepover song after Rizzo is mean to her). The bar holds a cheery large red tapestry of ducks with light fixtures reminiscent of a jail, and the floor-to-ceiling entertainment system could host a truly kick-ass karaoke party. The giant room was filled with mostly empty tables and you could spot a bedroom off the back wall. And then there’s the taxidermy. Apparently the husband owner-chef is a recreational taxidermist so the restaurant is sprinkled with stuffed foxes, ducks, deer and even an angry looking little squirrel. Many are lovingly arranged in outdoor nature scenes with fake plants that make for a truly charming and bizarre setting. We had heard good things about the Korean food, but should have suspected it would be hard to live up to the decor.

The Bamboo House actually serves Korean and Chinese food, but we had been advised to stick with the Korean dishes. When we asked the wife owner-server what their best dishes were, she recommended the classic Korean dishes Beef Bulgogi and Bibimbap. We also ordered the Kimchi Jun appetizer, a spicy pancake with kimchi and promised yet nonexistent lean pork. The pickled vegetable topping had an interesting flavor, but the pancake itself had a strange, bloated texture. And while it was supposed to be a starter for one, the two of us could have easily split the one appetizer and gone home full.

The main dishes were next and things did not improve. I prefer my Bibimbap – a mixture of rice, vegetables, chili paste, egg and sliced beef – as the variety served in a hot pan so the mixture continues to cook through and you’re left with deliciously crispy bites to scrape off the bottom. The Bamboo House dish came in a plastic bowl and the entire dish tasted bland and underdone. The Bulgogi – barbecued beef – smelled good but was an unsettling gray color. While I can sometimes ignore grayish meat, it’s harder to do so when you’re surrounded with dead stuffed animals. Some bites were okay but I wished there were some scallions, mushrooms or more garlic to distract from the slightly older tasting meat.

The server was very sweet and small touches continued to delight, such as the watermelon and two slices of wrapped Wrigley chewing gum that came out with our bill. We agreed the watermelon and Tsing-Taos were the best part of our meal. It’s worth a trip to enjoy this one-of-a kind location and support the lovely family that runs the place. But for any return visits, I’m sorry to say we’ll go for a beer and then hit the Korean House for dinner.

Jed says: “David Lynch meets David Cronenberg for an unappetizing meal before Bill Murray makes a surprise karaoke appearance.”

Rating: Erin: [rating=2] Jed: [rating=2]

Pros: Fabulously eccentric interior complete with taxidermy touches, family-owned with welcoming service.

Cons: Korean dishes were mediocre.

Price: Korean dishes $8-15, Chinese dishes $6-9.

Parking: Parking lot.

Contact Info

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• Cvillian: Bamboo House?
• Yelp reviews of Bamboo House
• Urban Spoon reviews of Bamboo House

The Seasonal Cook‘s evening classes generally follow the same format: You and seven other people sit around the chef’s table, close enough that you can practically feel the heat from the burners, and watch as he or she prepares dishes according to the theme for that evening. There is no imposed structure. Ask questions along the way, chat about restaurants and farms, follow the recipe exactly or not, have some wine. The personality of the chef dictates how it goes.

This latest class, featuring Chef Mark Gresge of l’etoile and a theme of “New Spins on Lost Tradtions of a Backyard Cocktail Party,” was like a scene from The Absent-Minded Professor crossed with an episode of The French Chef with Julia Child. Chef Gresge’s disarming affability, rustic sensibilities, playful innovation, and technical mastery combined to create a most relaxed but entertaining and educational evening.

He made and we greedily ate cream cheese balls rolled in toasted cumin, red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro, and cracked pepper; a greek yogurt-based roasted garlic onion dip, served with baked potato chips; the freshest and tastiest beef tartare imaginable, with mustard, onions, capers, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and a quail egg on top; and vibrant Polyface eggs deviled two ways: truffled and lobster-stuffed.

We’re happy to spread the recipe love if you think you need any of these, and I assure you that you do. It may be hard to find the truffles or grind the beef, but everything else is reasonably easy to prepare, and delicious!

It took me awhile to venture beyond Rev Soup’s forte – quite obviously, its soups – to try its non-liquid offerings. Which means I wasted valuable time in finding one of the most delicious sandwiches in town.

There’s a lot to love about Rev Soup.  The fact that they offer sustainably raised local food (their latest project is a recently purchased Rev Soup Farm).  The eclectic, delicious wine selection that tempts you in the order line, especially because all bottles are under $10.  And come on, Rev Soup could stay in business just serving the Spicy Senegalese Tofu Peanut Soup.  There’s much to love, but I find it hard to stray from the Adam’s Apple Sandwich.

This sandwich superstar has a perfect salty-sweet, yin and yang balance.  On the salty side, there’s a generous serving of sliced turkey, glorious bacon, creamy chevre, and garlic aioli that has a bite. On the sweet side, there’s lusciously slathered apple butter and crisp Granny Smith apple slices. Bitter arugula adds a healthy touch of green amidst the meat and bridges the many strong flavors. Both hands are needed on the toasted sunflower wheat bread slices to corral all of this into a lucky waiting mouth. An A plus for Adam’s Apple!