evolve

i needed a hair cut pretty badly after the beating my hair took from the wedding (growing it out and then all that hairspray) and the sun this summer. i usually go to bristles but saw this post on the scout charlottesville blog about the brand new evolve - eco friendly hair design studio right near my office. willow (barbara) was able to fit me in pretty quickly due to a cancellation and i'm enjoying my new do. i asked willow to give me a healthy trim and if she wanted to do something drastic or exciting, i would be open to it. my hair looks much the same as it did when I went in, but much healthier, a little shorter, and better shaped. she recommended we brave some bangs on my next visit.
the salon is beautiful. very sparse and open and quiet - new for a hair place. the geranium oil head massage after the shampoo was quite lovely and i'm sure would be even better after a long day of work than before the day begins.
i do love bristles, so i'll have to see how i feel when i'm due for my next hair cut, but evolve is definitely recommended for a good quality hair cut. standard cuts run ~$55.

bashir's taverna

the econ dinner club was at it again this weekend. we haven't met for a while, so charlie and i called an "emergency get together" at bashir's taverna on the downtown mall. number one - i really love when it starts to get warm here and everyone is out on the downtown mall - including the musicians (good or bad). number two - bashir's is a fun place to eat. i think our tables tasted almost everything on the menu. charlie loved the lamb. the moussaka special looked delicious and comforting. the couscous trio served in a tagine looked colorful and delicious. the ham (raved about in the new york times, apparently) was melt-in-your-mouth tasty. not cheap - but the belly-dancing is free!

ten

ten out of ten in my book for ten on the downtown mall. this is some seriously good sushi. some friends of ours wanted to go out one night the other week and were delighted to stumble up the stairs into the high-ceiling'ed, mirror-walled, hip urban decorated restaurant. the seaweed salad - awesome, and the rolls were really really delicious - super-fresh, and light. i'm a big fan.

rockpaperscissors

the new owners of rockpaperscissors have done a wonderful job with the shop. the new location on the downtown mall is wonderful (and a walk from my office). maybe i'm a a little bit nuts, but walking into the store was so soothing - it really was a breath of fresh air. the walls are a calming blue, the store is so clean and bright, and of course the products are too much fun. i love love love paper goods and the new inventory is lovely!

congrats dani and heather! i can't wait to stop in again soon!

Bizou

Charlie has been hoping to eat at Bizou since we moved to Charlottesville. I'm not quite sure what sparked his initial interest. Was it a review he read? Was is the sign over the door? We've attempted to eat there a couple of times, but both attempts were made late night and service had stopped.

Our good friends Nate and Joey were in town the other week and Charlie's dream of eating at Bizou came true. The walls of the restaurant are lined with old and obscure movie posters and the restaurant feels a little like Miller's but cleaner. Joey had a delicious looking veggie stack. Nate had some sort of steak. I had a cod fillet with some sort of bacon cream sauce and Charlie had the meatloaf (apparently referenced as a "must have" in Food and Wine from 2004". The food was very good and definitely was filling. I didn't love the cod. It seemed heavier than I expected it to be. Charlie did devour his meatloaf though. Nate mentioned that the sauce on his steak - for some reason, I'm remembering barbeque sauce - was overpowering the flavor of the meat.

I'll have to get an official verdict from Charlie, but I think Bizou may not be our favorite find in Charlottesville, especially with all of the other fabulous restaurants here. I don't know though - we could be swayed...

Cassis

So, a friend of ours knows some people who work at Cassis and he took us out for dinner there the other night. We actually didn't realize Cassis was worth checking out... The first time we went to Cassis was the first time we went out to bars in Charlottesville. It was a weird scene filled with cougars and "interesting" music. We basically wrote off Cassis, but we were wrong.

All the food we had for dinner was delicious. Our friend had the steak tartar as an appetizer and loved it. We all split roast duck breast with blue cheese polenta - yum. Betsy and friend had sea scallops, which were are waitress' favorite dish on the menu and I had the lamb. It tasted like it was slow cooked all day -- very tender and sweet. The whole menu seemed to have an autumn feel. The lamb was very much comfort food with lots of autumn/winter flavors and the sea scallops were very rich.

Cassis is on Water St. right next to Mono Loco, across from the Clock Shop. It is a little pricey, but we put it in the same category as Zocalo, so it's worth it. Also, it's a popular spot for Darden professors and wine tasting parties, so it seems to have a solid reputation.

The Donut Truck

Another "we've been meaning to go here" spot. The Donut Truck "Carpe Donut" definitely met our expectations. The donuts are slightly flavored with cider (yumm) but are still light and fluffy and perfect. When did I start loving donuts so much? Delish!

Baggby's

Considering Charlie and I both love sandwiches, we have been meaning to check out Baggby's on the downtown mall for a while. We went tonight before enjoying the music of Fridays After Five. I had a Remarkable, with avocado, turkey, bacon, cream cheese, sprouts, all kinds of good junk. Felipe had a Sundown and said it was delicious. Charlie enjoyed his classic Italian style sub called the Grinder. All were a big hit and well received picnic-like food for our Fridays After Five outing. They are a little high priced but I feel like they are comparable to Take it Away and The Market - so a new stop on the sandwich train.

We did it!

We finally took advantage of Fridays After Five! Shocking that we haven't been before now - but we did it! The band was actually really fun and it was nice to just sit and enjoy the music. And surprisingly, there were still stores open which was a nice little break from sitting.

The Nook

Charlie and I tried going here a couple of times but could never quite make it in the door for one reason or another. We made it in this morning for breakfast. I have to say I really love the downtown mall and how you are able to chill out and eat your meal in the middle of the patio area. The Nook is a diner type restaurant near the pavillion end of the mall. I had a waffle (nothing new and exciting here) and Charlie had a breakfast burrito called "the mess". I really liked The Nook and the prices were great too. $11 for breakfast. Since we didn't go inside, I don't how much room there is, but I think we will definitely be back and maybe even with friends.

Dinner at South Street Brewery

When our friends from DC came down for a short weekend visit, I was asked to find an easy and affordable dinner spot. I decided on South Street Brewery thinking we could hang out there after dinner and make a full evening out of it. While plans changed regarding our post dinner hang out, we still headed to the brewery for our sustenance. There wasn't enough table space for us all to sit together - kind of a bummer - even though the lady on the phone told me we would all be able to fit at one table. The food was very good and the feeling there is like a way more chilled out Fridays. I had a caesar salad which had way too much garlic on it - not really recommended. Charlie tried to dig in to the massive plate of ribs which he really enjoyed and our two other friends we sat with had chicken pitas. While the food isn't the best of Charlottesville, South Street Brewery has a great vibe and good late night menu. Recommended as a bar but maybe not the best place to check out dinner.

Mono Loco

We took a big group of friends who were visiting from DC to Mono Loco for brunch. I was a little suspicious when we walked onto the patio and sat down - the patio is not the cleanest looking place. My hope - a hole in the wall (which, when they're good are my favorites). Service was a little slow but when we got our food - worth it! The breakfast burritos were delicious and huge. Everyone's food looked awesome. The chips and salsa and guacamole were definitely worth adding to the bill. While the food doesn't quite live up to the breakfasts we had in Austin (I dream about them) it is definitely going to be added into our catalogue of breakfast spots... We'll have to try another meal there in the very near future.

Marco and Lucas

We have found our favorite place to eat in Charlottesville! Marco and Lucas, despite the name, is a tiny Chinese noodle and dumpling shop on the downtown mall. They serve dumplings, pork and vegetable buns, sesame noodles, sweet sour spicy noodles, and a soup. That's it - that is their menu. The place is tiny. The kitchen is right behind the counter and consists of a 5 foot long counter with a stovetop on which they cook the dumplings. There has to be a steamer or oven of some sort for the buns. The noodles are served cold and are delicious. The sweet sour spicy flavor has hints of chili, apples, and cilantro and the sesame noodles taste like they are in a light peanut sauce. The dumplings are addicting and at $3 a serving, you can afford to eat as many as you want. The best things about them is the sauce. I have actually heard it referred to as "crack sauce" - it is delicious!

Since discovering this jem right before Christmas, we have probably been back about 8 times and we can afford to do it! 2 dumplings, 1 pork bun, a noodle, and a can of soda is $12 and fills Charlie and I up.

Marco and Lucas is in the shopping center a little past Christian's Pizza. It's door faces the entrance to Cafe Cubano - which we will also have to check out.

O Suzannah

O Suzannah is an adorable stationary (which I love) store on one of the side streets off the downtown mall. I had had a few friends recommend I check it out. The store is much bigger than it seems and is packed with journals, calendars, cards, books, pens, and other knick-knacks. The owner apparently loves planners so I already felt a kinship with the store :) We were there right before Christmas so it was pretty crowded. I doubt this is the norm so I'll have to check it out again when I can take my time browsing. A great place for gifts and cute office supplies.

Eloise

I am in love with this store! I could just sit in here for hours and love my life.

The clothes are super cute - and you should see their clothes for kids - expensive, but cute. Sitting right on Water Street, Eloise carries Nanette Lepore, Theory, fabulous jeans and tees, James Perse, and super fun jewelry. They have a bargain bin the back of the store and a great couch area for boyfriends (or fiances) who have been dragged along.

You have to check it out!

Wonderful, just wonderful!

Splendora's

This gelato parlor on the downtown mall is quite fabulous and they have tons of fun flavors, including a newly discovered Apple Cider flavored gelato. I think this flavor may be a close second to Turkey Hill's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (not like they are very comparable). It was delicious and very comforting while at the same time fresh and refreshing.

Charlie highly recommends any of their coffee flavored gelatos.

I just get the bambino sized cup (just one scoop) while Charlie opts for the small - which gives you the option of having two flavors.

Mmm Mmm

Christian's Pizza

The first night in our new house - we picked up some highly recommended pizza from Christian's. We got sausage, peppers and mushrooms and it was delicious. I was especially surprised by how good the pizza was reheated. Charlie has been back several times and ordered by the slice for a cheap lunch. " I haven't had a bad slice yet", he says. Christian's is named in Charlottesville's Best Of and we would agree. There is a shop on the Downtown Mall on the west end close to the Omni and there is also one on the Corner (14th and University). Enjoy!

Rapture on the Mall

We went here one night with some new friends of ours and had a very nice time. The place was busy, but not too crowded. We were able to grab a bar table, drink $2 PBR's, and watch the Olympics on a couple of flat screen TVs. There was a large dance room in the back that was completely empty, but that may have been because we were there a little early. There was a good mix of people there, and the place seemed pretty unpretentious overall.

A few days later I went there with an old friend for lunch on a weekday. They have patio seating out on the mall, which was nice. The selection of sandwiches was impressive. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with roasted red peppers and jack cheese and other assorted goodies on it. It was delicious. The fries that came with the sandwich, although a little too salty, were also very good. For some reason I did not expect the food to be that good, but it was. I recommend this place for a bite to eat or to get a drinks with friends.

Zocalo

We had brunch on Sunday the 3rd on Zocalo's cute patio. Unfortunately the brunch menu isn't listed on the website (www.zocalo-restaurant.com) but the menu that is listed looks fabulous and worth another try not during brunch hours. Zocalo is right in the middle of the downtown mall next to a little french bistro Petit Pois that we are planning on trying too. The waitress was super friendly and the food was wonderful. Charlie's mom ordered an arugula salad with strawberries and a vinaigrette that she loved. Charlie had "The Scramble" - eggs, onions, mushrooms, spinach - delicious. And I had a smoked salmon entree. The salmon pieces were layered on matza crackers, jalapeno cream cheese (very light) with some greens, tomato, and a drizzle of some green oil concoction (possibly jalapeno again). It was delicious and had a little kick to it that made it interesting. The food was definitely a little more costly but didn't break the bank. And the vibe of the place was fun and quirky. Charlie and I are looking forward to checking it out again and maybe going even for the bar and to soak in the atmosphere. My favorite part: the bathroom - be sure to check out the sink!