May 9, 2008The Charlottesville sceneThe Washington Post recently did an interesting story about the burgeoning food scene in Charlottesville. If you haven't had a chance to read it, click here. After seeing the article, I can't wait to check out Mas, a Spanish restaurant that supposedly serves up great tapas. Anyone else have a favorite restaurant in Charlottesville? Or any thoughts on what makes the dining scene better than Roanoke's, if anything? While I'm sharing random tidbits, I'll share a random recipe. I found this recipe for Mango Chicken Curry on Simply Recipes. Yellow curry...golden raisins...mangoes...heavy cream...what more could you want? Since Swagat, one of downtown Roanoke's Indian restaurants, has apparently closed down, maybe it's time to perfect some Indian food at home. Enjoy! Before I go, I wanted to let you all know that I'll be in Florida this weekend and the first part of next week visiting my grandmother for Mother's Day. When I get back, we can dish about grouper sandwiches and conch fritters and key lime pie. Until then, please enjoy the guest blog entries on Monday and Tuesday by my colleague Nona Nelson, who can typically be found over at Happy Wag, the Roanoke Times pet blog. Thanks, Nona! Mango Chicken Curry Recipe Ingredients: 3 Tbsp. (or more) of vegetable oil Method: 1. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and another tablespoon of oil, cook for a couple more minutes. Add the curry powder and cumin, cook for a few more minutes. The spices will absorb some of the oil, so if anything begins to stick too much to the bottom of the pan, add a little more oil to the pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for one minute more. 2. Add the vinegar, water, and a 1/2 of the chopped mango to the pan. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Scoop the sauce into a blender. Purée the sauce, pulsing until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan. 3. Add chicken pieces and raisins to the pan. Return to a low simmer. Cover the pan and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Chicken should be just cooked through. Use a knife to cut open the largest piece to check. 4. Add remaining mango pieces to the pan. Stir in the cream. Let cook at a very low temperature for another minute or two, uncovered. Do not let boil! Or the cream may curdle. Adjust seasonings. If a little too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not sweet enough, you can add a dash of sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 4. Source: Simply Recipes |
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Comments
[May 9, 2008 4:02 PM]
DennisHi Lindsey, I love the Mellow Mushroom in C'ville! It's a pizza restaurant, part of a chain, though I've not seen any of them elsewhere. The pizza is fantastic there! Also, I'm a beer lover and they have a GREAT selection of micro brewed beers on tap. So a great place to eat and to drink! There is also a very good, different, Mexican restaurant called Mono Loco that is just over from the "Downtown Mall." And other good places as well, but those two are where I've been more in the recent past.
[May 9, 2008 6:06 PM]
Nona : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/thehappywag/I love the Mellow Mushroom, too, though the only one I have ever dined in was near Vanderbilt University in Nashville. They make great pizza.
[May 10, 2008 11:52 PM]
Jordan : →http://www.roanoke.comI've been to Mas once or twice and they are okay. I should say that I'm not big (no pun intended) into the whole tapas thing.. I just never "got it". That being said, Mas is tasty.
P.S. I forget the name of it, but the Indian restaurant on Franklin Road where DJ's used to be is great. We've been there several times and the service is excellent, the food is perfect, and the prices are fair. They definitely are comparable (if not better) to Swagat or Nawab.
[May 12, 2008 4:59 PM]
amanda dehavenNOOOO! Swagat's has not closed, has it???
[May 13, 2008 12:03 PM]
SarahI just graduated from UVA last May, and one of the things I miss the most is all of the yummy CVille food! Mellow Mushroom is great, but it's a chain. CVille has lots of local gems. Feast at Main Street Market makes amazing sandwiches (my favorite is the prosciutto and mozarella with sundried tomato jam). Mas is definitely a must. Mono Loco has the best mojitos around. Fleurie and Le Petit Pois serve AMAZING French food. The mac and cheese at Zyde Co. on the Corner is not to be missed. Best kept secret is Duner's. It's in Ivy, which is right outside of CVille. They don't take reservations, but any wait is SO worth it. Virginia dining at its best!
[May 13, 2008 12:17 PM]
Nona : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/thehappywag/Thanks for the tips, Sarah. We are planning a weekend in C'Ville this summer and now we have a list of choices for dining. The prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich sounds like heaven!
[May 14, 2008 3:26 PM]
Lindsey : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/Sadly, yes it has, Amanda. And neither Jenny Boone on the Storefront blog nor I really know why.
[May 14, 2008 4:19 PM]
amanda**sniff**
[May 15, 2008 9:46 PM]
JenAs a former C'ville resident who will actually be moving back to the "foodie mecca" in June, I can attest to what a great food town Charlottesville is. Though I've enjoyed my time here in the Star City, it is a completely different type of place in terms of food. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes the two towns different, but Charlottesville has always felt very European to me. The fact that there are multiple bakeries that make fabulous pastries is one plus; the sheer number of coffee houses is another. I mean, the sheer fact that there are TWO designated gelaterias should tell you something about the town's commitment to food. Plus, I've never been to a place with so many gourmet gas stations (go to Bellair Market for a sandwich!).
Okay, enough gushing. I think the bottom line is that there are many more opportunities to try a wide variety of things in Charlottesville, something that Roanoke is in some ways missing. We need more local joints and fewer chain restaurants, I'm sad to say.
Re: the Indian restaurant on Franklin Rd...it's called Taaza (sp.?), and I have to agree that it is fabulous--ten times better than any Indian food I've ever had in Charlottesville. I will definitely miss their Chicken Tikka. I will also be sad to abandon the "Happy Combo" at Grace's Pizza in Grandin, perhaps the best deal in town for a pie and a pitcher. Roanoke does have its own hidden gems...