The Hook - The Dish » 2010

Arirang restaurant up for auction

by Dave McNair 4:03 pm January 13th

Arirang Restaurant, the Korean place that replaced Ludwig’s Schnitzelhouse on Fontaine Avenue in September 2008 has closed, and the owners are auctioning off all their restaurant stuff on January 23 at 10am. A viewing will be held on January 22 from 1pm to 3pm. Click here for a list of what’s available. Oh, it also looks like the building is for sale. $825,000 and it’s yours!

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Clifton slashes prices! Reveals cooking secrets!

by Dave McNair 3:52 pm January 12th

In an offer more typical of warehouse mattress or furniture stores, the swanky Clifton Inn is having a 50 percent off sale through January. That’s right, every Monday and Tuesday until the end of the month, all menu items— excluding specials on group menus, beverages, and tax and service fees— will be half price. So come on down to Sofa King, ‘cause this deal just won’t last! Uh, sorry, Dish got a little carried away there…

Oh, also, every Wednesday in January and February at Clifton you can join chef Dean Maupin in the Clifton kitchen for a cooking demo. Each one, which starts at 6pm, will be followed by a 3-course meal, all for $40. Space is limited to 25 people, so reservations are suggested.

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Changes at La Taza include name, prices

by Dave McNair 3:15 pm January 12th

Next week, La Taza will change its name to Roast: a neighborhood eatry and espresso bar.
FILE PHOTO BY DAVE MCNAIR

While La Taza prepares to open La Tazita in the SNL Buildings, which we reported on last week, down at their Downtown Belmont location they’re cooking up some changes as well— like changing their name.

That’s right, according to La Taza owner Melissa Easter, the Belmont coffee house and eatery will soon change its name to the more elaborate Roast: a neighborhood eatery and espresso bar. Easter says its an effort to re-brand the place for the “eclectic blend of folks” who’ve frequented La Taza over the years. The change will include bringing the prices down, making service quicker, redecorating, going green by adding solar hot water heaters on the roof, adding more soups and sandwiches, and naming the sandwiches after streets in Belmont.

“Cash is a problem right now,” says Easter. “And we want to make it reasonable to go out.”

Easter says the changes should be done next week, but that people shouldn’t expect to lose that La Taza atmosphere entirely.

“We’ve changed colors a little bit, moved things around, but it will still have that funky La Taza feel,” she says.” I think it’s prettier than it was before.”

As for La Tazita, Easter says she was initially skeptical about expanding over the bridge, but has since warmed up to the idea.

“I’m so excited about La Tazita,” she says. “It’s going to be a nice, little, cozy warm spot in the SNL building.”

Of course, all this sudden change has been a whirlwind for Easter.

”It’s crazy, it was a lot to do in a little time,” she says.

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All aboard! Java Depot lays tracks

by Dave McNair 12:57 pm January 12th

The Java Depot in Nellyford, which happens to be a restored train depot, opened in June last year.
PHOTO COURTESY JAVA DEPOT

In our yearly round-up of openings and closings, Dish missed one opening on the road to Wintergreen—the Java Depot and Café. As co-owner Nancy Kern, who runs the place with her husband, Richard Boyd, wants to remind folks, the Java Depot opened in June last year.

“Our place is unique with terrific coffee and homemade food,” says Kern.

Boyd, an architect, actually designed the Java Depot in 2007 using the old Arrington railroad depot, which was built in 1870 to replace the old depot which was burned down during the Civil War. Before being dismantled and moved to its current location along Route 151 in Beach Grove, it housed the Arrington Post Office from 1961 to 1982. Originally, the restored building opened as Sparrow’s Cafe a little over a year ago, but that business only lasted about five months. Kern, a lawyer, says she and Boyd, who only live about a mile away, kept driving by the building and were struck with the restaurant bug.

“We decided I could keep my job to put my salary into the Depot and work mornings and weekends,” says Kern. “Richard is in charge of the kitchen, me the barista and coffee. It’s so much fun. It’s not lucrative yet, but there is no better way to spend my salary.”

Kern says Nellysford needed a coffee shop, and that she loves the idea of making people happy with homemade food and coffee.

“I’m a coffee snob,” admits Kern, “so I shopped around and settled on Shenandoah Joe roasters— more expensive but better than others I found.”

The Depot is opened for breakfast and lunch from 6:30am to 2:30pm every day except Tuesdays, and on Friday nights from 6pm to 9pm they feature live music, dessert, and light dinner fare.

As for the food, look for treats like roasted tomato soup, butternut squash and shrimp bisque, smoked turkey and bacon club, homemade applesauce, sweet potato pancakes, and chocolate almond pie.

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Newsplex covers Restaurant Week

by Dave McNair 11:15 am January 08th

CBS 19’s Liz Palka did a story on Restaurant Week yesterday. Check it out!

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Foodies rejoice: RW updates, farm dreams, and mini-La Taza

by Dave McNair 5:59 pm January 05th

Restaurant Week pioneer Mark Gresge of L’etoile returns with more delicious surprises.
FILE PHOTO BY WILL WALKER

Get psyched, foodies! Restaurant Week is coming, so save the dates: Monday, January 25 through Sunday, January 31. (Oh, and we’re already planning another one in July 12 through 18!). We’re talking three-course meals at some of the area’s best restaurant for just $26, with includes $1 to the Charlottesville branch of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank—a nice way to give back to our community and help the food bank restock after the holiday rush.

And now for some updates. The Omni hotel’s The Pointe restaurant has just become the first to reveal its 2010 menu to eager diners, which you can check out at cvilleyum.com. There will be seared rockfish with potatoes au gratin, jumbo shrimp, roasted ratatouille, and even bacon-wrapped meatloaf. And more! Every participating restaurant will have their menu listed in a Restaurant Week Special Section inserted in the January 21 edition of the Hook and menus will also be posted on cvilleyum.com as we receive them

Oh, and don’t forget, restaurants are taking reservations now and all contact information is available at cvilleyum.com. All 8 restaurants that participated in 2009 are returning, plus we have 10 new restaurants participating for a total of 18 great restaurants to choose from.

And just like the first time, in addition to participating in Restaurant Week, The Boar’s Head Inn, Keswick Hall and The Omni are all offering room discounts during Restaurant Week. Oh, yes, it’s going to be a delicious good time!

Make that small farm dream come true

Ever dream of starting your own farm? Or making the one you did start even more successful? Why not think about taking the (more)

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