There is a new restaurant in town. Well, it’s not exactly in town – it’s south of Ruckersville - and it’s not exactly new – it’s about 5 months old. It’s Coppersmith’s Food and Spirits. We ate there last week and I was delighted with my experience. The restaurant is located off Rt. 29 North, about halfway between Forest Lakes and Ruckersville, in the small shopping center with Dunkin’ … [Read more...]

One of Charlottesville’s most popular tourist destinations, right up there with Monticello, is Michie Tavern. Unquestionably Charlottesville’s oldest restaurant, Michie Tavern was established way back in 1784 by a Scottish Gentleman, William Michie. The Tavern was first sited in Earlysville, then moved near Monticello in 1927. At Michie Tavern, waiters and waitresses in period attire greet and … [Read more...]

CvilleBuzz reader and contributor, Sherman Shifflet, and I are always on the lookout for new and interesting places to eat. Sherman says he may have found another needle in the haystack. “Greg Barlow, my hunting buddy for the past 40 years, and I went to Richmond, today, and a friend recommended the Pickle Barrel Restaurant for breakfast,” Sherman noted. “He also said the place was good for … [Read more...]

A great Italian restaurant in Covington? No way! Yes, way! It’s called Cucci’s. I’ve eaten there on several occasions and the food is authentic Italian and very good. Cucci’s is a popular local hangout. The one-acre parking lot stays packed, except on Sundays, when they are closed. Cucci’s prepares their food fresh and daily, including fresh breads. They offer a wide selection of Italian … [Read more...]

I found myself in Downtown Waynesboro recently around lunchtime. How convenient. Any excuse will do when it comes to getting a couple of hot dogs from Sam’s Hot Dogs in Waynesboro. In my humble opinion, there are three places that stand out when it comes to great hot dogs – Jack ‘N Jill in Charlottesville Jim’s Drive In (Lewisburg, WV) and Sam’s in Waynesboro. All good, but none are better than … [Read more...]

How many Chinese or Oriental restaurants do we have in Charlottesville? A thousand? No, not quite that many, but sometimes it seems that way. There is certainly one in every strip mall in town, and most I’ve tried are pretty good. Our favorite Chinese Restaurant used to be the Flaming Wok. I knew the owner and always enjoyed his food and service, but pending development shut down his restaurant … [Read more...]

  I think we have over 200 restaurants in Charlottesville, but we don’t have a Ruth’s Chris Steak House. I’ve heard their ads on the radio for years, and I’ve always wanted to try it, but I never had the opportunity. In Honolulu, I finally got that chance. It was our last night in Hawaii and we wanted to finish off our 50th Anniversary vacation with a bang. There were two Ruth’s Chris … [Read more...]

  Apparently, there isn’t a Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers franchise in Houston, because every time my sister, Johanna, comes to visit from Texas, she insists on going to Raising Cane’s for a take-out order of fingers. They are really good, but we don’t eat there often. For me, it’s a guaranteed “weight gain”, because I’ll eat 5 or 6 fingers, plus fries, and Texas toast, and gain weight … [Read more...]

My first visit to Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant in Staunton was after a trout fishing trip to the Bull Pasture River. It had been the Opening Day of the season and we had each caught our limits - and were we ever hungry after a long day on the water. I was with Wally, Tommy and Grover Forloines and they insisted we stop and eat at Mrs. Rowe’s. “Order dessert first,” one of my companions said. “They … [Read more...]

Folks on Pantops Mountain have been enjoying delicious breakfasts and diner food for years at the Tip Top Restaurant. Now, patrons on the north side of Charlottesville have a go-to place for breakfast at Michael’s Diner & Restaurant. CvilleBuzz contributor, Sherman Shifflett, visited recently and says he will definitely go back again. Says Sherman: “I accompanied Greg Barlow to … [Read more...]