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Since Charlottesville is a college town, most restaurants are very casual. You will need reservations for popular fine-dining options like the C&O, and business casual is more appropriate for these upscale venues.
Don't let the exterior fool you: behind the boarded-up storefront on which an illuminated Pepsi sign hangs, is an exemplary restaurant. The formal dining room upstairs, the lively bistro downstairs, and the cozy mezzanine in between share a French-influenced menu that has Pacific Rim and American Southwest touches. The heated patio and urban terrace are also lovely dining spaces during fall and spring. For a starter, try the panfried sweetbread medallions; entrées include steak chinoise with fresh ginger, tamari, and scallion cream sauce. The chefs source their products from local markets and farms, so the menu changes seasonally, and the wine list is 300 labels strong. For night owls, they offer a late night menu of appetizers, soups, salads, and sandwiches.
This elegant steak-and-seafood house is in the converted tobacco warehouse district known as the Bluffwalk. With warm exposed brick walls and an urban sensibility, the restaurant offers a wide variety of steaks, chops, and classic seafood dishes. Think traditional, with a variety of cuts and preparations, in addition to seafood standards from surf and turf to shrimp cocktail and lobster bisque.
Part of a complex of five historic buildings, this restaurant is in a gristmill that dates from 1700. A walk-in wine cellar, set among the gears of the original waterwheel, has 100 wine selections; diners may step in and choose for themselves. The dining area is decorated with Currier & Ives and Audubon prints. Some menu favorites are fresh smoked trout and chicken Fantasio (breast of chicken stuffed with wild rice, sausage, apple, and pecans). Desserts include such Old Virginny recipes as a deep-dish apple pie baked with bourbon. On Sunday, try the hearty but affordable brunch.
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