Date
5/27/09
Location
On the Corner near JPA
1321 West Main Street
What I ate
Pretzels; pizza with chicken, onions, and green peppers
What I drank
Bell's Oberon
Who came
Nora, Tiff, Matt, Suzie, Cameron, Xander, Miles, Eliza, Kat, Dan, Kasia, Sarah
Website
Charlottesville's place
Yes, it's a chain
Thoughts
Just a disclaimer - we went for dinner but the plan all along was to stay for trivia. Trivia is a lot of fun and you should definitely go, even if you are just going to order a pitcher of beer and participate. That said, I'll try to stick to reviewing the food part since that's the purpose here.
I was just discussing with another friend tonight how good the food is here. It's nothing outlandish, just good, flavorful pizza. The pretzels are really just knots of dough, but they're quite tasty. The specialty pizzas can be needlessly complicated, but you can create your own, so it's not really a problem. You'll have to wait for someone to comment to get a word on the sandwiches and salads as I've only ever gotten pizza.
That brings us to the biggest gripe - and it's not just mine - with Mellow: the service. I understand that the place was full, especially because people were starting to file in for trivia later. I also understand trying to seat a group of 10 (plus some) isn't the easiest thing, either. One of our pizza orders was misheard (white and Hawaiian don't sound that similar) and our waitress wasn't clear on whether or not we were going to be charged for that pizza. The service isn't nearly so bad that you should avoid going there, but you might want to budget in a little more time if you have somewhere to be after eating.
Recap
Pros - Really good food, lots of options for pizza and beer
Cons - Bad service
Overall - It's still the place to go for pizza on the Corner if you want to sit down and eat. The food is good, but don't expect great service.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Maharaja
Date
5/20/09
Location
In the Seminole Square shopping center
139 Zan Road
What I ate
Green masala chicken, naan
Who went
Matt
Website
http://www.maharaja-indian-restaurant.com/
Thoughts
If you are looking for something spicy, you will definitely not be disappointed. I don't mean to open so quickly, but that's all I can think of when I remember this dinner. Matt and I had just given blood, so maybe that had something to do with it; I know it affected how full we both felt. This dish was the second-hottest thing I've ever eaten in Charlottesville, and I only asked for "hot" on the scale of mild, medium, hot, and Indian hot. The first was the flatliner wings at the Wing Factory, but that's been out of business for a few years now. I don't want to discourage spicy-averse eaters as I'm sure "mild" won't be a problem, but I'm just scared of Indian hot. Just remember that when you visit.
The spiciness did not completely obscure the flavor; mine was tasty even if I don't usually think of jalapeno peppers when I think Indian food. The chicken was pretty good and the traditional "put a bunch of rice on your plate and cover it with the sauce" method worked really well. I'm impressed with how full I felt after what looked like a small bowl of chicken and vegetables. The naan was also really good and helped quell the heat.
The service was really good - I barely had to put my water glass down and it was full again - though that could be because the place was empty. I don't know what their usual customer load is on a Wednesday at dinner time, but it felt a little weird to be one of three groups there with so many person-free tables. It was a tasty meal and I left quite full, but it just felt a little too expensive. The obvious comparison is Milan and, it has been a few months since I last visited there, I remember a tasty, filling meal but not being surprised at the price. Maybe someone can take a look at the menus and tell me I'm wrong, but I'm a bit too lazy to look that up right now.
Recap
Pros - Very filling, good service
Cons - Very hot, a little overpriced
Overall - Unfortunately for Maharaja, it just feels like a slightly-worse version of Milan, which is down 29 just a little ways. The food is good and it's worth a visit, but you're probably better off sticking with Milan for your Indian food in Charlottesville.
5/20/09
Location
In the Seminole Square shopping center
139 Zan Road
What I ate
Green masala chicken, naan
Who went
Matt
Website
http://www.maharaja-indian-restaurant.com/
Thoughts
If you are looking for something spicy, you will definitely not be disappointed. I don't mean to open so quickly, but that's all I can think of when I remember this dinner. Matt and I had just given blood, so maybe that had something to do with it; I know it affected how full we both felt. This dish was the second-hottest thing I've ever eaten in Charlottesville, and I only asked for "hot" on the scale of mild, medium, hot, and Indian hot. The first was the flatliner wings at the Wing Factory, but that's been out of business for a few years now. I don't want to discourage spicy-averse eaters as I'm sure "mild" won't be a problem, but I'm just scared of Indian hot. Just remember that when you visit.
The spiciness did not completely obscure the flavor; mine was tasty even if I don't usually think of jalapeno peppers when I think Indian food. The chicken was pretty good and the traditional "put a bunch of rice on your plate and cover it with the sauce" method worked really well. I'm impressed with how full I felt after what looked like a small bowl of chicken and vegetables. The naan was also really good and helped quell the heat.
The service was really good - I barely had to put my water glass down and it was full again - though that could be because the place was empty. I don't know what their usual customer load is on a Wednesday at dinner time, but it felt a little weird to be one of three groups there with so many person-free tables. It was a tasty meal and I left quite full, but it just felt a little too expensive. The obvious comparison is Milan and, it has been a few months since I last visited there, I remember a tasty, filling meal but not being surprised at the price. Maybe someone can take a look at the menus and tell me I'm wrong, but I'm a bit too lazy to look that up right now.
Recap
Pros - Very filling, good service
Cons - Very hot, a little overpriced
Overall - Unfortunately for Maharaja, it just feels like a slightly-worse version of Milan, which is down 29 just a little ways. The food is good and it's worth a visit, but you're probably better off sticking with Milan for your Indian food in Charlottesville.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Nook
Date
5/6/09
Location
On the Pavilion end of the Downtown Mall
415 East Main Street
What I ate
Chicken noodle soup, BBQ-basted meatloaf sandwich with fries
Who went
Kasia, Erik, Matt, Xander
Thoughts
The Nook is the Downtown Mall's "classic diner" offering. It has the hallmarks - breakfast, a variety of options, an emphasis on sandwiches - and adds in some flair with some nicer entrée options and a decently-sized dessert menu. Unless there's more seating, the place is really small; I know they do have seating outside, weather permitting. They probably have decent capacity, but the tables feel relatively cramped together. That said, with quick, friendly service and a few other employees (cooks?) milling about and talking to other customers, the place had a nice, homey feel.
My soup was tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary. Pay attention, this will be a theme. It had nice, big pieces of white meat - I'd imagine a soup and salad would make a pretty filling lunch - but was like so many other chicken soups I've had before. That isn't to say this is a bad thing, especially since one of the comforts of a diner is the familiarity, but just an observation. My piece of meatloaf dwarfed the roll on which it was served to the point where I couldn't see the bottom piece of the roll without lifting the meatloaf. It was a really big piece of meatloaf, but the bun was small and boring; it felt like they bought an 8-pack of rolls at the grocery store and tossed it on the grill for a minute to give it a little bit of texture. I guess it's a step above picking up the meatloaf with my hands, though. The meatloaf itself was good, but a little bland. Since it was a sandwich, I like the drier piece and the hint of smokiness was delicious, but the whole thing was just too dry. There was barely any BBQ sauce and what was there was all along one side. You don't have to drown it in sauce, but maybe a cup on the side or a stronger baste would have made the sandwich significantly better. The fries were crisp, light, and really tasty.
No one had any dessert, though the milkshakes tempted more than one of us. Also, I'm intrigued by breakfast, but don't think I'll ever find myself in that area when it's time to eat breakfast. Look for comments from everyone else. The sense I got from listening to them is that they make a good macaroni and cheese and need to learn how to make sweet tea.
Recap
Pros - Varied menu, filling portions
Cons - Dry sandwich with a small and wimpy bun, apparently bad sweet tea
Overall - A solid but not spectacular option. With all of the specialty places on the Mall, it's nice to have an "American and Varied Menu" option with good variety. It's definitely worth a visit if you're a regular on the Mall, but I don't think there's a reason to become one of the regulars.
Also - thanks to Matt and Kasia for coming with me to the Downstream Project reception and screening, even before they knew there would be food.
5/6/09
Location
On the Pavilion end of the Downtown Mall
415 East Main Street
What I ate
Chicken noodle soup, BBQ-basted meatloaf sandwich with fries
Who went
Kasia, Erik, Matt, Xander
Thoughts
The Nook is the Downtown Mall's "classic diner" offering. It has the hallmarks - breakfast, a variety of options, an emphasis on sandwiches - and adds in some flair with some nicer entrée options and a decently-sized dessert menu. Unless there's more seating, the place is really small; I know they do have seating outside, weather permitting. They probably have decent capacity, but the tables feel relatively cramped together. That said, with quick, friendly service and a few other employees (cooks?) milling about and talking to other customers, the place had a nice, homey feel.
My soup was tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary. Pay attention, this will be a theme. It had nice, big pieces of white meat - I'd imagine a soup and salad would make a pretty filling lunch - but was like so many other chicken soups I've had before. That isn't to say this is a bad thing, especially since one of the comforts of a diner is the familiarity, but just an observation. My piece of meatloaf dwarfed the roll on which it was served to the point where I couldn't see the bottom piece of the roll without lifting the meatloaf. It was a really big piece of meatloaf, but the bun was small and boring; it felt like they bought an 8-pack of rolls at the grocery store and tossed it on the grill for a minute to give it a little bit of texture. I guess it's a step above picking up the meatloaf with my hands, though. The meatloaf itself was good, but a little bland. Since it was a sandwich, I like the drier piece and the hint of smokiness was delicious, but the whole thing was just too dry. There was barely any BBQ sauce and what was there was all along one side. You don't have to drown it in sauce, but maybe a cup on the side or a stronger baste would have made the sandwich significantly better. The fries were crisp, light, and really tasty.
No one had any dessert, though the milkshakes tempted more than one of us. Also, I'm intrigued by breakfast, but don't think I'll ever find myself in that area when it's time to eat breakfast. Look for comments from everyone else. The sense I got from listening to them is that they make a good macaroni and cheese and need to learn how to make sweet tea.
Recap
Pros - Varied menu, filling portions
Cons - Dry sandwich with a small and wimpy bun, apparently bad sweet tea
Overall - A solid but not spectacular option. With all of the specialty places on the Mall, it's nice to have an "American and Varied Menu" option with good variety. It's definitely worth a visit if you're a regular on the Mall, but I don't think there's a reason to become one of the regulars.
Also - thanks to Matt and Kasia for coming with me to the Downstream Project reception and screening, even before they knew there would be food.
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