9/1/2010
Location
1329 W. Main St.
Location
1329 W. Main St.
Charlottesville, VA
What I ate
8” Chorizo pizza: Spanish chorizo sausage, Guindillas de Ibarra, cilantro, bittersweet Spanish paprika, red peppadews, fresh mozzarella, and San Marzano tomato sauce.
Malheur 10 golden ale
http://www.semolinacville.com/about.html
Thoughts
2010 has been the year of The Pizza in Cville. With Fry’s Spring Station (formerly a car garage), Brixx (formerly Boston Market) and Rise Pizza Works opening - not to mention classics like Christian’s Pizza - the gourmet pizza market may seem a little saturated. Semolina is a sort of branch off from Basil Mediterranean Restaurant with both having the same owner.
Walking into the restaurant, you’re ushered upstairs where the seating is with the downstairs being reserved for the kitchen and take-out service. The place is covered in World Market décor, but the food and beer is anything but cookie-cutter. Katie got there about 45 minutes after everyone and had to brave the extraordinary girth of the beer and food menus alone. This place has a serious variety of approximately 200 beers with everything from Yuengling to Barley Wines to organic beers. The beers we tried between the four of us: the previously mentioned Malheur 10, Augustijn Ale, Hacker-Pschorr Weizze, Orkney Dark Reserve, Ayinger Brau Weisse, Pinkus Organic Pilsner, and the Brewdog Hardcore (an imperial IPA). Apparently their heffeweizens are pretty good since they were out of all but the Hacker. None of them disappointed as we all took at least a sip from each, and everyone agreed that the Malheur had a way of working every different tastebud in your mouth.
The pizza. Wow. I’ve really enjoyed going to Fry’s Spring since it opened, but this place puts FSS to shame. Not only does it have more combinations, but the variety and quality of the toppings is amazing. We all seriously had a hard time narrowing it down to about 4 different pies (I kept an eye on the Venison and Blueberry as well as the Wild Boar and Cranberry pizzas). In the end Nora got a clam and bacon, Tiff the bleu cheese, and Katie the Florentine. Again, as with the beers, we all sampled one another’s and, again, a round of “yums.” The flavors of each pizza exploded on the palate. My chorizo was excellent and totally did its Spanish inspiration right.
I also love places that have a pitcher of water on the table, and it was a good thing for this place to have since it was really warm inside. About halfway through the meal, we had to ask the waiter to adjust the air conditioning. Random observation: The huge, sharp knives on the table made everyone want to put it between their teeth and swing from ropes boarding ships pirate-style.
Recap
Pros -moderate prices, ample beer list, GREAT pizza
Cons - can be a little on the warm side temperature-wise
Overall - Overall, this place is definitely worth another (and probably more) visit since there are plenty of other tasty entrees and beers to try. At one point, Nora pointed out that the place was technically just a “beer and pizza” joint, but it’s definitely somewhere you should take a friend in from out of town.
Recap
Pros -moderate prices, ample beer list, GREAT pizza
Cons - can be a little on the warm side temperature-wise
Overall - Overall, this place is definitely worth another (and probably more) visit since there are plenty of other tasty entrees and beers to try. At one point, Nora pointed out that the place was technically just a “beer and pizza” joint, but it’s definitely somewhere you should take a friend in from out of town.
