Greetings from Charlottesville!!
We arrived in good timing this morning and had a little bit of time to drive around before we met our blog friends for lunch.
First stop was to find Karen’s old house!
Karen and Matt’s dad Mark lived here from ‘82-‘85 while Mark was doing his radiology residency at UVA .
And little Matt was born!
Until they moved away to Spartanburg
After touring their charming neighborhood, we headed downtown for the blogger meet-up at Eppie’s.
I had THE MOST DELICIOUS salad!! Chicken over spinach, goat cheese, DATES, corn and tomatoes.
With a little loaf of pumpkin bread (I shared half with Matt)
And the most delicious champagne dressing on the side! It took me a while, but I finished the whole fabulous salad.
There were plans to go for an Independence Day gelato. I was stuffed, but I couldn’t turn it down 
Half banana caramel praline and half chocolate chocolate chip cookie!! I ate the whole thing and felt a little sick after. But it was definitely worth it.
I had a great time chatting with this wonderful group of KERF readers, including bloggers Andrea of Bella Eats and Brittany of Eating Bird Food. Thanks to everyone for coming from near and far to visit with us and tell us about the area!
After our dessert Karen, Matt and I headed back out for more exploring. We really, really like this area. The big question mark is just is it a good match for a Great Harvest, and if so, can we find a good commercial spot that would be within whatever budget we’ll have. As far as living, it’s a tie for me between Cville and JAX – flip a coin – I’d probably love them both for totally different reasons.
We finally checked into our hotel and then changed to go for a walk on the UVA campus. I LOVE college campuses! Wore my Davidson shirt to represent! (Photos courtesy of the handy dandy iPhone )
After our walk we got dressed up and headed out to dinner. We went to the mall downtown to find a restaurant. After looking at some menus, we settled on Zocalo, which is right next door to Petit Pois, a restaurant we LOVED when we were here briefly for a wine trip 4 years ago.
We ended up having an amazing selection of tastes!!!!!!!!!! Questionably the best restaurant of the year.
We sat outside and the ambiance was perfect
Upon hearing the drink specials, I decided to go with a Mint Julep made with bourbon and lime. It was super sweet and sexy!
The rolls were amazing – hot and doughy. And I loved that we each got one I nibbled on mine throughout dinner
For an appetizer, Matt ordered these fried cheese balls in a raspberry spice sauce. AMAZING! I had half of one
And a glass of white with dinner
From the moment we glanced at the menu, I knew I wanted these scallops for the carrot-vanilla sauce
This dish was incredible!!!!!!!!!!! The sweet vanilla sauce combined with the crispy tortilla strips, the fried bananas on the bottom with the spicy scallops. Absolutely heaven!!!
Karen’s salmon was out of this world too. Perhaps the best salmon I have ever tasted? Our server told us it was from Norway.
And Matt’s flounder was also awesome – smoky and salt it was a great combo
I was tempted by the triple sorbet dessert special, but we passed. Such a wonderful dinner definitely left a good impression of Charlottesville on me! It’s certainly a foodie town.
After dinner we dropped Karen off at the hotel and didn’t want our night to end. Matt and I decided to walk to a bar, but we ended up just flat out walking around town and campus for about 45 minutes, listening to fireworks boom.
Overall, we love Charlottesville. I have no doubt it would be perfect for our personalities and lifestyle priorities (and for raising a family!) I’m excited and nervous to see where the next six months take us.
Nite guys – I have to get to bed for a run in the AM!
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
Great eats! The pictures of Matt as a kid are so cute!
It is so great that the bloggers of Charlotesville get to meet you. If you ever come close to Knoxville TN, I’ll hop in to meet you! :~))
all the food looks great! i especially love the mini loaf with the salad. i’m a total bread lover. i could eat slices of bread for a meal if i had to!
how exciting!
That scallop dish looks divine!
This is breaking my heart! I’m a reader from way down under in Australia, and I cope with not having access to so many of the delicious foods and experiences you have by treating this blog like a fantastic novel peppered with lovely characters and plotlines.
But in 2007-8 I did a student exchange to UVA. It was one of the best years of my life, and I absolutely loved that exact salad (minus the chicken – I don’t think it came with chicken when I was there?) at Eppie’s. It was scrumdiddlyumcious, and seeing pictures of Charlottesville just makes me want to cry. I don’t know if my constitution will be able to stand it if you do move there and I see pictures all the time!
So glad you had a lovely time, and super good luck on finding the city and shop of your dreams
It was such fun meeting you, Matt and Karen today, Kath! I’m so glad you had Zo-Ca-Lo for dinner…definitely my FAVORITE restaurant on the mall. You even had my favorite appetizer and entree’…good choices my dear! The vella jack cheese fritters are to. die. for.
Let me know if you have any other questions…I hope you decide to make C’ville your new home!
PS: see you tomorrow morning for a run! I’m frightened that you and Jess are going to smoke me…
Wow, does Matt ever look like his dad! What a great trip, especially finding Matt’s parents’ house! Enjoy the rest of your weekend
What a fun trip! Great eats, that salad at lunch looks killer. I would never have thought about dates but I bet it works! Happy 4th!
That trip looks so fun. What incredible food, too! Your scallops look amazing, and the sauce sounds so delicious. The plating is so gorgeous. Happy 4th!
I *love* Charlottesville. My sister goes to grad school @ UVA there (history), and I always make excuses to go visit. Everyone is so active there, the downtown is incredibly lively, and right outside of town there are so many beautiful old homes and properties to gawk at. It doesn’t hurt that, unlike here in WI, it doesn’t really snow there
Oh, and check out the C’ville 10 miler – awesome race, *incredibly* well run. Worth the trip even if you don’t end up there.
Wow, it sounds like you are having so much fun!!! What a great holiday weekend. Enjoy the rest of it!
btw, I LOVE your shorts in the picture on the lawn by the college. Do you remember where they are from?
Happy 4th Kath!
WOW! The seafood dishes look amazing!!
Gelato is near and dear to my heart. We used to make it from scratch at it at my parents’ ice cream stand. I love it as is, but it tastes incredible when it’s coming out of the machine; soft and creamy.
Jenn
so glad you’ve found a place that you love!
lunch looked awesome!
All 3 seafood dinners looked great! Those are the meals that make me not understand people who don’t like seafood. Looks like you had a great time there.
Looks like you had an AMAZING day! I have been having so much fun seeing these cute southern towns through your posts (yeah…doesn’t take much to make me happy sometimes, haha)
What an amazing salad–of course, I am inclined to love anything that comes with a side of pumpkin bread:)
What an exciting time for you guys! Good luck figuring things out!
I am so glad you had a good time! I’m sorry I missed it but maybe you will move to C-ville and I will get my chance then
josh’s dad did his surg residency @ UVA — he started earlier but there may have even been some overlap! crazy!
PS: i also love charlottesville! i’ve gone to run the half marathon a few years in a row and to visit a good friend i have there finishing up her path residency. such good restaurants, shopping, everything! i wish chapel hill had such an active running community.
sounds like a great trip so far! happy 4th of july!
I didn’t know that Karen used to live in c-ville and their old house hadn’t seem to change much.
Glad you went to tour UVA. I love college campuses as well and UVA’s is hard to beat. So much history and beauty.
And, Dinner looked amazing!!
It was fun to meet you all today- so glad I was able to make it!
That’s so exciting that you guys may have found your destination! Looks like you’re having a blast.
I’m intrigues by some of the ingredient and flavor combinations you’ve had – the dates in the salad, bananas with scallops, fried cheese with raspberry sauce… all brilliant ideas! I need to be more adventurous in the kitchen
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Charlotte looks beautiful–and you look so tan! Gorgeous!
Looks like you are having an amazing time…with lots of yummy food! What an awesome blogger meet-up!
This totally makes me want to visit Charlottesville. It looks like it would be a lot of fun, and you two look like you’d fit in just fine!
Oooooo I’ve been to that restaurant! I forgot about that one – it’s SO good. I remember having the same scallop dish as you and was in love!!
I’m glad Zocalo was so great! Sorry we couldn’t meet you!
At least our run was fun! If not a little damp!!
Looks like you guys are having a wonderful time! Charlottesville looks absolutely beautiful!
What a great meal and meet up! Can’t wait for you to come to chicago
I visited a college town in Oregon this weekend, and there was a Great Harvest there. I think it would be a great addition to any college environment!
I love Charlottesville! If you were there, I would have a good excuse to visit
Zocalo is the name of one of our favorite restaurants here in San Diego (it’s in Old Town)! Very tasty here too. I love how you guys ended the night. We ended up not seeing the fireworks either. Well, we watched them on television after we watched a movie.
Aww Hannah, hope you can come back sometime!
Heather ,
They are Old Navy
Kath
I don’t even know where to begin on this post! Love it all, fabulous pictures and I want that salad!
That meal looks amazing! Especially the scallops, yum!! We have a Zocalo here in Boston too and it’s great Mexican food, but not half as good as yours looked!
That dinner looks amazing! I love scallops, but never cook them at home and usually forget to order them when I’m out! Glad y’all enjoyed Charlottesville-it’s so pretty up there.
those scallops are entirely drool-worthy. That sauce looks sublime.
I’d say move to Charlottesville!!! Imagine taking your family on hayrides in October
and all the apples you can imagine to bake some pies or make oatmeal for the kids. Lol I let my imagination get carried away sometimes. That area is just so beautiful and charming!
Those cheese balls don’t LOOK so good to the blogger-eye, but I believe you! The salad, on the other hand, looks awesome!
that dinner alone would make me want to move to charlottesville!
i love the photo tour of matt’s childhood — he looks just like his dad