july 2015 charlottesville consumer connection

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McEwan stays true to her roots as a wholesale business as well. In addition to the prepared food and bakery cases for on-site enjoyment and take-out, HotCakes also operates a separate professional catering operation. The business has catered events throughout Charlottesville, from small intimate dinners to weddings. HotCakes catering even served the 2,500-guest extravaganza GE-Fanuc hosted for its 25th anniversary. With dignitaries and invitees from 20 foreign nations, the HotCakes kitchen turned out dishes honoring 12 international cuisines, including an extensive dessert bar.

McEwan still maintains the standards she established for HotCakes in 1986: extraordinary quality, friendly help and easy convenience.

Barracks Road Shopping Center, with its mix of unique local businesses and chain stores, seems to fit the HotCakes mold. The café presents a wide range of food, made from scratch, and specialty coffees and teas in a casual setting, all served with Charlottesville hospitality.

HotCakes • Barracks Road Shopping Center • www.hotcakes.biz

GOURMET FOOD BEFORE IT WAS HOTWHEN HOTCAKES FOUNDER Lisa McEwan began her wholesale bakery business in 1986, Charlottesville was not yet a foodie mecca. She was among the early adopters of scratch-made foods using local ingredients, intent on including food for vegetarians and those with special dietary needs.Since then, HotCakes has expanded, moved and reinvented itself several times, responding to customer requests and community needs. In 1992, McEwan moved her business to the Barracks Road Shopping Center, adding a 50-seat café along with a full line of specialty coffees, loose-leaf teas, and cold-brewed iced coffees.

For many locals, HotCakes has become a second home. Many stop by daily for lattes or the unlimited supply of coffee – made exclusively with locally roasted Shenandoah Joe beans – sandwiches, salads and entrées, sometimes using the high-speed Wi-Fi, other times chatting with friends and acquaintances. After all, the casual café has become the kind of place where many C’villeans cross paths.

In an era when many stores promote their food as homemade but actually receive it pre-made via truck, the big glass window into the kitchen serves as proof that “specialty food” can still be more than just an advertising phrase. Every morning you can see a whirlwind of activity as 15 cooks prepare each dish from scratch.

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2 July 2015 Charlottesville - North Shopper

Recipes From the Kitchen of Laura Payne, Personal Chef for Gourmet Your Waywww.gourmetyourway05.com • 804-514-6812

DIRECTIONS1. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. Heat oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add carrot and cook for 4 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, spring onion, tomato and red bell pepper and continue to cook until tender crisp, about 6 minutes.

3. Add dill and basil, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add lemon juice and wine and reduce until liquid is almost gone.

4. Add pasta and about 1/4 cup of pasta water and reduce liquid by half. Add 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.

5. Put desired amount into a bowl and sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of toasted pine nuts over top.

6. Add 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese per serving.

INGREDIENTS

This light version of the heavier, cream-based, original pasta primavera recipe makes a nice vegetarian dish. As the weather gets warmer, light is a welcome option.

Serves 4 Time 30 minutes

• 8 ounces bow tie pasta

• 3 tablespoons oil

• 1/2 cup carrot, julienned

• 1 small zucchini, julienned

• 1 small yellow squash, julienned

• 1/2 cup asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 4 spring onions, white and light

green parts, sliced

• 16 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 tablespoon dill, fresh, minced

• 2 tablespoons basil, fresh, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/2 cup white wine, dry

• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, divided

LIGHT PASTA PRIMAVERA


North Wing V Barracks Road V 434.977.8767

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North Wing Barracks Rd. 434-977-8767

www.whimsieskids.com1033 Emmet St. N

(434) 975-5432 barracksroad.oilandvinegarusa.com

CC: So how did you get started in this business?E: In 1986 we opened right here at Barracks North. I was a teacher with a theatre background then got into clothing and worked as a buyer for a large chain. Whenever I went to market I always liked the children’s market. It was friendly. People love purchasing items for their children.

CC: Cute name...where did it come from?E: I’ve always felt children’s clothing should be fun and frivolous. An item that will make some-one smile when they see it worn. An unusual item. An item that is durable and can be handed down and never thrown away cause it has such sentimental value. Thats what i wanted our shop to represent. So Whimsical fits those characteris-tics . And Whimsies was born.

CC: Whats the best part of your day?E: Oh that’s easy. When I see generations of families come back and purchase clothing for their kids. I have customers who I once clothed as children who now come back as adults and buy items for their children. It makes me smile and I feel like we are doing a good job with our merchandising. Its a very personal business.

CC: This industry is one you have to stay ahead of all the time. When does your Fall merchandise arrive?E: This week!...( laughs)....We will be showing our new items and are thrilled with some of the new merchandise we are bringing in. I believe when a child looks nice..people treat them better...and its gratifying to see so many mothers and grandmothers return to our shop to select items for their families.

CC: So when i walk into your shop what can i expect?B: Oh my...we will change the way you taste food!. We have the finest olive oils and seed grape oils that are from worldwide suppliers. Our staff is all trained in cooking and recipe preparation and we can help you experience food like you’ve never done before!

CC: So how is this different from just buying olive oil at the grocery store ?B: Think choice. Think healthy. Think variety. All of our Extra Virgin Olive Oils are single estate oils. Nothing is mixed together from parts of other oils. Everything is pure Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When you add all those factors together you will experience food like never before.

CC: Give me an example.B: My husband and I go to different events and we take my salads and people just rave and ask what I did to make it taste so good. They want more and ask how they can make salads that taste like that. When they visit our store we show them what we did..and how they can do the same. They just use what we offer in our store and it changes everything !

CC: Taste testing sounds like it would be important.B: Every day in our store you can walk in and sample a huge variety of oils and vinegars, sauces & spices that will change the way you experience your meals. Taste away and experience flavors and combinations that will bring anything that you create to a level you’ve never tasted before in a home cooked meal!

CC: Sounds like this would be a cool gift to give someone. The gift of a great new food experience.B: Corporate gifts by realtors to their clients, or business owners to good customers is very popular .We customize the gift to exactly what our customer wants...and fit all budgets.

• Interviews With •Charlottesville’s Finest Business Owners

Owner: Elizabeth LynnPictured: Jack O‘Leary,

Bridget Urmanski, Paul UrmanskiOwners


Q. So who gets credit for thinking of this name?KN: My wife and co-owner Dani, came up with the name and provided the concept for our logo. We intend to project an unadulterated approach to food. Nothing added. Nothing hidden.

CC: You are a retired Air Force bomb-er pilot. I just saw you walking out of the kitchen with a made from scratch sandwich you had prepared for acustomer. I’m assuming that wasn’t a part of your fighter pilot training?KN: My wife and I decided to take our love of fresh natural foods that have a seasonal appeal and open a restaurant around the concept of seasonal made from scratch choices...all healthy...all freshly prepared from scratch everyday. My Military experience provided a disciplined, focused attention to detail, and a drive for mission accomplishment.

CC: Your wife is a Conservation Biologist?KN: Yes...her background is so important in who we are and how we offer our selections to the public.

CC: I’ve not seen anything like this in Charlottesville. You’ve done your homework .KN: Yes...we wanted to offer a different expe-rience to the residents...something unique. The food is all natural, locally grown when possible, and no chemicals or preservatives.

CC: How’s the Grab-N-Go working out?KN: Our retail market allows us to feature local craftsmen making a variety of items complimentary to our food service.Caromont cheeses, Shenandoah Joe coffees, and La Vache Microcreamery camels are just a few examples. Our prepared items support our intent to use every nutritive calorie from our inventory and speed the service timelinefor customers that don’t have the extra few minutes to wait for our made from scratch menu items. We think Charlottesville resi-dents will like that option.

2800 Hydraulic Road(434) 973-5625

www.nudefudedudes.com

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• Interviews With •Charlottesville’s Finest Business Owners

CC: How long ago did you get into the Wine Business.R: I managed a restaurant after several years in history graduate school. 28 years ago I escaped that stressful environment and reopened a small, existing business located in part of a dark, slightly scary Downtown base-ment. We quickly expanded to use the entire basement as our sales floor. (Our tasting bar is built out of the same wood as the venerable C/O bar.) In 1996 we opened the Uptown store and moved to the current location in Rivanna Plaza two years ago.

CC: What’s changed in the wine industry in those 28 years?R: The sheer number of wines available. And craft beer is exploding. Not to mention all the new local breweries, cideries, and meaderies. And quality is up, way up.

CC: So I can call you and Oder any type of wine I want and you can get it?R: Yes. We have access to 50,000 wines on a week’s notice. We work with fifty wine, beer, and grocery wholesalers in finding interesting products from Central Virginia and around the globe. (Honestly, choosing among all the great products is the hardest part.)

CC: How can I get a better idea of what new wines taste like?R: Our most popular event is our weekly wine tasting every Friday night at the downtown location and then Saturday afternoon uptown here on Route 29.

CC: What makes your wine shop unique?R: We are very flexible with our options and choices. And our knowledge of the industry product. For that reason we do a lot of custom wedding business and custom event orders.

UPTOWN305 Rivanna Plaza Dr., Ste. 102

Charlottesville, VA 22901

DOWNTOWN311 E. Market St.

Charlottesville, VA 22902

Ken & Dani Notari - Owners

Robert HarileeOwner


JULYThursday - July 23 LEE ATLER WATERCOLORS EXHIBIT AT HOTCAKES ON BARRACKS RD.

Friday - July 24 WINE TASTING - MARKET STREET WINESHOP - DOWNTOWN

Friday - July 24 AFTER 5 CELEBRATION - DOWNTOWN MALL

Saturday - July 25 LEE ATLER WATERCOLORS EXHIBIT AT HOTCAKES ON BARRACKS RD.

Thursday - July 30 ALBEMARLE COUNTY FAIR

AUGUSTSunday - August 2 HAPPY HOUR - KESWICK VINEYARD

Sunday - August 2, 6 - 8pm ANTIQUE CAR SHOW - WILD WOLF BREWERY

Saturday - August 8 7TH ANNUAL VALLEY BLUES & BREW FESTIVAL - SUNSPOT PAVILION, STAUNTON

Saturday - August 8 SCOTTSVILLE 2ND SATURDAY CELEBRATION

Saturday - August 8 TASTING JEFFERSON’S TOMATOES - GARDEN CENTER AT T.J. VISITOR CENTER

Tuesday - August 18 A NIGHT WITH ALABAMA - ROCKINGHAM CO. FAIR, HARRISONBURG

Wednesday - August 19 A NIGHT WITH LEONARD SKYNARD - ROCKINGHAM CO. FAIR, HARRISONBURG

Friday - August 21 OPEN MUSIC JAM - JAMES RIVER BREWERY, SCOTTSVILLE

Saturday - August 22, 9:30am TASTE THE HARVEST OF SUMMER - T.J. VISITOR CENTER

SEPTEMBERSaturday - Sept. 5 WWE AT JOHN PAUL JONES ARENA

Sunday - Sept. 6 ANTIQUE CAR SHOW - WILD WOLF BREWERY

Saturday - Sept. 12 NOTRE DAME VISITS SCOTT STADIUM - UVA FOOTBALL HOME OPENER

Saturday - Sept. 19 WILLIAM & MARY VISITS SCOTT STADIUM - UVA FOOTBALL

Friday - Sept. 25 BOISE STATE VISITS SCOTT STADIUM - UVA FOOTBALL

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

2210 River Road WestMaidens, VA 23102

Since 1986

www.ordinary.com804-556-3284

A Long & Tasty Family Style TraditionTanglewood Ordinary Restaurant

Thurs-Fri-Sat: 5-9 pmSundays: 12-8 pm

National Register of Historic Places

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july 2015 charlottesville consumer connection

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