Rosa Loves… Lunch at l’étoile and local shopping.
And the vacation posts continue…
On my last full day in Charlottesville, I decided to spend some more time around UVA and the Corner, which is basically a row of restaurants and shops right across campus. Like I had mentioned before in this blog, I love discovering local shops and this time I found Duo, an adorable new and used clothing store that also had the cutest pink chandeliers. After picking up some UVA-themed souvenirs for friends and family, I walked back to the Downtown Mall. I had lost track of time and I realized I needed some food. Luckily, l’étoile, a fabulous French bistro, was still serving lunch. As soon as the waiter told me that the ingredients for the soup du jour were lentils and bacon, I was sold. I also had a nice pear salad to go with my soup. Diagnosis: delicious. For dessert, I had the vanilla crème brulée and it was one of the best I had in a long time.
On my way back to the Downtown area, I stopped by another cute shop, Bittersweet. It was a quick visit, but I fell in love with some of the rings. I came back the very next morning and took home a silver ring with a pearl, simple but very chic and made by local jewelry designer Elaine Butcher (see her Etsy shop here).
And this concludes my Charlottesville-themed posts. I adore this charming town and I look forward to my next visit. Honestly, the food is amazing, there’s plenty of local shopping, the UVA campus is gorgeous, and you can also visit Monticello (which I didn’t visit this time, but I have been there before and I strongly recommend it). So until next time Cville…
{Photos by RosaLovesDC}
Rosa Loves… Cupcakes and an afternoon at UVA.
A friend was scheduled to give a talk at the University of VA during my stay in Charlottesville. I know, I was on vacation, but her Parasitology research is quite fascinating so I decided to spend the afternoon around campus. My first stop before heading to UVA was Sweethaus, a charming cupcake place. I had three of their mini cupcakes: strawberry, red velvet, and vanilla. All were equally delicious. I then walked to the Downtown Mall to explore Charlottesville a bit more. As the time for my friend’s talk got closer, I jumped on a shuttle to campus but I got lost. Luckily, a friend who teaches at UVA came to my rescue and I was able to make it to the talk. It was a very close call. My friend did an amazing job with her presentation and after I was able to spend time on campus visiting my other friend and meeting some of his students.
By the way, I wanted to get some really good shots of the cupcakes to show you how awesome they were and the lovely people at Sweethaus were super nice and allowed me get behind the counter to snap these photos. So thank you Sweethaus!
{Photos by RosaLovesDC}
Rosa Loves… Reading a Book and Pho for Lunch.
Our first full day in Charlottesville was a relaxing one. I spent most of my morning reading World War Z with miss Lola seating in my lap. However, by lunch time I was hungry and Moto Pho Co. seemed like a good idea and it was indeed. This fun restaurant recently opened and I have to tell you, I love it. I started my lunch with some Gua Bao (pork buns) then I had the chicken pho. Amazing. It’s such a great place for comfort food and I know I will be back for sure.
And in case you were wondering, yes, I was reading World War Z (again!) in preparation for the upcoming movie based on that book. I am very excited because this movie is a bit of a dream come true for me: Brad Pitt and Zombies, I die!
{Photos by RosaLovesDC}
Rosa Loves… A little time away in Charlottesville, VA.
And we’re back.
Our vacation was awesome. I ate a lot, did some shopping, explored the University of VA campus, finished a book, played with my camera, and ate some more. Our time away in Charlottesville was just what I needed after wrapping up a big project at work and to be honest, it was nice to hang out with the family (husband and Lola) and not worry about deadlines.
I have a lot of photos to share with you. I visited some of my old favorite places in this charming town and a few new ones. So get ready for some photo overload in the next week. You can say the theme of the week will be Charlottesville. But don’t get jealous DC, you’re still #1 in my heart.
In the meantime, here are the links to the places I mention above in the photos:
{Photos by RosaLovesDC}
Rosa Loves… Sharing a few snapshots of her holiday break (mostly food!).
My holiday break in Charlottesville, VA was very good. I had to endure a terrible cold for a week but I started my recovery by eating a tasty dinner at Zinc as shown here; you could only imagine how hungry I was after a week of minimal eating due to my illness. But I was able to enjoy the rest of my break relaxing with husband and Lola, doing a little shopping, and eating a lot. Here’s a few snapshots from my time in Charlottesville:
- Lunch at Petit Pois. I love their incredibly fresh bread, delicious onion tart, and amazing profiteroles. The perfect meal before a last minute shopping trip to the mall.
- Some holiday decorations in our coffee table. I was super busy at work so we didn’t have a Christmas tree this year. However, I put some of my ornaments in my favorite crystal bowl for a little holiday cheer around the apartment.
- Post holiday lunch at Feast, where I had a fig and pear panini. So good!
- Peanut butter and chocolate treats that we picked up during lunch at Feast for our trip back to DC. I had some in the car and then some more while watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory.
Now I am just trying to figure out what we are going to do for NYE. What are your plans? Share in the comments.
{Photos by RosaLovesDC}
Rosa Loves…Outdoor Dining at Bistro Zinc.
After a few weeks of intense work-related projects, a nice long break seemed like a great idea. I’ve planned several activities for this break and so far so good. I spent time last night with my husband dining outdoors at Bistro Zinc, one of our favorite restaurants in Charlottesville, VA. We had the heirloom tomatoes with feta cheese, the barbecue lettuce wraps and the pork loin with greens and beets. I only have one word to describe this meal: AMAZING!!!
If you visit Charlottesville, VA, I strongly recommend you dine at Bistro Zinc. Not only is the food incredible but they also serve the most creative cocktails I’ve had.
I will be on vacation for the rest of the week, but I will be back posting on my regular schedule next week. You all have a wonderful week.
{Photos by RosaLovesDC}
