"Albemarle County: Where the country still is." This was the saying on one of the posters that decorated the walls of C&O, our chosen restaurant of the week. This poster accurately represented our dining experience.
The atmosphere of C&O made us feel like we were gathering with old friends in the early 1900s. We ate in the bistro area, which is downstairs and accompanied by a bar. Seating is limited in the bistro, with only about eight tables and bar seating. The bistro emits a rustic feeling, yet it is still elegant and cozy. The bar stools and exposed beams look historic and almost antique. Considering that the building was once used in conjunction with the railroad system at the turn of the century, this seems fitting.
C&O is located just past the Downtown Mall on Water Street. We ate in the bistro area, but there are other dining area options. There is also a Mezzanine section that is quiet compared to the Bistro and non-smoking. Then there is also the more formal upstairs that is also non-smoking. Finally C&O is also an art gallery that can be available for private parties, and when weather permits, there is also a garden dining area. Needless to say, your dining options are numerous; however, the menu remains the same wherever you decide to dine.
After gazing at the handwritten menu for a good while, we finally decided on our choices. To start, Daniel ordered the C&O crab cake w/chipotle hollandaise & mango salsa ($10). This good-sized crab cake was light, flaky and full of crab meat. Crab cakes are often disappointing with the amount of filler used, normally cornbread, thus taking away the desired taste, but C&O's crab cake was all crab. The mango/tomato chutney was an excellent compliment, and the crab cake's portion size was just right and was a good choice to start the meal off right.
Allison ordered a cup of the Albemarle red pepper soup ($4). This soup resembled tomato bisque, but the roasted red peppers added a nice kick. The soup was also served at the perfect temperature, and its creamy texture provided a nice base for the oncoming entrees.
After much consideration of the ten offered entrees, which all sounded exquisite, we finally decided. Daniel ordered the tuna, grilled with preserved lemons, Moroccan charmoula and Israeli couscous ($21). The tuna was very tender and slightly pink on the inside. It was perfectly cooked and a significant portion of fish. The couscous was cooked well, but perhaps a better starch could have been chosen to accompany the fish. The dish was rather simple, and although it was both tasteful and rather healthy, we felt it lacked some flare.
Allison ordered the pan-seared duck breast with red wine braised cabbage and shitake mustard sauce ($21). The duck was a unique, but excellent choice. It was very tender and the shitake mustard sauce accompanied it well. The duck was also resting on mashed potatoes and red wine braised cabbage. We decided after trying both that the duck was definitely the more flavorful, better entrée choice.
The entrees were also the perfect portion size. They were filling, yet they left just the right amount of room for dessert.
After perusing the dessert menu, offering five choices, we chose the chocolate torte ($7). The torte was resting on a plate with crumbled cake bits, drizzled dark chocolate, raspberries and homemade whipped cream. The torte was very rich in flavor, so we decided it was a good decision to split it. Also, the texture was unique -- a mixture between cake and fudge, ultimately adding to its richness.
C&O attracted us because we had heard such amazing things about their entrees and the quality of their food. While this is certainly true, we were more impressed by the unique atmosphere and historical ambiance that the restaurant possesses.
As the Web site describes the restaurant's history, it comments that the owner wanted to "use the old woods and interesting nooks and crannies of the century old building to create a restaurant so different in feel and atmosphere that it could only be termed 'revolutionary.'" Just as the poster read, C&O is a little taste of what Charlottesville, or, more appropriately, Albemarle, has to offer -- a little bit of history, a little bit of country and authenticity and a plethora of unique, gourmet entrée choices.
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