ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280033
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SERIES: Taste of Virginia
SOURCE: DEBORAH ROSE THE DAILY PROGRESS
The C&O Restaurant sits unobtrusively in a curve, the remnants of an old painted advertisement gradually wearing off its weathered exterior.
No big sign hangs outside to lure diners. A first-time visitor may hesitate before stepping carefully up the uneven brick steps to the wide, wooden door.
The C&O fills three stories of a structure built across from the railroad station in the late 1920s.
``It has always been a restaurant,'' owner Dave Simpson said. ``It used to be a kind of greasy spoon, with a diner downstairs for the railroad workers, where the bistro is now.''
But the railroad station is long gone and - for those in the know - the C&O Restaurant has been serving fine French cuisine on the site for 20 years. Simpson, who came to the C&O as its chef about 15 years ago and became its owner about three years later, said he has not changed the place very much because, ``it works.
``A lot of people who come here are fixtures...The place has a certain worn quality, and they were part of it getting to be that way. So was I,'' Simpson said.
The C&O's clientele is not limited to loyal local people; the restaurant also attracts visiting celebrities. Simpson said Mel Brooks, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward are among the famous guests who have been served there.
Downstairs, where the railroad workers once gathered, the C&O's bistro offers entrees starting at $7.50. Simpson describes the bistro fare as ``a more country-like menu...Certainly, it has its roots in French cuisine...but we have backed away from so much cream and butter...We do a lot of fresh fruit salsas.''
The menu changes frequently, Simpson said, to make use of seasonal ingredients, but his customers can count on being offered seafood, steaks and ``lots of mushrooms.
``Steak Chinoise and a Cuban Steak are sort of trademarks at the C&0,'' he said.
The same menu is offered in a smoke-free mezzanine dining room. On the second floor, at the top of a narrow staircase, guests may reserve linen-draped tables for old-fashioned fine dining. Gentlemen will be most comfortable in coats and ties, suggests the hostess who makes reservations.
The upstairs dining room - with its unadorned white walls, painted white floor and uncovered windows offering views of the mountains surrounding the city - is a place for special occasions, for focusing on excellent food and your companions.
``That's just the idea,'' Simpson said. ``During the 1980s, people were freer with money. I guess it was kind of a boom time. People liked being part of the show, but I think it's still a good idea to get all dressed up and go out to dinner.''
With carefully prepared French cuisine and a fine wine list, presented with well-informed attention to detail, the upstairs guests can enjoy lingering for hours over four or five courses. A five-course prix fixe dinner is $38; a couple will easily top $100 a la carte.
But, grounded as it is in 20-year-old habits, the C&O is changing. An espresso and dessert bar were added recently, served at 11 p.m. for an after-the-movies crowd. C&O Vegetable Soup - (Serves 6 to 8)
- Recipe supplied by restaurant; tested by members of the junior element of the Tidewater Chef's Association, American Culinary Federation and Johnson and Wales University College of Culinary Arts.
C&O Restaurant
Address: 515 Water St., Charlottesville Phone number: (804) 971-7044 Specialty: Regional French, country and Pacific. Price range: Bistro $9-$16; Upstairs dinning room $18-$26 Hours: Lunch Monday-Friday; dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 5:30-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday Reservations: Upstairs dinning room only Dress: Men typically wear jackets upstairs Payment: Visa, MasterCard, checks Alcoholic beverages: Full bar, wine. Non-smoking section: Yes Handicapped accessible: No Additional information: Catering available. Special event rooms.
see microfilm for recipe
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Dave Simpson owns Charlottesville's C&O Restaurant.by CNBcolor.