The Best Restaurants for Dining Out in Charlottesville, Virginia | Eater DC

"In the back of an unassuming shopping center, Cou Cou Rachou is a jewel of European pastries, with freshly baked boules, batards, and baguettes emitting a warm, yeasty aroma into the parking lot. Owner and baker Rachel De Jong studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before going on to work under Patrick O’Connell at The Inn at Little Washington and Ludo Lefevbre at Petit Trois in Los Angeles, and her pedigree is on proud display in each flaky pastry. Plan to stock up on (and perhaps even share) the galette des rois, almond croissants, and a French onion soup croissant. You’d be lucky to find a French onion soup so satisfying in a restaurant, but it’s not in a restaurant, it’s in a croissant, and it’s magical." - Stephanie Ganz