Grant G.
Google
My first restaurant post-move-in to Charlottesville, and it was FANTASTIC! I cannot recommend Orzo enough, and I’m already starting to feel the charm of Virginia. The food was delicious, and so was the atmosphere. Shoutout as well to our server, Stephen, who made the night quite enjoyable. A friendly face is always comforting when moving to a new city, so having a kind server who took the time to chat with us was great.
Once we were seated, we started with the 2020 Artimino Poggilarca Super Tuscan. The price was reasonable relative to the quality of the wine. Orzo is an Italian restaurant, so why not go with a Super Tuscan, am I right? Next time I might splurge on the Super-Duper Tuscan—haha!
Moving on to the food, we started with the halloumi and some bread. The halloumi was delicious, and we all particularly loved the sauce that accompanied it. Stephen mentioned they made it with ouzo, which I usually do not care for, but cooking it together with the other flavors in the sauce changed my mind! The bread, I believe, is freshly baked, and they serve it with great olive oil. Having family in Italy and close friends from Greece means I’ve enjoyed great olive oil—and this was really good olive oil.
For our mains, two of us had the Risotto D’Estate, one had the braised lamb, and another had the grilled fish. I do want to preface that the fish and the lamb were from their rotating “Passport Menu,” which Stephen said changes every 4–6 weeks. Regardless, the quality of the dishes tells me that whatever they have on this changing part of the menu will be good no matter what. The fish was a light, delicate cod with the right amount of smokiness and earthiness. The vegetables that came with the dish were well seasoned and not too mushy either. The braised lamb was very tender, and the quality of the meat was clearly good. The accompanying sauce had great flavors.
For the two of us who had the risotto, we were also very happy! This is the dish I had, and it was a lovely blend of flavors. The pistachios in it balanced out the salty/sour-ish (not the best word, but you’ll know what I mean) flavor from the cheese in the dish. It was outstanding.
Finally, we capped off the meal with a tiramisu, the chocolate pot de crème, and some limoncello. The limoncello, I should add, is made in-house—and OH, that was a treat! I didn’t try the tiramisu, but was told the creaminess was perfect. Some tiramisus can be too watery and the ladyfingers dry, but that was not the case here. Similarly, my pot de crème was to die for! I am a chocoholic and have been baking/making sweet treats for nearly a decade now, so I know a good dessert when I try one.
The only thing they could add to their menu is espresso! They have regular coffee, but an espresso is really what I enjoy after dinner.
Overall, we had a fabulous meal, and I cannot recommend Orzo enough. For my first culinary endeavor in my new home of Charlottesville, I could not be happier. Please check out Orzo—and say hello to my new friend Stephen.
