Broadcloth — Restaurant in Charlottesville

Artists.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Tucker & his craft for several years now since we moved to Charlottesville. This first meal at the newly opened (and beautiful) Broadcloth was everything you want from a culinary experience. When I think back to some of the more privileged moments in my life, experiences in dining rooms of some of the worlds most respected chefs, there is one quality that to me highlights a true culinary ARTIST, and that is a theme. There are thousands of talented chefs putting the right flavor and texture combinations together. Tucker is no different there - his food has always shown technical prowess, a variety of textures, and depth of flavor.

But what is truly exciting about dining in Tuckers restaurants - and something I wasn't able to frame until tonight - it is that his food, all of it, holds a commonality that is 100% unique to the chef. Each course is composed of completely different ingredients, textures, colors, and flavors, but they all play on the same theme. And so, the meal, which is 2.5 hours long, becomes one; a singular experience of artistry!

As we were enjoying our time at dinner, I looked up at the wall of cookbooks from his library, and noticed "Etxebarri". I remember our meal at the enduring San Pellegrino Top 10 restaurant in the hills of Spain, vividly. It was one of the best meals of our life, hands down. After this evening at Broadcloth, I'd be hard pressed to pick which one I'd prefer to dine at tomorrow. Sure Broadcloth can't compete with the ambiance of centuries old architecture and the rolling hills of rural Spain, but what they have going for them is unquestionably the most talented chef in central Virginia,... and in my humble opinion, one of the top culinary artists in the world right now.

Highlights - Scallops with country ham broth, Pork & green olive terrine, Maitake buckwheat pilaf with mapo duck, Duck liver parfait, Carolina gold grits with pickled beets... but frankly all 12 dishes were at a minimum 9 out of 10.

The dessert - an almond dacquoise with pistachio buttercream, black currant, and sunchoke ice cream - was nothing short of perfection. Three star Michelin. Reminded me of the next level desserts we ate at the Cat Bird Seat in Nashville. Kudos to pastry chef,...

Ambiance - 5/5, romantic and vibrant Service - 5/5, special event storytelling Cocktails - 5/5, beautiful and well-paired Food - 4/5, most courses were phenomenal

We dined here first at the “Good Vibrations” special coastal/tropical-themed cocktail dinner, and it was a fun experience; I highly recommend looking at their special dinner events as they do them several times per year. We were greeted with complementary hors d’oeurves and two cocktails, and in between each course, the entire restaurant received from the resident mixologist a lively storytelling and history of the ensuing course and cocktail.

In general, it’s a lovely, intimate space. Chef Tucker Yoder has built a great thing here at Broadcloth. I saw two customers dining in the kitchen, though I’m not sure how one can score that table. The service was great - they cleared every utensil, dish, and glass between each course with a dutiful periodicity. The cocktails were well made, beautifully adorned, and paired perfectly (especially with the scallop!). My favorite course was the lamb with the paper-thin pineapple, what a success this dish was. While most of the courses were phenomenal, the amouse-bouche (not shown) was complemented with a very flat cauliflower that seemed to be steamed with absolutely no seasoning whatsoever. The squab, while delicious and complemented so perfectly with the fried rice, was very tough to cut and we were not given adequate cutlery for it. The dessert was the only other low point of the night. The name of the dish translates loosely to “a mix of things”, and it followed that description to a discordant fault. While the individual elements were good, together they didn’t make much sense; in particular I felt the watermelon and mango took a lot away from the subtle ube ice cream. I make these criticisms out of a sincere respect for Broadcloth and its leadership, and in the hope that this new player in elevated Charlottesville dining can see great success as we come out of...

From start to finish a wonderful upscale meal in a beautiful and unique setting. We went here for a special occasion dinner and the staff were incredibly attentive and friendly throughout our meal. From the moment we arrived and were greeted with their house sparkling wine it was a wonderful experience.

They have a range of tasting options available, we opted for the middle six course and it did not disappoint! Our primary server Nekya was incredibly knowledgeable about every dish and gave great recommendations throughout. We followed the sparkling wine with a cocktail during the first few courses which were all amazing. Particular stand outs were the beet bolognese which is among the most unique and delicious preparation of beets I’ve ever had. We also loved the scallops with ramp purée, which were cooked to perfection and incredibly tender.

The rest of the staff were also incredibly attentive replacing our place settings, serving the courses, and refilling our glasses.

As we continued in the meal we had red wine to pair with the heavier meat dishes which were all also cooked impeccably. The dry aged rib eye was amazing.

The meal also ended on a sweet note with a delicious chocolate crémeux evocative of a deconstructed pot de créme. I also had an espresso-less espreeso martini esque cocktail which the bartender concocted on request and was amazing.

From start to finish this was a wonderful celebration of mid Atlantic cuisine and would...