Restaurant Review: Little Star Shines Bright

*Originally submitted March 24th, 2020 for the Writing and the World of Work course at the University of Virginia

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Written for The Daily Progress

LITTLE STAR SHINES BRIGHT

Little Star Restaurant. Photo Courtesy of Yelp.

By Annie Klein

March 24, 2020

It is not every day that the protégé of a James Beard-awarded chef opens a restaurant in Charlottesville, Virginia. This is probably why Little Star was garnering considerable buzz before it even opened. Ryan Collins, chef and co-owner of the new spot, trained under José Andres for a number of years.

Andres is frequently credited with bringing the “small plates” style of dining to America, but he has done much more for the restaurant scene and the world than just that. He oversees ThinkFoodGroup, and founded World Central Kitchen, an NGO that works to provide healthy meals to families and individuals affected by disasters around the world. In 2018, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.

All of this is to say that José Andres and those surrounding him do good work, both in and out of the kitchen. Ryan Collins is a testament to that. Collins was shaped by Andres while working for ThinkFoodGroup and Oyamel restaurant in Washington, DC. Collins relocated to Virginia in 2016, running the kitchen at Early Mountain Vineyard and building crucial relationships with those in the Charlottesville community.

One of these relationships was with the owners of Oakhart Social, just across the street from Little Star. Ben Clore and Tristan Wraight, owners of Oakhart Social, eventually helped Collins open up Little Star at the end of 2018.

Situated a few yards down the block from the ABC liquor store, Little Star isn’t necessarily in the nicest location, but the design and décor convince you otherwise. The space is an old auto-repair garage, complete with big garage doors that create a nice flow between the indoor and outdoor spaces. In the warmer months, guests can dine outside beneath twinkle lights and sunshine yellow umbrellas. The branding of the restaurant is very much centered around white, bright yellow, and an aquamarine-ish blue; all very happy colors.

The inside is spacious with varied seating options, from wooden high-tops, to banquettes, to tables, to bar seating. The variety of table options reflects the variety of customers, too. There are groups of friends here before a night out, families dressed for a special occasion, adults eating alone at the bar, and small groups grabbing casual weeknight dinners in casual clothing to match.

The cuisine, of course, reflects the Spanish-Mexican small plates influence of José Andres. Collins, along with many Charlottesville chefs, tries to use as many local ingredients as possible. The menu is split into five sections: bites, crispy, grown, raised, and large. The size of the dish, obviously, increases in each section. The staff is friendly and helpful, recommending around 2-4 dishes per person, depending on which dishes you select.

Left: Charred Shishitos with Romesco. Right: Croquetas. Photos Courtesy of Yelp.

The bites section is probably the least inventive but most closely resembles things you would see at a traditional tapas restaurant. It includes small starters like pan tomate, jamon iberico, and manchego (ranging from $8-$16). If you are looking to try good-quality ingredients on their own, go for these, but they are skippable.

In full honesty, I am partial to anything that is fried. It is a weakness. So, take it with a grain of flaky salt when I say that I could eat 500 of the croquetas ($12). Crispy and golden on the outside, soft, cheesy, and filled with country ham on the inside. I find that at many tapas restaurants, croquetas are big and greasy and far too filling for such a small plate. But Little Star’s croquetas are about the size of a piece of penne and will leave you feeling satisfied instead of sick.

Left: Fried Squid with Aioli. Right: Little Star Margarita with Mezcal. Photos Courtesy of Yelp.

The grown section takes simple ingredients, like shishito peppers, little gem lettuce, and endive, and elevates them to some of the best things on the menu. The charred shishitos with a bright and creamy romesco ($10) is big enough to split between four people and provides a wonderful freshness and slight bite of heat from the peppers, with a hint of smoke from the char. The little gem lettuce ($10) is far and away one of my favorite plates on the menu, probably because 9 times out of 10 I would overlook something so simple as a little gem salad. It is a much-needed light dish between fried cheese and the meat and fish plates that come later. The bread crumbs add texture and the valdeon (a Spanish bleu cheese) adds a great tang and creaminess.

The raised dishes are a mix of meat and seafood options. The beef tartare ($14) is great, and amped up by the addition of grilled cactus, which adds some acid that cuts through the fatty beef and nutty parmesan. The shrimp and grapes dish ($12) is decent, as well. I welcome fruit in savory dishes, but those who don’t can skip this. I always recommend the pork spare ribs. For $16, you get four large pork ribs that are tender, juicy, and fall off the bone. The salsa naranja has a kick, but isn’t too spicy that it overpowers the dish. It is also one of the most cost-effective dishes on the menu.

That being said, it is very easy to rack up a steep bill very quickly at Little Star. I would stay away from the large plates, which range from $20 to $100. If you work smart, you can choose great dishes that are all around $10/$12. And if you want to get the most bang for your buck in terms of drinks, go for the Little Star Margarita. All cocktails are $14, but this one comes with a shot of Mezcal that you can either mix into your margarita or save as a chaser. Order two of these and you’re basically getting four drinks for $28. Ultimately, Little Star is a fantastic addition to the Charlottesville food scene. While it can be expensive, there are ways to keep the bill down. It’s great for almost any occasion, and is particularly great for outdoor seating in the warmer months. I wish Ryan Collins and his team the best, and I look forward to what they will create as they continue to grow.

Little Star

★★★

420 West Main Street, Charlottesville, Virginia

(434) 252-2502

Atmosphere Open space with many seating options; sit outside if it is warm. No dress code, go for a casual dinner or a special occasion.

Service Friendly and attentive, don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations.

Sound Level Moderately loud at peak, depending on where you are seated.

Recommended Croquetas, little gem, charred shishitos, beef tartare, pork spare ribs, apple crumble.

Drinks and Wine Be warned that the wine list is incredibly expensive. If you really want wine, opt for the $14 sangria options on the cocktail list. Otherwise, get the Little Star margarita.

Prices Vary by section, but range from $8-$100.

Open Monday to Saturday, 5:00pm-10:00pm. Open Sundays from 5:00pm-9:00pm.

Reservations Accepted. Walk-ins welcome.

Wheelchair Access The dining rooms and restroom are on the sidewalk level.

What the Stars Mean Ratings range from zero to four stars and reflect the reviewer’s reaction primarily to food, with ambience, service and price taken into consideration.