Parallel 38, The Shops at Stonefield, Charlottesville, Virginia
Parallel 38 owner Justin Ross has big plans for his new small plates restaurant at The Shops at Stonefield. While The Shops at Stonefield struggle to become known for something other than a place to see a movie; there is a cluster of restaurants, quietly, surrounding the theater, which may in fact, save the day. Travinia Italian Kitchen, which is routinely packed, and Pasture, cafeteria-style nod to locally sourced food, have lured food lovers to Stonefield. And soon, Parallel 38 will join the mix with a completely different concept.
Parallel 38 takes its name from the latitudinal position just 38 degrees north of the Earth’s equatorial plane, a parallel that happens to run through some of the world’s finest wine and food regions: the Greek Ionian Islands, Spain’s Alicante region, Calabria in Italy, the Setubal Peninsula in Portugal, and Napa Valley in California. Central Virginia also happens to be strung along the 38th Parallel, a little know fact; and while it may not be as renowned as Napa Valley or Cambria, the idea here, according to the owners, is to merge all those cuisines and present to the discerning palate of Charlottesville lovers of fine dining!