Restaurants in Roanoke

[weill]

Where is Abuelo's exactly located?

Can't they just use Valley View's parking lot?

[StevenRocks]

Where is Abuelo's exactly located?

Can't they just use Valley View's parking lot?

[designerjunkie48]

If you come into the mall parking lot from the Sears side near Smokey Bones and Chick-Fil-A, it's the first building you see inside the mall parking lot on the ring road.

They're going to try to make some alternate arrangements, but there is a possibility that the parking lot won't be ready early enough to open the restaurant on time.

[StevenRocks]

Are they saying that the whole parking lot of the District needs to be finished it order for it to open on time?

[weill]

Do you know if the city had incentives by the ready date?

[StevenRocks]

Do you know if the city had incentives by the ready date?

[designerjunkie48]

According to the Valley View Website, both restaurants, Abuelos's Mexican Food Embassy and Carrabbas, will be open for the Holidays. Abuelo's is expected to open November 13th and Carrabba's is follow less than a month later on December 4th! Can't wait to try them out. I just hope they can get things solved with the parking lot.

So StevenRocks, I think it's time to unfold the future of The District at Valley View

[mclawsdrive]

I took a date to Metro for dinner a few weeks ago. I'm happy to report the experience was outstanding overall. My disclaimer; Metro is not cheap. Don't go here for dinner unless you're prepared to shell out some dough.

Given our somewhat limited budget, my date and I opted for Sushi, which we both agreed was as good if not better than any we've had in Richmond, and we've had a lot of Sushi in Richmond. We both ordered mojitos, hers with additional fresh strawberries. (I recommend the plain mojito as the added cost of the strawberries didn't add too much to the taste.) We were treated to complimentary shooters, a nice treat considering the money we shelled out that night. The wine selection is superb, with a whole page of Pinot Noirs and a great selection of reds overall. We got one of the cheaper Noirs and were satisfied. The 'girly' martini menu is extensive, probably justifying the Sex and the City crowd that flocks to metro for drinks. Beer selection is also nice, with Stella Artois on tap, a great selection of bottles and my favorite cheap beer, PBR in the 24 oz. can. The only negative of the evening was dessert. We ordered creme brulee and were disapointed to find the custard had solidified and warmed considerably. Apparently the chef had accidentally added twice as much of some ingredient, which caused the transformation. Our server offered us another dessert but by that time we were full and tipsy and just decided to forget about it. No matter, the quality of the sushi more than made up for it. If you want to impress an out of town guest, I strongly recommend Metro as a destination. Also, on Thursday's from 5-9, Metro offers half price on select sushi items.

[mclawsdrive]

Has anyone else ever eaten at Wildflour on 4th street in Old Southwest? It is my parents favorite restaurant and I enjoy it as well. He bread and desserts are outstanding, they're made in the bakery adjacent to the kitchen. Apperently the restaurant has a question of the day - every day at lunch. The first person to submit the correct answer gets a free lunch.

[burt]

Where is METRO, McLaw?

And what is in those little boxes containing the red x at the bottom of your posts? They don't open up for me.?

[mclawsdrive]

Metro is at:

14 east campbell avenue

roanoke, virginia 24011

Their website is www.metroroanoke.com

I had a picture where the box is now. I guess my image host deleted the image. I'll put a new one up soon.

[burt]

WOW!! Metro looks big city kewl. .

Really enjoyed reading your review, McLaw.

[wrldcoupe4]

Yeah that place looks pretty sweet!

[bmedguy]

My wife and I have eaten at Metro a few times on special occassions. It is fairly urban and chic which is a refreshing change of pace. Very nice experience and I agree, a very good place to entertain a guest you wish to impress. However, as McClaw said, it will not be a cheap evening. We have spent $150 on dinner without going wild on drinks. However, you can get a good meal cheaper if you wish as well. The experience and the food are worth the price every now and again. The fact that it has done well and has been around for at least 2 or 3 has been encouraging.

[bmedguy]

Has anyone else ever eaten at Wildflour on 4th street in Old Southwest? It is my parents favorite restaurant and I enjoy it as well. He bread and desserts are outstanding, they're made in the bakery adjacent to the kitchen. Apperently the restaurant has a question of the day - every day at lunch. The first person to submit the correct answer gets a free lunch.

[StevenRocks]

So StevenRocks, I think it's time to unfold the future of The District at Valley View

[burt]

My wife and I have eaten at Metro a few times on special occassions. It is fairly urban and chic which is a refreshing change of pace. Very nice experience and I agree, a very good place to entertain a guest you wish to impress. However, as McClaw said, it will not be a cheap evening. We have spent $150 on dinner without going wild on drinks. However, you can get a good meal cheaper if you wish as well. The experience and the food are worth the price every now and again. The fact that it has done well and has been around for at least 2 or 3 has been encouraging.

[bmedguy]

Elegant is a good description of the dining experience at The Regency Room. It is a more traditional style, but also first rate. I think we are lucky to have it as well. They often have live piano music and a dance area and so it can be a good romantic setting for a date.

I like your enthusiasm about Roanoke burt. I need to get to Richmond sometime and check it out. I've never seen the city outside of a very quick business related trip that didn't allow me time to see anything.

[mclawsdrive]

On my birthday 11 days ago, I went to a new trendy, upscale Restaurant called BANK in downtown Richmond and was suprised to see Gov. Tim Kaine and his entourage sit down at the table next to me. Apparently he and his crew made a similar visit to a similar restaurant, METRO, in downtown Roanoke just a few days after my encounter. Read Larry Bly's article here.

[burt]

On my birthday 11 days ago, I went to a new trendy, upscale Restaurant called BANK in downtown Richmond and was suprised to see Gov. Tim Kaine and his entourage sit down at the table next to me. Apparently he and his crew made a similar visit to a similar restaurant, METRO, in downtown Roanoke just a few days after my encounter. Read Larry Bly's article here.

[mclawsdrive]

Who dines out more - Kaine or McLaw?

[mclawsdrive]

Lots of restaurant news for Roanoke!!

From the Roanoke Times.

Downtown

-A new Thai Restaurant will open this month at 616 S. Jefferson St. This will be downtown's 2nd thai spot. Also, the owner of Tong's Thai, the other downtown thai eatery, plans to open a 2nd location on Franklin road by May in the former spot of the Buck Mtn. Grille.

-Blues BBQ will open this spring at 107 Market Square. Menu will include various styles of BBQ and other items. The establishment will have a full service bar.

-The former Jeffey's at 214 market St. will become Wasabi's Saki Shop & Sushi. No opening date has been announced.

South Roanoke

- 2123 Crystal Spring Ave, formerly Spoon on the Avenue, is now Tony Pope Bistro & Wine Bar. The focus is on locally grown, fresh produce. Pope, formerly a chef in Atlanta, D.C and New Orleans, offers 4 different dinner entrees, which change daily, such as beef, fresh fish, wild game or poultry and vegetarian.

Raleigh Court

- Local Roots Cafe will provide local and organic food for luch and takeout dinners starting in April at 1731 Grandin Road. It's the building just to the right of the post office.

SW county

- Bellacino's, the 4,000 sf spot offering pizzas and pasta, will open later this month in the Old Country Plaza on Ogden Road after some construction delays.

[mclawsdrive]

Annie Moore's Irish Pub will open in a few weeks, missing the opportunity for a St. Patrick's Day debut. Roanoke times article On the plus side, a good selection of Whiskey's including Red Breast, Michael Collins and Single Malt Scotches, at low prices. The down side is the location at West Village on 419. Owner Chip Moore didn't have any interest in opening downtown, saying, "one thing I don't like about downtown is you don't have much weekend business". Hmm

I think we should do a survey of all the bars downtown and ask them what their busiest nights are. I guarantee all of them will say Friday and Saturday nights are when they make most of they're money. Oh well, I'll still check out Annie Moore's in a few weeks when I'm in town, but someone should really reopen the former Kara O'Caen's spot. If there are any venture capitalists out there, send me an email.

[burt]

Good to get some postings from Roanoke. It's been too long.

Maybe the Irish bar owner was not thinking of Center in the Square, or Market Square, whichever it's called, when he bemoaned the lack of business downtown on weekends.

Any gigs coming up, McLaw?

[BGW]

Annie Moore's Irish Pub will open in a few weeks, missing the opportunity for a St. Patrick's Day debut. Roanoke times article On the plus side, a good selection of Whiskey's including Red Breast, Michael Collins and Single Malt Scotches, at low prices. The down side is the location at West Village on 419. Owner Chip Moore didn't have any interest in opening downtown, saying, "one thing I don't like about downtown is you don't have much weekend business". Hmm