BIG LICK RESTAURANT REVIEWS

Bonjour All!

2008-08-15T21:51:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the long hiatus, perhaps I'll have time to start posting again. Here are the latest reviews from the Times. Here and here.

Blues BBQ is finally open!!

2007-10-21T17:32:00.000-04:00

The much anticipated Blues BBQ is now open y'all. I can't wait to try it out; as you all know, NLB loves BBQ!!

Good Riddance El Palenque

2007-10-17T09:04:00.000-04:00

El Palenque is finally shutting its third set of doors. But have no fear, the owner knows who's to blame for their misfortune -- you. It seems that Roanokers don't have a palate sophisticated enough to pay $17 for very mediocre food. I quote:

Unfortunately, according to Eduardo
Galvan, their fans could have done more to keep them happy.

Galvan blames slow business and unsophisticated palates
for the restaurant's demise after nine years in various locations around
Roanoke.

"To Roanoke, we were a shock," he said. "Nobody had ever
seen the kind of food that we were doing."

I cannot believe the nerve of a restaurant owner saying to their customers, it's not me, it's you. You stupid culinary dilettantes. It's not the fact that I've been in 3 locations or that my food was not up to par, it's that you don't appreciate it. Good riddance.

Mac n' Bob's

2007-10-06T09:37:00.000-04:00

Dolores K. of the RT travels to Salem's old standby, Mac n' Bob's here....

A Good Review for T-Bone Jack's

2007-10-06T09:35:00.000-04:00

Wade Anderson of the Times gave a good review to T-Bone Jacks.

202 Market Gets 5 Stars from Dolores

2007-07-19T07:18:00.000-04:00

Dolores gives 202 Market 5 stars despite eating the hushpuppies. She did nail it on the creme brulee though.

Vinton for Thai?

2007-07-11T07:17:00.000-04:00

The new Thai restaurant in Vinton, Red Jasmine, has received good reviews...

Coda Coffee, Wine and Crepes

2007-05-26T07:26:00.000-04:00

Patron Saint LB says here that likes Coda but be prepared to wait.

LB & NLB Agree on Wasabi's!

2007-05-05T23:42:00.000-04:00

The Real Larry Bly, patron saint of all things gastronomic here in Big Lick has now weighed in and, shock and awe, agreed with bizzarro Larry (that's me) on the terrific taste of Wasabi's food.

Tony Pope's (by Friend of NLB)

2007-05-05T23:38:00.000-04:00

One of NLB's frequent dining companions (we'll call him FONLB for friend of Not Larry Bly) has submitted this first ever Big Lick contributor review of Tony Pope's, which I am anxious to do for myself. According to FONLB, he and his out-of-town guests enjoyed the atmosphere and the service was good (though it should have been given that it was a Thursday and not very crowded).

They started with salads and wine. The wine list was quite extensive and he reports that the markup on the bottle they had may have even been less than 100% .

The guest couple split a salad, which Tony Pope's staff actually had the foresight to bring on two separate plates without even having been asked to do so. Mrs. FONLB My friend's wife and the other couple had the Bibb lettuce salad and lhe thinks they liked it, but couldn't really tell because he was too busy devouring hisThai BBQ Duck Salad with fried Goat cheese. It was fantastic and while he ordered it thinking that he was "taking a chance," when it arrived, he reports that the salad appeared much less risky. Mrs. FONLB, who did not want to share that salad with her husband (probably because the extent of her duck tasting has been from birds FONLB has personally extracted from the sky), was later asking him for bits of the goat cheese.

The FONLBs then proceeded to arrange their own tapas by ordering several small plates instead of from the four or five available entrees. They had the scallops, quail, Kobe steak, shrimp and grits, suckling pig, and oysters. They report that the oysters were the most disappointing, though still good; they just seemed to lack substance and contain more breading than oyster. While there were only three scallops, they were large and flavorful. The quail was appeared to be taken right off the breast bone, which is very helpful with small game birds and allows you to eat far more of the meat. Depending on how "gamey" you prefer your wild fowl would dictate how well you liked the quail. FONLB, an avid sportsman, reports that it tasted more like it was farm-raised than wild. The shrimp and grits were great and the pork and steak were each fantastic.

For dessert, they enjoyed the blueberry turnover, the key lime cheesecake which was good (as a connaissor of key lime pie and cheesecake, FONLB reports that nothing stood out as exceptionally positive or negative), and a chocolate tort cake, which Mrs. FONLB seemed to like.

FONLB says that one thing they all agreed on was that the menu was a lot of fun, which helped everyone enjoy their meal so much. Also, FONLB says he overheard Tony Pope talking to some ladies from West Virginia and got the impression he was from West Virginia as well. With that in mind FONLB states he was surprised not to see any squirrel on the menu and made him regret that he did not try the rabbit small plate. This prompts NLB to ask Tony -- what's a West Virginia boy doing serving farm-raised quail?

Roanoke Times Names 5 Finalists in Hot Dog Contest

2007-05-03T09:06:00.000-04:00

In the contest to create and name the Salem Avalanche's signature hot dog, the Roanoke Times has picked the 5 finalists here. Well, even though NLB is not really a big fan of hot dogs (aside from the one's at Sam's in Salem), any loyal Big Lick reader knows my penchant for pork bbq and thus, I formally endorse the Bar-B-Dog -- just leave the off the hot dog.

The Finalists

These five hot dogs will be sampled by a panel of judges at a pregame event Friday, May 11. The winner will receive a night in a sky box with friends, complete with a round of hot dogs and drinks.

Barney Dog

Mustard, chili, coleslaw and crispy french-fried onions

Submitted by Linda Lemon of Salem

Fiesta Dog

Coleslaw, chili, diced onions, diced tomatoes, mustard and a dash of garlic powder

Submitted by Christina Martin of Buena Vista

The Launcher

Mustard, onions, chili, salsa and coleslaw

Submitted by Carolyn Farris of Salem

Bar-B-Dog

Hickory-smoked pork barbecue and coleslaw

Submitted by David Mullins of Blacksburg

Blizzard Dog

Sauerkraut, coleslaw and mustard

Cinco de Mayo!!!

2007-05-02T19:46:00.000-04:00

The Roanoke Times does margaritas here.

China Lite

2007-04-20T07:33:00.000-04:00

Maybe they should scout new locations given the number of robberies...

RT notes the $1 booze

2007-04-19T11:41:00.000-04:00

Ralph Berrier, Jr. at the RT reviews 202 from a music perspective here.

Bread Craft

2007-04-18T12:39:00.000-04:00

Newbie Lindsey Nair writes about a great bakery here in Big Lick.

Comment! Comment! Comment!

2007-04-15T13:52:00.000-04:00

I encourage anyone to share their experiences or thoughts by posting a comment on the relevant post. Thanks to those who have already done so.

PS: I have turned off the moderating feature so I won't see it until you post. Fire away!

202 Market -- Bold, Beautiful, and Bring Your Dictionary

2007-04-15T13:33:00.000-04:00

As I previously mentioned to all you Big Lickers out there, I have been eagerly anticipating the opening of 202 Market as a new premier addition to the Star City's dining scene, which has exploded in recent years. Having opened this past Tuesday, I decided to give it a try right out of the box even though one needs to be careful about making judgments about a restaurant during its first few months of operation. Now that I have tried out the City Bar (202's name for the downstairs bar), the Kitchen (the rear dining room where plasma televisions broadcast what's going on in the actual kitchen), and the Loft (202's upstairs bar with piano and lounge seating), I am able to offer the following observations:

(1) The interior of 202 is exquisite and unlike anything in Roanoke -- the front dining area is light and airy with window views of the market while the Kitchen is perfectly romantic with subdued hues and a jazz-club atmosphere. The Loft has a beautifully sleek and well-stocked bar. Even the restrooms have a modern, cutting edge design complete with what I will call "infinity" sinks where the water hits a flat surface and rolls off the edges into the collection basin. As a friend pointed out, this would actually seem to be the opposite of a sink and I think he's right.

(2) The service, both bar and dining, is very good. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and polite. The bartenders are eager and helpful.

(3) The food is inventive and expertly presented, yet the taste of several dishes was, frankly, less than what I expected. Chef Scott's creations are unlike anything else in Roanoke, though they perhaps come closest to Andy Schlosser's dishes at Metro in terms of creativity. The menu also requires an extensive gastronomic vocabulary, which NLB finds a little off-putting. I dare say that few of even the most culinary-minded among us understand terms such as "sous vide", which is only one of many pretentious terms on the menu. To be sure, Chef Scott is not the sole adherent to this "make the diner feel dumb" philosophy. It has been the trend for some time now as the exotic terms allow chefs to charge more merely based on the perceived complexity of the dish's nomenclature. "Exotic" ingredients are okay, but let NLB go on record as finding the use of numerous "fifty-cent" words somewhat off-putting.

Mrs. NLB (sorry ladies, it's true, NLB is taken) ordered the goat cheese hushpuppies ($5) as a starter. It was accompanied with a black olive and lime puree. These were not our favorite. As southerners we obviously love hushpuppies and we like goat cheese, but while it sounded good, puppies and goats do not mix. The pups had a fresh cornmeal flavor to be sure, but when combined with the goat cheese and the puree they took on an overtly salty quality that overpowered the dish. Like a few other dishes I've tried, the flavors seem oddly paired. This can be said, for instance, about my salad of pan-seared mahon cheese, peppery baby arugula, 'honeycrisp' apples and marcona almonds ($8). I hate to say that I found the salad bland despite the high-quality ingredients and, here again, the flavors did not seem to mesh well. I think a soft, sweet cheese and a higher dose vinaigrette would better compliment the apples and arugula moreso than the sharpness of the mahon.

For my main entree I ordered the salmon with a mushroom crust, cauliflower-lime puree, yuzu-glazed pork belly and whipped horseradish ($23). This dish was very good and I was amazed at the mushroom wrapping around the salmon. It essentially looked like a very large piece of sushi with a paper thin mushroom wrapping. I'm not sure how Chef Scott did that. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the flavor when combined with the whipped horseradish was delightful. Here is an instance when the unusual flavor pairing worked -- who would have thought to put horseradish with salmon? Even the unusual cauliflower-lime puree had a nice flavor and the thin slices of pork belly tasted like miniature pork chops. Kudos on this dish.

Mrs. NLB ordered the fried chicken "again" ($23) cooked sous vide, which the server explained as vacuum sealing the chicken breast in a bag and submersing in water for 8 hours at a temperature of 140 degrees before lightly breading and frying for a few minutes. This method of cooking, which is precise and preserves the nutrients, has been adopted by top chefs and NLB applauds Chef Scott for producing another wonderful tasting entree. Mrs. NLB loved the tenderness inside the chicken breast contrasted with the crispness of the light outer breading. One issue arose, however, as the menu stated the chicken was to be accompanied by smoked squash, ramps, and banana consommé. The problem: no squash. No doubt this omission can be attributed to the fact that this was the first Saturday night service for the restaurant and it slipped through the cracks. I think they're entitled to the benefit of the doubt. The ramps and banana consommé were delicious.

Finally, in an act of suffering only for you dear readers, NLB forced himself to have dessert. Now, I am an avid creme brulee fan. I prefer traditional creme brulee, which eschews any flavor aside from vanilla. Today's chefs try to stand out by offering ginger, lavender, and white chocolate creme brulee but while these dishes may be good, nothing beats a ramekin of tried and true vanilla bean creme brulee and that's exactly what one gets from 202. Indeed, I hereby declare 202's creme brulee ($7) to be the best in Roanoke and among the best I've ever eaten! Mrs. NLB ordered the blackberry pavlova -- a crisp blackberry meringue with fresh lime curd. After exchanging tastes of our respective desserts I couldn't believe it when she told me she liked the pavlova just as well as the creme brulee, since she shares my affinity for the brulee. I admit that the pavlova was very tasty.

One last note about 202's pairings of various flavors. My understanding was that 202 was aiming for a "new southern" style of cuisine but I'd be hard-pressed to categorize Chef Scott's current menu, though that may be his precise intent. On an earlier visit I tasted the truffled kettle popcorn ($5) and it was a delicious snack to accompany the beer while sitting at the bar. I also tried the calamari that came with two different sauces, one being either a peppermint or spearmint sauce. While the calamari was spectacularly cooked and tasted great on its own, the mint sauce was an odd choice. The other sauce, some kind of spicy aoli if memory serves, complimented the dish well and there really was no need for the mint option. I tried it several times to see if I could "get it" but I just couldn't. No matter how fancy, fine, and exotic the ingredients it is ultimately the taste that matters above all. Just because two or more flavors can be fused doesn't mean they should be. 202 is already one of Roanoke's top eateries in terms of decor and, with a little time, I have no doubt it will have the menu to match.

Ukrops is coming to town -- sometime!

2007-04-15T12:52:00.000-04:00

According to the Times, Ukrops should open sometime before June 21st but the article clearly places the blame on Bland Painter III, the developer. If it doesn't open by July 21, 2007, Painter stands to lose $9 million in incentives. Ouch.

New Food Reporter at Roanoke Times

2007-04-12T17:20:00.000-04:00

I see the RT has a new food reporter, Lindsey Nair. Welcome Lindsey, welcome. Be sure to check out her blog.

Whaaaasssssuuuuupppp with Wasabi's?

2007-04-08T20:53:00.000-04:00

I recently lunched at the Market's new sushi restaurant, Wasabi's (former Jeffries location). Okay, I actually had takeout but I at least had to go in to pick it up! I placed my order and they told me it would be ready in about 15 minutes so I wandered the Market and enjoyed the spring-like weather. After perusing the menu I decided on a tempura sweet potato roll ($3.50), California roll ($5.50), and tempura shrimp roll ($6.00). They were delicious and tasted very fresh. The gentleman behind the short sushi bar made them right there behind a display case of fresh fish and other ingredients. The tempura shrimp roll was perfectly crisp on the outside and had a wonderful taste. I had never had a tempura sweet potato roll before and it was very, very good. I was told that they specialize in the spicy tuna roll, so I will get that next time.

I will note the decor seemed rather dark , particularly since it was quite bright outside (maybe its a Japanese thing). It was pleasant nonetheless and had a good many tables. They also seemed to be rather busy, which is always good for a new restaurant. Since I took my sushi to go, I can't comment on the service, though I'll be sure to eat in one of these days. The big loser in all this is Ben Gui Sushi near Tanglewood Mall, which I would sometimes drive to during lunch for their wonderful sushi. I have no reason to drive over there now!!

UPDATE: I didn't know when I ate lunch at Wasabi's that I would be back for dinner so soon but some good friends suggested we have dinner there since they hadn't been. I jumped at the chance to dine in and give it a once over at dinner. I should first note that, ironically, it was much brighter in the restaurant at nighttime than it was when I was there during the day. The walls are red and the atmosphere seemed more inviting at dinner. Anyway, the four of us sat down at a table near the sushi bar where we could easily view all the fresh ingredients soon to be rolled into our entrees. The waitress was very pleasant and attentive, though she had to come back a few times because we couldn't make up our minds about what to order -- Wasabi's menu is rather large!

I chose to start with a Japanese spring roll with ground pork and cabbage and miso soup. Although the spring roll was good, if unremarkable, the miso soup was some of the best I think I have ever had. It seemed more substantive than miso soup I've had elsewhere. Here's how we ordered:

Man # 1: Electric Eel Maki roll ($11) and Spider roll (soft-shell crab) ($8).
Woman: Sushi Deluxe ($17)-- 4 pcs. California roll, and Chef's Choice sushi, which included surf clam, flounder, salmon, tuna and a few others
Man # 2: Emperor's ($17) -- combination of sushi & sashimi w/steamed rice
NLB: Spicy Tuna sushi ($4.50) and Spider roll

Universally we all thought our dinners were very fresh and high quality. The rice seemed firm and had a good texture. Indeed, I don't believe anyone had a complaint. I will, however, comment that the time between ordering and receipt of our entrees was too long. I attribute this to the fact that apparently only one gentleman, who has a big smile and seems to work diligently, prepares the sushi. I know there is a kitchen staff in the back but this lone sushi preparer obviously prepares most, if not all, sushi entrees. I'm sure he can only do so much and we didn't mind the wait as we had great table conversation to occupy our time, but I think they are going to have to do something about the wait time eventually. My compatriots say that it may be attributable to the fact they've only been open a short while and this may be the case. What if he needs a sick day for heaven's sake! Oh well, I'm sure they'll work it out.

Meanwhile, if you desire reasonably priced, great-tasting sushi, NLB can wholeheartedly recommend Wasabi's, though I wouldn't stop by if you have to catch a show at a certain time.

I can't wait to hit 202 Market!

2007-04-08T20:18:00.000-04:00

Okay, I admit that NLB has a bad case of "new restaurant fever." While I was waltzing to Wasabi's the other night I stopped by to peer into 202, which had a fancy schmancy party going on (to which I wasn't invited btw). Don't they who Not Larry Bly is? Well, obviously not, which goes to show all of you Big Lickers that unlike the real LB, I'm not well known enough to get free desserts! (See this post). Anywho, the place is amazing inside, including what they apparently call a "plasma wall" containing 9 flat creen televisions near the bar. There was room for two bands and a backlit bar on the main floor. One local blogger calls this "sophisti-clectic". Plus, I saw lots of pretty people which bodes well for the atmosphere. The sheer smell of the place indicates that everything will be pricey and, from the looks of how much the two oncologists bankrolling the place must have spent, they'd better hope a cure for cancer is years away 'cause they might need to keep those day jobs.

Review to come.

Best BBQ in Big Lick

2007-04-07T14:35:00.000-04:00

I have been terribly remiss in not providing some important information to Big Lickers regarding the best barbecue in Roanoke. As readers of this blog will remember from my review of Carter Brothers in High Point, NC, NLB LOVES BBQ! Of course, this means pork barbecue, not beef. Beef ain't barbecue and if you think it is go to Texas where the bastards in El Paso decided to try and one-up Big Lick by constructing the world's largest illuminated star while arguably relegating the only True Star to second-largest status. Theirs looks stupid so NLB says it doesn't count.

In any event, the best pork barbecue in Roanoke hands down is found at Henry's Memphis BBQ on Brandon Avenue across from the Kroger at Towers Mall. The pork is flavorful, tender and has very little fat. Although the sandwiches are fine ($3.99), I recommend ordering the pork platter ($7.99) as it comes with two sides and it give you a chance to taste the meat in its purest form. You can choose from either of several sauces including Memphis style, North Carolina vinegar based, or the South Carolina style mustard-based. Why anyone would choose the SC style I have no idea but both of the other sauces are great!

As for sides, you have to get the fantastic hand cut fries! Moreover, you should order the side that I have never seen anywhere else, BBQ spaghetti; I think it is delicious. Henry's offers plenty of good sweet tea as well. Hushpuppies are notably absent from the menu but we'll give them a pass since you can dine on such fine swine!

Larry Bly Likes Tony Pope

2007-04-05T13:10:00.000-04:00

Okay Big Lickers, our patron saint LB has reviewed Tony Pope's new restaurant and this is now on NLB's "must-review" list. Of course, if NLB keeps his low profile, he won't get the complimentary creme brulee trio that apparently went over well with LB, who is a pro after all and admitted the bribe in the interest of full disclosure.

Dolores Kostelni gushes over the Seafood Co.

2007-04-05T12:58:00.000-04:00

In today's Times intrepid reviewer Dolores Kostelni gushes over The Seafood Company, giving it 4.5 stars. Apparently still hungry she also reviewed Zaxby's. Apparently she liked her visit but is hesitant to return because, let us all be shocked -- "they didn't keep up with cleaning the tables on the day of my visit." I'm aghast that a fast-food place was unable to keep their dining room neat and tidy.

New Restaurant Coming to Grandin Village

2007-04-01T12:50:00.000-04:00

According to this story in the Roanoke Times, a new Eastern Mediterranean eatery is opening up in Grandin Village called The Isaacs Restaurant.