- Contact us |
- Customer care |
- Subscribe |
- Advertise |
- Submit news |
- Sign in
Don't Miss:
Are you the Ultimate Red Sox Fan? Enter your photo in our contest and you could win fan-tastic prizes.
A pizza shop with a Colombian twist
Rico Pizza on Williamson Road is a small, family-run restaurant with a large and varied menu of pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches. What many Roanokers do not know, however, is that Rico excels at preparing and serving authentic Colombian cuisine. Ramiro “Rico” Guacheta opened Rico Pizza about 14 years ago, but he said he decided to add cuisine from his native country five years ago, after noticing that a lot of
FRONT BURNER: How the dirty dozen and clean fifteen can help when deciding to buy organic
I’ll be the first to admit I’m a little neurotic. One of my neuroses involves a paranoia of chemicals — in short, I know human beings are routinely exposed to a litany of chemicals and I wonder if that has something to do with the scary health diagnoses I hear about every day. One of the worst places for a person with chemophobia (that is a real word) is the
Alejandro’s in Radford brings Mexican flair
The Best Western Radford Inn has seen several on-site restaurants come and go since its opening many years ago. Now it is home to the fourth location of the Nucamendi family’s Alejandro’s Mexican Grill, which also has two locations in Roanoke and one in Christiansburg. Instead of being decorated like most Mexican restaurants, this restaurant is decorated like the hotel — it is clean, with bright walls and homey wood
FRONT BURNER: Must-have gadgets that make the perfect Mother's Day gift
We love our mothers, but sometimes it’s devilishly difficult to buy them the perfect gift. “I don’t need anything,” she might say, or “Just buy me a card.” But if a card doesn’t seem like enough and your favorite mother figure loves to cook, today’s column might help. I’ve scouted four local kitchen shops, asking owners and employees to suggest hot new products and must-have gadgets for the chef/mom. If
Firefly Fare shines, day and night
With the much-awaited days of spring finally upon us, the Roanoke City Market is bustling with shoppers and sellers eager to provide produce and plants for dinner tables and backyard gardens. On days like these, there’s nothing more fitting than a meal comprising the best our region has to offer, and that’s exactly the type of meal you’ll find at Firefly Fare. Chef Chris Parkhurst opened Firefly Fare in the
FRONT BURNER: Roanoke man creates custom smartphone apps for local restaurants
It wasn’t long ago that the word “app” meant something entirely different in the restaurant world. “Let’s order some apps before our entrees,” one might say, or “Could you bring us some app plates, please?” Now, millions of people turn to “apps,” or application software, on their smartphones to help inform their decisions about dining out. According to the online industry magazine FastCasual.com, an April study of smartphone users found
Cascade Cafe offers simple, thoughtful fare
The small town of Pembroke in Giles County has long been known for its speed traps and waterfalls. For those looking to grab a bite to eat between hiking and racking up speeding tickets, Cascade Cafe provides satisfying meals at a reasonable price. Cascade Cafe sits inside the Tangent Outfitters shop, a hybrid retail space that looks like part modern convenience store, part Cabela’s showroom, and part bistro. There is
GOOD LIBATIONS: Reflections of an old home brewer
Recently, spring cleaning around my house has caused me to have to deal with a large volume of homemade beer. Years ago I was an avid home brewer. About every two weeks I would come home on Friday evening, place a canning pot on the stove with a couple of gallons of water and bring it to a boil, adding specialty grain, malt extract syrup, spray malt and plugs of
FRONT BURNER: Salem Memorial Ballpark offers up more than just your basic hot dog
If Tim Anderson had written the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” he probably would’ve asked for more than peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Instead, that line might have gone something like “Buy me some smoked wings and cold craft beer” or “Buy me a pizza and milkshake, dear.” Anderson, 52, who is in his second year as food and beverage manager for the Salem Red Sox, understands the
Veggies To Go gives vegetables a Southern accent
If you’re always on the lookout for a quirky Mom-and-Pop place, you should check out Veggies To Go in Salem. Open since November 2011 and located in the old Salem Donut Shop, Veggies To Go still offers homemade doughnuts each morning, as well as an ever-changing menu of vegetarian specialties and classic Southern vegetables. Daily specials and veggie choices are posted each morning on the restaurant’s Facebook page. While you
FRONT BURNER: Farmers markets begin to sprout
Although plenty of dedicated customers have braved frigid weather and eaten more than their share of root vegetables this winter, the most bountiful and enjoyable season for farmers market shoppers is just beginning. The return of warm temperatures causes markets to bloom like roses, revealing showy displays and drawing a lot of buzz. The last time I checked, which was in 2009, there were 184 farmers markets in Virginia. As
Iandoli’s offers cafe fare in winery setting
Not far outside of Radford, on Childress Road, sits Attimo Winery , a pleasant place to stop on a weekend drive. The winery, owned by Melissa and Rik Obiso, was started in 2006. Nestled among houses are 11 acres of young grape vines striving to become a vineyard . Some of the vines produced grapes in 2010, and new vines are planted each year. But our visits to Attimo were
FRONT BURNER: Are you into rhubarb?
When I lived in Leadville, Colo., as a child, my parents were practically kids themselves. Thousands of miles from their own parents, they gravitated toward a warm, loving couple named Lee and Viola Rhodus. I remember that my surrogate grandparents' back yard butted up against my elementary school playground, and that Mrs. Rhodus' flower garden burst with the tiny blue stars of forget-me-nots. I recall that we were invited to
Bayou Lucy’s delivers New Orleans delicacies
If you have driven past Tower s Shopping Center in recent months, you may have noticed a brightly painted gold and purple building where Big Lick BBQ once stood. If you’re lucky, you had time to stop in and sample Bayou Lucy’s brand of New Orleans Cajun and Creole cuisine. My first visit to Bayou Lucy’s was for an early dinner on a recent Sunday evening. My companion and I
FRONT BURNER: Blues BBQ owner going to compete in Italy
Most of the folks in Roanoke who know Patrick Maggi know him as a barbecue man. I regularly hear people say they think his downtown Roanoke restaurant, Blues BBQ, has the best barbecue in town. On Friday, a film crew from the Destination America television show “BBQ Pitmasters” is scheduled to shoot a segment at the 6-year-old business. For the past few years, Maggi has battled the best in some
Origami aims to offer fine dining in dining hall
Origami, located in the new Turner Place dining center at Virginia Tech, aims to provide a traditional Japanese steakhouse experience. Recently, I set out with my family and a 6:45 p.m. reservation to have that experience. It began with scarce parking and running into a gauntlet of students, but eventually we arrived at the door. Initial-visit protocol was a bit confusing because of general crowd chaos and an obscured “Enter Here”
FRONT BURNER: Making eggs devilishly good
We spend time in our kitchens boiling, cooling, peeling, slicing, smashing, stuffing and sprinkling, then carry our beautiful deviled eggs to a potluck, where the plate barely makes it to the table before it’s clean. The passion that people have for this ultimate two-bite treat is one reason many of us make them for gatherings, particularly around Easter. But factor in how easy and inexpensive they are to make, and
GOOD LIBATIONS: Book shares the legends of Bordeaux
One of the most frequent questions I entertain is, “Why do certain wines cost so much?” A definitive answer can be found in “Bordeaux Legends: The 1855 First Growth Wines of Haut-Brion, Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux and Mouton Rothschild,” by Jane Anson. The 2010 vintage of the first growths is currently fetching more than $1,200 per bottle, but there is more involved here than just pecuniary concerns. Anson’s book, scheduled
Make a culinary escape to the Caribbean
What better way to break the cold weather blues than a visit to the tropics? Because jetting off for an island vacation is not economically feasible for most of us, a taste of the Caribbean will have to do. For that, I recommend a trip to Cuban Island restaurant. Even on a blustery day, a visit to the Williamson Road eatery feels warm and inviting. Caribbean tunes pour out of
The Foodie Calendar
Information on upcoming food classes, tastings and demonstrations can be sent to Extra, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, VA 24010, emailed to events@roanoke.com or faxed to 981-3346. Deadline for submissions is two weeks before the event. For more information, call Rebecca Holland at 981-3138. Friday 2013 Empty Bowls Dinner & Silent Auction Help Beans and Rice, Inc. fight hunger. Share a simple meal of beans and rice, plus
1. Former Virginia Tech receiver Danny Coale works to prove himself NFL-worthy after being released by the Dallas Cowboys
2. Blacksburg man charged after reports of fight Sunday morning
3. WOYM: Star City has co-starred in some Hollywood films
4. Roanoke's 'Mr. Fitness' Artie Levin lives on in B'nai B'rith Awards
5. Attorney General Cuccinelli not subject to Freedom of Information Act
6. Police investigating Saturday crash at Trail Days in Damascus
7. Grand times at Grandin Village block party Sunday
8. NFL 'grind' over for former Virginia, Cave Spring star Ronde Barber
9. Cooking fire at Roanoke apartment sends 1 to hospital
10. Franklin Co. officials say funds can’t be diverted to fill school cuts
THE ROANOKE TIMES
4