Roanoke is one of Virginia's more interesting dining scenes, with exciting new restaurants opening their doors all over town. While you can still get good country cooking here (including my favorite biscuits), young chefs are using flavors their Southern ancestors probably never heard of, much less tasted.
Downtown Restaurants
Market Square is Roanoke's dining center, with the 3 blocks of Campbell Avenue between Williamson Road and Jefferson Street, and the contiguous block of Jefferson Street, offering a host of restaurants catering to many tastes and all pocketbooks. A new establishment seems to join the ranks every month, so take a stroll and a see what's happening (most post their menus outside).
Behind the stalls on Market Street, Wertz's Country Store, Restaurant & Wine Bar (tel. 540/342-5133) uses the store's gourmet produce in sandwiches and salads at lunch, while tender, 21-day aged steaks appear along with seafood and pasta dishes at dinner. Its wine cellar is one of the city's best. Billy's Ritz, 102 Salem Ave. (tel. 540/342-3937), specializes in steaks and grilled seafood, and it's open on Sunday evening. The Market Square branch of Awful Arthur's Seafood Company, 108 Campbell St. (tel. 540/344-2997), also is open on Sunday, and it has sidewalk tables during warm weather. Ernie's, 210 Market St. (tel. 540/342-7100), opens at 6am Monday through Saturday and is my favorite breakfast joint.
Other Restaurants
The best vegetarian fare here is at the inexpensive Wildflour, 1212 4th St. SW (tel. 540/343-4543), offering a range of salads, sandwiches (veggie wraps, tempeh burgers), and main courses (red beans and rice, quesadillas, burritos). Open Monday through Saturday 11am to 9pm.
