Once a sleepy railroad town, the New Roanoke is hip, happening and surprisingly citified – home to a mix of creatives and entrepreneurs from all over the world … or right down the road. In each installment of our blog series, you’ll meet a new face who’ll share their spin on the Star City – their favorite places to eat, drink, mix, mingle or get inspired.
In this installment, we talked to mompreneur Kat Pascal, co-owner of farm-to-table burger spot FarmBurguesa, which just opened its newest location in Grandin Village.
Drive past FarmBurguesa – Grandin Village’s new farm-to-table burger joint – and it’s easy to see the spot already has a fan following. Inside the cheery red-and-white interior, families and friends bunch around tabletops crowded with big, juicy burgers. Peruse the menu, and you’ll find a fragrant basil-and-balsamic Caprese burger, an extra-spicy Inferno burger and creative choices like the Colombiana – an homage to the founding family’s Hispanic heritage, piled high with cheese, bacon, grilled onions, green tomatoes and crumbled potato chips, then drizzled with garlic sauce, pineapple sauce and the family’s secret “pink sauce.”
Courtesy of Kat Pascal
Kat Pascal, co-owner of Farmburguesa
Perhaps, though, the real secret sauce is the value: with meals starting at $8.99, this is a restaurant that appeals to just about anyone… and that was exactly what Kat Pascal was going for when she dreamed up FarmBurguesa with her co-owners, fiancé Jimmy Delgado, brother Andres Pascal and sister-in-law Ashley Overbay.
“What we like is farm-to-table … but it’s expensive,” admits the former banker and mom of two boys (7 and 8), who loves to eat at spots where she can her take her whole crew. “So we said, what if we make something that people with families can enjoy, that anyone can enjoy, that’s quality? That makes sense.”
Here’s what this busy mom has to say about her favorite spots in the Star City:
What’s your favorite place to eat?
KP: Bloom knocks it out of the park for us – right now it’s our family favorite. The service you get there, the personal touch, the chef’s table, the pastry chef – they’re all amazing. We order everything. Usually I go seafood, Jimmy goes steak and then we try three or four of the tapas – potatoes aioli, beets, a salad. The kids’ palates are just opening up so much; they try everything. They’ve even eaten oysters – every time we go they think it’s hilarious to eat one. Sure, my kids love chicken nuggets and fries, but they like exploring different options like Mom and Dad, too.
How about for a drink?
KP: We like going to 202 Social House for drinks, or Billy’s… And if I’m drinking coffee, I go to Little Green Hive. Sharon makes the best recommendations -- I’m always learning something.
Where do you go in the city to connect with others?
KP: I like the CoLab. I also like [women’s networking organization] FemCity. I love being surrounded by strong and focused women, and when they’re moms, I admire them so much more just because I’m there and I’ve done it and I’m doing it.
Where do you go locally to feel creative and inspired?
KP: Virginia Western. I’m a student there – I have a list of goals and one of them is getting a diploma. So going there and seeing others from different areas – younger or older – is enlightening and refreshing. Virginia Western is inspiring because you have people with tons of hopes and dreams around you. Then you go to the CoLab and you have the doers, the drivers. When you go to the CoLab you say, ‘I’m behind. Let’s go!’
Who are some local entrepreneurs or creatives who inspire you to hustle harder?
KP: Here’s three people: [Roanoke Vice Mayor] Joe Cobb, because he’s grassroots … He represents the people’s voice to me. Second, [real estate developer and former Roanoke City Councilman] John Garland. The Garlands are admirable people… They’re always looking for underrepresented communities, which is important. And then, Annette Patterson [founder and president of The Advancement Foundation]. She’s a strong female who makes tough decisions… Annette is a woman I see as older, wiser, a powerhouse, a connector. She’s rocking and rolling.
Can you think of any best-kept secrets in the city … places, spaces or communities that others may not have discovered yet?
KP: I think that the PTAs [parent-teacher associations] are best-kept secrets for moms. When I moved to this area … I met hundreds of people within the PTA who are all doing amazing things and have this interest in making their school the best. It’s a social connector, I’m more involved with my kids, and I know their teachers; it’s done nothing but good things for me.
Want to find out more about FarmBurguesa’s Grandin or Vinton locations? Visit the restaurant’s Facebook page and keep up with them through social media.
Stay tuned for our next installment of Roanoke According to...!
About the Writer:
Ashley Wilson Fellers is a writer, educator, self-taught painter and contemplative photographer in Roanoke, Virginia. When she isn’t teaching writing at Virginia Western, she snaps photos of sidewalk cracks, rescues wet leaves from windshield wipers and leaves poems hidden under park benches. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Tech.