For the past three years on our anniversary, I’ve surprised my wife Elaine with a getaway but concealed where we were going until we arrived there. All three years I decided to remain in Roanoke, as the Star City boasts so many charms. Here’s where we celebrated anniversary number 47, and where you might want to do the same with your special person.
Scrambled
We started our adventure by going to lunch at Scrambled on the market. Owner Susan Fleming gives the restaurant’s origin story.
“Before we opened in 2015, Roanoke was a breakfast desert — there were no places to eat that meal downtown,” she says. “But people were starting to move downtown then, the area was being renovated, and we just sensed that people wanted a place where they could walk to and eat breakfast.”
Of course, another reason for the early and continued success of Scrambled was the popularity of some of the entrees that became signature meals. Fleming relates that the Star City Scramble is certainly one such dish with two eggs cooked to order, plus a meat and side. The entrée also includes either a buttermilk pancake, vanilla French toast, or biscuits and gravy. All three of these add-ons are individually popular as entrees.
Fleming adds that another favorite is the Steak & Eggs: a filet grilled or blackened with two eggs cooked to order and a choice of a side or bread.
“If customers see our Steak & Eggs or our Star City Skillet brought to a table, they tend to order that same meal,” she says.
For our meal, I ordered two eggs scrambled with biscuits, grits and orange juice. Frankly, the real butter made the biscuits and grits sublime, and the juice was the best I’ve ever had. Elaine enthusiastically endorsed her two fried eggs and cheesy grits, as the egg whites were firm and the yolk were “semi-soft” just like she ordered. My wife gave a similar review to the vanilla French toast with real maple syrup she sampled.
King George Inn B&B
Next, it was time to check in at our lodging destination. On our first two Roanoke-based anniversary celebrations we sojourned at the Black Lantern Inn and Shirley’s B&B. So it was only natural that we enjoy another local B&B this time. In a business known for its high burnout rate, 85-year-old Lynn Hunt has been operating the King George Inn since 2010. She explains her longevity.
“I love what I do,” she says. “I live in this lovely home in old Southwest, I enjoy all the ongoing cultural and art events, and because we’re centrally located, I can get just about anywhere within minutes…including the Blue Ridge Parkway, Taubman Museum, Roanoke Opera, Roanoke Symphony, Roanoke Ballet, Little Theatre and Berglund Center. Our guests come from all over the world, and the morning conversations are truly fascinating.”
Interestingly, Lynn and her late husband Jim purchased the Old Southwest structure as an office building. However, the 2008 recession caused them to repurpose the Colonial Revival mansion as an inn. After two years of renovations such as adding bathrooms, replacing all plumbing and electrical, creating a full kitchen and furnishing 10 rooms, the King George Inn was ready for guests.
“Our breakfasts are cooked to order featuring a typical English breakfast or our signature dish, the King George Inn French Toast,” Hunt says.
Built in the early 1900s, the Inn boasts four spacious guest rooms with private baths, fireplace, period pieces, oriental rugs and original artwork. Additionally, as president of the League of Roanoke Artists, Lynn is very active in the local art scene. Many of her original pieces are on display and for sale in her upstairs studio.
Six and Sky Rooftop Grille
For dinner, we headed for a restaurant where we had never dined but that now will become one that we will frequent. J.D. Sutphin — who, along with Brian Brady, operates Six and Sky — explains the origin of their restaurant.
“Brian and I also operate Big Lick Entertainment, and for six years we had collaborated with Center in the Square on various projects,” Sutphin says. “During that time, the space at the top of the Center’s building was used for special events, and we kept saying what a great spot that would be for a restaurant, which is what it was actually originally intended to be when the space was built over 12 years ago.
“Finally, we just decided to roll the dice and take a chance, even though neither one of us had ever been in the restaurant business before. But Brian and I put together a great team, and now we have the satisfaction of attracting customers to a building that houses and supports 11 different nonprofits. We want Six and Sky to be your escape from the ordinary — where the energy of downtown Roanoke meets the laid-back luxury of a vacation getaway.”
Sutphin proclaims the Red Snapper as one of Six and Sky’s signature meals. The Cajun-inspired entrée features a blackened fillet with onions and peppers, cheesy polenta grits and Cajun crawfish pan sauce. Also popular is the Rooftop Burger which Sutphin describes as “a grilled, massive, steakhouse burger that’s a mix of sweet and savory.” Cheddar cheese, bacon and caramelized onion are also part of the creation.
Elaine selected the Horseradish Salmon: panko crusted with horseradish cream sauce, bourbon sorghum glazed carrots and whipped potatoes. I opted for the Flying Chicken: grilled chicken with butternut squash puree and whipped potatoes. After a superlative supper, we went downstairs for our evening entertainment: The Waitress at Mill Mountain Theatre.
Mill Mountain Theatre
Before the play began, we were able to visit with Keeley Morgan, social media coordinator for Mill Mountain Theatre. She explains the thrill of attending a performance at Center in the Square.
“I believe going to see a live show creates this exceptional energy between our audience and our actors,” Morgan says, who is among the performers herself. The audience is so close to our stage that that energy is palpable.
“In live theater, each show is unique within itself. The arts are a prevalent part of Roanoke, and we are a part of that connection.”
The 22-year-old Morgan was already dressed as her ensemble character when we talked, and the ebullience she expressed for the theatre was scintillating as was the play itself. We made a mental note to return soon.
After a restful night the King George Inn, we were ready for a great breakfast. Hunt and cook Jack Maz fulfilled that desire with strawberries, blueberries and yogurt to start, followed with an omelet (caramelized onions, fresh spinach, gruyere cheese and a dollop of sour cream) and fresh asparagus spears.
Not a bad way to end an anniversary celebration in Roanoke.
