Choose Your Own (Dining) Adventure

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The story below is from our July/August 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you! 

Explore the design revamp and menu makeover at The Pine Room at Hotel Roanoke.

What do a writing room, a World War II Officer’s Club and a pub all have in common?

They were all once housed in what is now the revamped Pine Room inside Hotel Roanoke. In the fall of 2020, the hotel unveiled its multi-million-dollar renovation along with the creation of the adjacent 1882 Lobby Bar. The design refresh sought to pay homage to the hotel’s storied roots while firmly steering the Pine Room into contemporary American restaurant territory. It’s a tall order, given Hotel Roanoke’s status as both a beloved local institution and a hotel and conference center. But Pine Room’s spruced-up interiors, expanded dining spaces and revitalized menu all add up to an invitation for diners of all stripes to choose their own dining adventure.

First, you’ll need to decide where to sit. Part of the renovation’s goal was to establish two new outdoor dining spaces. Those seeking a family-friendly vibe or a casual hang with the crew should snag a table on the large stone patio. Order some appetizers to share, perhaps the warm pimento cheese dip with grilled bread or the garlic shrimp dip, followed by a round of burgers. The Virginia beef patties are housed on a local challah bun and come in a variety of crowd-pleasing topping combinations, such as pimento cheese with candied bacon, or mushrooms, Swiss and balsamic glaze. Raise a pint, like the custom 1882 Heritage Lager from Roanoke’s Big Lick Brewing, and toast summer against the backdrop of the Mill Mountain Star and City Market. For a cozy catch up with a friend or a sultry date night, request a table on the outside terrace (which provides a prime perch for people watching). If the climate dissuades dining al fresco, head inside to the main dining room.

If you dined at the Pine Room pre-renovation, you might recognize the remaining exposed pine paneling, now buffed to a sheen. But the monochromatic color scheme is no more; pops of brick red and cerulean upholstery play off the shiny wooden floor. The kitchen, which was situated downstairs, has been reconfigured into the dining room as an open-kitchen concept, boasting clean lines and a showroom-esque polish. If watching the chefs at work is your jam, ask for one of the tables-with-a-view; soon, a chef’s table will be available for booking family-style suppers. For a broader view of the space and a quieter ambiance, opt for a banquette or table at the back.

The kitchen’s centerpiece is a woodburning hearth, which underscores the menu’s rustic American billing. Executive chef Stephen DeMarco, who has been at the helm for nearly nine years, has traded in some of the former pub grub fare, such as wings, quesadillas and sandwiches, to make room for an ambitious menu spanning appetizers, flatbreads, burgers, salads and signature plated dishes. The overarching culinary influence leans toward the American South, but the menu is peppered with global touches too, as with a roasted carrot and falafel bowl.

The menu layout also inspires a choose-your-own adventure feel. You could easily go the traditional appetizer-entrée route, in which case you might opt for a seasonal salad followed by a hearty main, such as a slow cooked pork shank or charred bone-in ribeye. If you’re the type of diner who likes to try as many different dishes as possible in one sitting, you’d do well to compose a small plates spread from the appetizer (called Snack ‘n’ Share here) and flatbread sections. Start with the fried green tomato chips, battered and fried to a golden crisp and paired with a dip studded with Tasso ham. Move on to the fennel-scented meatballs dolloped with house-made ricotta, which come with hearth-toasted bread for mopping up sauce. Among the flatbreads, the smoke house reads like an upscale meat lovers’ pie, chockful of house bacon, brisket and chicken, all cloaked in a melty blanket of pepper jack and drizzled with chipotle barbecue sauce. If you’re looking to add a shareable entrée to the mix, select the hearth-baked whole fish topped with lemon zest and stuffed with fresh panko breadcrumbs. It’s the kind of dish that proves that the most memorable dishes are often the ones that are well-seasoned and simply cooked. Of course, the whole fish presentation—with head and tail intact—makes an impression, too.

In the mood for just a drink and a light bite? Head to the 1882 Lobby Bar. You’ll find a menu of seasonal craft cocktails that dispenses with the pretense with lovely descriptions that help you pick exactly what you’re in the mood for. The selection is rounded out with an approachable list of beer and wine (available in six- or nine-ounce pours, or by the bottle) and a section that proudly calls out Virginia distilled spirits, such as Franklin County Distillers Moonshine, that beg to be sipped neat or concocted into a custom tipple. The staff is adept at steering you to a plate pairing, but shareable snacks that read like elevated pub grub, say, the brisket nachos or the crispy cauliflower, promise to fit the bill. While you sip, be sure to look up and take in the gorgeous, restored ceiling mural. 

Regardless of where you sit and what you order, you’ll want to save room for dessert—ideally pastry chef Lauren Beres’ airy-crisp churros. The freshly fried dough calls to mind carnival funnel cake, but instead of powdered sugar, the churros are tossed in vanilla sugar and flanked by warm bittersweet chocolate ganache and caramel for dipping. You can’t go wrong with other nostalgia-tinged treats, such as ice cream sandwiches, plated here with caramel sauce and toffee crunch, or a rustic fruit pie topped with a generous scoop of house made honey ice cream. After all, don’t the best adventures end on a sweet note?

The Pine Room at The Hotel Roanoke

110 Shenandoah Ave NE

Roanoke, VA 24016

540-985-5900

The story above is from our July/August 2022. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!