The story below is from our September/October 2015 issue. For the DIGITALLY ENHANCED VERSION, download our FREE iOS app or view our digital edition for FREE today!
Sumptuous flavors can have an even sharper appeal after you’ve done an enticing hike.
Roanoke, Virginia: a town situated between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains, a city through which the Roanoke River runs, a home base within a stone’s throw of Jefferson National Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Smith Mountain Lake. It’s a city encompassing two often separate worlds—one marked as a cultural hub with its opera, award-winning restaurants, and shopping malls, the other defined by trees, rock, and water. But those two spheres are what make Roanoke…Roanoke.
The reason why so many of us live here is because we can step outside our doors and run or bike to the 12+ miles of trails at Mill Mountain; we can redefine “happy hour” as one spent after work on a paddleboard in the river. But then, afterwards, we can drop by one of our four breweries for a pint or grab a bite to eat at a “top 100” restaurant. We have options here—and, even better, we lack traffic, overpriced cocktails, or a dress code for dinner.
So where better to pair adventures with dinner destinations, and all those within an hour of your driveway. From hiking to biking to kayaking, there’s something for everyone in Roanoke, not to mention a great meal waiting when you finish. So lace up your shoes, throw your mountain bike on your car, and find a life vest because your autumn is about to get a lot more exciting…and delicious.
A Sight for Sore Legs
Located off Route 122/Big Island Highway is a place you may never have heard of unless you live in Bedford: Millstone Tea Room. Chef/owners Melanie and Jared Srsic have operated the restaurant since 2001 (and assumed full ownership in 2005), so Millstone is no newcomer to the area, but its scenic location shelters it from much of the city crowd. On a Saturday evening, be prepared to wait for a table if you haven’t reserved one in advance and, if the weather is good, ask for patio seating so you can enjoy the wildflower garden, twinkle lights on the historic 1930s building, and feral cats rolling around in the yard behind the restaurant.
Before settling into one of the best meals you’ll eat in Virginia, however, start your afternoon with a steep but rewarding hike up to Flat Top, the taller sister peak of Sharp Top at Peaks of Otter. Skip the crowds and drive about three miles north of the Peaks of Otter Lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway to find a small, shaded parking lot and a small sign indicating the Flat Top hike.
Wind your way through patches of rhododendron 2.5 miles to the top of the mountain. In summer, you’ll find wildflowers dotting the trail; autumn, of course, introduces a riot of color through the beech, oak, poplar, and hickory trees. When you’re almost at the top, you’ll find a “false peak” with a view back towards the parkway. While it’s beautiful, push onward the final few tenths of a mile to the top where you’ll be greeted with blustery winds regardless of season and 360-degree vistas of the surrounding mountains and valleys. If you’re lucky, which you often are on this hike, you’ll have the top to yourself—plan on spending a bit of time there to soak in the sun and rest your legs. And be sure to explore both the west and east viewpoints.
Once you descend to your car, head west on Va. 43 to Millstone Tea Room. If you’re feeling nervous about your hiking duds, don’t worry. It’s a casual-upscale restaurant. You’ll see couples on date nights as well as fellow hikers or travelers like yourself. Begin your meal with a selection of the house charcuterie—all made in-house or locally sourced. Served with a spicy mustard and baguette, each on offer was delicious, though the country pate and the lardo were standouts, and perfect when paired with the organic radishes offered in the vegetables section of the menu. Cleaned and served with rich, local butter and sea salt, the crunch and spicy kick of the radishes is one of the best ways to celebrate the spring and summer season.
For a second course, try the mussels with herbed white wine. Again, like the radishes, another deceivingly simple dish, these mussels were bursting with herbs, butter, and white wine, delivering a broth that was impossible not to drink straight from the bowl at the table (don’t worry, crostinis are offered to help you out with that).
For a final course, Rabbit Sausage with Spoonbread, Summer Squash, and Sorrel Sauce is an absolute must if available. Again, featuring all local ingredients, the two generous links of sausage were grilled, the casing snappy, the spoonbread silky smooth, and the sorrel sauce a piquant lemony punch amidst the richness of the dish. Topped with baby mustard greens and edible flowers, the dish embodied the essence of late spring and provided the perfect finishing touches to an afternoon filled with strenuous hiking and serious noshing.
Flat Top Hike:
virginiatrailguide.com/2011/07/04/flat-top/
Millstone Tea Room
9058 Big Island Hwy, Bedford
540-587-7100; millstonetearoom.com
Veranda with a View
In March 2014, we featured an in-depth look at the history and future of Carvins Cove, a natural reserve and the second largest municipal park in America). Situated largely in Botetourt County, the 12,700-acre park is protected by the largest conservation easement in Virginia (11,363 acres) and allows for a plethora of recreational activities ranging from horse riding, hiking, biking, or trail running on over 60 miles of trails or boating on its 800-acre reservoir. While no swimming or SUPing is allowed in the reservoir, you can rent or bring your own paddleboat, kayak, or boat with a motor less than 10HP. In other words, there is so, so much to keep you busy.
Park at the boat launch to access Happy Valley, a fire road that gives cyclists, horseback riders and runners access to all trails. Piece together a loop out of the lower trails if you’re interested in a variety of trails without the giant climbs of Hi-Dee-Ho or Brushy Mountain: School House, Songbird, Arrowhead, and the often-photographed Enchanted Forest are all good bets for a weekend day of pedaling. You’ll find flowy banked turns, some root features and rock gardens, and plenty of opportunities to spy wildlife like deer or even bear.
After you’ve worked up a sweat at Carvins, head over to Veranda Bistro for an alfresco Mediterranean feast. A mere hop-skip-jump from the Marina parking lot, Veranda shares a parking lot with a Citgo, but its cuisine is anything but gas station fare. Featuring an extensive menu of Greek favorites, owners Chris and Irene Karageorge offer a family-owned, cozy spot with a beautiful view of Tinker Creek.
Assuming you’re worked up quite the appetite, begin your meal the familiar but oft-maligned Spanikopita. The pastries here aren’t greasy or stingy on the filling, instead they feature flaky, buttery phyllo dough wrapped around enough spinach and feta to put a dent in your daily dose of greens.
For dinner, try the Lamb Souvlaki with its two kebabs of tender grilled lamb (medium-rare for best flavor), pita, tzatziki sauce, and roasted potatoes. On the heartier side, Veranda’s Mousaka is bar none. A Greek casserole of sorts, the Mousaka layers eggplant, tomatoes, mashed potatoes, and ground beef in a béchamel sauce. Though it’s a dish I’d normally order in winter, after a strenuous hike or ride, I’m ready for a recovery meal like this one. If fish is more appealing, then order the Psarei Plaki, or Red Snapper baked “flat” (plaki) with tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in olive oil. The resulting fish is light and rich at the same time—perfect when served with a side of the bistro’s rice and fresh vegetables.
But, remember, you’ve burned a few calories today, so don’t forget to order some dessert, especially if Irene’s homemade galaktoboureko is available. A sweet, custardy semolina pie baked in phyllo, when drizzled with honey and served with an espresso, the galaktoboureko is the perfect cap to an adventurous day at Carvins Cove.
Carvins Cove:
roanokeoutside.com/carvinscove
$2 parking/access fee
Veranda Bistro
8201 Williamson Rd, Roanoke,
540-563-4445; verandabistro.com
A Korean Feast in the Most Unlikely Place
Rightfully so, Cascades is one of the most popular and famous hikes in the area outside of McAfee Knob. Featuring an easy, mostly level 4-mile out-and-back trail that leads to a 66-foot waterfall with a large swimming hole at its base, it’s easy to see why southwestern Virginians love this family-friendly trek. Hiking alongside Little Stony Creek, a picture-perfect babbling brook filled with plenty of boulders upon which to hop and rest if you’d like, Jefferson National Forest rises up on either side and shades the hike with its canopy of hardwoods. Given that maintenance crews planted plenty of stone steps in steeper sections, if you’re looking for a more accessible hike than Flat Top, Cascades is the trail for you.
Once you’ve cooled off in the falls, head over to Kalbee Restaurant in Pembroke. In a town of just over 1,000 people, Pembroke is the least likely town in which to find authentic Korean cuisine, but since the early-2000s, Connie Kim has been fermenting, cooking, and serving her home country’s cuisine to curious patrons in this unassuming and welcoming space.
While a few American options can be found on the menu, stick with the Korean offerings and begin your meal with an order of Yaki-mahn-doo, pan seared vegetable and noodle dumplings served with Kim’s soy-based dipping sauce. The dumplings are n+1—in other words, never enough, so order the batch of 10. Another crowd-pleasing appetizer is the Korean-Style Seafood Pancake made of flour, egg, scallions, shrimp and scallops. Thin, crispy and savory, the pancake is large enough to serve six as an appetizer, and is delicious alongside the various banchan, small dishes, served alongside the meal such as kimchi (made by Chef Kim), fermented black beans, and pickled radish.
While it’s hard to misorder at Kalbee, a perennial favorite introductory dish to Korean food is the bibimbap which features a heaping serving of rice topped with mushrooms, ginseng root, carrots, lettuce, and other seasonal vegetables, with seared steak on top. Mixed with a spicy, fermented pepper paste sauce, it’s not only hearty and light at the same time, but impossible to eat in one sitting. For vegetarians, the Japchae offers fried tofu and vegetables stir-fried in sesame oil with sweet potato noodles.
If you’re interested in trying a pork dish, of which there are a few, you can’t go wrong with the Traditional Spicy Pork (Dwae-Ji Bokkum). Unsalted pork belly forms tossed in gochujang chili paste (Korean fermented red pepper paste) and gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes) form the base of this dish which is served alongside sticky white rice. You can order it to desired heat—medium is normally quite spicy enough—and it’s a great introduction to the spectrum of spicy Korean cuisine.
Soups and stews form another backbone of Korean cuisine and Chef Kim’s Kimchee Chigae is not to be missed. The ttukbaegi (earthenware bowl) is served boiling hot with bubbling kimchi stew, silken tofu, and pork. If you’ve been wary of tofu, try this dish—silken tofu is entirely different from the rubbery kind you’ve likely tried before. True to its name, it slides off the spoon and adds a creamy element to the stew. The homemade kimchi adds an acidic and spicy element, making this the kind of stew you’ll crave on a cold, wintery day.
No meal at Kalbee, however, is complete without an order of the fantastically famous strawberry shortcake. This shortcake is the stuff of dreams: a dense strawberry cake served with ice cream (sometimes pistachio, other times salted caramel or another kind), fresh whipped cream, and a thick, sweet and tart strawberry sauce. Rich, light, summery, it’s a showstopper dessert and, while not what you’d typically order at a Korean restaurant, it’s a requirement for any visit to Pembroke and the Cascades.
Cascades Hike: roanokeoutside.com/cascade-falls-trail
$3 parking/access fee
Kalbee Restaurant
609 Snidow St., Pembroke
540-626-6011; kalbeerestaurant.com