On the Market.

Thursday, April 24th starting a 7 p.m. will be The Blues BBQ Co.’s first Bourbon Dinner featuring Knob Creek. Special guest and Whiskey Professor, Bernie Lubbers, will be giving our guests an educational presentation of Knob Creek, as well as personalizing labels for those who bring in their own bottle. The cost is only $95 per ticket and is to include a five course dinner cooked in the featured bourbon, 5 in-house specialty drinks and the presentation by Bernie Lubbers. Seating is limited to 50 guests so call or stop by to reserve your seat today! The phone number is (540) 344-LOVE.

Additionally, Blues BBQ sauces are bottled and ready for sale! They are offering “Blue Carolina,” “Grumpy Yellow,” & “Sneaky Heat.” Pricing is $5 per jar, $9 for 2, or $12 for 3. Bring a little LOVE to your own kitchen!

There are a lot of foods that are a challenge for me to eat, and certain foods that I simply don’t like or would never consider eating - like foie grois for example. However, 202 Market always brings out the adventurer in me. The chefs there have an amazing talent for making my most feared foods taste good. Here’s a look at the current tasting menu by Chef Chad Scott. This menu was particularly challenging for me because I’m a) not overly fond of fish, b) the thought of eating the liver of anything makes my stomach turn, and c) I have never liked goat cheese.

The goat cheese apple soup was fantastic. I could eat it all day. My husband and I sipped ours out a cute little cup and relished the flavor. Maybe goat cheese isn’t so bad after all. I really dug it in this dish. Adam thinks it’s the texture of the cheese I’m ordinarily not fond of. Melted into soup it’s transformed into something wonderful.

I’ve never been a big fan of fish. I enjoy tuna and will tolerate salmon. However, this BBQ Snapper was wonderful and very steak-like. It came with a bit of smoked bibb lettuce and sorbet. It was fun pulling off the “lid.”

I was a bit apprehensive about the Foie Gras. I shouldn’t have been. While the texture was a bit strange, sort of scrapple like, the flavor was impeccable. I mixed everything on the plate together and delighted in the individual flavors all melding into one.

Next up was the paella. This is the only dish I’ve ever had at 202 that I didn’t like. However, it wasn’t because it wasn’t good. My husband loved it. I am not at all a fan of Mexican food, and the thought of eating a mussel turned my stomach. I mean, it looked like a muscle. I did try it, but it was a no go. However, it is not something I would eat anywhere regardless of who makes it. I just picked out the shrimp and chicken and sausage and a bit of scallop and ate that, leaving the rest.

Well, Mr. Manager wasn’t at all happy with my discontent over the paella. He very happily brought me the Steak Wagu so “I wouldn’t go hungry.” I loved it!

Finally, we finished off the dinner with a Creamsicle-Ginger Float. It was both fun to eat and delicious.

The next time you stop in 202 why not give the Chef’s Tasting a try? You get to sample a little of everything rather than having to choose just one or two items from the menu, and you leave with your stomach full and content!

For dinner reservations please call 540.343.6644 Monday-Sunday beginning at 11am. They’re located at 202 Market Square in downtown Roanoke.

There’s a new restaurant in downtown Roanoke. Horizon Bar and Grill opened this month with a menu boasting a southwestern flair on fine dining. They are located in Wertz’ old location at 215 Market Street. Here’s a look at some of their offerings.

Steak Nigeri - flank steak over plantains

Lamb Shanks over refried beans

Sweet Potato Enchiladas over black beans

If you’ve had a chance to try out their fare, please let us know what you thought!

There are new crafts arriving weekly on the Roanoke City Market. Here are a few from this past week.

Matching Pear & Berry Soap and Lotion from Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen. Enter to win a set through 4/30/08.

Lampwork earrings made from Dana James’ own lampwork beads.

Leaf shaped, stoneware bird feeders created by Brian Seckinger of Roanoke Valley Clayworks.

And Lavender Milk Bath from Enchanted Forest Soaps.

There are a lot of beautiful flowers to be found on the Market. Now is the time to begin preparing to plant for spring. Here’s a little bit of the color you can expect to find.

Beautiful, fresh cut pink flowers from Julia Light.

Early spring bloomers from Sumdat Farm.

Heucheras from Rolling Meadows Farms.

And vibrant color from Walter’s Greenhouse.

It was a blast selling on the Roanoke City Market on Saturday. Most of the vendors were decked out in green hats and full of St. Pat’s cheer.

Julia Light sells her fresh cut daffodils.

The weather was beautiful, and the parade was a success. While I didn’t get to see the parade, I was able to catch the Scottish bagpipers who were generous enough to come play in Market Square following the parade. Here are a few pictures from the Virginia Highlands Pipes and Drums performance.

Also, take a look at photos of the parade as taken by the Roanoke Times.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been moved up to 11:30 am tomorrow Saturday, March 15th. Also, the St. Pat’s Festival has been moved from the Railside Plaza. Entertainment will now take place in Market Sq. with bands playing in Kirk Alley between Calhoun & Kipp and FNB.  Please come out and join us. It looks as if the rain will hold off until at least 4 or 5pm tomorrow!

Swing downtown on Saturday, March 15th for our annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade at noon in downtown Roanoke. There will also be a Celtic Festival from 11am-5pm at the Downtown Roanoke Railside Plaza. Call (540) 342-2640 for details. Saturday will also mark the day that the farmers return for spring to the Roanoke City Market. Swing by to purchase plants, produce, and crafts from local artisans.

Blues BBQ Co. is having a ST. PATRICK’S DAY Extravaganza Friday March 14th through Monday, March 17th. Dress in your most festive St. Patrick’s Day Clothing for a chance to win “Dinner For Two” coupons and to receive discounts. Live music will be playing beginning at 9pm on both Friday, March 14th and Saturday, March 15th. Check out The Jessie Ray Carter Trio on Friday and New River Revival on Saturday. Sunday and Monday there will be music all day with Jack Wayne & The Blue Notes playing Sunday, March 16th and the morning of Monday, March 17th. The Jessie Ray Carter Trio will be playing the evening of March 17th.

Friday, March 7th at 9pm Mikal Evans opens for Parachute Musical A Fresh Breath Of Music at 202 Market. Saturday, March 8th at 9pm catch Luego with the Tenderhooks in the 202 City Bar and Latin Dance with DJ Diego in The Loft.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Trio Bistro-Bar-Bottle has been around for quite a while, and Rebecca and I have enjoyed dining there on occasion, especially when we were in the mood for a great glass of wine to go with the meal. However, Trio has seen fit to hire a new chef, change up their menu, and get down to their southern roots. Trio now caters to those favorites from your childhood, like say, fried green tomatoes. And let me tell you, these are not the maters your grandma would make you eat either. I would literally make this appetizer my main meal it is so mouthwatering. Imagine, nicely corn meal breaded and fried green tomatoes, slightly covered in a bit of gorganzola cheese, some pancetta, and a balsamic reduction drizzled over ever so finely. The balsamic offset the bite of the tomatoes quite well, and the addition of the cheese and pork, well, who doesn’t love bacon with everything? Simply scrumptious. Rebecca tried a grilled fig and prosciutto salad with a pancetta and lavender dressing. I had a small taste, and it was absolutely wonderful. For my main course I gave the crabcakes a go. These arrived beautifully prepared, with an apple vinegar slaw, and rice and beans. The cakes were generously filled with crab, and had just enough spice to be flavorful, but not overloaded so that it covered the flavor of the meaty goodness inside. The slaw was wonderful, with enough vinegar astringency to offset the sweetness of the apples. While I’m not a great fan of rice, the rice and beans were wonderfully flavored, and I found myself enjoying it thoroughly. Rebecca ordered the honey glazed quail, not sure what to expect since she has never experienced the small foul before. It had a nice spicy crawfish stuffing, and was piled on a flavorful risotto. I have to say that the combination of flavors was amazing, and although Rebecca didn’t finish her meal, it wasn’t due to not loving the dish, she simply just didn’t have any more room. I on the other hand decided to pig out, and ordered dessert. Rebecca and I had discussed what could possibly be southern enough to make the new desert menu, and we were pleasantly surprised to see some classic southern favorites, such as bread pudding, and my personal favorite, pecan pie. Now, this was a Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie with a brown sugar whipped cream, as described on the menu, so it made it even more appealing to me. Let’s just say I was hooked from the first bite. Overall, the menu works well, and it definitely is something that anyone, yankee or southerner, should enjoy. Call (540) 904-5887 for reservations.