ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210039
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: OFF THE CLOCK
SOURCE: CHRIS HENSON
There are a million ways to spell barbecue. There's Barbi-Q or Barb-E-Q or Babar-Q, which might be made from elephants. I've seen Barbara-Q and even seen Bubba-Cue. And then there's BBQ, which is most widely recognized as a potato chip flavor.
Okay, so maybe there aren't a million ways to spell barbecue. But, according to David O'Dell, of O'Dell's Restaurant on Salem Avenue, there is only one way to make barbecue, and that's how he does it.
``We pull our pork apart by hand,'' says O'Dell. ``It's leaner that way. You don't get the fat that you get when you chop it up.'' Throw on some cole slaw and ``nuclear'' sauce, and you're in barbecue heaven.
O'Dell's Restaurant opened about two months ago next door to Fret Mill Music on Salem Avenue. Like any new restaurant in the stiff downtown competition, it's trying to find its niche.
``Our barbecue is rumored to be the best in the valley,'' says O'Dell, ``though I may be biased.'' He points out that several ``specialists'' from the Barbecue State have cast votes his way as well.
``We get people in here from North Carolina all the time and they'll say, our barbecue is almost as good as theirs back home,'' he says. ``Then they'll buy two pounds of it to take back with them. So, you take it from there.''
Besides the hand pulling, O'Dell says that parboiling and smoking the pork - six hours of work for every 25 pounds - is what makes it so good.
Then there's the homemade sauce. That takes four hours for 10 gallons.
``In my opinion,'' says O'Dell, ``when you put the hot stuff on it, it takes away from the flavor of the barbecue. I kind of recommend, and prefer for myself, the mild sauce 'cause it kind of blends in and you can still taste that smoky flavor. Sometimes the hot sauce takes away from it.'' Still, he admits, some people want that heat.
Towering above the door of O'Dell's is a huge old vertical neon sign that says ``Restaurant Good Food,'' Inside, there's a long antique bar. It has a fine veneer that hugs its sleek modern curves. According to Virginia Thomas, a manager at O'Dell's, the bar has been there since 1949. Sitting at a counter stool puts a nostalgic spin on the place. You feel like you're about to miss your train.
The high, tin paneled ceiling gives the place a vaulted and open feeling during the day. When the lights dim, it's a bit cozier, authentic and perhaps a little seedy. The good kind of seedy.
Like any good pub, O'Dell's - situated directly across Salem Avenue from the First Union Tower - has a history.
``It used to be called The Manhattan,'' says O'Dell. ``Back in the old days, the train station was right over there [He points toward the nearby railroad tracks]. In the '40s, all the soldiers would come into the Roanoke area and this was one of the major hangouts. You had the Hotel Earle right up the street. It was a busy place.''
Recently, he says, the space has been one cafe after another, in and out of business, month by month.
O'Dell's menu is familiar food made from scratch. Something for everybody. Simple. Whether it's a bowl of soup or chili, a salad, or meat loaf and parsley potatoes, the food has that grandma's-kitchen flavor. Another great feature is Newcastle Brown Ale on tap.
Last Saturday night at O'Dell's, a small but lively crowd gathered to hear Heather Banker do her jazz thing. Her regular band had a previous engagement, so she put together an impromptu trio of piano, bass and drums
``It's kind of a niche that's not being fulfilled,'' says O'Dell. ``Seems like everybody's got a rock 'n' roll type of scenario. I'd prefer to market to the 30 to 60 crowd, so we're leaning towards some jazz.''
But the crowd is broader than that. The room sounds crystal clear. Banker's voice cuts through, like on a good recording. The sound of the band trading fours - that's where the other musicians alternate four-bar solos with the drummer - carries out into the street and draws the attention of a group of teenagers, who come in to listen.
Cort Stewart, the pianist, is a senior at Radford and has never played with Banker before. He does a great job, especially when he slips a few lines from a Christmas carol into a Charlie Parker tune. He plays with a band called Miles High at the Allegheny Cafe in Radford every Tuesday night.
This weekend, O'Dell's will feature more jazz with local singer Deborah Liles on Friday night Her band will perform again on Saturday night.
``We'd like to have jazz on Fridays, blues on Saturdays and maybe some folk music on Thursdays,'' says O'Dell. ``We'll have to see how it goes.''
So, spell barbecue anyway you like. Just let O'Dell's Restaurant define it for you. The atmosphere and food are likely to please, and a little music can't hurt. After all, the place has a history to live up to.
``Back when it was The Manhattan they say there was always a police paddy wagon sitting out front,'' says O'Dell. ``We'll do just fine without that.''
What do you do when you're Off The Clock? Got a favorite band or restaurant or hangout? You can contact Chris Henson at 981-3230, or by e-mail at ClockinOutaol.com.
LENGTH: Medium: 91 linesby CNB