
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, November 4, 1994                   TAG: 9411040060
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CATCHING THE BEST SEAFOOD IN THE VALLEY

Seafood lovers can really indulge themselves to their heart's delight in local restaurants. Waves of delectable marine dinners featuring an assortment of grilled, fried, sauteed and broiled filets, crustaceans and bivalves are offered all over town. Thanks to today's fantastic advances in science and transportation, plus increasingly strict government regulations, freshly caught fish - from any place in the world - arrives at its destination in 24 hours or less.

During the past few months, I've made the rounds of Roanoke Valley restaurants seeking my 10 favorite seafood dinners. Much to my dismay, I experienced some surprising disappointments from a few of the restaurants I had been enthusiastic about. Although I returned to try the dishes again, it was to no avail: Careless hands apparently reign in the kitchen.

Most of the meals I ordered were absolutely delicious, some of the best I've eaten. Because it proved impossible to give my favorite dishes numerical placement, I've listed the seven restaurants in alphabetical order and described my top selections. A few of the restaurants fulfilled my expectations with more than one delectable dish, and I have gone beyond the call of duty and listed these offerings, too!

Alexander's. This restaurant's food has evolved and developed during the 15 years it's been in business. For me, this means the cooking incorporates the best of classical techniques with today's lighter tastes and healthier awareness. The basil and parsley-flecked shrimp provencale ($15.50) gets my vote because of its exquisite simplicity: Several large shrimp adrift in a smooth, brightly flavored tomato sauce. My tastebuds also gravitate to the unusual sauteed redfish with hazelnut butter ($15.50). It's not often this chunky, sweet-tasting fish, which originates from Louisiana's salt waters, appears on the menus in other states, so I order it when I see it listed.

Buck Mountain Grille. When I crave the maple-glazed salmon filet ($13.95) or a 6-ounce, three-quarters of an inch golden cake of pure crab meat ($17.95), and I can't decide which one I want (a frequent occurrence for me), I'm happily satisfied with the broiled fisherman's platter ($14.95). It's a splendid feast that incorporates smaller versions of both the salmon and crab cake, plus two eight-inch spears crowded with sweet scallops, succulent large shrimp and crisply cooked fresh vegetables.

Norberto's Italian Restaurant. This is a quiet and personal neighborhood restaurant with a talented owner-chef, Norberto, serving forth fare of Italian and French derivation. When the flounder is fresh, I covet every mouthful of the delicate flounder Frances ($10.25). Lightly battered and quickly pan-fried, the filets receive a pleasant dousing of a lemon-and-white-wine sauce for the finishing touch. Scampi Napolitana is another first-rate dish ($13.95). It combines crab meat-stuffed jumbo shrimp braised in a pleasantly seasoned marinara sauce. This dish wins my praise for freshness, excellent color and sprightly flavor.

Parker's Seafood Restaurant. It's impossible not to like this place with its totally unpretentious atmosphere, genuine friendliness and simple, honest, good food. What you order is what you get, and at a reasonable price. I eat contentedly on broiled scrod ($3.99) with green beans, hush puppies and a soup-sized side dish filled to brimming with fried clam strips ($1.50).

Red Lobster. I head here for food without fanfare, quick, amiable service and great dollar value. For dinner, I usually forgo an appetizer and put together my own combination platter ($11.99) of broiled salmon and garlicky shrimp scampi.

Stephen's. For unadorned simplicity, the Market Special ($15.95) captivates my palate. A thick piece of moist, burnished salmon and a crusty crab cake flank a lineup of tender scallops.

Szechuan. No golden tasseled dragons here, just a well-supervised kitchen, and excellent food served on delicate, floral-patterned china. I'm partial to everything cooked with potent sauces. For a remarkable meal, give me a couple of soft-shell crabs ($11.95) deep-fried to crunchiness and adorned with a zingy garlic sauce. When the mood strikes for shrimp ($9.50), I adore a mountain of them, quickly stir-fried, then mixed with a pungent black-bean sauce and topped with a cascade of vegetables julienne.

by CNB