Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210085
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Its specialties are USDA prime beef, beautiful presentations and a version of the visual menu. Huge portions are not limited to the meat, either. Delicious whole-wheat dinner rolls, side dishes of crusty shredded potato and carrot pancake and the individual casserole of highly seasoned whipped herb potatoes come in giant sizes, too.
There's no reason Hunter's Grille can't achieve success. I've had four meals there and each has been progressively better. The downtown location makes it convenient. Its ambience and decor are comfortable. With seasoned chef Ashley Smoke at the burners, the food should be consistently great.
The only printed dinner menu is posted in the foyer. Its heading pledges ``The best steaks you'll ever have, guaranteed.'' In many instances, it's true. But there are occasions when the food does not live up to that promise.
Entree prices range from $14.95 for the semi-boneless quail to $33.95 for the three- to five-pound Maine lobster, with steaks costing $14.95 for an eight-ounce filet mignon to $24.95 for the 24-ounce porterhouse.
Once you sit at the table and the glasses are filled with ice, the server places an unopened bottle of Quibell on the table. I like this because I can help myself to the water when I want it instead of having to wait for a server to fill my glass. A wine list includes bottles from Virginia and France ($14.95-$75) as well as domestic and imported champagnes ($12.95-$150).
The tableside menu consists of a visual display of raw, individually plated foods arranged on a cart. Tightly pulled plastic wrap covers each dish. This menuless concept, although new to the Roanoke area, has been used successfully for years by other restaurants.
As the food is shown, my dining companions and I have watched the server stroke each item and tip the plates on edge for us to better see the offerings. During this exhibition, drops of blood trickle from the meats.
Another surprise may occur when the server whips out a dry lobster from the lower shelf and holds it for all to see. As if to answer the unspoken question of those watching, the lobster showed itself to be alive by slowly moving its tentacles.
In addition to slabs of beef, the meat dishes include a lovely pink salmon filet and a naturally dark swordfish steak. The smallest item is the semiboneless quail. Although there are times when it is not available, it is my favorite meal on the menu. This epicurean fowl spurts juices, cuts easily and literally melts in my mouth.
Unless you ask, there is no mention of prices or appetizers. All other vital statistics are clearly recited. I am not totally comfortable with the invisible prices, particularly when visiting as an invited guest. It's against my nature to spend with abandon and without knowledge of costs.
On my first visit, we arrived too early for the 6 o'clock opening time. Asked to wait in the adjacent bar, we ordered wine and a first course. Quick, efficient service brought herb- and crumb-flecked baked oysters ($5.95) and a softly melting baked brie with one of the whole-wheat rolls and an assortment of fresh fruit ($5.95). Although the oysters had a fishy aroma, they proved tender and moist.
When we finally sat at a table in the clubby dining room, we ordered the lobster medallions ($9.95). This appetizer arrived on a beautiful leaf-shaped dish trimmed in gold. To my disappointment, only one of the four pieces of meat was tender, while the others were either mushy or tough.
Baked scallops wrapped in bacon ($6.95) and arranged on a lively hollandaise sauce were some of the biggest I've ever seen. They were tender and cooked to perfection, but their natural sweetness was overpowered by the bacon.
The versatile beurre blanc and hollandaise sauces serve the chef well, whether enhancing seafood or meat.
For dinner, I ordered the brochettes of scallops and jumbo shrimp ($19.95). The finished dish grouped several huge scallops and jumbo shrimp around a puddle of peppery sauce. I lamented that most of the seafood had an undercooked translucency and was not hot enough for me to enjoy.
The brochettes of beef, ($18.95) attractive with colorful contrasts of white onion and red and green peppers, supposedly contained 8-ounces of filet mignon ($14.95).
Alas, only two of the meat pieces were edible. Two were too bloody and rare to even consider eating. Both the meat and vegetables were barely body temperature.
The 16-ounce rib eye, ($19.95) occupied almost the whole dinner plate and provided a satisfying feast.
An accompaniment that's not to be missed is the casserole of sliced shiitake and button mushrooms in a sherry sauce ($4.95).
The house salad, a mixture of several California field lettuces, is prepared tableside and dressed with a balanced blend of olive and sesame oils, honey, poppy seeds and a dark vinegar.
Those who yearn to satisfy their sweet tooth will take great pleasure in the dessert cart. Top-notch creations ($5.95 each) include generous slices of homemade cheesecake and a trio of cut-out almond cookie-cakes with raspberry coulis and thinly sliced strawberries.
Lunch proves to be a value, especially the huge plateful of fettuccine primavera ($8.95).
Sunday brunch has potential, especially if the food arrives at a hot temperature and the servers remember to bring the first cup of coffee. A malted Belgium waffle topped with surgically thin slices of strawberries ($5.95) and accompanied by two sausage patties could have been better had it not cooled and become rubbery before it was served. For a sensational entree, have the eggs Oscar ($10.95).
There have been moments when hospitality and manners were forgotten at Hunter's Grille. On the first evening I went for dinner, restaurant manager Cutty Edwards inadvertently blocked my companion's view of a televised basketball game in the bar. While I was still eating my lunch at 1:40 p.m. on another visit, Edwards vacuumed the restaurant. I also question the servers' inclination to hand carry a glass or two of wine when tray service is more dependable and professional.
\ HUNTER'S GRILLE
The Patrick Henry Hotel
617 S. Jefferson Street
342-7552
Hours: Monday through Friday:
Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Saturday: 7:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Sunday Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Brunch: 11:30 a.m. - 2 p. m.
Monday through Friday: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Monday through Saturday: Dinner: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Beverages: full-service
Price Range: Breakfast: $5.95 - $6.95
Lunch: $5.95 - $11.95
Dinner: $14.95 - $33.95
Credit Cards Accepted: yes
Reservations Required? yes
No Smoking Section? yes
by CNB