ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 20, 1996 TAG: 9603200018
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Dining Out
TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
It was baptism by fire and mission impossible rolled into one. For two weeks I transformed my palate from hearty omnivore to vegetarian. I fulfilled this assignment with gusto and with indispensable help from a vegan friend whose rosy cheeks and boundless energy reflect superb health.
Prompted by the Great American Meatout, that grassroots celebration of "kicking the meat habit and exploring a more wholesome, less violent diet," I ate a meatless diet for two weeks. As long as the food hadn't ambled, swum, clucked or waddled, I could eat it. As I bounded onto my restaurant scene, I wondered: Would it be easy to visit Roanoke Valley eateries and emerge happy and satisfied from meals of grains and vegetables, an occasional egg and sometimes cheese?
We bustled about the area, eating to our stomach's content and uncovering an array of meatless meals for every taste, in all price ranges. Selections emphasized grains and vegetables and underscored the U.S. government's 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Not only was I eating right and healthy, but I also began to feel virtuous about helping to preserve forests, grasslands and wildlife habitats.
We began our eating foray at El Puerto, a small, hospitable, clean Mexican restaurant near the northern end of Williamson Road. An attractively presented classic dish, huevos rancheros ($3.50), satisfied my late-morning appetite. Two fried eggs with pronounced golden yolks bordered by crispy-edged whites came with sides of a hefty bean tortilla, Spanish rice and a pleasant cilantro salsa.
Lunch buffets draw crowds, and for good reason: There's a variety of food and plenty of it. For $4.50, we satisfied our pasta and veggie cravings at Giovanni's. We helped ourselves to ziti in a plain tomato sauce and spooned a mixed vegetable casserole of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower over the herb-flecked spaghetti.
We feasted on both levels of Towers Shopping Center. Kenny Rogers caught our attention, and we entered to the sight and aroma of chickens roasting on a slow-turning spit. Once I got by this temptation, there were enough colorful hot and cold foods to make me quit a remembrance of meals past. For an incredible $2.99, we each selected three side dishes. This delightful sampler filled my plate with herb-seasoned Italian green beans, buttered corn, hand-cut steamed vegetables and moist cornbread stuffing.
My friend had red and green cabbage cole slaw, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes bathed in Italian dressing, plus wonderfully creamy mashed potatoes. Mainly because it looked appetizing, I asked for a single serving of Parmesan spinach casserole ($1.39/half pint), a retro dish much like Mom's creamed spinach, but better.
Also on the upper level, we indulged at Wildflour Cafe with a pureed autumn vegetable soup ($2.75) and Evie's red beans and rice ($5.25). These tried-and-true stand-bys charmed my palate with undercurrents of flavor. I kept eating and eating, and had no recourse but to finish the plateful of plump rice kernels and squishy beans. Another seductive item, the accompaniment to this simple dish, is polenta bread ($2.50/loaf).
On the lower level of the mall, the New Great Wall Restaurant is definitely in tune with filling-up vegans. It specializes in take-out, and the huge portions provide more than enough for two. Buddha's Delight comes with a pint of rice ($5.50) and combines fried tofu triangles in a dense jungle of carrots, mushrooms, broccoli florets, whole snow peas, cabbage chunks, green bell peppers and halved water chestnuts. When the weather warms up for good, this will make great picnic fare.
The ironies of life visited at this mid-way point. A copy of the magazine, "Vegetarian Times" arrived in my mailbox, and I wondered which "big brother" was watching me.
At Buck Mountain Grille, a barbecued tempeh burger ($4.95) occupied my tastebuds for lunch. It was beautifully served on Wildflour bread with ruffly red leaf lettuce, a slice of tomato and sprouts. I didn't mind the pile of curly fries that came with it, either. This was a winning combination.
A little farther down the road, at Hunting Hills Plaza, Frank's Pizza & Subs serves spaghetti with garlic and oil ($4.70), a fragrant dish that soothes while it fills. My family enjoyed the large vegetarian pizza ($13.50), a layered affair of broccoli, tomatoes, black olives, garlic, onions and green peppers.
As we drove toward downtown, we stopped at the new Wildflour Market and Bakery, and for a moment I thought this was San Francisco. The place stocks the essentials of a gourmet larder and I ordered antipasto salad (around $10), a colorful, irresistible composition. My plate was filled with vinaigrette seasoned pasta salad, dogmas, the minty stuffed grape leaves, tiny French dill pickles called cornichons, fire roasted sweet red bell peppers, fresh, Provence-style black oil-cured olives and pincholine, the small French green olives. The nutty, buttery grilled tempeh burger ($5.25) was absolutely delicious and worth a return trip.
Because this was my second tempeh burger, I felt compelled to find out what I was eating. An extraordinary product, basic tempeh is a meaty soybean cake that is held together by fermentation. Many varieties are available, and each has its distinctive taste. A staple protein in Indonesia, tempeh is high in vitamin B-12, totally lacking in cholesterol and cannot be eaten raw.
Once I got the hang of eating like an alterna-vore vegetarian, I knew back home in Lexington there were plenty of good things waiting to be sampled. I looked forward to the stuffed vegetable pie ($9.50) from the local, family owned trattoria, II Palazzo. This double-crusted pizza holds a succulent stuffing of sauteed fresh escarole, black olives, pine nuts, garlic, mozzarella cheese and olive oil.
At the Blue Heron Cafe, chef Laurie Macrae creates a special curried tofu spread ($3.95) bound with soy "mayo" that for all this world tastes like egg salad. Her well-formulated "meaty" entree of grilled tofu seasoned with soy sauce and garlic ($4.25) tops my list, too.
For quickly served, totally unfussy, nourishing lunches that pump-up the daily supply of dietary fiber, few foods equal baked potatoes, soup and a good salad bar. Arby's serves brontosaurus-sized baked potatoes with melted cheese ($2.29) if you want it, and a substantial, balanced vegetable soup ($ 1.49). I opted instead for a plate of curly fries ($1.39) to go with my soup.
A fiber-rich combo I adore is the steamed vegetable plate ($4.95) at Mac and Bob's in Salem. A halo of bright, crunchy carrots, broccoli and cauliflower encircles a dipping dish of creamy, no-fat Dijon-honey dressing.
Wendy's baked potato ($1.49-plus) is really bargain chow. Whether gussied-up or plain, its fresh taste, fluffy interior and chewy skin come close to what comes out of my own oven. The salad bar ($3.99) offers a bastion of 72 hot and cold, lively looking, straightforward items that can be as light, low-fat and low-calorie as I desire.
I want to end with a final note on my vegetarian endeavor. It was exciting and fun to be a part of it. I will remember the enlightened discoveries that opened my eyes and tastebuds to this dedicated way of eating. Although I was a fired-up convert for two weeks, the four pounds I gained reminded me of the food I left behind.
El Puerto Mexican Restaurant
5436 Williamson Road
563-2455
HOURS: Monday through Friday: 11 a.m. -2:30 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. -9 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: MasterCard, Visa
PRICE RANGE: $1.50 - $7
Giovanni's
5301 Williamson Road (next to Blueberry Hill)
265-1161
HOURS: Monday through Friday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover
PRICE RANGE: Lunch Buffet: $4.50
Kenny Rogers
Towers Mall
981-1010
HOURS: Sunday through Thursday: 11 a.m. -9:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. -10 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, Discover
PRICE RANGE: $2.99 - $6.59
Wildflour Cafe & Catering
Towers Mall
344-1514
1212 4th Street
343-6567
HOURS: Monday through Saturday: 11 a.m. -9 p.m. (Towers)
7 a.m. - 9 p.m. (4th Street)
CREDIT CARDS: none accepted
PRICE RANGE: $3.95 - $10.
New Great Wall Restaurant
Towers Mall
343-9708
HOURS: Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m.-lO p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sunday: noon - 10 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: none accepted
PRICE RANGE: $1 - $12.50
Buck Mountain Grille
U.S. 220 South
776-1830
HOURS: Lunch: Tuesday - Saturday: 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Dinner: Tuesday- Thursday and Sunday: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 5 p.m.-lO p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: All major cards
PRICE RANGE: $3.95 - $14.25
Frank's Pizza & Subs
Hunting Hills Plaza
989-4440
HOURS: Sunday: noon - 10 p.m.
Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: Visa, MasterCard
PRICE RANGE: $1.95 - $17.95
Il Palazzo
24 North Main St., Lexington
(540) 464-5800
HOURS: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, American Express
PRICE RANGE: $2 - $15.99
Blue Heron Cafe (at the Healthy Foods Market)
110 W. Washington St., Lexington
(540) 463-6954
HOURS: Monday through Friday: 11:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: none accepted
PRICE RANGE: $3.15 - $5.25
Mac & Bob's
316 E. Main St., Salem
389-5999
HOURS: seven days a week: 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: All major cards
PRICE RANGE: $4.95 -$ 11.95
Arby's
5442 Williamson Road
362-8127
HOURS: Monday through Saturday: 6:30 a.m. -10 p.m.
Sunday: 7:30 a.m.- 10 a.m.
CREDIT CARDS: none accepted
PRICE RANGE: $1.39 - $4.29
Wendy's
3934 Electric Road S.W.
989-4675
HOURS: seven days a week: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
PRICE RANGE: $4.99 - $8.99
Dolores Kostelni is a cookbook author, former cooking teacher, restaurant manager and chef.
LENGTH: Long : 230 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: CINDY PINKSTON/Staff. 1. Al Mazzarella (top photo)by CNBprepares a variety of non-meat dishes at Buck Mountain Grille in
Roanoke County. Here he finishes a quesadilla, which is a tortilla
stuffed with cheese. 2. Buck Mountain also serves a barbecued tempeh
burger (above). 3. Eggs and beans in El Puerto's huevos rancheros
(left) give the dish plenty of protein for non-meat eaters. color.