The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 65

MARK HENDERSON SITS ACROSS FROM ME in a
long booth at the back corner of Hollywood's Restaurant
and Bakery. He sets a piece of scrap paper with dates
neatly printed in black ink, on the table in front of him.
He scans the room, watching his staff finish morning
prep work. Then he turns to me, says something about
being horrible with dates, and begins talking about his
employees. This dishwasher does every job in the place.
That server who just turned 40, she's been with him
since she was 21. Henderson-nicknamed Hollywood
years ago by some friends as a joke-keeps on like this;
deflecting his own rising story, causing light to shine on
his people instead.
Henderson began his career as a fifth-grade substitute
teacher in Franklin County. The Rocky Mount native
loved his experience. As such, he accepted a position
teaching high school remedial math. Sometime during
that year, he decided to work at the Ground Round in
THEROANOKER.COM

Roanoke as a host. By summertime, Henderson was offered a management position.
"I just wanted to meet people," he laughs, shaking
his head at providence's strange ways.
That was 1980. Over the next 22 years, Henderson
worked as a general manager at two more Roanoke restaurant chains-Chi-Chi's and Texas Steakhouse.
Henderson liked his work as a general manager, but
he started wishing for a restaurant of his own. A restaurant not like the chain restaurants he'd been managing.
"I've always said I wanted a joint," he says. "A really
good restaurant that's...not pretentious. People can feel
good if they have a suit and tie on or shorts on. And a
wide variety on the menu."
In January of 2002, in a convergence of seemingly
unrelated events, Henderson was able to see his restaurant wish come true. He left Texas Steakhouse, and, with
his wife, Chris Henderson, bought Wildflour Cafe on

Food and Movie Stars
By way of good food
and excellent service,
Mark Henderson (shown
with wife Chris, left, and
manager Robin Howery)
and his team have created
a joint where every guest
feels the warm glow of
stardom.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | 65


http://www.THEROANOKER.COM

The Roanoker - November/December 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - November/December 2016

The Roanoker - November/December 2016
Worth a Click
From the Editor
Lunch With
Streets of Roanoke
The Gist
The Calendar
2017 Dining Awards
The Family Stories Behind Two Fine Restaurants
A Foodie Blogger Shares a Few Recipes
Christmas Story at Hotel Roanoke
Kitchen With a (Lake) View
Finding the Right Medicine
Where Are They Now?
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Intro
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - The Roanoker - November/December 2016
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Cover2
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 3
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 4
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 5
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 6
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 7
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Worth a Click
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 9
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - From the Editor
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 11
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Lunch With
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 13
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Streets of Roanoke
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 15
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - The Gist
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 17
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 18
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 19
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - The Calendar
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 21
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 22
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 23
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 24
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 25
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 2017 Dining Awards
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 27
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 28
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 29
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 30
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 31
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 32
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 33
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 34
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The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 40
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The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 47
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 48
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 49
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 50
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 51
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 52
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 53
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 54
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 55
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 56
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 57
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 58
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 59
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - The Family Stories Behind Two Fine Restaurants
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 61
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 62
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 63
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 64
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 65
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 66
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 67
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - A Foodie Blogger Shares a Few Recipes
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 69
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 70
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 71
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 72
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 73
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 74
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 75
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 76
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 77
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 78
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 79
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Christmas Story at Hotel Roanoke
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 81
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Kitchen With a (Lake) View
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 83
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 84
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 85
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 86
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 87
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 88
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 89
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 90
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 91
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Finding the Right Medicine
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 93
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 94
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 95
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 96
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - 97
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Where Are They Now?
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Cover3
The Roanoker - November/December 2016 - Cover4
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