The Roanoker - February 2014 - 105

Restaurants Per Capita:
Yes, Roanoke is Tops!

Blue Apron: Simply Superb

DAVID HUNGATE

It's something you've heard for years: Roanoke has more restaurants
per capita than any other city. A bold statement indeed, and never
documented.
Setting aside legend, myth, and hearsay, I narrowed my search
efforts to three bodies of data. Chief among them was the Bureau
of Labor and Statistics in Washington, D.C. The gracious folks there
walked me through the various types of restaurant data: full service,
limited service, cafeteria and buffets, mobile food services, snack
and non-alcoholic beverage bars, etc.
Code 7225, "Restaurants and Other Eating Places" was agreed
upon. The U.S. Census Bureau and city-data.com filled in population
numbers for 2012.
We're talking Virginia's larger cities here- from approximately
100,000 up, of which we have nine.
The formula: Divide the city's population by 10,000 (or move the
decimal point 4 places to the left) and then divide the number of
restaurants by that number:
# Restaurants
Population
Per 10K
Roanoke City
248
97,469
25.4
Richmond
460
210,309
21.8
Virginia Beach
971
447,02
21.7
Alexandria
305
146,294
20.8
Norfolk
483
245,782
19.7
Chesapeake
421
228,417
18.5
Newport News
299
180,726
16.5
Hampton
206
136,836
15.0
Portsmouth
137
96,470
14.2
Gotta go - it's time to eat! -SCOTT SAGNETTE

It's no wonder Blue Apron Restaurant & Red Rooster Bar pulled in Platinum
awards for Best Small Plates and Best Restaurant in Salem for the second year in
a row; along with many of you all, Blue Apron is my go-to restaurant for special
occasions and date nights. From the moment it opened in January 2011, I have
been impressed with the consistent quality of service - attentive yet not assertive - as well as the wildly creative yet traditional French cuisine.
Small plates are where it's at with Blue Apron. No matter the party size, it's
always best to order an assortment of dishes - the Duck Confit, for starters, is a requirement. Rich and flaking off the bone, the confit is comfort food with a touch
of opulence, and a small portion is more than enough for two or three diners.
During spring and summer months, the pan-seared scallops with Jasmine rice,
French lentils, coconut-green curry and peach-mango gastrique is another must
with its perfectly seared scallops, sweet and spicy green curry, and nubby crunch
of lentils and rice. For the more meat-inclined, when available as a special, be
sure to order the NY Strip Steak with its smoky-salty mushroom bacon sauce.
Served with the traditional mashed potatoes - 50 percent butter, as the French
do - along with a seasonal vegetable, it's hearty and arguably one of the best
steaks in town.
With a rotating seasonal menu as well as nightly specials, you're guaranteed
to always try something new and different at Blue Apron. Just be sure to share
the love and order each dish as a small plate - a little of everything goes a long
way! -JES GEARING

Worth an Hour
in the Car
Platinum Home Place Restaurant
Gold (tie) The Swinging Bridge
Restaurant
The Palisades Restaurant,
Eggleston

Best in the
Neighborhood
Platinum The River and Rail
Gold
Local Roots
Silver
Fork in the Alley I
Our thanks once again to all who voted in the
dining awards, and our congrats again to the
winners of the polling and the winners of the
free dinners for a year.

105

http://www.city-data.com

The Roanoker - February 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - February 2014