The Roanoker - January/February 2015 - 105

there isn't a wrong option at the restaurant. If you'd like
to go with a traditional egg Benedict, whatever is on the
menu that day is bound to be a home run. Always atop a
cathead buttermilk biscuit, the Benedict features a rotation of country ham, bacon, or, one of my favorites, fried
oysters, with the usual but still luxurious Hollandaise
sauce and two poached farm eggs. The farm eggs also
feature prominently in the omelet of the day - a lighter
option that never sacrifices flavor with combinations like
blue crab and goat cheese. But if French toast is more
your thing, never fear, River and Rail will never disappoint with its ultra-rich version featuring caramelized
bananas and toasted pecans with brioche. Like dessert
for breakfast, the French toast is an elevated take on the
dish and one that keeps many coming back for more.
Since opening two years ago, River and Rail rightfully has established itself as the brunch destination in
Roanoke. So much so, that you often need to call ahead
for a reservation - perhaps the one flaw in the experience. From friendly service to perfectly poached eggs,
the Crystal Spring hotspot proves that brunch isn't and
shouldn't die anytime soon.
The River and Rail Restaurant
2201 Crystal Spring Ave SW, Roanoke
540-400-6830; riverandrailrestaurant.com

METRO! SUSHI HAPPY HOUR!

move on to a palate-opening shot of a Rappahannock
raw oyster topped with a bit of sweet and tangy chow
chow mignonette and a spritz of lemon. Just one apiece
will set the tone for your perfect leisurely Sunday brunch.
Move on next to share the board of Benton's 14-month
aged Country Ham and Bourbon Mustard with the restaurant's house-made bread & butter pickles and hunks
of grilled bread, but be sure to ask for a bit of pimento
cheese to be added to the side. Something about the salty
ham, zing of mustard, and sweet crunch of the pickles paired with the creamy pimento cheese brings it all
home, the perfect little breakfast tartine.
But you're here for brunch and you'd like to move on
to the main event. Thankfully (or unfortunately, depending on how you view it - so many choices, so little time),
THE

R OANOKER.COM

On a warm, sunny afternoon, I find myself seated at a
bistro table-watching people walk to home from work
on Campbell Avenue. Armed with a pear sake martini
in hand ($5) and the promise of a smorgasbord of halfpriced sushi rolls, it's the epitome of Indian summer, a
beautiful moment that certainly can't last.
Except that it does. Every day of the week, from 5:30
to 6:30 in the evening, Metro! in downtown Roanoke
offers a sushi happy hour - half off select sushi rolls and
a few Japanese-themed cocktails at lower prices. Hence
my sweet but highly drinkable pear sake martini and
shamelessness at ordering almost every single sushi roll
on special to share with a group of three friends.
Metro! specializes in sustainable sushi, meaning that
all of the fish they offer in their rolls has been certified
as sustainable by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood
Watch, a science-based group that determines which fish
are overharvested (and thus unsustainable or plentiful
enough to fish without causing damage to the fish species' population. So at Metro!, you'll rarely find tail tuna
(unless it is pole-caught) and you won't find unagi (eel),
two species that are overharvested nearly to the edge
of extinction. You will, however, find interesting takes
on black cod or wild salmon, two fish that are plentiful
and 100 percent sustainable when harvested correctly.
In terms of the sushi happy hour, though, you'll never
miss some of the sushi standards like unagi or certain
tunas. The Dragon Roll, for example, features tempura

The River and Rail offers
elegant, elevated takes on
French toast and on an
omelette plate.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

105

http://www.riverandrailrestaurant.com http://www.THEROANOKER.COM

The Roanoker - January/February 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - January/February 2015