Thursday, March 18, 2010
New coffee shop still working on food service
CHRIS WINSTON The Roanoke Times
Lucie Monroe's Specialty Coffee in Christiansburg offers sandwiches such as the Veggie Hangover Hummus, with cucumbers, red onions, black olives, tomatoes, green onions, carrots and red peppers.
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The owners of the Hills Plaza shopping center at Roanoke Street's intersection with U.S. 460 Bypass have been making tremendous additions over the past year.
Tractor Supply Company, Virginia Techniques and Dance.tech Performing Arts Studio have moved or expanded to the center anchored by Pathway Christian Academy to breathe new life into the aging center.
Now taking advantage of the renewed foot traffic at the center is Lucie Monroe's Specialty Coffee, which opened earlier this year in the center's prime location.
A co-worker and I stopped by one recent afternoon to check out the place and get a beverage.
The inside is amazingly well-done and homey. Big comfy chairs, quiet out-of-the-way tables and plenty of natural light convince you that you're not in a strip shopping center. It's beautiful.
I'll admit to not being much of a coffee drinker, but Shay said her latte was a little bland for her -- "too much like what I get at home."
I brought the family back for a quick lunch this week to test the food options.
The service at this point is a little rocky, probably because of the new menu items that customers have questions about. With only one person taking orders, the line can get backed up with only three people arriving at about the same time. This happened both times I visited.
The menu does offer a nice array of dishes, especially the salads and the breakfast menu served all day.
The breakfast menu includes sausage apple bites, spinach cottage cheese pies, Quatro bagel (with Monterey Jack, ham and bacon) and a Saturday-only oatmeal (Irish steel-cut served with pecans, walnuts and apples).
Bridget had the Veggie Hangover Hummus, with cucumbers, red onions, black olives, tomatoes, green onions, carrots and red peppers.
It surprised us for the better that the wrap came panini-style, which really brought the flavors together. It surprised us for the worse that it came with lettuce, which did not hold up well under the heat.
Another surprise was that it wasn't ready when mine was, because the hummus was being made fresh. But then no one let us know when it was done -- we had to go ask -- and no apology was offered.
Next time, Bridget said, she'll try the curry tuna salad or the house chicken salad, which both come chock-full of fruits and vegetables.
I had chef Gary's special of the day: baked spaghetti. It was a delicious and appropriately sized slab of spaghetti with vegetable meat sauce. A piece of bread or some other side item would have been nice, but I won't complain.
Next time, I'll be having breakfast for my lunch or dinner. I'm looking forward to it.
Lucie Monroe's is building a strong following with its hot drinks and cool music in the evenings (singer/songwriter Leslie Brooks is playing there Friday night).
I also expect the drive-through coffee service will be a hit, if customers can be pulled off Roanoke Street.
But for the dining options to take off, the speed and service are going to have to improve.
