Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Odd but terrific
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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Just across the street from the Bank of Floyd is Oddfella's, previously a restaurant called the Three Legged Cow. It's always been a strange little place.
Oddfella's is, oddly enough, a pretty terrific restaurant. But don't go in expecting all the comforts of home, such as matching furniture or air conditioning. The screen doors will suffice to keep out the flies, if not the heat. Local artwork on the walls is charming, if not always very good. I've not been in a room with more ponytails and pigtails since the 60s. And that's just the men. All of that just makes the place more interesting.
The food is even better! My dear chef friend, Natasha Shishkevish, holds forth in the hot, small kitchen, putting out some of the most lovely of dishes. Natasha is happy working for her new boss, Rob Neukirch, owner of Oddfella's. He's an enthusiastic sort who was also working tables the night I was there, chatting it up to every customer.
Natasha is a talented chef who uses many fresh local herbs and spices, and some from pots she's planted out back. I was surprised that such a simple restaurants touts some of the most sophisticated fare.
For instance, when I ate there, "starters" included a fried green tomato crab melt. Flavorful, fresh and beautifully presented, this was one of the few things you could possibly do to improve on fried green tomatoes.
A fellow (oddfellow, of course) diner had the delicious summer corn fritters, served with a spicy sauce on the side. But the truly knockout appetizer on this particular evening was the artichoke and prosciutto gratin: artichoke hearts, thinly sliced prosciutto, creamy gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses, with pine nuts and a hunk of bread for sopping. Boy did we sop! Other items included lovely salads, green chili chiliquilas, Asian noodle salad with crunchy tofu and Mediterranean grilled vegetable terrine.
The entrees were equally enticing. I had the Thai curried clams with linguini, served with a side of veggies. A friend tried the penne pasta with blue cheese, tomatoes and basil. And though it wasn't on the menu, Natasha cut a thick slab of fresh tuna and prepared it to order for another fellow (oddfella) diner.
Entrees are announced daily and are pretty much based on whatever Natasha decides to do, but they are plentiful for both meat-eaters and veggie folks. Some other entrees were ginger hoisan glazed pork ribs, spicy chickpeas with eggplant relish, shiitake crusted chicken with wild mushroom sauce, and spice-rubbed grilled ribeye with two house-made steak sauces. There’s something for just about every taste, and much of it is certainly out of the ordinary and outstanding. Even the salad dressings are prepared fresh daily.
There are nearly 20 wines on the wine list, from Virginia, California and Australia. The list is long enough to handle the many different styles of cuisine that Natasha prepares daily — everything from Mexican to Asian and Tex-Mex and about anything else that comes to mind, which is probably one of the reasons for the restaurant's popularity. We were there on a Tuesday night and the place was packed.
The beer list is short, but interesting, including Sierra Nevada, Negra Modelo, Bass Ale, St. George's Ale, O'Doul's New Castle Brown, and Harpoon IPO and UFO.
Oddfella's is open for lunch and Sunday brunch. The brunch runs from French toast to pancakes, burritos, country breakfasts, Huevos Rancheros (Mexican eggs and black beans), enchiladas, omelets and honey lime chicken. In a nod to the Floyd crowd, there are organic teas galore as well as homemade desserts.
If it's too hot, you'd do well to eat out back on the veranda, which has three or four large tables with umbrellas. There are flowers back there, and Natasha's herbs and tomatoes growing in those pots.
I had been despairing that my other old Floyd favorite, the Pine Tavern, has closed. But Oddfella's has given me a whole new reason to wander down for an evening meal. I love the charm of the town. And I love eating at Oddfella's.
Oddfella's Cantina
110 North Locust St.
Floyd, Va. 24091
(540)745- 3463
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