Thursday, March 20, 2008
New restaurant on the horizon
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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Lunch at the new Horizon Bar & Grill is never boring. That's because the owner/chef has managed to come up with menu items that are pretty darned unusual. I've dined there several times and have not had a disappointment yet, with one possible exception being a very rare duck, rather than the medium-well that I ordered. Which makes my point: how many lunch places downtown offer a duck sandwich? Granted, duck meat is fairly red, but this was right down chewy.
Aside from that, I couldn't be happier with the fare at Horizon. Between myself and a half dozen friends over several visits, we've given the lunch menu a good workout, trying most of everything. Horizon has wisely kept the offerings to a page and half, concentrating more on quality than quantity.
A recent Asian soup of the day was as good as you'll find in any Japanese/Chinese/Thai restaurant locally. It was a great combination of sweet and sour and spicy; even left a slight "burn" to the tongue. No one was complaining, everyone was raving.
Sandwiches from the "Dre" (grilled artichoke, spinach, provolone, and turkey with spicy honey mustard to the "Chester" (an excellent Cuban sandwich that's actually NOT dry for a change), to the "Shredded chicken club" (chicken fried onion rings, bacon, lettuce, mango barbecue on Texas toast) are winners. My dining partner commented on the excellent provolone and fresh turkey taste.
The duck sandwich is a nice presentation: thinly sliced duck breast meat, tomato jam, and bleu cheese. The "Ron's steak sandwich", is brimming with sliced strip steak, caramelized onions, tomato, pepper jack cheese and a nice horseradish cream. Plate presentations are uncluttered, clean, attractive. Sandwiches are reasonably priced in the $7 and $8 range ... perfect for the poor overworked and underpaid lunch bunch.
I'm still doing the salad thing in an attempt to squeeze into some new clothes that I foolishly bought a few months ago when I was much thinner. So I've become an expert on where the good salads are and for what price.
Like everything else on the menu, it's priced right at $6-7. I had the "Donnie's spinach salad" with orange slices, almonds (slivered), mushrooms and a very yummy warm pancetta vinaigrette. I could eat this salad every day without tiring of it. There's a Southwest salad as well.
I'm not too wild about lettuce wraps. They usually leave you all wet and I tend to fling the stuffing all over myself when trying to eat them. Theirs is better than some that I've had. "Charles Asian Lettuce Wrap" was pretty good, with sliced carrots, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, scallions, chow mein noodles and a nice sesame-ginger vinaigrette. I chose to add shrimp to mine for an additional $2. While I very much enjoyed this wrap, I gave up on eating it with my hands and simply knife-and-forked it, just as you would a traditional salad.
Dinner gets even more inventive, with starters like the foie gras Napoleon, with glazed peaches quenell of crème fraiche and sauterne reduction. Or steak Nigiri: chili rubbed prawns, hummus, bruschetta, venison carpaccio. Or the crab stuffed calamari. There are others.
Entrees are varied and interesting: Duck with ancho-raspberry demi; chili-rubbed quail with blue corn tortilla mashed potatoes and smoky bacon barbecue sauce; chipotle glazed salmon with sautéed spinach with orange essence brown butter. Other entrees include chicken, filet, pork tenderloin, sweet potato enchiladas, poached lobster, and lots more. One would do well to check out the chili-seared tuna, cilantro rice cake and eggplant caviar with tomatillo-mulato vinaigrette. For the lamb-lovers (not to be confused with land-lubbers) choose a braised shank, slow-cooked with roasted peppers, homemade refried beans, corn soufflé and pepper sauce. Entrees start at $17 and with the most expensive in the $28 range.
Having said that, you can take your chances on the poached lobster at market prices. It's a winner with plenty of butter (of course), chayote squash flan and grilled asparagus with a chili butter.
For those wanting to try a tasting of items, you may choose any three bar tapas for $10: cheese fondue, tempura shrimp on a stick, mini-quesadillas, baked tart, pita stack, hot and sour chicken kabobs, curry polenta cake with quail eggs, steak tartare, tuna carpaccio, chicken parmesan, crab cake and smoked salmon.
I can only vouch for one of the many desserts -- a berry parfait, served in a glass, with mixed berries layered between mascarpone, topped with crushed English walnuts and Bailey's mousse. What's not to like? You may choose a strawberry shortcake (not available the day I wanted it), cheesecake with coffee sauce, something called "Taste of the Caribbean" (coconut soufflé, grilled pineapple, and champagne spritzer), poached pear with honey vanilla soup, or an artisan cheese plate.
It's a slow period for many restaurants, so I've not seen the place packed yet, but with this menu, given some time, I think that Horizon Bar & Grill should do quite well, thank you.
Horizon Bar & Grill
Roanoke, Va.
540-342-5133
Full bar service!
