1. City Market Building's International Food Court

Sushi, Cuban sandwiches, pasta, pizza, burgers, barbecue and a world of other choices await those who dare to eat their way across the globe.

City Market Building, 32 Market Square

2. "Cheesy and bowl with..."

If you've never uttered these words to a yellow-shirted, paper-hat-wearing frycook at Texas Tavern, it's really hard for us to believe you truly are from Roanoke.

Texas Tavern, 114 Church Ave.

3. Gyros at Paul's

The daily specials at this venerable "luncheonette" (open for breakfast, lunch and "afternoon supper") are delicious, but the menu's Grecian Corner is where the action is.

Paul's Restaurant, 13 Franklin Road

4. Peanut soup

Hotel Roanoke chef Fred Brown developed this recipe in 1940, and natives and hotel guests have lapped it up like it's going out of style -- which it never does.

Hotel Roanoke's Regency Room, 110 Shenandoah Ave.

5. Two dogs with mustard and onions at the Roanoke Weiner Stand

Anybody who tries to mess with the weenie stand is a square.

Roanoke Weiner Stand, 25 Campbell Ave.

6. Sausage gravy and two biscuits at The Roanoker

The Roanoker claims to have baked 8 MILLION biscuits in the past 66 years, none better than the two on your plate, sopped with gravy.

The Roanoker Restaurant, 2522 Colonial Ave.

7. Strawberry shortcake

Like the blooming of the dogwoods, Community School's annual Strawberry Festival in Elmwood Park is a spring tradition that makes you glad to live here. The summertime Virginia Mountain Peach Festival makes us feel warm and fuzzy, too. Har, har.

Strawberry Festival, May 4-5, Elmwood Park

Virginia Mountain Peach Festival, August, Elmwood Park

8. Tinnell's Pimento Cheese

Tinnell's Finer Foods on Crystal Spring Avenue has survived the invasion of Kroger, Food Lion, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Fresh Market and every other chain supermarket that has squashed neighborhood groceries, proving again that sometimes the best defense is homemade pimento cheese.

Tinnell's Finer Foods, 2205 Crystal Spring Ave.

9. Chuck's fried fish sandwich

Forget the bread. Just eat the spicy, crispy fish strips with your fingers. Proceed to hush puppies.

Chuck's Seafood, 1301 Patterson Ave.

10. Metro sushi

Roanoke has just about worried itself into a collective ulcer over its lack of trendy restaurants. Metro has provided gastric relief and made downtown safe for haute cuisine.

Metro, 14 Campbell Ave.

YOUR TURN

Did we miss one of your favorite flavors? Share your list with us before 9 a.m. Monday, so we can get your picks in next week's issue.

E-mail ralph.berrier@roanoke.com

Online message board at Online message board